Perhaps the greatest myth of online income is that there are “secret formulas” and “step by step” processes that ANYONE can use to earn money online.
I’ll address that insanity in a moment. But first…it’s story time class…
Now class, pull up your carpet squares while Mr. Jim tells a story!
Hi Class! I’m Mr. Silent Jim and I’ll be helping you learn a valuable lesson about Internet business that you all should know by now, but I’ve been hearing some “not so good” stories!
When I was in high school I worked 70 hours per week on average during the two summers between my sophomore, junior and senior years. I was saving up for college. The college education I went on to get consisted of “book knowledge” that I rarely if ever use today, but the lessons of those summers were far more valuable to my current success.
One of my summer jobs was at a fast food restaurant where I learned what it meant to “work hard” for every dollar, and the other job was with a local one man auto mechanic shop where steady hands, attention to the smallest detail, and the ability to FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS were the keys to keeping my boss from getting red faced and stomping about like a meanie.
When I applied for the “mechanic’s helper” job my future boss only wanted to know ONE thing (the fine art of the one question interview). His one question, as it turns out, contained a great lesson for anyone that is hoping to learn about online business.
(That’s you and me class!)
“Do you have experience working on cars?”, he asked.
Dramatic pause.
THIS was the interview. The truth was I had very little knowledge of cars and I was sure the interview was over as soon as I answered honestly.
Do you think perhaps this guy needs to "unlearn" a few things about cars?
Had I said “yes”, which is what I THOUGHT he was hoping to hear, I would NOT have gotten the job. Instead I was honest and said, “no – very little experience” and was surprise with his response back.
“Good”, he said. “That means I don’t have to make you unlearn a bunch of crap. You’re hired. How much do you want per hour?” (Sorry class, I said “crap”!)
Let’s get back to the point of this story.
If you are hoping to earn money online there are a lot of programs, gurus, courses and ebooks out there to chose from. The EASIEST thing to do it fall for the most hyped, step-by-step, funloving expert and plop down your cash.
If you’ve actually bought several of these hyped courses or books because of the great sales letters full of “shiny stuff” and psychological triggers and promises that you KNEW were too good to be true, then you actually have a DISADVANTAGE over the newbies with NO experience.
In other words, a BRAND NEW student with only basic Internet skills armed with ONE SIMPLE QUESTION is better off than you are. My soon to be 12 year old has a HUGE advantage over you in all honesty!
You have the disadvantage of having “learned” a bunch of junk, you have the additional disadvantage of thinking your head knowledge puts you a step ahead (which it doesn’t), and worst of all you likely think that the fault is inside you somehow for not having succeeded already (because your “guru teacher” is so cool, popular and influential that it CAN’T be their fault!)
The reality is though, it’s quite likely that you’ll have to UNLEARN a bunch of garbage before you can get started succeeding in business (online or offline).
If I sound confident about all of this it’s because I’ve been a part of teaching literally THOUSANDS of people how to think the right way about online business and then how to succeed online. I recognize the “junk thinking” a mile away because I see it literally EVERY DAY.
Here are a few examples of the “junk” that is usually in the heads of my students:
- building a website is a great way to start an online business. After all, what else is there?
- affiliate income sounds fun! Let’s all do that! After all it’s so easy and anyone can do it right?
- let’s learn to drive traffic and then we can do all sorts of easy income stuff, right?!
- I already have a great product idea. I need someone to show me how to sell it on the Internet!
- someone tell me EXACTLY what to sell and THEN I can make lot’s of money!
- If I can just learn one more SEO tactic I’ll be all set!
That’s all GARBAGE, JUNK and rotten thinking that is actually CLOUDING your judgement and keeping you from the real opportunities online. I often call myself the bubble buster. It’s my duty to you to play that role if necessary.
The one question you SHOULD have been asking of your teachers all along is this:
“How many people have you taught to earn a lot of money, and WHERE IS THE PROOF?”
Perhaps I should have asked my college profs that question before taking their courses! (Imagine that for a moment as a way to fix our business education problems!)
The fact is, if ANY of this online income stuff were easy then EVERYONE would be doing it. Simple logic tells you that if EVERYONE starts doing something then the magic is quickly gone. The opportunity is tapped out.
- The world doesn’t need another weight loss product review site.
- The world doesn’t need another ipod seller on eBay.
- The world doesn’t need your “driving traffic” skills
- The world doesn’t need another full time affiliate marketer
Why? Because EVERYONE is doing it and the MAGIC is gone (or soon will be).
Story time is over. Neatly stack your carpet squares in the corner and I’ll take any questions now.
Click the comment button
I have been learning some of this lesson you are writing about, Jim. When we started really putting more focus into earning money online with the help and inspiration of the coaching program by yourself and Skip Mcgrath, I loved it. Then I hated it! (no not entirely) What I mean is, I got Information Overload and overwhelmed. Suzanne Arant Wells, my coach, was great with teaching us to simply start with eBay and even Skip gave me this advice. Then my poor husband gave me the same advice and patiently watched while I took my time to get out of the phase of looking for the “magic” solution. Now, I’m back to just listing on ebay, slowly learning about Amazon, and slowly building my blog by writing simple little entries and sharing them on facebook and twitter. That is it! Our business plan is to go slow and focus on ebay/amazon only for now.
I do have a lot of blog ideas that I’d love to start but those other ideas can sit on the back-burner because they are not going to disappear if I don’t work on them immediately. I still have to work on keeping my focus as I know the distraction of “shiny objects” is always looming around the corner. Still, I feel relieved that I’ve gotten the info-overload and shiny-object-chasing out of my system and am happy to sell on ebay/amazon while writing on my small, humble blog a couple times a week. Sure other projects will come along but they will come in good time and my anxiety or restlessness truly has subsided. I was getting too overwhelmed and then got analysis-paralysis for about 4 months. I prayed about things and my mind cleared and I feel we are back on track with our online selling efforts. My husband is my best friend and he was so sweet and patient with my distractions and inability to focus. I thank God for him and I thank God for all the wonderful people I’ve met and will meet in this online selling journey ( Jim Cockrum, Skip Mcgrath, Nathan Bailey, Suzanne Wells, all the wonderful folks on her facebook group, and many more). This is an exciting time of growth and development both financially and personally! We love it!
So glad to hear from you guys – you’ll do great. Stick with what you KNOW works and use only your spare time to experiment. That’s a key to getting multiple streams.
Jim
Thanks for the message, it’s hard to hear and even harder to admit I have fallen for many of the shiny objects regarding internet marketing, I feel I may be the guy under the car there in your illustration on this topic. More than anything I appreciate your honesty and your integrity and just wanted to say thanks.
Doug
Thanks for the feedback. It took me a few years to realize how much WORK goes into auto-pilot income….but if you are willing to do the work, you can prosper!
Thank you all good and valid points. What is the ” rest of the story?” ( I am all too familiar with the pitfalls)
Jim, this is off topic. I listened to an outstanding video you did about outsourcing and was so impressed. I need someone who could format and upload books I’ve written to E book format and to Kindle–I’m a total techie klutz, and I hate wasting time at it. Are there people who could easily do that for me in the Philippines?
Bobby
[email protected]@telus:disqus .net
Like Maribell, I too, got overwhelmed by all the information that’s out there, and I’m also a victim of analysis paralysis. I’m finally starting to get a handle on all this. I’ve been focusing on a few areas and slowly working my other interests into my schedule. My problem is, I have so many varied interests, not all of them internet-related (although many of them are), that it’s hard to switch gears and go from one endeavor to the next.
Jim, I know your company teaches internet marketing. I would condiser it an honor to be taught by you personally. However, I do know your time is limited and you usually have instructors/salespeople calling to SELL your program. Now, I do trust you, having met you a few years back at an eBay convention, and getting a chance to talk with you in a relaxed moment. However, my question is simple… how do I know the instructor/SALESPERSON who will be assigned to me is as honest, ethical and knowledgeable
as you? I am seriously considering your program, but…
Best thing I found I ever did was to remove myself from the mailing lists and stop wasting my time reading bright shiny object sellers. Freed up huge portions of my days to actually work at building a business. One which I am happy with and which pays my bills with lots left over. There were only two lists I remained on – out of dozens – you of course were one, because you didn’t tell me you knew the secret location of the big red internet profit button.
Hi Jim, I appreciate this articles honesty, I too have fallen into the same traps, I think that everybody new to Internet marketing does.
I have been closing the doors on a lot of emails that I receive, and just concentrating on the things that I need to move forward, it is a long road but I feel that now I am moving in the right direction towards my goals.
Too bad I am just learning this NOW. I have been working hard online for 3 years building affiliate websites, trying to get them to rank, and buying up more advice because I don’t know what I am doing wrong.
I bought two courses and a membership from two IM gurus (one well-known guy in New Zealand teaching how to put up affiliate websites for Clickbank products and another from his Australian friend who teaches how to do physical product affiliate sites and getting them to rank high on the big G).
Neither one of these courses has resulted in any decent income, so my guess is that they make their money by selling their products, and that their affiliate income is secondary.
I am just sitting down now to read your new version of Silent Sales Machine. I had previously read an older version back in 2005, but I was so new to all the ideas, that I froze up and didn’t do anything. But the last couple of years I have actually been working very hard, so I am about fed up. Looking forward to reading your new book and maybe this time I can actually learn something instead of learning the hard way with wasted time and effort, as in my results of the last few years.
Thanking you in advance,
Lori 🙂
Hey Jim,
I’ve been following you a while now. I came across you as a result of some of the many videos in the Main Street Marketing Machines course Mike Koenigs offers. The ‘shiny object’ syndrome is very much a real problem for so many people, including me.
I have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on so many different products and am still no further ahead. I tend to find that my day job takes up so much of my energy (I’m exhausted at the end of the day) and my tendency to be a perfectionist has me caught in ‘analysis paralysis’. I am a member of MSMM, have purchashed various copywriting courses from John Carlton and AWAI, am a member of PWA (Professional Writers Alliance), have purchased Frank Kerns’ Mass Control and am a member of offlinebiz.com (but wait, there’s more…)
I really just want to get started making money and probably don’t give myself the credit for the knowledge I have already. I also think confidence plays a large part as well. I approach you in this way because I see how honest you are and that you care about what others are going through. Any advice would be greatly appreciated..
Malcolm
I have fallen for far to many shiny sales pages thinking that each one would be the final answer. I’m at the point now where I am starting from the beginning again and trying to find the best place to start. The Silent Sales Machine certainly helps so now I’m looking at se of Jim’s other programs. I will be approaching them like a newbie trying to forget some of the garbage I’ve learned.
This is why I suggest newbies NEVER start out by building a website. I don’t waste my time building them and neither should you.
Hi Jim
Am still reading The Silent Sales Machine, will give some feedback when I have finished it. I don’t buy ‘Rags to Riches’ products any more and have learned to recognise them. I think too many people are in love with the idea of of little work, lots of money.
In reality, any business takes a lot of work to set up.
Dee
Okay Jim, All I want to know is, Where are the best drop shipping suppliers out there. So I can get started selling on e-bay. Yes I bought Silent Sales Machine. And also look into FBA finds it was no help. “All I want to know is, Where are the best drop shipping suppliers out there.”
If this were a question I could answer (i.e. go to xyz-drop-ship-r-us.combecause everything there is profitable), then EVERYONE would go to that
website to find things to sell and then INSTANTLY the opportunity would be over.
There are no “quickie” solutions here. The best dropship arrangements are unique (one of a kind arrangements that you set up with the biz exclusively), and often the best ones are local arrangements (with a biz located near you). I DO NOT suggest dropshipping for newbies. As simple as dropshipping sounds in concept, I am unaware of ANYONE that has successfully started their online/eBay career with dropshipping.
You can however find MANY creative ideas on mysilentteam.com for profitable items to sell on eBay, but all ideas will take some work.
Consignment selling is far easier a starting point than is drop shipping. Let friends and family know that you sell stuff on eBay and then start selling profitable items for others. Keep 30% and always try to make $50 per auction minimum. Don’t sell junk and don’t waste time on it. That will put money in your pocket by the end of the week.
That all depends on what the product is. You can learn a TON about online success by taking some coaching from my team or I, but one of the first rules that I teach (that you’ll hear VERY few others tell you because the truth hurts) is this:
When it comes to “new products” rarely does your online success start with a PRODUCT idea.
It’s starts with a “shareable” idea or a “spreadable” idea. You have to grow your audience FIRST and then after you’ve earned their trust you can introduce (softly) products etc.
I think you’d really benefit from my listbuildingclass.com course.
Also – coaching with my team WOULD be a great idea if you are ready to learn what does work well as fast as possible.
Glad I don’t have to unlearn anything! Kind of like homeschooling–most of us who started homeschooling in the 90s had to UNlearn all the “school” way of teaching/learning! LOL!
But boy, when you let yourself think outside the box, it really goes farther than you could ever imagine! My kids are tremendous learners and have so much going for them. I can only imagine how this works on the “business” side of things!
Love your stuff, Jim! Thanks!~Trisch
Thanks Trisch. Homeshcooled kids are so entrepreneurial (I know mine are!)
I do like Disqus as a comment management tool for blogs.
Will now I’m discouraged, I’ve obviously got my ladder against the wrong wall and don’t get it. I like others have a story of woe so the internet is seen by me as a way to be a carer while building a life with income potential with the little cash we have available – I’ve been building a site for three years but never managed to achieve anything of note in IM and I suppose that says alot! At 54 maybe working part-time in McDonalds is the only answer until retirement. For obvious reasons I have tried to do this on a shoestring but it looks like you need money for trainers and the like to get on the first rung.
There are great opportunities online. Stay encouraged! I have some very simple ideas in my silentsalesmachine.com book (it’s only $5) that will clear things up for you. We teach people to succeed online every day around here. Stick with it!