Here’s a screenshot of my computer desktop:
The file you’re looking at is called ‘Work In Progress’
It’s full of two types of product.
1. Things I’m working on at the moment
2. Things I seemed to have abandoned and will probably still be in the folder this time next year.
Quick scene change to my Paypal account.
I’m looking at a chunk of payments that came in over night.
I’m delighted to say that the payments for just today run to a full page and a half of my account.
There hasn’t been a morning for a long time now where I HAVEN’T received payments into my account overnight and woken to find them grinning at me over my morning coffee.
I grin back.
But then I had a SHOCK.
I had a look through the various reporting and search facilities in Paypal and found a VERY disturbing trend.
NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THE PRODUCTS THAT I HAD LEFT TO ROT IN MY ‘WORK IN PROGRESS’ FOLDER HAD EVER MADE ANY MONEY FOR ME!
I was shocked.
Scandalized even.
I’m supposed to be a successful marketer yet a full 100% of the projects that I’d NOT launched had failed. All of them.
There’s no need to re-read this post guys – I AM taking the p*ss.
I’ve been on calls with people who can’t understand why their business hasn’t made any money.
Usually one question from me gets them thinking…
‘How many Paypal buttons do you have out there?’
The answer is invariably ‘none….but I’m working on…..’
Well I understand.
I’m currently working on fourteen TWO million dollars products.
I’ve been working on them (sort of) for over a year now.
Guess how much money those million dollar products are actually worth while they sit in computer wasteland?
Bugger all.
Now consider this.
About two weeks ago – maybe three – I built a new website offering a free WordPress Plugin thingy called ‘CookieFire’
The whole thing cost me under $100, including source code, graphics and twiddly bits.
Behind the squeeze page it was offered from, I build a small sales funnel.
The results – in just a few weeks?
Over 1100 new people added to my list
Over $4,500 in related sales
Over 30 new people added to my continuity program.
Over $4,500 in related sales
Over 30 new people added to my continuity program.
A nice little result…..
But this is hardly the mark of a genuis I’m sure you’ll agree.
I actually make a gin and tonic (with crushed ice and lime) better than anyone else in the world (fact) and my extremely tastless joke about the lesbian astronaut ALWAYS makes people smile…
But putting out a free product and chucking an upsell behind it?
It’s not exactly la science de fusée is it?
You following me here chaps?
Unless you get your idea out where people can click on a button and buy it then you won’t make any money.
I still make money from websites, ebooks and other such stuff that I made YEARS AGO.
People still click on ’em and people still buy ’em.
Once you have a product out there, the funs begins.
Because promoting products, telling people about them, contacting other marketers in your peer group about adswaps and possible JVs is the scariest (whoops there goes that comfort zone) FUN you’ll ever have online.
And it’s profitable.
I’m just as guilty as every single person reading this of not putting out enough products.
I STILL have a folder full of unfinished products.
But I’m also very adept at FORCING myself to get products finished and launched, because the freezer won’t fill itself y’know?
I understand what makes money.
And when it comes down to basics it’s just one thing – you have to provide something for people to BUY.
Doing the other stuff – traffic, JV’s, promotion, sales copy etc are just EXCUSES.
Reasons that you (and me) give to excuse the fact that we don’t have enough buttons out there.
I can’t build a membership site.
What do I do?
I ask my inhouse techy to build one for me.
AH HA Shepherd!!!!!! Bastardo!!!!!
EASY FOR YOU!! You scream. Mr Wealthy marketer can click his fingers and sort the problem.
Yep.
But the reason I can do this is because when I came to build my FIRST membership site years and years ago with no clue and even less money I had to ‘find a way’ to do it.
I researched password protected folders and learned how to do it.
Then I changed the password every week and emailed all my members to let them know, and give them the new password (they all had the same one)
Same with ebook delivery.
We used to manually send ebooks out attached to emails.
After a month or so of getting serious abuse we learned about automated delivery.
We had to sort it out ourselves and buy a simple script that we had to install outselves.
All very ‘eeeee it was hard when I were a lad’ I realise.
But face facts – there is NO professional arse wiper out there who is going to do it for you (although my guess is you could find one on scriplance quite cheaply)
You don’t pass your driving test and get a new car straight away.You have to learn how to maintain a rustbucket first.
It’s an important part of your business – it’s called ‘learning the ropes’ or ‘starting in the mailroom’ It’s not desireable – If you can find a way to fast-track to success then do it – I would.
I’m a fan of comfort, and ease. You won’t find me doing anything because it’s ‘character building’ or ‘made me what I am today’
Balls to that. I like feather beds and good wine – always have. The problem is that to be able to afford them, I had to go through a serious learning curve. Most people do….
You may have realised you’re in a race.
Not a sprint – a marathon.
And those who can hit the ‘wall’ and keep going will be successful marketers.
Those who can’t will go back to their jobs.
The good news is that you don’t have to win the race to become very rich.
YOU JUST HAVE TO STAY THE COURSE.
If you can keep going through all the crap and mud, you’ll almost certainly become successful.
So dig out that half finished product and work on it until it’s finished.
If you can’t install a membership script, deliver your content by autoresponder message instead.
If you can’t afford/understand/comprehend video hosting then upload the zipped videos you make and let your customers download then rather than stream them.
Find a way
Don’t get it perfect….GET IT OUT THERE!
Best wishes
Tony
PS. Comments welcome on this post!
====================================
UPDATE!
A few months back we launched 121mentoring.com
This was a techy membership site costing $197 a month, and where you would have access to my full technical team to get your websites and projects up and running.
It’s been very successful…..BUT
A lot of you emailed to say you only needed the team for shorter projects, such as installing a blog or ftp-ing a website onto your server.
Even things like installing a Paypal button (always a great idea 🙂
So we’ve introduced some brandnew options.
You can still have a full techy team on your project for $197 a month.
But now for smaller projects you can hire the team per week or per single task.
Check it out at www.121mentoring.com
Get my blog posts delivered by Email
Tony,
Great post.
Couldn’t agree more – they key in my mind is ACTION. Great plans, ideas are worthless.
The crappiest idea put into action is infinitely better than the best idea in the world which never gets done.
Once you have a product you have an ASSET – you can build on it and, often, they keep selling for years. In fact as they gather links, posts etc they SNOWBALL.
Just my tuppence!
Simon
Thank you, Tony. I’m going to share your post with my beta testers. A reminder for us of the paramount importance of “getting it out there” and to not test forever. Perfection will always be over the horizon, eh? Such a terrible excuse for delay.
The site we’re working on (Instant Cash Rocket) has fun with a space and rocketry analogy. I may want to borrow your lesbian astronaut joke. 😉
Kindest Regards Always,
Patrick
The entire post is well summarised by “Don’t get it perfect….GET IT OUT THERE!”
I wrote on my own blog about a couple of millionaires I know (sadly, I’m not yet one of their exclusive club), who always ‘get it out there before it’s perfect’.
I’m rather inclined to believe that there may be a direct connection between their financial status and their premature construction!
My own ‘work in project’ folder is somewhat overweight, too. For fun I did the same analysis as you, Tony. 100% of the products I haven’t launched have earned me 0% of income.
And the thing that earns me the most? Something that’s 3 years old, hasn’t been updated for a long time and still produces.
Now, where’s that FTP upload button gone…..
Tony
Two things.
1. You cannot claim the crown of best G&T maker in the world until we have competed for the title. I like your style but I think you’ve missed 2 steps that I, the master, include in my G&T making. One day, we shall duel for the title.
Meanwhile is there a market for an eBook and video course on G&T making and ……oh, yes, there is!
2. I still only have one product out there and am working on a few more. You’re so right. Complete them and they make you money, but you do have to complete them to force yourself to learn the things you don’t know how to do. I struggle like hell with html and DLGuard, but less than I did the first time!
Completing and learning is the only way.
G&T contest at my invitation when I’ve grossed $100k in this game!
Ian
Hello Tony.
Thanks for the post. Getting stuff out there has always been a problem for me but its one I’m getting over fast.
Had a massive success point in my business where I was able to get an interview with a marketer (who you know very well, he cites you as one of his major influences) and create my very first information product from that interview.
Set up the sales process (sales page behind squeeze page and so on..). Then what did I do.
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Well over that now and adding to the funnel as we speak but it’s not just about action, it’s about CONTINUOUS action. Every blessed day.
Thanks Tony.
Going through that “work in progress folder” now.
Why it seems so easy for everyone to get traffic to their sites/blogs and make money out of it.
I think that’s the different between a successful IM and those who fail to make money online.
I do have some “work in progress folders” but if I am not making money from those that I had launch I don’t think I’ll spend much time on these folders.
Cheers
My site is not perfect but im getting it out
Spot on Tony,
This is a mistake that many people new to internet marketing (and some not so new) make when they get a new idea or start a new campaign. They try to over analyze or make it perfect before they actually “get it out there”, as you say.
That is one of the reasons I love your Kickstart course. I started several months ago and have religiously followed your step by step format. The last thing you have on each lesson is “just do it”.
That is exactly what I have been doing. It may not have been perfect and I may not have done it exactly as you said to, but I realized it was more important to get it out there than to obsess over whether or not it was perfect.
I am currently working on the “viral report” part and it may not be perfect, but it will be out there before the next weekly lesson shows up in my inbox.
Just wanted to drop you a line to say how much Ii appreciate your help in this blog and your Kickstart course.
Keep up the good work.
Hi Tony,
Well there’s certainly no way of arguing with that point.
If you don’t put any products or upsells etc out there then how can you possibly make any money? For many months I made excuses in my head and said – “I’ll get that out when I’ve done x.” where x was always something that wouldn’t make me any money.
Since I stopped doing that, started building a list and started making some money I haven’t enjoyed myself more.
Thanks for another good post Tony.
Regards
Andy
Ayup Tony!!
Great post there mate, I also have a ‘To Do’ folder on my desktop which I really should crack open more often 🙂
Working in IM customer support as I do, I get tons of emails from customers every day who are just not treating their projects as a proper business and expect to just click a few buttons and have a fully functioning income stream in minutes.
Now granted, this could be because the sales letters make it sound so easy – which in reality it is compared to a normal day job where they ask you for the moon on a stick for a couple hundred quick a week, but really!!
The laziness of some people just astounds me.
A lot of patience. And don’t give up. Love your post. Very true.
You’re all wet, Tony. This makes no sense at all. Waste of space.
Sorry, you needed some controversy here in your comments to keep it spicy. 🙂
But you’re so right. I do coaching/mentoring and this is one of the psychological barriers I often have to get people to work through. They often don’t trust their own knowledge enough to think others will pay for it. That’s a widespread mental block. Invariably, when they do take action and get something – anything – out into the marketplace, they are relieved and excited by the positive feedback they receive. But you can’t rest on your laurels then. Step 2 is keeping it going. That’s where another group that has had some success end up stalling out. So your words are very timely and oh-so-true.
Hello Everyone,
this posts are all very interesting and there are now two things I would like to get off my chest:
1.) I think there is a lot more to being not able to get a product out quickly. Most people here talk only about the technical problem that they always think there is just one more feature they have to add to get public. But there is also the psychological effect that even if you have your website set up you are delaying promoting it time after time because you think it is not perfect enough and you can just not stop tweeking it to make it the perfect website.
2. Someone posted that people think they can make a lot of money quickly with some kind of push-button method and called those people lazy. To this I can only say that it is we marketers who make those people believe in it. And we do that so this people buy our products. The people we are talking about are NOT lazy.. they simply believe in our promisses and honestly, if there would be a simply push-button method to make money fast who would not jump on it.
Wise words Tony I have got a folder full of unfinished work, I seem to get about 70% through it before I start a new one and then the cycle repeats itself. It easy to waste time reading all the junk that comes through my e-mail box every day instead of focusing on the most important thing to get the product out there.
Good Call
Rob
Hi Andre Hagestedt.
It was I who made that comment and I stand by it.
I see the proof of it in my support desks every day, you wouldn’t believe some of the emails I get.
Granted the sales letters are designed to push our emotional buttons and make us buy the product but some people expect to have everything handed on a plate and don’t have the right mindset at all.
This is what a lot of the controversy about the new FTC ruling in December has been about, we can’t say now what our customers best results are in our sales materials, we have to give the average user result instead. It’s just unfortunate that with some products the average user result is poor and it’s a fact that a lot of people do give up too easily when they face a set back.
I agree with you on the making things perfect point though, it’s so easy to get stuck trying to make things perfect, but then again I guess that shows that we are really comitted to giving our customers the best value we can 🙂
Hi,
Interesting post, Tony. I also enjoyed the response from Andre Hagestedt. He’s right on the monry, as well!
keep up the good work.
Regards,
Laurie
Hi Tony,
You’re a very accurate butt-kicker. Look, it’s March already…what happened since January 1st? Inspired and amused, I will blow the dust off that folder. Thanks!
Yep, I’m Guilty! I do the same and have been doing it for years! Now I get the picture and follow through one at a time!
Thanks,
Butch Weber
How do they say it, okay, hitting the nail on the head, I do not think I needed a better post than what I just read, thank you very for putting it to the public, there is this saying in my part of the world “too much analysis causes paralysis” don’t get it perfect, just get it going!
Tony,
Thanks for this great motivational post. It is very easy to start working on many different projects that have great potential then never finish them.
Thanks for sharing how you started with your first membership site. This is going to be really helpful in giving me ideas on how to do it myself when I am ready.
Currently I am still in the process of building up my skills. Starting by using various coaching programs and promoting affiliate products.
I really like the idea of building up a successful business by starting with a solid foundation and making improvements day by day. For example with my review blog I have been working on it over the past few days and I have seen it move up on the page on google for a specific keyword.
It’s just little things like this that show me that if I keep on trying eventually I will succeed and start to make sales.
I am trying to learn about traffic generation methods. I know that there are many free methods and because my business budget is currently zero I need to get free traffic.
Each day I try to work on at least one thing that can help me get closer to my business goals even if it is only working on the blog commenting traffic generation strategy or even pinging all my blog posts on my blog.
Jen aka Kittykat7983
My Point and Click Coaching Review blog
I always say there are no coincidences, but they seem to have been happening to me a lot these past few days. The one relating to this post was that I just pulled something out of my “work in process” folder from a few years back. Got a new site up with a few articles, am finishing the report, etc. etc. etc. Before I uploaded the site, I was stressing over some coding that wasn’t working, and I just couldn’t get it right. It was 2:00 A.M. and I was tired, when I little voice in my head said, “It doesn’t have to be perfect, just get it up!” So I did, and went to bed. In the morning after a bit of rest, I was able to get the coding fixed to not perfect, but a damn sight better, as it wasn’t really as bad as I thought it was the night before. I had to chuckle with myself over it. Sometimes I get so bogged down with the “small s@#t that I need to remind myself of what I really need to do, and what is really important. The point is, that if it had been 4 years ago, I might not have gotten it up at all. It would have gone back into the “work in process” folder. You know who it was that told me 4 or 5 years ago that it doesn’t have to be perfect? Sarah! That aught to bring you a chuckle! Jeeze I miss her!
Aloha,
June
Makes sense Tony – thanks for the kick up the b*m!
June said: “You know who it was that told me 4 or 5 years ago that it doesn’t have to be perfect? Sarah! That aught to bring you a chuckle! Jeeze I miss her!”
So where exactly is Sarah? I know her name and sidenotes are in the Kickstart material but haven’t heard a word from her directly for eons. Have I missed something?
Tony,
Brilliant post…I completely agree that inaction always leads to disastrous consequences..
No time for chit chat..need to get more paypal buttons out into cyberspace 🙂
Ron
Well bloody hell, there are people like me out there who did worry about getting it perfect I thought I was the only one.
Procrastinate, me, never ( I did buy a video on procrastination once I just have’nt had time to watch it!) my goal is now to get stuff out a.s.a.p
Watch ya Tony.
You’re completely right. I couldn’t agree with you more.
You should always complete your projects and get them up and running. They won’t make you any money just sitting there in a folder half done. Get rid off the “To Do” folders and finish those projects.
Well, it is all about the “multiple streams” isn’t it?
How many streams are the incomplete project creating? None for me either. I recently went into my “works in progress” file and found projects that I had actually forgotten about.
Thanks for reminding me.
Hi Tony
Never read your blog before despite being a customer in the past.
And I am now going to have to find some time to read your back issues.
Loved this post, reminds me of the sports quote about 100% of shots not taken do not score goals…
Good stuff.
AJ
Nice one Tony
No Action = No Money!
Wil D
I’m sorry-
I can’t read anymore of this drivel.
You’re messing with my standing as a “professional newbie.”
What will I have to piss & moan about if I follow through?
Mel
P.S. Where in the world is Sara????