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asheelnair · 3 years ago

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PERSONAL BLOG :-)

Asheel Nair (Me18b101)

Course - MS4100 ( Soft skills)

First of all thanks Viji Ma'am to teach this wonderful course and making me understand and help me to grow and realize my skills that will help me personally as well as in professional growth.

1) Meaning and Purpose

It was a very great session to attend as it gave a lot of insights about life and insisted us to find our true worth and value of life in this world.

There is a statement which touched me very much- “Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.”

We are all hungry for meaning, for purpose, for the feeling that our life is worth more than the sum of its parts. We can find meaning in the sublime, in the absurd, in the dull and dreary, and in the perfectly wretched in life. That's when Viji came up with the word 'ikigai'- Combining the Japanese words iki, meaning life and gai, meaning value or worth, ikigai is essentially about finding your purpose in life. for exampe- Ikigai means “the reason you wake up for in the morning”

Then Viji told us to write our purpose of life in our book :-

What i love most- Video Games, family, friends, dogs

What i am good at - Maintaining relations, consulting

What can i get paid for - Consulting job or maybe some unexplored fields(who knows xD)

what the world needs- world is selfish and everyone wants profit in each and everything they do, the current world needs humanity and needs to develop a sense of empathy and helping nature.

Always know your true worth and realize it because it is only you know your true worth and value and always be grateful for who you are.

2) The '5S' principle

:- It was the first time i came across this principle and trust me it was worth it :)

What are the 5 principles of 5S?

5S stands for the 5 steps of this methodology: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain.

5S is designed to decrease waste while optimizing productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace which will help you bring positive thinking and productive solution.

Application - I applied this principle in my room which was dirty and messes up. I cleaned everything and kept everything in a proper way. After implying this principle it felt very comforting and nice.

3) Time-Management

It is one of the crucial factors to live a peaceful life without any tension and stress. The person who has time management skills are very calm and comforting and always live a peaceful life. Everyone has the same 24 hours, however, some make better use of their time than others. This is one of the reasons why we have people who excel at the things they do. In other words, people may become busy; but that necessarily does not mean they are effective at their task. Hence, time management plays a crucial role in personal and professional life.

Time management may be a conscious effort to spend a selected amount of your time to perform a task efficiently . Furthermore, productivity is the key focus here. The more productive the work, the higher are the results. Moreover, time management requires a careful balancing between business life , social life, the other hobbies or activities. From an academic perspective, time management is a necessity. Students have many subjects to hide , therefore, efficiently managing time is a crucial skill.

The main problem we all face is the lack of time. Having so many things to do and yet not enough time to do them all. Through my conversations with many, I realized that I was not the only one facing this issue. This was when I realized sharpening my activity management skills becomes important. Though many people may call it ‘time management, I believe activity management is a better term because we can’t manage time but we can manage our activities each day. The reality is many people drift through life and allow themselves to be carried by the waves. We all have a choice to take control of our activities and reach our fullest potential.

so use your time wisely by sorting important things first by realizing the importance of time in your life and seeing the benefits of time management.

As it is said " Time and Tide wait for none" , make sure you make each and every second count and create a change for a greater tomorrow.

I even talked with few people who I believe is very efficient in time management and asked them their secret mantra :P , example - My friend :-

– All good things take time and so does your goal, some achieve goals faster while some take their time. You need to be vocal and loud about your goal, aim and thoughts. Always have a positive mindset and be ready to face any challenges thrown at your goals. You should always be open minded and appreciate every small thing that makes you reach your goal. She thinks that the importance of setting goals comes with maturity and responsibility and you need to figure out what things comes first in your life.

4) Strength based Learning - All the above factors can be included while finding about our personal strength based learning. sit down for few minutes and think about your strengths and weaknesses. For me-Strengths-based learning involves a process of assessing which helps us to identify our greatest talents, and to then develop and apply strengths based on those talents in the process of learning, intellectual development, and academic achievement to levels of personal and professional excellence.

As it is said " champions are not born they are trained and nourished with care to become a champion", Skills do not naturally exist within us; they must be acquired through training and practice. The concept of strengths is based in each individual’s unique nature and building upon what he or she naturally does best. Takeaway-After this session I realized I have strengths with which I can create a change for better tomorrow and life is too long to explore, learn and develop. I would always like to explore my strengths and work on it and inspire others to play on their strengths. Thanks Viji for this wonderful session :)

5) Communication

It is something because of which I faced conflicts in past, For me -signaling benevolence in communication seems vital than harsh-naked truth as it can sometimes product in fright, strain or spite in developing long-lasting relationships with family or at workplace. Blunt honesty can sometimes be rebellious whereas benevolence aids in handling difficult situations ethically by breeding trust and in boosting one’s morale. It enables one to be mindful of consequences and frame things in a way that is different from complete unvarnished truth- which in turn fosters relationships and other developments.

Thanks to Abha ma'am and Viji ma'am to take up this session and making it a wonderful experience. Salute to both of you for your professionalism and are dedicated to your work, was truly amazed to see this.

Presentation- The three 's' -structure, style and substance were covered in this. There were many other factors that were taught which helped me to learn, incorporate those and make my skills even stronger. Learned a lot on how to communicate, make a presentation and how to present yourself in front of people, all thanks to Abha ma'am.

Assertive Communication - Assertiveness means expressing your point of view in a way that is clear and direct, while still respecting others. Communicating in an assertive manner can help you to: minimize conflict. The 3 C's Of Assertive Communication are Confidence – you believe in your ability to handle a situation. Clear – the message you have is clear and easy to understand. Controlled – you deliver information in a calm and controlled manner. Passive communication and behavior involves allowing your own rights to be violated by failing to express honest feelings, thoughts, and beliefs, or by expressing your thoughts and feelings in an apologetic manner that others can easily disregard.

Few steps for assertive communication :

1.Tell the person what you think about their behavior without accusing them.

2. Tell them how you feel when they behave a certain way.

3. Tell them how their behavior affects you and your relationship with them.

4. Tell them what you would prefer them to do instead.

6) Self Realization

This was a very good session and topic. During the first 5 min we were told to take out a mirror or front camera and look yourself in it for few minutes and write down whatever comes into your mind. when i saw myself i could see that there is a fire burning within myself that want's to achieve each and every goal, I realized i will soon conquer each and every challenges in my way and make my parents and myself proud.

Then we came on the topic of

Body shaming :

It is something that i feel is cheap and very immature. Without knowing what the other person is going through people criticize them and laugh at them. Individuals with a history of trauma, depression, self-harm, low self-esteem, or borderline personality disorder are more likely to be affected by body shaming and potentially develop an eating disorder or engage in self-harm behavior.

Empowerment doesn’t just refer to professional success and financial stability but also the overall personality development of an individual. Empowering yourself requires you to confront your problems but not bow down to them. It involves you being open to changing your views based on your own personal experience. Hence, if you’re not changing and sticking to what you’ve been told by society, you’re keeping yourself away from empowerment.

When it comes to our views, we have plenty of them pertaining to our own selves. A majority of them are concerned with how we look. From television to magazine, most women have grown up being told that the perfect girl is slim, fair, humble, docile and quiet.

But, what about those women who are plus-sized, have a deformity, have too many tattoos or are too outspoken? The society might not find them palatable enough to call them perfect but who gave society that right, anyway? The only person who gets to decide is you. You need to shed societal expectations and accept every bit of yourself.

Takeaway - Don't live by fearing of someone's judgement, Everyone has a beautiful body on this planet, all are different that is the beauty of this world. "Embrace it don't hide it"

Snake and Ladder in our life :-

Ladder here refers to all the supports in your life who encourage you to achieve something great in your life while snake refers to all the challenges that is stopping you to achieve your goals.

Ladder and goals -

Family, friends and dear ones

Get into a dream company that recognizes my talent and reach a good position where one day i can become a leader

Want to buy a luxurious home to my parents and want to give them everything whatever they ask for

Buy a dream car

Building shelter homes for animals

Do something for orphans and rural people

Reach at a height where i become a role model for few

Build a dream PC gaming set-up, xD

Want to travel the world (each and every corner)

Want to learn calisthenics

And many more............. :P

Snakes -

Negative people

Procrastination. “I will do it later” is often equivalent to “I will never do it,” though that is never the real intention behind procrastinating something

Fear of Failure

Ignorance

Lack of Purpose

Lack of Courage

Fault Finding

Lack of Self-belief Takeaway -

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williamlwolf89 · 4 years ago

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ClickBank: The Brutally Honest, Must-Read Guide for 2020

So you want to make money through affiliate marketing, huh?

You can smell the moolah.

And among hundreds of affiliate marketing networks out there, all promising you a piece of the scrumptious $12 billion pie, one has caught your fancy.

ClickBank.

But there’s a problem.

You’ve heard a lot of good things about ClickBank.

You’ve also heard many bad things.

What’s true? What’s fiction? Can you really make money on ClickBank? How can you successfully navigate the rich but perilous ClickBank waters?

That’s what this step-by-step guide is all about.

An unvarnished look at ClickBank, warts and all.

Let’s get to it.

ClickBank: Q&A

What is ClickBank?

Founded in 1998 in a garage in San Diego California, ClickBank is one of the granddaddies of affiliate marketing networks.

You can make money with ClickBank as a product vendor or affiliate marketer without working like a frazzled cubicle slave.

Here are some staggering numbers about the ClickBank marketplace:

200 million customers spread across 190 countries

87th largest Internet retailer in North America

276 categories and 21562 product listings

6 million entrepreneurs on the platform

Over 200 million dollars in annual sales

In short: you can make a killing on the network.

The best part?

Joining a lucrative affiliate program on ClickBank is not labor-intensive like writing for money or making money blogging.

ClickBank is a good option for bloggers and entrepreneurs who wish to promote digital and lifestyle products.

How is ClickBank Different From Other Affiliate Networks?

ClickBank is not your typical traditional affiliate network.

Five good things stand out:

Simplicity. The sign-up process is straightforward. You can sign-up within a few minutes and start trading without complicated paperwork to fill or administrative hoops to jump through.

Inclusivity. Anyone can join the network for free. It’s perfect for beginners who want to learn the ropes of affiliate marketing.

Duality. On most affiliate marketing networks you go in either as a vendor or an affiliate. ClickBank allows you to enter the fray both as a vendor and a marketer so you maximize your earnings.

Large Selection. With thousands of dazzling affiliate products in every conceivable niche to choose from, your affiliate program choices are numerous.

Good Commission Rates. ClickBank pays high commissions of up to 75% or even 100%. Plus, they pay fast so you won’t have to wait long to splurge on that you-know-what you’ve had your eye on.

However, there are cons as well:

Slow Customer Service. Some reports from the Better Business Bureau claim ClickBank may take up to 7 days to respond to customer emails.

Charges on Dormant ClickBank Accounts. You are charged $1 per day after 90 days of no earnings, $5 per day after 180 days of inactivity, and a hefty $50 per day after 360 days of no sales.

Some Junk Products. More about how to overcome this in a bit.

Fierce Competition for Quality Programs. A good problem to have, if you ask me.

What are the Sign Up Requirements for ClickBank?

ClickBank is free for anyone, both new affiliates and old, to join.

All you need to join is:

Live in an eligible country (United States, Canada, etc.)

Enable cookies in your browser

Have a Tax ID or Social Security number (if you live in the U.S.)

If you plan to register as a vendor, you must pay a one-time activation fee of $49.95. You pay only $29.95 for any additional accounts.

What Affiliate Programs are Available with ClickBank?

Whether you are a tentative newbie who wants to dip a toe into this make-money-online thing or a veteran who wants to grow her earnings, ClickBank has got you covered.

There are many affiliate programs and product categories to choose from:

Arts & Entertainment

As Seen on TV

Betting Systems

Business/Investing

Computers/Internet

Cooking, Food, & Wine

E-Business & E-Marketing (Internet Marketing)

Education

Employment & Jobs

Fiction

Games

Green Products

Health & Fitness

Home & Garden

Languages

Mobile

Parenting & Families

Politics/Current Events

Reference

Self-Help

Software & Services

New Age & Alternative Beliefs

Sports

Travel

Not sure where to start? No worries.

Dan Brock, of Deadbeat Super Affiliate, reveals seven hot niches you can try in this video.

Free Bonus: How to Go From $0 to $1,000 in Passive Income With Affiliate Marketing

What are ClickBank’s Payment Methods?

With ClickBank, you can receive payments in four different ways:

Payment Method #1: Check

The good old paper check is the default payment option. It’s mailed to the address listed in your account.

Payment Method #2: Direct Deposit

ClickBank offers direct deposit in the U.S. and other select countries at no extra charge. Direct deposits take 1-2 business days to reach your account.

Payment Method #3: Wire Transfer

You can receive payments by wire transfer. This option is for countries not covered by international direct deposit. Payments take up to 5 days (depending on where you live).

Payment Method #4: Payoneer

You can also get paid using the Payoneer Mastercard, an international money transfer service you can get for free. Payoneer allows you to open a U.S bank account where your money is deposited.

As you see, ClickBank gives you a lot of options. Plus:

ClickBank doesn’t tie you to the payment method you’ve chosen.

You can change your payment method at any time. It’s your money, so you receive it your way. But, it may take up to seven days for the new payment method to work.

Whenever you change your email address or password, you can’t switch payment methods for a week. This protects you from fraudsters.

You can set the payment threshold as low as $10.

Is ClickBank a Scam? Or, as the Kids Would Say, is ClickBank Legit?

Is ClickBank an elaborate racket or a genuine online business?

Yes, it’s true. Some ClickBank affiliate programs are of low quality. Overhyped junk products are a dime a dozen. But that’s half the story.

There are solid programs on there too.

ClickBank’s like a mega supermarket packed with assorted goods.

Don’t like what’s on the shelf? No problem. Move to another aisle. You’ll soon find what you want.

With a seemingly infinite number of digital products from entrepreneurs all over the world to choose from, your perfect product awaits.

That’s why millions of entrepreneurs are on the platform. Some ClickBank affiliates and vendors have been with them for decades.

But, ultimately, it’s your reputation on the line. You owe it to yourself and your audience to double-check every program before you join it.

Here are some tips to help:

5 Smart Ways Not To Get Burned on ClickBank

To weed out the garbage and uncover the gemstones, follow these tips when choosing a product:

1. Try the product first

You genuinely want to help people, right? Then why not ask for a review sample product from the vendor to see if it’s the real deal. If they say no, buy the product yourself. This way, you’ll be sure of the product’s authenticity.

2. Check the product reviews

Scour through customers’ feedback about the product you intend to sell. Not just reviews by other affiliates because those may be biased. Look for reviews on trusted review sites like Trust Pilot. If the product is popular, it’s likely to have been reviewed somewhere on the web.

3. Check the product’s gravity score

Gravity is the number of affiliates who have sold a vendor’s product in the last 12 weeks. The higher the gravity, the higher the product’s trustworthiness. Each gravity point is an endorsement of the product.

4. Watch out for overblown claims

While it’s possible to make money on ClickBank, it’s not magic. If a program promises you a million dollars overnight while you binge-watch Friends on Netflix, stay away.

They’re fake. They’re tricksters. And they’re out to get you.

Run, and never look back.

5. Be on the lookout for shadowy vendors

Cheats lurk in the shadows. They don’t want to show their faces.

Google vendors that interest you.

Can’t find them? Think twice.

Good vendors have a traceable online history.

Editor’s Note:

These tips aren’t only for ClickBank — smart bloggers and entrepreneurs use them for CJ Affiliate, ShareASale, eBay Partner Network, Amazon Associates, and every other affiliate network.

It doesn’t matter how much affiliate marketing experience you have or how well known the affiliate network is, you need to do your homework.

How Do I Sign Up for ClickBank?

Let’s go through the step-by-step process.

To sign up for an account, go to clickbank.com and click on ‘create account’ on the top right side of the menu.

Step 1: Fill in your personal info

Make sure you complete all fields otherwise you won’t be able to move to the next step.

Click on ‘next step.’

Step 2: Provide your bank details

Remember to check the small box to acknowledge that you’ve read the terms and conditions.

If you want to be paid through your company enter your business name in the Payee field instead of your personal name.

Your bank info is not used to send payments. That’s why they don’t ask for your account number, just the name of your primary bank.

You pick a payment method after your account is created.

Click on ‘next step’ to move on to the last step.

Step 3: Create your account

You’ll then be asked to create a nickname.

Your nickname is your user ID. It’s visible to all customers, so don’t make it too personal.

Affiliate marketing strategy expert Warren Wheeler shares a little-known but powerful secret you can use when creating your ClickBank user ID.

The last step is creating your password. Once you’ve chosen a strong password, click ‘create account’ to finalize your account.

You’ll see a customer survey page. Once you see it, know that your account is now active.

Congratulations!

You’re now ready to do business on one of the biggest affiliate marketplaces in the world.

How Does ClickBank Work? Crucial Code Terms To Master

Before you begin choosing ClickBank affiliate programs, be sure to familiarize yourself with the language used on the platform.

Here are some key ClickBank terms to master:

Gravity – This figure tells you how many affiliates have successfully sold the product in the past 12 weeks. The higher the gravity the greater your chances of succeeding with that program. It’s updated daily and can go up to 600+. A product with a gravity score of at least 50 is a safe bet.

Initial $/Sale – This number portrays the average dollar value of an initial sale, excluding rebills, credited to the affiliate.

Avg %/Sale – Represents the average affiliate commission percentage for a sale, including both initial and rebill commissions.

Avg %/Rebill – Represents the average total affiliate commission percentage for a sale, including only rebill commission, for a recurring billing product.

Your true north? The one metric that should guide you?

Gravity.

Why?

Because it shows you what’s selling now.

All other metrics are secondary.

Most affiliate marketers rush headlong, look for the product with the biggest commission and highest gravity.

That’s the wrong way to go about it.

Here’s how to do it right…

How To Make Money With ClickBank: Unearthing Gem Programs And Sidestepping Rubble

Let’s say you want to sell a health and fitness product.

First, click on the affiliate marketplace on the menu and then choose your category on the left:

You’ll then see a list of products displayed. You can choose how the results are sorted: popularity, Ave $/Sale, Initial $/Sale, Ave %/Sale, Gravity, and so on.

Results are sorted according to a program’s popularity by default. Zoom into the product that meets your predetermined metrics. Two crucial metrics to consider are gravity and Average $/Sale aka your cut.

Here’s a product with potential:

With a high gravity of 137 and a fine commission of $66, this program can be a moneymaker. Now that you’ve found a good product, it’s time to click promote and enjoy the delightful ka-ching cash register sound, right?

Not so fast, my friend.

Dig deeper.

Go to the program’s affiliate page to find out more about the product.

Always be on the lookout for vendors with affiliate promotion tools pages. These are serious vendors who have done the heavy lifting for you to make your work easier.

Typical tools you’ll find include:

Banners

Product images

Videos

Pre-sell content

Swipes for email marketing campaigns

Keywords

Press releases

Landing pages / sales pages

Opt-in rates

Customer demographics

Here’s an example:

Surely with all these materials on hand, even a slacker like you can make this work. 🙂 Remember, these tools are tried and tested. Use them as they are. Only tweak them if you are double sure the change will make them a better fit for your audience.

Another cool tip is to search for discounts on the affiliate program page so you get a bigger cut.

When you’re done, click promote, fill in your account details, and grab the affiliate links you’ll use to promote the product:

That’s how you join a solid program.

Now, want to explode your profits?

How To Make Money On ClickBank: 4 Top Tips to Rake In Big Bucks

I won’t lie to you.

Making money on ClickBank, like anything worthwhile, won’t be smooth sailing, especially at the beginning.

It’ll take creativity, trial and error, a jumbo size coffee urn for that much-needed caffeine fix — and loads of patience.

Here are 4 tips to help get you started:

1. Don’t be obsessed with high gravity and $/Sale

It’s not necessarily the product with the highest gravity or Ave$/Sale you should focus on.

Programs with a very high Av$/Sale have stiffer competition.

And, they usually have lower conversions.

Those in the middle have higher conversions.

Find the right balance.

2. Wrap up your offer in relevant content

Successful affiliate offers hinge on context. You can put the offer on your newsletter, a high-performing blog post, or on a ‘products we recommend’ page.

Here’s a little case study of this tactic right here on Smart Blogger. Click on ‘Tools We Recommend’ on the menu and you’ll see this:

What I love about this is that they don’t just provide a bare shopping list of resources like many WordPress sites do. They package their recommendations in the form of a post. This way the endorsements look natural, not forced.

The result? More sales.

You can craft a special piece of content for specific offers.

Think of it like a jigsaw puzzle. Your free content provides a piece that can only be completed by the offer.

3. Get the product/audience fit right

With thousands of flashy products on show, the temptation to promote any top-selling program to your audience is strong.

Resist it.

Two reasons:

If your offers aren’t a good fit for your audience, you won’t make money, period. Eventually, you’ll get discouraged and curse the ClickBank gurus for ‘misleading’ you.

Offers that don’t resonate with your audience will wear them down. They’ll develop ‘offer blindness’. They won’t respond to future offers. Ultimately, they’ll stop trusting you.

Only join programs that add value to your audience.

It’s best for everyone.

Your audience will adore you for proposing great products to them.

You’ll make more money.

4. Create an evergreen YouTube funnel

Most ClickBank affiliate marketing strategies focus on email marketing (sending emails to your list), social media promotion (tweeting or sharing your affiliate links), or SEO (creating top-notch content around your affiliate product and getting it to rank on Google).

But there’s another area most e-commerce gurus ignore: video. Specifically, YouTube.

Smart marketers take advantage of the powers of YouTube, the second largest search engine, to set up a high-converting ClickBank funnel.

Here’s how:

Find the right product to promote

Search for popular content related to the product on YouTube

Dissect the content to see why it’s popular

Produce similar content in your own YouTube channel

Link to the product in your video. Watch the money come in like clockwork.

Need a real-life example? Check out this review of a popular ClickBank product, The Flat Belly Fix.

ClickBank Review Verdict: Boo or Bravo?

Let me ask again.

Can you make money on ClickBank?

Absolutely.

Just be sure to do your homework.

If you thoroughly vet the programs, you’ll cash in.

Many folks like you make $50-$100 a day on ClickBank. That’s a yummy $1500+ passive monthly income made while you catch some Z’s.

You can do it too. Hop over to ClickBank and get started now.

The post ClickBank: The Brutally Honest, Must-Read Guide for 2020 appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from SEO and SM Tips https://smartblogger.com/clickbank/

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newyorktheater · 4 years ago

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Near the end of Joe Biden’s acceptance speech on the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention (transcript below), he quoted from a poem by Seamus Heaney, the great Irish writer and translor, a Nobel Laureate. The full verse:

“History says, Don’t hope on this side of the grave, But then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave Of justice can rise up, And hope and history rhyme” This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme.”

Heaney’s poem is entitled The Cure at Troy, subtitled “A Version of Philoctetes.” It is Heaney’s verse adaptation of Sophocles’ 2,400-year-old play, written during the Peloponnesian War, one of the seven tragedies by the great Greek playwright that have survived. It describes the attempt by Neoptolemus and Odysseus to bring the disabled Philoctetes, the master archer, back to Troy from the island of Lemnos.

Fittingly, Theater of War Productions, a theater company that uses Ancient dramas to spark conversations about current social issues, recently performed scenes from “Philocetes: earlier this week “as a catalyst” (in the words of the company) “for a dynamic, guided conversation about themes such as personal risk, death/dying, abandonment, and complex ethical decisions, with the goal of fostering connection, community, moral resilience, and positive action.”

Full transcript of Joe Biden’s acceptance speech.

Good evening. Ella Baker, a giant of the civil rights movement, left us with this wisdom: Give people light and they will find a way. Content by CNN Underscored The Surface Headphones 2 are an impressive pair Microsoft’s Surface Headphones 2 are not only economically priced at $250, undercutting the Bose 700 and Sony’s WH-1000XM3, but they pack a punch with quality. Give people light. Those are words for our time. The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division. Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst. I will be an ally of the light not of the darkness. It’s time for us, for We the People, to come together. For make no mistake. United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege. I am a proud Democrat and I will be proud to carry the banner of our party into the general election. So, it is with great honor and humility that I accept this nomination for President of the United States of America. But while I will be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t support me as I will for those who did. That’s the job of a president. To represent all of us, not just our base or our party. This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment. It’s a moment that calls for hope and light and love. Hope for our futures, light to see our way forward, and love for one another. America isn’t just a collection of clashing interests of Red States or Blue States. We’re so much bigger than that. We’re so much better than that. Nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt pledged a New Deal in a time of massive unemployment, uncertainty, and fear. Stricken by disease, stricken by a virus, FDR insisted that he would recover and prevail and he believed America could as well. And he did. And so can we. This campaign isn’t just about winning votes. It’s about winning the heart, and yes, the soul of America. Winning it for the generous among us, not the selfish. Winning it for the workers who keep this country going, not just the privileged few at the top. Winning it for those communities who have known the injustice of the “knee on the neck”. For all the young people who have known only an America of rising inequity and shrinking opportunity. They deserve to experience America’s promise in full. No generation ever knows what history will ask of it. All we can ever know is whether we’ll be ready when that moment arrives. And now history has delivered us to one of the most difficult moments America has ever faced. Four historic crises. All at the same time. A perfect storm. The worst pandemic in over 100 years. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The most compelling call for racial justice since the 60’s. And the undeniable realities and accelerating threats of climate change. So, the question for us is simple: Are we ready? I believe we are. We must be. All elections are important. But we know in our bones this one is more consequential. America is at an inflection point. A time of real peril, but of extraordinary possibilities. We can choose the path of becoming angrier, less hopeful, and more divided. A path of shadow and suspicion. Or we can choose a different path, and together, take this chance to heal, to be reborn, to unite. A path of hope and light. This is a life-changing election that will determine America’s future for a very long time. Character is on the ballot. Compassion is on the ballot. Decency, science, democracy. They are all on the ballot. Who we are as a nation. What we stand for. And, most importantly, who we want to be. That’s all on the ballot. And the choice could not be clearer. No rhetoric is needed. Just judge this president on the facts. 5 million Americans infected with COVID-19. More than 170,000 Americans have died. By far the worst performance of any nation on Earth. More than 50 million people have filed for unemployment this year. More than 10 million people are going to lose their health insurance this year. Nearly one in 6 small businesses have closed this year. If this president is re-elected we know what will happen. Cases and deaths will remain far too high. More mom and pop businesses will close their doors for good. Working families will struggle to get by, and yet, the wealthiest one percent will get tens of billions of dollars in new tax breaks. And the assault on the Affordable Care Act will continue until its destroyed, taking insurance away from more than 20 million people — including more than 15 million people on Medicaid — and getting rid of the protections that President Obama and I passed for people who suffer from a pre-existing condition. And speaking of President Obama, a man I was honored to serve alongside for 8 years as Vice President. Let me take this moment to say something we don’t say nearly enough. Thank you, Mr. President. You were a great president. A president our children could — and did — look up to. No one will say that about the current occupant of the office. What we know about this president is if he’s given four more years he will be what he’s been the last four years. A president who takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cozies up to dictators, and fans the flames of hate and division. He will wake up every day believing the job is all about him. Never about you. Is that the America you want for you, your family, your children? I see a different America. One that is generous and strong. Selfless and humble. It’s an America we can rebuild together. As president, the first step I will take will be to get control of the virus that’s ruined so many lives. Because I understand something this president doesn’t. We will never get our economy back on track, we will never get our kids safely back to school, we will never have our lives back, until we deal with this virus. The tragedy of where we are today is it didn’t have to be this bad. Just look around. It’s not this bad in Canada. Or Europe. Or Japan. Or almost anywhere else in the world. The President keeps telling us the virus is going to disappear. He keeps waiting for a miracle. Well, I have news for him, no miracle is coming. We lead the world in confirmed cases. We lead the world in deaths. Our economy is in tatters, with Black, Latino, Asian American, and Native American communities bearing the brunt of it. And after all this time, the president still does not have a plan. Well, I do. If I’m president on day one we’ll implement the national strategy I’ve been laying out since March. We’ll develop and deploy rapid tests with results available immediately. We’ll make the medical supplies and protective equipment our country needs. And we’ll make them here in America. So we will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people. We’ll make sure our schools have the resources they need to be open, safe, and effective. We’ll put the politics aside and take the muzzle off our experts so the public gets the information they need and deserve. The honest, unvarnished truth. They can deal with that. We’ll have a national mandate to wear a mask-not as a burden, but to protect each other. It’s a patriotic duty. In short, I will do what we should have done from the very beginning. Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to this nation. He failed to protect us. He failed to protect America. And, my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable. As president, I will make you this promise: I will protect America. I will defend us from every attack. Seen. And unseen. Always. Without exception. Every time. Look, I understand it’s hard to have hope right now. On this summer night, let me take a moment to speak to those of you who have lost the most. I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I know that deep black hole that opens up in your chest. That you feel your whole being is sucked into it. I know how mean and cruel and unfair life can be sometimes. But I’ve learned two things. First, your loved ones may have left this Earth but they never leave your heart. They will always be with you. And second, I found the best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose. As God’s children each of us have a purpose in our lives. And we have a great purpose as a nation: To open the doors of opportunity to all Americans. To save our democracy. To be a light to the world once again. To finally live up to and make real the words written in the sacred documents that founded this nation that all men and women are created equal. Endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You know, my Dad was an honorable, decent man. He got knocked down a few times pretty hard, but always got up. He worked hard and built a great middle-class life for our family. He used to say, “Joey, I don’t expect the government to solve my problems, but I expect it to understand them.” And then he would say: “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about your place in your community. It’s about looking your kids in the eye and say, honey, it’s going to be okay.” I’ve never forgotten those lessons. That’s why my economic plan is all about jobs, dignity, respect, and community. Together, we can, and we will, rebuild our economy. And when we do, we’ll not only build it back, we’ll build it back better. With modern roads, bridges, highways, broadband, ports and airports as a new foundation for economic growth. With pipes that transport clean water to every community. With 5 million new manufacturing and technology jobs so the future is made in America. With a health care system that lowers premiums, deductibles, and drug prices by building on the Affordable Care Act he’s trying to rip away. With an education system that trains our people for the best jobs of the 21st century, where cost doesn’t prevent young people from going to college, and student debt doesn’t crush them when they get out. With child care and elder care that make it possible for parents to go to work and for the elderly to stay in their homes with dignity. With an immigration system that powers our economy and reflects our values. With newly empowered labor unions. With equal pay for women. With rising wages you can raise a family on. Yes, we’re going to do more than praise our essential workers. We’re finally going to pay them. We can, and we will, deal with climate change. It’s not only a crisis, it’s an enormous opportunity. An opportunity for America to lead the world in clean energy and create millions of new good-paying jobs in the process. And we can pay for these investments by ending loopholes and the president’s $1.3 trillion tax giveaway to the wealthiest 1 percent and the biggest, most profitable corporations, some of which pay no tax at all. Because we don’t need a tax code that rewards wealth more than it rewards work. I’m not looking to punish anyone. Far from it. But it’s long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share. For our seniors, Social Security is a sacred obligation, a sacred promise made. The current president is threatening to break that promise. He’s proposing to eliminate the tax that pays for almost half of Social Security without any way of making up for that lost revenue. I will not let it happen. If I’m your president, we’re going to protect Social Security and Medicare. You have my word. One of the most powerful voices we hear in the country today is from our young people. They’re speaking to the inequity and injustice that has grown up in America. Economic injustice. Racial injustice. Environmental injustice. I hear their voices and if you listen, you can hear them too. And whether it’s the existential threat posed by climate change, the daily fear of being gunned down in school, or the inability to get started in their first job — it will be the work of the next president to restore the promise of America to everyone. I won’t have to do it alone. Because I will have a great Vice President at my side. Senator Kamala Harris. She is a powerful voice for this nation. Her story is the American story. She knows about all the obstacles thrown in the way of so many in our country. Women, Black women, Black Americans, South Asian Americans, immigrants, the left-out and left-behind. But she’s overcome every obstacle she’s ever faced. No one’s been tougher on the big banks or the gun lobby. No one’s been tougher in calling out this current administration for its extremism, its failure to follow the law, and its failure to simply tell the truth. Kamala and I both draw strength from our families. For Kamala, it’s Doug and their families. For me, it’s Jill and ours. No man deserves one great love in his life. But I’ve known two. After losing my first wife in a car accident, Jill came into my life and put our family back together. She’s an educator. A mom. A military Mom. And an unstoppable force. If she puts her mind to it, just get out of the way. Because she’s going to get it done. She was a great Second Lady and she will make a great First Lady for this nation, she loves this country so much. And I will have the strength that can only come from family. Hunter, Ashley and all our grandchildren, my brothers, my sister. They give me courage and lift me up. And while he is no longer with us, Beau inspires me every day. Beau served our nation in uniform. A decorated Iraq war veteran. So I take very personally the profound responsibility of serving as Commander in Chief. I will be a president who will stand with our allies and friends. I will make it clear to our adversaries the days of cozying up to dictators are over. Under President Biden, America will not turn a blind eye to Russian bounties on the heads of American soldiers. Nor will I put up with foreign interference in our most sacred democratic exercise — voting. I will stand always for our values of human rights and dignity. And I will work in common purpose for a more secure, peaceful, and prosperous world. History has thrust one more urgent task on us. Will we be the generation that finally wipes the stain of racism from our national character? I believe we’re up to it. I believe we’re ready. Just a week ago yesterday was the third anniversary of the events in Charlottesville. Remember seeing those neo-Nazis and Klansmen and white supremacists coming out of the fields with lighted torches? Veins bulging? Spewing the same anti-Semitic bile heard across Europe in the ’30s? Remember the violent clash that ensued between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it? Remember what the president said? There were quote, “very fine people on both sides.” It was a wake-up call for us as a country. And for me, a call to action. At that moment, I knew I’d have to run. My father taught us that silence was complicity. And I could not remain silent or complicit. At the time, I said we were in a battle for the soul of this nation. And we are. One of the most important conversations I’ve had this entire campaign is with someone who is too young to vote. I met with six-year old Gianna Floyd, a day before her Daddy George Floyd was laid to rest. She is incredibly brave. I’ll never forget. When I leaned down to speak with her, she looked into my eyes and said “Daddy, changed the world.” Her words burrowed deep into my heart. Maybe George Floyd’s murder was the breaking point. Maybe John Lewis’ passing the inspiration. However it has come to be, America is ready to in John’s words, to lay down “the heavy burdens of hate at last” and to do the hard work of rooting out our systemic racism. America’s history tells us that it has been in our darkest moments that we’ve made our greatest progress. That we’ve found the light. And in this dark moment, I believe we are poised to make great progress again. That we can find the light once more. I have always believed you can define America in one word: Possibilities. That in America, everyone, and I mean everyone, should be given the opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them. We can never lose that. In times as challenging as these, I believe there is only one way forward. As a united America. United in our pursuit of a more perfect Union. United in our dreams of a better future for us and for our children. United in our determination to make the coming years bright. Are we ready? I believe we are. This is a great nation. And we are a good and decent people. This is the United States of America. And there has never been anything we’ve been unable to accomplish when we’ve done it together. The Irish poet Seamus Heaney once wrote: “History says, Don’t hope on this side of the grave, But then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave Of justice can rise up, And hope and history rhyme” This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme. With passion and purpose, let us begin — you and I together, one nation, under God — united in our love for America and united in our love for each other. For love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. Light is more powerful than dark. This is our moment. This is our mission. May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here tonight as love and hope and light joined in the battle for the soul of the nation. And this is a battle that we, together, will win. I promise you. Thank you. And may God bless you. And may God protect our troops.

Joe Biden’s Theater Moment: Quoting Sophocles/Seamus Haney in His 2020 Democratic Convention Speech Near the end of Joe Biden's acceptance speech on the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention (transcript below), he quoted from a poem by Seamus Heaney, the great Irish writer and translor, a Nobel Laureate.

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gyrlversion · 6 years ago

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James Cracknells wife Beverley Turner reveals why their marriage sank

Beverley Turner with two of the former couple’s children Croyde and Kiki

Fifteen years ago, Beverley Turner looked on with pride as her husband stepped on to the podium in Athens to accept his second Olympic gold medal.

In a moment of fatherly exuberance, a jubilant James Cracknell swept his baby son Croyde into his arms as he celebrated his win in the coxless fours (he’d won his first four years previously in Sydney).

‘As long as I wake up beside him tomorrow morning, I’ll be happy,’ said Beverley, in the post-win, celebratory glow.

Contrast that with this weekend, when 46-year-old Cracknell became the oldest winner in the Boat Race’s 190-year history, rowing for Cambridge University, where he is studying for an MPhil in human evolution.

It should have been a moment of triumph: but this time, on Sunday, the Cracknell children, Croyde, now 15, and daughters Kiki, ten, and Trixie, eight, watched the race with their mother at a friend’s home.

‘The kids needed to see that this enormous family sacrifice wasn’t entirely in vain’, Beverley, 45, wrote yesterday in an extraordinarily honest, unvarnished account of the breakdown of the couple’s 17-year marriage — which has rather taken the lustre off his win.

‘James has spoken publicly about this latest feat, demonstrating to his children that you can do anything you set your mind to.

‘He won’t mind me admitting I consider that b******s. I wouldn’t want my children to view such an exit from familial responsibilities as something to aspire to.’

James Cracknell grins with delight after finishing the Boat Race on Sunday. He was part of the Cambridge University Boat Club Crew, which one the annual event

In the piece, published in The Times, she details not just the impact of life after a brain injury (James was put into an induced coma after being hit by a truck in July 2010), but also how the strain of being an Olympic calibre sportsman — and of being married to one — took its toll. It all must make deeply uncomfortable reading for Cracknell.

In the article, Beverley wrote of fearing the ‘dreadful example’ they were setting their children of married life, of her deep-rooted fear of being ‘ground down’, and of the ‘absolute dereliction of parenting and marital duty’ that training for the Boat Race had entailed — along with details of ‘snapping, sighing, arguing and slamming doors’.

While she said their relationship was — and still is — one built on ‘mutual respect and admiration’, she also chronicled behaviour that anyone can see would put strain on a marriage.

‘When James spent 50 days rowing across the Atlantic with Ben Fogle in 2005, he failed to discuss his plans with me in any detail despite us having a two-year-old son,’ wrote Beverley. ‘The difference in 2018 was whether I could reasonably live with these exhausting, self-centred pursuits for the rest of my life. I prefer the journey to the destination . . . James is all about the target.’

She insisted she does not put the end of their marriage solely down to his personality changes. She admitted that it had not been perfect before his brain injury because of the frustrations which can arise from being married to an ‘extremely driven man’.

‘As any woman will admit, there comes a time when you are sick of waking up alone on holiday because these alpha males are already at the laptop or on the rowing machine,’ she said.

‘Twice we went to Barbados and James spent three hours a day on the running machine inside the hotel. Most women want a partner to drink Buck’s Fizz with on the beach. We don’t want a man who’s fitting in gym sessions around kids’ club hours.’

James Cracknell was seen heading to a gym in London on Monday, a day after his Boat Race triumph. His estranged wife Beverley Turner was also in the mood for keeping fit – she headed out for a jog

The broadcaster, herself once a competitive swimmer, also revealed that she had been ‘sure he would fail’ to compete in the Boat Race, as it was ‘ludicrous to think he could regain the strength and stamina required to sit alongside 20-year-old rowers’.

In the piece, Beverley also wrote candidly about the impact of her husband’s accident.

In 2010, just after becoming the highest placed Briton ever in the gruelling Marathon des Sables, Cracknell nearly died. He was cycling across America, on another endurance challenge, when he was hit by the wing mirror of a petrol tanker travelling at speed.

It caused his brain to slam forward, crushing the frontal lobes — the part of the brain that controls personality. He was put into an induced coma, regaining consciousness in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, a few days later.

Beverley, who has her own antenatal class business, has spoken openly about the accident, of being in a Las Vegas hotel when she received the phone call that turned life upside down.

Doctors warned her that she might see changes in her husband, including an inability to read emotions, irascibility, laughing or crying out of context, and arguing.

Those warnings, it turned out, were frighteningly accurate. (She explained: ‘The aftercare the NHS provides for the brain injured is hopeless.’)

Yesterday she wrote: ‘After a brain injury, a couple’s dynamic typically becomes one of parent and child: complete with nagging, resentment and sulking.’

She added: ‘When I told a friend that James was off to Cambridge, he said: ‘You never know, you might miss him.’ I replied: ‘But I’ve missed him for eight years.’

She continued: ‘The problem with a brain injury is that the supporting partner is never entirely sure what can be attributed to the condition and what is just your partner being a d***.’

Happier times: James and Beverley married in 2002 but his ceaseless desire for success eventually drove a wedge through their relationship

She also revealed that James’s appearance last year on reality TV show Celebrity Island had been a welcome break, and that ‘the calmness that descended on the house during those six weeks was illuminating for me. Yes, single parenting is incredibly hard, but the house was oddly more oxygenated for all of us.’

This latest piece is not the first time Beverley has detailed the problems in their marriage. The couple also wrote a book about their experience called Touching Distance, in which they discussed the impact of the accident on their marriage.

In interviews they have referred to a statistic: 75 per cent — the percentage of marriages in which a person sustains a brain injury that end within three years.

‘Look, we’re lucky,’ she told The Sunday Times. ‘He should have been dead. Yes, there are days when I think, ‘How can I live with this for ever?’ But I probably will. That’s probably good enough.’

The inclusion of the word ‘probably’ was, in the end, an echo of what was to come. Beverley, a high-achiever who put her own career on hold at the beginning of her marriage to support her husband’s sporting endeavours, heralded her account of the disintegration of her marriage on Twitter. ‘Behind every great man an’ all that…’ she tweeted on Sunday.

Anyone who has read of the couple’s journey since that fateful day in July 2010 will know that Beverley has been crucial in her husband’s recovery.

The couple first met in the Jordanian desert, where they were chained together for two hours in a Bedouin tent for a television programme. Cracknell was riding high after his first Olympic gold in 2000 and Beverley was an up-and-coming sports television presenter. They got engaged soon after. He proposed in Croyde Bay in Devon — hence their son’s unusual name — and married in 2002 at Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

She once laughed about how he would select a target on a map and put his foot down until they arrived. ‘James needs a goal, and pity the person who stands in his way,’ she said, in 2009, less than a year before his accident.

She does not blame her husband’s brain injury for the end of her marriage: ‘That’s too simplistic — it wasn’t perfect before.

‘I have spent many evenings in the company of Olympic medallists and it’s obvious to me that such ambitions rarely arise from a healthy psychological place.

‘Having to endure physical and emotional torture to prove oneself on a global stage starts as a blessing, but its inescapability is often a curse. How can these characters ever truly be happy when nothing but external validation drives them on?’

Long accustomed to the strains of being married to an elite athlete and perpetual adventurer, the pressures that have long over-shadowed the Cracknell marriage must have become unbearable for them to have parted.

As Beverley wrote yesterday: ‘My father talked to me recently about ‘pebbles on the beach that rub together over the years until the corners are knocked off and they sit smoothly together’.

‘But Dad,’ I said, ‘that literally means being ground down. And I can’t do that.’

As far back as 2005, a year after that jubilant moment of familial pride in Athens, Beverley was openly speaking of the ‘massive rows’ that preceded the first of her husband’s post-Olympics challenges — his Atlantic rowing expedition.

‘Look, I married a rower, but I didn’t marry Sir Ranulph Fiennes,’ she said in an interview with the Mail. ‘It is only in the last couple of weeks that I have reconciled myself to the fact that he is going — and that he has his reason for doing it.

‘It is the right thing for him to do at this stage in his life; but it is hard, especially after I’ve been so good about his career. We’ve made endless sacrifices, never having a weekend in five years, never having a holiday, having so little time together. And now this.’

They weathered that storm (Cracknell and Fogle took 49 days, 19 hours and 8 minutes to complete the challenge), and Beverley was a tower of support as her husband went on to complete the London Marathon, a race to the South Pole (with Fogle again), the Marathon des Sables, and more. And then came the accident.

James and Beverley attended the annual Pride of Britain Awards together last month

Beverley was warned her husband might not recognise her (he did), but when they flew home four weeks later, it didn’t feel like a celebration.

While Cracknell’s physical recovery went well, the mental challenges, including bouts of epilepsy and behavioural changes, were harder to overcome. He became irrationally strict with his children, there was a terrible outburst when Beverley was five months pregnant and he had his hands around her neck.

‘Even as I looked into his eyes, I felt sorry for him — he was the one in the grip of a dreadful condition,’ she said in 2014.

But instead of taking it easy, Cracknell was spurred into yet more feats of endurance. Within six months of the accident, the couple were discussing his next challenge: another bicycle race. If anything, it would seem, the athlete’s determination post-brain injury has become steelier.

He started to apply for university courses after appearing on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls last year, but at the same time his wife noticed his ‘behaviour had deteriorated’.

She took him to a neuropsychologist, who told them Cracknell had ‘tunnel vision’ and that ‘frontal-lobe injury makes you more of yourself’.

Having won a place at Cambridge (a year after attempting to become an MEP candidate), the strains on the couple became too great.

And what of the rower in all of this? Before the split was announced, Cracknell spoke of his determination not to be seen through the prism of the accident.

‘I had some bad characteristics before the accident as well, so it’s not fair to label being stubborn and selfish on the truck driver.’

Last week he told BBC Radio 5 Live they had tried everything to hold it together. ‘We’re also, as any couple is, different people from who we were 17 years ago and we can look back and saw we did everything.’

As for his brain injury, he said: ‘It’s not like the accident was last year, it was nine years ago, but I guess there’s an element of if you’re the partner you always judge your other half through the prism of what has happened.

‘As a sportsman, you are slightly single-minded and stubborn, which is great if you’re the sportsman but not great to live with. So if you become more of that, that’s an issue.’

His wife, meanwhile , insists there is ‘no animosity’. Even though they were separated, the family spent Christmas together.

One suspects the rower will now be looking for his next challenge, but he is clear on one thing: ‘But for Bev, I wouldn’t be here now and able to be who I am now.’

Had he only realised that earlier in the couple’s troubled union, the marriage might still be afloat.

The post James Cracknells wife Beverley Turner reveals why their marriage sank appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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williamlwolf89 · 5 years ago

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ClickBank: The Brutally Honest, Must-Read Guide for 2020

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With a seemingly infinite number of digital products from entrepreneurs all over the world to choose from, your perfect product awaits.

That’s why millions of entrepreneurs are on the platform. Some ClickBank affiliates and vendors have been with them for decades.

But, ultimately, it’s your reputation on the line. You owe it to yourself and your audience to double-check every program before you join it.

Here are some tips to help:

5 Smart Ways Not To Get Burned on ClickBank

To weed out the garbage and uncover the gemstones, follow these tips when choosing a product:

1. Try the product first

2. Check the product reviews

3. Check the product’s gravity score

4. Watch out for overblown claims

While it’s possible to make money on ClickBank, it’s not magic. If a program promises you a million dollars overnight while you binge-watch Friends on Netflix, stay away.

They’re fake. They’re tricksters. And they’re out to get you.

Run, and never look back.

5. Be on the lookout for shadowy vendors

Cheats lurk in the shadows. They don’t want to show their faces.

Google vendors that interest you.

Can’t find them? Think twice.

Good vendors have a traceable online history.

Editor’s Note:

These tips aren’t only for ClickBank — smart bloggers and entrepreneurs use them for CJ Affiliate, ShareASale, eBay Partner Network, Amazon Associates, and every other affiliate network.

It doesn’t matter how much affiliate marketing experience you have or how well known the affiliate network is, you need to do your homework.

How Do I Sign Up for ClickBank?

Let’s go through the step-by-step process.

To sign up for an account, go to clickbank.com and click on ‘create account’ on the top right side of the menu.

Step 1: Fill in your personal info

Make sure you complete all fields otherwise you won’t be able to move to the next step.

Click on ‘next step.’

Step 2: Provide your bank details

Remember to check the small box to acknowledge that you’ve read the terms and conditions.

If you want to be paid through your company enter your business name in the Payee field instead of your personal name.

Your bank info is not used to send payments. That’s why they don’t ask for your account number, just the name of your primary bank.

You pick a payment method after your account is created.

Click on ‘next step’ to move on to the last step.

Step 3: Create your account

You’ll then be asked to create a nickname.

Your nickname is your user ID. It’s visible to all customers, so don’t make it too personal.

Affiliate marketing strategy expert Warren Wheeler shares a little-known but powerful secret you can use when creating your ClickBank user ID.

The last step is creating your password. Once you’ve chosen a strong password, click ‘create account’ to finalize your account.

You’ll see a customer survey page. Once you see it, know that your account is now active.

Congratulations!

You’re now ready to do business on one of the biggest affiliate marketplaces in the world.

How Does ClickBank Work? Crucial Code Terms To Master

Before you begin choosing ClickBank affiliate programs, be sure to familiarize yourself with the language used on the platform.

Here are some key ClickBank terms to master:

Initial $/Sale – This number portrays the average dollar value of an initial sale, excluding rebills, credited to the affiliate.

Avg %/Sale – Represents the average affiliate commission percentage for a sale, including both initial and rebill commissions.

Avg %/Rebill – Represents the average total affiliate commission percentage for a sale, including only rebill commission, for a recurring billing product.

Your true north? The one metric that should guide you?

Gravity.

Why?

Because it shows you what’s selling now.

All other metrics are secondary.

Most affiliate marketers rush headlong, look for the product with the biggest commission and highest gravity.

That’s the wrong way to go about it.

Here’s how to do it right…

How To Make Money With ClickBank: Unearthing Gem Programs And Sidestepping Rubble

Let’s say you want to sell a health and fitness product.

First, click on the affiliate marketplace on the menu and then choose your category on the left:

You’ll then see a list of products displayed. You can choose how the results are sorted: popularity, Ave $/Sale, Initial $/Sale, Ave %/Sale, Gravity, and so on.

Here’s a product with potential:

Not so fast, my friend.

Dig deeper.

Go to the program’s affiliate page to find out more about the product.

Always be on the lookout for vendors with affiliate promotion tools pages. These are serious vendors who have done the heavy lifting for you to make your work easier.

Typical tools you’ll find include:

Banners

Product images

Videos

Pre-sell content

Swipes for email marketing campaigns

Keywords

Press releases

Landing pages / sales pages

Opt-in rates

Customer demographics

Here’s an example:

Another cool tip is to search for discounts on the affiliate program page so you get a bigger cut.

When you’re done, click promote, fill in your account details, and grab the affiliate links you’ll use to promote the product:

That’s how you join a solid program.

Now, want to explode your profits?

How To Make Money On ClickBank: 4 Top Tips to Rake In Big Bucks

I won’t lie to you.

Making money on ClickBank, like anything worthwhile, won’t be smooth sailing, especially at the beginning.

It’ll take creativity, trial and error, a jumbo size coffee urn for that much-needed caffeine fix — and loads of patience.

Here are 4 tips to help get you started:

1. Don’t be obsessed with high gravity and $/Sale

It’s not necessarily the product with the highest gravity or Ave$/Sale you should focus on.

Programs with a very high Av$/Sale have stiffer competition.

And, they usually have lower conversions.

Those in the middle have higher conversions.

Find the right balance.

2. Wrap up your offer in relevant content

Successful affiliate offers hinge on context. You can put the offer on your newsletter, a high-performing blog post, or on a ‘products we recommend’ page.

Here’s a little case study of this tactic right here on Smart Blogger. Click on ‘Tools We Recommend’ on the menu and you’ll see this:

What I love about this is that they don’t just provide a bare shopping list of resources like many sites do. They package their recommendations in the form of a post. This way the endorsements look natural, not forced.

The result? More sales.

You can craft a special piece of content for specific offers.

Think of it like a jigsaw puzzle. Your free content provides a piece that can only be completed by the offer.

3. Get the product/audience fit right

With thousands of flashy products on show, the temptation to promote any top-selling program to your audience is strong.

Resist it.

Two reasons:

If your offers aren’t a good fit for your audience, you won’t make money, period. Eventually, you’ll get discouraged and curse the ClickBank gurus for ‘misleading’ you.

Offers that don’t resonate with your audience will wear them down. They’ll develop ‘offer blindness’. They won’t respond to future offers. Ultimately, they’ll stop trusting you.

Only join programs that add value to your audience.

It’s best for everyone.

Your audience will adore you for proposing great products to them.

You’ll make more money.

4. Create an evergreen YouTube funnel

But there’s another area most e-commerce gurus ignore: video. Specifically, YouTube.

Smart marketers take advantage of the powers of YouTube, the second largest search engine, to set up a high-converting ClickBank funnel.

Here’s how:

Find the right product to promote

Search for popular content related to the product on YouTube

Dissect the content to see why it’s popular

Produce similar content in your own YouTube channel

Link to the product in your video. Watch the money come in like clockwork.

Need a real-life example? Check out this review of a popular ClickBank product, The Flat Belly Fix.

ClickBank Review Verdict: Boo or Bravo?

Let me ask again.

Can you make money on ClickBank?

Absolutely.

Just be sure to do your homework.

If you thoroughly vet the programs, you’ll cash in.

Many folks like you make $50-$100 a day on ClickBank. That’s a yummy $1500+ passive monthly income made while you catch some Z’s.

You can do it too. Hop over to ClickBank and get started now.

About the Author: According to his cheeky wife, Qhubekani Nyathi aka The Click Guy is an irresistibly handsome guy. He’s an offbeat long-form content writer who helps SMBs grow their income through zingy content that ranks, drives leads, and builds authority. He contributes to prestigious blogs like Search Engine Watch, Crazy Egg, Business 2 Community, Get Response, Clickz, and The Drum.

The post ClickBank: The Brutally Honest, Must-Read Guide for 2020 appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from SEO and SM Tips https://smartblogger.com/clickbank/

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