Internet Experts: How to Evaluate Who is Right for You

For the last week Patsi, Kathleen Gage, and I have been working feverishly to create a really great teleseminar on Monday, Discover the 5 Internet Marketing Traps That Can Derail Your Business. Because I use Instant Teleseminar to set up and deliver our programs, everyone who registers can submit questions for us in advance and during the program. Today, I was checking to see what's come in -- 17 questions so far -- and saw one that warrants answering now. It's an excellent, valid question:

Why should we believe that you are any better that the other Internet marketers. They will claim how much they make. So what other criteria can we use to evaluate the validity of your claims?

I ran it by my partners and Kathleen responded...

There are many criteria to determine if someone is truly knowledgeable about Internet Marketing. Revenues would be one, but not the only one. Others would be:

• Reputation
• What others say, as in testimonials
• Types of products and services offered. Are they stellar and do they solve a specific problem?
• Track record
• Name recognition in a way that is positive.

We do not claim to be better than everyone else. What we do claim is that we all make a very good living using the Internet.

As you will learn during the session on December 17th, Internet Marketing and Internet Marketers are not "one size fits all." Tune in to find out what we mean by that.

Something we would invite and encourage you to do is a Google search on each of our names. You will likely find ample information to support our claims that we do know what we are doing.

I just did a Google search on "Denise Wakeman" and found 30,700 results! And not all of it is a reflection of my content, but of other people writing about me, interviewing me, mentioning my blog, etc. My cursory glance did not reveal anything negative so that's a relief!

The point Kathleen is making, is that there are many ways to determine if a teacher, mentor, business expert or consultant is the right one for you. There are many criteria in addition to revenue. 

I'll declare it here.  I am single and my business, in partnership with Patsi Krakoff (Krakoff Wakeman Associates, Inc.) supports me full time.  My only source of income is this business and I'm very happy with my success and my life. Can you say the same about your business? I hope so, because there is nothing like living your dream and being your own boss! And honestly, this is all due to learning how to use the Internet to build my businesses over the course of the last 11 years.

Comments?

Comments

[Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad]

Thanks for the suggestion, Denise. I hadn't "Googled" myself in a long time; I found 37,900 results.

While that can be ego-satisfying, it certainly wouldn't be if there were negative comments and disgruntled customers writing about us.

I didn't find any. I guess that guy in Chicago took care of them like he said he would...just kidding ;-)!

[Bea]

When we go out searching for solutions to our business challenges and if we have used a service before, we must weigh whether or not someone delivers for us.

With the Blog Squad, I don't have to doubt whether I'll get more bang for my buck. By buying their products and using them, I know what I will get next time around.

Most of the time, we need to use our gut reaction whether we will get something or be left in disappointment.

I get newsletters from people whose ideas I like, but their products fall short. If you fall short the first time, I don't return.

[Kathleen Gage]

Like Denise, I too am the primary revenue generator in my household. I make 100% of my income from my business.

It is always a great idea for people to google themselves simply to find out where they stand on the Internet, what is being posted about them, what articles they have written are posted, etc.

A little insider tip on the google search. When you search for your name put it in " ". For example, "Kathleen Gage" only brings up 42,000 (as of this morning), where simply putting in Kathleen Gage brings up 102,000 times.

The reason for this is you narrow the search to an actual search of your name, or close to it, with the quotation marks.

I do hope everyone tunes in on Monday for our teleseminar.

Kathleen Gage
The Street Smarts Marketer

[Denise aka The Blog Squad]

Speaking of "googling" oneself, there's an article today on Forbes.com about people googling themselves: 47% of adult Internet users vs. 22% in 2002. They are reporting on a report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project:

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/12/16/ap4445446.html

[Davin Ogden-Viral Marketing Strategist]

Hmmm, yeah, that post made me go and Google myself as well. I use two online names. One being my usual name Davin Ogden, and another one, The Davinator, in which many people know me by. A combined total of around 27,000 results. Quite interesting to know.

You also have some very good tips on "who" to listen to online. For me personally it's people I know have a proven track record, Glen Hopkins, Michael Cheney, Tim Brocklehurst and Holly Mann. I've learned to trust these people and their recommendations, so my two cents worth anyhow.

Cheers and I enjoyed my visit here!

Davin

[Jeanne May]

hi...

This question is so relevant for me... really experiencing information overload -- I'm trying to learn so many different things and wanting to do it all properly.

I get swamped with e-mails from people claiming to be better than everybody else -- but I get a feel for certain people and therefore their product. I don't doubt that everyone trying to sell me products has expertise in their area... but I always ask "is it that kind of expertise I need to acquire"

On the google search of my name -- that is such a useful exercise and you suggested it a couple of months ago. It's great to see who has the same name -- person with same name as me promotes "Passion products" -- how about that? ?

Jeanne
http://www.aspirationsplus.com

[emil cohen]

We would like to know any tip or any other thing you are offering for our website www.mover4u.com we are moving company and we try to market our business online only.
we need tips on marketing free and non free online.
thank you emil