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Len Thurmond
"Hey" "Guru Name Here"
You suddenly lose all your money, along with your name and reputation, and only have your marketing know-how left.
You have bills piled high and people harassing you for money over the phone.
Plus, you have a guaranteed roof over your head, a phone line, and an internet connection for only one month.
You no longer have your big guru name or JV partners. Other than your vast marketing experience, you're an unknown newbie.
What would you do, from day 1 to day 30, to save yourself?
Joe Kumar
Answer – By Len Thurmond
Hi Joe,
I want to thank you for inviting me to be a part of this great effort ;o)
I'll do the best I can within the parameters you gave. But...
That's a tough "Row to Hoe"!
I built my reputation and my list over a much longer period of time than 30 days, and don't believe that the "Fast track" methods are the best. It takes time to build any business to last, and unfortunately, what most people get from a "Quickie" campaign, is just a flash in the pan career.
That said, if I HAD to do it in a month, and still had the knowledge I've gained over the years...
The first thing I'd do, would be to do a hard and heavy soul searching of what niche I really wanted to get into. I'd ask myself, what subject, hobby, business, craft, or whatever, was I so passionate about, that I'd do it anyway, just because I love it so much!
Then I'd start looking for people who felt the same about that subject as I do, and start the process of gathering them to me.
I'd go to Google/Groups, and do searches on keywords pertaining to that subject, to find forums and chatrooms, etc, where those people gather. You'd be amazed at what you'll find. You'll find groups of people gathered together on just about ANY and EVERY subject imaginable. So finding your target group, is not really that hard. But next...you have to win them over!
First you have to have something to give them that they'll be interested in, so that when you attract them, you can start building your credibility as an expert, and someone they should trust to always tell them the truth and give them useful information about the subject at hand.
You could write an free report on the subject, or a series of free reports, that they'll get from your autoresponder.
But the absolute best way to gain their respect and trust, is to publish a regular newsletter on the topic they're interested in.
Then I'd start participating in the dialogues that are going on in those gathering places, always trying to be helpful and giving useful advice.
At the end of each comment, I'd place a short 1 or 2 line sig file, directing them to my publication or free Report for more information. This is where they'll sign up for YOUR list. Then you start the process of building a relationship with those that click on your link and signup for whatever you're offering them.
You can not expect these people to buy anything from you, until they believe in you as an expert. They must respect your opinion before they'll give you their hard earned money. But if you offer them useful, usable information, you WILL rapidly gain their trust.
I'd also write a number of articles and submit them to other publications in my area of expertise (you can find those publications at "Ezine Directory" or any number of other online publication directories. Just do a search for ezine directories on Google)
Most publishers are HUNGRY for outside articles to give their readers, and if you write well, you'll find they will be more than happy to publish your articles. And, through the Resource Box at the end f your article, your new readers will find their way to your subscription form and sign up for your publication. This is a powerful way to get new prospects on your list, as they came to you because they liked what you wrote, and are therefore already sold on you as an expert in your field. These are the easiest prospects to convert that you can get!
Once I had a small list of a couple hundred people, I'd start asking them what they wanted. I'd ask them what problems they had and what I could do to help them within my area of expertise, and I'd ask them what they would be willing to pay for the solutions the problems they had in that area.
Once I had a clear idea of their wants and needs, I'd find the solution to their problems, either through a creation of my own product, or by finding something that was already available, that I can resell or affiliate myself with.
It doesn't get any easier than to sell someone products they just told you they were willing to buy ;o)
I'd be writing articles and reports all the while, from day one, to compile into a free (or fee based) viral ebook, that I could circulate to build my name and credibility amongst the people interested in my field of expertise.
And I'd put links in the ebook that lead to my subscription forms, and also to the products that my subscribers told me they needed.
You'll find that it's human nature for people of like minds, to gather together, both online and off. So if you make it clear that readers can and should pass on your viral ebook and articles, or resell your fee based ones, you'll find the your list will start to grow very quickly. Slow at first, but building momentum as it goes along, like a virus. Hence the name "Viral Marketing".
Anyway you look at it, success in business, whether online or off, is all about the list. The Majority of your time and effort should ALWAYS be spent building your list, and then building your relationship with that list.
It doesn't take a BIG list to make money, it just takes a GOOD one. And it's up to you to build a relationship with your list, to make it a good one!
Frankly Joe, I don't really believe it's feasible to expect most people to be able to do this in a month. It is possible, I've seen it done. But it's not probable!
It CAN easily be done in two or three months. My students do it on a regular basis. However, 30 days is a bit unrealistic for most people.
Most people take a month or so to figure out their niche, and perfect their writing skills, before they can even begin the business building process. So, I don't want to give any of your readers false hope. It takes time to build a profitable, long lasting business.
But...
Assuming someone already has a clear idea of their niche, and already has the writing skills and a good understanding of the psychological techniques and triggers that make up a good marketing campaign. It is possible to start a business that would at the very least be self sustaining in less than 30 days.
The other "Monkey Wrench" you threw into the works however, is that you implied that I had no money to work with.
You can start a business on the internet for very little money. But to build it successfully, you MUST eventually have some capital to work with. You need an autoresponder acct, and a hosting acct, at the very least on top of the internet access acct you allowed us in your example.
You can start a business for very little or no money, and then put what you make back into it, to build it. But the less you have to start with, the longer it will take you to build it. Which again brings into question the validity of your 30 day limit again.
There are no Magic Bullets or Get Rich Quick schemes that work on or off the Internet. It does take time! That time can be drastically cut down by doing all the right things up front and not wasting time on the mistakes that most Newbies make. But it STILL takes a certain amount of time. The amount will depend on the expertise each individual brings to the table from the beginning.
So to be quite honest with you, given the scenario you gave me to work with...
My best advice to someone in that situation would be to "GET A JOB", so they can extend the amount of time they have to build a successful business, into a more reasonable amount of time. And, in their spare time, use a little of their income to build their business as I suggested. And, take their time to do it right!
Len Thurmond
Len@TheAffiliateReview.com
http://www.TheAffiliateReview.com
This article is supplied for information purposes only and, as experienced in this subject matter as the contributors are, the material herein does not constitute professional business advice.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher and the contributors are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
The reader is advised to consult with an appropriately qualified business professional before making any business decision. The contributors, Joe Kumar and JoeKumar.com do not accept any responsibility for any liabilities resulting from the business decisions made by readers of this article.
copyright © Joe Kumar and JoeKumar.com
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