LESSON #12: Thinking Like a Marketer

By | July 13, 2008

Back in Lesson #3, I talked about the need to be willing to be a marketer. Now I’m going to expand on that idea, because it’s important to have a solid grasp on it before you dive into building your business.

After this lesson, we’ll be developing the vision and plan for your business, so I’m taking the time to cover this now BEFORE we begin, because I feel it’s really an all too forgotten prerequisite for becoming a successful internet marketer.

I would even say it’s THE missing piece…

(Watch this video…)

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Main points:

  • Everyone teaches how to “make money online”, but almost nobody teaches how to think like a marketer. This is the missing piece.

  • If you want to be a successful internet marketer, you need to be a marketer.

  • Trying to build an internet marketing business without BEING a marketer is like trying to build a house with no foundation. It’s no wonder so many people fail!

  • Who wants to be a “sales person”? It doesn’t sound exciting. (but it’s essential)

  • NOBODY makes money until somebody sells something.

  • The very same information could mean tens of thousands of dollars for me, and nothing more than confusion and frustration for you (because it goes through the “marketing filter” in my mind).

  • Do you see opportunities to make money all around you?

  • Do you see the marketer’s side of the marketing messages that bombard you every day or do you see them as a consumer sees them?

  • If you’re a true marketer, you will always have opportunity to make money. You’re recession proof.

  • Disclaimer: Marketing expertise does not automatically equate to internet marketing success. It is the prerequisite, not the measure of potential success.

    Action steps:

    First ask yourself if you know how to think like a marketer, and if your answer is no, begin the learning process.

    1) Read some books, such as…

    How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (Not a marketing book, but everyone should read it)
    Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar
    How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins
    Selling for Dummies by Tom Hopkins
    How to Sell Anything to Anybody by Joe Girard
    The Irresistible Offer by Mark Joyner
    (And thousands of others!)

    You can find some of the above titles at your local library.

    2) Make a conscious effort to look at the world through a marketer’s lens.

    When you look at the world through a marketer’s lens, you will start seeing million dollar opportunities all around you.

    So now that you know what kind of a mindset you’re going to need, it’s time to start developing a vision for business, and I’ll be talking about that in the next lesson.

    As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.

    Have a great day!

  • 270 thoughts on “LESSON #12: Thinking Like a Marketer

    1. Eric's Tips 120 FORUM

      When you find your date getting jealous of advertising campaigns when you are together, you are on the right track…

      hey, honey wait…come back… the ads mean nothing to me …I Swear……………..where’d she go?

      Reply
    2. tim brown

      I’ve been following your class.
      When is the bill comming???
      This is a great presentation. I know there are no free lunches.
      Keep up the good info.
      Thx, Tim

      Reply
    3. Carol

      Eric,
      Thanks for the lessons. I love receiving them. I have your adsense templates and just started with Xsitepro2 – wow what a great program. I can’t wait until I learn how to really make these sites. (from your future lessons)
      This weekend I made these 2sites with xsitepro:
      http://www.golf-swing-tactics.com
      http://www.chocolate-lovers-resource.com
      I picked up Hvre to go with the templates a few months ago but I must be doing something wrong…. Eric, thank you for doing this. Knowing you will be teaching us keeps me from getting frustrated.

      Hey, tim brown – I know a tim brown (I know it’s a common name) but are you in the US?
      Thanks again.

      Reply
    4. Sabrina O'Malone

      Eric,

      Excellent. Wow. You’ve touched upon one of my hot button topics. The subject of sales and marketing tempts me to rant…but I’ll constrain myself. (After all, this is YOUR blog);-)

      Typical Question: Why ISN’T my business successful?

      Brutally Honest Answer: Your marketing probably stinks.

      With over two decades of sales and marketing success, here’s what I know. Consistently reading/highlighting and applying the principles covered in Zig Ziglar’s, Dale Carnegie’s and John Maxwell’s books have been of more value than most seminars or sales training courses I’ve taken.

      These are Sabrina’s marketing secrets to success:

      1.) Be willing to try things that run the risk of you looking foolish if you should happen to fail.

      2.) Be willing to persevere towards your goal -even after being told “no” or being rejected.

      3.) Analyze and learn from your mistakes.

      These three things are exactly why people with lesser talent, lesser resources and even less natural charisma can end up outselling (and making more money) than people with all the so-called “advantages.”

      Perseverance, tenacity, teachability, and the ever important attribute of continuing to act -in spite of your fears are the stuff of which great marketers are made.

      Wanna know why Eric (and I) can say we are recession-proof? It’s because people who will: continue, adapt, try, continue, adapt, try….and keep at it until they succeed are few and far between -in any market. And if there’s $ to be made, eventually those who persevere will (if nothing more) be in the position to stumble upon opportunity when it presents itself!

      End of Rant.

      Reply
    5. Bryan Hee

      We’re a “marketer” and doing “marketing” to promote “ourself” in our daily life whether we’re aware it or not. 🙂

      To Your Success
      Bryan Hee

      Reply
    6. Iggy

      How to win friends and influence people! Are you kidding me? That book has to be the single most over-hyped, ridiculous garbage I have ever wasted my time on. It is miles worse than some of the ebooks I’ve wasted money on.
      The premise of the book, to save anyone bothering to read it, is to pray a thousand times a day “Dear Lord, help me screw my next customer out of his last dollar”.
      Tacit assumption throughout that God loves a salesman eh – might be a flawed concept. Forget it.

      Reply
    7. jack

      hi Eric, I`d like to have a say about your video lessons from some one that has never made any money.
      Its good to get an opinion and lessons from someone thats trying to help newbies and at the same time knowing that you have our interest before making money. Good work, look forward to lesson 13

      Reply
    8. secret to earning money online

      those are some great books i have read a few of them
      I also liked illusions : by richard Boch its not about being a marketeer
      just knowing you can

      thanks for the lesson eric
      Mark Sansom

      Reply
    9. Ray

      Eric,

      As always you’re right on the mark. Most “gurus” leave this important piece of the puzzle out of the equation or don’t put it so clearly, assuming you’re already thinking that way.

      I love sales and marketing. It’s the challenge I really enjoy.

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

      PS. For those interested, my site was created with the original in XSitePro and I’m in the process of giving it a “make-over” with vs2. It’s a great program and real easy to use.

      Reply
    10. Glen Crosier

      Eric – Thanks for the reminder that SALES skills are fundamental in addition to all the other marketing stuff we need to implement.

      Glen Crosier
      Brighton
      UK

      Reply
    11. Glen Crosier

      Sabrina – awesome – thanks for the tips – the first one is one every new marketer should especially adhere to always, Glen

      Reply
    12. Dave Schlatter

      The main point of this lesson can be learned in a few simple steps. Read, understand, and apply. Just remember to take one thing in marketing or anything else one step at a time.

      Reply
    13. proson

      This is true Eric! A business involves selling. no matter it’s in the offline or the online world.

      The online world can potentially earns more since the cost is smaller than the offline business and you “have the world” to market!!

      Anyway thanks for your clarification Eric.

      Reply
    14. Harry

      Hi Eric i am an old newbie and i m hangin in there . i have missed quite a few of your lessons, but i will try and recap thanks Harry

      Reply
    15. Kathy Filia

      Those two websites look good Carol. Pity SiteXpro is $200 – I just can’t afford it. What I’d like to know is what’s everyone building wordpress sites for? What does ‘google love them’? They seem a bit restrictive to me and quite ugly, at least the ones I’ve build are. Its the templates I guess.

      ho hum, thanks Eric, I really enjoy and get a lot out of these lessons. Thanks for doing them.

      Reply
    16. Kent

      It’s good to think like a marketer when you want to make money online.

      My opinion,

      You can always start by learning the Traditional Marketing Principals, that is 4 P’s

      – Product
      – Promotion
      – Price
      – Place

      This should be the foundation of all type of business online or offline.

      Thanks Eric.

      Kent

      Reply
    17. Gary Pettit (Instant-Paysites)

      Just wanted to let everyone know I recently viewed a product called “Closed Door Sessions” This is a 12 DVD Collection of One Hour interviews with the Top 12 Marketing Gurus on the internet. I got the collection not necesarily to learn technics from them but mainly to observe their way of thinking and processing on how they conduct their business on the internet. So far it has been a very rewarding expeience to have these at my fingertips. Just thought I would share this bit of Info since this Lesson deals with “Thinking Like a Marketer” Best of Luck to Everyone!
      Gary

      Reply
    18. Umberto

      Very nice advice and words of wisdom!! Thank you Eric for all your great timely advice and information!!

      Thank you,
      Umberto

      Reply
    19. Kannan Viswagandhi

      Hi Eric,

      This is the most important lesson so far in this series.To become a marketer,you have to think like a marketer.You must have the right mindset.My upline mentor calls the success mindset as “Diamond Mindset”.
      You have touched the fundamental.
      How to win friends is an everlasting classic.I have to read other books.Nice recommendations.

      Thanks for sharing.

      Best Wishes,
      Kannan Viswagandhi
      http://www.growing-self.blogspot.com

      Reply
    20. Robert Barabash

      Re: Kathy Filia’s comment about wordpress. Google will list most blogs as fast as they do wordpress.
      If you use some web 2.0 tactics, you will get listed within 2 days. Using twitter to expose your site will get your twitter comment in about 24 hours. There are some decent free web site builders out there that may not be as good as SiteXpro but if you are just starting out they are a great learning experience. I started with coffee cup and have since upgraded, but it was a good start. For almost anything you do on the web, there is a free resource available whether it’s a web builder,autoresponder etc.

      Reply
    21. yulanda

      Thank you Eric, you’ve been so helpful.

      Thank you,

      Yulanda

      Reply
    22. Gary Pettit (Instant-Paysites)

      Thats a very good point Robert “For almost anything you do on the web, there is a free resource available whether it’s a web builder,autoresponder etc.” If you cannot afford xSitePro2 a couple other good “free” web building sites are: coffeecup.com , blinkweb.com, and hostgator.com (hosting that comes with a free website building program)
      Best Regards,
      Gary

      Reply
    23. Karin

      Hi Eric,

      Thanks very much for your information regarding how to set up a website/online business. I am enjoying your lessons! I noticed most of your instruction is geared towards helping potential website owners with promoting their products. I am more interested in being able to promote/offer a service to others. I’m thinking that having a website online would also be an asset in helping me to promote my service-oriented at-home business. I would love to hear your comments/insight on this idea. Keep up the great work!!

      Thanks again!

      Karin

      Reply
    24. Mike

      Thanks Eric,that is great information and throughly agree with your list of recommended reading.
      I would add one more the ubiquitous think and grow rich which is now in the public domain get it free here
      http://www.simplegdi.ws/mymoneytrain/tagr.html

      This will help you see ways of historic marketing methods that created fortunes.

      Regarding your email marketing tips perhaps you could give your view on the fake “you have recieved paypal funds” and similar as subject lines in marketers emails lately.
      is this being clever or just being deceitful.

      regarding website design I am willing to help anyone with theirs if they like
      just visit
      http://www.netbookmarketing.com/biz/webdesign.html
      for info

      best regards
      mike
      http://www.mikesfreetraffic.com

      Reply
    25. Learn Acoustic Guitar Online

      Thanks Eric!
      This is Essential information! One must learn to market and sell. But…………….I’d like to add that it is soooooooooooo easy to learn and learn and learn about something so long from so many sources that you never take action….and never make any money. I give myself only so much time learning before I actually implement it to see what happens. Then I make small changes and see if conversions gets better or not.
      No action = no money!

      Ted

      Reply
    26. Carol

      Hi everyone,
      I think WP is a great way to go. I can’t wait until Eric shows us the ins and outs of it all.
      I am doing the Xsite pro – it was a leap for me to spend the money. I was getting frustrated waiting for Eric’s lessons – ha ha.
      I suppose Xsitepro2 has web 2.0 strategies.
      Does anyone know? I can wait for the lesson though.
      I know – patience is a virtue.
      Thanks everyone!
      Until next time.

      Reply
    27. Hugh Fraser

      Hey Eric,
      I have been thinking this over the last few days as I have been reading “The 7 Figure Secrets”, great book by the way.

      Hugh

      Reply
    28. Kristina Lim

      Thanks for the reading list – will visit the library. I used to hate marketing but the past year of hanging around the IM world has indeed “messed me up” as you put it. I was doing research for an ebook and got to one horribly designed site – bad layout, colors, navigation, copy, graphics, even spelling – and I sat there scrutinizing it and thinking up all kinds of ways to improve it. I guess that’s the start of what you’re talking about, but I sure have a long way to go. Great lesson!

      Reply
    29. RonnieMarz

      Eric,
      Another informative lesson. Sales and Marketing are definately two different arenas for making money online. From experience…a good salesman does not mean a good marketer. Marketing has to be learned just like sales. Marketing means knowing what the consumer wants and suppying that service or product to them. I love taking peoples money but marketing is a whole different story! Just like you said, “you have to think like a marketer.” You have to see the opportunities before you. Very good points! Thanks

      Reply
    30. Nicky

      Brilliant lesson! This is the best yet.

      It’s indeed the missing piece when it comes to Internet Marketing. In fact, you’re the first Internet Marketer to actually mention it – at least I can’t think of anyone coming near to mentioning it.

      I find many “non-marketers” have a negative attitude to marketing and sales… but without them there IS no business… online or off.

      I’d like to add another book reccomendation… It’s called the Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffry Gitomer. He’s in your-face – so might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but his books are a great read – practical and down to earth.

      Reply
    31. larry davis

      HI Eric ,

      Must say :
      your ‘face-the-facts-honesty’ is a cool-thing…
      considering all the ‘hot-air-hype’ online.

      Honest ; Real-value.
      Now , that’s…
      what I call:
      thinking like a marketer!

      folks want reality these days.
      Thanks,
      Larry

      Reply
    32. Corey

      Your first and most enormously huge mistake is you are blogging about making money and you don’t know the first thing about that topic. Your site has no solid content and bad money making blogs are all too common. Good affiliate marketing blogs are very common, why would someone want to waste their time on yours that offers ZERO good advice? Think about it…

      Reply
    33. Ray Mussen

      Iworked in Engineering for many years and never thoughtof marketing or sales. Then I retired from engineering. Started a service business and I was knee deep in marketing my services like taking a cold shower outside in winter. Then I sold Realestate. Whata new awakening. Think marketing or get outof the kitchen. Amen Ray

      Reply
    34. Eric Post author

      No bill for the class, I’ll just be recommending a few things here and there as you may have noticed 😉

      Reply
    35. Eric Post author

      That’s a good point… you’re always marketing yourself in some way to those who see you and interact with you.

      Reply
    36. Eric Post author

      I think you’ve got the wrong book. I’ve read it multiple times and that’s not it at all.

      Reply
    37. Eric Post author

      It’s a sharp looking template. First, you need to have your blog on your own site, not blogger. I’ll be teaching how to do that.
      Second, you should remove most of the advertising from it, unless you’re already getting enough traffic to really profit from it.

      Reply
    38. Eric Post author

      Exactly… I intermingle “sales” with marketing, and I feel that it’s the sales skills that are most lacking in most people.

      Reply
    39. Eric Post author

      I think it’s great that you’ve got a business model in mind, and yes… most of my lessons will still be completely applicable to a service based business.

      Reply
    40. Eric Post author

      That’s true. I personally tend to really blur the line between sales and marketing, because front line marketers such as ourselves also have to be strong in the area of sales.

      Reply
    41. Julius P

      Hi Eric,

      I have worked in Marketing in the Offline Business and has been always wanting to make it happen in the Online Business. I have spent quite a lot of money on purchasing new softwares and stuff. After your lessons I have completely stopped and Would like to start concentrating on One Product at a time and understand how to market it.
      I need a favour, I have this site
      http://www.communicatetoriches.com
      I would appreciate your review on it. Though I have sold more than 350 copies in the past few months, I want the sales to rise.. Any Suggestions.

      I m a gold member of hyperVRE and SEO Elite but I guess I m doing something wrong somewhere.

      thanks for everything,,

      Julius
      http://www.communicatetoriches.com

      Reply
    42. Carl

      Hi, How soon until we start making money? I just listened to your #12 tip. I am fired up and ready to go.

      Thanks Carl

      Reply

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