Success Attributes
I was just asked the question, “What Does It Take To Succeed Online”? Assuming the meaning of the question is to build a long-term profitable business, here’s what I think…
To be successful online takes many personal attributes, some of them are rarer than people expect, which is why true success online is difficult to achieve.
Let’s look at some of the personal attributes…
Determination. Who can succeed long-term without this? Starting and giving up multiple times is practically endemic with wanna-be entrepreneurs and with society at large as we desire “instant gratification” ALL the time! Who wants to persevere over many hard months to build something profitable and sustainable? Not many people, which is why most wanna-be entrepreneurs will fall at this first hurdle.
Personal communication skills. Yes, even sat behind your computer, you’ll need well-honed communication skills to interact with people via email, twitter, video messages, facebook updates etc. You still need to know how to communicate with a variety of people, from customers and prospects to coders, project managers, outsourcers, web hosts techs etc etc. If you’re abrasive, aggressive or incoherent, you probably won’t get very far on the journey to success. On the other hand, being polite, helpful and friendly will open many doors.
Technical skills. OK, you may not have to learn PHP or how to reboot your apache web server, but if you’re a technophobe who can’t FTP and is scared to learn how, this isn’t the business for you, unless you’re great at outsourcing (see personal communication skills). Having a web-based business means rolling up your digital sleeves once in a while and learning how to install WordPress or claim a domain name. In fact, whisper it, but I expect that most people with long-term successful digital businesses like doing the tech stuff once in a while!
Product creation skills. Yes, you can make money via Adsense. Yes, you can make money as an Amazon affiliate. BUT, you control more variables when you have your own products, your own affiliates and your own customer list. If you’re making money solely as an affiliate of a real-world company and profits for them are falling, don’t be surprised when they axe their affiliate program or start their own websites to compete directly with their own affiliates. And the worst bit? If you’re their affiliate, they KNOW your websites and can find out which keywords you’re ranking for and quickly create pages to out-rank you. So, for long-term online success, sell your own products wherever possible.
Resilience. Over the long term you’ll face many challenges. Being able to get up, dust yourself down and start again is part of becoming successful.
Patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Google doesn’t care about your new site and will happily sandbox it for several months if you build too many links too soon. Your opt-in list will grow slowly at first. Your web-traffic will grow from a trickle to a stream to a flood. Growth over time is the name of the game, and is one key to being successful online.
Ethics. If what you’re doing to make money doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t going to be successful long-term even if it’s technically not illegal. Many marketer’s online and offline stray over the ethical line to sell more widgets short-term. I suggest you don’t. If you’re making money while helping people, you’re more likely to continue to be successful over many years.
Leadership. If you’re helping people by distilling knowledge, offering superior services, recommending useful resources, you’re being a leader. People trust, respect and buy from leaders, not clones or mimics. Be a leader and your business is almost guaranteed to succeed.
Did I miss anything?
[comments are now closed]
The will to step outside the box and go for your goals..
“Black Seo Guy “Signing Off”
Hi Neil,
Good post. I especially liked the ethics section. Being a full time “super affiliate” for 9 years now, I’ve read and seen a lot of material on what it takes to “succeed” online. Yours is one of the few, rare posts that I’ve seen discuss the “ethical” question regarding success.
It’s truly important to sell products you believe in. The first company I promoted online is still my biggest promotion 9 years later. Simply because I believe passionately in their products and mission.
There’s no way that would have happened if it was just some “widgets” I didn’t care for, even if selling those widgets paid well.
Good thoughts.
Best,
Dan
Hi Neil,
The ethics portion is a great thought. I think the idea of online ethics needs to be re-defined among all Internet marketers and adopted as a standard for all.
Too bad it needs to be that way, though.
It seems a lot of these folks make it too subjective only to their personal view of good ethics. If that’s the case, each one of us can create our own meaning and still feel we’re doing the right thing.
I’ve been working with a BIG marketer for the last few months and when it was discovered that he was not keeping his promises and had taken my money, I can only wonder if he is one of those guys who make up their own rules as he goes along.
It’s sickening.
Not wanting a big deal come from this and because I have no money to defend myself, I will keep the name quiet for now.
Nice post and keep up the great work,
Mike
Hi Neil
agree with all the above – but would also like to add the ability to sift the wheat from the chaff and find a good mentor who has your best interests at heart (a rare thing indeed)
i can honestly say after being online for 4 years and all the fantstic offeres that come into your inbox every day, thousands of emails, hundreds of offers, gurus lining up to take more money from you- i can count on one hand the people i trust have my best interests at heart
Dr Andy williams
Neil Shearing
Shane Melaugh
it was when i finaly knuckled down and focused on one task and filtered all the noise from the internet i started seeing some success
if you cant make money following these 3 guys its time to call it a day
i would also add Chris Rempell into the mix
regards
Ken
There is an old saying that those who live by the sword will die by the sword. In other words if we rip someone off and behave unethically then sooner or later someone will come after us. We reap what we sow. Being ethical to me is self-protection. I told someone I was in the process of writing some materials with the working title of “What IS stopping you?” and they said what about the things that you really should not do. Things like being greedy and harming others.
I realised that in our haste to encourage people to get on and do things we can be in danger of encouraging them to do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons. I have not been trying to spread the word about what I am doing for very long but I have discovered some quite unpleasant characters. I think of the person who was discovered to be breaking the rules of one third party web site and so was censured by them only to go around spreading poison about that web site. They still go around encouraging and helping others break the rules of another web site that has not cottoned on to what they are doing yet. All in the name of making money. In the process the innocent, and gullible are taken in and when the rules are enforced will suffer the consequences of believing such lies.
Strange thing was that just before I discovered this situation I had a dream where I was in a meeting standing to one side was a burly bearded guardian angel in military uniform with a gun big enough to need 2 hands to carry. At one point this armed angel came over pointed the gun at the person about to hurt me and then gave them an injection to knock them out. I should not have needed this kind of protection but I was glad of it.
Susan
Hi Neil
For me anyway. Eight perfectly honed paragraphs for those willing, wanting and able to take it all on board. What is it they say? “Success is not a destination, but the journey.
Some great advice Neil
You’ve covered most of them Neil…except one. What is it? The ability to smell b.s. a mile away. I’ve seen more bull online than a 2o year old female bovine. Your marketing stuff is good…real good. The rest should follow your lead.
Paul
Hey Neil, loved your post, always read and/or watch your videos.
BTW, you are one of the few people I will open and read your emails
I noticed a lot of bitterness in the comments above, which I agree one 100% and I believe EVERY IM has to fall prey to some scoundrels in this industry before they decide if this industry is right for you [as per points above - resilience, patience, ethics,etc].
Then it is time to FOCUS! Focus on ‘right, what am I up to now, yes, I have taken a knock back, but where am I going to? Have I got a goal set-up for my project or must I go back to the drawing board and take a few back steps to continue?’
Great post and thanks for sharing your thoughts… all the best to you and family
All those personal attributes you stated to are OK, but let add one more. And that’s not personal positive attribute, but something far bigger. Pure LUCK. That what you need too.
Luck is a very small factor, IMO.