This is the first time I’ve won something because of the internet. Who would have imagined that sitting in front of your computer and doing something as fun as commenting in various blogs can send wonderful gifts your way? I don’t know if the person who first thought of the “Principle of Attraction” ever envisioned the rise of the internet.

Yet, here we are.

The internet connects us to one another. Or better yet, the internet makes it more obvious how each and every one of us is connected to one another. We’ve always been interconnected, it just hasn’t been that obvious… Until now.

No matter what country or city you are in, and even if you’re not in the Philippines, here you are, reading my words online. Here you are, breathing in my stories, as well as the stories of other people. How easy it is to move from one web page to another, from one blog to yet another blog, from one comment to another, and we end up with…

An embarrassment of stories. (And I mean that in a good way — “an embarrassment of riches”)

So thank you, internet! And thank you, Yuga! And thank you, everyone.

See you around the web. I hope to read your stories soon…

(If you want to see what it looks like, complete with the security seal of Air21, please see ChefTonio’s unboxing of the Creative Webcam NX 90.)

Mike bases his video on David Kolb’s work in the field of “experiential learning”, and he also talks about how we learn. Given this, plus the info that there are four personality types that more or less describe about 99% of people you will send your message to, Mike shares what you must say in your videos to get your point across to your viewers.

The four questions that you need to answer in order to be persuasive are:

1. Why? Sales personalities (i.e., Persuaders, Motivators). About 35% of the population.

You answer should include a list of benefits that answer the question: “Why should someone buy your product or service?” Now benefits are different from features. An example of a feature (if we’re talking about digital cameras) is “the camera can autofocus quickly.”

A benefit of that feature is: “You will gain admiration from your friends, who will compliment you for the beautiful, sharp, and clear photos you have taken with your so-and-so digital camera.”

In the case of real estate marketing, how would you transform the feature “24/7 security” into a benefit?

2. What for? Scholastic personalities (focus on Objectives and Outcomes). 18% of the population.

You can answer that question by explaining what purpose your product or service will serve. Ideally, provide specific, measurable and practical results. For example, you can use this product to achieve an additional 10% in your sales.

What about property sales? How would you answer the question “what for” when it comes to selling a house and lot? What exactly will the product do for your buyer?

3. How? Techies (focus on Operations and Processes). 25% of the population.

In the “how” part, you will explain how the product works. In the case of consumer items, the focus will be on the specific steps on using the product, so that the customer is able to achieve the benefit (see Point # 1) and the purpose (see Point # 2).

In real estate, can you think about a process or procedure that a buyer (with a technical personality) will want to know before he or she purchases that condo or house and lot from you?

4. What if? Advocates or Marketers (focus on Opportunities). 20% of the population.

When you meet these creative types of people, they will want to find out how they can use the product in ways other than the original intended purpose of the product. For example, while people normally use a digital camera to take photos of friends and family, the advocates/marketers might want to use the camera for a business.

If you think of answers to “What if?” you will be able to expand the usefulness of whatever it is your selling. Please keep that in mind when you are handling real estate inquiries, because there are many reasons why someone would be interested in buying a house or a piece of property.

So, which questions do you answer in your video marketing message? Answer all of them.

You do not know what the personality type of your viewer is, so when you cover all four areas (Why, What for, How, What if) you will be able to address the needs of practically everyone. Just make sure your message is not too long, okay?

All you have to do is visit Contest: Moleskine Giveaway from Avalon.PH, and leave in the comment section your answer to Jayvee’s question. I’m not saying here what that question is. All I can say is that it is super easy.

Of course, that means a lot of you will rush over and leave your comment in Jayvee’s blog which means…. more competition for me for that coveted Moleskine notebook. But that’s okay. This is all being done in the spirit of fun!

Wait, wait… why are people getting so excited about what appears to be an ordinary-looking, black “hardbound” notebook? I really don’t know. Maybe, just maybe, holding it and writing on its smooth pages, and watching your pen glide gracefully over those crisp lines will evoke some kind of connection with the master writers.

I know… I’m just reaching. But as I’ve said, maybe. Just maybe.

It’s hard to explain what happens when you try to write and you somehow feel a bond or connection with the writing greats who have gone on ahead of you. It sometimes feels as if they’re all just there, standing around you, invisible yet silently cheering you on as you let a trickle of words escape from your fingers.

Ah, enough of this. Such things are better placed in the pages of a Moleskine notebook rather than in the cold glare of a white WordPress box, right?

I was so surprised to be included in the list of webcam winners, and I owe a lot to Ambo and Snow for giving me the heads up.

Yes, things have been quite hectic lately, because I’ve been busy with real estate marketing. In other words, I’ve been manning the booth or the tent at the project site. I’ve also been busy assisting clients during “tripping” where they get to visit the site and view various house model units.

I wonder if webcams will help property sales consultants close the sale. Typically, webcams are used to communicate with your loved ones. I’m not sure if this will be appropriate in the case of real estate. Maybe in such cases, a basic video will be enough. Besides, video chats have a tendency to get rather lengthy, so it’s best reserved for friends and family, and not for business.

Anyway, I hope I’ll get to figure out how to attach the webcam properly to the computer I’m using, once the unit arrives in my house. Again, Yuga, thank you so much!

First of all, there are many ways to make money online:

• Sell advertising space (i.e., AdSense)
• Sell your own products or services
• Sell the products of other mechants (affiliate marketing, referral commissions)

Those are the major areas, but the thing you have to keep in mind is this: Your success depends on your ability to communicate online. By communicate, we specifically mean this:

You have to be able to write.

No, you do not need to be a novelist, but you do need to have a basic grasp of spelling and grammar, as well as the ability to be understood by your readers. If you want to earn money online, you will need to write for people who are able to buy things online.

Now that makes a lot of sense, right? If you publish useful pages that will be appreciated by people who have no intention, or are not able to purchase online, how exactly will you make money, right? How will you attract paying advertisers, if your website is unable to attract paying customers?

In other words, if you want to blog and make money online, you must make a list of the things you are passionate about. Go ahead and write down the topics that you know a lot about of, or which you are willing to learn about. Not just lightly learn, but topics you are willing to truly study and absorb to the point that you become an expert in that area.

Then once you’ve come up with a list of 5 topics, write beside each topic the kind of person who will be interested in reading what you have to say.

Done? Okay… now go down the list of persons (or person-types), and ask yourself which of those people are able and willing to spend money online. Once you’ve found that, you have also found a profitable topic that you can write about.

When I say write, I mean write as if you’re just talking with one friend. I do not mean write an essay about, okay? You probably can tell right away if a blog post is just an essay, or is something written by a person who is trying to truly teach another.

Until the next blog post, please go make your lists. As in, right now. Yes, please take action.

Anyway, I climbed to the top of a human tower, but when it was time to come down, I accidentally ended up sitting on the corner of a raised portion of the “stage.” As a result, I now have a bit of bruising.

What’s the general rule again? Oh, right — cold compress in the first 48 hours, then warm wet compress after the first 48 hours. Hopefully, the discoloration will lighten up in a few days.

It does this by showing some kind of discounted offer, so if your visitors are leaving your site (without buying from you), they might change their mind and take advantage of your special promo.

While I’ve heard that some internet marketers were able to save over $20,000 of sales thanks to the Virtual Smart Agent script, some of you might be unnerved by the $197 sticker price of Dave Guindon’s program.

Fortunately, there are a few more copies available at a promo price. Remember, though, that the internet rewards people who take action!

Get Virtual Smart Agent for only $97

Well, Steve’s course clearly shows why a lot of folks don’t quite reach at least $1,000 a month. But more than that, Steve shares his system which has helped break that $1k/month barrier. You won’t find this technique in the typical courses of those “gurus” and the key is this:

To succeed with AdSense, you need to lay the proper foundation.

Steve shows you how, and once you get it (thanks to his stellar after-sales support), things will click in your head.

The AdSense Connection

For example, Steve gives weekly coaching calls. What this means is that you will get 2 months of free access to his live, weekly teleconferences. You can ask questions, if you wish, or you can sit back and listen as he answers questions fielded in by other folks participating in the teleconference.

Steve understands that in some cases, a few minutes of one-to-one, human-to-human access can speed up your learning far faster than any written material.

Anyway, the material is basic, so if you’re an intermediate or advanced internet marketer, then you might wish to pass up on this.

But if you want to find out how you can have your own passive online income, and if you’re more or less a beginner in this whole internet thing, then check out Steve Weber’s tutorial for beginners.

The Online Basics

The truth is, there are many ways to make money online. The thing we have to figured out is, of the many possible ways which one is something we will enjoy doing?

Before you go off shaking your head about you not being a techie… relax! Steve takes a simpler approach, and even walks you through the very basics.

For example, did you know that an exceedingly simple-looking web site can make more money than some slick-looking masterpiece of a site? It’s true… and Steve shows you how.

And best of all, if you feel that his style is not exactly your style, then go ahead and ask for your money back. Simple and easy, right?

Back Porch Income

I didn’t know he was also an avid gamer. All I know is that he wrote books, such as Jurassic Park. Perhaps I’ll go look for his other novels such as Andromeda Strain, and perhaps even re-read Congo and Sphere.

It’s been a long while since I last read his books. I can’t believe he’s gone, and so soon at the age of only 66. We’ll miss you, Michael…

Abe Olandres (aka Yuga) is giving away 12 brand new webcams from Creative. You can use the webcam in Skype, Yahoo! Messenger (YM), MSN… well, you’ll find out in Yuga’s Creative Webcam Giveaway.

It’s true! All you need to do is leave a comment in that Yugatech.com blog post. But you’ll have to hurry! Abe is arriving in Manila from Singapore this coming Monday, and he’ll randomly choose 4 commenters.

I hope I win at least one of those webcams!

I wonder how long it will take to grow this out.

Anyway, I hope the rest of my silky smooth hair will be enough distraction, so people will not notice that hopefully tiny spot. Still, some people are afraid that rebonding will damage your hair. Afterall, the chemical process does break the bonds of your hair before they are bonded again. That’s why they call it “rebonding.”

So what happened? It’s possible the temperature of the plantsa or iron was higher than 180 degrees, which explained why some hair got burned. I wonder, too, if they used a ceramic iron and ionic dryer. Perhaps since it was a home-service type of hair rebonding service (and quite affordable, too, I might mention), the equipment was probably not up to par.

Have you noticed if your rebonded hair has gotten weak? Does your hair break easily? Maybe that’s why they advise you to avoid wearing a rubber band and to simply let your hair hang loose (nakalugay). Hmmm… will I still go for another hair rebond in the future?

Some friends suggest to go for ironing instead of rebonding. Sure, the effects don’t last as long, but the lack of chemicals makes our hair safer, right?

That’s why I was surprised when I saw in the papers that according to a non-commissioned SWS survey, 3 out of 4 Filipinos don’t care who wins the coming US Elections.

Whether that comes from indifference towards international politics, a case of “I’m in the Philippines, okay”, or what may be the beginning of a shift in the Pinoy’s psyche regarding poverty and the search for some hero to uplift us from our situation will become more evident in the coming years.

The year 2010 is coming around the corner (somewhat), and let’s see how politics and election fever affect the people then.

This time, the rules are fairly easy…

All I need to do is to list down my 3 favorite books, as well as the reasons why. And I need to leave a comment in Jill Sabitsana’s Win A Moleskine Notebook blog post.

That doesn’t mean I can’t also make a blog post here, right? Anyway, I’ll just quickly list the titles. As for the reasons, I’ll put those in the comment in Jill’s site.

My three favorite books are:

1. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
2. Stainless Longganisa (Bob Ong)
3. Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki)

I hope to win that Moleskine notebook this time. Wish me luck!