How do I start selling?

[Skys]

How do I start selling? How do I find people that have things I can sell?
I am busy building my own website but it has no real purpose yet. I think I need to build it to start selling 'something'.
I don't know the something.

Could U guys that are further in this process give me advice how you got your business going?
I read MJs book, which was awesome.
I am reading 'how to get rich'.

Step 1 is taking: Building sites
I am cluecless about step 2. Building a network? Finding a product to sell?

I study Human Resource Management. Maybe something in there where I can start my thing?

 

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[Skys]

I am not asking what to sell by the way. I ask how to get creative in this process because I feel I need to take massive action but it doesn't seem to roll. No real steps are being made, except me working hard in dreamweaver learning how to build websites.

 

[Gold777]

This really is a difficult question to answer because of how noobish it is.

There's multiple ways you can start selling something, I know you know what craigslist, eBay, and Amazon are. You can start out with one of those or by making your own website, and there's multiple ways you can build your own website none of which I will go into any detail of because you need to do your own research.

Step 1 is not building a website, it's finding a product to sell. Step two is building a website, step three is marketing the website. Actually step two doesn't have to be building a website it could be creating an eBay account or making posts on craigslist.

There's so many different angles you can come at this from, don't buy into any guru shit you find and if you're going to use any software to market your website do a TON of research on it and see what reviews are like in forums and not promotional YouTube videos.

It sounds like you need to do a ton of research and I know you're completely new to this so you have a LONG way to go. If you need any serious help I would be willing to help you get setup and show you some great resources. Don't hesitate to send me a PM if you think you're going to need some serious help starting off.

 

[Rickson9]

How do you build a website if you don't know what you're selling or how to sell? On the surface that seems odd to me.

 

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[mmtprofile]

Hold on,

First off, what is your business and what type of business is it (online business, direct sales, retail, etc.)?

Once you answer that I'll be happy to give you some guidance from my experience.

 

[Skys]

I stepped up. I decided to never be the slave of a big company ever.
I took action, and my first ideas where to become a designer of websites, so I could build a website that brings something new to the www. Bringing in money with advertisement.

I realise now it's probably a very long road and I also think everybody is already trying that. Also people with a lot more skill then me.

I don't know what kind of business I want because I dont have a good idea of what people need and how I can make it scalabel.

 

[rocksolid]

A topic on this board is often where can I find inspiration. I thought I would post some of the things that work for me and maybe it can help out some people.

I find the Who, What, Where, Why, and When questions very helpful in qualifying an idea. I often play a game in my head called how can I make it better. What I do is take any object like a toothbrush, and umbrella, car tires and think to myself
How can I make this better?
Who would this appeal to?
What can I do to improve this item?
Take the toothbrush. It is probably the same for 100’s of years but it does not do a good job on the inside of your teeth. Maybe a double sided toothbrush could work(it’s already been done so don’t waste your time unless you can improve on it) so that is just a game I play to keep me entertained and my mind thinking.

Another way to find inspiration is to just look around and notice things. Yesterday I was on the bus going home from work and I look out the window and saw a person trying to drive and eat a hamburger at the same time. I thought to myself “there has got to be a better way” so I started thinking about it. Maybe a driver can strap a tray around his/her neck and place all of the food there. This way they are not concerned about making a mess on their suit while they drive and they do not have to look down to find a place to put the food down safely. Now ……I think it is a silly idea and not something I am going to pursue but just looking around and noticing things can get your mind moving.

Another way I do it is to play a game called can I rent it? In this game I think of things that are expensive that might not be currently rented like cars or homes.

The last way I find inspiration is by experience. I started my current venture because of it. I burnt my hand BBQ on my grill and I looked on the internet and found other people had similar issues so I created a product that would solve this problem. Even though I am still not making money yet I have sold about 500 units and my product is in 7 states in about 40 stores including many Ace Hardware stores. My site is Safe to handle | safety handle for BBQ grill. At the bottom I included a mini commercial that I had my son do.

I hope this info helps people get started on their path to the fast lane.

 

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[Skys]

Thank you. You seem to be very creative and handy

 

[Skys]

I am reading the book for the second time now. I am reading the 'fastlane' part.
I am struggling a lot at the moment. I know if you want to be creative, you need to open up but I am not. I am very tense.
I want to make it, and I want to make it now.
I want to get into business, and I want to do it now.
I want to take massive action, and I want to take it now.

Then I look around and notice I have nothing that is even close to having a business. I just started to learn how to build websites, but for what? I have no web company, no product, no idea (thank god ideas are not important), nothing. I do have lots of qualities, and I am smart, and I never give up which I think is even more important.

I am close to take the slowlane. Maybe that should be part of my plan.
Learning to build websites as a hobby, studying human resource management, getting all the ins and outs how companies work on the inside and then see a gap that is not being filled and take it.

A niche is something that has been missing in a certain area. But if I don';t know the ins and outs of a certain area, what am I really doing?

To get to the fastlane, I might need to take the slowlane first and become very good at a certain area so I see the niche, i see the uppertunity. I see nothing now, and I have no clue how I am ever going to massive action to get what I really want to get

Which is self-employement, a business that works for me, and no money stress ever again.

 

[Halli]

Why don't you start with some affiliate marketing? You'll learn about SEO, keyword research and lots of other things in the process. And if you're going to be involved in website business then these skills can always come in handy. What I feel when reading what you've done is that you seem too afraid to fail that it's blocking you from just starting something. Action is the key here. Just do some niche searching and set up a site for that niche. It doesn't have to be the top quality website that nobody else can compete with. If it fails then it fails. Not the end of the world. Almost nobody does everything right from the beginning. And you'll learn a lot just by doing. And stop worrying and wondering if things are slowlane or not. If they turn out to be slowlane then you can usually adjust them to make them fastlane Now stop reading and start doing!!!

 

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[Skys]

I am going to found out what 'affiliate marketing' is. Thank you! Finding that niche is exactly what my struggle is (one of them lol) by the way.

I am going to reread your post tonight, I am almost heading out.

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

Sorry... couldn't resist :smxB:

 

[s_sherrell]

Can I ask if you are trying to build your own product/business or would you like to sell other people's products as either an affiliate or dropshipper? If you can answer that question I think I can help point you in the right direction.

 

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[Skys]

Since I don't have my own product and/or business and I will not find an idea for a product or an idea, I think going in the direction of selling others people's products is the way for me.

 

[s_sherrell]

Alright, then your issue is finding what to sell of course. The only rule is sell soemthing that is already selling. You do not want to try and sell fuzzy playing cards for instance. There are two routes to go here. Physical products or digital. Let's start with digital/affiliate.

Choose anything that naturally interests you. Google it and then see if there are paid ads for it. If you see ads there are obviously buyers. BTW, I am not going to get into keyword research, because you can get bogged down. Just start here. If you see enough, then add the term 'affiliate' to your search phrase. You should see who has programs you can join.

Since you mentioned human resources I did the above steps with the term 'hr certification affiliate'. Here is the affiliate site that came up
Affiliate Program

Just go and apply. You should get approved and you will get a link to promote where you get credit. This is all basic and this site seems to even provide you a website. Go write articles and join forums that direct links to your affiliate site.

I stayed with digital goods or affiliate programs, because you can do it without getting a reseller license. Although this is what I really recommend if you are serious. Get an LLC, apply for a federal EIN, and get a reseller license, so you can wholesale anything. If you prefer this route PM me.

 

[Skys]

To be completely honoust. I have no idea what you are talking about. I am going from no idea, to affiliate marketing. I never heard about it until today

 

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[DeletedUser394]

Now is as good a time as any to figure it out. Let me google that for you

 

[Skys]

yes, I know how to use google and I have been reading about it. Thank you for the tip, Ryan.

 

[NJDonny89]

Remember, you really want to find something that people have a need for! My favorite chapter in the book is talking about finding a need and listening to all the problems that people complain about. Remember, problems = opportunity. Just go to a mall and you will find a ton of products you can improve to or, Google forums that interest you, and you will find something that can be changed.

As far as failure goes, remember you only need to hit one home run. I don't think anyone (famous or not) succeeds the first time they try.

If your looking for more info on affiliate marketing check out Warriorsforum. Just don't get caught up buying every WSO. Also don't get caught up in the get rich easy schemes.

just my 2 cents

 

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[Skys]

After reading more books on this subject we decided we are not taking the right aproach to this all.
Especially the e-myth book has opened my eyes. The fastlane book is very good, but e myth opened my eyes what a business really is, and how to go about it.

Working on my business, instead of in my business makes a lot of sense now. I get it. I am also planning to read the mastery version of e myth and I am re reading the fastlane chapter of MJs book. It needs to sink in deeply.

We are trying to find a product to sell and that is priority one.
We don't have much money to invest, I only have around 1-3k to invest, so it is going to be internet based.

Very exciting! I wanted to keep you guys a bit up to date and show I am taking action listening to the advice you all have given in this thread and others.

 

[Skys]

While e myth showed me what a small business is. Fastlane showed me its possibe to be wealthy and how its possible.

They are both different. Just wanted to make clear I dont think e myth is better

 

[Halli]

Just find a niche and good buying keywords, find some amazon products or products from other affiliate programs and then set up a site. Not having a product shouldn't be holding you back. And if you don't like affiliate marketing then you could try dropshipping.

 

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[s_sherrell]

Looks like you are going the create a product route. I think that is fine. Affiliate programs are easier to get into, but I do not think you can ever go wrong having your own product. That being said, I would recommend saving money on creation. A great lesson I learned from marketing great Jay Abraham is that control is better than ownership. If you can license someone else's product and market as your own that is faster and cheaper. Not sure what you are looking to develop, but I would start there first if possible. Best to you.

 

[Skys]

haha there is so much to learn. Its one big adventure.
I am not really looking to invest money, but I am willing to do if I found something I could invest in.
That is my challenge at the moment.

I see how wrong my thinking has been about wealth, and e myth did the same to me with owning a business. With Fastlane I discovered I need to create passive income and I need to create a product with scale to really get wealthy and with E myth I discovered; Holy shit, I can still end up at a job with the worst boss ever *me*.

So now I am like 'shit, need to find a niche', 'shit, my business is my product, that is great.. but what should I sell then?'.. And 'What do I sell within that product with no resources to really sell'?

No capability to building sites (just a bit of a clue about HTML and CSS), and to me, it will take to long before I can actually launch the web company. Especially since I don't know what my product is going to be about haha

But yeah. Love to see my progress in my thinking.

 

[Skys]

This is what MJ himself in a thread said. It was a challenge that was going on some time ago. Great tips, but it does make me thing I really should invest some money. But not now, I dont know the product yet

Since $3K is not a lot of dough and it must churn to $1m, our scope of options is limited.
Our business must be internet based since inherently, we must reach and impact A LOT of people with our product/service.
Our business must use FREE, open source software in our site development with the our capital allocated toward custom applications.
Our marketing must have a solid affiliate program with decent compensation to encourage affiliate marketers to participate.
Our product/service must have "sizzle" or a marketing "hook" that is newsworthy. Can be something entirely new, or a new spin on something old.
Our product must go viral through the use of home grown videos that can be uploaded to video sharing sites.
Use of social networking sites like MySpace / Facebook to promote and go viral.
Use of press releases to promote the sizzle.
Our product/service must have a easy to remember domain name that can be rehashed and vocalized quickly and easily.
Our website must incorporate upsells and/or other affiliate programs to monetize the site traffic - most popular being Google Adsense.
The final piece -- finding that product or service that fills a need, or fills an old need, better. Clever marketing (like the pet rock) can take you places and even get you to your goal of $1mm, but its longevity is finite.

 

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[Skys]

That is the reason I am thinking about the internet, because it is low entry.
I can't hire an office.

But maybe I am actually limiting myself here by going on the internet?

 

[Rickson9]

You should learn how to sell. Any sales job will do.

 

[Halli]

My opinion is that you are overthinking this. Find a need, supply it, scale it. Don't focus on finding a product. Focus on finding a solution or a need that you can supply.

 

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[DeletedUser2]

If You know nothing about selling, I suggest books on copywriting, salesmanship, how to cold call, ANYTHING about selling. there are products all around you all day, every day, that someone bought, because someone sold them.

once you understand the basics of selling, THEN you can find something to sell, (hint, there are tons)
Next you master the process of selling your product (online, offline, direct ect...)

THEN you worry about building your business. many entrepreneurs will overwhelm themselves trying to make a corporation, getting all the processes right, getting the right business card (rolls eyes) and it seems its all to avoid the little bit of pain in learning how to sell.

Learn that first. money will never be much of a problem.

Everything else, is secondary. Good Luck

 

[Skys]

Halili: Yeah I am overthinking this. I am bit neurotic. But still, 'Find a need, supply it, scale it. Don't focus on finding a product. Focus on finding a solution or a need that you can supply. '. Could U elaborate? You make it sound so easy, which it might is, but to me 'finding a need' seems very difficult. So yep, overthinking. Please make it easier. Not by telling me a need, but more what exactly I am overthinking.