Are You Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Any Real Money?
Subtitle: The wisest man I ever met told me something
I’ll never forget
By Marlon Sanders
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Joe Karbo wrote this question in a famous ad many years
ago.
Are you too busy earning a living to make any money?
See, Joe was one of the originals to discover the real
secret of the direct response marketing business.
If you’re working hard, it means you’re trading your time
for dollars. Since there’s a limit on your time, there’s a
limit on your dollars.
It’s the problem I have with the way a LOT of people teach
what they call “Internet marketing.” Really, all they do
is trade time for MORE dollars.
Why?
Because they don’t really do Internet marketing. They do
sales pitches on webinars, teleseminars and from the
stage. Which is all fine and dandy — if you know how to
automate it.
But if you’re just slaving away trading time for dollars,
even if it’s more dollars, you’re STILL in the TRAP.
Have you ever wondered why so many gurus and Internet
marketers spring up one day as an overnight success then
just as quickly fade away into oblivion?
That’s because they work within the TRAP and have never
discovered how to get OUT of the fundamental time for
dollars trap.
I’m going to be the first to admit there ARE Internet
marketers who put more in the bank month in and out than I
do. Why? Because almost without fail, they’re working
really hard for that money.
They’re still IN the TRAP.
And here they are pretending to get others out of the trap
when they’re still IN it.
Others say that the only way to get out of the TRAP is to
get a big office, lots of overhead and lots of employees.
Since 1996, I ran this business from home. I have a small,
relatively modest office now, and it’s 2X or 3X the size I
really need.
It’s true that you can work your tail end off and make a
zillion dollars on a launch. But it took 3-6 months of
hard labor before the launch and another 3-6 months AFTER
the launch.
That’s nothing but a glorified job.
Every day there’s a new Johnny-Come-Lately with glowing
screen caps blaring out massive numbers with some new
method. Now, apart from the questionable legalities of
what is often done, notice how these people also tend to
vanish off the face of the earth after a year or so.
I’ve been doing my “Amazing Formula” of online marketing
since 1998, and really before then on AOL and Compuserve
using my early beta methods of the Formula.
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Do You Want Out Of The Trap Of Having
To Trade Your Time For Dollars?
=======================================
Whether you have a “real” job or your home business IS a
job, sucking up all your time, I’m the only person I know
who has proven my “Amazing Formula” for personal freedom,
income and success over time works — because I’ve been
LIVING IT since before many “gurus” even knew about
Internet marketing.
Gosh, some of them were 12 years old when I started doing
this full time.
Here are my 7 steps to get out of the time for dollars
trap:
1. You’re either at the top of the food chain or the
bottom.
I’ve been teaching and preaching this since 1998 and
before. See, you either own your own products, software
programs, iphone apps, membership sites and intellectual
property that OTHERS sell.
Or you sell products FOR others.
I’m probably the ONLY person who consistently for years
and years has steadfastly advocated that you get on the
side of the coin where you’re the one with the products
that OTHERS sell.
It’s cost me money in some ways to teach and preach this.
Why?
Because many of my top affiliates “got it” and went on to
become famous gurus in their own right. In the past, my
top affiliates have included Russ Brunson, Ewen Chia, Mike
Mertz, Kevin Wilke and Matt Gill, Jim Edwards, Yanik
Silver — and many others.
Now obviously, while I’d LIKE to take credit for their
success, I can’t. But I’d like to think that consistently
hammering home my theme over and over of create and sell
your own products has had an influence.
I’m all for being an affiliate to learn the Internet
marketing game. But at some point, you need to climb the
food chain and be on top, not on bottom.
A lady the other day wrote my customer support and asked
what the credibility was behind Amazing Formula. How about
the fact that it was selling $200,000 a year+ before most
gurus were gurus.
I had to chuckle.
How about the fact that many of the top gurus were once my
top affiliates and affiliates for Amazing Formula?
Then on rare occasion someone will say, “Well, what’s
Marlon done since Amazing Formula?” This doesn’t happen
often. It’s more like behind closed doors with a few
insecure, jealous wannabe gurus.
Uhhh, I guess they forget about creating a whole genre of
software with Push Button Letters. They forget I created
the 2-page web site model with Gimme My Money Now. They
forget I created the first product on how to create big
tickets (actiongrid.com).
They forget about our highly innovative Dashboard line,
including Marketing Dashboard, Product Dashboard, Design
Dashboard and Promo Dashboard.
I’ve innovated so many things in this industry I forget
about half of them. There are some people who think that
the ONLY marketers who are worth anything are those who do
big product launches. But your real players realize that a
LOT of those launches don’t NET what they GROSS.
And if you’re working your tail end off to DO the launch,
you’re STILL in the time for dollars trap!
It’s NOT how many people promote your offer.
It’s NOT what you gross because after affiliate
commissions, product fulfillment, refunds and chargebacks,
that net often quickly diminishes.
It’s NOT about bragging rights to the biggest launch.
It’s about the lifestyle. Do you trade time for dollars or
products? Do you wear a watch or don’t you?
I laugh about a lot of this stuff because it’s so
blatantly obvious to me. You know, I’m at Starbucks
drinking ice tea, shopping at the mall, hanging out
reading in bookstores, talking to friends on the phone,
and doing other things I enjoy while they’re slaving away
trying HARD to be this big celebrity.
That’s what I call working hard for a living. It’s a
well-paying job but still a job.
2. You either trade time for dollars or products
I don’t care if your products are Facebook apps, iPhone
apps, membership sites, stuff you sell on ebay, ebooks,
cd’s, dvd’s, coaching programs, or physically delivered
products.
You still have to trade something for dollars OTHER than
your time.
3. If you’re spending all your time selling other people’s
products, then you’re STILL trading your time for dollars.
Hardly anyone has the guts to be honest about this.
Because the moment you’re honest about it, you cut your
own throat a bit.
Why? Because basically I’m telling my own resellers that
ultimately they’re best served by creating their own
products and affiliate base. So I’m in the business of
making my affiliates very successful but at some point
they aren’t my affiliates any longer.
So many people will gloss over this truth. I choose not
to.
4. Nothing happens until someone sells something
We’re in the SALES business. Yes, we get our leads and
prospective buyers mostly on the Internet. Yes, parts of
it are automated. But at the end of the day, this is NOT
some highly complicated business.
We get or create products.
We create sales presentations that show people how it’ll
benefit them if they trade their money for our products.
Then we encapsulate those sales presentations in Power
Point videos, podcasts, blog posts, teleseminars,
webinars, stage presentations or sales letters.
It’s ALL a sales presentation or sales MESSAGE. Do you get
that? The SAME formula I taught in Amazing Formula back in
1998 or 1999 is the SAME formula that STILL sells like
crazy.
Only difference is, now you can do it in webinars, Youtube
videos, Ustream presentations, podcasts and so forth.
Or, in the case of a product launch, you post it
sequentially to a blog. But it’s STILL the same basic
sales process and sequence.
It ALL boils down to a sales message.
And you know what? You’ll find out there are ONLY 12 steps
to such a message. And it’s easier, faster and simpler to
learn and do than you quite possibly think.
It’s more PRACTICE than anything. And if there’s any
bugaboo that holds people back in this business it’s fear
of practicing at delivering a sales message because it
might not work. Then they’d feel like a failure!
That’s got NOTHING to do with it.
If the sales message doesn’t work, you change the message
and who you’re delivering to. One or both. This isn’t
rocket science!
Sheez. See, people have a huge VESTED interest in making
themselves and their processes out to be rocket science
because that substantiates big prices. Which is a great
sales tactic.
But the TRUTH is, you create and deliver sales messages
using a 12-step formula. It works or it doesn’t work. If
it doesn’t, you change or tweak it. Or find someone else
to deliver the message to.
Where? Wherever they hang out. That’s where. You can quote
me on this bit of rocket science here:
You fish where the fish are.
If they don’t bite, you change the bait. The message. I
make this HUGELY clear in Amazing Formula. Some people
don’t get that. A few. Not a lot. But a few people think
it needs to be all rocket science and stuff with 45,000
flow charts that are really super duper impressive.
Surely it can’t be as simple as a 12-step formula, can it?
This is not a complicated business. People make this thing
complex to get people to spend more money. Which isn’t a
bad sales tactic. But let’s get real here.
We find or create products.
We create sale messages.
We then DELIVER those sales messages via:
a. Email
b. Teleseminars
c. Webinars
d. Sales letters
e. Blog posts
f. Online videos
g. DVD’s
h. Power Point
presentations
i. Ustream events
j. 1-on-1 “strategy” sessions
But do I need some whole new sales message because I’m
delivering it via a teleseminar vs. posting it in chunks
on my blog or delivering it in a PDF or series of online
videos?
It’s the SAME message!
The delivery vehicle changes. But 90% or more of that
message is the same.
This business is ALL about the sales message. It’s funny that
some people reading this right this very minute will realize
how far they’ve strayed from the truth.
How they’ve been sent on a goose chase by people who have a
vested interested in making things complex.
And the question pops into their mind, “How did Marlon freakin’
Sanders find his way back into my life?”
And the answer is that I’m a truth teller.
The answer is that I speak the essence.
We sell things.
We sell things via sales messages.
There’s a 12-step proven formula for such messages.
But the delivery changes.
5. Therefore, you need to get good at crafting sales
messages
This is one of the “elephants in the room” you won’t hear
a lot of “gurus” talk about. Why? Because most people are
a little bit uncomfortable with or intimidated by the idea
of creating a “sales” message.
I’d rather do blog posts. I’d rather do a webinar. I’d
rather have some automated dealeo that somehow sells
people.
Yes, you CAN automate it. But you STILL have to craft and
create that sales message BEFORE you automate the delivery
OF the message. Do you get that?
Why don’t more “gurus” tell you the truth: Internet
marketing is all about selling stuff. It’s all about
creating messages that give people reasons to spend their
money and buy stuff?
It cracks me up that people get all pissed off at “gurus”
for selling stuff. What do you THINK they’re going to do?
It’s ALL about sales.
And if your guru doesn’t know how to sell something, you
better find a new guru.
6. Remember that all the real gurus died in World World II
My mentor is Lew Williams. He was personally trained by
one of the greatest old time copywriters Thomas Hall who
Gary Halbert said was also his mentor. I don’t know if
Gary ever met Thomas but I do know he read his direct mail
guides.
Lew worked for Thomas and was trained by him. Thomas Hall
sold seminars and consulting for $5,000 and $10,000 way
back in the 50’s or 60’s.
Lew produced the first seminar E. Joseph Cossman ever
spoke at.
Anyway, Lew taught me from day one that all the real gurus
died in World War II. Robert Collier. Claude Hopkins.
Thomas Hall. John Caples.
These were the real gurus. The real teachers. My friend,
they’re all dead and gone. The word “guru” simply means
teacher. We all are a teacher to someone else at some
point in time. That makes us all gurus.
Never put someone else on such a high pedestal that you
think they have some magical powers you don’t. They do ONE
thing better than you do:
Convince other people to give them money. A lot of money.
And this IS a skill you can learn. Yes, there ARE secrets
to it. There ARE tricks. But it’s NOT something you can’t
learn.
7. The single biggest secret of online marketing is simply
learning by doing
You learn to sell by selling. You create or craft a sales
message. You find a way to deliver that message to a
target audience.
If they don’t respond, do you cry in your milk, go on
Twitter and bitch at Perry Belcher or whoever your guru
is? Do you go on a forum and proclaim that all the gurus
are lying to you and that Internet marketing doesn’t work?
Do you go on blog posts and complain how you’re broke and
can you please have the next magical product as a freebie?
NO! You simply craft a new what?
Sales message.
And you see if you can find a way to deliver it to a
little more targeted audience. To a greater percentage of
your target buyers.
You can even TALK to your potential buyers and ASK them
about the sales message. Does it communicate to them or
not?
The legendary Gary Halbert used to say that you knew you
had a BAD sales letter if people complimented you on it.
You knew you had a GREAT sales letter if after reading it
to someone they asked how they could buy that product.
Compliments on your blog, sales letters and web sites mean
NOTHING. The ONLY votes that count are sales.
Now, make no mistake. Over the years I HAVE learned new things
and secrets. For example, EVERYONE teaches my 12-step formula
for creating sales messages. But they regurgitate it. They don’t
have the ability to create formulas from scratch.
I’ve created new formulas that make it even faster, simpler and
easier to create sales messages that work.
There ARE new ways to deliver sales messages and putting these in
your arsenal can haul in lots of sales.
There ARE new types of products you can create that have greater
perceived value and are easier to get more bux for.
So this business is dynamic, changing and growing. I was the FIRST
person to create a product on using Amazon Kindle to get business.
And that just KEEPS growing as they innovate new versions.
This is a great and exciting time to be involved in Internet
marketing. Just understand WHAT the Game really is and don’t let
people pull the wool over your eyes and make it something it’s not.
How do you STOP working hard for a living?
You trade products for dollars instead of time. And you get really
good at selling them using automated systems to DELIVER your well-
crafted sales message.
Years ago the late, great Joe Karbo wrote: The wisest man I ever
met told me something I’ll never forget. Most people are too busy
earning a living to make any money.
I hope you don’t wait too long to discover how true that is. And
how to escape the TRAP and get on the path to freedom. I don’t
consider myself a guru but a guide to light the path and show the
way.
If we see clearly, it is because we stand on the shoulders of the
true gurus. Giants like E. Joseph Cossman, Jerry Buchanan, Thomas
Hall, Gary Halbert, Robert Collier, Dean Dax Duvall, Harvey Brody
and many others I don’t have time to mention. There are even
people like Sheila Danzig and Michael Enlow not to mention Corey
Rudl that we owe more to than almost anyone knows. I’d add my pal
in there Jonathan Mizel who wrote the first newsletter in print
about online marketing.
If we see clearly today….
———————————————————–
Marlon Sanders is the author of “The Amazing Formula That
Sells Products Like Crazy.”
To get on his killer ezine list, to get cheat sheets and all kinds
of other goodies every Saturday and during the week, to get simple,
to-the-point Internet marketing know that works real world without
all the hype, go to: http://www.marlonsnews.com and subscribe
Check out all my products here:
http://getyourprofits.com/z/1229/CD31638
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