I’ve worked up-close and in-person with many hundreds of entrepreneurs, serial entrepreneurs and millionaires.
I advised Clate Mask, president of InfusionSoft, when all he had was three guys in a room writing custom software for anybody who would give them money. Now he’s doing well over ten million dollars a year.
I coached Jeff Hughes, founder of Sterling Satellite and Rocket Clicks, when he was an attorney doing affiliate marketing on the side and LOSING $15,000 per month. Now he is also doing well over ten million dollars a year.
And so it goes with all kinds of people – Ari Galper, Glenn Livingston, David Bullock, Howie Jacobson. Not just famous authors and New York Times bestsellers, but many others whose names you would not know, because they’re not public figures.
Do you know the one thing they ALL have in common?
A DRIVING, ABSOLUTELY RELENTLESS PASSION FOR LEARNING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
Every one of these people is remorseless and driven about making themselves better.
They will not let anything get in the way of something they need to know, any skill they need to acquire, any change they need to make on the inside.
And they’re not afraid to make the $$$$ investment.
SO MANY PEOPLE nickel and dime themselves to death. Either they try to get the “discount version” of a business education, or they impulsively and aimlessly fall for get-rich pitches, and frankly p*** away their future.
In every contact record in our database, there’s a field on the upper right: “Account Summary: Amount Paid” and it’s a running total of how much they’ve spent with us since the beginning.
For the vast majority of people on my email list, the number is:
$0.00.
For many others, it’s maybe fifty or a hundred bucks.
I fully understand that Planet Perry is not everybody’s cup of tea, and if you relate to other teachers better than me, that’s great.
But I can reliably predict that most of the $0.00 people ain’t gonna accomplish much of anything, ever. They have a fun little hobby called internet marketing and they live their lives vicariously through other peoples’ product launches.
It just astounds me that people will give Google ten thousand dollars – maybe even ten thousand dollars a MONTH – and not spend a measly thousand bucks discovering how to cut their spend in half.
There’s a reason why they call it stupidity tax. And there’s a reason why most people pay it.
I cannot change that.
Neither can you.
The only thing you can change is whether YOU pay the stupidity tax or not. Because there is nothing more expensive than ignorance.
Some people will think I am being obnoxious and self-serving by saying this. If that’s what you think, there’s an unsubscribe button, and it’s for you.
People who fully embrace education and personal growth go consistently farther in the long run than people who question the price of success. That’s the naked truth.
My advice to you: Find someone whose teaching and approach WORKS for you — and by that I mean, makes you a PROFIT, not just “feels good” — and buy everything they’ve got. Drink from the well until the well is dry.
If you do that in the sales, marketing and business world, it will be very difficult to spend more than half a single year’s of tuition at Harvard, yet you’ll own their entire vault.
If you have any kind of real business and if you act on what you learn, it will be hard NOT to recoup all of that investment and more in a few months or a year. Maybe a few days or weeks.
But whatever you do, if you’ve been lying to yourself, it’s time to stop.
If you know what you need and you’re not getting it, you’re cheating yourself. And your family. And your spouse who’s been putting up with you and your crazy inspirations and ideas. You’re devaluing your own potential and your own dreams.
Are you serious?
If you are, then stop trying to negotiate the price of success.
Perry Marshall
P.S.: If I only took what’s cheap or free —- for example if I only bought $18 bookstore books and if I only helped myself to the vast quantities of free advice online – even if I got the best of the best, I would still miss out on 95% of the NETWORKING opportunities that you get from live events. Because learning happens in communities and conversations, not just at home and online.
There is NO substitute for human contact. Oh, and the people you meet at a fifty dollar seminar are not gonna get you where you want to go.
Find the price. Decide to pay the price. Then pay the price.
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About the Author
Perry Marshall has launched two revolutions in sales and marketing. In Pay-Per-Click advertising, he pioneered best practices and wrote the world's best selling book on Google advertising. And he's driven the 80/20 Principle deeper than any other author, creating a new movement in business.
He is referenced across the Internet and by Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, INC and Forbes Magazine.
36 Comments on “How committed are you??? Seriously.”
It is all about “WHY WE WANT TO SUCCEED” – PASSION. I can feel this blog post because when I started my own business, my passion is 110%. I almost could do anything that I didn’t do before. Passion drives me crazy and make me success today! :)
Dear Perry,
I responded to this earlier, but my comments obviously didn’t make it. Now I have a few questions: We received an email for your New Google Adwords Guide…if we buy it through the link, does that count and remove us from being seen as “zeros” who don’t give a damn? Will you credit us for the book purchase? How much should we charge you for access to your inboxes? I am completely serious and I would like serious answers. You teach that email is the most valuable because it lands you in your prospects in box, but then you decide that that valuable prospect, just because they haven’t yet been able to buy from you (ie: fill your wallet) is no longer so valuable. So what should people charge marketers for access to their inboxes???
Thanks,
Quantella Owens
Quantella,
It’s possible your comments went into the spam folder, sorry if that happened.
I think the new AdWords guide may have any number of things that would help you, regardless of whether you do AdWords or not, and everyone who signs up for the book bonuses is in fact marked as a paying client.
I consider you a valuable person and you are welcome to be a subscriber as long as you wish.
Perry
Just last week, Brian & I were discussing how much money we had spent in Planet Perry over the years. (Don’t recall how it came up, but it was a tangent to another topic.) Brian rolled his eyes and said, “I don’t even want to know.”
We didn’t realize you have that data at-the-ready. :)
Last night at the dinner table, I mentioned your “Account Summary” field to Brian and he nearly choked on his food. Since our Planet Perry account is in my name, he said, “OMGosh, I’m glad you got that email, too! I thought I was on some follow-up sequence labeled ‘Hasn’t Spent a Dime.’ and I was thinking, ‘Um, yeah…I pay the credit card bill every month…you’ve got me on the *wrong* list!'”
Of course, it’s all in good fun. Every $ we invest yields several more $$$s in return, so no complaints here. ;)
-Susan
I agree with you totally Perry, it makes sence. The ball and chain that is holding me back and costing me so much is that thing called procrastination.
I just don’t have it. I have too much head trash and am just convinced that I won’t even try. I love Perry’s emails. I just don’t have what it takes to do this kind of stuff.
Dang, this hit me on the inside.
But then I’m 16 years old and I can’t afford thousand dollar plus seminars. Give me some time, and i’ll be in Hawai attending your conference, learning how to make more bang from my buck.
Personally I believe making money is like rolling a snowball. You first gotta get some snow into your hands, and then you can start rolling it all over the place. Now where do I get the initial snow? Again, I’m 16, so noone in their right minds will give me any of theirs. It’s ok, I got some money and quite some time, I can make that work.
Really, your potential to get stuff done boils down to
Money x Time x Skill
0.01 x 1 x 0.2 still makes a pretty low number though.
That’s what I struggle with. Ohh, and also getting stuff done without overcontemplating it.
Hey Oliver,
I’m at Dan Kennedy’s $27,000 Mastermind right now and everybody in the room is reading your blog comment.
Here’s what they say.
Greg: Stop whining, 16 is no excuse. Ha. Just joking. Seriously, nobody on the internet knows how old you are. The Snowball needs to start in your mind.
Harry: You write well and you create the initial snowball from your own imagination.
The real key is to figure out a way to create value for others and they will pay you.
Nick: Don’t do anything. Can’t be done. Depend on your gov’t for everything. Socialism rocks. Come to Canada, we have health care, we’ll take care of you.
Mike: Sell drugs.
Brittany: I started when I was 16, I’m 24 now, have made millions online. Age should not limit you.
I like your spirit, keep it up.
Nick: I’ll give you a hug.
Greg: If he’s 16 and on Perry’s list, he’s ahead of the curve. On the right path.
Mike: Just kidding about the drugs.
Scott: I’m 52, I’m a dentist, and this 24 year old over here can buy and sell me.
Nick: In all seriousness, at 16 you have more time than you know what to do with (and energy) so you have tons of options. Don’t waste your summer. I wish I used my time wisely at that age. Start a lawn company or something.
Mike: You can’t even find a kid that mows lawns anymore.
You need to spend money to make money. However you need to spend money wisely to make money. The operative word is wisely. You cannot get into a cycle where you are always being asked for more money to continue the process. Get one price to do it right then do it.
Robert
I had one of those nights the other night. The one where you don’t sleep because you feel like you are wasting your potential, your life is slipping by, you’re aware that others are extremely successful and that you too are capable of such success, but you have no idea who you can trust, or what exactly to do. I’ve been reading your e-mails for a while now, and I always see the truth of what you say.
My biggest question now is, “What if I don’t have a business?” What then? It seems to me from what you have said in the past that I should try to assess my strengths to see what kind of business would be suitable for me to pursue. I don’t mind you pointing me at one of your products as long as it will help me with this.
Thanks,
Ryan
I strongly recommend the exercises here, as well as the product which is for beginners, by Glenn Livingston:
http://www.perrymarshall.com/1404/pink-koolaid/
Thanks for the response. =)
Guilty…as charged. Yours is one of the few emails I read, absorb and use. But alas, not spent much with you. Likely I am what you might call a very warm lead, ready to pounce on one of your offers any second now. Spent loads on others, just haven’t launched into planet Perry yet…yet….soon….very soon….Rob Provencher
Dear Perry,
I find value in being on your list otherwise I wouldn’t give you inbox room. But I’m at $0.00 because you don’t have anything for me to buy because I don’t plan on doing PPC. I’ll be using Google for CPM instead. I can’t belong to Renaissance Club because I’m so far beyond broke there isn’t a word for it. I can’t go the Consulting seminar I just received a great marketing piece on for the same reason. I do have my own business, but as yet-or should I say still?-no website, no customers and no revenue. I feel like I’m in a Catch-22 death spiral. I wanted to buy your Celebrity book, but it doesn’t come as a book only. I think it would be great if you had a newsletter that was like $100 annually that served as a lead generator for you and served a few purposes: 1) You could make that the absolute mininum anybody could get away with giving you and still be a part of Planet Perry, 2) You could avoid sending out offers for $25K consulting gigs to people without a penny to their name like me and 3) You could still maintain contact and give basic marketing help to those who really do want/need to build a business but can’t yet afford to go whole hog-also me, 4) You could pick up cash from those of us who aren’t PPCers, but who still really like your marketing lessons and it might give you and idea for a more expensive product just for us, 5) You could maybe create a Consulting book and test it on your list-that I’d buy in a heartbeat.
When you had Michael Cage visit, he mentioned the possibility of “video webinar consulting,” and that really interests me. I cannot travel and I want to consult with Doctors. My HealthClaimCommando.com site is meant to be a lead generator….but getting it set up is a huge problem for a non-techie with no money. So I decided to respond to this email so that you can see that some of us $0.00s really do want desperately to succeed in consulting or anything; we just haven’t any idea how. I’ve got a million ideas about everything else, but I draw a blank there everytime. For me it’s the practical, nuts and bolts, how do you get your first client stuff…and it can’t cost me $25K simply because I don’t have it. If I did have it, I would have to pay school and Sallie Mae first anyway…..
But I Love Being A Member Of Planet Perry, So don’t kick us zeroes off just yet!!!!
Thanks,
Quantella Owens,
Virtuality LLC
healthclaimcommando.com
Quantella,
My intention is not for people in tight spots to feel guilty. I’m speaking to people who are giving their money to all the wrong people, because those people are willing to stretch the truth. Or because those people (ie Google etc) are perceived to hold some power over them.
Meanwhile every time I hear from you there’s a sense of darkness that seems to be leaking out of the edges. I think the solution is spiritual and I suggest you read the book of John in the New Testament. God can shift what right now feels like a catch 22 death spiral.
Perry
I am definitely “guilty as charged”. :-/
I’ve spent tens of thousands on expensive memberships and trainings (StomperNet, Ryan Deiss, etc) and have succeeded as a result to a certain degree.
However, what I should have done was invest more of that money into not only learning how to become a better marketer – but how to become a better businessman overall.
Perry, your’s are the emails I read 99.9% of the time; and everyone of your great training offers that have come my way I’ve been unable to take advantage of because of prior financial committments to other stuff – that didn’t always pan out.
Bummer that one cannot make up for lost time. Hard lesson learned.
I find it endlessly interesting that you are tracking how much we spend of you (knowing you, of course you would.) I started to try to track what my number is, I have no idea what it is, but I can definitely say its definitely not 0 or a few hundred bucks. I am looking forward to the day that I qualify for a four man intensive.
Hey Perry,
It is refreshing to become aware of the fact,
that you have coached other individuals who
have went on to make 10mil/year +
I have read your book on Adwords and it allowed me to set up
my first profitable Google Campaigns. I would say about
50% or more of my profits end up going towards books,
courses, events, etc.
Your comparison of the tuition at harvard in relation to
all of the other information available out there at a high ticket
cost was the most refreshing, Tony Robbins once said
“People’s lives are a direct reflection of the expectations of their peers”
I was raised by “conventional wisdom” and i.e. go to college get a 40k/year job.
And I make over 5 figures a month doing internet marketing and my parents
still are asking me when I will go back to school… (dropped out, I’m 20)
So reading that was like drinking an ice cold sprite on a hot day.
Thanks for the consistent high value emails.
Justin
Perry,
Every Round Table meeting my brother I attended brought us valuable learning that could not have been bought any other way.
I know I spent my fathers day reading the “ultimate Guide to Google Adwords” that I bought from the bookstore as a refresher and to gain additional knowledge.
Paying the price is what most don’t want to do. Jamey and I are never afraid to tell people what we invested with Planet Perry AND that it paid dividends. When you look at it what we paid cannot be paid back in what we got out of it.
Your messages and information continue to keep us going and allow us to “sing” for our food in a tough economy.
As always thanks for the message.
Joey
I guess this is why I signed up for the Renaissance Club
I know my greatest obstacle is deciding where to spend my marketing dollars. A year ago I spent $750 for a one hour consult with one of your colleagues. While he made some excellent suggestions which I implemented, my sales have not budged. I think $750 or more per hr. consultation is a lot to spend when you are not convinced you are going to make it back in sales. So far, I haven’t.
My market is prof’l women. I just contracted with National Public Radio for an ad campaign for $2,000. That wouldn’t buy much in Planet Perry. I don’t mean to be insulting, but I’m just trying to evaluate return on investment.
I think many of your $0.00 people are willing to spend the money, we’re just not sure where to spend it.
Great email. My problem is that I get so many ideas it’s hard to prioritize them, and focus on one at at time. I do eventually do it but I am spread to thin. There’s a few things I know I need to do, but finding time to do them seems to evade me. Not always, but enough to bug me. Thanks for your email Perry.
Hi, Perry. I have read your book and implemented your ideas on two campaigns. I have even recommended your strategies to others. I spend most of my time writing and servicing existing customers. In itself, it is a full-time job. If I had seen any progress whatsoever, I would have been enthused. There is no doubt I made mistakes, but I believe you said it, ‘I am too busy making a living to devote so much time to marketing my products’ the way they should be marketed.’
I have not given up, but for now, I just do not see it happening for me.
Perry, If it were anyone else saying what you said, I would have deleted this and thought .. “What a croc of …”! But you can get away with saying this stuff because you deliver the goods. My time with you 9 months ago at your 2Day/4Man was spot on. The vision you painted for my business was brilliant. Pretty much everything you said – actually happen. Bill
I totally understand and agree with your wake up call and concerned message – I know that you really do care about helping people. I am putting together a daily self development program that I know will be a key secret to success. I also know that it’s smart and most effective to go to a proven expert like you.
Unfortunately though, both me (I used to be with Fortune Magazine) and my husband (he was a VP of Operations at a manufacturing company) both lost our jobs. Since we were contractors, neither one of us got unemployment. So, we have been under tremendous financial distress. I am trying to set up my own freelance copywriting business. My husband finally got a decent job but we are still not in an excess financial situation.
So, as you can see, we have been financially challenged. I have to put food and shelter at the head of the list. Unfortunately, some people just do not HAVE the money to invest. But, your programs could really help them get through all this and succeed. It’s sort of like the chicken and the egg dilemma. What do you have to offer those of us who do believe totally in you but just do not have the financial means at the present?
If I could earn the financial means first, I would gladly invest in the your self development and it’s secret to success.
Dee,
I totally understand the situations that some people are in. I’ve been “cash without” too and in that situation you do what you can.
Meanwhile there are those who do have money and still choose to pay stupidity tax, by default.
Glad to have you around and remember, tough times don’t last.
Perry
Hi, Dee Anne. I feel so badly for you. What you and your husband are going through is the real tragedy of the current economic situation. Just hang in there – this too shall pass.
Perry
Much as i admire you and your work, you are in messages like this, beginning to sound arrogant and unpleasant
“People who fully embrace education and personal growth go consistently farther in the long run than people who question the price of success. That’s the naked truth.”
Couldn’t agree more. Been investing in myself every year for the past twenty years.
Hey Perry
This one got me out of my sleep;-)
You’re doing OK and I like what I get right now. For now being a member of the MM club has paid off significantly. But one step at the time.
You see, I am in Norway, so if you’re interested in have a seminar overhere, please be welcome. I’ll host and plan it. I’d love to do some networking with you guys;-)
Regards
Nickolass Jensen, http://www.nettpilot.no,
Norwegian SEO specialist.
On twitter: twitter.com/nickolass
Thank you sir, maybe someday that can happen :^>
I agree Perry..For running a business you need to have open mindset about spending money.
I respect you, Ryan-Perry and Andre C a lot. My aim is to join your 4 day intensive program one day when I am in a place in my business where I can spend that amount of money..
Keep your newsletters coming.
Hi Perry! Your article touches me. I never realized that you’re such big. I’m honored to be subscribed to you and learn a lot of lessons on Internet Marketing. I’m actually just a newbie in this field, around 9 months old. Hopefully, in the near future I would start earning already with my affiliate program. Main reason why I have not earned yet is because I have not invested really yet for this business. It is because I’m quite afraid due to many scams out there. What I’m trying to do now is to study the techniques like SEO but I’m also overwhelmed of so many ebooks to read then later found to be ineffective. What can you suggest to me in order for me to really succeed in Internet Marketing? How would I know if I’m being scammed or not? Thanks a lot!-Crisencio Paner
We guarantee almost everything we sell. I suggest you start with the basics and master the Tactical Triangle (search for it on my blog) – every part of it. I suggest AdWords Boot Camp which is being introduced this week.
I have been following you for years Perry. Every investment i have made with you has been gold but it has not been a lot ($600.00) Unfortunately, the company i work for will not spend the money for your bob sled course or 4 man intensive either. Yet….we continue to create new record months and record years in sales since I have been following you.
With this arsenal and wealth of knowledge, it will hopefully soon (within 12 months) allow me to break free of my dilbert cube. Only then will the real learning begin and I will hopefully be able to invest in myself and attend your 4 man intensive courses or even Maui.
Look forward to meeting you one day real soon Perry. Will also give you a big Aussie hug for helping me get out of my dilbert cube and freeing me in body and mind!
Tim
Tim,
This is VERY common. The guy who gets himself free is always the guy who will invest in himself, even when his company won’t. The fact that they won’t invest is, for you, possibly a blessing in disguise.
Perry