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Internet Marketing is like the gold rush…creating more fools than millionaires.

It’s likely Levi Strauss got more money than the richest 49’ers ever did. Here’s a nice little resource from Mrs. Thonus’s 3rd Grade Stars! Here’s a quote that might get your attention:

Then a man named Sam Brannan, a merchant from San Francisco,  saw his opportunity to get rich!  And he did it without ever mining for gold! He had heard about the news of gold on the river, the news most people dismissed as being just a rumor. Sam also knew about the law of “supply and demand” so he ran through the streets of San Francisco shouting about the discovery of gold. Brannan showed everyone a bottle filled with gold dust so they believed him. Mr. Brannan had a brilliant plan. Before he spread the news about the discovery of gold he had bought up all of the supplies the miners would need: pick axes, shovels, and pans.  He sold miners pans for $15 each when he had bought them for only 20 cents before the Gold Fever hit. He made $36,000 in just two months and that was worth even more in 1848! He eventually became the richest man in California.

Today’s gold rush is the Internet. Shouting “there’s gold” garners lots of attention. Especially given the convergence of a bad economy and  global connectivity. It’s a recipe sure to drive hoards of clamoring people who long to be rich into the waiting arms of Internet marketers making wild claims.

Too much money is going into the pockets of the folks selling the picks, shovels and pans. They know the “typical” customer won’t make enough money to offset the purchase of the picks, shovels and pans.

Buyer, beware! There’s one ingredient you need in order to succeed when you’re mining for gold. Listen up and I’ll tell you what it is.

Mentioned (or implied) in today’s show:

• Gold Rush, the Discovery Channel TV show
• Doll Dresses By Rhonda
• IzzyVideo.com
• PaperClipping
• RollingR’s
• ScreenCastsOnline.com
• WPWebDesigner.com

P.S. Do me a favor. Help me spread the word about the podcast and the video shows! If you enjoy my work here, spread the word. Thanks!

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She writes, “I want happiness for the rest of my life.”

She’s in grand company. Who doesn’t want happiness? Okay, maybe she’s greedy for wanting it for the rest of her life, but there are far worse things to wish for.

Sorrow, sadness and failure have been on my mind recently…brought about by the people in my life who are suffering. And brought about by my own sadness and sorrow. Sure, I often experience disappointment, failure and my fair share of gloominess. But lest you feel today’s show is a depressing affair (it’s not), I think these things are part of a happy, productive and wise life.

There’s a benefit to difficulty, challenge and obstacles. They help us grow stronger. They build within us greater resolve. So many areas worthy of conversation, but today I simply hope to provoke you to think and consider a few things that may help you push forward toward the life you want most. Even if what you want most is happiness for the rest of your life. 😉

Would you do me a favor and take a few minutes to leave a review over at iTunes? I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for listening,

P.S. As inviting as that photo is, would you really want to spend the rest of your life at that table? Might get boring pretty quick, huh?

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Skype, GoToMeeting, Apple FaceTime…there are so many ways for us to virtually connect with prospects!

Face-to-face selling for many organizations has given way to these methods. It’s convenient. It’s inexpensive. Prospects and salespeople both are actively gravitating to these methods to connect.

Some challenges confront us when we connect virtually. Facial expressions and body language give us cues in face-to-face meetings. In virtual meetings we have to listen for verbal cues. Misunderstanding and miscommunication are quite common even when the technology works as it should.

Recently I’ve encountered sales presentations that broke rules necessary to complete a sale. Our objective should always be to create a happy customer! How can we accomplish that if we can’t provide a degree of happiness during that crucial prospecting phase?

A few days ago I read this article online at Inc. Author Geoffrey James writes about 10 common mistakes he thinks salespeople commit in face-to-face selling. It’s helpful to use his article as a template for discussing the common mistakes made during virtual selling, too.

Some salespeople lack proper communication training. If we’re going to become masterful at selling, we first need to be superior students of selling. The primary component of masterful selling is masterful communication.

Go back and check out these recent video shows on selling:

• Build Rapport Before You Start Selling

• Talk Less, Sell More

• Salesmanship Starts With Finding Out How To Best Serve

• Should You Use Humor In Selling?

Spread the word about the podcast if you know somebody who’d find it helpful.

And lastly, would you take a few minutes to leave me a review over at iTunes. That’ll help others find the podcast.

Thank you for listening,