Can you distinguish the Internet Marketing truth from the lies?

Successful Internet Marketing doesn't have to be a confusing, difficult and complicated task.

The reason it seems that way is because many self-proclaimed internet marketing experts and gurus are out to separate you from your money anyway they can, so they make exaggerated claims and even outright lies in telling you what you want to hear.

How Can This Site Help Me?

My name is Ed Osworth and I will be your guide through through this site. I warn you. I am extremely blunt at times. Most of the time, in fact.

If you are looking for the "happy talk and fantasy" so common on web marketing sites you won't find it here. If that is what you are looking for I suggest you visit Disney.com instead.

I will not schmooze you by telling you what you want to hear. You can get that anywhere on the web.

Instead, I promise to tell you the truth based on my experience.

My marketing experience goes back 16 years. I was responsible for sales and marketing in a multi-million dollar corporation back in 1985 and have been involved in sales and marketing ever since.

I am a real live person. I do not hide behind websites or mail drops. You can see me, my wife and even my business location at my "corporate" website. Even my home phone number is there.

My "corporate" site is located at OregonDreams.com cause my business IS my Oregon Dream.

I have made my living for many years from my websites and information products.

No Gurus

But I am not an "Internet Marketing Guru" or "Internet Marketing Expert".

I am simply an "Internet Journalist". A critic at large, so to speak.

As such I subscribe to a journalist's ethical standard. That includes only recommending stuff that I have actually used and feel is a benefit. I won"t steer you to whatever product or service is paying me the fattest referral fee right now.

It also includes disclosing the fact up front that certain links on my site can benefit me financially through affiliate agreements. (More on this in my article "The Internet Marketing Product BS Detector")

I promise you that any referral agreements will not ever influence my recommendation or review. Many things I recommend don't have referral programs. That is usually because the product is so good they don't need to pay people to promote it.

And since they don't pay - you may never learn of them at the other marketing sites.

So what, Ed? Why should I believe you?

My verifiable track record.

You may well know me as "The Real Estate Rebel". Four years ago I released my first internet based infoproduct called "Real Estate Secrets".

It explains to folks exactly how to protect themselves in any real estate transaction and how to sell or buy real estate without using a broker.

I was well qualified to pass this information to folks. I owned and operated 2 real estate companies. I wrote the book, put it on the internet, did a little bit of advertising and sold over 2000 copies of my own information product. I recently sold the "Real Estate Secrets" rights and business to onee of the largest of the real estate websites, ByOwner.com for a sweet profit.

I have promoted over 40 other successful domains for myself and clients. Domains that sold products as diverse as Rolex Watches, Books, Real Estate, Blue Green Algae, Herbs, Health Products, Women's Fertility Devices, Fishing Expeditions, Calling Cards, and more.

I have succeeded making my living from the web selling "Real Estate Secrets" and other products that are NOT related to web marketing.

The ONLY products many of the folks out there offering marketing advise have sold are "How to Make Money on the Internet" products.

For many businesses, advice from that perspective is useless. "How to Make Money on the Internet" products take a different approach to marketing then "real world" products.

"Oops.. I did it again. I just upset someone by speaking my mind."

I already have a documented track record for telling the truth.

The real estate industry isn't thrilled that I sell folks my course. It exposes many of the manipulative techniques used in the industry. It shows the public how to use the latest "emotional response marketing" techniques to sell their homes by themselves. It enables folks to do a better job than a lot of agents and save the commission.

I wrote Real Estate Secrets to tell the truth about real estate as I saw it. It is based on 8 years in the real estate business.  The fact that it made money was just icing on the cake.

My pile of testimonials from folks who have saved tens of thousands of dollars using it bears that out.

As with "Real Estate Secrets" this site is the truth as I see it based on 6 years of making my living on the web. If it makes money that will be nice. That's not why I am doing this though.

If I was doing this strictly for the money I would be spewing "happy talk". It generates more sales than being straight with folks. That's why you see so much of it.

I would tell you how this site will "explode your sales" and "skyrocket your income." I would promise you "instant internet wealth and easy riches".

Then I would have to look in the mirror in the morning. No thanks.

Instead I will tell the truth. Whether it sells or not.

That way I can wake up and see the opinionated man I am proud to be in that mirror.

How does this benefit you? Simple. You are much more likely to succeed if your expectations are realistic. False expectations lead to major disappointment. This can make one lose faith and stop their marketing before it has a chance to work.

I believe the above is the one of the leading causes of web business failure. I have seen it again and again. Folks see no results within 3 to 6 months and then pull their sites or stop trying. Little do they realize that they may well have been just weeks away from success.

8 Words of Infinite Wisdom

To illustrate, let me tell you a story from my real estate years. One of the great motivational sales trainers in real estate was a gentleman by the name of Tommy Hopkins. He is a sales legend.

The story goes that he was on an interview panel of many of the top agents in the US. Each of the agents was asked "What is the greatest ability an agent must have to succeed in the real estate business?."

The other agents went into long dissertations about sales ability, marketing skills, developing systems, testing different ad copy, free publicity, networking etc: (sound familiar?)

When it came time for Tommy to answer the question he had just 8 words to say.

"The most important is the ability to last."

Get that folks? TO LAST! To hang in there. To not get discouraged.

Those word changed my life. I hope they influence yours as well.

If you believe that you're going to immediately duplicate the results that some of these Guru's talk about in their programs and "make insane profits" you will not last.

You will give up. Another beautiful dream will bite the dust. When if you had only given it a bit more time.....

Don't fall for the "fast success" trap. Hang on to Tommy's great words and my message to you. I have seen miracles happen just by "hanging in there".

The Short Version

Here is the short version of the truth about web marketing.

There is no easy way to instant success. There are no magic formulas, secret techniques or instant cash machines that eliminate hard work. You won't be sitting on the beach in Jamaica sipping Mai Tais while millions of dollars pour into your "virtual cash machine".

Did that hurt all that much?

You never really believed it anyway, did you?

Great, you have just begun the true path to success.

Welcome to reality, Dorothy. We are not in the Land of Oz anymore. Pay close attention to the motives of the men (or women) behind the curtain when they tell you that their latest product or gizmo will make that fantasy world possible. The truth will set you free.

There is a simple way to web success. It involves developing good copywriting and sales skills, product testing, ad testing and tracking, savvy networking and lots of hours of determined work. And, of course, the ability to last.

I'm not saying that no one ever made a quick fortune selling a product on the web. It happens all the time. That changes nothing.

Consider this. Every week folks win millions in state lotteries. How much would you pay one of them to teach you their secret formula for winning?

In life, some folks get very lucky. They win big without hardly trying.

But all of us get a little luck once in a while.

When it strikes, you must be prepared to take that luck and ride the wave to the top.

That takes knowing the truth, hard work and determination (i.e.: the ability to last).

A Dirty Little Secret

Here's a little secret. All those who succeed, whether I personally agree with their techniques or not, work their butts off to achieve and maintain their success.

Some just don't admit it. They tell you that it is all easy.

Why?

Because a promise of wealth without work is one of the most effective ways to sell.

Compare these 2 headlines and you will see why.

1: "Make $50,000 per month lounging in your pajamas while your automatic online cash machine does all the work!."

or

2: "Make $2,000 per month working 15 hours per week promoting your site, educating yourself, creating new content and giving excellent service to your customers."

Number 1 is fantasy and will sell like hotcakes.

Number 2 is realistic and won't sell at all.

Why? Because it reveals that work is necessary and sets realistic expectations.

The "Magic Formula" that always works

Success doesn't happen without hard work, no matter what you hear.

Success also doesn't happen without making mistakes.

I've fallen flat on my face more than a few times along the way. I'm sure I'm not done falling either. So will you. That is a necessary element of the path to success.

Here's the "Magic Formula" to Success. Learn the skills, put in the hard work, and be ready to take risks and the bumps and bruises of falling down. If you are willing to put in the hard work necessary to succeed, you will.

And that's not fantasy. That formula works every time. It has since the dawn of man.

The Rest of The Story

The purpose of this site is to give you the other side of the internet marketing story. I'll introduce you to articles, programs, software and ideas I have found to have great value. I'll be blunt in my evaluations.

Some of the information and opinions here go directly against the "common knowledge" you have heard about what works in marketing on the web.

You will not agree with all of it. Some of it may even offend you. That is good! It means that I have got you thinking rather than blindly accepting.

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."   Buddha

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Let's begin. The articles and review links are up at the top.

A good place to start is by reading the book "Scientific Advertising" by Claude Hopkins. It just so happens you can read it right here at my site for free. It was written in the 1920s and is the basis for almost all of the web marketing courses on the market.

Ed Osworth
The Success Professor
abetterlife@spamcop.net

PS: If you would like to receive my occasional newsletter "The TipSheet and Update" Click Here to Signup

PPS: If you like this site and my reviews and opinions please bookmark this page and come back again. I'm asking you directly to support my message by spreading the word to friends and business associates.

Recommendation:  Curious about creating your own information product like "Real Estate Secrets"? One web product I can highly recommend is "Make Your Knowledge Sell" from Ken Evoy. It is the most up to date and complete source of knowledge on the subject.

Whereas I don't agree with Ken on everything (his books are too long for my taste - 700 pages is a bit much), he gives the absolute best value for dollar of any web marketing instructor. ( No way will I ever refer to him as a "Guru", he's just too good of a guy)

He prices all of his stuff more than fairly (i.e.:cheap) and backs it up. Don't think you got your money's worth? He'll give you a refund.

If you are curious at all just take his free 5 part course. Click here to sign up. Ken won't bug you with endless follow up email like some. He'll send you the course and graciously say goodbye.

While we are on the subject,I highly recommend 3 of his products all of which I own and have read from cover to cover at least once.

They are

Make Your Site Sell,(site creation and promotion)

Make your Words Sell (copywriting)

and Make Your Knowledge Sell. (infoproduct creation)

I have also purchased his Make Your Price Sell but I haven't used it yet. As soon as I do, the review will be placed here.