Clearly, the kid who got straight A’s in school and given the “most likely to succeed after high school” title is the most successful person from that class, right? No! This is perhaps the most invalid assumption that everyone from all around the globe continuously makes. Success in school does not guarantee any level of achievement in the real world and actually can infringe upon that person’s success when it comes to their occupation.
As previously mentioned there is life and school, and they do not exactly blend too well. Just think about what it takes to get good grades in school and what it takes to succeed in the real world. Heck, I have several friends that stumbled through just about every class in high school, and they are now bringing home 6 and 7 figure salaries online. They simply do this because they possess the following traits:
1. They have the drive. When it comes to succeeding it is all about drive. For example, you might have the drive to make as much money as possible or to simply share a passion of yours with the world. Either way, you must have this never ending feeling within you if you wish to continuously succeed. Earlier I said that school does not determine your success, however, school does relate to this concept. Those who wanted to excel in school did indeed spend long hours studying and then got an A+ on their test. On the other hand, (you may have been one of these people, there is nothing wrong with this) there are the people who played video games, went out with friends, and did everything other than study. When the test showed up the material was not understood. That was indeed met with a failing grade.
So when you apply this concept to this particular profession you would find that there are the people who essentially master the test and there are the people who choose not to invest their time and have an overwhelming lapse in terms of drive. This is when we go back to the original point (school differs from the real world significantly). If you embark on your online marketing journey and do not possess that drive, there will not be an immediate effect but the possibility for failure will be much greater.
So rather than seeing an F on a piece of paper and getting reprimanded from the teacher you will see incoming bills, an upset individual (wife, husband, family member, friend, and maybe even your pet), and not enough money to meet everyone’s needs. So before introducing the other very important traits that will indeed lead you down a path of success, this one must be ingrained in you (there is a reason it is #1). Additionally, it must be understood that there will not be a constant presence hanging around that will be separating success from failure. You must invest in a passion that is the presence that watches over you.
2. They can network. This might sound paradoxical at first, but you really need to build relationships with others to succeed online. The reason this is so important is that you will need a product promoted and you will likely want the word to spread quickly and reach as many people as possible. So being in good standing with those who do this is extremely important. At first, you might have a difficult time because your social skills might not be up to par. However, that will change over time and the “you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours” effect will certainly come into play.
3. Their focus is unbelievable: The biggest problem for those in business is focus. For some reason, people have these grandiose notions and jump around on a day-to-day basis in completely different directions. When this happens, focus is lost. Just imagine doing this when driving. You would end up driving off a cliff or hitting an immovable force and severely damaging yourself and everyone else in the car. Remember, that is what will indeed happen if you do not focus.
4. They are persistent: People tend to say “nothing worth having comes easy.” That is an extremely valid principle to apply in this context. A business will have good days and bad, but persistence will be the deciding factor that will determine whether or not the business becomes super-profitable.
5. They are independent: Just think about the people you know who cannot do anything for themselves. They are the same people in school who read the book and then proceeded to ask the teacher a million questions about what they thought. Business is all about thinking on your feet, interpreting on your own, and being able to act accordingly. I am not saying that online marketing is 100% individualistic. However, I am saying that you must be able to think for yourself and weigh the pros and cons.
6. They separate work and play: A huge problem that can become a crippling problem for online marketers is not understanding the work and play ideology. If you work 2 hours, hire someone to do your work, and then take the rest of the day off things will slowly but surely begin to fall apart. The beginning will demand long days with long hours, but that is just the way things are if you want to succeed long-term. When the large amounts of money start flowing, then you can perhaps take a vacation. Some people just don’t like the feeling of taking a vacation. It turns out those are the same people who take home those 7 figure salaries.
7. Learn to outsource: You cannot be good at everything. This is something that you must accept if you want to succeed in your ventures. For example, if you were a world-class freelance writer you would write your content for your website. However, the technical side of the website would be put in the hands of a website building professional. The same logic can apply in virtually all professions, especially this one.
The bottom line is that you do not have to be Einstein to succeed as an online marketer. Do not let your previous experiences in school follow you around. They do not define your success in the real world in any way, shape, or form. Just adopt these 7 traits and let them be your guide. Once you accept them and fully embrace them, you are for the most part half done.
