QnA on Expectations

I’m down in Austin, Texas today, meeting with Joel Marionz, Ryan Deiss, and a few other folks at a private Mastermind set up by Joel.

I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to belong to a Mastermind Group. I don’t know of any successful information marketers that are doing it all by themselves. Everyone needs a mentor and everyone needs support.

At our meeting, I’ll be asking Ryan a few interesting questions. But in today’s email, I have a few great questions from you.

By the way, if you want to ask a question, just post yours anywhere on the blog here and I’ll get to it:

=> http://www.InternetIndependence.com

Question: I hope you can give me some insight on something. I have been studying fitness and nutrition for about 3 years now and I feel I have knowledge that people in a specific market need. I don’t yet have a website or product but have been working on ideas.

I am not yet a certified personal trainer but want to start in the internet marketing business. Can you give me some direction on what my first step should be? – Chris

Answer: That’s a good question, and one I get on a regular basis. I believe there is a great opportunity for you – as an affiliate.

Without experience or success stories, you certainly can’t claim to be an expert.

HOWEVER, if I were in your position, I’d start up a blog where I became a “roving reporter” in the industry.

I’d choose a niche, either fat loss diets or fat burning workouts, and then I’d buy the products in that niche and use them. I’d write reviews of the products, I’d do interviews with the experts, and I’d feature articles about the success stories of people who have used the products.

That’s how I’d make the most of your current situation. You could do video or written content, and you’ll want to go back and re-read ALL of Rick Porter’s articles on my site. You’ll find them in this category:

=> http://internetindependence.com/category/traffic

Question: Speaking of failed expectations, how do you deal with it? For example you hoped to make x number of sales but it turns out that you didn’t make even 10%, 20% or 50% of this.

Answer: Well, the first thing we need is perspective.

I’m not saying you don’t have the right perspective, but I have no doubt that someone reading this email takes failure too hard, and beats themselves up over it.

We can’t do that.

At the end of the day, we have to remember we have the easiest lives in the history of civilization – better than Kings and Queens of the 18th Century. So always be thankful for what you do have, even if it’s not ALL that you want to have.

Second, the proper perspective means measuring your progress properly.

Happy people measure their progress against the PAST, not against perfection.

Are you improving?

That is what matters.

So just make sure you keep everything in the proper perspective.

Now onto the tactical level of what you need to do.

It’s very simple.

You’ve simply done a real-world grade 10 science experiment.

You tested some variables.

You got some results.

Look at your observations. What do they suggest?

Can you see what worked? If yes, do more of that.

Can you see what didn’t work? If yes, do less of that.

For your next experiment, you identify the variables you should change – which should be clear if you study the fundamentals of information marketing.

Then you repeat the experiment.

You gather more information.

You identify cause and effect.

You test and you track and you tweak.

You realize that this never ends – unless you quit.

For more inspiration, I recommend the 2nd best motivational speech of all time (behind only that of Matt Foley).

You’ll find this speech in the legendary film, “Billy Madison”.

“Whoa whoa whoa, Miss Lippy. The part of the story I don’t like is that the little boy gave up looking for Happy after an hour.

He didn’t put posters up or anything, he just sat on the porch like a goon and waited. That little boy’s gotta think ‘You got a pet. You got a responsibility.’ If your dog gets lost you don’t look for an hour then call it quits. You get your butt out there and you find that freaking dog.”

Wise words,

Craig Ballantyne