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I'm failing miserably - and making money from it!

by Tom E
38 replies
The biggest mistake people make on this forum (or anywhere else) is that they see failure as something bad. Most newbies fail WSO after WSO because of just that:

They try a method for a few days, then fail miserably at it, sometimes losing money, and take that as a sure-fire sign that the method doesn't work. Then it's onwards to the next WSO.

Here's the secret that all the top money makers on this forum all know and use: THEY LOVE FAILURE!
That's right. They never take their eyes off the end goal, and they know that in order to get to YES (sales/conversions), they usually have to get a lot of NO's first.

As a matter of fact, they WELCOME the NO's and embrace them. Some even go as far as having a goal of failing X number of times before they succeed in a given project. Do you know what this does? It turns the whole process of failing on its head.

EXAMPLE: You launch a CPA campaign, hoping to get people to fill in their e-mail in exchange for $1 commissions. You commit to working 2 hours per day on this project, for 14 days straight, no matter what. Your end goal: To have at least 10 days in a row with NO conversions. Yep, zero conversions.

This means that every day that goes by without a conversion will be a success. Of course, when you have conversions, it is a success as well.
It's a game you can't lose when you play it this way.

I promise you that if you set up all your WSO's/projects like this, you will be astonished at how fast you start making money. The biggest reason why anyone fails at any project is because they look at failure as something bad.

There is an amazing book on this that changed me and the way I do business forever. It's called ''Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You...Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You... " (not an affiliate link).

If you're still struggling with achieving success online, I highly suggest you get yourself a copy and read it. If you apply what it teaches, success will find you - fast.
#failing #making #miserably #money
  • Profile picture of the author cynthea
    Well *that* certainly turns the idea of failure upside down! Fun to see someone look at an old notion in a new way.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Newman
    I'm seeing that concept in a new light, and it's making me happier and more optimistic. The reality is that failure is part of the human story. We're imperfect. Let's just do our best at every opportunity. If we fail. We learn...and fight again.

    Life is school.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Ten
    Nice! Set the bar low... OK. I'm going to fail for at least 5 more years before I start having the success I've always dreamed of. Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author GlobalMedia
    Nice post. It certainly teaches that we must pick up positives from our failure and move on. But we must never let ourself fall down.
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    • Profile picture of the author TG12
      Good Post. Like It.
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      • Profile picture of the author BenoitT
        When a newbie is starting IM, the "gurus" are promising so much money from no work at all can you really blame them for quitting after repeated failures? The day you start seeing your online business as a real business, the game is completly changed.
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  • Profile picture of the author sandalwood
    I own an insurance agency and if you think marketing your Internet skills is difficult, I invite you into my world. What I have learned over my career is that a no is nothing more than an excuse. Yes, there are some real "nos" but most are simply excuses. So, you get over that and move on.

    BTW, if you are cold calling you have to know your numbers. For example, out of 100 calls in our field, approx 10 will result in an appt. Out of the 10, 5 show up. Out of the 5, 3 buy. What makes this acceptable is the high commission earned per sale.

    If you are smart, you turn the 3 sales into 6, hopefully 9. You do that by getting referrals from the buyers. Do the math and pretty soon all those "nos" you suffered in the beginning won't even matter. Your business has self generated a referral machine.

    I'm living it. Translated, that means a no isn't a no unless you want it to be.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom E
      Originally Posted by sandalwood View Post

      I own an insurance agency and if you think marketing your Internet skills is difficult, I invite you into my world. What I have learned over my career is that a no is nothing more than an excuse. Yes, there are some real "nos" but most are simply excuses. So, you get over that and move on.

      BTW, if you are cold calling you have to know your numbers. For example, out of 100 calls in our field, approx 10 will result in an appt. Out of the 10, 5 show up. Out of the 5, 3 buy. What makes this acceptable is the high commission earned per sale.

      If you are smart, you turn the 3 sales into 6, hopefully 9. You do that by getting referrals from the buyers. Do the math and pretty soon all those "nos" you suffered in the beginning won't even matter. Your business has self generated a referral machine.

      I'm living it. Translated, that means a no isn't a no unless you want it to be.
      You of all people should read that book. It is especially effective if you run a business such as yours. As a matter of fact, if you gave a copy of the book to each of your sales people as mandatory training, I would be very surprised if your sales didn't explode.
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      • Profile picture of the author sandalwood
        Originally Posted by gr8tocre8 View Post

        You of all people should read that book. It is especially effective if you run a business such as yours. As a matter of fact, if you gave a copy of the book to each of your sales people as mandatory training, I would be very surprised if your sales didn't explode.
        Thank you for your suggestion. If this sentence;

        "How to get past failures quickly and move on..."

        from a review on Amazon correctly cuts to the essence of the book, I probably should have wrote the damned book and made it a WSO. BTW, if you are willing to share a copy of the book w/our office, I will read it out loud to our people on mandatory training day. I am all for increased production. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and again say thank you.
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        • Profile picture of the author Heather H
          Very sound philosophy. I don't worry too much about failing, because it is a huge part of life. It is funny. Sometimes people say about me "everything she touches turns to gold". I always laugh at that.

          Those same people are usually locked in their zone of fear and never take action. Meanwhile I take action day after day after day. Much of it failing action. But people don't see the fail they see the success and think that I have some magic formula.

          Really, for me it just comes down to being colossally determined (or stubborn). I don't quit until I get the result I want. That is OK with me.
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        • Profile picture of the author Tom E
          Originally Posted by sandalwood View Post

          Thank you for your suggestion. BTW, if you are willing to share a copy of the book w/our office, I will read it out loud to our people on mandatory training day. I am all for increased production. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and again say thank you.
          I gladly would if I actually wrote the book, but I'm just a happy messenger. I'm serious though - this book is pure gold for anyone in direct sales. So much so that after reading it, it actually made me want to work at a call-center! And that from a person who hates direct marketing with a passion.

          If I owned a business like yours, that book would be the first thing a new employee would have to read upon getting hired. It's that powerful.
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  • Profile picture of the author GuidoB
    Nice post
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  • Profile picture of the author misharuski
    "Learn from failure"
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  • Profile picture of the author caseycase
    That's exactly how I play golf - I usually expect I will do poorly but have fun, and I usually do both of those! Haha! But, when I get those nice shots, it is a great surprise.
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    • Profile picture of the author misharuski
      Haha same here casey btw i just came back frmo golf
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  • Profile picture of the author brendan9971
    interesting approach. I'm going to check out the book.
    I'm not so sure about this as a business model but it IS certainly a great way to approach life. After all, failure provides great learning opportunities.
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  • Profile picture of the author xxdksxx
    Nice post kinda confused me at first but I got it good luck to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author escribe
    Failure can be good, but you have to know when it's the right time to move on. Setting goals is extremely important. Being realistic to these goals makes all the difference as well. Good post! Allows us to re-evaluate how and why we are doing what we do -- regardless if they are tasks/projects or life goals. Puts things a bit more in perspective...
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    • Profile picture of the author sjson
      hahah Casey's post made me chuckle. This is a definitely an interesting take on failure as an option. Setting goals is a must however. People are more encouraged or motivated when we see a progress bar of some sort. The fact that your work can take on a tangible or quantitative characteristic does wonders for your morale!
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom E
      Originally Posted by escribe View Post

      Failure can be good, but you have to know when it's the right time to move on.
      That's why it's so important to always have a time frame set with exact specifics for each goal pursued.
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  • Profile picture of the author Expert212
    I must admit, I read it more than 3 times and enjoyed it every time.

    Patience is the Key!!!
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom E
      Originally Posted by Expert212 View Post

      I must admit, I read it more than 3 times and enjoyed it every time.

      Patience is the Key!!!
      I'd like to rephrase that a little - I say that COMMITMENT is the key. Using the example I listed in this thread, as long as you are committed to failing, say 10 days in a row, you've got your bases covered. And that's where patience comes in, of course.
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  • Profile picture of the author xtx361
    Failure to me is milestone for success ahead, and as well said by Winston Churchill “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.“
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  • Profile picture of the author theaffiliategeek
    This thread is so good I just have to butt in. The typical "overnight success" we all have heard about takes an average of 20 years to achieve. It just seems like they came out of nowhere because when they finally "arrived", it happened quickly. But there was an awful lot of persistence involved before the arrival. The music Business is the best example of what I'm talking about, but it applies to many others as well.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom E
      Originally Posted by theaffiliategeek View Post

      This thread is so good I just have to butt in. The typical "overnight success" we all have heard about takes an average of 20 years to achieve. It just seems like they came out of nowhere because when they finally "arrived", it happened quickly. But there was an awful lot of persistence involved before the arrival. The music Business is the best example of what I'm talking about, but it applies to many others as well.
      Absolutely. With very few exceptions, there are no true overnight successes.
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  • Profile picture of the author Workaholic1
    Failure for Thomas Edison mean he still not get the result he want, not bad feel about it.
    For me, failure mean time to find out what gone wrong, check, adjust and success. if still failure come out, just find out what wrong,check,adjust and success. If possible get some expert to help out.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nereah
      Thanks for the great post, indeed Life is a Journey and we learn each day!
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  • Profile picture of the author Nick Walker
    Nice post. keep the work up
    thumbs up!
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  • Profile picture of the author Wendo
    Thanks.
    This makes things clearer when the going gets tuff the tuff gets going PERSISTANCE is the King. So never take no keep trying!
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  • Profile picture of the author macostello
    I think it also all about getting the right mindset too. Set out to fail and you will, set out to succeed but don't be scared of failure. Embrace it, use it as your 'mark of honor', learn by it, dust yourself down and start again. Don't stop asking to be shown the way, believing that the path will become clear and saying thank you from the bottom of your heart when you succeed.
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  • Profile picture of the author JosephCale
    Excellent Post.
    The greatest mistake one can make is to be afraid of making one

    Thanks
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