Do YOU Have A Support Desk Or Just Use Email?

We, as marketer’s…are going to receive emails from time to time. But what do you use? A support desk, or just conventional email?

Here’s a question though, how many emails that have been sent to you, are caught up in the SPAM filters? My guess is that there will be quite a few! Imagine how many emails could possibly be from one person who is now wondering if your in fact ignoring them. It’s not something that I’d like to happen, it could ruin your reputation…then where do you go from there?

If only you had a support desk, all the communicating is done via that. There is now no way that emails are caught up in the filters, and for people to think that they have been ignored. A well know eBay powerseller has recently just aquired his own support desk, because of this very problem.

Not only is it better communication, but the whole ‘chat’ is stored. You can easily see what you and the other party have said previously. So, what are you thinking? Do you need to get your hands on a support desk now?…

Well, there’s some good news. I’m soon to release a report, well…it’s more a guide explaining how to setup your own support desk and customise it. More on this in the coming days though.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please leave them below…

John Thornhill Quizzed! But What’s All That About?

It was a couple of nights ago, that I was sitting with some paper and a pen. I started to write down some questions that I wantted some ansews too. So, John Thornhill was the lucky candidate that I sent then too. And a couple of hours later, John had sent me a reply to say that he would indeed answer them.

So, without keeping you waiting any longer…let’s get onto the first question;

1] Mark: How did you go and create all of your products? At a rough count, you have 12 [many more though I guess] but how do you take your ideas and thrun them into cash producing products?

I have many ideas that I have written down over time, but will probably never get round to creating a product with them. So…do you just think of a couple and go with one of them, or is it just something completely different?

John: Well as my main niche is eBay and information products, I try and stay within that area. I usually just have ideas out of the blue and make a note of it. One thing I always do is make sure I only work on one product at a time. It’s easy to be halfway through a product and get an idea for something else that can throw you off course. So, I now make sure I always complete the product I am working on before moving onto the next.

2] Mark: If you were going to create a new membership site, then what would you be looking to do? How would you build it, and depending on what it was…would you go with a monthly fee or just a fixed price?

John: Well, I actually have 2 paid membership sites. NinetyDayPowerseller.com is a fixed price membership site, and MentorshipMonthly.com is a monthly fee site. Both work well and it really depends what you are selling. If you constantly update a site and provide new material, I would suggest having a monthly fee site.

3] Mark: You are going to UPDATE an existing product. When is the right time to even think about it? I know that when you updated Auction Traffic Explosion, you changed from the $7 script too using Clickbank. Or do you not really think about updating them?

John: I am actually quite lazy when it comes to updating products. I know I should update my sites more but I just don’t. I guess I’m too busy working on new projects.

4] Mark: Your a huge fan of My Digital Dispatch [MyDD], but what do you think about the other digital delivery scripts around, such as DLGuard or EW Portal? What makes you like MyDD so much, is it down too the features, or it’s customer support?

John: I actually only use MyDD because I found it first. However, I would not change it as I have been happily using it since 2005 and have never had any issues. One of the best things about that software is the ability to embed your affiliate ID in the delivery emails that it send out. This is an easy way to make autopilot income.

As for the other products, while they are probably fine, I have never used them.

5] Mark: Do you interact much with other marketer’s through MSN or Skype? Or is this not your thing? Does it just happen via emails, or through forums?

John: Beware of MSN and Skype, they eat away at your working day. I only use them when I have to. I tend to do everything via email and have the odd phone conversation.

6] Mark: Unless I’ve missed them anywhere, do you create many viral eBooks? If not, then why? Do you not think they could build your business even more?

John: Lol, I have hundreds ‘out there’ but you, wouldn’t know it as they cover every niche imaginable. Most are simply Private Label eBooks I have ‘edited’ with my affiliate links or simple brandable eBooks I have personalised or ‘branded’ with me affiliate ID.

7] Mark: Your PlanetSMS trade name is known all over the place, and you’re a very successful eBay Powerseller…but here is my question. On your eBay download pages, do you have a different subscribe box on each page, or do you just use the same? You’d have hundreds of lists if you didn’t use the same.

John: I just have a link to my main newsletter although I do keep the ‘upsells’ within the niche I am selling. Eg, if I sell you a weight loss eBook, I would probably promote a weight loss product from Clickbank on the download page. This is simple marketing that works very well.

8] Mark: What are the TOP 5 products that you need’use to help automate and build your business? Are they digital delivery script, or software that helps you too create affiliate pages?

John: Hmm, that’s a good question. I would imagine my top 5 automation tools are;

1, AWeber (Autoresponder service)
2, My Digital Dispatch (Delivery Script)
3, Turbo Lister (eBay Listing Tool)
4, Selling Manager Pro (eBay Management Tool)
5, Amember (Membership Script)

9] Mark: If you had to start from scratch again, then what would you do different from before? What costly mistakes or errors have you made in the past that you wouldn’t like to do again? Is one of them not buying YourFullName.com

John: Yes, the first thing you should do is buy yourname.com. I failed to do that and now someone else owns it, but it’s OK as it links to one of my products via an affiliate link.

I also wish I never paid for traffic. I’ve wasted thousands on useless traffic programs. Now I don’t pay a penny as my viral eBooks bring me most of my traffic.

10] Mark: Now, I know you were going to set me up a couple of discount pages for some of your products. However, how do you actually do this? Is it a trade secret, or just some simply HTML? Are there any videos on doing this?

John: It actually depends on what payment processor you use. Most of the time your affiliate software will do the job, but like I said it depends what you use for payment so I can’t really answer that one, sorry.

But let me assure you if someone asks you to create a discount page, seriously consider it. Especially if it’s someone with a mailing list.

11] Mark: As your business grows, how important is it to outsource? I know that your friend, Dan Sumner is on your support desk. He also runs his own IM business. How can he find the time to do both?

John: You would have to ask Dan that. I suppose I pay him too much.

12] Mark: What would you look out for if another marketer was to ask you too work with them on a new project, ie. JV right from the start? Is this your thing or not. Would you take a look at the propsoition?

John: I look at every JV request as I remember what it was like for me trying to get people to promote my products. I always try and help people along and as long as a product is good quality that will benefit my subscribers, I will always consider it.

I also help a lot of people with poduct creation, if you need any help just get in touch through my helpdesk.

13] Mark: We all know that the money is in the list, is that why I don’t have a list (Or any money?) But what are the main ways that you ‘collect’ subscribers? Would you use something like Dan Thompson’s Boomerang List Builder or not? And what’s your opionio when people say that a small list is better than a large one?

John: My principle is this - Many products building many lists.

That’s it. Sounds simple and it is really. I just create a new product every few months and use that product to build my list. I currently have over 20 mailing lists.

Also, it’s not about the list size but how you manage your lists. You could have a 100k list but treat your subscribers badly and you will earn less than the little guy with 500 subscribers who treats their list like gold. Of course a large list getting treated like gold is the untimate combination.

14] Mark: A serious matter crops up and you really need $1000 to cover it. There is only $200 in the bank. What would you do, knowing that time was short…and that you could not use anything you already had? Except for that $200. Is this when you would concentrate on affiliate marketing?

John: I’d probably create a really good report or eBook and list it on eBay. I would list with 25 items available using the reatured option and price it at $10.

Once I have sold 2, I’m in profit. As my eBay fees wouldn’t be due for a month I’d still have the $200 in the bank.

Well, that’s the interview over, I hope that you enjoyed reading it and if you learned somthing…then GREAT! If you’ve got any other questions about anything, then just ask and I’ll do my best to answer for you.

Visit Any Useful Sites? Then Build A Resource Page…

For readers of my blog, you’ll notice that I’ve added a Resource Page today. Now, there are several reasons for me doing this. Although, the main reason is that I want to let you know of any resources that help me out. I can add them to that page for everyone to use and benefit from too.

So how many of you have a resource page? Or are you just keeping those GREAT links to yourself and letting your readers struggle? Well, that’s not how I work around here. If I find anything that helps me out, then you’ll be the first to find out about it.

I know the page looks kinda ‘bare’ at the moment, but over time, I’ll be adding to it.

If you’ve got any comments, then please leave them below.

Wishing You All The BEST For 2008 – Happy New Year

Well 2007 has offically been and gone. Were now into 2008 so I guess it’s the perfect time to wish you a Happy New Year! It’s been a good year for me, not in business sense but the rest of it.

In 2008 I’m looking forward to launching my first product [more on that later], and building my business. I hope that I’ll see you doing similar.

So, what are your plans…anything special?

Blog Posts In 2007 – Some Of The BEST

Since we are heading towards 2008, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on some of the best blog posts that I’ve read over the year…

Lee McIntyre: From ZERO To $20,000 A Month…Here’s How 

This was actually a reproduction to the one that he posted on the Warrior Forum. It’s where Lee explained how his business had grown, and how we could do the same.

The original post attracted over 100 replies, and it now sits proudly in the Best Warrior Thread archive.

Dan Thompson: What Would You Do If I Gave You $1000

This article had been inspired by a post on the Standing Start Profits members forum. To be honest, it was actually me that posted it on the forum. I was wanting to know how people would spend it. To some, it’s a lot of money.

PlanetSMS: Final Day In ‘The Month In The Life Of John Thornhill’

When John Thornhill started this blog, I knew it was going to benefit me! I read all the posts daily, and when the final day came…it was amazing to see what John had actually done. It was GREAT.

I thought to myself, even if I could only do half of that, then it would still be great. As it’s better than nothing.

Lee McIntyre: Make Money Online With Flick Switch Income

Here in this video, Lee explained how he was using systems to automate traffic generation to his sites. He still receives daily emails asking for more information on the subject. I hope Lee can write this up…

That just about sums up my year, and I look forward to seeing you all in 2008.

In Honour Of My Friend, Colm Butterly!

We’ll NEVER Forget What You Did For Us!

Writing this post just brings tears to my eyes. I logged into my Skype account on Thursday 20th December 2007, and to shock horror…I had a message from Sian Butterly, informing me that Colm had passed away on Sunday 16th December 2007. I just could not believe what I was reading!

He was a GREAT guy and unbelievably generous! If you didn’t know him, then you really did miss out. You could always count on him with his vast technical knowledge and skills to help people out.

Lee McIntyre called him Colm ‘Man Of Action’ Butterly, as he was always there to help others. He helped me out on a few occassions and we spoke to each other via Skype, a lot of the time. And Colm never expected anything in return.

Colm’s a BIG loss to the Standing Start Profits community, and he was loved by each and every member! I’ll never forget the number of times someone posted a question, and Colm was there giving detailed answers.

Nor, will I forget all the help that Colm gave to me, in the time that I knew him, and I know other’s won’t either.

My thoughts go out to his wife Sian, and all his friends & family at this difficult time.

Thanks for everything! We will never forget…

Lee McIntyre’s Tribute | Warrior Forum Tribute | Robin Skeen’s Tribute

What Do YOU Do With Resale Rights?

I Used To Hate Resale Rights eBooks!…

For those of you who don’t know enough about me, let me fill you in on one aspect of my life that not so many people know about.

I love doing things quickly.

It doesn’t matter what it is, I just have no patience for dragging things out. I love simple projects that I can start and finish within a week. I love them even more if I can see a profit in that week.

It is this very reason that I hate selling resale rights products. Or I should say, I used to hate selling resale rights products.

I know how profitable they can be, but it always takes me weeks to put them together. I just don’t have the patience to work them. I know because of that I’m losing money, but what can I do? I’m lazy.

But like I said, that was before. I’ve recently discovered a product that taught me how to market and sell resale rights products in just seven days. It’s called Resale Rights Blueprint.

At first I ignored the sales pitches I got because let’s face it, even seven days is too long to work on one project. I then took a quick look around my hard drive and saw how many resale rights products I’d already spent money on. I decided to give this product a whirl and see if it could really shorten the amount of time I spent working on my resale rights products.

And by golly, it sure did.

I was surprised to see how easy the blueprint was to follow and how complicated the procedures were. Despite the complexity of the marketing schedule, I had no problem following along.

Resale Rights Blueprint is the perfect product if you have a patience problem like I do. To learn more, click that link above and see for yourself.

An Interview SPECIAL With Colm Butterly

Well, I was lucky enough to interview Colm Butterly, owner of Search Domination Challenge, and I am currently compiling the interview into a brandable report that YOU can give away, and earn some commission from!

But just for you…I have been allowed to release just 3 questions and answers on my blog! So if you want to spread the word now, just point them in this direction.

Anyway, onto the 3 leaked interview Q’s and A’s…

Q: Most people will know that you have your own hosting company (DiamondRack.com) but what inspired you to write an eBook called Search Domination Challenge?

A: As part of the service I give for my reseller and business hosting products, I always contact new clients directly by telephone to get to know them and find out what type of extras I can give them to best serve their needs. The subject of search engine submission and getting sites ranked came up again and again. After all, what is the point of a web site if nobody sees it? I would always try to give some helpful advice on these calls, but an international telephone conversation can hardly take the place of a comprehensive manual on getting search engine placements. It becomes obvious to me that the demand for such a product was high and I had the skill-set to create just such a manual. In Internat Marketing terms, the decision to create Search Domination Challenge was a no-brainer.

Thanks for that Colm! And if I must say…the book is GREAT aswell.

Q: Now, we all know that a marketer works online…but what do you like to do offline? What hobbies to you have, if any?

A: I would say my online and offline hoppies are similar in nature. Online, I like to create and tweak scripts and I spend a lot of time helping clients get their script installations set up the way they want them. Offline, I enjoy working with my hands. I have woodwork and metalwork projects on the go and I also try to exercise the knowledge I gained in Industrial Electronics. These offline tasks are never urgent and because of that, they gave me a chance to relax.

I enjoy puzzles and do crosswords and sudoku in quiet moments. A lot of my more active pursuits have fallen by the wayside since starting a family. My son, Anthony, is now five and I am looking forward to teaching him canoeing, rock-climbing and sailing. I am still a very outdoors type of person at heart and I want to leverage my online business in such a way as to provide the free time to follow these outdoor pursuits with my family. Making money online is only a means to an end – it’s all about the pursuit of happiness.

Well Colm, it sounds like you have plenty of things that you do! It’s amazing how you can fit so many hours into the day…

Q: You’re speaking to a total newbie or maybe just a beginner to internet marketing, what one piece of advice would you have to give them, and why?

A: Most IM newbies are caught in the information overload trap. You want to get started and you want to understand the business. Every day you are offered more information and software products to help you achieve your goals and you can easily end up with a hard drive full of unread reports and unsold resale products.

Taking action and committing to completing an online project will go a long way to getting you started. If you continue to do all the things you have been doing that haven’t made you any money, you will continue not making money. Just stop completely. Take three days away from clicking on links in emails and websites. Limit yourself to a timed maximum of one hour a day online. That could be one minute times sixty or one continuous hour, but hold to the limit. Use the extra time you free up to take pen and paper and plan your online business realistically. If you use all the time you save by not surfing the net, you can put together a pretty comprehensive plan in those three days.

Then follow your plan. Whether you succeed or not is entirely up to you. Tweak your plan and fill in details, but stick to it. Expect to work hard on your business, there is little difference between an online and an offline business – there is still no such thing as free lunch!

That’s GREAT Colm! Amazing information there.

Keep your eyes open for the brandable book and please post your thought’s on the interview below.