Why I almost quit Internet Marketing

This is going to be a very personal post, so if you are soft and cant handle the truth I suggest you find somewhere else to be right now.

A month ago I was just starting with Alex Jeffreys marketing 3.0 class and was also following John Thornhills Masterclass program (I had finished Chris Frevilles masterclass a couple of months earlier). I had my Instant Guru System out there and I was working on my product creation workshop.

Alex taught us about making an event around a product releases and in general always think in terms of event marketing, so I figured I would try it out.

At this time I had around 700 people on my Aweber list (mainly from WSO’s, AdSwaps and GiveAways) I also had around 250 people who had access to Instant Guru System.

I decided to run a competition on my blog where the grand price was the product creation workshop. All you had to do was comment on why you should win and what kind of product you would like to create. I got about 6 responses…

It might be that I expected to much, but I got a bit disappointed. I had done everything that I was supposed to. I even sent out a press release. I thought that my list liked me and my stuff and would fight to win… my bad!

Then I thought I was missing out on some vital piece of information so I started to find, download, printout and read: Rich Schefren’s Internet Business Manifesto, Alex Jeffreys trilogy (Gurus Dream, Newbies Nightmare and Gurus Nightmare) And Mike Filsaime’s ButterflyMarketing Manuscript.I read all of these very high level reports in one go!

Then I got a nervours breakdown!

Why? Because these reports reveal the real world behind the hype. They show you what is really needed to build a real million dollar business. They are striped of the hype and leaves the internet business lying naked for you to see….. And it scared the H… out of me! I was in schock, in denial, angry at myself… I almost cried for being so stupid that I thought I could do this. So I finally realized I was not cut out for this business. I needed to face reality and start to work towards getting a solid carrier in the corporate world. I am currently getting very good grades in my marketing economics education so I could definitely get a good job when I finish…

But I was not satisfied, I have tried the corporate world before and I had a hard time fitting in and working with passion. If there is one thing I have learnt in my life it is that I need passion or else I might as well lie down and die.

So now I was getting my second dispare and depression wave. I decided to go for a long run (I tend to think better when I run and I am training to run ½ a marathon in the fall so it felt natural to me).

While I was out running a plan started to emerge in my mind. Slowly my subconscious tied every little piece of information I had picked up from my months online and especially from the reports that I just consumed. (The subconscious is a genius by the way). The farther I ran, the more clear these new ideas became until it reached a point where I was so trilled about my self and my mind that I was almost flying home. I immediately started to fill out a piece of paper with this great new business blueprint that is going to transform me, my life and my business and hopefully a lot of other people’s lives and businesses as well.

So here it is… the genius marketing plan:

I am going to give 100 students access to 2 months of free coaching from me. I will personally work to get each of these students the success they deserve and that in turn will give me credit, testimonials and experience to help my business move forward. ( you have to give before you receive… give enough people what they want and you will receive what you want)

The students will all recive a product to build there list and an upsell product to make money from. They will get weekly seminars, email, skype and forum access. I will teach them internet business buttom up for 8 weeks.

I will record all of the sessions and create a $97 coaching program that the students can become an affiliate of, getting 75-100% comissions (making it viral). I will then create a back-end to back the system up and this is where I will get a return on my investment.

Once again I am goin to create an event on my blog. The people who would like to be coached by me personally for 2 months will be required to fill out a simple questionare and comment on my blog. I will use forums, press releases, mailing my list and my blog to promote the coaching program. After the initial coaching is done, I will personally monitor how my students are doing, helping them on there way.

Simple but beautiful!

I have to tell you though, I am very scared to do this. I like to hide behind my computer and just write blogposts, articles and so on. I will have to get out of my comfort zone to do live webinars, but I will do it because this is what it takes. I will also stretch myself in another area. I have already booked a flight ticket to the London IM summit here in June. I have never traveled alone before and only once by plane(scred of hights and flying). I am not comfortable with networking, but I will do it because this is what it takes. I am also working at getting to interview some IM gurus and hopefully I will be up on the stage speaking at some event in the next year or so.

To take my own learning to the next level I will signup for Rich Scefrens Founders club or something similar, the  decission I will take after the London summit on June 18th-20th 2010.

So there you have it, simple but beautiful… create a killer upfront free offer, create an event around it, make it viral and make money on the backend. Sounds easy enough and it is, but for me it is like crawling through the eye in the needle. I am my own worst enemy, but I have to do this or my fate will be the boring old corporate world, and that would be even worse! The bonus is, I get to help a lot of people, watch them grow and succeed, and hopefully make some very good friends too, this is why I am doing this…. Feeling that I mattered, that I made a difference in someones life, that is even more amazing that overcoming my own fears!

Well, this was a long post, sharing my fears with you have drained me, but this is good, now I am ready to get new fresh energy. All there is to do now for you, is wait for the next post where I give you the details of how to be one of the lucky 100 people to get a spot in my coaching program. I will be posted today or tomorrow so keep coming back or signup to the news letter, what ever suits you best.

Remember I see potential in you, so use it!

Marlene