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Review and Summary of Internet Marketing Conference call with Marlon Sanders

Here's a review and summary of this morning's teleconference / tele-lecture call with Marlon Sanders.

I was starting to think the call wasn't working because it hadn't started by 11:06 AM.  All I heard was sporadic music and occasional beeping.  Then Marlon came on, and we learned that there were so many people on the line, even Marlon couldn't get on! (For those who don't know, Marlon is a very famous guy.  Marlon is the author of The Amazing Formula That Sells Like Crazy and many other books and products.)

Marlon started by asking everyone some questions, but there was a really bad echo on the line, apparently from people using voice over IP phones.  He finally had to ask everyone to mute their line until the question and answer session at the end.  This turned out to be the best thing that could have happened, because that's when Marlon really started rocking and rolling!

I've only read Marlon's works before...this was the first time I ever heard him speak.  To say the least, I was impressed.  Marlon is a very charismatic speaker, and stayed very focused on topic, giving great information. I really enjoyed the call, and took four pages of notes in just a 30 minute phone call.

Marlon talked about how people need to "stop fighting alligators in their pond" and start becoming pond builders.  What he meant was, most people trying to make money in Internet marketing are fighting to keep the alligators (anyone after your money!) at bay in a pond with few fish.  You need instead to build a lot of ponds with a lot of fish (customers or prospective customers), then you won't have to worry about the alligators!

He specifically outlined the 3 most basic reasons people have trouble creating success in Internet marketing:

1. Skipping steps - Trying to go to being rich without going step by step to lay a foundation.  He told a hilarious story about the first time he learned to ride a bike...but his brother forgot to tell him how to use the brakes!
2. A lack of understanding - All theory and no experience...only knowing what they read rather than learning by doing.  He didn't pull any punches when talking about Internet Marketing Gurus who will tell you that you can get rich quick with no work by just following their cookie-cutter method!
3. Misunderstanding

So how do you get the alligators out of your pond?  By taking simple steps and simple action.  Most people get overwhelmed.  You have to break it down to one step at a time in a logical order.  And you'll have to work a lot at first - you won't be able to really take it easy until you start being pretty successful.

Then he outlined 3 specific steps for getting the alligators out of your pond and growing your Internet business:

1. Find demand - Find a hungry market and learn what they want.  He strongly recommended asking people what they really need and want with polls.
2. Promote, promote, promote - Most people promote too little, too late, or too poorly.  He emphasized that any promotion will work - do everything, but especially learn what promotion methods will reach your target audience.
3. Grow or die - Become a pond builder.    You have to become a pond builder and learn how to build your own ponds that are well stocked with fish eating up all of your bait.

Marlon mentioned that any promotion method that breaks even is a good promotion method, because then you can make your profit on the back-end (follow-up products).  And he said if you find a promotion method that makes a profit, that's a GREAT promotion method!

When asked what the best way is to sell a big ticket item, he said first promote a small ticket item, build some customers, then find out what they want and then sell that to them!

So much common-sense and brilliant insight about smart Internet marketing came out of Marlon Sanders in just 30 minutes that I am very impressed.

I just added a nice little Internet marketing article by Marlon Sanders here...

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