Interviewed by Rob Toth: The Future of Info Marketing 2009

1. I don’t often like the idea of getting interviewed, unless the questions posed are challenging. This was why agreed to be interviewed last night by Rob Toth of FutureOfInternetMarketing.com. The questions were thought provoking, and I had been forced to look further in vision.

2. The call was short – about 15 minutes. While the transcript is being made at this time of writing, I can offer you my quick insights when answering the 3 questions many Internet Marketers are looking answers for in accomplishing their 2009 goals and resolutions. I’m publishing my quick answers here in advance.

3. What is YOUR vision and prediction for where the Future of Information Marketing is headed? I think that Information Marketing will only get more profitable, but it will be more challenging than it is was for the past 3 years altogether.

4. The theme of 2008 that many people around the world can associate is recession. The news and the media were echoing the same “sky is falling down” message. Admittedly, I was worried. After all, the US Dollar was getting weaker and primarily, all sales online made are in US Dollars.

5. I broke my mental barrier nonetheless. Because if you would just look back at the recession period that hit most of South East Asia in 1998, which is only slightly more than 10 years ago, while certain sectors were hit there were those that gained to profit from it. Did you know that Amway made an unusually lot of sales revenue during that period?

6. I also think that one of the main reasons why people were put into the wrong frame of mind is because they spent too much time watching the news and reading the papers that are echoing doom and gloom. It’s just not healthy for the mind, and the time is best spent on productive things like building a solid ‘recession-proof’ business and looking for ways to supplement your income.

7. The news were still talking about global financial problems, when I made my $100,000 in sales in 10 days with Stephen Luc, and I did $18,000 in December 2008 alone, without doing a launch or created a new product. What did I say about spending too much time at the TV and paper?

8. The financial problems world wide is still far from over and we’re still living in turbulent times, nonetheless. The best hedge against it, for Internet Marketers, is to be building a business in more than one area this time and preferably in currencies other than the US Dollar.

9. If you already built a substantial business, there is no better time than now to start investing the money elsewhere. Before this, Internet Marketers would typically expand to the Self Improvement area, or speak in offline events. Yet I see a lot of potential in Forex, a 3.42 trillion dollar industry in its own league. This is why I am going to enroll in a Forex class middle of this month.

10. What is your #1 success tip for anyone considering information marketing or already involved? Many experts would echo typical advice like ‘be focused’ ‘create your own products’ and such. While I agree those are good advice, if I have to pick only one success tip, which I think it’s irreplacable and without it everything else will not fall in place, it’s about having a bigger mission and being committed to it.

11. When my parents were divorced in 2003, I was 16 going 17. Long story short, my mother’s highest qualification was only MCE (or SPM) thus the only jobs she could find would fetch a monthly salary of 1300 – 1800 MYR max. My sister and I had to leave high school prematurely and as a result, we led vagabond lives in the UK and later back in Malaysia but in Johor instead. I made it my own mission since then to solve my financial problems caused by my parents. While I also liked the idea of making money for myself, the primary motivation came from being committed to what’s left of us.

12. People who go into business only for themselves very often don’t make it or their success would still yet to realize their full potential. In contrast when I studied some of the more successful figures in business, they had a bigger mission and bigger mind when they started out small and humble.

13. And what is the biggest challenge or pitfall that you feel holds individuals back from success in Information Marketing? I had recently done a survey with my members and subscribers and the results were… shocking. I couldn’t find a better word for it. What’s stopping most people, as given in the survey of almost 400 participants, is that they either lack the money or lack the skill sets.

14. I still find that those problems are only on the surface. At the root, the problem is not being focused. Or putting it another way, their priorities are wrong or jumbled up.

15. I don’t have a discipline problem because it’s the least of my concern. I don’t have to drag my feet to an evening jog. And I make my mind up easily and make my decisions fast. I know I couldn’t afford to dilly-dally because had I done so 5 years ago, everything for me would have just gone to hell, and I will never see this ladder in success today.

16. That being said, be ready to expect Year 2009 to be more challenging than all the years before. It can be more profitable and worthwhile for you and many, if and when you overcome your weakness in procrastination and putting your life priorities in order.