Why people fail to make money online

Why People Fail
Preamble
What is the difference between those who succeed and those who fail?
As President of SiteSell.com, I have seen hundreds of thousands of small business people
buy our books, use Site Build It!, and/or subscribe to our various e-zines and courses.
E-mail from them later reveals results that range from wild success to failure to even get
started!
Naturally, many more succeed than fail or we would not be in business, growing rapidly
online since 1998.
But why the two results?
What magic attribute separates the winners?
I have seen ordinary-IQ folks succeed beyond belief. And I’ve seen bright people fail
miserably.
So the difference is not intelligence.
I’ve seen a few “lucky stiffs” come up with the right idea at the right place at the right time --
don’t count on duplicating “lightning in a bottle.” I’ve also seen people try harder than is
humanly possible... and fall flat on their faces.
So the difference is not “trying hard,” although, that certainly helps to better the success
equation, when combined with the refusal to give up, and the ability to learn from failure.
The bottom line?
There is no single path to success.
But there are clear failure habits that almost guarantee failure.
When I look at folks who win online, it’s obvious that they do not possess those failure
habits/traits...
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/
And that is where this book was born. After all...
Success is merely the absence of failure.
This booklet, with the best intentions and a rather brutal but somewhat tongue-in-cheek (to
take the sting out) approach, points out certain personality types. If you’ve dealt with
human beings for more than a few years, you’ll likely recognize them.
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Why People Fail
But recognizing them is not important. The question is this...
If you have not yet succeeded at business, will you recognize yourself? Will you conclude
that you possess one or more of these failure-inducing faults?
This little book challenges you to take a good look at yourself. Of course...
A deep self-examination can be a difficult, painful thing to do -- you may not like what you
see. If you are not prepared to do that, then you do, in fact, fit one of the profiles in this
book.
Either way, you take the first step towards success... or you stop the chase and become
happier through other pursuits.
Based on all the successful people I have witnessed, I can confidently state that the odds
of success drop quickly if you possess one or more of the failure patterns outlined herein.
So, how to succeed? The best simple answer that I can give is...
Eliminate failure.
Ready? Let’s take a quick look at those who are almost destined to fail. If you have yet to
succeed, ask yourself, “Is this me?” Ask your spouse. Ask your friends. Ask your mentor,
your spiritual advisor.
No, don’t ask. Insist... insist upon an honest answer.
If that response comes back “yes,” well... you know what to do.
Open your mind -- your future depends on it.
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Why People Fail
1. The BlameCaster
This person always finds something or someone to blame, never himself.
Pattern? People stop taking this person seriously. They avoid him altogether once they
have been blamed. Bosses grow frustrated. Complaint desks and support staffs stop
answering his complaints.
Life becomes rather lonely, which only increases this person’s anger.
Quote? “Who me?”
...“Can’t anyone around here do anything right?”
Motto? Blame everything on someone or something else -- nothing is ever my fault. If it
does really seem to be my fault, I wriggle harder. And if it really is my fault, the best
defense is a good offense. I go ballistic.
Bottom line?
The world is an imperfect place. Yet, somehow, decade after decade, it moves forward.
Work with imperfection. When things go wrong, don’t seek fault. Fix it.
In any event, you are not fooling anyone, not for long. Accept blame when it’s yours and
others will look up to you.
Remember... the goal is to keep moving ahead, not figure out who messed up.
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Why People Fail
2. The Cynic
This person trusts no one, barely even himself. Everything is a “line.”
Pattern? That baker’s smile? “Manipulator!”
People being nice? “They want something from me.”
What about the rest of the world? “Everyone has an ulterior motive.”
This person simply believes everyone does something for a covert, manipulative reason.
It’s a sad life to lead.
Quote? “Get away from me with that marketing line...
I don’t believe a thing anyone says. It’s all B.S.”
Motto? Believe nothing and trust no one.
... Luckily, I can detect B.S. a mile away.
Bottom line?
Suspicious of all, he does manage to weed out the Get Rich Quick nonsense. That is the
good news. Unfortunately...
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Why People Fail
... when a truly great opportunity comes along...
... he shoots that one down in flames, too.
If you recognize yourself in here, the solution is not difficult. Recognize that your sense of
judgment has simply been turned off because it’s far easier to reject everything.
Maybe you really have been hurt once or twice in the past. But do not allow that to shut the
world out. Instead...
Do your due diligence. Research properly. You will, once again, find your way. If you
make a mistake, don’t back-track.
Learn and try again.
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Why People Fail
3. Get Rich Quick
This person actually believes that companies would SELL Get Rich Quick formulas...
that work.
Hello? Would YOU sell a “money machine”?
Pattern? Justify the failure. Find the next one.
... Repeat until out of money.
Quote? “But the Web site said...”
... “What do you mean it takes work to build a business?”
Motto? I just know there's someone out there who has invented a Free Money button. All
I have to do is find it, buy it, click it, and watch the dollars come pouring in.
But if you don’t have that...
A cash cow will do, too...
... as long as I don’t have to do any work... like feeding it.
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Why People Fail
Bottom line?
Companies that sell Get Rich Quick, no matter how they disguise it with clever copy, LIE!
There is no such thing as Santa Claus or GRQ. Here’s the SiteSell motto...
... If you are not ready to work to succeed...
... you’ll be happier in front of a different kind of monitor.
3.1. A Story From The Front Lines...
“Shortcut Sue”
Story from Larry Pike
Larry Pike used to answer questions from pre-owners of Site Build It!. This service
(question.sitesell.com) is strictly to help pre-owners figure out if SBI! is right for them.
Actual SBI! owners answer the questions.
It’s hard to keep SBI! owners in this capacity -- they keep moving on because their SBI!
sites make them too much money! I’ve managed to hold onto Judd Burdon, the head of
this group...
... by making him an offer he couldn’t refuse!
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Why People Fail
We’ll hear from Judd later.
Here’s Larry’s story from “the front!”
I just had to pass this story along. I just hung up from talking to
a lady that Site Build It! won't work for.
The caller started by asking me how SBI! could drive traffic to her
website. That question implies that SBI! is one of those "give us
$400 and we will send a million visitors to your website" deals. I
asked her a couple more questions and sure enough, that's what she
thought we did.
I took the time explain that SBI! is an integrated package of the
Action Guide, Site Manager and Site Builder with premium hosting
and other services. Site Build It does NOT drive traffic to your
site -- it provides the tools and knowledge needed for ordinary
people to quickly create a website that the search engines will
rank highly, thereby attracting quality traffic to their site.
I also told her that my SBI! site last month pulled 9,012 unique
visitors from the search engines. It is a "small" 22-page site so
far and I plan to develop it out next month to 3 or 4 times as many
pages, pulling in lots more traffic. Most site owners that are NOT
using SBI would LOVE to get 9,000+ unique visitors in a month!
She said her current site has 20 pages on it too and it doesn't get
any traffic. When I asked her about the 20-pages, it turns out that
it is a 1-page sales letter but "20-pages long".
The caller wanted to know HOW SBI! would get traffic to her site. I
told her about how the search engines work and how SBI! builds
pages and sites focused on keywords to get the best possible
results.
She then said "I used the Site Manager on my keywords and none of
them were any good. My site doesn't get any traffic and it doesn't
show up in the search engines."
That was my first clue that she already owned SBI! She had been
evasive about her name and website before, but sometimes people
just don't want to give a lot of info up-front so I had continued
with her up til this point.
I said "You mean you already own SBI! and you need help with
getting your site working right?"
She said "Yes - I built my site with SBI! and it doesn't get any
traffic." Since she had already told me it was a 1-page
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Why People Fail
sales-letter site, I knew she had skipped reading the action guide
so I just had to ask her one more question before referring her to
support....
"Did you read the Action Guide?"
Her answer was "NO! I have WAY TOO MUCH to read already and I'm
not going to waste my time reading an ebook. It's just like every
other website building tool - any idiot can figure out how to use
it - you don't have to waste your time reading instructions -- you
just put your page together and click on build it."
I suggested that it would be a good idea to read at least the
Fast-Track guide but she was way too busy to do even that. I told
her how to contact tech-support and said goodbye.
Look for a refund request for a customer named "Karen" and a site
on "nutrition products". I wouldn't bother with a follow up call
though -- she's probably too busy. :-)
Larry Pike
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Why People Fail
4. The Entitled
This person believes that the world owes her a living.
Pattern? Widely perceived as a whiner. Expects others to do it for her. She expects a
high bonus.
... She expects that the world, no matter what the situation, will take care of it.
On the Net, the most obvious example is the person...
... who expects everything to be FREE!
Oh, and not only free. Everything has to be...
... now! From instant success, to free, round-the-clock, telephone
consulting.... they want it free. And they want it now.
Quote? “What, I have to do the research and make the important decisions for my
business? Can’t you do that for me?”
“Of course, I expect $40,000 worth of consulting for your $300 product. And what’s your
home number, in case I need to reach you at midnight?”
Motto? Socialism? What a wonderful idea! Also...
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Why People Fail
... Here Genie, Genie, Genie.
Bottom line?
The world does not owe anyone a living. We all make our own way. We all look after
ourselves. But successful people do it by recognizing the needs of others.
Take us, for example, here at SiteSell. We fire those who are not serious about
succeeding. By helping the motivated to succeed in building thriving, profitable businesses,
we succeed in so many ways, too.
Here are some examples of the “non-entitled”... those who simply went out and “did it”...
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/
Count on people to look after themselves, first. But also count on the fact that good
business people look for WIN-WIN situations. Do that and you can defeat the failure
barrier called “entitlement.”
It’s a fatal flaw. Hard to diagnose. But once you see it in yourself, you can indeed start to
move forward.
How?...
WIN-WIN. But, if you continue to seek WIN (for you) relationships, you’re doomed.
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Why People Fail
5. The Envious
This person is awestruck-jealous by the success of others.
Pattern? They count the other’s money before their own, in a deal. They can’t focus on
what they should be doing....
... because they are in too much of a fog to build their own success. They’re
focused on what others seem to be doing.
Quote? “Why not me? Anyway...
... I’ll bet he’s not as happy as he looks. Or he had to cheat someone to
get there.”
Motto? Sooner or later, that winner will fail... I hope.
Bottom line?
Envy is a wasted emotion that requires you to bring others down in order to raise your ego
to an acceptable level. Acknowledge it, compartmentalize it and tuck it away. And...
... get to work building your own success. Let the success of others inspire
you that it is indeed possible.
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Why People Fail
6. The IQ-Challenged
These people simply don’t have the raw intelligence to succeed online.
Discussion: Intelligence is not the most important predictor of success.
Determination. Perseverance. Common sense. Attention to quality and customer. Give
me someone with those qualities, any day.
And by “IQ-challenged,” we’re not talking about people who lack certain skills, such as
computer skills. If you lack the skills required to get a certain venture off the ground, you
simply learn those skills.
There are not many people who are simply not smart enough to succeed online. But it is
important to identify.
Some folks really are best qualified to be doing an offline manual trade. And there is
nothing wrong with that. Raw intelligence is grossly over-rated.
... And there can be a lot more money in certain trades than chasing Net bucks.
It’s only sad if you refuse to face reality -- not everyone was cut out to work on the Net. It’s
so easy to fall for the siren call of the quick online buck.
My suggestion? Realistically, asses your abilities. Is the Net right for you?
One thing for sure...
... there’s no need to be a brain-iac. But...
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Why People Fail
... you do need to at least possess average intelligence. Be realistic.
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Why People Fail
7. The Liar/Cheater
For this person, it’s easier to lie and cheat than make it honestly.
Pattern? A long trail of bodies with knives in the back. These are the folks who sell the
Get Rich Quick schemes.
Quote? “It’s legal.. sort of.” And...
...“There’s a sucker born every minute.”
Motto? It’s a dog-eat-dog world. Let the big dog eat.
Bottom line?
I have no advice for these thieves. We don’t do business with them. But learn to recognize
them...
... looks can be deceiving. There is only one good solution for these
low-lifes...
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Why People Fail
... 5-10 years of hard time.
There are way too many of these people online, selling dreams.
Don’t fall for them.
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Why People Fail
8. The NastyBoy -- Black Clouds
This person simply makes everyone miserable. He blows up at anything. Criticizes
everyone, except himself.
Pattern? People run from him. Before he phones people, he turns off his caller ID --
otherwise, no one ever seems to answer!
He’s angry. Always. Short fuse...
... He is constantly in fights. Spends a lot of time flaming in forums, and
fighting with support staffs around the world.
He wonders why so many people make his life so difficult.
Quote? “I’m firm but fair. The world’s a vicious place, everyone’s out to screw me. Show
some kindness and people will take advantage. I even see it in my so-called friends
(wonder why).”
Motto? I keep that chip firmly glued to my shoulder...
... Black clouds constantly hovering over my head.
Bottom line?
This is a tough one to help.
“I don’t need help, you idiot!”
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Why People Fail
See what I mean? His only hope is that he recognizes himself in the above overview.
Life is so much more pleasant when you make others happy. It comes back to you...
one-hundred fold.
... People just want to be around you.
And that, dear reader, is a good thing.
... Be happy. It’s contagious.
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Why People Fail
9. The Nitpicker
This person is “the perfectionist.” She can miss the forest of success by spending too
much time on the details of the trees.
Pattern? Appreciated as a great worker. But...
... It takes a toll. It takes huge hours to “be perfect.”
Quote? “Almost there. Just one last revision.”
Motto? I’ll prune each and every tree to perfection...
... to within an inch of its life.
Bottom line?
This person deserves to succeed, and often does. If she has her own business and bills
well enough for the quality, she can do well. If she is well-managed within a company, she
is invaluable.
But, if taken too far, you end up exhausted. Focusing on the wrong things limits your
success.
You deserve far better. If you see yourself here, take a step back. Look at the big picture.
Accept that not everything is perfect. Now... where would today’s efforts bring you the most
results? And...
Quit neatening up your desktop incessantly!
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Why People Fail
10. The Quitter
This person gives up at the first or second obstacle.
Pattern? Ultimately, every project seems to have something wrong with it. And there just
doesn’t seem to be a solution. Or the work is just “not worth it.”
Quote? “I quit every one I’ve ever tried... and I’ve tried a lot.”
Motto? Succumb. Don’t overcome.
... Cry, don’t try. Or...
If at first I don’t succeed... well, I didn’t succeed. Sooner or later, though...
... I’ll find a project that has no obstacles.
... Probably later.
Much later.
Bottom line?
Every project has problems. People blocking you. Technical issues. Unexpected events.
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Why People Fail
Dumb things happen. Hard problems arise.
Expect the unexpected.
Then overcome it.
The cure for this trait is best summarized in this way...
- Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), 30th U.S. President
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Why People Fail
11. The RTFMer
This person is the scourge of every support staff at every company in the world. If
you don’t know what RTFM means, then this likely is not you!
Pattern? The product never seems to work the way they thought it would. This can range
from the trivial “I’ve never set the VCR clock” (I haven’t, that’s for sure) to mission-critical
issues that put an entire venture at risk.
Quote? “Me? Read the Manual. Why, of course, I did. All the way to page 2. I kind of
skimmed the rest. By the way, when you answer my support questions, what does “RTFM”
stand for? And do my questions...
... drive you nuts? Sometimes, I swear I can almost see tear spots on your
e-mails.”
Motto? Why read the manual...
... when others can do that for me?
Bottom line?
There’s a little bit of this in all of us, of course. Hey, we all learn to use Word without the
manual. But this section is about folks who go way past the ordinary urge to “get to it”...
These folks amaze me. They seem smart enough. Some are so bad that if you send them
a simple e-mail asking them what the error message says, their reply tells you what time
it happened.
There is only one cure.
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Why People Fail
Read. Carefully. Absorb. Digest. And then, and only then, act.
When it’s mission-critical, do that 100 times more seriously.
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Why People Fail
12. The Smarter-than-Thou
This person usually is pretty smart, actually. And he takes every opportunity
possible to let everyone know not only that he is smart, but that he’s smarter than
everyone else.
Pattern? An incessant poster to forums. Endless debater who can turn into NastyBoy.
... Read between the lines and it’s clear “I’m so much smarter than you
and everyone else here.”
You’ll see them commenting on mailing lists how they’d run Microsoft. Heck, you’ll even
read these folks pontificating about SiteSell, as if they actually had the slightest clue about
what goes on here.
Some are so good at it, that some others even fall for their spiel. Or they’re intimidated by
them. What they fail to see...
Smarter-Than-Thou’s typing their sweeping grandeur in the evenings after their low-level
job and unsuccessful Web site has failed to advance them any further in their real lives.
And somehow, they really believe that all their “sharing” is being helpful.
Quote? “Let me demonstrate my brilliance...
... yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada.”
Motto? Me, I’m a genius. Why follow anyone’s suggestions when I could instead debate
them? Heck, if they’re lucky, I’ll tell them how they ought to run their lives.
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Why People Fail
... And they better recognize my importance! Or they’ll meet my alter-ego,
NastyBoy.
Bottom line?
When I coached a super-elite Little League baseball team, I once had to demote my very
best player to a lower league.
“What the heck are you doing?” his father roared. (Well, he didn’t say “heck.”)
“You son is the best player on the team,” I told the Dad (who was a good part of the son’s
problem). “But he makes that so clear to other players by showing them up. For example,
when he glares at the shortstop for making an error, that hurts everyone’s morale and
makes the others dislike your son.”
I went on to say, “I’ve spent an hour with your son, explaining this in detail. I think he gets
it. I’ll be dropping by to see how he’s doing and talking to his coach. I may bring him back
up to the team if this lesson sinks in.”
This is a tough one to self-diagnose. If you post to forums, though, examine how others
respond to you compared to the truly generous, sharing, and helpful ( great examples are
two of my favorites, Debs and Larry C. -- my profound thanks for your genuine caring and
help).
The power of denial is strong. But if you recognize yourself here, I hope this lesson sinks
in. There is no coach. No dad. And no Ken to personally check on you. Only you can
recognize that you need to feed an ego.
Overcome that. Stroke people -- help them with your intelligence -- make them feel good
about themselves.
You can do it.
By the way, that boy did come back up to the team. Years later, I ran into him as an adult.
He told me that it was the single, most important lesson he’d ever had in life.
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Why People Fail
13. Three Patterns of Failure
The following are not personality types, just “wrong ways of going about it.” Let’s cover
them quickly, too...
13.1. FIRE-Ready-Aim
Naw, no research or prep work for me. My gut tells me what to do -- start running,
don’t worry about direction.
... I’m excited. I have a great idea. Let’s go. Just give it a shot...
... even if it’s in the dark.
Welcome to FIRE-Ready-Aim.
A great idea is easy. But executing that idea can take a year of your life.
Site Build It! puts small business people on the straight and narrow. Research first. You
only actually name your domain on DAY 5 and start building your site on DAY 6 (of a
10-DAY process). That’s one of the big reasons that 51% of all SBI! sites end up in the
Top 3% of all sites on the Net.
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Why People Fail
13.2. Ready-Aim-Ready-Aim-Ready...
I’m looking for that dead-bang, absolutely perfect,
researched-to-death-and-into-the-afterlife idea. Once I find it, I’ll research the
planning for the preparation of its scheduling for a few more months (after I get my
third phD in this area) ...
... Obviously, this is the flip side of FIRE-Ready-Aim.
Site Build It! helps here, too...
... Well, it’s not quite that forceful!
But let’s boil it down...
It’s a simple, logical, powerful process.
http://ctpm.sitesell.com/
Site Build It! gives you the tools to know when you have a winner, and then the tools to
run with it and succeed, no matter what your business may be about...
http://results.sitesell.com/
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Why People Fail
13.3. FIRE-FIRE-FIRE-FIRE-FIRE-FIRE
No sooner do I fall in love with one idea, I fall in love with another. I hardly know
where to start.
... Ideas are actually the easy part of the process. A couple of neurons
connect and voila... an idea! Again, it’s executing the idea that takes time. And most
people can only build and run one business at a time.
Once again, Site Build It! comes to the rescue. It shows you which of your ideas are in
demand, which one will the most profitable. And from there, as I mentioned, it provides all
the tools you need to build a roaring, successful business, just like these folks...
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/
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Why People Fail
14. The Finale
There are a ton of books on success, but not “on failure.”
Think about this...
Success, if you keep trying, is merely the absence of failure. All you have to do is
eliminate the reasons for failure.
Have you found yourself in this book? If so, you can indeed succeed... by eliminating the
shortcomings that cause you to fail.
If you do not see yourself here, then what is holding you back? There is a reason that
each person fails. Most people won’t look inside for it, though.
At SiteSell.com, we love working with small business people who are determined to
succeed. Why? Because with Site Build It!, determined small business people really do
succeed.
http://buildit.sitesell.com/
SBI! really does make it as simple as possible to build a genuine, profitable business with
equity. “Simple” means that it is “barrier-free” so you can focus on business. But that does
not mean that success is easy.
Nothing REAL in the business world is easy, I'm afraid, as much as some companies would
like folks to believe it, and as much as some people do believe that there is a magic
money-making answer.
We don't OVERpromise, just OVERdeliver. Yes, we could side with all the other hosting
companies who help you “get it up” in a matter of minutes...
... and then let folks fail, all the while bleeding them for as much as possible, for
as long as possible.
Even the biggest of companies toss out this “it's-so-easy” lure. At SiteSell, we don’t
chase that kind of customer because we know those false promises can only end in
disappointment. We don’t want to be part of that. Instead...
We live for those people who have the drive to succeed. They have a willingness to
work for it. They have the common sense to know that “get rich quick” does not exist.
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Why People Fail
We don't make any bones about it...
We go to the ends of the earth for those who try, for those who are honest, for those who
put in the effort, for those who fail... and keep trying.
Fail? Does everyone succeed with SBI!?
Of course not.
But if they're trying, we're there for them. Anyone who is trying is my hero. And anyone
who keeps trying, must ultimately succeed.
Sooner or later....
... BOOM! They're off and running.
No one "wins” on the first try.
The key is to decide to be a winner, and simply keep doing everything until you're there.
And that word “everything” includes self-improvement.
.
Message to the “cynics”... this book is not saying that that there must be something wrong
with you if you fail with Site Build It!, that you must have a failure barrier. Nothing could be
further from the truth, because any reasonable person knows that nothing is absolutely
guaranteed in business, not even SBI!.
This book is my best effort to share what I have learned, to help you turn the corner. So,
just to clear this up for the cynics...
You may be the most motivated, “trait-perfect” person in the world, and you might still fail
with SBI!. If you do fail at your first attempt with SBI!, learn from your mistakes.
Persist.
The words of Calvin Coolidge remain as true today, as when he uttered them.
There are determined folks in this world who simply won’t take “fail” for an answer.
If that’s you, all you need is SBI!.
The others, those who have a lifetime pattern of “failure to progress”? If that is you, do not
expect a different outcome if you keep doing the “same old things.” To change the pattern
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Why People Fail
of failure, you must look inside and get past your own barriers.
This book is my attempt to help you help yourself.
Wishing you great success,
President, Sitesell.com
P.S. What about those who refuse to help themselves, yet still want “Trumpian” success?
Well, my advice is not to become our customers. If they stumble into SiteSell by mistake,
we let them down gently. If they're obnoxious to boot, well... we are simply growing too fast
to be dragged down by those who self-destruct and won’t do anything about it.
... We fire them (like “The Donald” ).
Not so gently sometimes, either. I don't suffer those types very well, I'm afraid. Life is too
short, and we enjoy ourselves, and our customers’ success, too much.
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Why People Fail
15. Post-Release Feedback
I must say... I’m awestruck. I didn’t expect this much reaction, this quickly, after tentatively
releasing the “beta version” of Why People Fail.
This book has struck a chord. In some cases, it’s struck a nerve...
Blamecasters have written to insist that their failures are all due to someone, or something
else.
And of course, the cynics are sure I have some tricky, ulterior motive in sharing my
thoughts on this topic.
“NastyBoy” and all his cousins wrote to tell me that this was the *&$^#*(@#^ worst piece
of *#$^*()@#$!*) they’ve ever read.
And you know, of course, that the Nitpickers wrote to quibble over psychiatric concepts
and statistical analysis of my conclusions.
Well, you get the idea.
Of course, a whole bunch of people wrote with great appreciation, and to tell me they
“found themselves” in this little book. Recognizing the problem, of course, is a huge leap
forward.
Now they are well on their way to doing something about it. And I wish them well. Here at
SiteSell.com, we’ll go to the ends of the Earth with them and for them.
Finally, the feedback from folks who work with others for a living was unanimous -- the
book puts “their experience into words.” Their perspective and reassurance were critical in
my decision to polish and release this final version.
Here are some of my favorite comments. Thank you, all, for taking the time to write...
15.1. Ken, “Why People Fail” is Awesome!
Hi Ken,
I have to respond to your ebook, How and Why People Fail.
It is hard to put in words my response to this book.
It is absolutely the best book I have ever read to help
people see what is blocking their success….and believe
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Why People Fail
me, I have read tons of the touchy-feely,
soften-the-blow, empowerment books about how to succeed!
None of them hit home like this book does! None of them
comes so close to the mark and identifying the real
reasons why people fail.
I like that you call a spade, a spade. You have outlined
the personality types perfectly! I can’t think of one you
have missed.
I have to admit that I have fallen into some of these
types now and then in my life both on the net and off,
but I had to learn the hard way that it just got me no
where. I could have used this book years ago!
And the fact that you so openly declare that you are
willing to fire people who don’t fit the mold is just,
well, phenomenal. I am proud to be a certified SBI
webmaster when I know that I am working with a company
and an individual – you, Ken – who is able to see the
whole picture and rather than just react (like the
whiners, blamers and, well, everyone else in the book!).;
you are able to take the time to identify the situation,
sum it up and move on.
I agree with you that life is too short to babysit those
that just won’t pick up the ball and run with it, so,
thanks Ken for putting it out there.
Thanks for everything,
Honor Hart
honor@honorhart.com
15.2. Not Brutal Enough
G'Day Ken
I absolutely LOVED your book. I've dealt with every
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Why People Fail
personality type. You have put them all into perspective
for me. Only one criticism of your book...
It's not brutal enough! :-)
I tell people all the time that they need to give the
Internet 2 years of HARD WORK.
It makes me shake my head in amazement to see people that
have never done anything before thinking they can make
$50,000 a month with about as much commitment as an
amoeba.
Regards.
Chris Bloor
president@QualityBusinessInstitute.com
15.3. A Jewel Of Advice
Absolutely on the button! A small, easy to read booklet,
but with a powerful message - 13 messages actually.
I've already distributed 5 copies of your booklet. As a
technical writer, I certainly relate to RTFM - what a
pleasure our lives would be if this were adhered to.
Your definition of "Success is merely the absence of
failure" is so apt. If you eliminate failure, you can
ONLY succeed. And this booklet is a gigantic step
towards eliminating failure.
There is a jewel, in the advice of doing a
self-evaluation exercise. This can be an enormously
valuable key to eliminating failure, as well as enabling
you to find your passion.
I identified with number 9 :o)
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Why People Fail
The neat thing is that you actually offer advice to
overcome the "failure obstacle" and there is a real key
piece of advice:
"The key is to decide to be a winner, and simply keep
doing everything until you're there. And the word
"everything" includes self-improvement."
Wow!
Colin Dunbar
Colin@eazigoal.com
15.4. Light In The Window
And I’ll leave the final words to Judd Burdon. Judd heads up our team of Site Build It!
owners who answer questions from visitors to our SBI! Web site. When they want to know
exactly how SBI! could meet their needs, Judd is there (question.sitesell.com) to help
them out.
An awesome young man, Judd personifies what I’d like this book to achieve...
Ken
After I read your amazing "Why People Fail," it struck
me, like a bolt. I just had to update a note I had sent
to you a while back. You may have forgotten it, but I
never will.
A few nights ago, we were driving home from dinner. It
was late and I saw a light in the upstairs window of a
neighbor's home. It caused me to stop and wonder.
As you know, Ken, not that long ago my window light in my
basement office was also burning late into the night. I
wondered if my neighbor's late nights were being fueled
by the same passion that fueled mine only a couple of
years earlier.
My desire to create a better lifestyle and escape a job
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Why People Fail
that I had been unhappily trapped in had been frustrated
for years.
Of course, it took a very stiff lesson from you,
personally, to make me look inward and see certain things
that I needed to see.
And so I began my own online business. It started small.
It was unfamiliar. I was searching for ways to build my
small SBI! business into something that would someday
give me freedom from having to work for someone else.
Freedom from having to commute. Freedom from having to
work long hours in the asphalt business. Freedom to have
fun. Freedom to travel. Freedom to spend time with my
family and Freedom to ultimately smile.
This time, I hung in there. I broke out of myself,
thanks to that lesson.
My passion and determination and Site Build It! kept my
window light burning late into the night. All the hard
work, all the nights of burning that midnight oil
ultimately paid off. My small online business has grown
to more than replace my asphalt business income.
I wondered, as I pulled into my driveway, how many other
window lights were being fueled by someone's desire to
change their lifestyle.
With respect and appreciation,
Judd
P.S. You know, of course, how hard your "lesson" was on
me. You called it like it was, and I wasn’t very happy
about it.
But you know, too, that I did take it to heart. By
eliminating my own failure barriers, the coast was clear
for my passion and determination to take me and family
the rest of the way.
In retrospect, I was lucky since my Dad is a friend of
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Why People Fail
yours. But here's the really good part -- now people
don't have to meet you personally for that "hard lesson."
It's all, and I mean all, in this penetrating little
book.
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