LESSON #11: Who Should You Listen To?

By | July 12, 2008

I’m glad that you’ve chosen to learn from me, but chances are good that you’ve noticed a lot of voices vying for your attention. There are a lot of so-called experts out there trying to tell you how to build your business.

The question is: WHO should you listen to and who should you trust?

(Watch this video…)

Join my coaching club

Main points:

1) Learn from real experts, not wannabe’s

2) Look for proof and testimonials (but don’t base your opinion solely on it)

3) Listen to someone you can understand

4) Listen to someone who has failed at times

5) Listen to someone who’s not afraid to tell you what you don’t want to hear

6) Don’t write someone off just because they’re trying to make money off of you (unless they are too manipulative)

7) Trust someone and follow them, but not blindly

8] Learn how to weigh the facts (this is the most important key)

Action steps:

1) Find someone to listen to.

Find someone who has done what you want to do. Someone who is a real expert and not a wannabe. Someone you can trust. That person might be me, or it might be someone else. The important thing is that you find someone you can trust, and then follow them with open eyes and a discerning heart.

We need to cover one final prerequisite before we develop the vision and plan for your online business. It’s sort of a missing piece, and I’ll be revealing it in the next lesson.
As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.

Have a great day!

332 thoughts on “LESSON #11: Who Should You Listen To?

  1. Mary Kathryn Donachy

    Hi, Eric!
    How generous and thoughtful you are to share such fantastic information with us newbies. You make it all seem so easy and to be truthful, it IS becoming easy with your direction. Thanks a bunch.
    Mary Kathryn Donachy

    Reply
  2. Gary

    Hi Eric,
    I put a support ticket in with XsitePro2 but was wondering if you might have any input as well. When I’m working with XsitePro2 I get about 1 hour into creating or using the software and then I get a small pop up box that states “XsitePro2 needs to shut down” I don’t even have an option of saving my work at this point. I’m thinking that version 2 is a new upgrade so it might be a software bug that hasn’t been worked out.Do you think it could be anything else? I have a newer computer that runs on Vista along with a fast processor and 2GB of Ram. I haven’t had any other problems with any software programs but do you think it might have something to do with a Vista Windows setting? Thanks for any advice.
    Best Regards,
    Gary

    PS: And thanks again for such an encouraging lesson…I completely trust you & your advice Your humble & gentle character is something we can all learn from.

    Reply
  3. Mark Sansom ( SecretMoneyBox )

    I decided i’m going to listen to you, you seem to have some pretty good advice. I also like that you are very throw
    I like the truth and honesty feel about you!

    thanks for another great lesson
    Mark

    Reply
  4. Eric's Tips 120 FORUM

    haha…well you were close with the name;) and yes it is ONLY a peer group forum just to give everyone a place to go hang out and get to know each other better, i am hoping later as people start to implement your training it will be a place they can freely express their progress with others.. and it is my exercise in building a small forum community.. but there is no substitute for the real thing.. as I Listen, Follow & TRUST Eric Holmlund:) Pura Vida! Nico

    Reply
  5. JauneSK

    Hi, eric,

    Good Advise Esp. #6 & 7. even the guru can be manipulative at time. The FREE offer is not always FREE. I did came across one offer by a guru stated clearly giving out FREE software, end up the FREE is the software Video Introduction and not the soft ware.
    Never follow them blindly. You hit theeh head of the nail right on.

    Reply
  6. Bryan Hee

    I am a big believer in learning from those who are already where you want to be. That’t smart action taking!

    To Your Success
    Bryan Hee

    Reply
  7. mohd ariff

    Hi Eric,
    Today, we had listening from you & that’s great lesson. Since we with you, feeling of trust always there. Don’t you like to share of your business with us as others are making.
    We mean ” EricMillionMemberships” & with all your products that we can get free to use. And we are all sure to feel safe on working with you as to get massive earnings.

    Ths, regards

    Reply
  8. Fauzi

    Hi Erics,
    Good and wonderful lesson. The online business and the offline business for me shows no difference. Just the only contradict is, one virtual and the other one is the real person that can be contacted at the book store! Trustworthy is the important aspect that we should see. To get trusted it takes a long way to go. For today I know that, through your sincere speech, you can be trusted anyway. But I don’t know tomorrow or days after. I hope your energertic and the real lesson you conveyed, manage to make trust to everybody that listened to your video.They could listen to every aspect of your ideas, as if it would never have any endings.I hope you can be trusted. Thanks for your sincere.

    Reply
  9. Prakash

    hello Eric,
    you have the art of delivering information to people. I am a newbie and your lessons are so easy to understand with frank words and very descriptive. I can’t wait to get the rest of the lessons.
    Thanks a lot dude
    God Bless

    Reply
  10. Steve Fisher

    Hey Eric…
    I believe we have found someone we wish to learn from. Your teaching skills are top notch and my soul mate is keeping up with the lessons!
    Best Regards
    Steve Fisher

    Reply
  11. George

    Hi Eric Good taught I am listening to your real advices and is really appreciative.thanks Eric

    Reply
  12. Wilfred

    Hi, Eric!
    Thank you very much for sharing such an important information at least now I know who to listen to. Looking forward to the next lesson. Can wait to know the whole truth about online business.
    Thanks
    Wilfred

    Reply
  13. Donna

    Wow Eric thanks for the information I like the way you have shared the facts of life with us. You truly hit the nail right on. I personal love to fail so I can see the mistakes I have made and change them with an open mind. Thanks for all your great tips.
    Keep up the excellent work. Looking forward to Lesson 12

    Reply
  14. Kathy

    It’s interesting that this topic, is one that I have been dealing alot with, this past week.
    My trust is pretty much gone for certain people and businesses that I chose to deal with.
    I decided to “go” for it and hire someone to build a site for me. This business came from a recommendation from what I thought was a trustworthy source. Big company that helps people get connected with ALL the sources one would need to start a business.
    I usually Google everyone and every business that I decide to deal with, but on this case I did not. Turns out the people I hired to build my site has a class action lawsuit against them. There are pages after pages of unhappy people. So I messed up, I should of researched this company more. It will be a lesson well learned though. In the future, Google is the first place I’m going from now on.

    Reply
  15. Sabrina O'Malone

    Good Morning Eric,

    NEWSBLAST

    Question: Guess who stayed up until the wee hours of the morning getting caught up on your lessons?

    Answer: Big Dan.

    (Audible pause and gasp time.)

    In case I haven’t done so already. I want to thank you for putting this series together. At the very least, my husband will be able to better understand what I do on the computer all day. And what’s more, he could potentially develop the skill to create new revenue streams for us!

    So Eric’s Tips is also turning out to be a marriage building ministry to boot! 🙂 But seriously, when a veteran and a newbie can both learn something from the same teacher in the same course, you’ve definitely gotten the right mix.

    Keep ’em coming!

    In His Service,
    Sabrina

    Reply
  16. Christo Strom

    Hey Eric,
    Great tips! Are you going to be covering what type of video camera and microphone you use. Also, what type of video player is that? Keep up the great work Eric, in all that you do.
    Fare thee well,
    Sincerely,
    Christo Strom

    Reply
  17. rie

    Hi Eric,

    It’s really interesting to read your lessons. One of my problem is to keep my focus to something really usefull related to internet business. Too many informations out there and I always lost direction.

    Hope to get my direction through your lessons.

    Thanks

    Rie

    Reply
  18. Petre Tudor

    Hi Eric,

    I’m sorry because I can’t understand your audio from your videos.I only read what you re-write in ‘Main Points’. Here you have to give us additionally info about what you show us in videos.
    Be sure Ialready chosen you to listen and I have trust you.
    Be sure I’ll follow you until Lesson #100 and more if you’ll teach us how to earn some online money for free parallel with how to create an online business from A to Z to be able to buy some your products or recommended tools or programs.
    I am waiting next Lesson

    Sincerely,
    Petre Tudor

    Reply
  19. Franklin D Anderson

    Eric, I have looked for a chance to start my own online business. I researched a ton on info. I am an over achiver that smacked the wall of information head on. After compiling, backing up and redirecting my efforts I accidently found you. I honestly forgot how I ran across you. ( I am glad I did ). Lesson # 10 blew me away, it was one of the biggest pieces of my puzzle. I have been a contractor for years, I have done a lot of things. I have accomplished every thing on my own, I am self tought. Your lessons are priceless and I can never thank you enough. I’ll say it anyway, Thanks. I am caught between a rock and a hard spot. I tossed in the towel with my business, it seems to be like I am racing a Donkey in a quarter horse race. I thought I would dive in hard and fast, I could master this if I worked hard and cramed in as much as I could. Reality is this takes time. I am wanting to succeed but I am affraid that all my time and money is going to go to waiste before I even get my first foot forward. I have an EBook about 3/4 of the way complete but bills are fixing to take me out. I concluded that posting my book on Click Bank for affiliates to promote by commissions may be the quickes way to generate even the smallest amount of monthly income so that I will not go down the drain. Is this a reasonable way of generating finances to accomplish my future goals ? I am going to be sticking with your coarse, you are an excellant Roll Model. A blind man could see that. Is there a quicker way to generate 5-10 K a month to cover bills and to free up my time to devote to my sucess. My goals are st much higher than this. I know I am going to get there, I never except defeat. Please throught the dog another bone. I can not be a failure. Thanks.

    Reply
  20. Tomas Ortiz

    Thanks so much Eric for all the information you have provide so far, I’m always looking forward for these emails and like all the others they are great source of information I can use now and in the future. Eric keep them coming.
    Thanks Eric

    Reply
  21. larry davis

    Hi Eric ,

    Lesson 11 has good-Keys
    for how-to- :
    save time & money online.

    My favorite is_ ‘Learning-How-To-Learn’…
    that one says alot & flattens the learning curve.

    Good info + clear & to the Key-points.

    Reply
  22. Nicky

    Eric – good points. Here’s what I’ve found generally.

    They all say they failed at first – in fact some of their sales letter stories are so similar that it makes me want to skip them entirely.

    Some make such huge claims that even when you do suspend disbelief, they are still unbelievable claims.
    And I am so tired of looking at EVERY IM’s PayPal account jpeg, and reading the sales letters that seem to say exactly the same thing – “overnight riches” with no mention of the work and time that went into those results (assuming they are real as there is really no way for the reader to disprove them).

    Here are some of the ways I personally determine who I pay attentio to…and I do check out most of their stuff.

    If I see other well-known Internet marketers or respected copywriters who mention/recommend them. Or if there’s a connection with a related product I’ve bought F/example,
    I discovered you through through Mark Widawer > Joel Comm, who I discovered because I am an XSite Pro user and was on one of their Webinars for V2. I trust the XSitePro2 guys so I’m likely to respect people they deal with because they have a reputation to protect.

    Recommendation by other Marketers – if you were to recommend someone, I’d be far more likely to trust them.

    Whether they have a regular blog, course, or some way they interact regularly with their public

    If they’ve written a book or a special report… i just check Amazon.
    By checking out their products to see if they actually do make sense, and what the quality is. Sometimes the quality that some IM’s promote is awful.
    How long they’ve been around – in this “overnight riches claims” world, the longer they’ve been around the better because they know what’s changed
    By their refund/guarantee policies
    By doing a search on the Internet (you don’t always find the info you want with this one but sometimes you do find out if there are unhappy people who’ve dealt with them).
    By avoiding everyone who’s releasing yet another “secret” or “system.” There are no “secrets that have been hidden for XXX years, underground, one time only..” just what works and what doesn’t.

    The Internet is a wonderful tool but it does allow some to hide…like you say we have to be able to sort and weigh up. It’s still trial and error.
    I hope others will find this helpful.

    Reply
  23. Ayn Elise

    Eric-

    I really appreciate that you are doing these video-lessons. It is a great way to leverage your expertise and to cut-down on the information over-load at the same time.

    It is pretty hard to find a no *b-s* marketer, shooting pretty straight from the hip. Thanks for showing that honesty and integrity are not mutally-exclusive in sales and marketing.

    I am particularly struck by points # 4 and # 5. #4- absolutely. One, if they will admit they failed and 2 if they failed and then made it; most of the time they are really learning well what to do and not just gaming the system. # 5 Yeah, that’s a hard thing to do in life, in general. But the integrity it takes in Business is another level.

    BTW- it is interesting how different you look between the 2 photos. Not bad at all, either style. Just wild how much it is like two different people if you don’t look at the eyes and the smile!

    Reply
  24. Richard

    Eric,

    I so greatly all of the information that you provide honestly. Being a non-IM’r (only free downloads) until this year, am doing the best I can do provide products with honesty and integrity. You are a person that I trust as a guide, and all is so greatly appreciated.

    Sincerely,
    Richard

    Reply
  25. Eric Post author

    I’m not sure about that one Gary. My inclination would be to think it was hogging computer memory, but with 2GB you should be more than fine. So I guess my only advice at this point is save your work frequently, and hopefully their support team has a solution for you.

    Reply
  26. Sandy Waldrop

    Hi Eric, I was looking at this lesson and then the video went blank. I would apprecaite someone looking into this for me cause I would like to hear the rest of the videa. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Sincerly
    Sandy

    Reply
  27. Eric Post author

    Haha, that’s fantastic! I’ve seen a few reports now of spouses jumping on board. I’m glad to hear it 🙂 Welcome Big Dan

    Reply
  28. Eric Post author

    Yes I’m planning on covering it 🙂 It’s just the standard video player produced by Camtasia. But I put it in an IFRAME with my own image as a place holder to make it look cooler.

    Reply
  29. Eric Post author

    I like your attitude 🙂

    Like I said in Lesson #4, there are a LOT of ways to make a lot of money online, and some are better for certain people than others.

    Selling an ebook on ClickBank is one of way, so that’s certainly not a bad idea. In fact, that’s something I will be covering within these lessons.

    Reply
  30. RonnieMarz

    Thanks Eric,
    This is weird because I find myself getting all excited when I get an email from Eric’s Tips.lol Oh boy, Eric wrote with some great tips for me today! Keep up the good work. I know you are helping a lot of people.

    Reply
  31. Dean

    Eric,

    Thanks for these great lessons. The title of this one is really striking a chord with me. I must be on the mailing lists of at least 15 “gurus” and they are all participating in the exact same launches! I wonder if they have even looked at what they are hawking or just selling whatever they can make money on. I have started to surgically remove myself from these lists. The more frequent and in-my-face these emails are, the quicker I am to unsubscribe. Maybe I’m not the only one.

    Your stuff, on the other hand is good and free. You are winning a loyal bunch here and when you do decide to propose something to us (especially if it is yours) I am sure it will get a lot of positive action.

    Thanks for all the wonderful information.

    Dean

    Reply
  32. elsy

    You had won my trust on you….I will be following your guide
    thanks a lot

    Reply
  33. Ray

    Hi Franklin,

    Just wanted to say hangin there. Life is tough at times but with your attitude you’ll get through this.

    Always remember failure is an event not a person. We win and lose events all the time but they don’t create our identity. Our response to them creates our character.

    Hope this helps, hangin there, keep going and pray for wisdom.

    Ray
    http://www.your-traffic-booster.com/

    Reply
  34. Ray

    Hey Eric,

    How do we learn, “learn how to learn”, before we’ve learn’t how to learn? :-0

    Just kidding, great point. It’s so easy to be caught up in the emotions of other peoples opinions rather than sifting and evaluating.

    Ray
    http://www.your-traffic-booster.com/

    Reply
  35. Randy

    I have had the SAME problem and it’s very frustrating. I LOVE the XsitePro2 program however, but it has crashed in the middle of designing… so save your work, and do a backup.

    Reply
  36. Wayne

    Hi Eric:

    I’m with Mark Sansom and Bryan Hee.

    I too have decided to LISTEN TO YOU because you earned my trust almost from my first introduction to Eric’s Tips.

    I’ve learned a lot from reading between the lines of what you write and I listen very carefully to not only what you say but how you say it (i.e. you can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time).

    As a point of clarification, personally, I don’t think that you are trying to fool anyone at anytime.

    Great stuff you are sharing.

    I look forward to each new lesson.

    Reply
  37. skato51

    I’d like to post your newbie definitions on my site for sale. I bought the resale rights. I’m wondering how to get the product to the client after they pay thru Paypal (I have an account). I’m not clear on how to allow them to access the material without making the link available over and over for free. Since I’m not an affiliate on this but the publisher, how do I do a one-time sale of a digital product? Thanks

    Reply
  38. Eric Post author

    I’ll be covering all of that in the future lessons. In the mean time, you might be able to figure it out by applying the methods of lesson #6-8 from http://irthelp.com

    Reply
  39. Bounama

    Great.
    Sounds professional and not selfish.
    This one is really high-value and eye-opening.
    Thanks

    Reply
  40. Franklin D Anderson

    Tahnks Ray, I appriciate your support. I am struggling at bit on the front side buut I think my determination wil, as all ways, pull me through. I found an program that is put out by Dylan Loh, Click Bank Profit Machine.com The guy is very straight forward just like Eric. If you are not on the mailing list you may want to check it out. He is support or suggested by John Reese who has been in the business for over 15 years. He is fixing to launch a new company that is supporting a new Traffic machine program the is suppose to take the i Internet by storm. You owe it to yourself to see his tutorial at webtrafficmachines.com/secret/ I am not an affiliate trying to pump a product, he just has a product that was out 4 years ago and was a huge success, now it is updated and for $ 397 you will have a life time of updates with their new packages. I think if you at least take 15 minutes to look at these two they could be very helpful. Thanks again, I can use all the support I can get. What is you opinion on sell products as an affiliate on ClickBank. It seems like a no brainer. I am a newbee and have not hit the level of education as of yet to get my ebook from paper to the net. Erics Lesson # 10 was my Holy Grail. His 247 words were exactly what I was needing to get over the hump. Now I just need to put the pieces together. Thanks again and hopefully I will hear from you again. I am trying my hardest. Thanks.

    Reply
  41. James Stephenson

    Eric,

    I totally agree that you need to find someone, or a few, to follow. The problem I have found is in establishing a one-to-one type relationship with them. One where you can ask a question, without getting a canned answer or sales pitch for their latest and greatest product.

    I agree that we should expect that this person might want to make some money from us, this is their business, just as we are hoping to set up ourselves. But, not every time.

    Thanks for what you are doing. This is great.

    Jim

    Reply
  42. Gary Pettit (Instant-Paysites)

    Thanks Eric….I’m saving my work more often as you suggested and I haven’t run into any problem yet! Still waiting to hear from xSitepro but I’m sure it’s a minor problem that will be fixed quickly! 😉
    Best Regards,
    Gary

    Reply
  43. Kathy McMillan

    Hi Eric, love your tips…
    I have a question not really related to this… I purchased your eBooks you were giving away for your recent mission trip and I believe you said that they could not be sold at auction. I believe that means eBay. Can you tell me how to sell them as I am a newbie. Thank you and God bless, Kathy

    Reply

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