Freight Train Marketing

11 replies
Hey Guys, this is my first thread so I'm really interested in hearing your feedback on my thoughts. I have followed internet marketing forums (including this one) since about 2006 and I've witnessed amazing success, repeat failures and an overall sentiment that has clearly outlined the difference between those who make it and those who fail.

I failed myself for several years before I finally strapped myself into the rocketship, put the rubber to the road, and took massive action in the best direction I knew possible. My best week so far online was about $11,500 and I've been chasing that taste ever since.

I've had multiple 5 figure months and have been able to consistently make 4 figures a week without too much problem. A big part of it is mindset, focus and taking things serious.

But... this isn't about me or my success. In fact, my success is something I rarely talk about as it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the people who I'm sharing it with. I've noticed that even friends and family don't really want to hear about it and they take more pleasure in the fall than the climb.

This is an up and down game, for some reason people always want to reassure themselves that what you're doing isn't sustainable, it's not real.

Anyway... Here comes the freight train. Lately I've been going full force ahead with everything I do. Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. But, keep throwing, never stop throwing and trim the fat later.

This differs from my usual, more careful approach, where I will split test every little detail and carefully monitor my spending to avoid over spending on testing.

Is it working? I don't know I haven't reached the tipping point. I'm losing money on a lot of things but I feel like I have the money to lose and the payoff will be greater.

This type of attitude is carrying through in everything I do. My emails to my list, even in this post. If people follow, great, if not jump off the ride. So I'm calling this concept freight train marketing. It feels like the second biggest mindset shift since I first made it and I'm hoping I'm on another cusp.

What are your thoughts? Should I stop and re-access or keep moving full force?

I'm wondering if anyone else has felt these ups and downs and finally said "eff it I'm taking over". If not, what did you do to see the success again?
#freight #marketing #train
  • Profile picture of the author Rbtmarshall
    What are your thoughts? Should I stop and re-access or keep moving full force?

    I'm wondering if anyone else has felt these ups and downs and finally said "eff it I'm taking over". If not, what did you do to see the success again?

    me?

    I stopped searching for success. Then all the sudden, I started getting paid all day.

    choo-choo!
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    • Profile picture of the author PaidAllDay
      Originally Posted by Rbtmarshall View Post

      me?

      I stopped searching for success. Then all the sudden, I started getting paid all day.

      choo-choo!
      Thanks for the re-assurance Robert! You know, you make a very important point. In the back of my head I keep thinking I can't chase it.
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      • Profile picture of the author ElaineBrown
        Banned
        I think your attitude is just right and you should keep doing things the way you are. Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author FreddyBeach
    Those are 2 very different approaches.

    I have seen people be successful in both of them.

    Most people starting out with limited funds have to follow the more careful route. Once you get rolling as you have then you have the freedom to test and spend $$ doing so.

    If it is working and you are enjoying it... then keep on pushing on.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael D Forbes
    Originally Posted by PaidAllDay View Post

    Is it working? I don't know I haven't reached the tipping point. I'm losing money on a lot of things but I feel like I have the money to lose and the payoff will be greater.
    This is the key sentence, in my opinion. If you don't really know yourself if it is working, there is no way we can offer a valid opinion. You say you feel like the payoff will be greater and you may be right, you may just go broke too.

    I trust you are at least being careful enough to watch your bottom line and know when to stop if your results aren't what you had hoped.

    I applaud your willingness to take on more risk in your ventures, but also hope you are not simply being reckless.
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    • Profile picture of the author PaidAllDay
      Originally Posted by ElaineBrown View Post

      I think your attitude is just right and you should keep doing things the way you are. Good luck!
      Appreciate it! Still going full force, I feel like Zuckerberg must have during that facebook binge.

      Originally Posted by FreddyBeach View Post

      Those are 2 very different approaches.

      I have seen people be successful in both of them.

      Most people starting out with limited funds have to follow the more careful route. Once you get rolling as you have then you have the freedom to test and spend $$ doing so.

      If it is working and you are enjoying it... then keep on pushing on.
      It's working on a day-to-day basis (some days up, some days down), which feels kind of like living paycheck to paycheck, but that is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. I do enjoy doing it. It's pretty much all I do. But, I bet there are plenty of people like me on here. On the flip side, it has afforded me several vacations this year which I never had the chance to take before and several other perks and necessities so I can't complain. I'm just hoping it balances out and I get more stability soon.

      Originally Posted by Michael D Forbes View Post

      This is the key sentence, in my opinion. If you don't really know yourself if it is working, there is no way we can offer a valid opinion. You say you feel like the payoff will be greater and you may be right, you may just go broke too.

      I trust you are at least being careful enough to watch your bottom line and know when to stop if your results aren't what you had hoped.

      I applaud your willingness to take on more risk in your ventures, but also hope you are not simply being reckless.
      I'm doing what I can to watch my bottom line, but this is my full time job and my income so I have to take some risk just to make a profit. The bills rack up whether I'm doing anything or not. Most of my income is profit from ad spend.

      You are right though I will have to prepare to put a stop to it if the tank starts to run low. I am starting to think about a backup plan, but at this point I don't have one.

      I have seen little bursts of success along the way so I'm not really holding out for anything. I'm just realizing that I need a more sustainable business and in my mind that will only come from a bigger, more grandios plan and more hard work.
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  • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
    My activity is at times similar to yours.

    I don't call it freight train marketing but I do often
    throw lots of things at the wall at once.

    I think we can do that as long as we have the
    experienced-based intuition that keeps us from
    making a lot of mistakes.

    I have learned to trust intuition or gut feeling, realizing
    that my gut feelings are often based upon things stored
    in my subconscious mind. I'm still tapping into
    experience so it's not taking foolish chances...

    I feel that most less-experienced marketers really can't
    afford to do that.

    Just my 2 cents

    Willie
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    Here's A Ready-Made High Ticket Product To Make Your Own.
    Click To Go BIG!

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    • Profile picture of the author PaidAllDay
      Originally Posted by Willie Crawford View Post

      My activity is at times similar to yours.

      I don't call it freight train marketing but I do often
      throw lots of things at the wall at once.

      I think we can do that as long as we have the
      experienced-based intuition that keeps us from
      making a lot of mistakes.

      I have learned to trust intuition or gut feeling, realizing
      that my gut feelings are often based upon things stored
      in my subconscious mind. I'm still tapping into
      experience so it's not taking foolish chances...

      I feel that most less-experienced marketers really can't
      afford to do that.

      Just my 2 cents

      Willie
      Great sound advice. I'm reluctant to trust my intuition but I agree it's learned from from everything in the past. It still feels foolish and reckless, but it could just be that we have become comfortable w/ the risk.
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  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    Great post man! Looks like you got your sh*t straight. I think the throw it at the wall approach is better, although that's for me personally so i guess it depends on your business model...

    For the most part being a perfectionist in IM just causes you to lose out on money you would have made with your lesser conversion.
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    • Profile picture of the author PaidAllDay
      Originally Posted by thedanbrown View Post

      Great post man! Looks like you got your sh*t straight. I think the throw it at the wall approach is better, although that's for me personally so i guess it depends on your business model...

      For the most part being a perfectionist in IM just causes you to lose out on money you would have made with your lesser conversion.
      You hit the nail right on the head... I am a perfectionist trying to loosen the reins a bit and you are right - it's a slow difficult process to undo that - but it does make you more money if you can get over it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan Curtis
      You need to be running your new activities as a "pilot project.". If you do you can avoid catastrophe and dramatically increase your chances of success.

      First, there are things that you have done that are successful. You should continue to do those successful actions that can be repeated, and expand them where possible.

      I say "where possible" because some successes are due to luck and cannot be repeated. You are not likely to win the lottery twice.

      This is the restauranteur with the "Friday special." It has always been successful, so he continues it week after week.

      But then there are the new activities that you want to undertake. These should be pilot projects. There needs to be a special fund for pilot projects, perhaps 10% of net profits. All financing comes from this fund and any profits from pilot projects are returned to the fund.

      The key with pilot projects is that they are not on the same line as your other, already proven stable activities. The resources for your pilot projects, including particularly your time or any staff time, are kept separate.

      For example, if you had a successful business that you worked in 40 hours per week, you would continue to do that 40 hours per week. Then when you start a pilot project you work on that 10 or 20 hours per week, but you continue to work on your stable, proven, long-term projects 40 hours per week.

      To do it any other way is fatal. A pilot project, even a successful one, can crash an entire organization if not done correctly. Keep all your activities for the pilot project separate until they are proven. Then, without stopping what you were originally producing, add the new proven pilot project as a long-term stable activity, with its own finance and personnel.

      If you do this you can truly have tremendous, stable growth in an organization without putting your other resources at risk.
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