As a pay per call marketer, the beginning stages can feel like a grind, but eventually you will reach an “Ah Ha” moment where you finally begin to really get it. A big weight of anxiety begins to lift as you see the profits start stacking up monthly as your campaigns become optimized. The truth is that not everyone can reach this level of success and end up giving up too soon before they can experience this moment. In an ever-changing technology landscape, being able to do this everyday, and make a living at that, is quite the accomplishment. When you finally start crushing it with pay per call, remember these 3 tips that most people completely overlook:
Anticipate Day to Day Fluctuations
There are good days and there are bad days. Campaigns might have to be paused, your calls might drop due to a flooded call center, or competitors might creep in to drive up your average cost per call. Whatever the case, experienced pay per call marketers are prepared. You should consider looking for backup buyers and a diverse source of traffic when things are going good so that it isn’t too big of a shock when things, inevitably, start to go badly. You should also track your income and profitability trends on a monthly basis to help even things out in the event that you have a rough day or week. Many people track this on a daily basis. This is normal, but it could cause some unnecessary stress on a bad day. Tracking your workload monthly will paint a better picture as well as give you an idea of what you can plan for the next month and the remainder of the year.
Prepare for The Government’s Cut
No one is immune from the government and its tax requirements. What do you think is going to happen when they send you request for payment and you reply with, “Sorry, I spent it all at the Spearmint Rhino while at the Affiliate Summit.” The Government likes to get paid first and not planning ahead for tax payments is the single, biggest mistake that rookie publishers make. Thus, take a lesson from those who have suffered the consequences and do what is necessary to ensure you won’t go broke in the Spring. One piece of advice is that you might want to consult with an accountant at regular intervals throughout the year so that they may guide you on a proper tax strategy. When I was a solo pay per call marketer, I made sure to treat my operation like an actual business. I opened up a business checking/savings account and signed up for a business credit card with cash rewards or airline miles – Adwords and Facebook expenses can rack up credit card points fast! Also, I never mixed my personal and business accounts. All business expenses came out of my business accounts and I made sure to include an explanation for each transaction as this could be used as a defense against any IRS audits. I hate to hear stories of pay per call marketers who were making $20K+/month profit only to end up broke come tax time because they didn’t plan for a big tax bill.
Structure The Day
People used to always tell me how lucky I was to be able to create my own hours and work from home, but without a proper structure to your day, productivity really takes a back seat and anxiety sets in. One way to hone in that anxiety and keep your production high is to set up a structure to your day, week, and month. A sample of my morning structure that I adapted from Miracle Morning and use to win each day and stay motivated is below:
- 1 – 6:00AM wake up and immediately drink 1 liter of water
- 2 – 6:10AM eat a balanced breakfast with some coffee.
- 3 – 6:30AM Set aside 10 mins for each task:
- Meditate
- Affirm my goals using the formula “In order to achieve “X goal”, I am committed to doing “X”, “X times per week, until “X Date” – Be as specific as possible and your subconscious will do the rest.
- Visualize what I want out of business/life.
- Read or listen to something positive.
- Write out a “Power List”. This is a list of the top 5 critical tasks that I need to get done during the day in order to achieve my goals.
- 7:30AM Exercise for 45min to 1 hour.
- 8:30AM Shower and get to the office by 9:00AM, ready to absolutely destroy my day.
During my actual work day, I focus on the tasks that were outlined on my “Power List” which serves as a guide for my focus and energy. You will start to notice that over time, your focus becomes sharper and your productivity levels go through the roof! Make time to listen to some podcasts during your day as well. A few great ones to get into are the MFCEO Project, Origin of Man, and Perpetual Traffic.
Being able to work from home surely has its perks. You create your own hours, lounge in your pajamas and so much more. However, independent contractors need the skills necessary to plan for fluctuation, tax bills and organization. Without taking these major components into consideration, you will crash and burn quickly. There is a little extra work involved with working on your own, as contrary as it may seem. You have to maintain the mindset that all your days will be different, but with the right preparation, you will have the tools to make it in this business, successfully.
