The turtles and I have long been fan’s of Marlon Sanders. I own quite a few of his products and have recommended them strongly. This article was in his weekly newsletter and I wanted to make sure that you saw it so it is reprinted here with permission.

The lesson is very important and will help you avoid information overload.

How to Evaluate ANY Money Getting System — And Save A Small Fortune In Time and Money, Plus Get Better Results Faster

By Marlon Sanders

Every week a new barrage of email promotions likely hit your inbox.

A few are good.

The others I’m not so sure about.

How do YOU see through the hype and get to the truth, so you know WHAT do do, and what NOT to do?

You’re probably on a limited budget with limited time and resources to spend on you Internet marketing activities. How do you be a wise steward of what you DO have?

In other words, how can you get the maximum payoff with limited time?

First, get to the CORE of the model asap

Any “money getting” system, to use Frank Kern’s wonderful term, works on the basis of a few models.

When you GET offers in your email box, you have to ASK yourself, “What’s the core model?” Then you have to apply rational thinking TO that model to think about it.

1. The “Product Launch” Models

You’ll see screen caps of massive numbers that make your head swim.

Sometimes these figures come in fast. Like 5 or 10 MILLION dollars in 30 days, or faster.

Realize that these are extremely complex models based on herding cats. The cats are the joint venture partners who all email the same offer during a 1 day to 2 week time span.

Getting these joint ventures involves highly sophisticated personal relationships for the most part.

Fact is, if people mail for your launch, most will expect a reciprocal mailing. And you’ll be obligated whether or not you believe in the product.

There are also issues with your merchant account getting frozen due to the unusual influx of funds. Refunds can run up to 30%.

This isn’t a method for the shy or timid.

Now, you CAN run a product launch model without those drawbacks. But if you do, your income won’t remotely resemble the gigantic numbers thrown out in the examples.

First, let me say that the way Jeff Walker teaches the Product Launch Model is NOT the way it’s often done, used or taught by others.

I know Jeff and think very highly of him and his methods. I’m talking here about a more general model of product launches that has evolved and isn’t necessarily advocated by any ONE person.

I’m NOT targeting an individual with these comments. I’m just talking about the overall model. Frank Kern? Cool guy. Very talented and funny too. NOT talking about Frank or Mass Control.

I’m JUST talking about a model that is a general consensus or a standard method of operation that has evolved.

Consider these drawbacks:

a. Product launches can absorb 3-6 months of your time.

So what APPEARS to be overnight money actually took 3-6 MONTHS.

b. You’ll lose ANOTHER 3-6 months doing all the reciprocal emails you owe people.

c. Merchant account issues

d. Refund issues

e. Sales issues

You have one shot to get the product to sell. If you screwed up your sales letter, you’re a dead duck.

More people flop at this than succeed. But a number DO succeed. I’m NOT against the model as long as you understand the GAME you’re playing and you aren’t all glossy eyed over the big numbers without knowing what goes into it.

I’ve seen some very good marketers work HARD to get others to promote a launch for them and end up with paltry results. I’ve also seen a few unknowns crush it with the right offer at the right time.

High risk. High potential reward.

2. Affiliate models

In these models, you don’t create a product. You sell OTHER people’s products. Just think:

* No customer service * No product fulfillment * No complaints * No hassles

Sounds awesome right?

A lot of beginners get started as affiliates and that’s as it should be. No problem with that. You’re learning the ropes.

But you DO need to consider the following:

a. Most of the affiliate checks that are sizeable I see are based on getting top Google ranking for the product name about a week before the launch.

This means you need to get good at beating out others for the SAME product names and you need to to do it in a short time span.

Just understand what Game you’re playing.

Still, if you ARE going to play the affiliate Game, this is one of the best ways to play it. You leach off of product launches and your traffic comes from people
searching for the product name.

The downside is a lot of other affiliates play the same Game and you’re competing against others who are really good at this. By the same token, if you promote a product launch that fails to generate buzz, no one searches the product name or the author’s name and you don’t make diddly squat.

b. Some big affiliate success stories are based on the list A lot of times, it comes back to good ol’ basic evergreen marketing, the kind of stuff I teach.

The person created special reports, got people onto their email list, built the list OVER TIME and then just did a big bonus offer for a new product launch.

You’ll see people pull in $30,000 to $50,000 by promoting a big, juicy bonus bundle to their list for a product launch offer. BUT that person usually has their OWN products and a great reputation and relationship with their list.

Otherwise, the bonus products have no value.

What I’m saying is, what APPEARS to be an affiliate marketing model is really NOT. It’s a product creation and promotion model where a list was built THEN used to promote a product launch via a special bonus offer.

Here’s the CRUX of the issue:

Where will the TRAFFIC come from?

If YOU are the affiliate someone else is paying you a commission in exchange for YOUR traffic. So where are you going to get the traffic and how?

Usually the traffic comes from organic seo, which involves a lot of article writing, web 2.0 sites, backlink creation and so forth.

c. You CAN build an evergreen affiliate business

1.) In niches, you can build a list off of a pay-per-click campaign. John Barker from Adwords Blackbook fame is a master of this.

2.) You CAN build a list without your own product via giveaways, ad swaps and other methods.

Then you use the list to promote special offers to.

d. TRICKS of the Game — A LOT of times those giant numbers on screen caps were produced promoting an offer of questionable value like ringtones or an offer with recurring billing that is buried.

If the letter doesn’t say WHAT was promoted, it’s probably because it was an extremely broad product that involved buried recurring billing.

That means you aren’t likely to replicate the success.

3. Paid Advertising Models

Some of the most dramatic success stories are based on paid advertising models.

These often involve a high level of skill NOT duplicable by the novice or even intermediate marketer.

The BEGINNING media buys can be $10,000+. This fact is conveniently left OUT of the sales letter.

4. List Building Models

The model that comes closest to my model is the list building model.

Theses people advocate building big lists or small, responsive ones. It’s hard to argue with that.

My only caution on these is that a lot of the list building methods taught are dubious and don’t work.

Your BEST list building comes from creating your own products and getting people who ALREADY have lists to promote them via email to their lists. And yes, there might be some reciprocity involved.

But you can LIMIT this to products and people you believe in and know are quality.

4. The Evergreen Model

I advocate what I call “The Evergreen Model” because it has been working for 1,000+ years. You create products and sell them via a network of sales people. In this case, affiliates and joint venture partners.

The drawback is getting affiliates isn’t “push button easy” or crap like that. But it IS doable with attention and focus.

a. You don’t have to join a coaching program to figure it out

There ARE details involved, most of which I explain in low cost products.

b. It relies on a dose of creativity

You need to have a bit of an eye for a topic that will sell well.

c. You build a relationship with your list

Since the products you sell are created by you, your customers develop a relationship WITH YOU, not another marketer.

d. You build over time

A lot of advertising-based models don’t build lists that grow over time. So a year from now you’re no better off today.

I like growing an evergreen business where you develop a list.

============ Conclusion ============

a. Stop chasing rabbits

KNOW what marketing model you’re following and don’t chase a new marketing model each week.

b. Get good at ONE model

c. Realize no model is perfect

There IS no perfect model. And if the model sounds perfect, someone is leaving something out. Every model has an aspect that is less than desirable.

If youre eyes are glazing over because you’re so excited about a model, you’ve likely bought into hype and a smooth pitch.

d. Consistency of effort is key

The key is to know your model, focus on it over time and improve it.

=======================================================
Marlon Sanders helps people with hopes and dreams figure
out how to turn those into reality by selling stuff on
the Internet. Check out Marlon’s The Writer’s Secret

Hope you enjoyed this and will apply this to the various items you see this week.

Technorati Tags: advertising, affiliate marketing, business models, evergreen, information overload, internet marketing

The turtles could not survive in the tank if I did not have systems to keep their environment clean such as filters they would be very unhappy.

Just read this article from Marlon Sanders and after consultation with the turtles (yes I talked but they did not object not that they ever talk back) we decided you should see it too.

“How To Make $3 A Day 700 Times”

==> Subtitle: In 2009, do you know your FORMULA and do you know exactly HOW you’re gonna SCALE it up?

By Marlon Sanders
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Six months ago I’m chit chatting on the phone with my friend David Frey from MarketingBestPractices.com.

Dave told me he had these 2 friends.

And these guys made $11,000 a day using Google Adsense back in the haydays of that thing.

They had fancy boats, houses, cars, the whole nine yards.

These guys wanted to sell one of Dave’s products but it wasn’t the right deal. And maybe one of my Dashboards would be right for them.

They could move 5,000 units a week. And while I wouldn’t get much per unit, maybe I could work out a deal to get the customer names then sell stuff to ‘em on the “back end.”

I’m not one to hop on deals like that.

Instead of running a big business with a buncho employees, I run a small ship. On a good month, we run a tight ship. And I have to stay focused on the few things I feel we do best.

That would be creating my own brand of products and selling them.

Still, if these guys could bring me the names of 5,000 customers a week, that’d work.

I spoke to ‘em on the phone and before I could blink an eye, they’d flown in. They found my office using a GPS thingy. Didn’t even have to give ‘em directions.

I immediately thought, “Wow, I WISH I could hire these guys!’

Anyway, we hang out and chit chat.

They told me the whole $11,000 a day adsense story. Now, these guys fly WAY under the radar on purpose. You haven’t hear of ‘em and they like it that way.

At first, I wasn’t entirely sure about the $11,000 a day Adsense story. ‘Till they showed me a few pix of houses, cars, boats. You get the idea.

Alright. You’re who Dave said you were.

One of the guys was thin, not tan, looked like a family guy, pix of his wife and kids in his wallet. Really, kinda an average-looking dude.

A bit understated when he talked. He was the “nice guy.” His friend was “the negotiator.” Or that’s how I perceived it. Don’t get me wrong. I liked both of ‘em.

He told me his whole theory of bringin’ in the bux with online marketing.

You get a small margin on something, Then you blow it up really big.

Like adsense.

They made a small margin on each page or site. But they blew it up big time. I think they had a whole team of people in India doing it. A lot of people. I don’t remember the exact numbers. But a lot.

Anyway, I didn’t do the deal.

I’d have to give up on how my products were sold. Everything. I could private label. But it ain’t like people don’t know Dashboards are from me.

I invented ‘em, along with Sales Letter Generator software, along with the freebie gift before you ask for the testimonial, along with the 12-step sales letter writing formula everyone teaches, along with the 2-page web site model. Along with a lotta stuff.

So I didn’t do the deal.

But for Christmas, the understated guy sent me a gift basket. That was a nice touch.

So when you speak at a lot of seminars, everyone and their dog sends you gift baskets. But when my mom got Alzheimers, I stopped doing the seminar circuit. And then, after a guy ran a red light and hit my car doing 70, it’s not so easy for me to go on the road anymore.

I have to find a chiropractor usually. I get invitations. I coulda gone ton Singapore 2X last year. I turned down another gig. I spoke in UK but had to hunt down a chiropractor on a Saturday!!

That means I’m not flooded with gift baskets like I used to be. So a guy like this guy. Or a Yanik Silver. Guys who remember you, even if you aren’t as much in the limelight. They stand out.

Well, the other day this guy sends me an email. I won’t go into details. But I found out his LATEST venture….

Another cookie cutter.

He found a way to make $3 a day from web sites selling affiliate products. OK. You’ve heard that before ad nauseum.

But here’s the TWIST: The dude did it 700 times!

And I know it’s true.

Come on now. You should see the dude’s boat. Actually, I think technically it’s a yacht. I don’t know much about boats.

But he sent me a video of the account. It’s true.

You know, let’s have a candid moment here.

Probably four thousand people have came out with that whole “make a little site and do it 4,00X pitch.”

It’s older than the hills in Internet marketing terms.

Now, something you gotta understand here.

I hired a personal trainer and was working out like a maniac. Cardio every day. Lifting weights. Getting muscle and really strong. But 3 days before Xmas we did some leg weights.

And the day after Xmas I had this BIG bulge in the mirror. I’m like, “What the $$)#*( is that?”

A hernia. So now I will likely miss Yanik’s gig to have this fixed so I can get back in the gym. In the meantime, when I don’t exercise, I don’t sleep that great.

Particularly the night before I talked to this guy. So I’m in NO mood for b.s.

I’m just flat out BLUNT: I say, “Bro, you got NO USP here. Forty million people have said they got this formula to make 3 bucks a day with web sites.”

He said, “Yeah, but I’ve done it 700 times!”

THAT got my attention.

He actually employs 3 people in the Philippines who just do this thing full time.

Which got my attention because I have a friend in the Philippines who needs work.

Then I SMACK him hard again, “Dude, the whole article marketing thing has be done to DEATH!”

I found out he doesn’t use articles to get the traffic. It’s a web 2.0 thing. Frankly, nothing fancy at all.

He told me if he does it personally, he can create one of his sites and the marketing for it in 15 or 30 minutes, outsourcing the actual web site part.

Now, NONE of HOW he does this matters. At least not for this article.

Here is my POINT:

He’s the ONLY PERSON I really know who post-adsense has really delivered on the promise of getting a whole bunch of web sites that make 3 bucks a day.

But even that isn’t the REAL take away here for you.

To me, it’s this:

He found ONE THING that made 3 bucks a day that was simple enough to outsource. Then he outsourced it.

Just simple repetition.

The GLITCH in all these “repetition” pitches I hear is that yeah they got 5 or 10 sites that make a $10 a day or whatever. But they don’t scale up.

However, if you CAN find a way to do it that will scale, it’s very powerful.

And the reason I’m writing this article and you’re reading it is to say this…

My friend made $11,000 a day in Adsense by getting ONE thing that worked. Then scaled it up.

He did the SAME thing with this dirt simple little system. And I haven’t asked him yet. But I bet he’s done it with other things.

You HEAR people talk about this pitch with article marketing. But honestly, I don’t think you’ll come anywhere near $3 a day per article with article marketing.

What my friend did was EXPERIMENT.

Specifically:

1. He doesn’t use Clickbank or Commission Junction for the affiliate stuff. His testing showed those didn’t convert for this method.

2. His traffic source is NOT article marketing. It’s a web 2.0 thing that’s not really being used tons by others. At least, not for affiliate marketing like this.

This article is about the power of repetition and scalability.

In my business, I developed a way to roll out product after product to my list.

And a way to get money in the door every month. A method hardly anyone else does, when I stop to think about it.

What I’ve just given you is the secret behind all great wealth, accomplishments and achievements.

One formula.

Done with excellence.

Performed over and over.

A lot of people have read “Amazing Formula.” Thousands actually. But not many really understood it.

What I said in that product was you build a list and roll a new product out to it every month.

I was the first person I believe to really say, “Hey, a NEW era of marketing has arrived. Using the web and ebooks, you can create a new product every month and roll it out to your list.”

Most people don’t understand that’s a MODEL. I called it a FORMULA but it’s a model. The FIRST one that really said we’re in a new era of digital products. And you can roll out to your list every month.

Now, that model kinda morphed into “build a list and hammer it with affiliate products.”

You can do that. I’m not sure it’s the optimal way to go about it.

What’s your MODEL?

Do you KNOW?

Do you have a month-by-month plan for implementing it in this new year? If you don’t know what your MODEL is, THAT is why you have problems with FOCUS.

That is WHY you feel overwhelmed.

Because you don’t know the OUTCOME. You don’t know what FORMULA you’re following or why. You don’t know HOW you are scaling up.

If you do, or if you don’t, spit back at me on my blog:

Marlon’s blog

I personally respond to most comments there. NOT an employee.

How many other marketers who have sold millions online are willing to RESPOND to posts on their blog?

I’m not an “ivory tower” marketer where I’m like Moses on the mountain with the 10 commandments and if you come near me without a handful of money I’ll strike you dead with lightning!

That’s kinda how Internet marketing is nowadays.

I’m not saying I’ll have lunch with you or hang out. I won’t. But I WILL read your blog post and try to give you an intelligent response, even it’s brief.

Marlon Sanders

———————————————————–
Marlon Sanders is the author of “The Amazing Formula That
Sells Products Like Crazy.”

Check out all my products here:

MarlonSanders.com

———————————————————–

Now apply the lessons and build your system.

The Turtle Dad

Technorati Tags: internet marketing, multiplier, outsourcing, systems