Destined to be the Most Controversial Blog I have ever written..........

Being Online Is Not Being On-Target for your Business.
Someone needed to say, don’t you agree?
Ever wonder why you see all those “successful people” online claiming wealth and fortune and yet you struggle with making a minor income……it’s all a Myth, folks. Snake Oil Myth. They say those things to get you to buy into their “funnel” or “system” or “program” and that is how they make their fortunes.

Oh wow, I can see the hair stand up on the back of your necks! Don’t scream at the messenger – it’s the truth, whether you want to accept it or not.

I have been involved with online marketing since 2000. However, I have been on the internet since it’s inception in the mid 1990’s. I have seen it all – bulletin boards, forums, yahoogroups, Ning.com, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter , Flickr (well, you get the point). I have had some success – and I am very glad I have those experiences behind me.

In only in recent months have I had my AH-HA moment in Online Marketing and I would like to share that with you.

First - why are we attracted to or want an Internet Marketing or an Online Business?

1. It’s APPEARS to be easier, faster and more efficient. Human Nature wants the EASY way to do things. We are ALL like that – we want the EASY way to do things, it’s human nature.

2. We are drawn to what’s FLASHY and COLORFUL. Let’s face it, it’s boring to read a book. But it’s FUN to read a magazine! It’s FUN to watch the TV with the colorful imagery. So, working online is FUN and appeals to our senses.

3. The way it makes us feel. We like to FEEL busy and if we are “busy” online, we make ourselves believe we are being productive. Come on now, you know that’s true!

In recent months I sat back and evaluated my time, my efforts and my PRODUCTION from Online Marketing as compared to “eyeball to eyeball” – “belly to belly” – phone calls. It was staggering to see the amount of hours I would spend EACH day online “just to keep up” or connected.

I am embarrassed to say that the very reason I became self-employed – to have more TIME FREEDOM was now taking away all my time from my family and myself.

And the results? Minimal, at it’s best. Let’s be honest here. Conversions would take SO much longer, if they happened at all!

More and more statistics are showing that the conversions of sales/business enrollments are dropping significantly if done online. No more than 5% and sometimes as little as 1%. Not to mention the amount of money one can spend online (Google Ads, etc). I personally know someone who spent over $50K on Google Ads in one year just to stay in the top ranking. This person was the #2 producer in their Network Marketing company – yet he had to file bankruptcy a year later because of the debt he created for online marketing. He sponsored over 65 people and only ONE person on his team really made a business and he met that person face to face. Ironic, isn’t it?

MYTH (in other words, it's a LIE):
There is no SYSTEM or PROGRAM or FUNNEL to connect with people. People are social “animals” – there is a reason God gave us a mouth and ears! Use them! There is no Funnel, there is no “magic fairy dust” that is going to make your business suddenly successful. Stop looking for the elusive Golden Ring – it’s not happening online.

You will increase your business only with human interaction and that does not mean websites and emails. Sure you might sell or enroll a few people here and there – but let’s be honest. Has it been THAT effective?

Doubt it. And if you are getting results – at what cost? By working 15 hours a day? How much money do you spend?

Are you and your loved ones worth more than that type of “job”?

Would you allow an employer to make you work 15 hours a day and not get paid or “wait to get paid”? Why are you allowing yourself to spend so many hours to have little or no production for months on end?

With all the heavy business competition out there - You want to be different? – be a person, not a website. Pick up the phone! Meet people at functions! Speak with lots of people! Get off the Social Networks! I use to belong to 40+ networks. I now only belong to Star.tup.biz and I will stay a Diamond Member. What empowerment! I will always have my website, but I will no longer be a slave to my online presence. It’s done – after 9 years – I am taking my business back to the basics of meeting people and I am enjoying every moment of it.

My Immediate Benefits:
I have more time!
My business is better – because I am not worn out!
I feel better – my eyes don’t hurt as much, my back doesn’t hurt
I am not as tired!
I am interacting with more people than ever before!
I found some great training and coaching to help me get back to people interaction! I would of never had the time nor the energy to receive this training/coaching if I was online, all the time.
I have more money! I stopped buying any online advertising! Woo – hoo, saving money is always a good thing.

Stop hiding behind the illusion of a website and an Online Presence. You create “Attraction marketing” by being human and reachable to those around you. You set yourself apart by being a PERSON. The general public is longing for the human interaction.

Be different by being YOU. You won’t FAIL at being YOU. Trust me – that will Attract People to YOU and your business by reaching out to others in a human fashion – it’s just the way that nature works!

An Online presence is to only a support of your real business – building relationships and meeting people. An Online presence should never be the basis of your business – it doesn’t work, it won’t work and don’t lie to yourself or others to believe it will work “eventually” or “down the road”.

Treat yourself and your time with more respect…………..you deserve better.

Those who have built successful online businesses (i.e. Mike Dillard) are RARE. It does not and will not happen to everyone. It just doesn’t happen. It’s not duplicatable and if everyone is doing it – then, why are you not making the same amount of money?

Join me – let’s start a Revolution – let’s get back to the basics. Let’s connect with people on a human level. It works! You will be happier and so will your bank account.

Folks, I gain NOTHING by telling this information. I don’t have a CD or Seminar or Book to sell. I don’t have anything to offer you but my experiences and in the hopes that it will help out others to not make the same mistakes that myself and thousands if not MILLIONS of other people have made.
I want to see YOU succeed in your chosen business, plain and simple. The more successful people we have in this world – the faster our economy turns around.

Finally, read this article from Monster.com ---- Click Here

Please feel free to view my Profile Page and if you feel I can be of any assistance to you, just let me know. Want to connect with me? Have any questions on how to take your business back to the basics? Call me 702-545-6899. I would love to chat with you for a few minutes

All the Best,

Charlene L. Ragsdale - Las Vegas, NV
“Proper Business with a Purpose”

Recent Winner of the Star.tup.biz $1000 Giveaway!
(c) C. Ragsdale - 2009 - www.MaxBizMom.com - Reprinting/reposting authorized with prior written consent.

PLEASE NOTE: ---->I welcome your input on this blog. The comments on this blog are being moderated in order to eliminate those individuals/businesses who continually use other people's blogs for the sole purpose to advertise their own businesses and/or not to add content to the conversation. All comments are subjected to approval, by myself not by the Admin's of this forum.

Thank you in advance for your professional and non-advertising replies/posts to this blog. Any and all posts that are advertising or slanderous in nature will not be approved.

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Comment by Fran Vogt-Strauss on July 10, 2009 at 10:11am: Hey Charlene,
Great article. One of our business interest has had a web site since 1994. We built a profitable business that is now 18 years old and although we could see the power of the Internet, we have always based our business model on customer service and customer satisfaction. That requires personal relationships. We are still researching and learning more about Internet marketing and it's application to our businesses, we respect and appreciate the importance of customer relations. The social networking does open many new doors to people around the world and using it properly adds much to our business experience. This blog being one of them. Keep it coming. Thank you for your time.
Fran

Comment by Marjorie Janczak on July 9, 2009 at 4:00pm: A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y!!!
...And I will never stop saying this " human beings will forever remain human beings. No matter how many evolutions we go through or how much technology advances we (humans) shall always seek a sense of belonging, respect, recognition and acknowledgment.
The only winner is the one who treats others like the human beings they are and surely with respect, care and recognition.
Thank you for sharing this GREAT information.

Comment by Laurima Stovell on July 5, 2009 at 12:52am: Great post Charlene. Nothing like the human connection. I'm somewhat new to the social networking and I've been trying to figure out how to approach it. This information has been enlightening. It all goes back to truly building sincere relationships. It's been said that "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Thanks for sharing.

Laurima

Comment by Laila on July 4, 2009 at 11:48am: Thanks for including this link in your comment on a post. I enjoyed reading it, and have always known that even if I am using a "networking" site, I am still dealing with one-on-one situations. I find them much more productive, and I only work a couple of hours a day...if you can even call it work LOL

Cheers
Laila

Comment by Rob Easley on June 24, 2009 at 7:31am: Charlene-
What a brutally honest breath of fresh air! I have always advised people that told me they wanted to go into online business to really think about it. I am fortunate that my wife handles all the websites and I am able to do the majority of the marketing, but it has been tough. I spent countless hours trying to become an expert in search engines, because we couldn't afford the huge sponsored fees for keyword advertisement.
Our children were pretty well grown so it was much easier. I heard the horror stories of women who had to "juggle their families" while trying to maintain some sort of business facade. "Excuse me, I have to go, Jeffery just slammed his toast in the VCR!" I really felt sorry for these desperate women. Many just came online for the company, and one exhausted single mother of three young boys pleaded "Please help me. I just want to talk to any adult!"
I will link this blog for them to see the true realities of online business.
God bless.
Rob

Comment by Bill Muth on June 18, 2009 at 2:28pm: Yes, glad you said it and not me :-) And ironic that Mike Dillard and the likes make their money online taking the money of the people that want that elusive ring you talk about. These guys do have helpfu tips, but you can find this insight elsewhere. Making money on the desires of others trying to make money.

Whatever you choose, do develop relationships. And find something that has great products, better marketing and a SIMPLE comp plan. Every comp plan out there is VERY difficult to understand and certainly manage. There is only one I know of that is as simple as can be....that is what we attract and maintain people in the business

Bill Muth

Comment by Daniel P. Cwiak on June 12, 2009 at 7:50pm: I have been impressed by your writings and believe that you are correct with this one in particular. Business is a "personal" experience, and I want to know my customers. This means that I have to get into the trenches to meet them, not be some name on the other side of a keyboard network.
Keep up the good posts!

Comment by Fran Vogt-Strauss on June 11, 2009 at 9:26am: Hi Charlene,
Great article. I know what you mean about getting an "education" about on line marketing. I too established a web site in 1994, long before anyone knew what to do with the internet. But I believed it to be a powerful source. That first website is still up and it has served as a great reference source but our sales are still made by people to people. Social Networking can become very controling. First, I really don't want people to know what I am doing every minute and I am really not interested to learn that someone had a coffee at Starbucks. I guess I saw Social Networking differently. What we have just done is a great way to utilize social networking. Let's tell each other the truth and help us get past the "Hype'. Thanks for taking your time to put this so anyone can relate. Keep it coming.

Fran

Comment by Dr. Erica Goodstone on June 10, 2009 at 11:45pm: Charlene,
I absolutely loved your article. Finally, someone telling the truth. Sure, there must be some online marketers making some good money, but certainly not the vast majority. I have been building my Twitter following and keep being surprised by how many people claim to have the goal of helping others to build wealth through some system, so many online wealth building mentors. And I keep thinking, they certainly can't all be making this incredible fortune.
My goal is to build an online following so that I can offer teleseminars and in person, weekend seminars, and sell some books and ebooks. Although I do enjoy writing and corresponding with so many new online "friends," it is more rewarding to work with live people, in-person.

Comment by Louise NicholasEfNbT on June 10, 2009 at 9:59pm: Amazingly TRUE..Great article. I have been searching and attending webinars to find out if all of this social networking is worth my time. I've spent money on these "consultations". Now I'm comparing it to 2 years of face to face networking with local chambers, women's groups, and just plain volunteering in the community. It has taken two years to be known and it will take even longer I know, but these are real relationships not a lead from Latvia. I am a caretaker for elderly family members and thought that a home-based online business would be the answer for me. Instead, I am a slave to rotating websites and am forced to do my business at all times of the day or night to get anywhere. Great education, though. I must say that. It is amazing what's out there. However, nothing beats face to face. Thanks for having the courage to step up and be honest.