Forum Moderators: skibum
"So, what is it that you do?"
Idle curiosity :)
Print Money :)
I'm not full time yet, but if people ask I say I do "internet marketing". If I say "affiliate marketing", I get either a blank stare or a scolding: "isn't that some dodgy industry?"
I've tried explaining that I'm doing "Affiliate marketing", and the comments I've gotten were along the lines of side glance 'isnt that MLM?' and then I go and explain 'you know amazon? if you have a site and put a link on your site to them, and someone clicks on it and ends up buying something on Amazon, I get a percent of the sale. Perfectly legit'. Too long.
I've considered saying I'm a webmaster, but that doesn't quite ring true either.
I've used "I run a few websites". Which garners the question "oh, which ones?" and then I don't quite feel confortable telling them x.com , y.com and z.com because it just doesn't paint the correct picture without more details and then we're back to affiliate marketing.
Anyway, not to say there's a right answer here, but was wondering the different variations - trivial, yes, but I'd be looking for something that can be somewhat self descriptive, doesn't bring up shady connections to MLM/spamming, and if it doesn't scare the ladies by sounding too geeky, that would be great :)
Lol - today's my REAL last day at my job... so I need to find myself a new 'job title'.
I say, "I make websites."
That's all I say. Then, if they ask, "What kind of websites?"
I say, "I sell stuff."
Thats all I say. Then, if they ask, "What kind of stuff?"
I say, "All kinds of stuff."
Thats all I say. Then they usually quit asking.
If I have to fill in a blank, "Occupation: _______", I'd write, "Web Site Designer." Or, I could write, "Web Site Maker."
I say "work in my undies" (that's only to my friends)
Then if they want to get serious, I say "I work in Internet Technologies"
Then if they ask for more, I say "It's very complicated, that's all I can say"
Voila
I read a great story somewhere about job titles - this woman works for a modern firm where nobody has a job title, and she has a big client meeting the next day. She approaches her boss and argues that she needs business cards and a job title to prove her status with big clients. Her boss asks her what job title she would like so she says "Just anything that makes it look like I'm in a highly senior position here".
Next day she gets a box of 500 business cards as discussed - the job title reads simply "Supreme Commander"!
Well, it made me laugh at the time?
I don't go into it any further than that.
I am interested in talking about what I do for those who are curious to know. I am not at all interested in talking about how I get paid for it.
When I'm done, people usually ask me if they can submit some of their own work or writing to be published on my site.
Next day she gets a box of 500 business cards as discussed - the job title reads simply "Supreme Commander"!
Back in the dotcom days, when everything was new and hyped up, people came up with all sorts of funky titles. One of the dotcoms I worked with, we talked about titles and "Lord of the Monkeys" came up.
Not to detract from the main topic, does anyone here doing AM full time have business cards? what does it say?
Next day she gets a box of 500 business cards as discussed - the job title reads simply "Supreme Commander"!
lol... I am so putting that on my next batch of business cards.
Although, I think I would like the title of a Y! employee at a conference. "Lead Surfer". :)
Most people don't care what you do but to the few that ask more, I say, "I build websites that help other people sell their products and services."
I do hate when people say "Which websites?". A friend of mine who is also in affiliate marketing came up with a great answer to that which I have yet to try using.
He says, "I wish I could talk about it but I am under non-disclosure clauses with my clients". A little white lie never killed anyone but will hopefully help end this conversation.
About business cards, there was no need to have any but I made some earlier this year before I went to a search engine conference.
On my business cards, I put my company name on there. I used the name of my incorporated company. Underneath that I put my name with the title, President. I used my email address associated with my ISP rather than email accounts from my websites.
By not referring to my websites on my business cards, I figured I could meet other search marketers and feel free giving them my cards without disclosing my websites. Oh, and by the way, I talked to very few people and did not give out any cards at the conference.
Here is quick story about being asked what I do. I had not seen my dentist in a while as I had moved out of town. He asked what I was doing. When I told him internet marketing, he said, "Oh, you sell stuff on e-bay.". I wanted to smack him.
rfung, congrats on taking the plunge. You sound like you work hard at this and enjoy it and I think that will help make this work for you.
I run a couple of trophy websites (as you know they make no $$$) just for that reason :) .
I run a couple of trophy websites (as you know they make no $$$) just for that reason :) .
That's good. I think I will just send them to WebmasterWorld and tell them that is my site. Heck, I may as well tell them my name is Brett ;-)
(Not implying that WW makes no money, but it is a trophy site to be proud of.)
It always amazes me how few people dig for more information, where if I didn't do this for a living and I met someone who did, then I would be asking all kinds of questions.
As far as forms that ask for occupation, I usually put "self employed". I guess I could put CEO (of a one man company), but that would probably bring more questions.
wellzy
aren't your friends/relatives curious as to what you do given that they see your lifestyle? and if they ask more details about it, do you tell/guide them? and do they listen/research and become succesful themselves?
I've been telling my friends some of the answers above(thanks everyone) and they all say (half heartedly I must admit) that 'oh can you make me a website?' - which if they were serious about any sort of online venture (not necessarily AM) I would - for a percent of ownership, but that hasn't been the case yet.
So my experience and my answer to the above has been pretty abysmal. Here's a chance to "make money from home" and yet people don't seem keen to pick it up. I guess it has to do with the fact that I'm known to be the 'computer guy'(and I hate that!) so anything I must be doing must be in the scope of my expertise and out of reach of mere mortals. :)
Heh.
What it boils down to Rfung, is that people are lazy... Pure and simple. They don't want to go that extra mile to free themselves from 9-5 slavery. They want everything done for them.
Things will never change, just be happy that you are not one of them.
All the Best,
C.K.
Then I started saying I was in Internet Marketing, and they asked me if I would build them a web site.
Now I say e-commerce, and we are able to move on to other topics.
Q
I don't know many industries that you can make so much money for so little effort. The key is knowledge, though. Something that most people are not willing to invest time and effort in.
For every affiliate that succeeds, there are 10 that fail. Not because there isn't a place for them, but because they didn't take the time to find the right place. I have offered to teach a dozen people how to do this, and each time the person balks at how much there is to learn and yet marvel at how little actual work it take to make so much.
"So you work for Google?"
I always find it almost impossible to explain what I do in under 30 seconds so now I just deposit them in the ATM :)
Nick Ladd
What they're actually saying is "I don't have the guts to jump, is there another way?"
For anyone planning to email me - NO, there isn't.
The difference between success and failure is not knowledge, it's courage to take risks. Being ready to fail and learn is a big threat to one's ego, but it's only when we drop the ego and become humble enough to understand that real success only comes from many attempts that we'll start to grow.
For anyone "on the wall" with this, go for it! Today!
Life is not a rehearsal.
