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Is There a Link Between School Grades and Internet Income?

by kindsvater
51 replies
Over the years I have seen countless horrible websites, and there was a recent thread with an amazing statistic that most Internet marketers never make a dollar. I was also just looking at another site from someone who was wondering why they hadn't made a penny, but it only took a second to know why ...

- Atrocious spelling and grammar.

- Overall, really bad writing per any reasonable definition of what is good and compelling writing.

- Horrible layout.

I was thinking, if this website was turned in for a grade in a writing class it would likely receive a poor or failing grade.

Is there a link between school grades in writing and quality of website writing? A link between how well you are writing in school and the income you make online?

I doubt a good writer in school would suddenly become incompetent online, or vice-versa. Thoughts?

If there is a link, one important issue is whether buying products and guides will ever be effective for some people until they are able to improve basic skills. As the goal here is to make money, perhaps an important part of the equation is being missed.

This seems to be different from than anything covered in copywriting manuals which presume basic writing skills.

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#grades #income #internet #link #school
  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Burritt
    Banned
    If there's a link, it's inversely related.
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    • Profile picture of the author intergen
      Originally Posted by Jeff Burritt View Post

      If there's a link, it's inversely related.
      LOL - nice Jeff!

      IF this is a serious question - the answer is obviously no. You can always have someone else create your content and do all of the web copy. Some of the wealthiest people I know aren't the smartest - they know how to leverage time and resources.
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    • Profile picture of the author edlewis
      Not sure there is a link between grades necessarily, but it helps to be a good writer...especially if you are writing your own content in the form of ebooks, articles, blog posts.

      However, a lousy student could simply overcome that skill by outsourcing things they don't do well...like writing, if that is the case.


      It's about knowing what you suck at...

      Sucking at something is fine...everyone has different skills and traits. You can always concentrate on what you do best and hire others to do the other stuff for you. However, not knowing that you suck at something will kill you.


      Referring to the thread you mentioned, if that person had simply taken all the money they spent on PPC and invested it instead in a professional WordPress theme and some quality outsourced writing - they would have been far better off than trying to do it all themselves.


      Knowing what you don't know is an important skill.


      I'm not sure school grades matter...I know some business people who were horrible students, myself included.

      I failed out of college because I was spending all my time running my first eBay business - well...and because I liked to party a little too much.

      I was buying diet pills in BULK and selling them individually. My roommates looked at me like I was crazy when the UPS guy showed up at the door with 30 cases of diet pills....each box with 24 bottles in it. (Financed 100% by my first credit card...LOL!)

      But when those pills started flying out in the mail and I started selling bottles at $10 a pop on campus...they weren't laughing anymore...especially when I was buying them beers at Happy Hour.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anonymous Affiliate
    There's no link whatsoever between school grades and entrepreneurship.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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      Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate View Post

      There's no link whatsoever between school grades and entrepreneurship.
      AA and I have discussed this many times before, in several other threads (and even a little by private message) and have very different perspectives on the subject.

      I just wanted to mention that I agree with his statement, here.

      With perhaps a few minor, specific exceptions, I also don't think there's any obvious link between school grades and entrepreneurship, per se.

      But between school grades and business management skills, the ability to concentrate and focus, the ability to identify and distinguish between what's important and what's urgent, to avoid silly mistakes, to learn as you go along, from experience, and the ability to develop the necessary judgment to tell information from misinformation (i.e. "advice-taking skills") ... well, those are all a very different matter. Personally, I'd back someone with an honours degree from a decent university in preference to a high school leaver every single time, other things being equal.

      Originally Posted by myob View Post

      the author notes that 90% of the millionaires in the US do in fact have an undergraduate degree or better.
      That's true in most other countries, too, according to what I've read.

      One tends to hear far more, in such conversations, about the exceptions, of course.
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    There is absolutely no link between school smarts and successful people. Many of the most successful people are those from very basic upbringings. If someone wants to make it happen they will regardless of their skills.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    There are two types of people that get bad grades - one is the extremely smart person who is bored beyond belief by classes that are inadequately structured and lead (America blows more geniuses out of it's school systems than any other country). The other is the lazy dumb-f*** that just doesn't give a rip enough to bother to do anything for themselves. (yeah, I know there's a few that don't fit the mix but that's the general two types).

    Okay - what about the geniuses that just didn't give a rip because they were bored. Grades: failing - but if they get on the net and it turns them on - people eat their dust. You get one of the other type that just doesn't have the motivation to do anything and they get on here mainly because they think it will be easy money.

    So no - grades don't count. The one thing that college grads have going for them that anyone else with the same brainpower and entrepreneurial attitude hasn't got is years of practice in developing discipline to be able to sit and do the work necessary to get the job done.
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    • Profile picture of the author edlewis
      To follow up a bit...

      I think learning to make money is a skill...and one that is learned. And most often it doesn't happen in a classroom.

      Some people who do really well in school could never work for themselves...we've all met people with advanced degrees and whatnot who couldn't run a business to save their lives.

      And we've probably all met people who didn't even make it thru high school, but have a certain "street smart" intelligence that allows them to run their own business and make money hand over fist. Most of these people would struggle to work for themselves and some even would call themselves "unemployable".
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  • Profile picture of the author Ninja Ana
    In my opinion, there is no link between grades in school or basic writing skills with being an internet marketer with the intention of income generation. For a plain reason, technology does it all.

    There are a lot of software's that can auto-correct your grammar, you can hire someone/outsource it to create your basic English needs and income does not equate to basic english, what I mean being an internet marketer its all about ideas and technical skills.
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  • Profile picture of the author LukeDavenport
    Yeah i don't think there is a link either, mostly because entrepreneurship is rare to come by. Most people are so skeptical and do not have the motivation to even start their journey.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      Auto-correcting grammar and spelling is not the same thing as writing well. You can learn to "write" - but I'm not convinced anyone can learn to "be a writer". For many, the first is sufficient.

      I can paint a wall but not a picture. I think it's the same with skills like writing. Most can learn the process and write on a page but it takes a certain talent to create a story or draw a picture with words. Fortunately, not everything must be a masterpiece.

      I think the student reference is being dismissed with little thought. A very smart student can get passing grades with little effort. A street smart person may fail in school but has the intelligence to work through a project and see the bigger picture.

      For the average student, learning to organize time and materials in a way that gets a project done for a good grade is good training for IM.
      Learning to take care of details, to use time wisely, to recognize what is important and what isn't - are traits found in good students and successful marketers.

      In addition, those who do well in school have a sense of accomplishment and self worth that is not present in those who fail. They understand the need to work to reach a goal unlike those at the bottom of the class who find excuses to quit.

      kay
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      • Profile picture of the author fluffythewondercat
        As I expected, the OP's basic thesis is being pooh-poohed. Why? Beats me. If you can't communicate well, you're not going to make many sales. Look at a good grade as the result of a selling job you did on your teacher. If you can't persuade years of teachers you deserve the good grade reward, I doubt you'll be much of a marketer.

        As for the lazy genius theory, I've been hanging out with smart people my whole life. If coursework isn't challenging enough, we find a way to make it so, not sit in the back of the class and goof off.

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        • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
          Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat View Post

          As I expected, the OP's basic thesis is being pooh-poohed. Why? Beats me. If you can't communicate well, you're not going to make many sales. Look at a good grade as the result of a selling job you did on your teacher. If you can't persuade years of teachers you deserve the good grade reward, I doubt you'll be much of a marketer.

          As for the lazy genius theory, I've been hanging out with smart people my whole life. If coursework isn't challenging enough, we find a way to make it so, not sit in the back of the class and goof off.

          fLufF
          --
          Would you say I'm a decent writer? Am I able to make my points? Make them well?

          Perhaps I am the exception to the rule, but my cumulative G.P.A. in high school was 1.032; in other words, just enough to get my diploma.

          Or, are you saying that I couldn't possibly be much of a marketer due to some largely arbitrary number that was put on my permanent record more than 25 years ago?

          Just curious.

          All the best,
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          • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
            Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

            Or, are you saying that I couldn't possibly be much of a marketer due to some largely arbitrary number that was put on my permanent record more than 25 years ago?
            It isn't a low GPA that follows poor students through life preventing them from becoming a success; it's generally their low IQ.

            Outside factors such as boredom, stress and so on explain poor grades over a brief period of time. But if you struggle to meet goals in school from the ages of 5 through 18, then you are probably not the brightest bulb and that is highly likely to carry over into your real world performance in the decades ahead.

            Can someone with low intelligence be successful? Yes, if they excel at professions that don't require a high level of mental function.
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            • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
              Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

              It isn't a low GPA that follows poor students through life preventing them from becoming a success; it's generally their low IQ.

              Outside factors such as boredom, stress and so on explain poor grades over a brief period of time. But if you struggle to meet goals in school from the ages of 5 through 18, then you are probably not the brightest bulb and that is highly likely to carry over into your real world performance in the decades ahead.

              Can someone with low intelligence be successful? Yes, if they excel at professions that don't require a high level of mental function.
              But we are talking about grades, not intelligence.

              Grades and IQ are not the same thing. Low intelligence and low grades are separate issues. Sometimes there is a correlation, but I bet it's less than half the time.

              Furthermore, I've seen some pretty low IQs do well online. IQ and business smarts are not the same thing either. I would even suggest that sometimes the lack of IQ can be an asset because the person doesn't know what the "proper" way to do something is.

              Going back to the OP, there are just too many variables to suggest a direct link between school grades and internet income. You don't need to be smart, just smart enough.

              Ultimately, I'm not really sure what value such a discussion even has. It has the slightest ring of elitism to it, IMHO, and doesn't really offer anything constructive--at least not from my point of view.

              All the best,
              Michael
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              • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
                Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

                Low intelligence and low grades are separate issues. Sometimes there is a correlation, but I bet it's less than half the time
                They are potentially separate issues, but I disagree with your 50% figure. The percentage of intelligent students struggling with their grades is probably minuscule.

                Society likes to believe that poor students just need better leadership. The reality is more difficult to overcome; they were born with a below average potential IQ range. It's a range predetermined at birth that decides what your minimum and maximum intelligence can be, and it's different for everyone. Exactly where you place in your personal range depends on environmental factors, but you can't go above or below that range.

                To illustrate, this could have been Albert Einstein's range at birth:

                1----------|--|10

                The end result of a good development environment:

                1------------*10

                The potential end result of an unstable environment:

                1----------*--10

                Though not world renowned, still a highly functional man.




                Let's look at a different range:

                1--|----|------10

                This child raised well and placed in the best schools:

                1-------*------10

                Regardless of a great home and school, he is just average.




                A range from average to bright:

                1------|----|--10

                He is unfortunately born into a bad home and schools:

                1------*------10




                This stuff isn't just a theory. Psychology has long proven this to be a fact using studies of paternal twins separated at birth who ended up in opposite nurturing environments. It explains a lot about society, but you never hear about this stuff because it's politically incorrect to suggest that people aren't born with the same potential.

                For a student to go from D's and F's to straight A's would mean there was an outside factor not involving their brain, but this is very rare in situations where the failing was a long term problem.
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                • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
                  Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

                  They are potentially separate issues, but I disagree with your 50% figure. The percentage of intelligent students struggling with their grades is probably minuscule.
                  Perhaps my guess is off, but I wouldn't say the percentage is miniscule. Let's just say that it can happen, and that it's a shame when it does.

                  Society likes to believe that poor students just need better leadership.
                  I think this is true, but not that common. You allude to it later when you mention environment.

                  The reality is more difficult to overcome; they were born with a below average potential IQ range. It's a range predetermined at birth that decides what your minimum and maximum intelligence can be, and it's different for everyone. Exactly where you place in your personal range depends on environmental factors, but you can't go above or below that range.
                  Of course, but my point is that intelligence and grades are not the same thing. There are still limits to how high a person can go with their intelligence, but someone of average intelligence can get straight A's. In other words, you don't have to be really smart to succeed, just smart enough.

                  This stuff isn't just a theory. Psychology has long proven this to be a fact using studies of paternal twins separated at birth who ended up in opposite nurturing environments. It explains a lot about society, but you never hear about this stuff because it's politically incorrect to suggest that people aren't born with the same potential.
                  I don't think it's politically incorrect at all. It's the old Nature vs. Nurture discussion, and both play some role in a person's level of success.

                  For a student to go from D's and F's to straight A's would mean there was an outside factor not involving their brain, but this is very rare in situations where the failing was a long term problem.
                  While we really aren't talking about school, you actually described my Junior year in high school. Heck, something had to bring my GPA up to 1.032

                  Anyway, I don't think a person needs to be highly-intelligent to make money online.

                  Another thing I noticed is that Brian mentioned two distinct parts of websites: content and layout. This gets to the point of there being more than one kind of intelligence. Someone can have verbal intelligence, but very little spatial intelligence, or vice-versa...and here's what I think it all comes down to:

                  It's not about IQ, it's about utilizing the proper skill sets necessary for making money online.

                  Perhaps the most important skill in making money online is building rapport. I'm sure we all know students who got low grades, but were really good with people. And we also know A-students who were jerks. I believe the former has a better chance of success than the latter, as long as they don't do anything to get in the way of their ability to build rapport. In this case, I would agree that atrocious spelling and poor design could prevent rapport from being established.

                  All the best,
                  Michael
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            • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
              This was not intended to be an IQ thread and as a member of Mensa let me add Mensa has made it clear the organization has found no link between IQ and financial success.

              .
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  • Profile picture of the author wbgclient
    I would say that it is a plus...it is surely an advantage and helps you develop good writing skills. But building a business is the combination of many skills and there are many people with good school grades that don't succeed in building a business maybe because they cannot organize and apply all the necessary skills.
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert M Gouge
    As far as writing is concerned, I do think that those who excel at the art have an advantage over those who don't. Those who aced all their English courses in school will certainly have an easier time with content creation.

    Since the vast majority of communication online is done via writing and text, underestimating the need for proper writing technique is a mistake. This doesn't apply if you outsource your content creation, however. But, when purchasing content, if you can't spot the grammatical and punctuational errors, how will you know if the content you bought is crap or not?
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      I think there's more chance of an intelligent person succeeding than a intellectually challenged person. Obviously that isn't going to always be the case.

      This is coming from someone who never finished school, so I'm bowing down to the other side lol.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jacob Lot
    I'll be honest, if I've ever seen any link between grades and internet marketing, it's "the lower your grades are, the more successful you will be in internet marketing"

    Obviously that is said for a good laugh. But if you really look into it, most successful internet marketing folks are horrible at maths & sciences (I wouldn't say English/Communication though).
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    I think there may be a few of us who sailed through school with mid-level grades simply because we didn't have the initiative to work hard.

    After a few years in the "real" world we decided if we wanted to achieve anything worthwhile we we needed to put forth more effort and work a little harder.

    What I learned in school did help me in many ways. But my grades were no indication of future success.

    Rose
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  • Profile picture of the author marketwarrior06
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    if you take online income as a hobby it will never give you a penny. but if you respect the income and work for that then you will definitely get good amount.
    There are many people who are doing online marketing as a parttime job. they are doing good job and getting good profit. Its because they are taking it seriously.
    nothing else.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    To take it to the extreme, most scholars I know are not
    interested in making money. They love the world of
    ideas, research etc, and are often begging for money
    rather interested in benefiting from their own work.

    One of my professors in grad school wrote a book
    that took him 25 years. It was a scholarly research
    work and so I told him that he should write a version
    for the common person, and how much money I think
    he would make. He said that was not his purpose
    in writing the book.

    So it's not everyone who lives in the "how can I make
    more money from this" world and the smarter you are
    it seems the less likely you want to be paid for it.

    There are a lot of broke PhDs.

    -Ray Edwards
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      The initial question was simple:

      Is there a link between school grades in writing and quality of website writing? A link between how well you are writing in school and the income you make online?
      We seem to have strayed from that simple question. Any student will do well at a subject he enjoys or that comes easy to him. Writing is no different. If you are a goof-off in school or totally bored you may not do well grade-wise - but that doesn't erase inherent abilities.

      If you dislike math you are unlikely to do well as a scientist or engineer. You can learn to play music but the talent for interpreting the music can't be learned. You can learn to write but to the best writers the skill is one that seems natural to them.

      Is there any occupation where there are not different levels of achievement? Don't think so. In writing, the point is to reach a level of writing that is worth reading. Some people can do it easily, some have to struggle to get there and many need to outsource it.:p

      kay
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    • Profile picture of the author fluffythewondercat
      One of my professors in grad school wrote a book
      that took him 25 years. It was a scholarly research
      work and so I told him that he should write a version
      for the common person, and how much money I think
      he would make. He said that was not his purpose
      in writing the book.

      Academia bears little or no relationship to the real world. Academics with tenure don't have to worry about making money. The system (tenure, occasional textbook authoring) keeps them in the clover.

      There are a lot of broke PhDs.

      Not around here. Meaning, Silicon Valley. Of course, theirs are largely engineering and math degrees, not the result of a degree program in Post-Feminist Sand Castle Construction.

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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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        There are a lot of broke PhDs.
        I don't believe this, overall. I think there are actually very few broke Ph.D.'s.

        Sure, people can always dig some up to prove that they exist, but that's anecdotal and proves nothing.

        The discrepancy in average lifetime earnings between non-graduates and graduates is overwhelming.
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        • Profile picture of the author fluffythewondercat
          Ken Caudill mentioned people who present themselves as idiots.

          I couldn't help but think of this tweet I saw a couple of days ago:

          Before abbreviating "you" as "U", take a few moments to consider whether the saved 2 keystrokes are worth the 40 point drop in perceived IQ.

          Hilarious.

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        • Profile picture of the author Walter Parrish
          I would have to say there's really no link.
          Some students goof off and flunk out, because they're just tired of not learning anything new. Some teachers flunk students, because they don't like anyone that's smarter than them. NO LINK

          As far as the internet is concerned I will say in general, the writing and grammatical skills you have learned will decline if you aren't careful. I've been on the internet long enough to know. Society is turning into an idiotcracy lol. I mean how many sites and articles are beyond the grade school level? I've even seen well known publications only where spelling and grammar was horrible. So, continue hanging around the masses and you may notice that your grammar and spelling begin to decline.

          Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this sentence?
          This seems to be different from than anything covered in copywriting manuals which presume basic writing skills.

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  • Profile picture of the author stoltingmediagroup
    Low school grades earned in the past by an individual have very little direct relation to the actual future internet income potential for that same person. (There are many examples of this and you probably bought one of their products). Even if an individual ends up with grade one level English grammar, math, etc, upon eventually deciding to drop out and start a business instead, this same individual could very well enter the internet marketing arena and simply outsource all consumer facing presentations including sales copy and website content to qualified English speaking individuals. Many successful marketers with low school grades in the past operate this way. Thus the short answer is no, there is no link between school grades and internet income, or any future income for that matter. (sure your mom, dad and grandparents will tell you different, but these are different times we live in). It all depends on what you do with your other smarts. Choose a cubicle or other trade until you retire at age 75, or choose financial freedom with the technology and resources available today, low grades and all.
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  • Profile picture of the author KickAss Marketing
    There is a link to school grades in terms of grammar and writing stuff, but I think the direct links stop there. Intuition, common sense, innovative mind, creativity, etc. can't be learned that much and much more bought.

    Online guides and tutorials that are sometimes sold by other online businessmen can only take you so far because YOU are the main factor in your success in making and running sites. Learn, work hard, and learn some more then work harder.
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  • Profile picture of the author therichb
    Never ever thought of a relationship between school & my present work (income), they are actually not related together but one thing i strongly agreed upon. The things we do today are taken up by us in our early childhood days...

    Those things & our age factor gives us enough maturity to work on our motives & do something different in present times...
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  • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
    Is there a link between school grades in writing and quality of website writing? A link between how well you are writing in school and the income you make online?

    I doubt a good writer in school would suddenly become incompetent online, or vice-versa. Thoughts?
    I've never heard of a specific study showing a direct correlation between school grades and the amount of income one makes online. Having written that, there have been numerous studies between education and income earned in a general sense, however, that has little or no bearing on the specific question the OP posed.

    Then there's the "self-education" factor. People who learn by simply reading a lot on their own or taking classes but not necessarily obtaining a specific degree. Personally, I think there are so many other variables to take into consideration that it wouldn't be easy to find a direct correlation between grades and the amount of income a person makes online.

    One's "education" is NOT solely depending on simply attending school or college, there are other ways to obtain such said education.

    And how does someone measure someone's wherewithal, resolve, motivation, etc.? The intangibles that really matter as much, if not more, are not easily measured. There are plenty of really excellent writers who aren't making much at all and there are also plenty of mediocre writers who make a ton, though they probably outsource their writing and their forte is marketing and selling, not writing.

    It's difficult to really say one way or another.

    RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author kimonerz
    I've worked hard all my life. I always had bad grades.

    Doesn't correlate...

    If you're determined, passionate and hardworking, you can be successful in "almost" everything.
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    There is a link. The dumber someone is, the more IM/MMO crap s/he buys and later regrets.

    I know that's not what you're asking though. I graduated high school in a class of around 325. There were only four kids with a lower GPA than I had. Four. Duh.

    I'm not going to list my accomplishments because that would be boorish and no one would care anyway. Though by many standards folks would say I've been successful, mainly at writing. I don't know many of the formal rules of writing, I simply recognize what works and what doesn't by "hearing" it in my head.

    Also... I'm reminded of the number one self help - personal development guy on the planet, Tony Robbins. He was a slightly below student in school. He has a high school diploma.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      There is no such correlation specifically for success in IM that I have ever been aware of, although there does seem to be a dismal decline in the quality of public education in general over the last 40 years or so. We have college graduates that are functionally illiterate, in contrast to elementary school students of the 60's and 70's.

      After two decades of extensive research by Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D., author of "The Millionaire Next Door", the grades one earns in school have no correlation at all with the economic wealth and success. Dr Stanley says it's evident that anyone can accumulate wealth, if they are disciplined enough, determined to persevere, and learn to live within their means.

      This is not at all a disparagement of education itself, however, as the author notes that 90% of the millionaires in the US do in fact have an undergraduate degree or better.
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  • Profile picture of the author Charanjit
    If your english is poor just out source, or get a proof reader (these cost only $5 on fiver)
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  • Profile picture of the author topgold
    A lot of my successful Internet Marketing friends have had poor grades in school or have never even finished school, yet they are making so much money right now.

    With that being said, the way that I see it is that you only really need a certain set of skills in order to operate a business. That skill would be how to setup and operate the business itself.

    The skills that they lack may be outsourced to someone who can do it much better. This includes writing, blogging, web design, autoresponder setup, copywriting, etc...

    So although those people who aren't making any money online are doing their own websites with the spelling/grammar mistakes and whatnot, the more successful IM'ers are doing it another way.

    :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Charley Brown
    You'd have a very difficult time proving any kind of link.

    Most of those atrocious websites were likely written by someone who has limited English skills (probably outsourced).

    As for those that never make a penny - in most cases it is due to the fact that they are always looking for get rich quick schemes.
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    • Profile picture of the author cashp0wer
      I'm not sure if there is a link between school grades and the success of Internet marketing. Some people are simply not good at school but that doesn't make them stupid. I was one of the lucky ones that did very well in school and college, but I know people who didn't do well in school and didn't step foot in a college that are successful at Internet marketing. You can hire someone to do your writing for you, or hire someone to set up a website for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author ijustwanttosleep
    Banned
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by ijustwanttosleep View Post

      Someones grades has nothing to do with the ability to outsource.
      For the record, I disagree. I think outsourcing successfully is generally a tricky skill for many people to acquire. It requires sensitivity, perceptiveness, interactive skills and, perhaps above all, judgment. I think graduates, overall, are more likely to develop and use those skills more quickly and effectively.

      Originally Posted by ijustwanttosleep View Post

      Dammit people, pay attention!!!
      You're a fine one to talk, when you just want to sleep, yourself ...
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      • Profile picture of the author Walter Parrish
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        For the record, I disagree. I think outsourcing successfully is generally a tricky skill for many people to acquire. It requires sensitivity, perceptiveness, interactive skills and, perhaps above all, judgment. I think graduates, overall, are more likely to develop and use those skills more quickly and effectively.



        You're a fine one to talk, when you just want to sleep, yourself ...
        Exactly, if they cannot write from the start, how would they know what's good with outsourcing. It would be like not knowing how to read or write, only depending on others opinions on what's good and what's not.

        I will say this much education or not you better know how to read and write if you want to get paid.
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        • Profile picture of the author Walter Parrish
          One thing I would like to add to the thread.

          Sometimes being smart can slow you down, because it will make you pay to much attention to details rather than just Doing.

          I love the WF and IM crowd period, since I have been on the forum my grammar and spelling have started to improve and that's a good thing. It lets me know that I'm among intelligent people.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    I was salutatorian in high school. Aced Calculus II in college. Got one of the hardest computer networking certifications in the world. And all of these things were EASIER than starting and making my internet a success. So yes... lol... inversely related. All the "DUMB" people get cash fast lol.
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  • Profile picture of the author secretguy
    Yeah, there's a link between inteligence and how much money you make online.
    Mostly how creative you are, and how much action you take around those creative ideas... and how well you develop that ideas.
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  • Profile picture of the author eugenedm
    School grades are not in any way related to your IM income. There are some people who never even finished college but are among the wealthiest people on the planet. People become wealthy if they like what they're doing and know what they're doing.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Warriors
    You asked the wrong question I think.

    Is there any correlation between GRADES and success in internet marketing?

    No.

    But is there any correlation between BRAINS and internet marketing?

    Yes, absolutely.

    I mean, let's just be real for a second.

    Look at the top people in IM (the "Gurus" if you will) who everyone knows and recognizes as the top names in internet marketing.

    Most of them are pretty articulate, and are decent writers.

    Can you even think of ONE exception?

    I can't. Frank Kern, Ed Dale, Eben Pagan, Mike Filsaime, Andy Jenkins, etc. All better than average writers and speakers.

    Did they do good in school?

    Maybe not, but if they did fail in school, it was because they didn't try, not because they were dumb.

    Internet marketing is NOT for dumb people. Gurus might want you to think you can succeed if you're dumb, but if you're not smart enough to put together a coherent sentence, you won't be able to hack it.

    Here's the BEST example I can give to illustrate this point.

    Look at these "ZOMG INTERNET MARKETING DOESN'T WORK, ITS ALL A LIE WAAAAAAAAH" threads that come out once or twice a month.

    Invariably, these threads are written by people with absolutely horrifying grammar and spelling, who can't string together two coherent thoughts.

    You will not succeed in IM with an IQ below 70. You need to be able to at least understand basic shit.

    Think of it like salesmanship. Most successful salesmen aren't geniuses, but they aren't retards either. You need to at least be able to understand some psychology to make the thing work.

    People can disagree with this, but most people who do are probably selling something.

    Just a heads up.
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  • Profile picture of the author Colin Theriot
    I ended up as a professional copywriter by accident. I say that because I want to stress that I didn't put any extra effort into learning spelling or grammar or basic composition. I just paid attention in school and did my homework. So when I see what the OP is talking about - just godawful communication skills - especially from someone who is supposed to be a marketer - it bugs me.

    Marketing is a communication game. The internet is a communication machine. I'm not saying you have to be good at writing per se. You can get by on video nowadays. But you have to know how to communicate clearly. You have to know how to make a point, set up an argument, tell a story, etc.

    That's just basic salesmanship. If you want to be successful at selling stuff, it's a must, and if you don't have it, people are judging you for being crappy at it.

    Now, is that tied to grades in school? I don't think so. Not directly. Do people with better grades tend to be better at general writing stuff? Yeah, that only makes sense. But that's not the sole ingredient for success. I don't think it's the grades that count, it's whether you worked hard to learn in school.

    I made good grades easily (it's not bragging - I went to public school in Louisiana, one of the worst in the U.S. education-wise), but I liked to read a lot extra-curricularly. I didn't think of it as pushing myself because I enjoyed it, but I did challenge myself. For other kids that maybe didn't find school work as easy, and had to work to get Bs and Cs, I think they have just as much of what it takes to succeed as I do. Put work in, get profit out.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Copy Warriors
      Originally Posted by Colin Theriot View Post

      I ended up as a professional copywriter by accident. I say that because I want to stress that I didn't put any extra effort into learning spelling or grammar or basic composition. I just paid attention in school and did my homework. So when I see what the OP is talking about - just godawful communication skills - especially from someone who is supposed to be a marketer - it bugs me.

      Marketing is a communication game. The internet is a communication machine. I'm not saying you have to be good at writing per se. You can get by on video nowadays. But you have to know how to communicate clearly. You have to know how to make a point, set up an argument, tell a story, etc.

      That's just basic salesmanship. If you want to be successful at selling stuff, it's a must, and if you don't have it, people are judging you for being crappy at it.

      Now, is that tied to grades in school? I don't think so. Not directly. Do people with better grades tend to be better at general writing stuff? Yeah, that only makes sense. But that's not the sole ingredient for success. I don't think it's the grades that count, it's whether you worked hard to learn in school.

      I made good grades easily (it's not bragging - I went to public school in Louisiana, one of the worst in the U.S. education-wise), but I liked to read a lot extra-curricularly. I didn't think of it as pushing myself because I enjoyed it, but I did challenge myself. For other kids that maybe didn't find school work as easy, and had to work to get Bs and Cs, I think they have just as much of what it takes to succeed as I do. Put work in, get profit out.
      ^^ This guy knows what he's talking about.
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