When you have been making a full-time living online for more than a decade, many people are curious about how you did it. So I am often asked:
What three things have led to your long-term success online?
If you asked twenty different people this question – you would get 20 different answers. So let me put in a disclaimer that this may not be their answer – but it’s mine.
The three things that have served me well from Day One until present day are:
Live Events
My first day in business I flew to a conference in Phoenix. It was a “lab” for the National Speakers Association and had less than 100 attendees. But those who were there were the movers and shakers in the organization.
I went back for every lab for the next two years. Partly because I was learning to build my speaking business and partly because of the great contacts I made.
Not only did I have an opportunity to get to know them, but they got to know me. And when it was time to invite someone to speak or chair a committee – my name was in the hat! In fact, by the end of the second year, I was on the Faculty of the Tech Lab!
I repeated that Live Events model with Internet Marketing. I attended every conference I could find. And soon the speakers recognized me, mentioned me from the stage, and invited me to lunch and special get-togethers. Not too long after that I started speaking on the same stages.
While we talk about the ease of doing business online, the true relationships are forged in live events. If you want to accelerate your business – be there!
Just a note – Armand Live is coming up in Las Vegas Sep 21-23. It is a great networking event. If there is ANY way you can get there, be there! In fact, you can come as my guest.
Partnering With Strong Players
No single person knows everything and no single person can do everything. The sooner you recognize that, the faster you’ll make more money.
I know that one of my strengths is logistics (getting things done in an efficient way, often behind the scenes). There is always a need for these skills – particularly with busy, high-profile people.
Remember, I got to know many of those people in the live events. So it was a natural course for them to ask for help and for me to volunteer to help when I saw a need. I was okay with letting them take the limelight while I worked in the background. We both made money.
At other times I took the lead and partnered with someone who had marketing skills I didn’t have or technical skills I lacked. In that case I took the “front man” role and they did the background labor. We both made money.
Regardless of the role you take in any partnership, make sure that what you will do, how much you will spend, and how you will split the profits is clearly outlined. In fact, for one of the partner projects I had with Connie Ragen Green, we created a product on exactly how we structured one successful partnership after another in JVs Made Simple. If you plan to partner with someone – get this product first!
Teleseminars
I earned my stripes online with teleseminars. It was a natural way for me to use my teaching skills and there was a huge need for an organized, non-hype-y teacher in the Internet Marketing arena.
Teleseminars were the main way I built my list – offering free teleseminars on various topics. I even hosted First Tuesday free teleseminars where I opened the lines and anyone could ask anything.
I got a lot of product ideas from those teleseminars. And I created a lot of products using teleseminars.
Naturally as the technology evolved I started doing webinars. But had I not had such a strong start with teleseminars, it might have been more difficult.
Find one technology that you enjoy and are comfortable with, then learn it well. It may be teleseminars, webinars, or YouTube videos. The important thing is to do enough of them to create a critical mass that will ground-swell into your growing reputation.
Your Three Things
Your three keys to Online Success may be different than mine. I’d love to hear what three main activities you use to build YOUR business – just share them in the comments below:
Jeanette,
As one of your partners, I am thrilled to be mentioned here in your post. Working with you taught me how a business must be run in order to generate revenue and be successful. I love how we play off of each others strengths to get the job done.
I met you at a live event, and could not agree more about the power of connecting in person.
Teleseminars helped me make my breakthrough to true success, so I would encourage anyone reading this to grab Jeanette’s training on this.
Connie
Thanks for agreeing with me, Connie – one of the secrets to success as partners. 🙂 Our strengths work well together because we don’t do the same things well – it’s complementary.
Great list, Jeanette. I’m with you on live events. Even in our well connected, doing everything online world, talking, joking, hearing, and seeing folks in person makes a big difference. I’m thankful during one of my first adventures out into internet marketing events, you and Jeanne took me under your wings. I’ve been networking locally for business for many years and recommend it as the first step for new comers to our community.
For me, I’d add a step called persistence and consistence. Can’t just wait around for folks to throw business your way. I am continually learning to be more persistent and consistent with my daily activities (those 4 little to do things) as well as communicating with my clients.
My 3rd step would be DEFINE. As a webdesigner, I learned long ago I could not be everything to everybody and more importantly I couldn’t keep up with all the changes in the world of webdesign and still get any work done (let alone sleep!). I had to chose my focus. Promoting small local businesses online using WordPress based websites and social media is the latest iteration (it has evolved over the past 15 years . . LOL). I don’t do e-commerce websites. I don’t do FLASH or even many HTML based websites. I don’t do logos. But I can refer you to someone else if you need those things 🙂
Looking forward to other’s three things, too.
Theresa 😎
P.S. Ah, you read my mind about the JV idea . . . something I need to explore . . .will keep your product in mind. Thanks for sharing it.
We DID have fun at the event, didn’t we? 🙂
I like your lesson in Defining exactly what you do – and don’t do. I think most of us started doing ANYthing we could get paid for – and quickly learned that we DO have limitations. We are constantly paring down what we do – and do not do. Even after all these years in business, I still sometimes “forget” that I don’t like doing something until it’s too late.
Thanks for the reminder!
A thought-provoking post, Jeanette! I met you and Connie at my first “live event” which was the Online Revenue Builders Conference in Las Vegas in January of 2010. I didn’t even know what a WordPress blog was back then. I wrote my very first eZine article the night before I left, and it was published while I was there. You helped me set up my blog http://jeannekolenda.com at the next event in Los Angeles that same year in March. It has been a ride since then. I’ve been at several Armand events with you, a couple of NAMS meetings, and now I’m off to Vegas again next month for a meeting with my offline mastermind group.
So, yes…live events is high on the list.
Second, is FOCUS! Once I splashed around in the online world and experienced a small measure of success, I decided to focus on marketing to offline businesses to help them with their online presence. I remain very focused on this right now, and have far surpassed the 6-figure mark that used to seem so illusive.
The third thing is quality training. I have spent a lot of money on the right products, tools, and training. And one secret is also learning what NOT to buy! I’ve become very selective, and you’ve written about that in your Overcome Information Overload product.
I know you only asked for 3, but if I were to add anything, it’s learning that you don’t fit in everywhere. I always strive to keep up with the wonderful friendships I’ve developed over the past almost 3 years, but I know I have far outgrown some of the things I was spending time on.
Thank you for valuing our friendship, and for offering me just what I needed when I needed it. I am really enjoying the Overcome Information Overload membership right now – it’s seems so appropriate right now for me.
I do hope we meet somewhere at a live event again! I just might have to come to Austin for a lunch at Chili’s!
Hugs,
Jeanne
Jeanne – you are living proof of the power of Focus, as you talked about. With your thriving business you have grown rapidly and smartly.
And like Theresa you mention that idea of defining exactly where you fit – and don’t. Too many people want to be friends with “everyone” online – and they spend a lot of time being nice – and unprofitable. The sooner you decide where you fit, the sooner you get to profits. Sometimes that involves NOT getting involved with a particular group.
It’s not that you’re being snobbish, it’s that you’re doing Business. As entrepreneurs, we sometimes confuse social with business. Yes, you can mix the two, but when you’re in business mode it needs to be from the business perspective first.
Keep up your thoughtful responses – always look forward to them!