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→ October 21, 2010
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Beware of these 3 Sales Paralysis!

Do you know that among 100% of the Prospective Internet Marketers, who dream and plan about a Product, just less than 10% Manage to get their First Product out?  This has absolutely nothing to do with their Capabilities or Skills in Building the Product and getting it out.  They are stung by these “3 Sales Paralysis”!

So what are these “3 Sales Paralysis”, that keeps more than 90% of Internet Marketers in coming out with a Product!

#1: The “Awesomeness” Paralysis

Awesome Products Sell.  There is no doubt about that, with anyone among us.  But it’s absolute NOT True, that “Only” Awesome Products Sell.

Your Product is NOT measured by:

How Awesome it is?

But, it is measured by:

The Usefulness.  The Value it adds to the Customer.  The Reliability.  The Stability and so on.

So you get this right?  Awesomeness is “awesome”.  But you don’t have to be Awesome to get your First Product out.

Get out of the “Awesomeness” Paralysis and start ticking off the Other Values your Product provide.

#2: The “Comparison” Paralysis

Whatever Market you are in, it is not the same anymore, as it was a Few Years ago.  There are many people creating Similar Products, almost every day and there is so much Competition out there.

It is natural to Compare your Products to that of the Competitors.  But don’t let this “take you down”.

For example, you come up with an Idea and Start Building your Product.  When you are half way through, an “unknown competitor” shelves out a Similar Product that attracts instant Buyers (at least you see the traction!).  It is possible, that you Start Comparing the Product with yours, try to get in Similar Features and sometimes, Start losing Motivation.

Never let this happen to you.

Use this Comparison in a Positive Way – to Polish and Fine Tune your Product.

Focus on your Product.  Use the Comparison to Fine Tune your Product.  But never let the “Comparison” Paralysis take you down!

#3: The “Analysis” Paralysis

I have this as the last one.  But in fact, this is the most Common Paralysis among the 90% of the “No Starters”.

You get an Idea.  You Analyze the Market.  You Analyze the Feasibility.  You Analyze the Customers.  Meanwhile, you get another “killer” Idea.  And the whole process starts again!

Does it sound like you?  Then you are a victim of the “Analysis” Paralysis!

Analysis is Essential.  But it should not happen for “ever”.  Analyze a few essential factors and then get on with the Next Steps.

If you are out of “Analysis” Paralysis, then chances are about 50% High that you will get the Product Out!

A Recap

Here are 3 Sales Paralysis that keep more than 90% of Prospective Internet Marketers (yes) out of the Market:

  • The “Awesomeness” Paralysis
  • The “Comparison” Paralysis
  • The “Analysis” Paralysis

Make sure not to be paralyzed by any of these!

What I want you to do?

  • Write just “One” thing that Prevents you from Creating your First Product – as a comment to this post
  • Also, write “One” more thing that can help you overcome the Hurdle and create your First Product – in your comment

An Example comment could be, I lack the Skills to Create this Product and an Online Training can solve my Problem

Looking forward to knowing about it and how I can help you!

Photo Credit: chego101

Filed Under: First Product, Sell Stuff
→ October 14, 2010
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I will Buy whatever Mr. XYZ Sells!

Can you think of One Person according to you, who will fit the “Mr. XYZ” in this title?  I am sure you have at least One Name, that fits! Something that all Big Sellers have is a group of Loyal Supporters and Promoters, who will Buy and Promote whatever they Sell.

Let’s look at 3 Main attributes of these Big Sellers that make this a reality!

Trust

Buyers trust these Big Sellers.  They trust their Big Promises.  They trust their Concepts.  They trust their Products.  They trust their Words.

How do they build this “Trust”?

One thing for sure – it doesn’t happen overnight or in a weekend.  The Trust is built around them essentially because:

  • They are “doers”. People never trust anyone who just talks and never does anything
  • They are “consistent”. People trust anyone who delivers awesome and useful content, time after time
  • They are “open”. Big Sellers are open in their selling strategy.  They tell you exactly what you get out the products and what you will not
  • They are “ethical”. People never trust a Seller, who is unethical and looking for “all means” to sell their product

Quality

The second main reason to have repeat Customers, is Quality!

Quality is measured by the usefulness and reliability of the Product, every time it is used.

These Big Sellers take big care of maintaining high levels of Quality within every product they Sell.  They make it a mandate to deliver nothing Short of High Quality!

It is key to produce and sell Quality Products, for Customers to come back to you and buy anything that you Sell.

Support

Whatever high the quality may be, the Customers need support.  The support needs may be various:

  • Bugs
  • Usage Problems
  • Training
  • Customization
  • Enhancements
  • Upgrades and so on…

The Big Sellers always have a sound support framework, around every product they Sell.  Usually, there are 2 Models of Support Framework, commonly used:

  • Forum based Support – Build a Forum of Users, Developers and Owners.  Provide support via Forum Posts
  • Dedicated Support – Maintain a Support team who can address the Support needs on individual basis

Often, a hybrid approach (a combination of Forum based + Dedicated) is also used, in case of High Volume Products.

Big Sellers understand the significance of Support and build a suitable Framework for it.

To Summarize…

To be a Big Seller and have your Buyers buy everything You Sell:

  • Build Trust with your Products
  • Maintain High Levels of Quality
  • Create a Solid Support Framework around all your Products

Leave your comments and let me know what you think about this… I am glad to hear them!

Filed Under: Sell Stuff
→ October 11, 2010
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How I deferred my First Product for 3 Months…

and got it done in a Weekend? I wanted to release my first Skin for Thesis Theme, some 3 Months ago. But due to various reasons, I deferred it, almost every day and every week. But… I got it done last weekend, Holy Kaw! I couldn’t just resist sharing with you a few Practical tips, that made it happen!

Divide and Conquer!

One main reason I deferred working on the Product was – the Magnitude! I considered the task of creating a Product and Selling it in the Market as a huge one, that requires a lot of time and effort.

Though this is true, the mindset changes when you “Divide the Major Task into Small Chunks”.

I kept these points in mind, when creating these Small Chunks:

  • Make the Small Chunks – really small.  Each task should never take more than 1 Hour to complete
  • Use a clean and simple Todo tool (I use http://todoist.com ) to record these Small Chunks
  • Tick it off, as you complete One Small Chunk – believe me, this gives you an immense level of Motivation!
  • Set a “Lower Limit” on the Number of Small Chunks to complete, in any given day!  (…Unless you do this, you fall in to the same old PIT)

Focus on the Product, Not the Sales!

One another reason to defer work, is being skeptic about the Results or the Returns! Especially, this happens with your first product.

If you feel the Sales are going to be Low, you willll never put in your Best and Be on Time!

Come out of the “Salesman” mindset. Your product may sell like Hot Cakes or Bite the Dust!  But, never mind with your First Product.  Go ahead, focus on the quality and get it out.

The Feel and the Experience of getting your First Product out, is essential for your “Longevity”.  I followed this and focused just on my product, neither the money nor the sales.

Choose a Simple Way to Sell

Don’t complicate yourself with setting up a Shopping Cart on your Site, Configuring Paypal and blah blah…  Use a really simple way, to setup and start selling in minutes!

My recommendation to you, with eyes closed is – E-Junkie.com

You can get started with E-Junkie, setup your product and sell it in less than 30 Minutes.  Believe me, I did that.

Instead of writing another post on How to use e-junkie.com, I will point you to a neat article by Dave Navarro – How to Use E-Junkie.com to Sell your Stuff

Ignore the Competition and “Super” Perfection

Not Always!  Just for your First Product.  Once you start comparing your Product with the competition, you start “Striving for Perfection”.  Never, ever do that.

It’s O.K. to be “Not So Perfect”, but “Getting out there and Selling”

Many people, work all along for Perfection and miss the “Big Launch”.  Beware of the “Perfrection” trap and get out in the Market, with more than Minimum acceptable Quality! But make sure the Product is usable – otherwise it loses the whole purpose.

To Summarize…

  • Divide your Major Task or Product in to “really” Small Chunks
  • Focus on the Product Creation, Not on Sales or Results
  • Choose a very Simple Way to Sell
  • Ignore the Competition and “Super” Perfection

What Next?

If you have your Own experiences or Tips, share it with me as Comments to this post.  Also, I will be a lot happier, if you can share it with fellow Tweeters – by Retweeting this post!

I am giving away “One Copy of my New Thesis Theme Skin – The Bolder Skin” – for FREE – to One commenter of this Post.  It could be you…

Filed Under: Sell Stuff, Start Selling
→ October 9, 2010
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2 Examples of “Solid” Product Launches

How many times have you seen a “mega” successful Product launch, in the recent times?  I am sure – there are many!  I tried to go beyond getting “awed” at the launch of 2 recent “mega” Products and learn a few lessons from them.  Hence this post and I am sure you’ll like this… Read on…
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Sell Stuff
→ September 29, 2010
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One Essential Tip for Product Piloting Success!

Piloting a Product is the best way to Analyze the Depth of your Market.  It equips you with all that you need to know, about the Product you plan to create – Customers, Competition, Returns, Promotion, Marketing etc. But how to make sure your Pilot is a Success. 

Here is One Essential Tip, just for you!

Time

Time is one critical factor with Piloting!

Piloting loses its value and significance, if you take ever to create the Pilot Product.  So the Mantra is…

Get out to Market, in Shortest Time Possible


So how do you Get there Real Quick?

Here are some ways to get things done fast.  Don’t worry, we’ll talk about each of them in detail during the coming days.

This is just a teaser!

  • Outsourcing – Find out a reliable Freelancer or Agency, who can do the job for you!  But be ready to spend a sizable amount of Money
  • Scope your Product – Pilot Product may not do everything, that your Final Product does.  Be intelligent enough to Scope only those features, that makes sense to Analyze the Market
  • Reduce Testing, but maintain Minimum Quality – Don’t spend a lot of time, effort and money in testing the Pilot Product.  Maintain Minimum Quality, to make sure your customers are not pissed off
  • Use Off-the-Shelf Solutions – Don’t try to build everything!  Wherever possible, try to use existing Products (free or premium) that can be put together to build your Product

What is your essential tip for Product Piloting Success?  Shoot your comments and I am all ears!

Photo Credit: jurvetson

Filed Under: Piloting, Piloting Success, Post Series, Sell Stuff
→ September 28, 2010
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Analyze the Depth of your Market!

In my previous post, I emphasized the importance of analyzing a Market, before creating your Product.

But sometimes it is not possible, to completely analyze the Depth of your Market, beforehand.

So what should you do then?  Here is the secret…

The Only Available fool-proof way to analyze the Depth of your Market is…

Piloting your Product

In short, Piloting is nothing but – Creating a Shorter or abridged version of your Product

Few things to keep in mind while piloting your Product are:

  • Keep the Costs to a minimum
  • Piloting must target the real Product Market (not a simulated one)
  • Real Customers must be involved in the Pilot
  • You should be able to easily Scale up or Shut down based on the results of the Pilot
  • Time to Market is very Crucial.  Your Pilot must be in the Market as early as possible!

In the coming weeks, I am running a Post Series on getting your Pilot Product out – in the shortest time and at lowest cost! Stay tuned.

Photo Credit: lan Sane

Filed Under: Piloting, Sell Stuff, Start Selling
→ September 27, 2010
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What should You know before Selling a Product?

Many of us are excited, when a Product Idea tops our mind.  But an Idea in itself, is just not enough to go ahead and Create the Product. There are many other aspects, that are essential for a Succesful Product!

Here are some essentials to know and be clear about, before getting on with the Product Development.

The Market

Ask yourself the question – is there a Market for the Product or am I going to create one? If there is a well defined market, then things are easier.  But it gets really tough when you have to create a market.

Without a market, the risks of your product not becoming successful is multi-fold.  So make sure to:

  • Find out if there is a market
  • If not, clearly identify the ways you will create one
  • If there is an existing market, how your Product will add value to its users

The Competition

Once the Market Analysis is done, find about your Competition.  This will essentially help you to:

  • Benchmark your services or benefits with the Competition
  • Differentiate your Product from others
  • Pricing and Marketing competitively
  • Opportunities for Collaboration

If the Competition is very less or non-existent, go back to Market Analysis if you still think it is a Viable Product

The Returns

Understand the returns you expect from the Product.  You should have at least a tentative idea on:

  • What will be the returns? (Money, New Customers for existing Services, Reputation etc.)
  • When will the returns start flowing?
  • When will you break-even?

Though you may not have clear answers for everything, it is good to think about them early on!

The Support

Almost every product must be supported, once the customers start using them.  Decide if your Product need to be supported and how will the Support Work.  Typically, you should know, if you need to:

  • Hire a Support Team
  • Buy a Support Product
  • Setup a Support Platform
  • Support Period and Costs etc.

Never start working on a Product, before giving a thought on all these aspects.

What else do you think that a Seller must know before selling a Product?  Let us know and we are more than happy to listen!

Photo Credit: courtneyBolton

Filed Under: Sell Stuff, Start Selling
→ September 23, 2010
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A Killer eBook on Online Marketing!

Online Marketing of Websites and Products are getting challenging everyday.

With a lot of competition around, my friend Derek Halpern has released a Killer eBook to help you with this!

We have long been advised and trained on Body Language, with reference to Professional and Personal lives.  In this eBook, you will learn that such Body Language is very well applicable to your Website or your Blog.

In this eBook you will learn:

  • How “Line of Sight” Increases Conversion Rates
  • The Best Way to Optimize Images to Grab Reader Attention
  • How “Active Commands” Influence People to Take Some Form of Action
  • The “One Page, One Goal” Method to Streamlining Your Website
  • How the CIA “Face in the Crowd” Tactic Applies Online
  • The Perfect, Most Persuasive Font for Any Situation

I grabbed this eBook and finished reading it in just 30 minutes.  But this eBook will be my reference and the ideas I learned will be my base for the Online Marketing Endeavours.

And did I tell you that this eBook if Free? Click to grab a copy of this Awesome eBook!

Filed Under: Blog Business, Online Marketing, Promotions & Reviews
→ September 23, 2010
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5 Ideas to Start Selling Stuff on the Internet!

Have you been waiting awhile to Start Selling Stuff on the Internet? If yes, there is no better time to Start than now. Here are 5 Simple Ideas to Start Selling on the Internet.

These Ideas are meant to be a Spark, to invoke your Creative Mind to get into the race!


1. Start a Blog

In my opinion, the simplest and the effective way to Start Selling is – to Start a Blog. The Blog will be your platform to communicate with the Prospective Buyers.  A Typical Vision of using a Blog to Sell is – To Share Ideas, Establish Authority, Gain Readers & Prospective Buyers, Make the Pitch and Sell the Stuff

It is a long term way of selling stuff, but it is the most effective!

2. Sell eBooks

eBook Creation is more easier than you think.  Here is an useful post from Yaro on How to Create and Sell an eBook in 14 days or less.

In short, all that you need is High Quality Content, a Viable Market and a Channel to Distribute the eBooks

3. Paid Writing

Content is another entity that you can sell on the Internet.  There are numerous Sites that offer money for Quality Content you write.  If you are technically inclined, the Network of Blogs under Nettuts accept content from Guest Writers and pay for them.

You could explore similar options in your Niche and Start Selling your Content.

4. Offer Training and Courses

This is not an easy path – but it definitely is a big way to Make Money Online.  Using your Skills and the Talent, you start Making Money by Teaching & Training other people.

Though Reputation and Authority are key in succeeding with Teaching – this is a channel you can explore!

5. Build Products

This is by far the most proven way to Sell Stuff on the Internet.  Build Products around your Expertise and Sell them the right way.  Similar to an eBook, look for the Market and the Prospects.  You might also want to pilot a few Products, before diving deep

So what are your Ideas to Start Selling Stuff?

Photo Credit: greggoconnell

Filed Under: Blog Business, Sell Stuff, Start Selling