Ok, so my little title “Internet Marketing for Idiots” sound like one of those $12 books you may find at Barns N Nobles, but this article is either going to inspire you, or offend you. It reall makes no difference to me, as long as it provokes thought and for you to stop, and take a good look at yourself.
Let’s start with this, IF you are going about internet marketing on your own, without taking a course or receiving coaching…you’re an idiot. If you are looking to start your internet business from ground zero, or with absolutely NO knowledge and from scratch, then you are definitely an idiot.
Why do I say this? Well, back 8 years ago, internet marketers and internet entrepreneurs had an excuse for not acquiring coaching or buying courses to teach them the proper way to create a successful internet business. The reason? because the courses and coaching DIDN’T EXIST!
Look, your number one priority when you are starting an online business should be to FIRST learn HOW TO do it properly. Then, and only then, should you begin to implement the strategies. Being a coach myself, I am so sick of people going online, asking for my advice, then buying an ebook, then asking another question…and then, not only do they jump from business to business…but they also DON”T implement ANY of the strategies!
This is suicide. Do you do that? Be honest. Are you guilty of studying material and jumping from business to business? Are you one of THOSE stories “I’ve spent thousands of dollars on material but none of it works.” ?
Guess what? YOU ARE NOT WORKING THE MATERIAL. I have to tell you, I’ve purchased the courses from the top marketers and personal development coaches. Guess what? THEY ALL WORKED! But they only worked because I put them into action. Please, if you are not doing the work…don’t ask questions. If you are not doing the work, don’t buy the courses. If you want success and money and all the freedom that comes from implementing internet marketing…then GET COACHING.
When the economy finally comes to a complete crash, and this recession thing FINALLY comes to a peak…YOU are going to LOSE. When you LOSE…THAT will be your fault. Why? Because you have, right now, the ability to do something about it BEFORE it happens. Why are you waiting until AFTER it happens?
Why is it that you are not joining the programs out there that have been proven to give results and theones who have top coaches who are willing to spend their free time with you? Here’s the big excuse that everyone gives me…”Dude, I can’t afford it!”
After having been on welfare and having the ability to do this myself, succcessfully, I have no pitty for those that use the “I can’t afford this” excuse. Let me ask this, can you afford NOT to create a better quality of life? Can you afford NOT to achieve more success in your life? If these questions don’t grab you…how about this one… Can your loved ones afford the mianderring from business oppportunity to business opportunity like you’ve been doing? Can your loved ones afford for you to keep wasting time and money on things that don’t work? Can your family afford for you to actually successfully creating an internet business that becomes a legacy?
Now here’s the big one… How much do you think it would be worth…if you could become successful and to teach your children to do the same? The only thing in this world that is really your fault, is if you let your children down and not take the responsibility to provide a better quality of life for them, so that they can go on to do the same.
Ok, so my little title “Internet Marketing for Idiots” sound like one of those $12 books you may find at Barns N Nobles, but this article is either going to inspire you, or offend you. It reall makes no difference to me, as long as it provokes thought and for you to stop, and take a good look at yourself.
Let’s start with this, IF you are going about internet marketing on your own, without taking a course or receiving coaching…you’re an idiot. If you are looking to start your internet business from ground zero, or with absolutely NO knowledge and from scratch, then you are definitely an idiot.
Why do I say this? Well, back 8 years ago, internet marketers and internet entrepreneurs had an excuse for not acquiring coaching or buying courses to teach them the proper way to create a successful internet business. The reason? because the courses and coaching DIDN’T EXIST!
Look, your number one priority when you are starting an online business should be to FIRST learn HOW TO do it properly. Then, and only then, should you begin to implement the strategies. Being a coach myself, I am so sick of people going online, asking for my advice, then buying an ebook, then asking another question…and then, not only do they jump from business to business…but they also DON”T implement ANY of the strategies!
This is suicide. Do you do that? Be honest. Are you guilty of studying material and jumping from business to business? Are you one of THOSE stories “I’ve spent thousands of dollars on material but none of it works.” ?
Guess what? YOU ARE NOT WORKING THE MATERIAL. I have to tell you, I’ve purchased the courses from the top marketers and personal development coaches. Guess what? THEY ALL WORKED! But they only worked because I put them into action. Please, if you are not doing the work…don’t ask questions. If you are not doing the work, don’t buy the courses. If you want success and money and all the freedom that comes from implementing internet marketing…then GET COACHING.
When the economy finally comes to a complete crash, and this recession thing FINALLY comes to a peak…YOU are going to LOSE. When you LOSE…THAT will be your fault. Why? Because you have, right now, the ability to do something about it BEFORE it happens. Why are you waiting until AFTER it happens?
Why is it that you are not joining the programs out there that have been proven to give results and theones who have top coaches who are willing to spend their free time with you? Here’s the big excuse that everyone gives me…”Dude, I can’t afford it!”
After having been on welfare and having the ability to do this myself, succcessfully, I have no pitty for those that use the “I can’t afford this” excuse. Let me ask this, can you afford NOT to create a better quality of life? Can you afford NOT to achieve more success in your life? If these questions don’t grab you…how about this one… Can your loved ones afford the mianderring from business oppportunity to business opportunity like you’ve been doing? Can your loved ones afford for you to keep wasting time and money on things that don’t work? Can your family afford for you to actually successfully creating an internet business that becomes a legacy?
Now here’s the big one… How much do you think it would be worth…if you could become successful and to teach your children to do the same? The only thing in this world that is really your fault, is if you let your children down and not take the responsibility to provide a better quality of life for them, so that they can go on to do the same.
Political elections took their toll on the media, on the people, and on my telephone ringer. Recently, I read a post from Rich Scheferen’s blog, Strategic Profits, talking of how much of Obama’s campaign was won through Social Networking. While this is somewhat true, this is only a small detail of what has actually transpired at a very substantial level within the US political “Obama Marketing Campaign”.
It’s obvious, as Rich states, that the political campaigns are nothing more than a marketing campaign. It’s really very simple when you look at it, simply by following the basic outline of a regular product launch, like all of these big gurus love so much:
Find a niche market where there is a unique solution that is needed
Create or present that solution
Place the solution, product, or service in front of the masses of that market
Tell them exactly what you have to offer them, educate them on the solution
Explain the benefits of the solution, and impress with bonuses of how this solution is exactly what they have been needing, wanting or desiring
Create a level of interest, desire, bond with them, build trust, give them a sample of things to come, and show some proof
Next, is the all too famous “Call to Action” or, what you want the market to do next
Then…let them make a decision to take action, based upon all that you have placed in front of them
Pretty simple, right? Well, maybe not for some. You see, where marketers do this every day, so do politicians, and where I agree with Rich that Social Netowrking, via an Internet Marketing Platform was utilized throughout this year’s US presidential elections; there is a key component missing from Rich’s equation.
Are you ready? It’s called Social Engineering. In the world of psycology and hypnosis, Social Engineering is a key component of assuming control of an environment to obtain the desired outcome that the controller is looking to gain. Unlike formal hypnosis, Social Engineering, is leveraged in an environment that is not controlled. A controlled environment would be would be like the couch, the pendulum, the mild lighting and all the other things you would think of within the office of a hypnotist.
During the implementation of Social Engineering, you will find that the controller can manipulate and lead even a large audience into a desired state of perception. Usually, those who engage into this type of manipulation, tend to look to obtain the position of the Alpha, or leader of the group. You may of even heard of these techniques within the marketing world.
For instance, within Frank Kern’s Mass Control, the system is all about gaining, not only, a competitive edge against your competition, but to actually portray that of the authority in the industry, in such a way that you dominate that particular industry for any given amount of time.
Now let’s take a look at a strategically planned presidential or political campaign. What are the steps that are taken to become the Alpha, or the winner of the elections? This is simple, follow the steps of the above planned out marketing outline. But, unlike typical business marketing, there is one key factor in place that is not necessarrily in place during a typical product launch. What is it?
It is the ULTIMATE desired solution, but it is also the ULTIMATE controlled situation. Imagine if you were in business and you held in your hands the Fountain of Youth. What exactly would that mean to the world? What percentage of the masses would look to you for the solution of biological imortality? I think the answer may SEEM fairly obvious, but it really is not. Where many would come to you for the solution of that sweet necter of H2O, there would still be many that would be out to stop you from revealing this secret.
This is the same within the political campaigns. You see, if I had the chocie to be in the shoes of the product, or the future president, or to be in the position of the “Marketer”, or campaign manager, I would most definitely chose to be in the shoes of the marketer.
Why? Think of this way, of all the Internet Self-Proclaimed Gurus, how many of them spend most of their time campaigning for themselves? Think about this, because this is one of the most important elements of this entire lesson. Now take a closer look; how many of these marketing geniuses spend most of their time creating these strategically laid campaigns, writing copy, “Mind Mapping” the strategy and collecting the up front profit from the campaigns, before they are even launched? Give up?
The big money is making other people popular, if and only if, you do not have the position, the solution and the credibility to play the role of the solution and the marketer simultaneously. That my friend, whether in the world social netowrking or social engineering is what seperates the Alphas from the Betas.
Obama leveraged the a combination of the traditional media, internet marketing and social media, as well as a well thought out campaign of Social Engineering. Now here is the kicker. Most people who read this would almost become angry, upset or frightened that they have been subjected to such a “scheme”, but it is truly no scheme. Every political election since the dawn of time leveraged these components, save the different forms of today’s advancements in medias.
Yep, Jesus, Krishna, Gandi, Mother Teresa, politicians, and YES, even Internet marketers and big businesses alike. Have you ever wondered why entrepreneurs typically do the same tasks as the traditional big businesses, but most never seem to elevate to the level of financial status? Now think about this, have you ever wondered why the so called “Marketing Gurus” are typically bringing in a level of income that has only been received from large companies in the past?
Look closer, this is one of the greatest forms of Social Engineering that I have ever witnessed. Sure, seeing prophets and religious figures, as well as movie stars and politicians, rise to the top to be appreciated and praised by the masses is fairly impressive; but take a close look at your favorite Internet Marketer. Here is the:
Blueprint of the “Guru Character in Internet Marketing/Political Campaigning Social Engineering”
Lone wolf comes out of no where, having figured out the solution that everyone in his niche has been desiring.
He’s the underdog, and sometimes the average Joe (the Plumber who has just happened to stumble upon the right way of doing things.
As all of his friends look on, they finally convince him to share his “secrets” with the world, so that all the good little boys and girls can benefit from his discoveries
The ultimate sacrifice, revealing these well kept secret so others can begin to gain value and create value within this world, that they so greatly deserve.
Ahhh…the hero emerges to show the world that there is good, there is a way and…there is HOPE!
The agony that this average Joe just went through is so astounding, that it becomes a belief that he deserves the recognition of the masses
So it begins the “viral” tidal wave of social gossip and revealing what is happening.
Now…the world of the “Niche” knows where to find the solution that they have journied to discover for so long…they wish to become part of that inner circle, so that when all new developments emerge, they will have a front row seat of the coming of all that is good!
Then, as quickly as he came in…the comotion calms down and every one says, “Who was that masked man?”
The value the masses exchanged i.e, Money for Solutions, or policies for votes; has allowed our hero to continue on to another level, a higher level of social status, in order to continue to create more good for all who stand before him.
The excitement dies down, and people begin to say, “Do you remember when…?”
Finally, just when you think everything is at its end…BAM…the hero re-emerges to show all the even greater, the more powerful solutions that he has brought to the world yet, once again!
Now for a reality check… Political Policies = The product the niche is looking for.
The ever so popular …. Political Candidate= The Marketing Guru/ Prophet
The platform in which to communicate = social media, video networking, television, radio, periodicals
The difference between the internet marketer, prophet and political candidate = who designed the strategy
Finally, the element that is NEVER spoken of, for fear that the masses, or niche market, would surely lose all trust and respect… is Social Engineering. This my friend is the art of manipulating the Betas, the Niches, the people into electing YOU to be the Alpha, the Guru, the Prophet… the President.
I truly hope this article has given you inspiration to go on to become a leader in your own right, and I would like for you to know that this article does not, in any way, reflect my political views (the guy I voted for wasn’t in the running LOL:) and I do not want you to think that this article, in any way, is putting down or telling you not to trust the marketers out there. The purpose here is to educate you on how you can potentially leverage these simple fundamentals to create your own success and a world of abundance for your family, your community and yourself… just be sure to use this “Secret” for good.
Speaking of “The Secret”…well, THAT is an article for another day!
Ciao
Bob
Don’t forget, we are going to be having an awesome 6 months with Leslie Fieger and the students of the 2009 CAMP Counselors Program that I have created, if you would like to learn more, sign up on our newsletter to the right, or simply CLICK HERE
Also, if you would like to read Rich Shefren’s article on the Strtegic Profits blog, which is in no way affiliated
with this blog, CLICK HERE
Internet Success, Personal Development and Wealth Creation are not magical things. It is always possible to create more abundance in your life and to continue to grow toward new acheivments. Just yesterday, I sat with my father and, for a moment, I closely looked at his eyes, skin and into the emotions that he placed upon the conversation.
My dad spent 30 years of his life landscaping, 17 years on a farm as a kid, in the foot hills of Waynesburg Pennsylvania, and the past 11 years of his life in three different jobs. His current position? He is a janitor at our local mall and a caretaker of a cemtary, where he, my mother and my youngest sister live in the caretaker’s house.
My parents have lived as caretakers in 3 different cemetaries since 1980. They brought myself and my older sister to this little town, when we were very young, to show us a life of happiness, dreams and sunshine; instead of a life of gang violence that used to exist in the inner city of Pittsburgh, when I was a child.
As my dad and I spoke, he laughed and complained, exploded with excitement and told me of all the accomplishments that he had made just last night at work. Then, he went on to tell me of the “stupid” things that his co-workers did that made his job much more difficult to complete. The next point of the conversation was to tell me how he had no money to fix his car and he didn’t know how he was going to be able to afford Christmas this year.
I have watched my family struggle with finances ever since I was a young child, and although my father makes more money, there are still many challenges that he faces, because of today’s economy. Then, he asked me a question that I had never thought I would here him speak. You see, the only thing my Dad has ever used a computer for, is to play a game of solitaire or to type receipts for jobs he’s done in the cemetary.
Then he hit me with it… “I saw a way to make money online the other day, filling out surveys. Does that work, or is it some sort of “pyramid scheme?” he asked.
I replied, “Well, I did it when I first went online, and I ended up working over 60 hours to make $200 and that wasn’t steady. Pyramid schemes have basically faded out and many things were considered to be just that, when they really weren’t.”
Then he asked, “Well why were ligitimante businesses considered schemes, if they weren’t?”
My answer? “Because people were lead into the desire of freedom and abundance, without the proper
qualification process or training. Instead of them seeking out the proper education, and truly defining what they are passionate about, they tend to jump from one online business to the next, and never truly take the time to build their business.”
“Why would they do that,” he asked, “seems pretty foolish to jump head into something if you don’t know what you’re doing. By the way, this stuff is just a way to make some extra cash, it’s not really a “business!”
I stopped him and here is where I really saw his eyes light up.
“Dad, I had some really good businesses up to 2000, wouldn’t you agree?” He nodded.
“Then, for a very long time, I struggled just to live and adapt to a life with cancer, homelessness,
and hunger. Angie and I did everything we could to keep the house warm and to keep our newborn daughter fed. Then, we no longer talked about struggle. We no longer had to walk in the cold and the snow with our baby, and we no longer had to hunt for our food. Yet, when was the last time you heard me say that I had to go to work, or that we couldn’t pay our bills?”
You see, where my dad and I talk, he really doesn’t pay much attention to other peoples’ business, at least that’s what he says :).
He looked up, stared me straight in the eyes and said, “Yeah, I’ve been kind of wondering about that. Your mother said that you’ve been working at home on the Internet, so I figured you were doing this survey stuff.”
I explained to him, “Dad. when I went online for the first time over 20 months ago, the first thing I did was look for someone who could help me figure out what it was that I was truly capable of, or at least help me to figure it out on my own. I found Leslie Fieger, he coached me, and I found my answers. Then, I realized the importance of all the knowledge and skills I had gained about sales, marketing, direct sales and internet marketing…and began to apply it. Within 3 months of doing that, I took our family out of poverty. A month later, I began to teach hundreds of people from around the world how to leverage the same technology to generate success in their physical world, while generating success within themselves.”
Obviously this took him by suprise, and for the first time in my life, he did not respond but, instead, looked at me as if wanting to hear more. I continued, “Now, almost a half a million dollars in profits later, I am preparing to launch a new training program to teach 200 other people to know this information so well, that they would actually have the ability to teach it themselves, and I am doing it with the man who taught me to realize the success that I truly am, Leslie Fieger.”
“I created a hit online radio talk show, called Out-Side the Box LIVE!, with the real coaching radio…and that allows me to continue some of my coaching for free, as well. I haven’t been filling out surveys online, I’ve been teaching people to BECOME the potential that they desire, are meant to be and truly deserve.”
He just stared at me… there was a long silence and he was thinking very hard. Then, he asked how much does it cost to enroll? I looked at him in curiosity and asked him why he wanted to know. From the mouth of my father, a man who has barely worked an indoor job for a long portion of his life, a man who has told me time and again that he really doesn’t want to learn how to use a computer, asked how much would it cost to enroll into one of his son’s programs…then he said,
“Because I want to learn what you have been teaching.”
With an uncontrollable tear in my eye, I said… “Dad, let’s get started.”
My father has created value in my life at times that many would have given up on life. Recessions? My family has no idea what a recession is, because recessions effect those who built there lives around money, where my family had built there life around the lack there of. I sat there for 6 1/2 hours with my dad, implementing so many strategies with him, teaching him the purpose of each, and my little sister looked on, taking notes and working right along with us. Then, I said, “Let’s come back to this tomorrow.”
My dad looked up at me and said, “Looks like we just got started, why not just keep going?”
“Dad, the one thing I can say that I’ve learned from this process, is that when things are looking good, give them a little time to stick, see how it’s doing, and come back later to fine tune things a bit…trust me, you’ll have pleanty of chances to keep on building.”
This morning, yep at 4am in the morning, my Dad called me from his janitor’s position at the local mall. He had been looking at his merchant account on the internet. His voice trembled a bit and said,
“Could you look at this thing for me, I think I goofed?” I took a look and almost gasped in amazement…
“Dad, I don’t see what the problem is.” He said, “The problem is that I owe in over $1200 and I can’t pay that!” Although I realized he was stressed, I calmed him down and said, “Dad, you don’t owe anyone anything. You’re using my autoresponder, my hosting account, and I floated the bill on your advertising.”
Then he asked, “Then why is this showing that I owe over $1200?” He was almost in tears at this point, out of the fear of accumulating such a debt. “Dad, that number doesn’t have a negative sign next to it…you made over $1200 in profits in the past 24 hours.”
Then…there was silence, tears and the sound of a chair being slid across the floor, where I heard my dad sit down and cry. One of the most beautiful feelings in the world, is when we earn the right and create the ability to service our mentors in life. My father has mentored me into becoming a man with values and a husband and father who loves his family, and receives love in return. Yesterday, my dad became an internet entrepreneur… and he’s willing to do what it takes to get there. Although my dad won’t be attending our live online classes in 2009, he is currently educating himself with the 2008 audio archives of my Call To Action Mastery Program, to step ahead in this journey.
This is what he is ready for, at the age of 58. He knows that he will make mistakes, he realizes that it will take determination and patience…but for the first time in my life, I see a mission with in my father. Isn’t it something what a little sweat, curiosity and a desire to become more can do for a man in such a small amount of time?
Okay, your turn…trust me, if Dad can take this on…so can you, but this time, you get the skills, mentoring and level of training that I got and that I created and applied during my journey:
Click Here To Get Started on Your Journey Only if you are done making excuses and telling yourself why you can’t. If there is one thing I’ve learned throughout my wierd life, is that whether you think you can or, whether you think you can’t…in both cases, you’d be right. Just take action!
Have you ever tried running a business that is online? A lot of entrepreneurs are now relying on the power of the internet to market their products or services. Home businesses are gaining more and more popularity these days. Perhaps it’s also time for you to consider an internet entrepreneur home business.
Sometimes, those that have families can’t manage their time between career and family life. Because of this, most of them are forced to leave their jobs just so they can take good care of their family. This is not the end of the world for you. In fact, even when you’re at home and taking care of your family, you can run an online business.
There are a lot of home business opportunities online. All it takes is looking into your home business options and choosing the right one that will work for you. If you have the qualities of an entrepreneur, an internet home business will be the answer to your needs. Oftentimes, if only the husband or the wife works, the income is not enough to provide for the family’s needs. If you don’t have a career or a job, you can start thinking of the best internet home business opportunity.
If you have your own computer and most importantly, an internet connection, you can already become an entrepreneur who owns or runs an internet home business. However, you must also see to it that the business is legitimate to avoid any problems in the future.
The first option is to become an affiliate marketer. For those entrepreneurs with limited capital for business, this is an excellent choice because you will only need a small amount. You will have to find an affiliate company who will provide you with the products or services. After doing so, you will then create your very own site where you will market the products or services. In order to attract huge traffic to your website, it must be interesting and catchy. You will be able to receive commissions for every product sold or for the services rendered.
Supposing you already have a home business such as arts and crafts. Perhaps you’ve observed that you have very few customers in your locality. If you want to have a larger market, you can turn your home business into an internet home business. By doing so, you can reach the different countries of the world. You have to create your own website and there you can put pictures of your arts and crafts.
This will take a lot of hard work especially if you’re just starting out. You will have to work on your site and make it user-friendly. If customers can maneuver within your site without any problems and you have excellent arts or crafts products, more orders will come in.
Since you’re an entrepreneur, you will not have much problems dealing with the orders and shipments of your products. You only have to establish the right contacts or connections and the profits will come rolling in.
There are still other internet home business opportunities for entrepreneurs. By surfing the net, you can find the right business opportunity for you. Your qualities and capabilities as an entrepreneur will not go to waste if you engage in internet business.
So if you have limited capital and less business resources, try the home business opportunities online.
One of the saviest methods that you can utilize is allowing your home business tools and costs to pay you back. Sound impossible? Nope…listen, every internet entrepreneur needs the essential tools, but many do not know how to leverage their tools, or to even have tools that help them to become more efficient, better in business or even allow them to take their families on a vacation by having business oriented travel packages…the internet now allows us to do that…just take a look at this:
Time management is basically about being focused. The Pareto Principle also known as the ‘80:20 Rule’ states that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or unfocused generates only 20% of the desired output. However, 80% of the desired output can be generated using only 20% of a well time managed effort. Although the ratio ‘80:20′ is only arbitrary, it is used to put emphasis on how much is lost or how much can be gained with time management.
Some people view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal settings, thorough planning, creating things to do lists and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.
But there is more skills involved in time management than the core basics. Skills such as decision making, inherent abilities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking are also essential to your personal growth.
Personal time management involves everything you do. No matter how big and no matter how small, everything counts. Each new knowledge you acquire, each new advice you consider, each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.
Having a balanced life-style should be the key result in having personal time management. This is the main aspect that many practitioners of personal time management fail to grasp.
Time management is about getting results, not about being busy.
The six areas that personal time management seeks to improve in anyone’s life are physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual.
The physical aspect involves having a healthy body, less stress and fatigue.
The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.
The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations and being an active contributor to society.
The career aspect involves school and work.
The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.
The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.
Thoroughly planning and having a set of things to do list for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in your life is not being giving enough attention is part of time management. Each area creates the whole you, if you are ignoring one area then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.
Personal time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems big or small.
A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities.
One of them is to review your goals whether it be immediate or long-term goals often.
A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you.
Always determine which task is necessary or not necessary in achieving your goals and which activities are helping you maintain a balanced life style.
Each and everyone of us has a peek time and a time when we slow down, these are our natural cycles. We should be able to tell when to do the difficult tasks when we are the sharpest.
Learning to say “No”. You actually see this advice often. Heed it even if it involves saying the word to family or friends.
Pat yourself at the back or just reward yourself in any manner for an effective time management result.
Try and get the cooperation from people around you who are actually benefiting from your efforts of time management.
Don’t procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately.
Have a positive attitude and set yourself up for success. But be realistic in your approach in achieving your goals.
Have a record or journal of all your activities. This will help you get things in their proper perspective.
These are the few steps you initially take in becoming a well rounded individual.
As the say personal time management is the art and science of building a better life.
From the moment you integrate into your life time management skills, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth. It also creates more doors for opportunities to knock on.
It is an all knowing truth that everything begins with you. It wasn’t long ago that I had looked at my life and said, “I just can’t stand what is going on. Why do these things keep happening to me? Why are people so mean?”
Then, a healthy realization overwhelmed me. I realized that, for many years, I had always said, “I’m in control of my life and no one else is. To be successful it is me that has to create that success, because no one else is going to do it for me.” Now here’s the ironic part…I was just blaming outside circumstances for my results.
It is you who decides your outcome, and if you do not like your current situation…to acheive immediate positive change, you must first figure out what it is that you LOVE about your current situation. With this in mind, you will find that there are many things that you LOVE about your life, which will…in turn, help you to focus on those positive things…giving you positive results.
For many years, there has been one mentor in my life that has helped me to realize my true potential and to acheive better results in my life…so to cover one of the areas of life balance…your understanding of yourself, I would like to present you with one of my most influencial mentors…Mr. Zig Ziglar
(Excerpted from The Eight Competencies Of Relationship Selling)
1. Prepare Yourself To Excel.
Use a checklist to prepare your attitude, appearance, customer information, company and product information and the selling environment, so you can be at your best on every call.
2. Notice What Is Working.
Study yourself, your product or service and your company to know what is working now. Reinforce the actions and tools, which are generating results. Learn from your successes as well as your failures.
3. Know Your Competitive Advantage.
Study your company and your products and services in relation to what your competitors offer. Know where and how you stand out, and where you don’t. Be prepared to discuss these comparisons at any moment.
4. Improve Your Sales Skill, Not Just Your Product Knowledge.
Don’t rely on product knowledge to make you more persuasive. Sharpen your skills in reading people, describing your offer in compelling ways and in asking for the order at the right time.
5. Target The People Who Are Your Best Prospects.
Best customers have patterns. Most will fit the same pattern, so prospect among those who fit the pattern. Calling on people with similar needs, circumstances, and interests makes you more likely to create another best customer.
6. Know What To Be Curious About.
Know in advance what questions to ask by knowing what answers you need. Cultivate a strategic curiosity. Learn to be curious about the things that will advance your chance of making a sale.
7. Realize Who Is In Your Market.
Create a profile of the ideal market for what you offer. Define who they are, where they can be reached, what they care about, what they fear, what they read, whom they admire and more. Know them well.
8. Understand The Person And Their Situation.
Create an awareness of the psychological needs of your prospect as well as knowing what their technical needs are. Sometimes the way someone wants to feel has more influence on their decision to buy than what they actually need.
9. Find The Diamonds In Your Own Backyard.
More business exists around you than you know. Look among your friends, neighbors, existing customers, past customers, colleagues, competitors and coworkers for the opportunities that others overlook.
10. Ask For Specific Referrals.
Tell people what your ideal customer or prospect looks like. Ask them who they know who fits this description. Then ask them to take a specific action to help you meet the prospect; a telephone introduction, a testimonial letter, arrange a luncheon or coffee shop meeting, etc.
11. Manage Your Sales Reputation.
Determine today how you want to be thought of tomorrow. Specify the reputation you want within each group of which you are a part, and then work a plan to earn it piece by piece.
12. Grow Your Brand Identity.
Get yourself and your company known within your market area. Write articles, letters to editors, offer expert input for reporters and publishers, conduct surveys, provide free services to key people, donate your time to worthy causes, put your photo on your business card, share valuable ideas via email. Create a broad awareness of yourself as an authority on what you do.
13. Build A Fortress Of Great Relationships.
It is not only who you know that determines the value of your relationships; it is whether they know you as a valuable business resource. Define who you need to know today and five years from today. Start now to cultivate the relationships and the reputation, which will expand your possibilities.
14. Learn To Manage Points Of View.
Half your job is keeping yourself and others in the right frame of mind. Cultivate your ability to keep the focus on the things that matter most. Become a person who can put everything in perspective for others.
15. Manage Tension Throughout The Sales Process.
As tension rises, trust falls. Be aware of the ebb and flow of tension as the sale unfolds. Learn to reduce it when it gets in the way and to momentarily increase it to add urgency to the decision process.
16. Look Like Good News To Your Customer.
The way you are perceived by your customer determines how much resistance you will encounter as you sell. Learn to project a positive feeling among those you communicate with. Become a partner in problem solving, not a sales persuader.
17. Cultivate A Selling Style That Uses Your Sales Strengths.
Use the combination of online communication, in person calls, telephone contacts, trade show attendance, and public speaking, which allows you to shine. Build a mix of activities to diminish your sales weaknesses and amplify your strengths.
18. Give Samples Of The Experience You Represent.
A movie ticket doesn’t just buy you a seat in the theater; it buys you the experience of enjoying the movie. What experience does your product or service bring to people? Give them a way to sample that experience through your presentation.
19. Stay Conscious Of The Meaning In What You Do.
When a person doesn’t find much meaning in what they do, they don’t bring much value to what they do. Write down specifically how your product or service makes life better for those who buy it. Read this description every day briefly, to keep in mind the reason behind the purchase. It’s not about buying; it’s about benefiting from buying.
20. Know When And How To Ask For The Order.
Learn to recognize buying signals, how to ask differently with different people, when to let the customer sell himself, how to negotiate details and when to walk away. If you don’t ask you don’t get. But how you ask often determines success or failure.
21. Deserve To Have Loyal Customers.
Know how to cultivate dedicated clients. Become competition-proof by delivering more than people expect. Overfill your client’s needs and be their business friend, even when they are not buying from you. Be the kind of person people rave about.
This article is distilled from 130 powerful sales ideas in The 8 Competencies of Relationship Selling by Jim Cathcart. Mr. Cathcart is also the author of Relationship Selling, and The Acorn Principle.
For information on these topics or to book Mr. Cathcart to speak to your group, call 1-800-222-4883. Or inquire via email to: info@cathcart.com. Visit our website at www.cathcart.com.
With 25 years experience, California-based Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE is recognized as one of the world’s best speakers. As a psychological researcher and business consultant he has helped organizations grow their sales and improve their performance in virtually every type of industry. He is the author of Relationship Selling http://www.cathcart.com/prodsales.html#relationship The Acorn Principle http://www.cathcart.com/acorn_principle.html , and many other powerful learning tools. His works are published by the world’s top publishers: St.Martin’s Press, Putnam-Berkeley, Prentice Hall, and Nightingale Conant. Click here for a free trial subscription to the Relationship Selling E-Letter or contact the Cathcart Institute 800-222-4883, www.cathcart.com or e-mail Info@Cathcart.com.
Changing the Language of Selling
There’s more to the opposition of “traditional” and “collaborative” sales than mere semantics. For instance, one approach is far more effective than the other.
Do you think it’s true that a sales call by any other name would accomplish the same goals? We think not. Certainly every sales call has similarities to others, but the way the salesperson approaches the call distinguishes collaborative sales from traditional sales.
Do you often hear traditional sales language being used, such as “the pitch,” “the pre-approach,” “closing” or “overcoming objections”? Do your trainers and salespeople revive these tired old bromides: “buyers are liars,” “buyer’s remorse,” “call reluctance,” “creating needs,” “the half-nelson close,” “the sharp-angle close,” “the mother-in-law close,” “the hat in hand close”? If this sounds uncomfortably familiar, perhaps you should revise your training programs and create a team of collaborative salespeople.
Reexamine your training programs and materials. Where is the emphasis placed - on relationship building or closing techniques? Does information-gathering receive more attention in the training process, or is the sales presentation the center of attention?
Both schools of sales thought have four basic steps in the sales process: information-gathering, proposal, confirmation and follow-through. Collaborative sales emphasize the information-gathering stage whereas traditional sales focuses on the sales close. In addition, there are differences in terms that each sales school uses. In traditional sales, the vernacular implies manipulation or superficiality (e.g., pre-approach, the pitch and closing). Collaborative sales teams show concern, preparedness, cooperation and the intent to continue the relationship after the sale (e.g., planning, proposing, confirming and assuring).
The amount of time spent on each phase of the sale is represented in Figure 1 by the width of the area surrounding it. The traditional salesperson spends an inordinate amount of time trying to convince the client to buy. The collaborative salesperson, however, takes more time to study the customer’s problems and needs in order to be of service. Is it any wonder that collaborative salespeople are more successful than their high-pressure, manipulative peers?
Information-Gathering
The information-gathering phase for the traditional salesperson is much less involved than for collaborative salespeople. The traditional salesperson spends some time in small talk and then launches into a planned presentation regardless of what the client’s needs are. The assumption that the client needs the product or service is not only ridiculous, but also insulting in many cases.
The collaborative salesperson operates differently. He or she breaks the information-gathering process into three stages: planning, meeting and studying. These beginning steps plant the seeds from which a continual, mutual business relationship can grow.
Planning involves territory, time and account management, promotion, market planning and analysis, prospect planning and call preparation.
All are necessary to entering the sales call with the air of confidence and knowledge that is crucial to the establishment of trust. Without planning, your call ratio will be much lower because you may be pursuing the wrong prospects.
The purpose of meeting with your client is to establish a rapport and begin a business friendship. Traditional salespeople, at best, establish only a casual acquaintance with their customers. The business friendship is a more valid relationship; there is flexibility, cooperation and trust. The casual acquaintance is a limited relationship; it fulfills the needs of only one-person - the salesperson. Buyers today are less tolerant of the one-sided traditional sales approach.
The meeting phase is a time for the collaborative salesperson to prove his or her credibility and sincere desire to be of service. To do so, the salesperson must convey the proper physical and verbal image. This leads to the development of trust and opportunities to gather more sensitive or less obvious information.
One of the major differences between traditional and collaborative sales is the amount of study that takes place. The traditional salesperson spends little time studying. He or she assumes a need exists based on cursory external observations. The professional salesperson, however, is truly concerned with the prospect’s situation and studies it exhaustively. This studying encompasses the prospect’s personal style, business needs and objectives, financial status and so on. Encouraging the prospect to become involved in the sales process does this. By asking open-ended questions and other probing methods, the salesperson invites the client to provide information that otherwise would remain unknown. In this way, the prospect is able to feel that the sale was a mutual agreement rather than a compromise due to a crafty salesperson.
The Proposal
After meeting with the client and studying the problem, the collaborative salesperson proposes a solution to the client’s problem. Both traditional and collaborative sales allocate approximately the same amount of time to the presentation. Beyond the time factor, however, the similarities between the two approaches disappear.
The traditional salesperson gives an identical presentation to all clients, regardless of their needs. The salesperson may use a canned presentation or some other inflexible technique in order to cover all the product’s benefits. When all the benefits are recited by the salesperson in shotgun fashion, the presentation becomes ineffective and boring. The client tends to tune out irrelevant selling points and may even miss the relevant ones. The salesperson comes across as becoming totally insensitive to the client’s needs.
The collaborative sales approach is one in which the proposal is custom-tailored to the client’s needs, personal style and situation. Benefits are discussed as they apply to specific problems. This allows the presentation to be more meaningful to the client because more time can be spent on pertinent details. Each sales proposal is different because no two clients’ problems are alike.
The collaborative sales proposal is more know than show. The salesperson knows what the client’s needs are and seeks to satisfy them rather than putting on a show to dazzle and win the client over. This is not to say that showmanship is not appropriate to collaborative sales. It is valuable; however, it is not the top priority.
Showmanship in moderation and where appropriate can hold interest and create memorable presentations.
Confirming the Sale
The confirmation phase of the sale is inversely proportional to the amount of time spent in the information-gathering stage. In traditional sales, the majority of time is spent overcoming objections and trying to close the sale. The collaborative salesperson, because he or she took an interest from the start, does not need to hustle for the close or spend much time gaining commitment.
The problem with traditional sales is that the information-gathering stage is put in the wrong place. The client’s raising of objections is a source of information. If the salesperson had been concerned with the client’s real needs, he or she would have uncovered those objections earlier. It is unfortunate that the traditional salesperson believes that he or she can overcome objections with superficial, standard answers so late in the, sales process. The popularity of this practice is evident in sales of the book The Sale Begins When The Customer Says No! This thinking makes it a challenge for salespeople to sell products to customers even if they don’t want or need them. This sales approach can only raise tension between customer and salesperson - the opposite of what collaborative salespeople seek.
Assuring Customer Satisfaction
Another major difference between the two approaches to sales is the follow-through process. The collaborative salesperson believes that the business relationship truly begins after the client says “yes”. The salesperson and the client have made a commitment to continue in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Naturally, all salespeople call on their accounts after they make the initial sale. Traditional salespeople, however, tend to minimize the concept of continuing service. They don’t share responsibility for the success of the product or help the client track the results. The casual acquaintance with the client seems to fade so that the salesperson has to reestablish rapport when he or she wants to make more sales. The collaborative salesperson never lets the relationship fade in the first part.
Collaborative salespeople thrive on satisfied customers because they see them for what they are: assets. Assuring customer satisfaction after the sale means changing hats from salesperson to quality control person: making sure that the customer receives the proper order on the right delivery date, helping the client track results and analyze the effectiveness of the product for the problem(s) originally discussed. By assuring the satisfaction of each customer, the collaborative salesperson builds a clientele that will guarantee future sales and new prospects for the prospect pipeline.
There is an old story of a man watching his son try to lift a fallen tree from his bicycle. The boy struggled until the father asked, “Why can’t you lift it, son?” The boy replied, “I’m using all my strength, but it won’t move.” His father then said wisely, “Son, you’re not using all your strength. You haven’t asked me to help.”
Our strength lies not only within us, but also within all of those we care about and who care about us. Draw upon the strength of others and you multiply your own strength. Each of your clients multiplies your strength and sphere of influence. If you nurture your professional relationships, you will find they give back more than you ever contributed in time, effort and concern. This is the collaborative way of selling.
ARTICLE TAGLINE FOR DR. TONY ALESSANDRA
Dr. Tony Alessandra has authored 13 books, recorded over 50 audio and video programs, and delivered over 2,000 keynote speeches since 1976. The ideas in this article, and many others, are adapted from Dr. Alessandra’s book, The Sales Professional’s Idea-A-Day Guide (Dartnell). If you would like more information about Dr. Alessandra’s books, audio tapesets and video programs, or about Dr. Alessandra as a keynote speaker for your group, call (800) 222-4383 or visit his website at http://www.alessandra.com.
Building a Business Online Is Not Hard, But It IS a Business!
What did you do today? Did you build your opt in page? Did you set up an
autoresponder? Maybe you found a good product to promote?
If you said no to any of the questions listed above, then I have to ask
why are you not working on your internet marketing business or affiliate
business?
Folks, the video above is LONG…the video lessons and audio lessons on the
following pages that teach you how to build an internet business are LONG!
So what, RIGHT? Well, why do think these internet marketing lessons and videos
showing you how to make money online are so long? Give up?
It’s because they don’t leave anything out! There will be atleast 6 lessons listed on
this site over the next few weeks showing you how to set up an autoresponder, how
to register a domain name, how to create an opt in page, how to write sales letters,
how to write emails, how to create and write blogs, how to create videos and market
with videos and much much more! And guess what, they’re all free.
I’m even going to show you how to generate and drive traffic to these things so that
you can begin making money on the internet. So, why am I doing this…well, because
my internet marketing students and others from around the world are looking for a leg
up and truly need guidance. I figured, if I’m creating all these lessons anyway, why not
make them available to everyone. I even show you the best and most cost efficient tools
to use, so you need no technical experience whatsoever.
I began my online Internet business just as you are, with no skills and no knowledge…it
took a matter of weeks to begin to make money, and it only took a matter of months to
make money to live off of. Just follow the videos and you will be fine.
I may take these videos off the public airwaves, so be sure to sign up in the form above,
so you will always have access to this site in case I make the site private. Also, I will be
sending more tips every week on how to enhance your business! So, go sign up now, then
begin watching lesson one, then two and so on, until you have completely built your internet
business.
Take Care
Bob Yeager
Sign Up for Bob Yeager's Newsletter
SMS Text Message
*Standard text messaging rates may apply from your carrier*
who has just happened to stumble upon the right way of doing things.
![[Valid RSS]](valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")