11 Years in IM - Advice To New Members

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Hi Warriors, [long post alert - grab a coffee, reading could be worth your time]

I just noticed that I've now officially been in IM for 11 years.

Things have changed a LOT over those years and I've seen many young warriors turn into millionaires.

This forum has helped many people make excellent money in that time and there are new people joining all the time.

Along with all of the changes I've seen there have also been many constants.

Things like - information overload. That's been a problem for people the entire time. The technology has changed but it seems that at any point in time there are people who take advantage of that and people who use it as their reason why things are difficult.

My own journey has been a roller coaster and a massive learning experience.

I've seen one thing that's been common over the years and has caused (and is causing) many people to struggle unnecessarily.

That is - reliance on other people to tell them what to do or to validate what they think.

The biggest lesson I've learned about IM over the years is that YOU are the only person with the control and responsibility to achieve your results.

I see this as having 2 main parts:

1 - The fear of making mistakes.

2 - Uncertainty about how to make things work.

The fear is natural but can be paralyzing. In my experience - the times that I've made big leaps forward have been due to learning from mistakes.

I wouldn't expect to learn to ice-skate without falling over a few times, but falling doesn't mean failure - it's just part of learning.

I see a lot of new IMers not giving themselves credit for what they achieve and beating themselves up about their failures.

It's not realistic to expect to succeed without bumps along the way, but people are buying into the hype about quick easy success with little work.

There are massive opportunities and it is possible to do well quickly and easily - but it shouldn't be the baseline expectation.

2 - Next come the uncertainty.

Uncertainty is a scary thing and building an income on the internet requires just as much focus and work as working a normal job - the big difference is that YOU get to choose your business model and YOU get the results of your efforts.

I know that many people who turn to IM to achieve their financial goals haven't necessarily been financially successful in their previous working life, so there are some psychological barriers about what are realistic expectations for earning potential.

If you've only ever earned minimum wage - it may be impossible for you to accept that you can make a million dollars online.

You probably know that if you don't believe it will happen - you're likely to behave differently to if you truly believed you could succeed.

This can be a huge problem.

It's also responsible (IMHO) for why so many people undervalue themselves, their time and their products and services.

The reality is - value is in the eye of the beholder.

You know that when it comes to selling your house - it's only 'worth' what someone is willing to pay for it. It doesn't matter how much you paid. It doesn't matter how much work you did on it. The economy can change and property prices can swing and massively reduce the price of your house so that no-one will pay what you paid.

We know and accept this perspective on value but people forget this when looking at their online business.

If you can bring in 1 new customer to a local business - if the business sells $20k building work then they're likely to see a lot of value in that customer. If the business sells ice creams they're likely to place less value on one new customer.

The point is - whatever YOU can make from a new customer has nothing to do with the value of a customer for other businesses.

So - you could do the same work and be paid $400 for your efforts - or $5 for the same results.

It's really important that you understand where value comes from and that you leverage that when pricing your products and services.

Lastly - don't rely on other people to tell you your business.

The biggest problem I see in IM is people always looking for others to tell them what to do, how to do it, when, where and why to do it.

What works for others is what works for others - it's not a recipe for your success.

This mindset of looking for people to tell them what to do also feeds a market of people looking to make money from those desperate people.

People will sell you whatever you demand. If you ask them to tell you what you should do - they'll pick (or create) something to sell you.

The problem is - this reliance on other peoples need for information results in some people constantly needing to create something to sell you in order for them to make money.

You only need to look at the WSO section to see this cycle in action.

It started as an exclusive place to get really valuable products and services and is now a constant barrage of whatever people think they can sell to desperate members. There are also people ready to say "you should run a wso" every time someone says something useful in the public forum.

This mentality of - "hey you could sell that information to newbies" has developed and has created a mass of low value information products which simply say the same thing as people are saying for free in the forum and elsewhere.

This all feeds the information overload, the mindset that you need to buy 'secrets' in order to know what to do.

The truth is - most of this information is just a distraction from you building a business and serves to confuse people and continue the cycle of dependency rather than break people free of it.

So - with all that said, here's my top piece of advice for anyone just starting out.

THINK FOR YOURSELF!!!

Yes - model success, but there's so much misinformation around created to feed the desire for information that you're probably not reasonably able to tell the lies from the real information - so just use your brain to build your business and don't believe anything you read.

You do NOT 'need' anything from anyone to be successful.

It's great to work with others (I recommend it). It's great to outsource things which others can do better than you. It's great to model success.

BUT....

Speeding up a bad system just speeds up chaos and failure.

Tools and systems are only as good as the foundation they're built on. No tool is going to make or break your success.

If you think you're an Internet Marketer and you can't answer the question "what is your business?" - ask yourself why.

Many people get sucked in to the strategies and tools of IM and think that (for example) article marketing is a business, or PPC is a business.

If you have no business to use these tools and strategies on - you're likely to spend most of your time doing stuff and not building a business.

If you make $200 a month and it costs you $300 - you're NOT in business.

If your goal is to make $10k a month and you're spending 12 hours a day and making $2k a month and not sure how to improve that - maybe you're in the wrong business.

You need to have your goals in mind to use as the reference for whether your actions are suitable.

There are so many ways to make money online that people often forget that finding 5 ways to make $200 a month - is not 'success' if your goal was to create $10k a month.

It's important that you measure and test what you're doing - or you can end up thinking you're being successful when you're doing things that won't reach your goals.

It's really important for complete beginners to make that first dollar to prove that real money can be created from internet activities - but after that, it's even more important to create a plan for your business that includes a realistic strategy for making money that can reach your goal.

If you don't do this - you can end up spending years doing things and wondering why you always seem to have limited success, and then trying different things.

You need to be able to look at your activities and have a realistic reason to expect that they will create the income you desire.

Many people kid themselves that making a few dollars means they're being successful.

Many IMers have made less than they've spent on information products and are still kidding themselves that they're successful.

If you want a hobby - then yes, it doesn't matter if you only make a few hundred dollars here and there.

If you want to achieve financial independence - you need a more robust plan.

Houses cost hundreds of thousands of dollars - your plan needs to achieve your goals. If you have no goals, you're probably operating a less than ideal plan. If you know you need to make $250k - you'll see that 12 hours a day making $200 a month won't get you there.

Get real about your plans - don't expect anyone else to make them happen (lots of people think if they just make an ebook and get someone with a big list to promote it - they'll be rich). Don't believe what you see others saying - especially when it's part of, or followed by a sales page.

People will take your money all day long while you're looking to pay them to make you successful.

Andy
#advice #members #years
  • Profile picture of the author regska
    Thanks for the inspirational post. I've been in IM for 2 years so far, and I definitely agree that top reasons why newbies are having a hard time making money online is the fear of making mistakes. The fear of rejection. We will not learn if we don't commit mistakes. Bill gates made some stupid mistakes. Robert kiyosaki made a lot of mistakes as well. Kenny Rogers was rejected a lot of times. Michael Jordan failed and there was a time that he was even cut out of the high-school varsity team!

    The key here is to be consistent and persistent. Just like what the Nike's ads says: "Just Do It"! never stop learning.
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  • Profile picture of the author tecHead
    Andy, (we don't 'know' each other but), I love you, man!

    That is about one of the most constructive and reality based posts I've read on here in a long time.

    Thank You!

    Everything said on this forum is "advice" and should only be taken as such; not gospel. Everybody's business is their business. Just like Andy says.. what works for them/me/us may NOT work for You.

    You have to take everything with a grain of salt and determine whether or not it pertains to Your business model.

    Kudos, Andy...
    PLP,
    tecHead
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    • Profile picture of the author bay37
      Hi Andy,

      Great post. 11 years - impressive! Just a few things that I would like to add:

      1. You say that "working for yourself is just as much work as working full-time in a day job".

      Don't quite agree with you here. I know a lot of people who are very successful working for large companies here in London, and they have it a lot easier than most small/medium business owners (be it online or offline).

      They don't have to worry about anything else (in most cases), except their responsibilities within the organization they work for. They know exactly how much and when they are going to be paid. They know exactly what training/goals they have to complete/achieve in order to get a pay rise or a bonus.

      Which brings me to point #2, and this is a very important one:

      Not everyone is capable of running a successful online business. In fact, most people just do not have what it takes to set up and operate a profitable business. And they never will.

      This is something that IM gurus and old-timers don't like to talk about.

      Two reasons why some people will always fail:

      a. Some very capable individuals (professionals) perform well when they know exactly what they have to do, and by what date, in order to move to the next level (pay rise, bonus) of w/e.

      They cannot do the same thing when working for themselves. They cannot concentrate, do not believe in their goals and the deadlines they have set for those goals. In 9 cases out of 10, this cannot be helped.

      Running a business requires creativity, technical skills, focus, determination and a little bit of optimism. In other words - you have to be slightly "out there".

      b. A lot of people simply lack in one or more of those areas by such a big amount, that they are nearly guaranteed to fail. And they do. Every time.

      It's good to be all nice and tell people to believe in their dreams and hopes and never to give up, but sometimes we all need a reality check. And for most people that means only one thing - they are not capable of succeeding in business, because they simply don't have what it takes.

      -------------------

      And to those of you who are just starting out - if you haven't made at least $100 today, but still found time to come to a forum and read/post (most of you talk about completely pointless stuff/keep asking the same questions over and over again/keep looking for new "techniques" to test) or even give other people "advice" - you are not running a business.

      I see a lot of you spending money on completely useless products and courses. Stop right now.

      Think about what you are doing to yourselves. Don't you have any better ways to use that money? Kids, wife, parents who might need help, sisters or brothers who might be in financial trouble? Is there not a single person in your lives that needs that money more than some sh****** IM guru?

      Learning new things is good. Working hard towards a dream/goal is awesome. BUT - most of you aren't doing this! Spending hours and hours reading forums is not hard work. Buying up all new IM courses is not hard work - it is re******.

      I could name at least a dozen people from this forum whom have hurt (time spent together, financial trouble, insanely stupid promises that never come true) their long term girlfriends, parents, life partners, even their own kids through nothing but pure stupidity. Stop lying to yourselves. Stop hurting people you love.

      /rant over.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Peters Benn
    If you want to achieve financial independence - you need a more robust plan.
    Amen to that Andy. I think it is very easy to get caught up in the thick of it, day to day stuff. Yet, the only way to really succeed is to have a plan of where you want to be in six months, one year five years, and how you are going to get there.

    It can be daunting to start with, but once you break it down, it's surprising how much more realistic things can seem.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mr.Williamstn
      good post many of these things are true. you are the only one responsible for your success
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      • Profile picture of the author LadyL08
        But how do you create a plan if you're not sure what it takes for success.

        I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary. I feel I have moderate success. I am making about $200/month. This has only come in the last six months -apparently I had a big learning curve. I want to make this a full time income.

        I enjoy Adsense and that is where the majority of my income comes from. I have 40 sites that I feel I have done good keyword research on and want to focus on right now. 4 of those are in top 5 of Google; 20 are in in top 5 of Yahoo. I don't want my plan to be, make 400 sites and I will get to about $2,000 a month. I know that if the sites I have now get to the top 5 in Google, my income will increase greatly. So I need a plan on how to get to the top 5 in Google for what I already have.

        I don't want to keep creating sites without knowing how to get them to the top of Google. There are so many variables:
        **time - you hear some people getting ranked immediately, then others say it will take time
        **domain names - sites rank better if the domain name matches your primary keyword
        I created a site with sub pages for additional keywords
        They weren't ranking so I purchased domain names with those keywords and put original content on them
        Guess which ones are now ranking better? - The sub pages!
        - But will this change over time?!
        **links - articles, bookmarks - which provide better juice

        That's why we newbies buy products. We want someone to tell us how it all works. The problem is it works differently for every single keyword and ever single person

        Thanks for letting me vent
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        • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
          Originally Posted by LadyL08 View Post

          But how do you create a plan if you're not sure what it takes for success.
          The same way you would when starting any business.

          You look at your skills, interests and goals and then find a group of people you can help that will pay for a solution.

          Having a product to sell is irrelevant until you've found what people want/need.

          Having traffic, a website, email systems etc.... is irrelevant until you've identified people with a problem and money to pay for a solution.

          This can be as simple as making an existing product/service better or creatively re-purposing an existing solution for a new market or just focusing on helping a particular group of people better than anyone else.

          The same as any business.

          If you were starting a bricks and mortar business you'd need to do this before anyone would lend you money to get a premises.

          Your business plan and realistic sales expectations drive everything normally - but for some reason when it comes to online, many people seem to think that you just have to guess and keep trying things until something works.

          If you had to pay for every test people wouldn't think like that, but because you can do so much for free, people tend to not bother with the plan and focus more on what's free or cheap and then try to find something that makes money.

          It's all backwards.

          You shouldn't be spending any excessive time or money on anything until you already know it's worth it.

          New IMers seem to place very little value on their time and so will happily waste a lot of it doing things inefficiently and jumping from one thing to another.

          It IS possible to do things in a focused and logical way so that you're building on previous efforts rather than constantly starting from scratch and never really building any real value.

          Andy
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          • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
            Originally Posted by Andyhenry View Post

            Your business plan and realistic sales expectations drive everything normally - but for some reason when it comes to online, many people seem to think that you just have to guess and keep trying things until something works.

            If you had to pay for every test people wouldn't think like that, but because you can do so much for free, people tend to not bother with the plan and focus more on what's free or cheap and then try to find something that makes money.

            It's all backwards.

            You shouldn't be spending any excessive time or money on anything until you already know it's worth it.

            New IMers seem to place very little value on their time and so will happily waste a lot of it doing things inefficiently and jumping from one thing to another.

            It IS possible to do things in a focused and logical way so that you're building on previous efforts rather than constantly starting from scratch and never really building any real value.

            Andy
            It is a very timely post, I have just completed 2 months of solid cramming doing a full on business plan for my on-line business, it was some of the hardest work i have done, but i have ended up with a full blown business plan and a business certificate as a bonus.

            Most people should be able to find a bricks n mortar business course / plan local and it really just needs to look at everything in the same way.

            Thanks for you post as i was feeling very worn out with so much study / work, this makes it worth while.

            But it's not finished there as i am now off on my next study certification for 2 months, then have another study block / certification planned for 3 month stint after that.
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            • Profile picture of the author richporr
              Andy-

              Very timely for me. Just retired a week ago Friday and mapping out how to proceed from here. I've tested several models for the past few months and made a little money but very concerned about repeating J-O-B work habits instead of breaking free into a different mindset.

              Printed and read several times.

              Thanks for being frank (and Andy at the same time).

              -Rich
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  • Profile picture of the author rparikh
    Congrats andy , This is really nice guide for the noobs or the intermediate marketers like me .
    For me , it is quite difficult to stick with plan because i can not stick with the plan .The learning curve for me is quite taking a time but still manage to make some really good money .
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    • Profile picture of the author ibarigroup
      Wow, thanks so much for this post. I just came to this realization yesterday that I had wasted time and $ on systems which just got me more confused. I made the decision to stop and return them and begin working a full gameplan for my success in internet marketing just like I had done previously with my traditional business. Now, there's a vision, goal and steps being put in place for what I want out of my business and your note helped solidify that decision. Once again thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author tyroneshum
    If you want a hobby - then yes, it doesn't matter if you only make a few hundred dollars here and there.

    If you want to achieve financial independence - you need a more robust plan.
    Andy, these lines are very true and yes, very timely as what happens in the Internet Marketing industry here and there. In today's journey, you really have to be certain in your thoughts so you're not only buying courses and then wasting money all throughout without getting started. I believe having that robust plan really takes time and from experience, it surely is before I get to earn what I wanted.
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  • Profile picture of the author ScottieScott
    Andy,

    Thanks for the post. While I agree with most of what you said, I have a problem with what you imply as 'success' and 'failure'. The only failure is giving up, not trying anymore. Success is a process, not a point in time. If a person has a goal of $10k per month, and is figuring out 5 ways to make $200 per month, they will get 10% of the way toward their goal. The next thing they need to do is figure out how to close the 90% gap. If they stop at $1k, then yes they have failed to reach their goal, but they were successful in producing a result. Tenacity will get the person to keep working until they get the result they want.

    Also, you say if you make $200/month and it costs you $300/month you are not in business. Sure you are, just not a prosperous one, and one that is not sustainable. There are many businesses, especially in todays economy, that are spending more than they make. I currently work for a company that has lost over $180 million in Fiscal 09 due to manufacturing and FDA regulatory issues, yet the doors are still open and we are moving forward to correct the issues we have. The key is to have a plan to change, improve, and eventually make more than you spend.

    Maybe I have taken your words too literally. I do get your point though, which is to stop following others and start leading yourself using the information and knowledge picked up over time. Just because you set a goal of $10k per month and you only currently make $1k per month does not mean a person has failed or even that they are not-successful, they just haven't reached their goals yet.

    Scott
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    • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
      Originally Posted by ScottieScott View Post

      Andy,

      Thanks for the post. While I agree with most of what you said, I have a problem with what you imply as 'success' and 'failure'. The only failure is giving up, not trying anymore. Success is a process, not a point in time. If a person has a goal of $10k per month, and is figuring out 5 ways to make $200 per month, they will get 10% of the way toward their goal. The next thing they need to do is figure out how to close the 90% gap. If they stop at $1k, then yes they have failed to reach their goal, but they were successful in producing a result. Tenacity will get the person to keep working until they get the result they want.

      Also, you say if you make $200/month and it costs you $300/month you are not in business. Sure you are, just not a prosperous one, and one that is not sustainable. There are many businesses, especially in todays economy, that are spending more than they make. I currently work for a company that has lost over $180 million in Fiscal 09 due to manufacturing and FDA regulatory issues, yet the doors are still open and we are moving forward to correct the issues we have. The key is to have a plan to change, improve, and eventually make more than you spend.

      Maybe I have taken your words too literally. I do get your point though, which is to stop following others and start leading yourself using the information and knowledge picked up over time. Just because you set a goal of $10k per month and you only currently make $1k per month does not mean a person has failed or even that they are not-successful, they just haven't reached their goals yet.

      Scott
      Hi Scott,

      I think you got my point, but there is one thing I would like to clear up.

      Yes - you can say that someone making $1k with a goal of $10k just hasn't reached their goal yet.

      However, if the business model they have means that what got them to $1k will not get them to $10k it's important to understand this reality and focus accordingly.

      The reason I bring this up is that so many people get interested in making money online and spend a few hundred dollars on information products, but after some considerable time are still not making more than a few dollars a week.

      Now - you could say that they just haven't reached their goal and they're successful as long as they don't give up.....

      However, if their intention is to pay for their kids college fees, buy a new house or leave their job then their strategy is flawed.

      There's a reason that goals have timelines.

      If you finally achieve 'success' 5 years after your kids leave college and your business was supposed to pay for their college - something went wrong.

      I believe that it's important that people don't delude themselves and keep telling themselves that as long as they're trying 'something' then they're succeeding.

      Sure a positive mindset is important but if you're not getting positive results - continuing the same actions and telling yourself that you're being successful (at eliminating things that don't work) is not an efficient strategy and leaves you open to never achieving your goals.

      I know some people don't like to set goals because of the fear of not achieving them, but I'd rather fall short of a goal and then set a new one based on that learning that to keep moving the goal posts and thinking that's the same thing.
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      • Profile picture of the author Samuel Baker
        Originally Posted by Andyhenry View Post

        I know some people don't like to set goals because of the fear of not achieving them, but I'd rather fall short of a goal and then set a new one based on that learning that to keep moving the goal posts and thinking that's the same thing.
        Its highly important to have a frame of mind where you can adapt to when you do fall short of your goals and I think you exactly correct stating the above.
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      • Profile picture of the author ScottieScott
        Originally Posted by Andyhenry View Post

        Hi Scott,

        I think you got my point, but there is one thing I would like to clear up.

        Yes - you can say that someone making $1k with a goal of $10k just hasn't reached their goal yet.

        However, if the business model they have means that what got them to $1k will not get them to $10k it's important to understand this reality and focus accordingly.

        The reason I bring this up is that so many people get interested in making money online and spend a few hundred dollars on information products, but after some considerable time are still not making more than a few dollars a week.

        Now - you could say that they just haven't reached their goal and they're successful as long as they don't give up.....

        However, if their intention is to pay for their kids college fees, buy a new house or leave their job then their strategy is flawed.

        There's a reason that goals have timelines.

        If you finally achieve 'success' 5 years after your kids leave college and your business was supposed to pay for their college - something went wrong.

        I believe that it's important that people don't delude themselves and keep telling themselves that as long as they're trying 'something' then they're succeeding.

        Sure a positive mindset is important but if you're not getting positive results - continuing the same actions and telling yourself that you're being successful (at eliminating things that don't work) is not an efficient strategy and leaves you open to never achieving your goals.

        I know some people don't like to set goals because of the fear of not achieving them, but I'd rather fall short of a goal and then set a new one based on that learning that to keep moving the goal posts and thinking that's the same thing.

        Point taken. I was not trying to argue at all, and what you said makes total sense. Thanks for taking the time to make this post - it was well worth reading.

        Scott
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    • Profile picture of the author storge
      Originally Posted by ScottieScott View Post

      Andy,

      Thanks for the post. While I agree with most of what you said, I have a problem with what you imply as 'success' and 'failure'. The only failure is giving up, not trying anymore. Success is a process, not a point in time. If a person has a goal of $10k per month, and is figuring out 5 ways to make $200 per month, they will get 10% of the way toward their goal. The next thing they need to do is figure out how to close the 90% gap. If they stop at $1k, then yes they have failed to reach their goal, but they were successful in producing a result. Tenacity will get the person to keep working until they get the result they want.

      Also, you say if you make $200/month and it costs you $300/month you are not in business. Sure you are, just not a prosperous one, and one that is not sustainable. There are many businesses, especially in todays economy, that are spending more than they make. I currently work for a company that has lost over $180 million in Fiscal 09 due to manufacturing and FDA regulatory issues, yet the doors are still open and we are moving forward to correct the issues we have. The key is to have a plan to change, improve, and eventually make more than you spend.

      Maybe I have taken your words too literally. I do get your point though, which is to stop following others and start leading yourself using the information and knowledge picked up over time. Just because you set a goal of $10k per month and you only currently make $1k per month does not mean a person has failed or even that they are not-successful, they just haven't reached their goals yet.

      Scott
      Agreed. Success is a journey not destination. Have passion will make this journey even more enjoyable.
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  • Profile picture of the author Richard Rogers
    Hi Andy,

    What a great post, so thanks for starting the thread and taking the considerable time needed to put it all down. Anyone reading it must see how good are the observations and the advice that you offer.

    I have been involved in IM for less months than you have years and have been through the long, arduous and expensive pain barrier of not having made a proper plan to stick to, but I have now come out the other side, poorer but wiser and with the right determination now to make it succeed.

    I am less impressed with bay37's post: "Just a few things I would like to add".

    Yes bay37, you have stated a number of very valuable points to add to Andy's considerable post, but I do not agree with your condemnation of the many that try and fail or your telling them to stop hurting others around them.

    If everyone who tried and failed were to then give up, we would have a very much poorer world around us. It is up to those who are trying, to decide if it is not for them and there is no reason for anyone to give up trying if they want to keep going. It is their decision and theirs alone to consider if they are lying to themselves or causing their loved one's hurt. Your sentiment is understandable but misdirected.

    So for all you tryers out there, keep going and take good note of special people like Andy.

    I have had more than my share of ups and downs: take a look at my posting of today's date in 'Mind Warriors, etc" section under Mario's thread: "Newbies, PLEASE WAKE UP! The Truth About Internet Marketing" I have told a bit about my experience as a newbie. I'll bet there are many of you out there like me and it may give some encouragement to keep going.

    Regards

    Richard.
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  • Profile picture of the author juansaldivar
    Nice post Andy, I really appreciate people like you sharing your wisdom to all of us marketers. I do agree that many people are just really scared to fail so they don't do nothing about it. So it's a great advice to do something and see if it works and if it doesn't work try something else. Any direct marketer know it's all about testing.
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  • Profile picture of the author harro1
    Great post man, i have read such a long post after 1 year i guess
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  • Profile picture of the author enterpriseJW
    Thank you for your word of advice. The most difficult part to me is on how to drive traffic to the sites. As you have said, some tools provided by certain IM gurus are just but bogus. I bought a tool which the owner sweet talked how it can generate viral traffic, only to realise that it was bringing in only desperate newbies like me to the list (twenty seven in three months). This left me wondering, how can desperate newbies like me help in the IM for me to make real money?

    Please advise me on how to get a good traffic via a squeeze page.
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  • Profile picture of the author Spot the Ball
    Originally Posted by Andyhenry View Post

    Hi Warriors, [long post alert - grab a coffee, reading could be worth your time]


    THINK FOR YOURSELF!!!



    Andy
    This whole post was great, I just had to highlight this small snippet that is perhaps the most important thing to take from this advice.

    Even as a newcomer myself I can already see in the many posts in the various sections of the forum that there seems to be a mentality of self doubt and needing to be led by the hand for many people, down to "should I place my adds 3 pixels to the left or to the right".

    A lot of folk are over analysing simple tasks and frightened it seems to actually go out there and work their OWN plan when in reality a lot of the models to pursue are very simplistic once you can find a system you are happy and comfortable to work with.

    Thanks! Spot.
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  • Profile picture of the author VcontentCreation
    Wow!

    Your post was like a brain storming session!

    I really appreciate this...i really love your post.

    Thanks a ton for sharing your experience...

    Varnika
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    Top Notch Article Writer Available at V_Varnika@yahoo.com
    Varnikawrites@gmail.com Available 24 Hours.. PM Now!!

    :)

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  • Profile picture of the author svandoren
    As being new to IM I 100% agree everything we see tells us how fast and easy it is even though we know it all takes work. We may expect to see things to happen faster then they do. I personally am having to learn every part of it and how to navigate the computer. All i have ever done is us a couple programs and email that was it.
    I took some advice from someone that stated a video here on WF to quite getting distracted by all the other emails. Pick a direction and stay on track till start seeing results.
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  • Profile picture of the author DrGUID
    Great post Andyhenry. I'd like to ask one question - are your IM earnings relatively stable month on month? I've been selling software and doing IM since '02 and I am surprised how stable my earnings are. I wondered if others have noticed the same, as I need to think about burning my bridges (the day job) but having an irregular income is very stressful!
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  • Great post! Thanks
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    • Profile picture of the author adami
      Thanks for sharing your experience with us newbies!

      The underlying "Believe in yourself" theme is really inspirational.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kevin Alexander
    This is a FANTASTIC post! Thanks for sharing
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  • Profile picture of the author TubongLugaw
    Very well said! i have bought several WSO's but still not making much and havent unlock the "secret"!
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  • Profile picture of the author Darren L Carter
    Really awesome post.

    There is a ton of value in your words. I think the fact that you are giving value with posts like this is a good lesson in itself to new member (me)
    The biggest lesson I've learned about IM over the years is that YOU are the only person with the control and responsibility to achieve your results.
    I agree 100%. Very well said.

    Peace,
    Darren L Carter
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  • Profile picture of the author Isaachun
    Andy, I think I love you.

    ;p
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  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    Thanks for all your kind words. I really hope that someone reads this thread and saves themselves some time, money or pain.
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    nothing to see here.

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  • Profile picture of the author ianp
    Hi Andyhenry,

    Thanks for the excellent post.

    I've been teaching English to Turkish people for the past 5 years - and I've encountered exactly the same issue with many English learners.

    They want to be told what to do - and they seem not to be able to move forward without the advice of someone whom they feel has the 'power' to overcome their difficulties.

    The truth is no one but they have the power to overcome those difficulties.

    I also really like your signature.

    " Luck is not a factor. Hope is not a strategy. Fear is not an option."

    That deserves repeating.
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  • Profile picture of the author MichaelF
    Thanks for the great post Andy, I hope many people read this as it would be very helpful to them. Especially the part about the mindset leap that is required to go from low paying jobs to high income.
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  • Profile picture of the author rockstaradi
    Superb! Very helpful. Thanks a lot.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Pettit
    "Bill gates made some stupid mistakes." (Thanks for reminding us of that, regska!)
    Not only did he make mistakes, he recognized that process as crucial to vitality and creativity. His company now is based on that principle, at least in part. Microsoft has a percentage of its budget earmarked for "stupid ideas" that its employees are encouraged to contribute. One of those stupid ideas, Gates has learned, may be the next Windows.
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  • Profile picture of the author stephen de vries
    Thanks Andy, wise words, some of them did get some spots to hit.
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  • Profile picture of the author angiebee
    This is a great post. A lot of good information. I wish I got more of this type of stuff in my inbox than a lot of the over hyped, rehashed info that has been filling it up.

    One of my favorite quotes is: Committment is doing the thing you said you would do, long after the mood you said it in...is gone.
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    • Profile picture of the author cameronr
      Andy,
      Thanks for the great information in your post.
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  • Profile picture of the author holysymbol
    Great post. Truly inspirational! Here is a jug to you! *cheers*
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  • Profile picture of the author michelefree
    Thank you. I'm an accomplished writer, but don't make enough with print magazines. I also know web development, so I thought if I combined these two things, I could make some money online. I also write and record music, and know Final Cut Pro. I've spent the last two months learning IM--WordPress, Ezine Articles, YouTube, Blogger, Squidoo, SEO, have picked a product and am promoting in on my site DogMusic.org. But I haven't made anything yet. I hope that if I hang in there, something will break for me, but it gets discouraging. I also have an eBook called The 10 Golden Rules for Dating Divorced Men, with a workbook, but don't know how to start with a product. I'll learn that next. Anyway, thank you for your encouraging words! I've signed up at your blog and will follow it. The good thing about having no start-up money is that I can't fall into the trap of buying products!
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    • Profile picture of the author michelefree
      What is the average time it takes to start making money when you begin from scratch. When do I know if I'm a success or a failure? The whole process I've gone through has been great--like a college education. So I don't regret doing any of this, but what is the average time it takes for someone to make any money? My goal is $1000/month at least...
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Pettit
    Love that quote, angiebee! Reminds of the similar: "Character is what you are (and Integrity is what you do) when no one is watching."
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  • Profile picture of the author bryce84
    Great post Andy, I have to admit that I have been stuck in info overload. Slowly but surely getting out of it and have began taking action on my plan.
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  • Profile picture of the author sparckyz
    Just need to stay away from the "mum of 3 makes $11000 a month using the internet, find out how!" lol
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  • Profile picture of the author dirkdiggler
    Hey man,
    Thanks for the cool post. I'm feeling a lack of motivation right now and this helped a little.

    I started learning about IM 2 years ago and took it serious for the last 14 months.

    In that time I have made about $7k from my projects and I've built a blog in the self improvement area to 2300 subscribers.

    i launched my first product 3 months ago and it made about $500, and busy with my second product to launch soon.

    It just seems like I'm putting so much time into this and not getting much reward... at what point do you decide that you are in the wrong business and that it is better to quit than to carry on?

    Because I'm thinking that I need to keep doing what I'm doing, but of course also keep trying new things. Guest post more, get more readers, hire SEO guys, create new products every 2-3 months and eventually I'll get to where I want to be?

    One thing I can tell you is that it's definitely not easy to make a great income online. There may be a few hundred people who make a killing in their first couple of months, but thats more like winning the lottery. Realistically it takes a lot of hard work and persistance to build a serious income online (or is this a limiting belief I have?)

    Would appreciate your feedback!
    Cheers
    Dirk
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  • Profile picture of the author rbates
    I must say, this is really honest, straight forward, and good information. Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author rajivkumar900
    Thanks for this precious post this post proves everything is available absolutely free which is required to be successful online we just need to dig a bit to find the best available resources.
    Cheers
    Rajiv
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    Rajiv Kumar
    Skpe: rajivkumar900
    Email id : rajivkumar900@gmail.com

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  • Profile picture of the author vok
    11 years is a long time and starting up right around the dot com crash must of been pretty scary!
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  • Profile picture of the author mikey22
    Great post Andy,

    Lots of very good points and info, thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author wickedsubmit
    This is a Awesome Post bro
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  • Profile picture of the author PeterDunin
    Awesome advice!many thanks for sharing your wisdom!
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  • Profile picture of the author andy rodick
    What a great post, so thanks for starting the thread
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  • Profile picture of the author Glucy Dotcom
    Thank you.
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