Welcome. That view was pretty cool, wasn’t it? I do miss it.

Do you have a website set up yet? What kind of marketing are you trying? How long since you started?

I’m actually closing the comments on this post now, but I’d love to have a look at your site(s) – you can always contact me at my support desk, http://www.sublime-products.com/support/

Amin

As I said in the post, I was looking for genuine comments, rather than one-liners, but welcome here anyway. I’ll let you have a copy of the script, but next time please think about submitting a more engaging comment. You’ll probably get more clickthroughs to your own site that way, as well.

Amin

Yes, Zig is one of the better sales trainers. It’s the quality of his ideas and his authenticity as a person that set him apart for me.

I first ran into him in 1985 (I’d read some of his stuff prior to this) at a “super” sales event in Melbourne, AU. There were a bunch of speakers, all good, but Zig stood head and shoulders above them — despite being the shortest in physical stature.

In the afternoon session, he talked about the importance of family, and how sales people too often become so engaged in their profession that they disengage from their spouses and children. His advice was so profound and relevant that he won me as a fan for life.

He wasn’t what I call a “sales technician” like most of the others. He was from the Old School, like Charlie “Tremendous” Jones… genuine characters with real integrity and heart.

John

I’ve read a couple of his books. He’s one of the few super salesmen I can actually stand in written form. Some of them are simply hard work, but that particular quote always struck me as having such a fundamental truth to it – a bit like the acronym WIIFM.

Amin

P.S. If anyone doesn’t know what WIIFM means, it stands for What’s In It For Me? It’s said to be everyone’s internal response to just about anything! Sometimes jokingly referred to as “Radio WII-FM”.

The quote was “you can anything you want by helping others get what they want”. It was said by Zig Ziglar.

John

“The secret of getting back into the grove for me was helping others.”

There’s a lot to be said for that. A great deal, in fact. I can’t remember who said it, but someone did once say something like:

If you help enough people get what they want, they’ll help you get what you want

I think that was the quote, anyway.

Amin

I know what you mean about getting the same subject lines. There’s only so many times you can read “new system to earn….” before you get fed up with it.

I totally agree with your point about keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s going on. If nothing else, a slew of emails tells you what’s hot and what’s not, which is valuable information. And the freebies are sometimes worth having. In fact it would be possible to get yourself completely kitted out with all the tools you need to start a basic internet marketing business just doing that.

And yes, you got the email from my autoresponder.

Amin

I have been in your shoes before and yes I lived in a cold climate with lots of snow. Whenever sales were slow and times were tough I found the best way to beat the blues is to get interested in something new, that you can really believe in and express that enthusiasm to others. The secret of getting back into the grove for me was helping others.

Good luck in your new venture

Merl

I do not know if it is from your autoresponder sequence or if it is because I did not opt in to your newsletter until the day after I had posted my original message here. I received a message that if I wished to be considered for the offer that I needed to come in and post a comment.

I want to thank you again for your honesty as it is very refreshing. I receive hundreds of emails a day each of more than 3 dozen email addresses and I have gotten so sick of seeing the same subject lines and emails for a multitude of unrelated products. I don’t block them or unsubscribe to them because once in every 5 blue moons there may be a valid offer or something new showing up on the horizon. Just my way of letting your student and you know that just because we get slaughtered with emails, don’t panic. We still have two options available to us. One is that we can scroll rapidly through the list looking to make sure that there are none that are important to us and then use the little check box at the top of the column and mass delete the messages that remain. The second is that we can always “unsubscribe” if we feel we really must.

Now why would I say that? It is simple. Grab the free offers if it is something that you can use and will help you. Don’t just grab for the sake of grabbing. But, don’t be in a rush to just opt-out of those lists. They do serve you a purpose that can be more important than just the small “freebie” that you were given to get on those lists. If the list belongs to someone who is considered to be an authority figure, then what better way to keep your finger on the pulse of what is happening in the marketing arena?

Just a demented thought from a brain-dead exhausted marketer who has been burning the candle from both ends and through the middle for a few weeks now.

I hope it helps you all.

Mary Kellner Coon (makingmagic)
http://touchmyheart.mobi/wp/

It’s been a while since I visited the 7DS forum, but that’s what really got me started. I met a few interesting characters there and some have gone on to do very well.

It is a great little script, isn’t it? It helped a lot of people start to make money in an easy – and affordable – way. Your own ongoing sales are testament to that. Congratulations on that. If you got even one sale that’s a success, so getting ongoing sales is fantastic.

“who could I tell? who cared? who would even know what I am talking about?”

Ah, yes. Family don’t always understand, do they? I think I mentioned in the post itself that when I got my first sale my relatives laughed in my face. One said “what good is $7?”.

You got an OTO sale so congratulations – you know how thrilling it is to know that succeeded so I suspect you know exactly what good $7 is!

IM can be lonely – perhaps isolated is a better word. I’m guilty of not always reaching out enough to make connections myself. This post was a deliberate attempt to stop being so insular and I’m amazed and grateful at the responses.

“Our inspiration has to come from each other.”

You hit the nail on the head again. In looking back it’s obvious that marketers who are ‘human’ tend to do well. Cold and distant figures can sometimes leave us, well, cold and distant! I’m reminded of the fact that a couple of well known marketers goof around, make mistakes, don’t waste time on shiny packaging BUT they keep doing better and better. People just respond to their humanity and genuineness.

We’re all made to relate best to other people who relate to us – aren’t we?

Amin

That was some senior year your cousin had! 40 years, no kidding? I think it’s safe to say she must have fallen in love with the place.

My children are happier than they’ve been for a couple of years (so’s my wife!). How great is that? I have no doubt that the move was the right thing and a good thing for us as a family. Did I want to move in the first place? NO. Would I move again if necessary? In a heartbeat.

Amin

I think you’re right, it is just life. But when I see how much terrible suffering there is around it reminds me how very, very lucky I am. I don’t ever want to forget that.

Amin

Nice to see you hear and btw, contact me on my support desk and I’ll sort out something with you about my new product as soon as it goes live. Same deal as with Jon.

I’m certainly very optimistic about the future. I think it was just the change really that shook me. These things happen, don’t they?

I was interested to read your description of people in the Philippines. I have a feeling that if you described the people of any place where family values are genuinely important you’d find a lot of commonality. I’ve had a couple of outsourced workers over there and I must say they were a pleasure to deal with. Friendly and open.

Don’t forget to open that support ticket.

Amin

Greetings from the 7 Dollar Secrets forum. I first noticed your name there when the 7DS took the world by storm.

I still have a handfull of little websites powered by 7DS that sell game table plans, bringing in a few bucks a day to my PayPal account. Truly the little script that could!

Sometimes this IM journey can be lonely. I remember making my first OTO sale over a year ago…who could I tell? who cared? who would even know what I am talking about?

Our inspiration has to come from each other. Our courage has to come from inside. Our perseverance to continue comes from fear. Fear of being trapped in a j-o-b. Fear of being dead, broke, and still working at age 65….

We can do this thing. Whether in warm Spain or the humid east coast of the United States, or the wind swept desert of Australia, we can do this thing.

Amin, thanks for your candid sharing with us.

And don’t mind us if we ask you how you are doing a few weeks from now.

Keep on. Don’t give up. Look for strength from your friends and from inside.

Mike D.
Bend, Oregon USA

While reading your post, I couldn’t help but think of my cousin. When she was a junior in high school (here in the states), she signed up to be an exchange student for her senior year. She went to Spain. She loved it so much that she never returned!

That was over 40 years ago. She’s come back for a few visits, but loves Spain.

I can identify with you about doing what’s best for your children. I made a decision to move to a different city just so that my son could go to a better school. It took me a while to adjust as well.

Well, sounds like you’re coming around to your “old self”, and we’re all looking forward to the launch of your new product.

Have a great 2010!

Tom

Of course there are people who may be suffering more than you or I. That doesn’t mean that your feelings now are not valid or important. They are important to you and those who care about you. I admire the fact that you have had the blues and still are able to feel for others. I don’t believe in calling people names and that includes my self. Please don’t even think yourself as a name like “crybaby.” It’s just life, man. — Edgar

Sorry to hear that you had to move to a cold climate. I moved from the cold country in the USA to the heat and humidity of the tropical climate here in the Philippines.

But, the people here are so much nicer and friendlier than the same in the US. People here are very poor and humble and shy. Family values are so very, very important here. Here, they do not put old folks in the nursing homes, they take care of them at home,,,,and they do it happily. Just part of being a Filipino and the family culture here.

I was reading the book “Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. One day I finished breakfast and was just wondering why I am living in the Philippines — over 9,000 miles from my home town. I opened the “Purpose Driven Life” book at a random page and the first sentence I read said, “God puts you geographically where He wants you.” My question was answered.

I still miss my kids and friends in the US, but the new family and friends here is well worth it all!!! I would not trade my new life for anything.

Every time I changed jobs in my life, I always was kind of sad about things, and a little scared about starting all over again at a new job or career. But, I found in looking back, that every time I changed jobs or locations, it was always for the best. Better things happened, better friends, better income, more faith, better housing, better climate and so forth….. I hope you find the same happens now for you and your family.

God’s abundant blessings always for you and your family,

John

It’s worth diving in and trying something, even if it fails, just to get some experience and feedback on what you’ve done.

Is there anything particular that stops you from having a go at something? In a way I’d suggest you stop worrying about traffic right now. Until you have something live on the web you’ve got nowhere to send traffic. If you manage to get something up on the web you’ll still have to start thinking about traffic, but at least you’ll have somewhere to send it. And that, on its own, will put you ahead of a large percentage of the population who never get round to making a real start.

What kind of internet presence do you want to have?

Amin

I was hoping for a slightly bigger response, but I’ve realized that I’ve never really placed a call to action on my posts. So I suppose people get used to not responding – something like that anyway. I remember when Robert Plank first started specifically asking/bribing people to comment on his blog, his response numbers showed a steady growth. After a few cycles it became the ‘norm’.

So, shamelessly, I’ve got various bribes lined up for the next few posts!

And if you can beat a bush or two that would be great!

Amin

I’m pretty sure my family aren’t feeling the blues. But that, in itself, makes me happier.

I’m beginning to feel a bit ashamed for being such a cry-baby now, to be honest. Yes, I was unhappy about moving countries, but when you compare that to the real suffering some people have to go through it’s a bit self-indulgent to complain about it, I think.

Amin

I can’t believe your offer hasn’t attracted many more comments by now. Let me see if I can beat the bushes a bit for you.

John

@Joni, I’m 51 now and I think back to all the things I didn’t know, even a couple of years ago., There is a lot to learn, that’s for sure. I would like to encourage you on a couple of things:

1) You don’t have to learn everything before you’re able to achieve things. It’s possible to make websites without knowing everything about the process. Sometimes people learn better by doing, getting it wrong, fixing, trying again. Sometimes, jumping in the deep end is a good way to learn.

2) Everything you need to learn you will learn, even if it takes you a little bit of time. There’s nothing you must learn that is so complicated (honestly!) that you can’t learn it. Oh, and there’s a lot you really don’t need to learn, too.

Amin

In response to -do I have a website, well as a newbie there are so many hurdles and yes i am on my umteenth training course, but I think I have learned from every one of them, but most incomplete in some area.(I am approaching 50 and well not up with all the technology-) so am in the process of getting through this 12 week course step by step but i won’t give up, when I started I barely knew how to do e-mail.I have come a long way and when I get it going I will let you know it would be nice to have you take a look.

Joni

Thank you for your generousity!

Best regards,

steve

Welcome. I’m very flattered that I’m the only marketer you’ve contacted – thank you!

Congratulations on taking action and creating a site. I see you’re using MMS to run it, so it’s a subscription based members’ site. Good for you, that can be a great business model.

I think you’ve said a couple of things that are incredibly important:

“I was incredibly active from start, but all the effort didn’t pay off.” and “I set up to try a different approach.”

I think it’s important to put effort and persistence into whatever strategy you try, but it’s equally important to know when it’s time to move onto a different tactic.

There’s an old saying that puts it very simply: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

And boy, that’s true, isn’t it? I’ve known a lot of people in your situation who would have given up, but you’ve taken action and you’re reaping the rewards.

Just one final comment: On the helpdesk over the years I’ve seen a couple of support tickets from people who’ve said they want to make money on the internet, but don’t want to “study anything, do any work, put any effort in”. I see that you’ve done the exact opposite. You’ve studied, you’ve worked and you’ve put effort in – and now you have a functioning and revenue producing site. Amazing how effective effort and thought can be, isn’t it?

Amin

You’ll definitely get a copy of the shopping cart.

I know what you mean about flashy graphics. Sometimes the wrapping is the best thing about some products!

Although the shopping cart is pretty understated you can change the graphics completely if you want. Most people would probably want to do that to brand it to their own store identity.

Amin