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THIS WEEK
Santa's Not Coming This Year
ALSO IN THIS EDITION
Santa's Not Coming This Year
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A lot of people ask me where I learnt my internet marketing skills. Well there have been lots of places in the past few years that have refined what I know, but the one that really got me started was a free course called "The Challenge".
Each year, over 30 days, Ed Dale and Dan Raine give away superb content. Why? As they say, the rest of the year we will try to get you to buy something, but once a year you get to try everything for free. (At least they are honest!)
I still do The Challenge each year. The new Challenge starts today and I am as keen as mustard to lose myself in the latest content for 2011.
But why did I do it in the first place? This is my warts and all story of how I first came to do The Challenge.
Santa's Not Coming This Year
I sat slumped ... crying on the floor of the shower - with the water pouring over me. It was two weeks to Christmas and the only way I could afford to buy the kids even a few measly Christmas presents, was if we ate instant noodles every day for the next fortnight.
How the heck had I got here?
Well, 9 months before I had chucked in my well-paid job in government to pursue my dream. The only problem was I had made every possible business mistake, and the business that I had started with such high hopes, was earning two bits of nothing.
Of course I had tried to find other work to supplement my income – but no one was interested in employing someone my age that close to Christmas. I had left my run too late.
My severance pay had long since evaporated, and that morning I had found myself raiding my kid's money boxes just to put food on the table. I felt like a dismal failure both as a mum and as sole provider for my kids. Santa wasn't coming this year.
As I crawled out of the shower and dried myself off, I thought, "There's no point snivelling about it. I had better get off my butt and find a solution. While I am waiting for bright ideas, I may as well try that internet marketing course I signed up for a while back and never got around to doing."
The course was free (always a good thing) and is something that Ed Dale & Dan Raine do every year.
Getting started
I started the course that day and began to learn about keywords, traffic research and niche markets. And it was as if a massive light bulb went off above my head.
For the first time I knew what I had been doing wrong in my business these past months ... and more importantly, how I could turn it around.
For the next week I was a woman possessed
I worked 18 hours each day on the course, reading, researching, and more importantly immediately implementing what I was learning ... exactly as my teachers taught me to do. This was not the time to get fancy – after all I had already proven I didn't know what I was doing by myself.
What did I do? Well, after I had done extensive research about my niche, I took a pile of the notes I had been gathering over the years and turned them into my first information product.
Early days ...
Exactly 7 days before Christmas and 7 days after I started the program, I launched my product to my measly mailing list at the time (300 people) ... And waited.
Precisely 15 minutes after my first email went out, I had my first sale. I went on to make three sales that day. I was so excited! Real money from selling what I knew.
As I waltzed my kids around the room, I was laughing and crying all at once. Santa was going to come after all!
Over the next few months, I kept implementing what I had been taught over many long days and nights. This was not something that I waved a magic wand over and money fell into my lap, but something I worked darn hard at doing.
In other words - this was not a get rich quick scheme
Putting it simply ... I found when I got off my butt and did what I was taught to do, things worked. When I thought I knew better or got lazy, things slacked off.
Only once I had all the core skills down pat, I started to experiment and test the boundaries of what worked for me, learning advanced strategies and testing more complex internet marketing techniques.
I have studied under a number of great internet marketers, but still always come back to Ed Dale and Dan Raine each year and sit each year's Challenge.
Why? These guys honestly know their stuff without all the hype and snake oil. (But yes, I was also glad the year they started offering transcripts of Ed's numerous videos so I didn't have to sit through his passion for all things Apple, and his love of guitars.)
And the result?
Well in the first 2 years after my first Challenge, I sold over $100,000 from just two e-books that I have written. Could I have done better – definitely! But $100,000 in 2 years is a heck of a step up from raiding kids' money boxes and living on instant noodles.
What about my business? Well as long term readers of my ezine know, I totally reinvented it and it is now chugging along very nicely in addition to my e-books.
All because I hit rock bottom, did the The Challenge, put in the hard yards and implemented what I learnt – simple really!
And yes ... I fully recommend anyone who wants to learn more about internet marketing to take The Challenge - Click here >>
And yes, I so strongly believe in the program, that I am an affiliate for it (which means if you buy something from Ed or Dan later on in the year, they may shout me the odd cup of coffee).
Share
 My Instant HR Policies and Procedures Manual was the very first information product I created during the first Challenge I did.
The manual has found its way into hundreds of businesses around Australia - everywhere from mines to Opera companies. And from laundries to accountant's offices.
I have been struggling to put together even the smallest of employee manuals with a group of policies. And now that I have tailored the Instant HR Policies & Procedures into my manual, I can't believe how professional it has made our business. I loved that it is almost idiot proof! Everything is explained in easy to understand language.
Jenni Reiffel
Polar Displays
You see ... businesses love it!
Which is why to celebrate The Challenge for 2011, I am giving a one-off amazing offer.
For the next 48 hours only, you can buy a copy of our Instant HR Policies and Procedures for just $97 + GST (just use the coupon code challenge). That's a $100 saving!
Click here to take advantage of our special offer
Remember - this offer is only valid until 8.30am Sunday 4th August 2011 (AEST)
Given my earlier story of one of my stuff ups - I thought I would share another more recent one. This week I made a spectacular entrance at a speaking gig in front of 200 people.
exuberantly yours
Ingrid
Heart Harmony
Legal stuff: This newsletter is intended as only a general guideline for Australian businesses. You should seek specific advice for your situation rather than relying only on this newsletter
Earnings disclaimer. Some of the content may include advertorial information, which means I may receive financial compensation for the products I recommend. But - unless I know and trust the product, I will not recommend it.
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