I received this question from a member recently. I thought it would be helpful if I re-printed it here along with my answer since some of you may have had the same question.

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“Hi Dave,

I am regular reader of your newsletter and a member of you Private Site. It’s really educative and eye opener.

I am also trying to learn how to swim in the ocean of Internet Marketing.

I agree that being different is the requisite and creativity is the absolute requirement.

But Dave, can everyone be different and creative? Well! The answer may be “NO”.

So how to be creative and different? I am taking the liberty of asking you this question because I have experienced that you are the type of person who does what he says. There are very few people of this kind in this world I suppose.

That’s great really,

Kind regards, - J”

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My response:

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Hi J,

The way to be creative and different is by being ‘yourself’…really be yourself… talk like you would talk to a friend in your emails and let ‘you’ come through in everything you do.

Most people are afraid to be ‘themselves’ because they might be rejected… you have to get over that.. not everyone will like you. Not everyone will be your friend either. That’s life!

But…there will be enough people who will like you and those are the ones that will stay with you over the years and be good customers.

I get emails once in a while saying I ’suck’ or worse… but I also get emails from people who like what I say and what I teach.

Now, let me ask you: Should I be disappointed that some people don’t like me? No. That’s literally their problem, not mine.

And, should I be feeding my ego every time someone says they like what I do and congratulate me on a great newsletter or info-product or whatever - again the answer is ‘no’.

The bottom line is: You have to do what you feel is the most benefit, the most help to your customers and subscribers and listen to honest feedback, but ignore everything else.

That’s the blunt truth. You have to be strong. You can’t let a little praise go to your head and you can’t let a little blame or dislike of what you’re doing discourage you in anyway.

You have to be yourself and whenever negative or positive forces try altering your path, you must ignore them and keep building value and usefulness into everything you’re doing.

Learn how to create VALUE… I’m talking about tangible, functionable products and services that are REALLY USEFUL to your prospects and customers. You create “value” by being yourself and building a little piece of “YOU” into everything you do.

How to “create value” is a lesson in itself ;-)…which I’ll save for another day.

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