A couple of days ago one of my subscribers sent me this email asking some pretty bold and challenging questions so I thought I’d answer him here in a public forum. I hope I wasn’t to firm in my response. Feel free to leave a comment.
———————–
Dear Omar,
I got your email today promoting Mike Filsaime’s “Butterfly Marketing Home Study Course” and I looked at the website but couldn’t get myself to purchase the product. There is a big part of me that wants to believe it’s possible but there is an even bigger part of me that believes you guys are all full of crap!
Yeah, I’m sure some people make money online but everything just sounds like hype to me. You know like a bunch of scammers claiming to be rich. I mean if you really have all this money why are you needing to sell me “the secret code” ?
I think the only way to make money online is just to scam people into paying you to teach them how to make money online and so on and so on. Riddle me this batman…. How much money do you really make? How do you REALLY make it? And how much does it cost you to make it? What is really profit? Why should I buy your products or those of anyone you recommend? I dont have much money and I cant just throw it away on garbage.
You’ll probably never answer this email. But I just thought I try.
Sincerely,
Jamison
———————–
Wow… well Jamison, here’s the harsh & honest truth: There is every indication that someone like yourself will fail miserably online. But the reality is that I was once just like you and some say I’ve turned out pretty well. So listen up “Robin” HERE COMES YOUR CHECK UP FROM THE NECK UP. Read on if you can humble yourself long enough to learn the truth.
Yes there are many scammers out there pretending to be something they’re not and you’ll have to make careful and calculated decisions about who you will follow and what products you will buy. But make no mistake about it, YOU WILL NEED TO FOLLOW SOMEONE AND YOU WILL NEED TO PURCHASE PRODUCTS ALONG THE WAY. There is no “magic button” Jamison, and if there is I haven’t found it yet myself.
Look man, I can’t tell you what to buy or what not to buy and I can’t convince you to do something you are incapable of doing. But I can tell you this, There are thousands of ways to make an honest living from home with internet marketing and they are called “niche’s”
As for my personal income well… I am currently making an average of 10k per month online. Some months 11 and some months only 9 but on average I make $350 dollars per day. This income comes through various websites in various “niche’s” that I’ve set up.
Some money comes through Clickbank, some through Paydotcom and some through Paypal. I have several Paypal accounts and I have even incorporated my business. Obviously not all of my money is profit because like any business there are expenses. Luckily the expenses are low because I work from home but I do invest at least $500 per month on advertising also Paypal, Clickbank and Paydotcom take a small percentage as a fee. Another cost of doing business is affiliate commissions which average about $2500 per month for me. So I end up clearing about 7-7.5k per month when its all said and done. So its still about 90k or so after expenses.
Not bad for a SHLEP that could barely check his email a couple of years ago huhh? Speaking of which… I started almost exactly 2 and 1/2 years ago online and the first 18 months I made practically zero dollars. Want to know why? Simple. Because I was skeptical, reluctant and and afraid to commit or invest my time and money. Sound familiar?
Look Jamison If I had to guess, you are probably in your mid 30’s, house, wife, kids, bills and credit card debt. Am I right? That’s the demographic of most people turning to the internet these days for an alternative income in these trying economic times. I think there are many people out there that truly want to make a living from home and have an online business but they let their fears preclude them from ever succeeding. You see, It’s allot easier to assume everything is a scam than it is to actually TRY something new and risk failing.
BUT IF YOU DO…. I implore you to educate yourself. Research what people are searching for online and then create a product that they can use AND SELL IT TO THEM. Its a simple concept but it does have a technical aspect that you must learn. That’s where a mentor and the proper tools come in. I suggest you find some one that you like and relate to. Then study them before you buy from them. I may not be that guy for you …. why should you follow me? well… like anything else that just comes down to a choice that you must understand and then make on your own so the only advice I can give you is that of the Oracle in the Matrix “You’ll just have to make up your own damn mind son.”
I’ll leave you with this golden nugget, I am about to reveal a niche to you that makes me several thousand dollars per month… the “Travel” niche. This was one of the first niches I got involved in and I just kept at it and kept at it till I figured out how to get results, now the site literally runs itself. That may be something for you to look into. Click Here To See My Secret Weapon
I truly hope that you find the courage you need to take the steps online that will change your life for the better. I am here to help.
GOD Speed.
Omar
Omar,
You gave some excellent advice.
I once had the same opinion that your subscriber expressed. I felt that internet marketing was like being on a merry-go-round. I felt that it consisted of trying to sell someone something to use to sell to someone something to use to sell someone etc. etc.
One day I realized that “internet marketing” was actually only one of many niches in which one could create an internet business. It was then that I began to understand that the products being offered in the “internet marketing” niche could be applied to any niche. As I like to say… the tools are the same just the crop is different. I soon became involved in a mentoring program and now am making steady progress toward creating a successful online business.
Again your message is correct but the recepient must be ready to hear that message for it to have an impact. Keep putting out the message.
Ken
Hi Omar
Man do you ever over deliver. I just got done reading your response and I have to admit, I know I could of NOT said it better myself.
I believe the problem is many people are afraid of failing online. They read into the hype and are ready to quite as soon as they fail.
I can be one to admit that I have had success and failure online and I know the more I stick with it, the better results.
So what ever you choose online, stick with it, the biggest mistake I see are “niche jumpers”. They expect to make money quick and when they don’t, they are off to buy the next latest and greatest product..never committing to one niche or service.
So if your ready to make change, find something you like and stick with it.
ok, I’m starting to ramble..LOL
Thanks Omar
Edson
I can understand where Jamison is coming from – there are a lot of hype,fake-it-till-you-make-it artists and scammers on the net. However, these people spoil it for those of us that are actually giving real value and producing products that are really helpful.
The problem is, a lot of people are looking for a get rich quick solution and tend to be attracted to those professing to be able to make you rich quick.
The other thing is, an awful lot of people flit from one product to another and then whinge that none of them work, because they didn’t even try it – it’s just gathering dust on their hard drive – “you just took my money and gave me nothing for it”
It’s important to remember that there’s no get-rich-quick button. You need to actually focus on one thing, one method, one mentor and stick with it. If you take a look at a product and think “hell, this means I’ve gotta actually do some work” then you shouldn’t even think about making money online.
A good rule of thumb is to look for someone with a blog or forum or mailing list that has a large following. These are the people whose methods work, these people are successful and know what they’re talking about.
It’s the same in the offline world. If you were going out to buy a product from the store, you would be more inclined to buy the product with the well known brand than the shop’s own brand, wouldn’t you? It doesn’t mean to say that the shop brand is crap, but you know that the well-known brand has a proven track record.
A lot of people hate seeing marketers bragging about how much they earn and showing screen shots of their earnings, however, your question to Omar proves that people do actually want to know these things and therefore marketers get accused off hype. They’re damned if they do, and they’re damned if they don’t.
If they don’t mention or prove how much they’ve earned with their methods then they get accused of not making anything and being a scammer; if they do plaster their sales pages with their earnings, then they get branded hype artists!
I can understand the frustration of your subscriber and we can all relate. And your answer was appropriate and honest.
I have responded similarly with such firm responses to a few readers of mine. Some appreciate it. Others don’t “get it”.
But you made a statement that was extremely truthful that he probably didn’t like, and that was that he probably “will fail miserably online”. And I agree, given his current state of mind.
He probably never took action on anything. Or else, he got to step one and realized that “hey, this actually takes work.. screw this!”.
There are those who want the silver spoon handed to them and buy into the “push button wealth” hype. They don’t want to have to lift a finger and learn anything on their own. They want someone else to do all the work for them. I get that. I want that too! But it’s not reality.
That part makes me “sick”. Hey, I didn’t have anything handed to me when I started. I learned the way most of us learned .. via the school of hard knocks. I learned by DOING. Then I learned further by learning from my mistakes.
If he just understood that “success leaves traces”, then he could model after systems that are already working. That’s exactly what I did to achieve my first huge success online.
I saw a business model that was very successful. I reverse engineered it (took it apart and figured out what made it work), then I put massive action into making it work for me. I didn’t have a course of guide to tell me how. 4 months later, I made a small fortune! But I busted my butt and focused 100% on that task. I didn’t give up!
You gave him good advice Omar. The key is whether he is open-minded enough to listen to it and accept it.
I am someone who found kick ass sales pages by Omar at Omar-Martin.com and made a connection with his style… you get the whole person if they are presenting a video..You could make up your mind if that person is full of crap or not unless they are an extremely good actor…I could tell that he was sincere enough to follow up and do some research..what I found was some simple and some not so simple ways of selling that if applied and that is the key word, will work for you in whatever it is that you are selling. I kind of felt like Jamison in the beginning although not as cynical but something clicked that I could make this work in my own way.. way to go Omar for being honest and forthright with your personal information to make a valid point. Joey
Hey Omar,
Nice response there, I don’t think you were too ‘firm’, in fact, a firm push is what some people need.
Some people have the drive and determination to succeed and that’s exactly what they do … succeed! Then there are people who just will not do what they are constantly told to do by many successful marketers, and eventually end up failing.
Yes, people do need to make up their own mind as to whether of not they should take a leap of faith, but as you said, if you do not follow experienced marketers or never purchase what is recommended then you may as well give up now. It ‘aint called Internet Marketing for nothing!
As you also said, there is no ‘quick fix’, all that is needed is a little guidance, perseverance and of course TIME!
Oh, and just a little mention about MF’s Butterfly Marketing that Jamison mentioned …
Just ONE of my BFM websites has earned me WELL OVER $100,000 in the last 2 years and it is still going strong, BFM is the REAL DEAL!
I hope Jamison realizes what has been said here in this thread and I really do hope he uses the into to help him succeed!
Later,
Dave.
Hello Omar & Blog readers 🙂
I without a drought believe and understand the controversy behind internet marketing scams.
I tried to explain to my friend last week, and he wouldn’t understand the magic of internet marketing if it was coming from someone else.
So you asked and Im more than happy to answer:
How much money do you really make?
– By profession 😉 I’m a web developer/designer, I’m still. But with internet marketing its like another full time job (i dont put much hrs in my online business because right now I still have a day job doing what I do best,). I know for a fact if give my online business more attention I can make much more. For now, I’m enjoying every minute of what I’m doing. That is why I haven’t taken a jump at IM something full time)
How do you REALLY make it?
– How do i really make it.. if i had a penny every time I heard that. i would probability have about 2 dollors now 🙂 (bad joke) lol. Ok.. quick and simple answer. I have an online product. I have ebooks, and ebusiness. I TOOK ACTION
And how much does it cost you to make it?
– It really cost me nothing at all compared to what I make now. I pay for Hosting $125/month, Prosender $40/month (list management). I still buy some ebooks, I buy software to design my sites etc. realistically do the math. PS: I pay less for hosting and prosender account, just an estimate above. WOW right.
What is really profit?
– Profit after affiliates are paid.. I dont have any employees. I dont have an office, I work from a home office.
Why should I buy your products or those of anyone you recommend?
– You dont have to buy it if you dont want to. But if you dont know about internet marketing. and really want to learn and TAKE ACTION. Its real. if you want to get started you need to learn from someone or something. If I was in your shoes I would want to learn from the best, and the best to me is Mike Filsaime. All my sites run on his products, his scripts. There are a lot of good mentors.
I dont have much money and I cant just throw it away on garbage.
– You shouldn’t throw any money away
;). Mike told me once, you dont need much money to make money online. (for example there are lots of free internet marketing events/get together on the warriorforum.com, find one in your area. Meet up with others that want to start a business online and exchange services, kind of like integration marketing. There is always a way.
If I was a total newbie and wanted to get into internet marketing. and had $500 to get started. I would invest it in hosting, prosedner.com account and a complete IM guide from Mike filsaime or Frank Kern. There are a lot of content to get started.
Take Action
Hope my 2 cents helped 🙂
Make today great
Lucius Kern
http://www.smashingblog.com
Omar,
You truly are the man!
For anyone who doesn’t know, Omar was my mentor in not just Online Sales, but also in Door To Door and Phone Sales. I personally never could fully commit my time and efforts to pursue online marketing.
But I tell you this, I regret I hadn’t at the time.
I took over Omar’s prior job as Sales Manager for a company, and everyday I wish I didn’t have to work.
He made that dream a reality for himself.
If you think you’re going to get rich overnight, then go buy a friggin lotto ticket, bud. Cause it ain’t gonna happen!
Here’s my take on this:
I fear Jamison has bought a ton of products but never made one cent from his investments. The reason for this is simple. When he realized that there was a ton of work to be done to become a success he simply gave up and blamed the guru’s for his failure.
We all make excuses from time to time but only one person can make us become a success and that is ourselves. Thankfully there are products out there that can help us on our way. Now we can either invest in these products to help us move forward or struggle on.
Most marketers are genuine and if they can make money while helping you make money I don’t think this makes them a scammer.
You stated in your post that the gentleman would probably fail miserably. My wish for him is that he does try and perhaps fail. It’s through our failures that we learn how to succeed. That is, of course, if we are hungry enough for success.
Hi Omar
It is good to see you giving an honest answer to an honest question.
There are lots of people out there who are searching for the right way to go. The route will be different for each person, but we all need honesty in what is put in front of us.
If it was always there, then there would be no need for us to doubt what we are being told.
Unfortunately life is not like that, hence Jamison’s question. Well done for answering as you did.
Just one comment from me. I find the fact that the comments are all centered very difficult to read and I have to admit that I skipped over the last few because of this.
I also notice that it does not leave a blank line between paragraphs, this makes it even more difficult to read.
I teach communication and have a special interest in dyslexia. Someone with an issue with reading would probably be totally put off by this and would not read the information here.
Could I suggest that you look at changing the way comments are displayed to more of a natural reading style as I’m sure it will help you and your readers. Thanks.
Hilary
I have to agree with you Omar but at the same time with Jameson as you did recognized that sometimes we as a newbies tend to be sceptical and is for a good reason, I myself regret not had jumped on John Thornhill coaching last year (2008) but again, (I did this time on the Masterclass ;~)there is a reason and I do believe that most of us as you have said, it takes around 1-1 1/2 years to really find and follow a good marketer/trainer/coach etc. etc… Jameson mistake is to be so disrespectfull, I had purchased ebooks on the past my self that were nothing but trash, I wouldn’t bought any more from them and that is loss of business for scammers, but that is failure and that is how we all learn throught it, desire and persistence will bring some rewards, Jameson; just keep respect for the good marketers and find the one that will make change on your life as Omar had said, He may won’t be the one but for sure that you will find yours, just keep looking and reading about them before you commit to any expense, see what everybody else is saying, good lesson Omar I do relate a lot on most of what you have said different ways but same fellings, keep upthe good job,people like you is what it makes me to stay motivated, thank you . Andres