The Internet Marketing and home based business boom has virtually drowned us in various programs and systems through which you can earn money by working from home. The problem with this is that many people seem to have forgotten that "working at home" actually means WORKING, even if it is in the comfort of your own home. If I had a dollar for every person who signed up for program after program, and then just sat down and waited for something to happen - I would be rich enough to buy a small country. The worst part is that those who fall into this trap end up broke and will thus despise everything that has to do with Internet marketing for the rest of their lives.
One reason for this phenomena is undoubtably the somewhat unrealistic claims often being made in sales letters for Internet marketing tools and programs. And many network marketing programs would have you believe that you "just have to sign up" and then the system will do all the work for you. However, I don't think we can shift all of the blame on "the system". After all, when was the last time you believed a typical tv-commercial or sales pitch to be 100% objective and truthful? What makes you think advertising on the Internet would be any different?
Regardless of what you are trying to promote online, be it your own product(s), an affiliate program or a multi-level marketing company, the fact is that it will take time and effort before you reach your goal. Your mental attitude towards the project is therefore of utmost importance. Information on specific things, like getting web site traffic or publishing your own newsletter, is readily available on good sites about home based business and Internet Marketing - just like the site you are visiting right now. Finding people who will teach you all they know about Internet marketing is not a problem. But it will be entirely up to you to take action and realize your dreams.
Self Motivation and Mental Training
It is therefore important that you firmly believe that you CAN and WILL be successful with your chosen program or product. In fact you should stand up in front of a mirror right now and tell yourself exactly what you expect to accomplish with this program and that, no matter what, you will reach your goal. This is a technique called autosuggestion and it is discussed in great detail in the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill.
I know some people like to scoff at so called "self-help books",but I really recommend that you read this one with an open mind and try out it's suggestions.
I mean, think about it for a moment...if you consider, say, a high jumper. Do you think he or she could actually jump over a bar that is well over 2 meters up in the air if they constantly where thinking "that's waaay to high, I'll never make it"? Of course not! Almost all successful athletes today recognize the importance of mental training in addition to physical conditioning. The wealth of information about Internet marketing that is readily available to you can be compared to the tough physical conditioning a top athlete goes trough - there will be a lot for you to do while learning all the tools of the trade, but if you stick with the plan and do it a little bit at a time you will eventually possess the Internet marketing equivalent of a super-athletes physiology. If you also take some time to program your mind for success, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.
Another important point is to avoid negative reference groups - no matter how much you have pumped up your confidence, it can all be torn down in a heartbeat by a negative reference group. Especially when you try to earn a living from the Internet, you will run into many people who will tell you how stupid you are for even thinking of such a possibility. You must at all costs avoid talking (seriously) about your plans with people like this. Confide only in those who will support you, and ignore all the whiners an old farts who know nothing about the Internet anyway!
Conclusion
So, to tie the two aspects mentioned in this article together - it is important for you to believe in yourself, but you must also have realistic expectations. Most people who fail in making it on the Internet do so because they buy into some "get-rich-quick-over- night-without-lifting-a-finger-scheme". And when nothing happens for the entire first week they feel ripped off and give up.
"Internet marketing" is not a magic bullet that, by itself, will allow you to quit your job tomorrow and become a millionaire. However, the Internet DOES offer many fantastic opportunities to make a decent living marketing products and services - provided that you have something of value to sell, of course. You should choose a product, program or system that you feel really good about. Preferably something that you already have more knowledege about than people on average. Once you are also armed with the right attitude I would be happy to assist you in your Internet marketing efforts in any way I can. Then all that is left to do is for you to GO FOR IT!
© Bjorn Hakans 2005
About the Author
On his web site http://www.build-a-solid-homebusiness.com Bjorn Hakans writes articles intended to help people achieve success in legitimate home based business opportunities. Mr. Hakans lives in Finland and has had his own online business for over six years.