Why I Quit
The longer title of this post could perhaps be "Why I Quit and Why I NOW Do Not Ever Plan To Quit" This post will be shared in a 1000 word or more post in other words and framed in another way for one of my websites. The ideas will be the same but the post brand new. There comes a time when you have to give ample attention to your sites and the posting here eventually will diminish as mine have. I hope this post is an inspiration and encouragement to you as is the intent with most of my posts here.
WHY I QUIT
There was a time in my life when I gave up on my dream of being a professional salesman and making millions in sales. I packed all of my dreams up into a neat little box and went into a life of service and then into production believing that I could not be in sales with purely altruistic motives and make a living at it. I really wanted to serve and to help people and back then my every personal contact became a prospect. I did not like that at all.
Being keenly aware of my motives and the deceptive goals behind my every kind word I bailed on my dream. I worked for 6 years servicing vending machines dreaming about some day owning my own vending business. The profit margins were good and the concept super simple. You keep up with the machines, keep product available and in accord with the wishes of the client, and you keep pulling bags of coin out daily. I was doing it as an employee and I wanted to do it as an owner.
The pay as a vending machine service person was consistent but not substantial and twenty years ago where this part of my story takes place I was just starting a family. We had dreams of a family, dreams for my wife to be a stay-at-home mom, and dreams of buying a home. We just did not see it happening with the fixed income I was on. So I left that job and went back into sales.
I sold office copy machines for Xerox.
I sold cellular phones of United States Cellular.
I sold houses for Keiser Industries (a leader in manufactured homes)
I then returned to selling phones for Unicel; US Cellular's local competition.
I then began to sell uniforms for Coyne Textile Services.
The income as a sales person was substantial but I could not get away from that nagging sense that everyone I talked to was in some way a prospect and not a person with whom to build a lasting friendship and relationship. So I once again quit sales and went to work in manufacturing. Working for one of the largest manufacturers in the United States and perhaps the world. We are one of the big three or four that produce much of the worlds goods. They pay better than average for any geographic area when they set up shop so I have been with them for eighteen years.
But now I am looking ahead at retirement and watching my parents who have enough to get by after years of well paying work but do not really have a lot financially speaking to really make their retirement a vacation. They enjoy life and the simple things but can never do anything extravagant because they have just enough to get by. I have decided that it is not for me to just have enough to get by and am taking steps now to retire early and to retire financially free. Of course in our line of work you never really have to retire. Which leads me to why I never plan to quit.
WHY I PLAN TO NEVER QUIT AFFILIATE MARKETING
In our line of work (affiliate marketing) our main goal is to help people. It has to be. People are online daily searching for help with information or with products of the best price and quality. But the customers today are proactive and as an online salesperson I do not have to see everyone as a prospect. There is so much money floating around online that you only have to capture a small portion of that to continue to be really well off. So my goal online is to be always as altruistic as humanly possible and to help people. I will offer advice, products, and services too that will help people but this will be done rather passively instead of the aggressive sales approach that I felt compelled to leave.
Like vending --- a customer comes a long --- sees the items you have to offer and they make a choice. And the rewards for providing this service are huge as the sales pile up. Even just a small conversion rate when you place your 'machine' in a high traffic area is substantial.
Like my present career in bottling --- we turn out millions of cases a week --- and although the profit margin may not be huge there are a lot of cases being moved.
Our online businesses are the same.
But unlike both of these --- my work online can be truly driven by a desire to help people. Already I have had just a small amount of traffic and I feel like I have helped a few folks in some fairly monumental ways. I really believe it is more blessed to give than to receive; I believe this from my own experience and a life driven by receiving at times and a life pushed now by a desire to give all of the time.
Very much like my career in sales --- if we do not keep creating content, keyword rich content, then a week from now, a month from now, our sales will dwindle and eventually only be a small trickle of income. In sales I had to continue to prospect daily. If I did not prospect one week my entire next week would be spent only with follow up. The entire next week I would have no follow up to do and as a result no sales.
It did not take me long to figure out the math of that.
So online we need to continue to provide helpful content so that people will venture into our 'store' and will be able to see and assess the items we have to offer.
So I guess to conclude what was intended to be a short post --- something I need to work on for sure --- to conclude, you can feel good about the work you are doing (or are beginning to do if you are new at it). You are in a position to know how to get the attention of people hanging out online. You are learning what it takes to get their buy into what ever you wish them to buy. But, and this is a huge one, you are learning that making a living online must be about helping people. End of story. bottom line. Helping people.
If you are simply promoting Wealthy Affiliate it is still to help people. And as you get referrals it is in your interest to continue to help them become successful at this. If you are offering products and services through other affiliate programs then those products and services are designed to help people. Whatever they are.
So I want you to leave here with a renewed sense that you are involved in something good. Very good. Life changing good. Affiliate marketing is a good and ethical way to make a living. So go for it with all that you've got!
If I can help in any way please let me know about it. If this story has helped inspire you again then please comment here. It is the only way I will know that it has benefited you.
Would you do that? Could you leave a note for me here?
[While I appreciate the likes I will not know who you are
and I really would like to connect with you here at WA.]
Either way --- thank you for reading my post.
Best wishes to you for lasting online success!
Kind regards always,
Carl
Recent Comments
145
Great post, thanks for sharing, although for a
horrible second I thought you'd quit WA!
Lol I tried life as a sales rep a fee years back
dreaming of the high wages a few friends were
on. The wages were great but I couldn't live with
the guilt.
My last sales call I found myself telling an
elderly lady where she could get her windows
cheaper than us with no difference in quality!
That was the only time in 6 months I walked
away from an appointment feeling good so
I quit :)
At least once my sites get going here I can
recommend stuff rather than hard selling
over priced junk to make a wage.
All the best for continued success with your
affiliate sites
SJ
In my sales career I always believed the service or product I was offering was the very best. even with the two competing cellular companies there were pros to both and the areas of coverage were slightly different at the time. But it was the motive for being helpful and kind that I could not conscience. No one would know. Except for me. But that was enough.
Thank you for sharing here also. -Carl
Most inspiring yes, this article is just that. While it seems distant, I hope that this will pan out. I tried another online energy solutions program but with little success it was not feasible for me to continue, but with what I have found out is that , perhaps, just maybe, I can put these two activities together to create a really unique environment that will simply put HELP people. Yes your post holds plenty of truth to your words, and valuable they are, Thank you.
Xav
Thanks so much Xavier! I appreciate that. Hopefully --- I am trusting --- this will work out for you. Keep at it and I am confident that it will. Not over night but in time. -Carl
What a great story, thanks for sharing Carl. Not sure if you have heard of or know about Bob Bly but he has a similar story and now earns millions in the direct response industry and loves every minute of it
Keep on with your dream my friend and never quit. the right vehicle/s, in the High Ticket affiliate marketing niche providing the solutuions to help other people will always earn you good money.
Enjoy the rest of the day
Thank you Dave. I never heard of Bob Bly but I will certainly look him up. I will be keeping on and pressing onward and upward. I appreciate your comment and the tip. -Carl
Glad its helped.I've followed him, Ted Nicholas and similar for years and aligned myself with MOBE a while ago, because it teaches you how to earn serious income per sale in, what for me anyway is the world's most exciting industry ...
Direct Response Marketing
Carl, like you I have worn a lot of hats in my working career. Also, like you I have always had the desire to help others. Thank you for your inspiring thoughts. The past few days I've been ill and everything I need to accomplish has seemed rather overwhelming. Thanks for the reminder to stay the course (figuratively and literally).
I am sorry you have not been well. I hope you'll be well soon. We need to help and inspire one another. If and when I am down I know that someone here or in the other groups I am involved with will inspire and motivate me. I am happy to do it!
Thank you for your comment here. Be well!
Hi! Carl,
I like this post like others you posted in the past - delivering clear messages on the subject with passion and reality - that is inspiring.
Pay it forward is a reasonably fair idea for win-win disposition, but not for every one, and I like affiliate marketing better for it is truly a process of service as long as not manipulating potential customers' ignorance, anxiety, and fear; that is okay and fit for me.
Best to success,
Chin
I absolutely agree that we can use our words to manipulate whether we are truly interested in connecting or helping. This is true. And you would agree no doubt that this is for each of us to search out and discern of our own motives. Thank you Dr. for your comments and insight. I always appreciate them.
Welcome and keep in touch.
At times, it your time allows, I appreciate your taking a look into my sites under construction.
Cheers,
Chin
I'm happy to help any way I can
and that I can squeeze in time for.
Drop me a PM anytime - one request
at a time. And I will take a look for you.
Thank you, Carl. Great post. makes me think of the times I quit. Looking, searching for something that was missing.
Now I am here searching for that elusive traffic.
Sometimes I think there is a traffic light at the entrance of my site, stuck on red. lol
Have a great day!
Lol --- sometimes it does seem that way (traffic light). In time it will come. This is not a 'field of dreams' where a mysterious messenger said 'build it and they will come'. No this is the reality of things as we build it in accordance with good SEO principles that we are learning here. Keep at it. It is only a matter of time before things begin to click. Both in our understanding. And in our results.
Thanks Carl great time to read it. On a Sunday morning with my coffee in hand. Yes I agree, I do have a mission. I too do want to help people. In my own way. Selling has a negative connotation along with it and most folks can smell a salesman coming a mile away. Sorry for the bad example, but you know what I mean.
Sharing my God given talent is my true motivation to reach people and with that Carl i do know where you're coming from regardless of your true calling.
I'm with you 100% my dear friend.
Carl btw, I'm going thru Course 3 lesson 9 as of this writing and multi-tasking on my website design. Getting there and am excited but my content sucks! I won't quit because I know in my heart I will be better, I have no choice it will happen. No other way because I know it always happen.
Quiting has never been m.o. I do know if I'm hang around long enough to what interest me and listening to you and others here on WA I will get to the promise land. Of course, work comes with it always.
Carl thank you , I appreciate you being here. You are my mentor. Along with Ariel, Mike K.. Tony and Dave!
Frank
People could smell me coming a mile away but I do not think it was the salesman thing but rather my nerves and sweat as I went cold calling. Lol
Frank we can mentor each other in many ways. And I look forward to our mutually learning from one another. I do believe as we keep at it we will always get better. Our strengths become honed and our weaknesses strengthened.
I appreciate you my Hawaiian friend. -Carl
Frank I had to delete your last comment -- we're not permitted to post our website URLs here in posts or in comments. It is against the rules. I believe you sent me that link by PM but if it is a new one send it along there.
Carl I agree that just having enough to get by in retirement looks bleak. Or, if one is not able to retire at all, much bleaker...
The only people I've known who have a more than comfortable life are good at sales. I tried it. It does have a predatory nature which I couldn't sustain.
I've even been accused of "trolling" on my blog, for the opportunity to sell (WA) to people confined at home who need money. That almost sounds like a compliment if I'm to go by the sales training I've had.
Yet I'm still striving for success.
There must be something I just don't get about the 'helpfulness' of good ad copy that slides artfully into the home plate with the BUY Now button waiting for the seeker of xyz.
The good folks here have helpfully advised me "don't sell" and "sell more".
Thanks for listening. I am in two mentoring groups here - so, I'm still at it.
Have a wonderful success in your on line career!
You as well --- best wishes for lasting and abundant success Dianne! There is much to be said about learning from others who have done it. Great to hear about your mentoring groups! May they continue to inspire and help you as you progress.
Kind regards again,
Carl
Thank you for your blog post-Carl, as soon as I saw your name behind the title, I knew that you are not quitting! It looks like you've had an interesting life Carl and quite busy too! I believe that we are thinking along similar lines Carl, Wealthy Affiliate is a great community and we are here to help each other and all learn at the same time.
All the best to you Carl, Roy.
All the best to you my friend.
May we be able to develop strong rewarding
friendships here. Already I consider you more than a friend.
Kind regards Roy - always and forever,
Carl
Thank you so much, Carl, for your kind words, I appreciate your friendship, I hope that we will meet someday soon!
Roy
See more comments
Hi Carl, At one time I was selling Manufactured Homes, and I was told by someone (they introduced him to me as a GREAT salesman but I thought he was a slimeball used car salesman) that I will never make a good salesman because I'm "Not a natural bullshitter"
And it's true, I don't talk a lot of BS. But if I'm passionate about something I believe in then I'm not "selling" I'm helping people make educated decisions.
I'm NOT a salesman, that's why it's hard sometimes to get the right call to actions in my content, it's something I'm working on.
Pam
Hi Pam.
Thank you for this comment. You are right that many many salesmen are as you said 'slime balls' and good at dishing out the BS. (bologna soup) That was never me. I always believed strongly in the things I was selling. I only had a hard time with letting up and being a friend just for the sake of it. I immerse myself into anything I do so to have direct sales as my career was not healthy for me.
I am sorry I did not reply to this sooner. I think I skipped over it because I wanted to give my reply a little more thought than usual.
Kind regards always,
Carl
Thank you for answering Carl, I have worked with a lot of "Salesman" in my years and they seem to fit into two or maybe three categories, "Slimeball" salesman - the ones who will tell you anything to get you to buy whatever they have whether it puts you in the poor house or not. and then there are others like the ones that are genuine and actually try to encourage you to buy what fits your needs and "assist" you in making the right decision. I have always had a distrust for saleman due to working with some "slimeballs" who would push somebody into a house they can't afford knowing that they will probably lose it down the road from their financial burden just so they can get their big commission. Instead of encouraging the customer to purchase within their means. Just me...so no hard hard feelings for stewing on an answer for awhile.
Regards, Pam
No hard feelings at all --- completely agree.