| A Cautionary Tale for the Internet
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| | did I do wrong? Oh, yes. The most
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| Marketing NewbieIn an attempt to set up
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| | expensive one. Way in the beginning when
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| our Internet marketing web sites, we've
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| | I was still trying to sell junk on my
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| probably all done some brainless things.
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| | cookie cutter web site, a very savvy
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| Well, I've done all of them. I've been
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| | salesman sold me on a program that for
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| so incredibly gullible, my pocketbook is
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| | $6,000+ would make me an expert in
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| empty and I'm sure I've contributed many
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| | everything. They had people who, over
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| a laugh to the Internet "experts." Since
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| | the telephone, would show me how to build
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| I've done just about everything wrong, I
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| | a web site, people who would show me how
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| want to share my story with other newbies
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| | to get myself on a search engine, people
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| who are looking for a fast way to get
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| | who would help me write copy, people who
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| RICH with a web site.Rich. Ha! What a
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| | would help me get RICH!!! Believe it or
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| wonderful illusion of our dream house on
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| | not, I took money out of my IRA to buy
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| the lake, a BMW, Lexus and maybe a Model
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| | this program.It started well. My tutor
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| T in a six-car garage, month-long
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| | called at the very time we had set the
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| vacations in far-off lands where you can
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| | appointment. I thought that was a good
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| be served cold, salty drinks with a
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| | sign. No one had told me, though, that I
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| little umbrella and spend only 20 minutes
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| | needed to do homework before the call.
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| of work every week - and all of this
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| | In half an hour, I was supposed to tell
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| comes with the fulfillment of our
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| | her what products I wanted to sell, what
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| greatest fantasy: telling our corporate
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| | I wanted to say about them, how I was
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| boss to "shove it."It didn't take me long
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| | going to price them, how many pages I
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| to realize that life can be a stinker. I
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| | wanted on the site, etc. Since I only
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| really didn't have dreams of getting rich
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| | got six calls with my tutor at half an
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| as my long-time ambition was only to work
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| | hour each, 1/5 of the time was already
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| from home. Since I'm in my 60's, hey, I
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| | wasted. However, I thought, okay, I
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| deserve to take it easy after so many
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| | should have been ready. If I want to
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| years of the Fortune 500 dog-eat-dog
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| | sell something, I should know what the
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| world, right? So I said to myself, "Ann
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| | heck I want to sell!By the second call, I
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| O, , what are you going to do?"Every Get
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| | had everything in place. Here are the
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| RICH Deal in the BookIn the beginning, I
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| | products; here are the prices. Then more
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| looked into several "get RICH" ventures.
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| | questions arose: Where are you going to
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| I was just looking for a system to get
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| | get them? How are you going to ship them?
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| some dandy money in a very short time. I
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| | Do you want a shopping basket? A
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| subscribed to every free or cheap
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| | merchant account? For $6,000, I thought
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| newsletter I heard about. Most of them
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| | THEY might supply me with some of these
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| have enticing ads for new business
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| | answers, but I had to figure out the
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| possibilities. When you get your name on
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| | whole plan.I needed a drop shipper.
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| the Internet "work at home" lists, you
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| | Where do I find those? "Look on the
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| also get deluged with snail mail ventures
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| | Internet," she said. Okay, I looked on
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| too and some of them are so absurd even I
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| | the Internet and found some middlemen who
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| didn't fall for them! Are they still
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| | would sell me products on a drop ship
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| trying to get people to stuff
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| | basis, but I would only make about 5 to
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| envelopes?An early opportunity that came
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| | 10% profit on the purchases, which isn't
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| along was selling web sites, but what did
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| | going to get me RICH. Adding in the
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| I know about web sites? I only knew that
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| | costs of doing business, breakage,
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| you clicked on some buttons and
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| | exceptional customer service, etc., would
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| information appeared. So that wasn't a
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| | leave me owing myself money.The rest of
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| good idea. Another prospect was buying
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| | the phone sessions were cast of the same
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| real estate without any money. Wow. How
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| | mold as the first couple of calls. I
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| do you do that? I read all of that
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| | learned very little other than that the
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| stuff, but not being a rocket scientist,
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| | people at this company were curt, rude,
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| I couldn't understand it. Okay, I'm not
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| | and obviously not interested in my little
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| doing this right. Let's try something
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| | business-to-be. The other sessions I
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| else.There are many testimonials from
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| | managed to get through weren't
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| Internet marketers who are becoming RICH!
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| | productive, as you had to start with a
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| They have all the money they want, so why
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| | viable web site (which never did get
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| are they hawking information? So my goal
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| | built) before you could design anything
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| became to search out the kind of
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| | else and I wasn't able to manage that.
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| opportunity that would lead to my own
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| | About $5,000 of that $6,000 went down the
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| enviable testimonial success story - and
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| | drain.Eventually I did find a company
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| the search was on.The Clicks and Clacks
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| | (Drop Ship Source Directory) with a list
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| of the All-Inclusive Web SiteLo and
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| | of real honest-to-goodness drop shippers.
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| behold, THE big one came along - a
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| | They are absolutely superior, a delight
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| complete cookie cutter web site with
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| | to work with, and extremely reasonable in
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| products and a shopping cart and a very
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| | price. And the manufacturers are first
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| simple way to change the web site as I
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| | class too, offering great profits,
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| saw fit. So I anted up many dollars and
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| | flexibility, and support.The Ups and
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| voila! I had my own web site and products
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| | Downlines of Multi-Level MarketingI still
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| and everything else I needed to get RICH.
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| | wasn't done with my goofball attempts at
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| Pretty soon all of my friends and family
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| | getting RICH!!! Okay, let's look into
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| knew about it and were anxious to help me
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| | multi-level marketing (MLM); that seems
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| out by buying something.Unfortunately,
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| | to be the way to go. I overlooked the
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| almost all of them apologized, and said
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| | little detail that this was kind of like
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| they just couldn't justify buying
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| | a pyramid scheme. If a real company with
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| anything. because the products were so
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| | a name, address and phone number is doing
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| cheesy. One friend did opt to buy two
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| | it, though, it must be okay. However, I
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| items, but as soon as his name, address,
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| | still had that nagging feeling I was
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| credit card number, etc. were submitted,
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| | getting into something a little shady.The
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| up popped that awful message, "Sorry,
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| | industry sold a service that would be of
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| this item is backordered; you will
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| | tremendous value to many Americans, and I
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| receive it soon."I hit the first big
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| | was anxious to get the word out to those
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| concrete wall when it occurred to me that
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| | who needed it. This company, however,
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| I'd best go find some other customers. I
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| | was far more interested in luring other
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| had no idea how to do that. I barely knew
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| | recruiters into the business than selling
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| what a search engine was and didn't know
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| | their product. As a result, I learned
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| how to get onto one. I knew I could
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| | virtually nothing about the product and
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| always send to an email list. Of course,
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| | far too much about growing my downline.We
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| by this time I had heard all about spam
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| | did have telephone coaching seminars and
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| and decided I didn't want to be thrown in
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| | could ask questions of our "mentors"
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| jail, so that plan didn't even warm
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| | anytime we wanted - but not about the
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| up.Okay, I would buy some lists. Many
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| | product. Just the downline. I never was
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| web sites out there offer opt-in email
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| | able to get any answers orally or in
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| lists that are so refined that they give
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| | writing, and the few times I did try to
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| you people who are interested in white
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| | cold call a prospect, I broke out in a
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| lilacs grown in Nebraska in the winter on
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| | sweat. That little undertaking cost me a
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| a window sill! Wow! Of course, the cost
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| | couple of hundred dollars.Where There's
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| of these lists isThat brainchild didn't
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| | Will, There's Pay!After all the dumb
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| last long. I ended up buying just 5,000
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| | things I did, I finally wised up, did the
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| plain Jane addresses for way too much
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| | right kind of research and found there
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| money, authored what I thought was a
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| | are several exceptionally good people who
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| great sales letter, and sent the e-mails
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| | are willing to be teachers for those who
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| out. I got a purchase from two people
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| | are trying to succeed. For me, finding
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| for a total of $37.All of the "experts"
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| | them was a trial and error experience,
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| recommend sending the same email three or
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| | but several names surfaced: Shawn Casey,
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| four times because the first and second
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| | Dan Kennedy, Cory Rudl, Yanik Silver,
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| time, no one pays attention. So I did
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| | John Reese and Tom Hua, and my apologies
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| that and got so many unsubscribe orders
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| | for not remembering the rest. Doing it
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| that it took me the better part of two
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| | the RIGHT way though is NOT easy, and you
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| days to erase them from my list. Talk
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| | won't get rich quick. You're NOT going
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| about spam!Don't Judge an e-Book Deal by
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| | to sell stuff in he first ten minutes.
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| Its CoverI jumped right into another one.
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| | If you don't feel like waiting, though,
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| I was going to sell an e-book. It didn't
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| | there are pre-built sites that offer
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| cost me anything but the rights to resell
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| | products or e-books.There are many steps
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| it, and I got the book and a one-page web
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| | you have to take, and these experienced
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| site that was very nicely done. From
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| | internet marketers can guide you. You
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| there on, it would be pure profit!Then
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| | have to build a good reputation, you have
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| again, I forgot that I had to get people
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| | to KEEP the good reputation, you have to
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| to visit the site and I still didn't know
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| | build a solid customer base, and you have
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| how to do that - or couldn't afford to
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| | to KEEP the customer base. You do this
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| get the lists. So there my web site sat.
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| | by constantly testing the market,
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| And sat. And still sits.Another Work at
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| | providing exceptional customer service
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| Home SchemeAnother opportunity looked
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| | and being willing to spend (and lose) a
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| particularly rewarding. All you had to do
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| | little money. By working with them,
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| was contact businesses to see if they had
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| | you'll be doing it right. Bear in mind
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| any unwanted product they were looking to
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| | that 95% of Internet businesses fail.
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| get rid of. Maybe they were going belly
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| | Remember the dot com debacle of the
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| up; maybe they manufactured too many
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| | 90's?After all these failures, and after
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| widgets and couldn't sell them all.So all
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| | doing the research I should have done in
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| I had to do was find these guys with the
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| | the first place, I found a company,
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| extra product and offer them a price for
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| | Global eBusiness Technologies (GET), that
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| their merchandise. If they agreed, the
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| | is willing to build my web site, provide
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| liquidation company would find a seller
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| | the necessary marketing, critique the
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| and take the product off their hands.
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| | products I want to offer, suggest
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| The company (for a hefty price) provides
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| | revisions in the prices I want to charge,
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| you with a directory of businesses in all
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| | get me on the search engines in a very
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| 52 states. So what more did I need?
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| | good position, and generally help me
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| Easy huh? And I could get RICH!!!After
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| | succeed. These services are not
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| making countless phone calls and mailing
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| | inexpensive but they're worth the time,
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| 2,500 tantalizing postcards to these
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| | money and involvement.My site should be
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| businesses, I managed to put together one
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| | up soon, and I'm looking forward to
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| deal for a popular product. This deal
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| | getting RICH!!! No, I won't get rich,
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| should have netted me about $20,000. All
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| | but at least I'll have some income
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| bases were covered, the price was right,
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| | besides my Social Security, and I'll
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| etc., etc. Well, don't you know the
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| | certainly make more money than an 8 to 5
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| liquidation company said they couldn't
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| | job. GET's services are not cheap, but I
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| find a buyer? Uh huh.So I figured I
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| | don't want to forget that extremely
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| spent almost $500 buying this directory,
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| | important fact of life: there are no free
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| several hundred dollars in printing
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| | lunches. There are no get RICH quick
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| supplies for the postcards, $600 in
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| | deals either.My success will enhance
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| stamps, untold hours in designing the
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| | GET's reputation, and I can't wait to
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| postcards and printing, hand stamping,
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| | write my testimonial. And when you see
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| and mailing out the cards. There were a
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| | me, you'll know I'm for real.by Ann O.
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| number of other problems with this
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| | NimusJuliana Johnson and Ann O. Nimus are
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| company, but that's enough about them.
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| | newbies to internet marketing but are
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| So. I'm still not getting rich.The Ins
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| | trying their darndest to be superstars.
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| and Outs of Internet MarketingWhat else
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| | exquisite gifts at unbeatable prices.
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