Affiliate marketing in the CPA networks has been, for the most part, very difficult to do. Even getting approved in these networks can be futile.

Until now…

By now I’m sure you’ve heard about Affiliate Jump (They couldn’t keep it ‘secret’ for too long)

So here’s the deal.

For over 6 months, Mike Filsaime and his partner Joe Holland have been quietly working together on an ‘under the radar’ affiliate technology which has been in private beta since June.

In fact, it’s been called ‘The Ultimate Affiliate Connection’ by some who have seen it in early action.

Here’s a link to the webinar where we open the curtain for you to see what it’s all about:

http://www.centralnetmarketing.com/AffJump

(Yes, you can watch it right now.)

When you watch, you’ll also get a complimentary copy of this $97 value report, CPA Profits Revealed which you can download and print out or read on your computer.

http://www.centralnetmarketing.com/AffJump

This launches on Thursday, so you’ll want to gear up for putting your CPA and Affiliate Marketing into overdrive.

I’ll have a couple of bonuses for you too…one is so new it hasn’t even launched yet. But it will be HIGHLY relevant to this launch.

Stay Tuned…once you see how easy CPA marketing has just gotten you will never look at it the same way again.

Here’s the link again:

http://www.centralnetmarketing.com/AffJump

(it’s only a few minutes and gives you a great idea about how this program will work for you.)

You know, not everyone who succeeds in life are the best at what they do. I’ve seen the most educated and skilled people in their field fail, while others who are half as talented succeed.

Why is that?

Most people do everything they possible can to prevent themselves from experiencing failure. They have a simple
misconception that failure is the end of the road. So when they face setbacks or failure, they give up.

The thing is… NO ONE who has ever tasted any level of success without first experiencing the bitter/sweet taste of failure.

You see, failure is only the end of the road when you give up.

One of the best ways to deal with setbacks and failure is to experience it first hand. Embrace your failings and analyze what went wrong so you can make improvements the next time round.

I encourage to get out there and give it a go. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If it goes wrong, learn from it. Make changes and move on. Just keep repeating the process until youg it right.

And when you find the correct formula… simply rinse and repeat your way to success.

That has LONG been the question for me.

I have thought about this often but have never made the attempt – mainly because of the personal time commitment required to effectively do this.

Last weekend I went to an event – first one in over a year – and I was asked three times if I was coaching. So here I am back to thinking about it.

So, in order to help me make up my mind I have created a quick survey to get your thoughts on this subject. If getting a coach is something you have been considering, please take 5 minutes and fill this out.

Have you ever purchased a product or service on line and decided that you weren’t happy with it? Doesn’t matter why you weren’t happy – just that you weren’t.

What do you do in that situation? I know what I do…

If it costs a decent amount of money, I would ask for a refund. If it were a subscription of some sort, I would cancel it and if it billed me another month, I would ask for that month refunded.

Fair enough, right?

So, then let me ask you this…HOW would you ask for it back? Would you simply go to the product or service owner  first? Or would you bypass them and hit up Paypal, or whatever merchant provider they use and file a dispute, or chargeback?

Mind you – I am NOT asking what you would do if you tried 10 times and are frustrated – I am asking what you would do right from the beginning.

Not for nothing, but as someone who has been doing business on line for nearly 10 years, I have only ever filed a chargeback once. After finding the product to be pure crap, then being summarily ignored when asking for a refund.

Listening to some people, you would think they got ripped off on a daily basis. Let me give you an example…

I have a service that charges a good amount of money per month – which is clearly stated on the sales page in several places. I run the payments and subscription through Paypal.

I had a client that decided that they no longer wished to use my service, but their second month was billed. I was emailed and asked (that is being kind) to “…put back the money I took from their account”. I mean, you could see the anger right off the bat – the money I took?? Hmmm…

Well, no big deal. It’s part of the business.

So, I log in to my Paypal to refund this customer and what do I find when I log in? Yup – a dispute…for an UNAUTHORIZED transaction no less.

Now, I find that laughable, seeing as they signed up for a recurring payment and the first payment went through a month prior. They used that because the mindset of those who do that are simple – Hey, if I say it’s unauthorized, I can make them look like a thief and get my money back…

What’s even funnier is the fact that this mindset prevents the person from understanding that that’s NOT how this works. In reality, knowing Paypal the way I do, all I needed to do was provide proof that it was authorized – and considering the first payment was NOT being disputed, this would have been easy. And this person WOULD have lost this dispute – and created bad vibes along the way.

So, I very nicely explained this to the person, telling them a simple “Hey, can you please refund the second month? I am canceling…” and they would have had their money back in their Paypal in about 30 seconds.

The response I got? “Well, I have been ignored by others, so I filed the dispute”

With the kind of mindset displayed, it’s no wonder.

I am a very simple guy – treat people the way you want to be treated. Karma lives in my world, as it does in so many others.

Many of my on line friends would have told me to simply refund them and get them out of your life. And, I could have I suppose. But what I explained to this customer is that when you claim that the payment I “took” was unauthorized, simply because you are too lazy, or scared, or whatever to come directly to me, then you are calling me a thief.

Sorry. Not gonna let that fly. Especially considering that by calling me a thief, you made yourself into a liar. Lock, stock and barrel.

In the end, we traded a few emails, they recinded the dispute and I refunded them. But when you insist on doing business this way, I can tell you that more often than not, people will remember you in not such a positive light. For example, if this person were to email me in six months with a JV request for a new product, that email goes straight into cyber heaven.

No chance.

Spiteful? Maybe. Or, maybe I simply know that somehow this person may in the future call me a liar then withhold any affiliate payments due to me. Bad business is just bad business even if it starts out as something a little personal…

This is just a rant, but it’s food for thought on a few different levels…

Just because you sit behind a keyboard and not across from people does not give anyone the right to treat people poorly. It may give you a feeling of power over someone, but it’s short lived and misguided, to say the least. It ALWAYS comes back around sooner or later.

As has been said by better people than me – character is how you behave/act when no one is looking. Or not sitting across from you.

People WILL remember you and your attitude.

Just because you may have been ripped off by someone does not mean you will get ripped off by everyone. That kind of mindset will hold you back.

Fianlly, don’t automatically assume that because YOU are the one that files a claim that it means the merchant provider will automatically believe you and side with you. They understand fully that there are as many thieves on that side of the credit card too. And, you would be surprised how few people actually win those disputes anyway.

Try asking first. The bad taste you leave may come back to haunt you…

I realize that is kind of a weird question to be asking on a blog, but it’s not what you think.

Look, let’s be blunt here.

I have been on line for quite a few years, and these days I see more and more people trying to make it. But more than 80% are making a very fundamental – and potentially fatal – mistake.

They are not protecting themselves, their loved ones or their ASSets.

http://www.centralnetmarketing.com/recommends/protection

I have told people this story before, but I was once hit with a lawsuit because I was not smart.
This was back in 2006.

Luckily, I was able to settle for about $1500, but man, it could have been MUCH worse.

Long story short, I now protect myself and my business.

You need legal forms on your site that cover various things, like:

Terms and Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Anti-Spam Policy
External Links Policy
Earnings Disclaimer
Affiliate Agreement
Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) Notice

And here’s the best part…this software and all of the forms were created by an ACTUAL lawyer who practices internet law, and is legal counsel to a number of players on line.

His software creates custom forms that, if you hired him to write them for you (if you could even get an appointment) would cost you around three grand. Maybe more.

Now it’s a fraction of the cost.

http://www.centralnetmarketing.com/recommends/protection

I realize “scare tactic” style posts can turn people off, and I also realize that this is not one of those “sexy” software applications, but don’t pooh-pooh this very important message.

It could cost you big. MUCH more than the tiny price of this software…

Here’s one of my sites I use it on, to show you as an example:

http://followupsecretsrevealed.com/fsr/legalstuff.html

It was a snap to use, too.

I’ve been around this Internet Marketing niche for quite a while now, and I participate in a few forums. Every now and again, someone who is obviously new to the market and trying to get opinions or recommendations about a product or coaching program will ask,”Hey – how good is XYZ…?”

Legitimate question. It’s obvious that you have someone doing their due diligence BEFORE buying into a product or program.

What I really like are those that answer like this:

“Don’t waste your money. You can get all the information you want for free on the internet or in this forum.”

There’s an old saying… “Knowledge is power”. 

That’s only half right though. Knowledge itself is useless unless applied. So APPLIED knowledge is power.

So telling someone who’s looking for a way to succeed that they can find all the info they want for free is only giving them potential access to the power.

There’s all kinds of value out there. Money is surely value. But so is time.

So let’s say you are considering joining a coaching program that costs $997 and you ask about whether it’s worth the money. Then someone answers “Ah, you can find all of the info in that coaching program for free all over the internet”.

That answer may be true, but then you need to ask yourself a few questions too:

• What is your time worth?
• Do you know how to apply the information you’re finding for free?
• Do you know what your best “method” is for achieving your goals? Surely there are lot’s of methods…
• Can you constantly motivate yourself to move forward – especially when you have setbacks and failures? You can bet your bottom dollar you’ll have both.

Don’t be afraid to spend money (when you have it) on speeding up your education. It’s an investment in your future. Just be sure to research your potential investment as thoroughly – and objectively – as you can.

Even if you don’t have money to spend at will, there’s other things you can do.

Bartering is alive and well on the internet. Several years back, when I was fully five figures in debt, I decided to teach myself a few things…web hosting, script installations and general webmaster duties. Then when I saw something I thought would do me good, I contacted the product owner and suggested trading their product for my time.

While this didn’t work 100% of the time (naturally), it worked more than it didn’t. Subsequently, it helped speed up my own on line education significantly…and the money came faster.

There are never any guarantees in life. Most people realize this already. But one thing IS guaranteed… as Wayne Gretzky once said, “You are guaranteed to miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.

Time is money. And your money (well spent) will help shorten your time.

…That is the question.

I don’t mean should I mentor anyone.  What I mean is should you get a mentor.

This is a question that gets hotly debated in the forums and on blogs, but I have my own thoughts on this…

Mentoring success depends on many factors. MANY factors. It’s even hard to quantify it. So for starters, let’s understand some of these basic ideas…

- Are you a good candidate for mentoring? You not only NEED to ask yourself this question but you must be 100% honest with yourself when you answer it.

Let’s face it, we all like to think of ourselves as astute learners. Generally people see themselves very differently than we really are (including yours truly).

So ask yourself - Are you a good listener? Do you comprehend easily? Are you shy and won’t ask questions? Will you put yourself to the test? Are you a good problem solver?  What’s the best way for you to learn? Reading? Video? Audio? Group? One on one?

All of this is important because no matter how good or successful your chosen mentor may be, if you’re not a good student and don’t ask questions…if you don’t challenge yourself, mentoring is probably not a good way to go for you.

Unfortunatley, the mentor takes the bad wrap when people don’t “learn” what the mentor is teaching, even when it’s not their fault.

That’s not to say all mentors are good teachers either. But it’s important that you also have a good rapport with your mentor. A relationship where you are comfortable asking them questions, or challenging them when you feel it’s neccessary.

- Do you know what it is you want to learn? Do you have a plan?

What good will it do you if you hire a mentor and not know what your long term goals are? No good at all. Don’t take this lightly. If the mentor you hire is any good, these are some of the questions they will ask you.

- Are you convinced that higher priced mentors will guarantee your success?

If you do, you’re in for a rude awakening. You may indeed get much better information, and a better method of teaching…but if you are not receptive, or if you believe everything should be “push-button”, you WILL be dissapointed.

That being said, if any mentor tells you that their system is hands-free, requires no effort, etc. than you are best off running. Quickly. Because there’s no such system out there that does not reqire work to be successful.

In fact, I would argue that - assuming your mentor is a good one – the more you pay for the service, the more work you can expect to do. The more advanced tactics, systems, etc. you will learn.

If you decide that a mentor is the way to go for you, remember these basics:

- Do your due diligence. Look for information – preferrably from several students of the mentor or coach.

- Interview your potential mentor. If you plan to spend $5,000 (or even just $500) for their services, at the very least you should talk with them by phone and see if you hit it off.

- Understand what it is they are teaching and make sure it aligns with what you want to learn. Is it right for your business?

- DO NOT spend money you don’t have based on hype or high pressure! If you tell them you don’t have 5 grand and they tell you to put it on your friends credit cards…run. Fast.

- Do your due diligence. I mention this again because it’s very important. It’s your money. Be an educated consumer.

Again, this is a hot topic. Feel free to leave your comments below. I am interested in your viewpoint.

It seems like only yesterday we buried my mother, but it’s been more than a year and a half. Where does the time go, I wonder.

I wrote a mothers day tribute to her last year, only two and a half months after she passed.

I still miss her.

But it’s easy to understand – and even accept – her death, considering things like her age, her lifestyle, the fact she raised four kids and got to know 13 grandchildren. There’s a sense that she lived a good and full life.

It’s so much different when it’s a child.

One of my mothers granddaughters – my niece – my sister’s daughter – has been battling colon cancer since March. At the “ripe old age” of 17, no less. The doctors tell us how rare it is that a person of this age gets colon cancer (they should only have the same luck in the lottery!).

We’ve all been asking ourslves during this time “Why?” – Why her? Why now? It’s a question no one can answer of course. This kind of thing happens and there’s no reconciliation. Which is frustrating, of course.

So, we move away from the why’s and start looking for ways to battle this ugly monster.

Doctors, hospitals, radiation, chemicals, and surgery.

We have watched a once vivacious, lively, sarcastic, bubbly baby/girl/young woman turn into a shadow of herself. Scared, drastically underweight, hollow eyed, girl.

You can still see her sass and sacrcasm. That’s because she’s also brave. Though there have been many tears shed, she has vowed to fight until the end or until she beats it. Determined.

And she has a lot of help. Between her family and her LONG line of friends, she has more support than she knows what to do with. People to talk to, shoulders to cry on, people to vent with…you name it.

So, now after several months of some very aggressive chemo therapy, it was time for the big surgery. One that would last between 10 and 12 hours. It would take that long to remove the tumor(s) from her colon, and now also from her intestines and stomach.

When I heard that two days before her surgery, she was looking at college brochures (she’s just a senior in high school, but she wants to be a nurse ), I couldn’t help but admire her determination to win. Her bravery. Her grit.

I drove her, my sister, and brother in law to Mt. Sinai hospital in Manhattan. We had to be there by 5:30 am. My other sister and brother in law came too for support.

My niece walked in to admissions – no wheelchair here, even though she was weak. Still being brave.

At 7:30 they wheel her in. We set up in the waiting area for a long wait. We estimated no earlier than 5 PM to see the doc again.

10 AM – the doc comes to see us. We knew it wasn’t good, him being out so early. We were right.

The mass around her intestine was so hard, he compared it to a small brick. There was no way to get it out without the real possibility of killing her on the table.

So they closed her up and came out to drop the news…time to start making her comfortable.

“How long?” my sister asked, eyes red and filled with tears.

Couple of weeks to a couple of months – can’t be sure.

We all joined my sister and brother in law in their tears.

Now we are faced with looking for miracles. And you can be sure – we will look under every rock. There will be a big fight against this ugly monster.

We are a very close family. My sisters, brother and I have always been there. We have spent every Christmas together since we all went out on our own, got married, and had kids.

My oldest son is 20 and he has NEVER known a Christmas without his cousins, aunts and uncles.

The thought of losing my niece has me profoundly sad. And mad, too.

I told my niece yesterday after her surgery that she was the bravest person I knew. After all of this, she’s not ready to quit. She is a fighter.

So why write all this and put it here, on a marketing blog?

Several reasons…

It’s a marketing blog, but it’s run by a human with a family.

Writing about it helps me deal with it.

This is the best way I know to start getting ideas and directions in our search for a miracle.

I know also that there are miracle stories out there – I personally know 2 – and my niece could use all the hope she can get. Reasons to fight.

You never know – miracles DO happen.

What Has The Tweet-a-thon Got To Do With C.H.D.?

In August-September every year, heart surgeon and infopreneur Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian holds a 24-hour day-and-night blogging marathon called the Heart Kids Blogathon.

The event is widely supported by thousands of people. Many make donations (over $120,000 has been raised over the last 6 years). The money was used to fund life-saving heart surgery in 26 children, with many more to come. See this site for details.

By participating in the Heart Kids Tweet-a-thon, and helping spread the word about it or making a donation, you will be helping spread the message of Congenital Heart Defects Awareness far and wide… and maybe another child (or many more) will live because of your help and support.

Would you like to help make that difference?
You can. Today.

The first step is to follow the progress on Twitter by:

Register for a Twitter account if you don’t already have one

Follow the Tweet-a-thon account – click here

Make a donation – click here

Help Spread the Word – Tell friends, post on Twitter, blog about it, email it, whatever.

If you sell products – on or off the internet – then you realize the importance of customers. You should also understand the value of exceptional customer service.

There’s an old saying: It’s much harder to get a customer than it is to keep a customer. It’s true. They just want to be treated properly.

Hey, you’re a customer of some business, right? How do YOU expect to be treated?

Recently a valued customer contacted me to let me know how frustrated he was. It seems that a digital product he purchased from me hadn’t been delivered as promised.

This is a valid concern. When I order a product I want it right then and there, and so do you, so the customer was 100% correct.

So here are some things you should have in mind when dealing with angry or frustrated customers:

1) Explain what is it that went wrong.

Yes, even if it was a “mistake” on your part. People want to do business with real people. People make mistakes, so don’t be afraid to admit a mistake. This is powerful.

2) State again that you do value your customer.

No customers, no money, no profits… it’s that simple. Customers are the cornerstone of any succesful business. Cherish them and value them.

3) Show them that you value them. Give them a gift.

Don’t let any situation get you with your back to the wall. Take charge. Take iniciative. “Yes Mr/Mrs customer you are correct. I stuffed up, but I value you and here’s proof… here’s a gift.”

4) Let them know what is going on.

If the problem needs several hours to be solved, let your customers know. People love getting behind the scenes. A simple “I’m working on it and everything will be back to normal soon” is enough.

5) Show empathy.

Many people have a hard time in their lives. (Job, family, health and so on), so take this into account and never, never, never, *ever* snap at your customers.

Don’t be a boogie man or a tough guy. Leave that for your competitors. Be like a caring and understanding person instead. You catch more fly’s with honey than with vinegar.