Interview with Internet Marketing Guru: Jomar Hilario (Part 2)

Alex:  So after Jars of Clay, what happened?

Jomar: So after that Bo liked what I accomplished so he asked me to promote for him again. This time it was Reuben Morgan.  Eventually I became Bo’s internet marketing consultant. I was responsible for planning and deciding what content would go in Bo’s online promotional materials. I did everything – except for actually doing it. Bo had other people for that. I created Bo’s online store, video podcast and kerygmafamily.com.

Alex: How long have you been internet marketing?

Jomar: Since January 2005. 

Alex: What was the first thing you did on the net?

Jomar: The first thing I downloaded was a Sailormoon calendar. 

Alex: A sailormoon calendar? Why?

Jomar: (laughs) I don't know. It was the first thing that entered my mind.

Alex: Was it your intention to do online marketing?

Jomar: At the back of my mind, I wanted to earn online. I tried to earn for several years through blogging through Adsense. I earned several cents.

Alex: When did you start giving live seminars?

Jomar: I’ve always enjoyed teaching and speaking in front of people. When I was still with the bank I used to make powerpoint presentations. I would conduct office seminars and create a powerpoint teaching people how to use powerpoint, excel and word. I was asst manager of IT then so I had to deal with programmers and analysts. As for the live seminars, it was actually Bo’s idea. I wanted to give seminars. And at the time I was promoting a lot of seminars like the Think Rich Pinoy seminar of Larry Gamboa. So Bo suggested that I conduct my own seminar. He gave me 2 months to prepare. He managed the event and the promotion. I just showed up and did it.

Alex: How did you feel about your first seminar?

Jomar: I was very excited. I had more than 50 participants. Each had his own computer. It lasted for 2 days.

Alex: How did it go?

Jomar: I had a hard time. I did a dry run where I practiced with other people. Unfortunately most of the participants weren’t able to understand me towards the end. The topics were blogging, autoresponders, Adsense and online promotion. I tried to make it as simple as I could but there where people who didn’t even know how to use a mouse. They’d slow everyone down. It became a lesson. On my next event I said, if you can’t prove you know how to use a computer, don’t attend.

Alex: I heard you speak during Trace Trajano’s, Think Rich Quick 2 Seminar last Oct 2009. And my first impression was that you have stage presence. You can really get the audience’s attention. Plus you’re funny. Have you always been able to talk like this? How did you come to be such a good communicator?

Jomar: I got used to talking in front of a lot of people early on. I’m naturally talkative. I don’t mean to be funny either. It just comes out.

Alex: Do you think good communication skills are important in putting up and running a business?

Jomar: Absolutely. If you know how to speak well people perceive you as trustworthy. They think you’re saying the right things, they think you’re honest. There are techniques to learn in dealing with people. One of the first books I’ve read on that was How To Meet Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. For those who want to pursue a career in public speaking you should master the principles in this book.

Alex: Have you used the principles in the book?

Jomar: Of course. The principles are pretty basic but very effective. Smile, remember people’s names, make them talk about themselves…It was when I got to college when I started becoming very talkative. I was an active member of the church choir. I got my training in terms of dealing with people at church.

Alex: Well you certainly have come a long way. What do you think is the best way to improve one’s speaking skills?

Jomar: Practice. Give free seminars. If you are given the chance to speak in front, go and speak. Or make your own event. I did a seminar on how to invest in the stock market for free. I prepared everything. If you want to improve in public speaking, make your own powerpoint presentation regarding something you’re good at, dress up and present.

Alex: What is the best thing about running your own business?

Jomar: Your imagination is the only limit to your earning. You can create things. If you use your imagination enough you’ll be able to create new products and services….You can have fun. In the office there’s a format you have to follow or else your boss might get mad at you. But when you have your own business nobody can tell you what to do.

Alex: How many employees do you have?

Jomar: No employees, only 4 VA’s.

Alex: Why are you teaching people how to do online marketing?

Jomar: When I was still working at the bank my time for my family was very limited. And I couldn’t do the stuff I wanted to do because of work. I don’t want that to happen to other people as well. I want them to experience the same financial freedom I am enjoying right now.

Alex: If you could name the top 3 things you think are essential to succeed in business what would they be and why?

Jomar: First, learn how to sell. Selling is a personal skill that can only be learned by doing. Second, learn how to market. Third, know why you are doing what you are doing. Know why you’re in business in the first place. You need to be sure why you are in business so that you’ll succeed. If you’re not sure you won’t last 5 years in any business. 

Alex: What are you passionate about?

Jomar: Surfing the net for technology news.

Alex: What is one thing you’d do for free?

Jomar: Delivering presentations.

Alex: Did you have any fears when you started your online marketing ventures?

Jomar: I had a lot of fears, mostly about “financial security”. I was scared to resign because I was used to employment. I wasn’t prepared to get out of it.

Alex:  So when did you resign?

Jomar: I didn’t. I prayed and God fired me. I got retrenched. Ang galing ni God. It was a blessing in disguise.

Alex: When you got retrenched what was the first thing you did?

Jomar: I went to the mall. I went shopping. I didn’t even look back. Most of my co-workers were afraid and angry. But I didn’t have the same problems. I was ready. At the time I was earning online already through seminars, blogging and affiliate selling.

Alex: What is the most surprising experience you have had in your online marketing business?

Jomar: It was when I joined an affiliate contest. I didn’t really expect to win because there were a lot of really good internet marketers who joined. But I was able to join the top 10. I was the only Filipino there. I won an Ipad for that.

Alex: Do u know any other Pinoy internet marketers?

Jomar: Yes but not much. There are only a few of us because it takes a lot of time and motivation to learn. You have to show yourself to people so they’ll believe you. You have to dress the part and speak the part. I don’t know if you can find an internet marketer who doesn’t know how to speak. Speaking is part of the whole thing. Whatever you do, you will need to speak sometime.

Alex: Who or what inspires you and why? 

Jomar: Bo Sanchez. He’s very dynamic and creative. He can do a lot of things. He runs a lot of businesses plus ang payat pa niya. He takes care of his health. If you can attend the feast, he really knows how to put on a good show. But one of his greatest strengths is that he listens. And that’s why he’s very powerful. And of course,Tony Robins. I want to be as good a speaker as him someday.

Alex: Any last words to your students in online?

Jomar: For whoever is listening bumili ka nang mahal na notebook na walang laman. Then write down why you want to be successful. Fill up the entire notebook. Then move towards your dreams.

Alex: Thank you for your time Coach Jomar. I know that you have inspired a lot of Filipinos to follow in your footsteps and earn online. I guess the internet is good for more than just online gaming and Facebook after all.

PS

Do you want to work from home and earn more at the same time? Jomar Hilario can help you out. You can sign up for his online coaching program HERE

Interview with Internet Marketing Guru: Jomar Hilario (Part 1)

Earning online used to be something that seemed hard-almost impossible to do. But times have changed. More and more people are now starting to discover that earning online is not rocket science. It is doable and achievable. Last October 2010 I met, Jomar Hilario, one of my online marketing mentors at Trace Trajano’s Think Rich Quick 2 Seminar. Jomar Hilario is an internet marketing guru, endorsed by Larry Gamboa and Bo Sanchez. For many years he has taught online marketing concepts to thousands of Filipinos. He can teach you how to earn dollars through internet marketing, blogging, being a Virtual Assistant and more. He is touted as the Tim Ferris and Tony Robbins of the Philippines. His success in this field has inspired many people (me included) to learn how to earn through the internet. It has also prompted me to ask, “How did he do it?” “Where did it all begin?” “Did public speaking skills play a role in his success?” With this in mind I decided seek an interview with the internet marketing guru of the Philippines, Jomar Hilario.

Hi Coach Jomar, good evening. First of all I’d like to thank you for granting me the honor of interviewing you. I know you’re such a busy person. So as you know I have a public speaking blog. The aim of my blog is to inspire people to become the speakers and leaders that they are meant to be. We all know how crucial good communication skills are to success in life and in business. Not many people really take the time and effort to improve their speaking skills. The reason why I’d like to interview you is because you have achieved so much in the online marketing industry. You have online marketing seminars and you have live VA and marketing seminars. These seminars have helped a lot of people learn how to do internet marketing and how to basically make a living online.


Alex: How did your journey as an internet marketer begin?


Jomar: I started off as a bank employee. I worked in the bank for 15 years. I discovered the internet by myself. I started to play around with it. That was way back 2001. I began blogging and talking to people online. That was also the time when Kiyosaki’s book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad became popular so I started in real estate. I joined an investment club and met Bo Sanchez through that. I found out that Bo was bringing Jars of Clay to the Philippines. They were scheduled to perform at the Araneta. So I volunteered to promote their concert. Since I had a day job then, the only way I could really promote it was online. That was my first try in online marketing. I had 1 month to promote the concert. I did it on Friendster, Multiply and Blogger. The thing I didn’t know was that I was the main promoter. Bo was promoting it mostly inside Kerygma. Araneta’s capacity was 20,000 people. We managed to sell about 5,000 tickets.


Alex: 5,000 tickets in one month? Not bad.


Jomar: Yes. It wasn’t bad at all.


Alex: How did you do offline promotion?


Jomar: After prayer meetings, I would talk about the concert. Before revealing who was going to perform I would ask people if they knew this song, then I would sing. As for the online promotion, since I didn’t have an internet connection at home, I would go out and work in cafes.


Alex: Did you have any fears when you were promoting Jars of Clay? Like maybe the fear the people wouldn’t listen to you or that you’d get rejected.


Jomar: I wasn’t really concentrating on my fears. With the concert only a few weeks away I felt that I didn’t have the time for that. So I was just concentrating on selling tickets – on getting the message across. Also, this was the first time that a foreign artist was going to hold a Christian concert in the Philippines. So I was very excited. During Sundays we would go to the Alabang New Life Church and we would meet people on their way out of church and offer to sell them tickets.


Alex: How did that go?


Jomar: Merong natuwa, merong hindi. But at that time I was really focused. I didn’t care whether I’d get rejected or not anymore as long as I sold tickets. If you have a goal, the goal becomes more important than shame or anything else. So it really helps if you have a big goal to believe in. And I believed that Jars of Clay could inspire people. I started promoting the concert online as well. It was my first time to promote anything online but somehow I knew what to do. We promoted the concert like crazy and as a result, we sold 5000 tickets in a month. And I was glad to do it for free. My reward was getting to meet Jars of Clay in person.

Alex: So how were they?


Jomar: They were very American. They were also very serious people. They kept on talking about the metaphysics of the church and stuff like that. But they were also a lot of fun to be with.


Alex: So after Jars of Clay, what happened?


...Find out what happened in Part 2 of the Jomar Hilario Interview. 


PS

Do you want to work from home and earn more at the same time? Jomar Hilario can help you out. You can sign up for his online coaching program HERE