I read an interesting post on the Warrior Forum today where it was being discussed the how amazed people are with Online marketers who show screen shots or earning 6 figures on-line. Several Warriors brought up the fact the screen shots do not necessarily mean net earnings and those where what really counts. I could not agree more I see people claiming to earn X amount of dollars online and they always show screen shots of Adsense earnings or email screen shots from ClickBank or Paypal. The one things they never show is expenses. If you earn $100,000 dollars but it takes you a $99,000 investment to earn that money, then you are not going in the right direction and reaching your goals. I would be more impressed to see a balance sheet in those screen shots, but I still would think critically about what I was reading. See I know of this little application, perhaps you have heard of it. Its named PhotoShop. It’s very good at manipulating screenshots in the correct hands.

Online marketing can be profitable but you have to treat it like you would any business and consider all your costs and revenue. Revenue – costs = profit. Every dime you spend on eBooks telling you how to make the next million is an expense and you should think of it as such. Now I’m not saying that purchasing IM products is bad, in-fact purchasing the correct products can provide a huge leap for your business, I just think you should consider how the product can help you grow your business and not about how much money the person claims to be making.

The best post in the mentioned thread was one by Brian Rodgers. Brian gave a very insightful post and it went right to the core of the matter. I enjoyed his post so much that I requested his permission to repost it here for my readers. I hope you enjoy and consider the above when reading his reply:

“Good topic, I very rarely post, but decided to do so today for some reason, it’s kind of long so just skip over it if you don’t want to hear a bit of rambling:)

The fact of the matter is that building a seven figure business on line is just as difficult if not more difficult than building a seven figure business on Main Street, USA. I speak from experience, having built seven figure businesses both on line and offline which was a residential real estate brokerage. In my case, the on line business was much more difficult and challenging to build and even more challenging to operate on a regular basis.

I wish it were as simple as sitting at a computer, punching a few buttons and building a seven figure business, but that is fantasy land:)

Although I have a seven figure on line business myself, I am in awe and amazed each time I meet someone who has also built a seven figure business on line because I understand the work and dedication that it took to make it happen and to continue to make it happen year after year.

Something hardly anyone talks about on line is sustaining the level of success. I have heard more than one well known guru claim to have a million dollar a year business when in fact they did it once and have not had another million dollar year since. A million dollar year is great, but as the original poster said, how much was actually earned, particularly after affiliates were paid? I want to know what I will have at the end of the day, not what my sales were. Coming from a residential real estate background, I hear Realtors all the time say they are a “million” dollar producer. Do you know what that translates to in real dollars earned as a real estate agent? About $20,000. What is your “net”? Don’t show me your sales because they mean squat.

I think one of the most overlooked problem on line is thinking that you can just emulate someone running a seven or even a six figure business for that matter and do exactly the same. This may be somewhat true with some five figure businesses, but I believe it is a major problem with many on line marketing gurus, systems, programs, etc.

And to make matters worse, many of these gurus, systems, programs are sold in a manner that insinuates you could do the same if you follow exactly what they have done or a program teaches. Worse yet, the scum out there that over inflate their sales and profits for the benefit of making sales or somehow trying to make themselves look good to feed their ego.

Every man and woman I know that runs a seven or even a six figure business has inherent qualities about them that simply can’t be taught “completely” in any course, system, or training. Things like motivation, dedication, focus, operating and/or seed capital, implementation, negotiation, willingness to work 24 hours a day for as long as it takes to get the right systems in place, and many others.

I buy just about every course out there, I have everything and each time I get something I can honestly say that I have learned something from every book, e-book, course, software program that I have ever purchased. There is no one person, system, program, whatever that you can follow that will show you how to build a seven figure business. There are bits and pieces in each thing and every millionaire that I know understands this and would absolutely never use the words “I already knew that” as it is peasant thinking to get so knowledgeable that there is nothing else out there to learn and more importantly implement into your business.

So, to wrap this post up, it is Damn hard, “statistics” would say near impossible to build a “net” seven or even a mid to high six figure business so any time I see someone that has done it,I mean no B.S. screen shots, etc, they have really done it, I’ll drink their Kool Aid because I understand:)

We have some of those individuals right here at The Warrior Forum, and yes, I am in awe of them and won’t apologize to anyone or sympathize with anyone for not being that way.

On the other hand, I immediately know that someone is not who they say they are, particularly some I have seen at Internet Marketing Seminars, when they meet someone that is obviously more successful than themselves and they ignore that person instead of introducing themselves and starting conversations because they think they know everything or because the more successful person isn’t in their “Internet Marketing” circle of friends. That is plain stupidity and I see it all the time. These people are not who they claim to be at the end of the day, and if by a small chance they are as successful as they claim, they are a very bad example to emulate.

Last, what follows is some of the most important advice you will ever receive if you plan to try to emulate any guru, system, program, etc.

The truth is, the number of people that actually are as successful as they claim are very, very few. How do you actually know when someone has really done it, they have really built a high six figure or seven figure business?

It’s very simple,Pick up the phone and call them, you will know it. I have used this simple, common sense technique many, many times over the years and have only been wrong once. Applying some common sense in any situation will go a long way.

Sorry to ramble:)

Make it a great day!

Brian Rodgers
www.brianrodgers.com
www.sanemarketing.com”