How To Get Started Selling Online
by Evelyn McNeilly
A few years ago I read a history of personal computers. What stuck in my mind was the statement, "Steve Jobs' greatest concern was product. He didn't care about marketing. Bill Gates cared less about product than he did about marketing." GUESS WHO WON. That was the gem that sent me to "Web Wealth" by Dr. Jeffrey Lant. Then I read "El Dorado" followed by "Cash Copy" and went to the first Worldprofit conference in Las Vegas. I found all of it fascinating and most valuable.
(To order any of these books and to see many other valuable products, go to http://www.trafficcenter.com/dealers.cfm?id=emcneilly-5351.)
Engineers, doctors, some lawyers, and almost all educators make fun of marketing departments. GUESS WHO PAYS THE BILLS. That's how I got started.
But. . . it takes a lot of hard work to make wise choices on the Internet. There are at least 31 flavors of opportunities.
Here are the major steps:
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Get in the habit of brainstorming. Fill a page, handwriting, on your
interests, skills, values, goals.
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Select those interests and skills you think will apply to online
marketing.
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Choose established professional marketers to study.
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Swallow your pride. You may have to do things that embarrass you.
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Read marketing newsletters regularly. You'll soon see a pattern. Emulate
that pattern.
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Decide on the products you wish to sell. Make it more than one, but
advertise each product one at a time.
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Remember that every purchase made anywhere is an emotional act that almost
everyone rationalizes. The more you touch a reader's emotions with your
headlines, the more you will sell.
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GET YOUR OWN DOMAIN Maybe not right away, but know that it's the only
way to sustain a business online. Let me know when you're ready, but don't
wait too long. The competition is growing exponentially.
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Read the ads in the marketing ezines, but don't jump too soon. (I
speak from unfortunate experience.)
- START YOUR OWN EZINE. When you're ready to do that--even if you think you can't write--let me know. I'll show you an easy way to go.
Finally, relax. It's a game. Better than Nintendo because it makes you rich. I realize these are generalities; send me your specific questions. mailto:webmaster@lugetothegold.com I will answer.
Evelyn McNeilly, MA, MFA, editor
SELLING SAVVY. . .ONLINE
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