This is a reprint from my journal and from a blog I no longer have up.  It was originally posted April 22, 2008.  INCREDIBLE difference that 10 months makes.

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Ok, I watched this webinar that was very cool.  I am experienced at brass roots bricks and mortar marketing but not a tech guy at all.  I have been researching the whole social marketing or attraction marketing gig now for about 6 weeks.  Maybe 8 weeks.  I have spent a ton of money, even though there is a bunch of free stuff out there.  So check this out…I sat in on a webinar this evening presented by Renegade University.  It was way cool.  Again for a guy who is technically challenged this was a godsend.  WOW!  Conceptually I can see what needs to be done but…how to get there?   Ok, Ok, I am getting ahead of myself.  I hooked up with the Renegade University maybe a week ago.  In fact I had to open another page as I am writing this because I couldnt remember who the host is.  That is how new I am.  Ok, I looked it up…sorry Mike.  Mike Klingler, thats who the host was.  This particular webinar was on email marketing.  Mike spent some time talking about why this method is effective for network marketing or anyone wishing to have contact with a group of like minded people.  What was really cool about this gig though is he walked through it step by step.  Ya…truly.  I now have an account with icontact that can help me with my email contact list. Lots of tools that will help me manage the list….only I don’t have a huge one yet.  Good news.  Between Ann Siegs Renegade Network Marketer, and the Renegade University I have everything I need to learn how to get a list coming…  Cool.  Anyway I just wanted to leave a short blast to talk about that.  I don’t even know how to get a link on the site yet.  I told you I have always hired that stuff out.  I am a marketing geek not a computer techie.  So if you want check out Renegade University there is a ton of great information and….its FREE!   

ps: I found out if you just click on the link button in wordpress it has a box for my link.  There is hope for the technically challenged.

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Just a quick note regarding Renegade University if you clicked on that link.  Even greater things are coming but….you have to be patient.  The doors are closed in preparation for one of the buggest launches in internet history.  This will be cool.  Stay tuned.

Do you think it is possible for your website to become a powerful marketing weapon?  Are you interested in building your business with social marketing? Can you separate your website or blog from your competitors so it is immediately obvious you are the person to do business with?  Is it possible to make the advantages of doing business with you so great that clients draw this one conclusion…”I would be an idiot if I did business with anyone else…no matter what the cost.”  I think so.  As I walk through the learning curve of attraction marketing and internet marketing, one of the big challenges we have is determining the level of hype involved in sales letters. Judging by how much money I have paid in “stupid tax” to online vendors my BS detector must be broken.  So how can we tell what is real?  I am still not sure.  Here are a few things that I have figured out.

1- If it sounds to good to be true…it is.  I know we learned that in first grade, but somehow it doesn’t stick when an astute copywriter is pegging all of my emotional hot-buttons.

2- Contact information.  If it is not there don’t buy.  Again this seems to be common sense but so many of the long form sales letters don’t have that information.  Most people think well, I can check this out for the 10 bucks or whatever…if it was 100 or 1000 then I would do a little more due diligence.  Ok sure, but here is a story I have just of late. I hooked up with a trial for $1. Informative sales letter and it hit a niche area I was looking at.  It was a subscription gig and I knew I was not going to buy into the monthly deal.  I plunked down my dollar and in a few days after I could not access the free info, I tried to cancel before the subscription hit.  You guessed it.  No contact info, just a series of blind email addresses.  How much time am I willing to spend to get my 100.00 back because that’s how much it was after the subscription hit 7 days after the trial….  Not much.

3-Affiliates, joint-venture partners or testimonials don’t have decent contact info.  No-brainer.  If there is a product launch and the product or service is over a few hundred bucks, they can afford to take a few minutes for a legit check.  I mean I understand the whole volume and distance thing because Mike Klingler or Jeff Walker could not talk to everyone who wants to talk with him.   I get it.   But somebody in the company should be there at least an affiliate or JV partner who will know the main vendor well.  If you are a one man shop like me…well hire a service for a few hundred bucks I don’t know. At least have a working email address for service.

4-ok, here’s a novel idea.  How about don’t buy from someone you don’t know.  Huh?  Well I mean if it is an expensive product or service surely there is prudence in communicating with that person a few times.  I am not talking about a 100.00 item.  The volume of that is so high you won’t get that chance.  But, again at least an email address.

5-A website or blog.  Gee…I didn’t think of that.  Truly though.  Many times we are introduced to a product or service through a link and an opt-in or squeeze page.  That’s ok.  We have them and they work great.  But still find out more like a blog or a website.  Not that someone cant just bail if they have that stuff.  They can and they do.  It may be a little less likely is all.

Okay so there are a few ways to maybe curb the number of times your hosed.  I mean maybe I am the only guy that has bought anything on hype and been scammed.  Shame on the idiots out there who rip people off.  The web is a great tool. Just remember that ultimately the gold (our list) in this business is not a name, a number or an email address.  It is the person behind that address.  Relationships.  That is the way to build a long term nice residual income.  No different than it has been for a long time. Find a place place to learn step-by-step how to build your business on a budget there are many places to choose from.  So communicate and we will celebrate you baggin your JOB.