The Internet marketing hype stories are getting taller, just as promised timescale for online millionaire status is getting shorter. I get many emails which suggest that if I invest just $39.99, $14.99 or even $zero, I can make thousands of dollars a month within a few weeks. I can master art of Internet marketing in one course or one eBook and 'hey presto' I will be successful, with lots of money rolling in on autopilot. In some cases I'm told I can just sign up without doing any work.

The Internet gives us a powerful potential source of income, however, like any trade or profession, it takes time and effort to learn how to succeed. It took me 5 years to qualify as an accountant and with my new career it has taken me just 6 months or so to get a successful business going... but it wasn't 6 WEEKS and no, I'm not earning millions yet.

In any home-based business you obviously need a good product or 'formula'. There are three other essential ingredients which are often omitted from success recipe:

1. Realistic expectations. 2. Motivation. 3. Action... doing not just hoping!

Most people who quit a home-based business have unrealistic income expectations.

Motivation is often overlooked... do you NEED your online business to be successful or do you just want it to be? If you don't need - or have a burning desire - to succeed, you probably won't. The low investment doesn't help here either. What have you got to lose - $39.99, $14.99 or even $zero?

And as for action, well it's time for me to DO something... back to traffic building school.

5) In todays "microwave world" of technology, if it MAKES LIFE EASIER or MAKES THE TASK AT HAND GO FASTER most customers are interested to at least find out what you have to offer.

6) HOW CAN YOU SAVE ME MONEY TOMORROW! Yes, that's what your customers are asking themselves. Beyond just price, how can this product save me money. Whether directly or indirectly show them how you are going to save them bucks down road! If your product is going to save them money in an indirect manner, take their hand lead them down path. Show them how you will save them money in long run.

7) What else can it do? If you really want sell some of those holdouts, offer them a versatile product with MULTIPLE USES OR BENEFITS! Just like swiss knife, it has to be Multi-Functional.

8) Would you buy it if you knew it was junk? PEOPLE WANT QUALITY! The easiest way to put your business in crapper is to sell a worthless or problematic product. Remeber that old saying, Quality is Number One!

9) People have problems. Health, wealth or appearance, everyone has a problem. CAN YOU SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM? Be a Problem Solver!

10 ) Does it come with a guarantee? Yes! If you want to sell your product, YOU BETTER HAVE A GUARANTEE! Never before has public been so akeen to presence of "fly by night" businesses who are here one day and gone next. People want to know that if something happens they can get support.

Before I let you go, I would just like to say, there is nothing more important when designing a sales strategy than knowing and understanding your quarry. Know their needs and wants. Know what motivates them to buy. To covince them you must first understand how they think and what they're looking for in your product. That's why I call it "Understanding Nature of Beast".