"I'm a Noob, where do I start"

[dev.null]

Hello all,

You guys may remember the discussion on the board that went for a week (Nov 22 through Dec 1) titled "Need a JV Broker".

In it Shane opened with the fact that he was new and was making $4k/mo, and looking to do "a big launch".

In the discussion Rob Toth made this post:

http://www.jvnotifypro.com/community/index.php/topic,2797.msg11126.html#msg11126

which most agreed (as do I) was dead-on.

A couple of Rob's points were "since you're new, how can you tell others you can teach them something." Here's one in particular:


You were asking me some basic questions (questions and feedback and advice is seeking consulting, by the way) ... and I know this is your first launch and your first real product endeavour. So the most obvious point would be how does that qualify you to teach others to make money??

I want to be 100% clear here before I ask you guys to comment - I'm NOT trying to start up an argument about "who's right and who's wrong" between Rob and Shane - if you leave this post thinking that, you're way off.

I'm hoping in the end we can have a nice thread, that if you're a noob to IM you can come read and walk away knowing what you've got to do.

Here's my question. It's obvious Shane is new - he said so himself. At the same time he's making $50k a year (52 weeks times $1k a week), which equals a pretty respectable 8-5 job without the 8-5 part ;-D. So he can't easily be dismissed as a complete neophyte.

Where he is a noob is running with big stuff. And this was Rob's point - so you want a "big launch", you better get in shape. Rob's estimation (as well as a number of us) is/was that Shane wasn't ready for something "big". But hey - maybe "big" in Shane's "$1k a week" world is a $25k launch - did he ever define it? - that's a side question, not the real issue of my post.

So, to the main point. "What's the progression for someone to start at zero and move on up?"

Let's give the Shanes in this world some milestones. I'm hoping the really big dogs will step in here and lay some things out - maybe even just post "this is how it happened for me".

Here's an example:



1. Start with list building - give away an ebook and back it up with 2-3 emails a week and a product. Once your list is 10K and you had 2,000 units sell, you're ready for the next step.

2. The next step is JV. *NOT* your own product - you should expect to run several JVs with someone else's product so you get an idea of how a larger launch works. Make a couple JVs happy, then move on to the next step.

3. The next step is doing your own launch. Keep doing JVs with others until you find a mentor that (a) you trust and (b) who is willing to take you under wing for your launch. You'll also need to be brainstorming on your own product for launch. Don't run your launch until you can get 10 JVs with lists of 10K size and your own list is 50k.

4...



I look forward to hearing some solid responses from you guys - I IMed w/ Rob personally before starting up the thread - I'm especially looking forward to hearing a followup on his constructive criticism.

Thanks guys, you're the greatest!

[Rob Toth]

Hi Richard,
Right out gates I'd like to say that I'm not here to comment on anything specific to Shane.

I see you referenced him in the post.

I respect his views, wish him all the best but I could sense that he took the entire mini report as aimed at him. Whereas my point was that his scenario is a dime a dozen... I've literally seen it over and over again.

I have no points and no comments re: Shane, his experience, his business model or anything specific as that was never the goal. And I guess I did a terrible job at conveying that. The write-up was put out based on just my obseverations of VERY *COMMON* flaws made by MANY MANY beginners.

That being said, I'm no end-all-be-all expert by any means. My feedback is simply based on MY experience and my observations.

With that bit of disclaimer out of the way (seeing as I simply will not jump back into an emotion driven debate with a fellow JV Notify board member), I'll comment on your question...


""What's the progression for someone to start at zero and move on up?""

Keep on keeping on.

There's nothing complex here... so let's help bring this back to basics...

You have website that is either monetized by direct sales or by advertising etc.

You make more money based on your ability to improve conversions (usually tied into presentation and value) and your ability to get more targetted prospects to your site and better and better ROI.

This concept of "JV" which, in this marketspace is actually just a solicitation for an affiliate partnership and nothing more... is just ONE way to generate business.

Affiliates offer great leverage, no question but a business can be built without affiliates.

So in terms of a guideline of what to do next...

If you opened a restaurant, what would your next step be?

Marketing maybe? Getting people in the door?

But now you have a flow of customers, how do you increase retention (get them to be return patrons)?

Now you have regulars, how do you turn that into upsells and back-end opportunities?

How do you then get those customers to help you spread the word (word of mouth / viral growth promotions)?

How can you improve the menu, the value, the overall customer experience to impress and retain even more of your customers coming through the doors?

How can you better test, track and improve your advertising/marketing plan?

How can you re-invest your profits to take things to the next level... possibly a second location or increasing the size of the first (for more seating capacity).

etc etc.

Nothing flashy there.

Same idea...

How can you create a unique product or sevice? Stand out in the crowd as someone worthy to do business with? How can you impress customers? How can you retain them? Where else can you advertise? Once you have a great value funnel, excited customers, a proven product, good ROI... how can you levarge affiliate partners (aka. "JVs").

There's nothing special about someone who is "new" (a noob, newbie, beginner). *EVERYONE* started there. The way some then advanced further and built an audience, a leads list, client base, affiliate base, brand name etc was based on general business principles of delivering a unique offer, high value, having smart and effective marketing.

So if you're asking how does a start-up ("beginner") becoming a large operation ("big guru" or whatever label you prefer)... it's a universal process of just putting in the work, doing more of everything and improving everything in system for better ROIs along the way.


- a former "Tim"

[Rob Toth]

Actually... I really do need to comment on this:


>>Rob's estimation (as well as a number of us) is/was that Shane wasn't ready for something "big"

Again, I'm pulling Shane's name out as none of my intention or my report was about him. So let's keep things general as it was first aimed to be.

Now... if you interpreted the above statement from anything I wrote, then I apologize for having been unclear as that statement is really incorrect.

Someone can start today and hit the ground running and make 5-figures their first week in sales and grow from there... by having a high value product, a buzz worth promotion, intelligent advertising, front end capital for a big advertising push etc.

In short... someone (a start-up biz) can go from 0 to "big" as quick as their resources and their strategy allows.

The objection was when beginners, without a proven product, without an effective presentation, without proven conversions, without a worthwhile sales funnel, without an attractive affiliate program etc try to land affiliate relationships ("JVs") with established businesses.

If you just opened a small ma-and-pa operation restaurant, with standard North American menu food, nothing particular special about your place, seating capacity of 20, modest atmosphere, new staff etc... you wouldn't think of chasing down top chefs and top food authorities to publicly endorse your "nothing special" restaurant.

Doesn't mean you can't do cross promotion deals with smaller local vendors and it certainly doesn't mean you can chase other advertising avenues. But don't expect the front cover of your major newspaper for your average run-of-the-mill restaurant.

Very same feedback for information marketers as well.

But THAT has nothing to do with whether a company (or person) is ready to go big.