Over the last few days I have received some very interesting sales emails from various guru courses, schools and universities and I am surprised at some of the tactics they use:
1. the oft over used make millions
2. no work needed, do everything you need in an hour
3. we teach you EVERYTHING
4. we teach you SECRETS
And, the list goes on and on. The purpose of this post is to remind my reader that though some of these courses may be of value you must be careful in your selection process. Any course, program or school promoter should be available for questions. If they are not just imagine your frustration level after watching a video and you have questions. Forums can help but anyone who has been through any legitimate school program knows that sometimes you need to talk through a question or problem. Further, not all forums have an atmosphere or disposition that is conducive to question resolution. Especially if the seasoned members think you are asking a dumb question.
Before you sign up for a course make sure you have a good understanding of what they are going to give you. There are hundreds of people on the Internet selling rehashed, easy to find information as "SECRETS". Before paying big bucks for a program or school consider a membership site. You can get a lot of information fast and you will get a feel for the value of the school you are considering.It would not surprise me if some members could give you feedback and insights into the program you are considering. While on the topic of members and forums, I think you will find that the membership is much more accommodating and, for the lack of a better word, tolerant of new marketer questions and issues.
I hope this helps you work through what programs and courses you will select as you develop your online business.
Thursday
In this blog I try to focus on products, ads or whatever else I find that tries to bamboozle, mislead or deceive people. I don't get into politics because that topic is full of spam, scam and misinformation. However....
I got the following email and thought it was thought provoking. It is certainly skewed I will tell you that upfront but it does make for interesting dialogue. I have added some editorial [my comments] for added spice.
Well I hope that was interesting. Send me an email if you'd like to chime in or post a comment.
I got the following email and thought it was thought provoking. It is certainly skewed I will tell you that upfront but it does make for interesting dialogue. I have added some editorial [my comments] for added spice.
Conservatives and Liberals.
Random Thoughts On The Difference.
If a conservative doesn’t like guns, they don’t buy one.
If a liberal doesn’t like guns, then no one should have one.
[But isn't it crazy that neither can agree on accountability and severely punish violent criminals? Recently in Africa I learned from a game warden that poaching had been stopped completely in one park. Amazing I thought and how wonderful. "How did that happen after decades of failed programs?", I asked. The warden told me that the a law was passed and the word put out that anyone carrying a weapon in the park would be shot! Tourist and those using the park properly had no problem with this. After several criminals were shot, they quit too. Now there is much to discuss here but I shared this to make the point that accountability works.]
If a conservative is a vegetarian, they don’t eat meat.
If a liberal is, they want to ban all meat products for everyone. [We have a vegan in the family so this one was funny....tough buying for 2 separate menus but on the good side we as a family are eating better....but don't pass the humus just quite yet. Bad products can be made illegal but legislating behavior is a slippery slope and I don't think good can come from it long term]
If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy.
A liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.[an element of truth... but blown out of proportion. This brush is too broad to be certain. Will the hawkish conservatives admit to being belligerent sometimes? I would like a modern Teddy Roosevelt]
If a conservative is homosexual, they quietly enjoy their life.
If a liberal is homosexual, they loudly demand legislated respect.[I am against any group trying to push their values, mores or views on the world and in this case it seems like we get a lot of just that. ANY sexuality is A CHOICE... lets keep it that way. But some choices are wrong and should not be allowed particularly those involving children! The good news is we can turn off the TV and enjoy engaging in conversation...and WE can VOTE if an issue comes to that]
If a black man or Hispanic is conservative, they see themselves as independently successful.
Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.[is there an entitlement mind set? yes--we have all experienced it or seen its effects on people. Is their a "you owe me" mind set?--yes, I bet we've all experienced this. Is there government abuse? Most definitely! To change all this we all need to engage in the electoral process and don't let politicians obfuscate the issues. Start small--make progress and grow. We don't have to eat the whole elephant at once]
If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.[Hyperbole!!Both liberals and conservatives talk too much and personally should do more...get involved and help others. It is really great. And, while you're passing out food or stacking cans at the food bank have a meaningful conversation about some of these things-try to learn from someone else]
If a conservative doesn’t like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don’t like be shut down.[yeah I think this is true. The fairness doctrine discussion is silly (and potentially dangerous) since its the government geting involved. I like to listen to Public TV,Fox and MSNBC(yea TIVO)some are consistently good others are just outrageous. It has been my experience that MSNBC likes to chide and mock rather than engage in meaningful dialogue, I have seen FOX people talk over guests and the list could go on--it really does not matter because I can chose what I want to watch. Bottom line, if you don't like liberal or conservative radio/TV CHANGE THE CHANNEL but I think its good to listen to different views. I draw the line when they are malicious or condescending that type of mean spirited reporting is useless..IMHO]
If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church.
A liberal wants any mention of God or religion silenced. [I agree and would add that there those that do not like our national heritage and therefore try to rewrite it or eliminate it. Freedom of religion is part of our heritage and should be left that way, no one is required, harangued or cajoled into following or obeying any religious or belief system- so get over yourself. If there is an expression of faith in a historical context leave it alone--hey maybe you'll learn something from it. On a personal growth note, if this is something you get bent out of shape about you may want to look into the research that convincingly shows that a person with a spiritual side to their life lives longer and is happier than those that don't. Don't blame me that is what the research shows]
If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that his neighbors pay for his.
[a needed change...but a case study for how government can screw it up and how people can mouth off about it without having done their homework. I would strongly recommend everyone read this blog post: http://www2.wholefoodsmarket.com/blogs/jmackey/2009/08/14/health-care-reform-full-article/
Well I hope that was interesting. Send me an email if you'd like to chime in or post a comment.
Tuesday
Cell Phone Cash System
This is a brief note on the Cell Phone Cash System. I am just looking into this but one thing that I noticed that consumers need to know about is that the marketing is not giving prospective buyers the full scoop. Anyone buying this program and planing to use it to sell products needs to give careful consideration to the associated marketing costs. Unlike some other marketing strategies that are free this is more akin to email marketing where a marketer has to purchase lists of cell phone numbers that have opted in to get ads. One writer said,"In just 12hrs of starting with CellPhoneCash I was able to earn $22.10, not a million but it definitely shows the great potential this program has." That's fine but I'd like to know how much he spent so get that.
Another page said, "There are over 4.3 Billion cell phone users worldwide and
if you know the right techniques you can plug into this
untapped market with incredible ease." What is the inference here? Yeah...YOU can tap into 4.3 billion cell phone users. That is not true. Google unsolicited cell phone ads and read up on cell phone spam. As of this writing I could not find stats on how many cell phones have opted-in to receive ads. But, it is certainly NOT all 4.3 billion cellphone users. So why use that number if not to hype and mislead?
Of course, you can always begin to build your own cell phone marketing list. So count the cost: system cost ($25/mo)+ marketing costs+ your typically online operating costs.
The other thing to be aware of is that anyone can sign up to be an affiliate...so be aware that someone selling the program (rather than use it to sell product) may not have used it at all so do your due diligence and take the financial pitch with a grain of salt.
Another page said, "There are over 4.3 Billion cell phone users worldwide and
if you know the right techniques you can plug into this
untapped market with incredible ease." What is the inference here? Yeah...YOU can tap into 4.3 billion cell phone users. That is not true. Google unsolicited cell phone ads and read up on cell phone spam. As of this writing I could not find stats on how many cell phones have opted-in to receive ads. But, it is certainly NOT all 4.3 billion cellphone users. So why use that number if not to hype and mislead?
Of course, you can always begin to build your own cell phone marketing list. So count the cost: system cost ($25/mo)+ marketing costs+ your typically online operating costs.
The other thing to be aware of is that anyone can sign up to be an affiliate...so be aware that someone selling the program (rather than use it to sell product) may not have used it at all so do your due diligence and take the financial pitch with a grain of salt.
Friday
"Notice of Underreported Income"
There is an email going around with this subject line trying to get your personal information and download malware to your computer. The copy of the email says:
We changed the name to "ANYNAME" at ANYDOMAIN.COM and we went to the same page. Here is the screen shot
You will notice that the link in the middle of the page is an executable file (.exe)--DO NOT CLICK ON THIS.
With Uncle Sam looking for more money these days this is a nefarious scam. We have also seen phishing emails from: Bank of America, Ally, Chase and Morgan Stanley....there are probably donzens of others we have not seen.
Be careful and follow common sense email protocol.
Taxpayer ID: yournamehere-00000174073547US
Tax Type: INCOME TAX
Issue: Unreported/Underreported Income (Fraud Application)
Please review your tax statement on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website (click on the link below):
review tax statement for taxpayer id: yournamehere-00000174073547US
Internal Revenue Service
We changed the name to "ANYNAME" at ANYDOMAIN.COM and we went to the same page. Here is the screen shot
You will notice that the link in the middle of the page is an executable file (.exe)--DO NOT CLICK ON THIS.
With Uncle Sam looking for more money these days this is a nefarious scam. We have also seen phishing emails from: Bank of America, Ally, Chase and Morgan Stanley....there are probably donzens of others we have not seen.
Be careful and follow common sense email protocol.
Thursday
Oh Really?
I found this intersting...funny really. Now as many of you know the most successful internet marketers got to the top of their game by developing very large and very profitable marketing lists. Many IMers boast lists in the tens of thousands or more. I got this email from Shoemoney.com.
"Wow we must be buddies...real pals!"
Truth is you know thousands of people got this! But I guess when the copy says only a few that is supposed to make the reader giggle with glee about being chosen to be apart of a select group.
"...oh man I better buy right now, yeah!"
Hey folks don't use this patronizing copy in your emails or marketing. You will find people respond better to honest, straight forward value presentations.
I only sent this email to you and a few
other people. I don't want everyone
finding out about this special offer
so please keep the promo code to
yourself :)
"Wow we must be buddies...real pals!"
Truth is you know thousands of people got this! But I guess when the copy says only a few that is supposed to make the reader giggle with glee about being chosen to be apart of a select group.
"...oh man I better buy right now, yeah!"
Hey folks don't use this patronizing copy in your emails or marketing. You will find people respond better to honest, straight forward value presentations.
Wednesday
Cost Effective Internet Marketing Training
More on this to come but I wanted to publish a note to let people know that if you have been looking for solid, comprehensive marketing instruction but have been put off by the $69, $97 or $127 per month programs you have choices. Many of these choices are less than $40 per month from companies that really do have legit guarantees and will cancel memberships in a timely and professional manner. There are also clubs available to you that charge modest dues each month (some as low as $7/month) to have access to their forums and training that they have collected or put together over months and years.
When you look at so many high priced "systems" and "secret" programs you quickly figure out they are all telling the same story with a little different spin. Save your money to pay your bills and market your business and hook up with a program or teacher that is not going to charge you an arm and a leg for information you could find on your own.
These opportunities don't spam you with inflated claims or promises of overnight success or five figure incomes. The financial success of the participants is not dependent on the club member hustling someone else into the money making scheme. Most teach the students how to market products and to build solid long term business.
As I said, I will be posting more on this in the coming weeks. Email me if you have questions.
When you look at so many high priced "systems" and "secret" programs you quickly figure out they are all telling the same story with a little different spin. Save your money to pay your bills and market your business and hook up with a program or teacher that is not going to charge you an arm and a leg for information you could find on your own.
These opportunities don't spam you with inflated claims or promises of overnight success or five figure incomes. The financial success of the participants is not dependent on the club member hustling someone else into the money making scheme. Most teach the students how to market products and to build solid long term business.
As I said, I will be posting more on this in the coming weeks. Email me if you have questions.
Tuesday
LGN Revolution
I received this well done email that, like so many others, touted this amazing program that will help me make tens of thousands of dollars each month. Oh, the hype was wonderful...the sky is the limit. Well I started to do some due diligence and found out that it was no great shakes--though I'm sure the guy that started it is doing well. As with so many of these programs the problem is not in what they tell you upfront but rather what they don't tell until after you have bought in.
I found this one article over on Ezines that did a good job of pulling back the curtain for a prospective customer. http://ezinearticles.com/?LGN-Revolution---Little-Guy-Network---Scam-Or-Legitimate-Business?&id=1622500
Now you have to be careful with Ezine articles many of them are nothing more than extensions of the sales page but if you look around you will find articles from people trying to help. I referenced this article because it does just that.(NOTE: I don't know anything about the guy that wrote it so don't take this as some endorsement)
A few highlights:
1. Whereas the LGN Revolution sales pitch makes it sound like you don't have to do anything we learn from this insider that you do in fact have to work and you are only going to make money if you know how to run an internet business.
2. We learn that there are undisclosed costs that can amount to several hundred dollars. So if you were considering joining this program you will have to count the cost that you will be in the red starting out and every month going forward until you make a sale.
3. When the writer said, "The best income seems to be in selling the business opportunity." That, in my opinion, is a huge red flag. It makes the program a little bit better than a ponzi scheme. The products are of modest value and you are really looking to talk someone else into the program so they can pay you. The day these programs are run out of town the better off we all will be.
4. The "no cold calling" pitch is attractive to a lot of people looking to make some additional dollars. What many people do not realize is that it does take a lot of time and work to get prospective customers to come to your website and buy your product and so each month that goes by with no buyers you have to keep making monthly payments to LGN Revolution.
In my search I found several "review' sites which were nothing more than extended sales pages.
On one site the marketer tells you that he is tired of all the "hype" and wants to give the view the full story so they can make an informed position. From that point forward its a selected telling of what is needed for someone to be successful. This is always a be careful and count the cost signal.
Digging further you will learn that all the "resources" are primarily private label rights books and software (available elsewhere for less and in some cases for free) and at the higher level travel vouchers-also available elsewhere. I guess if you had no idea of what else is available to you this might be an interesting starting point. But its important to understand that you are primarily going to be in the business of recruiting others to ante in. Noteworthy is the fact that of all marketing sites reviewed for this program only one made any mention of the income opportunity from selling the products in the program.
Compare this to a program like the thirty day challenge where the students get all the training and set up for less than $50.
I found this one article over on Ezines that did a good job of pulling back the curtain for a prospective customer. http://ezinearticles.com/?LGN-Revolution---Little-Guy-Network---Scam-Or-Legitimate-Business?&id=1622500
Now you have to be careful with Ezine articles many of them are nothing more than extensions of the sales page but if you look around you will find articles from people trying to help. I referenced this article because it does just that.(NOTE: I don't know anything about the guy that wrote it so don't take this as some endorsement)
A few highlights:
1. Whereas the LGN Revolution sales pitch makes it sound like you don't have to do anything we learn from this insider that you do in fact have to work and you are only going to make money if you know how to run an internet business.
2. We learn that there are undisclosed costs that can amount to several hundred dollars. So if you were considering joining this program you will have to count the cost that you will be in the red starting out and every month going forward until you make a sale.
3. When the writer said, "The best income seems to be in selling the business opportunity." That, in my opinion, is a huge red flag. It makes the program a little bit better than a ponzi scheme. The products are of modest value and you are really looking to talk someone else into the program so they can pay you. The day these programs are run out of town the better off we all will be.
4. The "no cold calling" pitch is attractive to a lot of people looking to make some additional dollars. What many people do not realize is that it does take a lot of time and work to get prospective customers to come to your website and buy your product and so each month that goes by with no buyers you have to keep making monthly payments to LGN Revolution.
In my search I found several "review' sites which were nothing more than extended sales pages.
On one site the marketer tells you that he is tired of all the "hype" and wants to give the view the full story so they can make an informed position. From that point forward its a selected telling of what is needed for someone to be successful. This is always a be careful and count the cost signal.
Digging further you will learn that all the "resources" are primarily private label rights books and software (available elsewhere for less and in some cases for free) and at the higher level travel vouchers-also available elsewhere. I guess if you had no idea of what else is available to you this might be an interesting starting point. But its important to understand that you are primarily going to be in the business of recruiting others to ante in. Noteworthy is the fact that of all marketing sites reviewed for this program only one made any mention of the income opportunity from selling the products in the program.
Compare this to a program like the thirty day challenge where the students get all the training and set up for less than $50.
Thursday
So what's good?
I had an interesting conversations the other day about my blog. I was asked, "What positive things do I write about? Doesn't it get old just blowing the whistle on charlatans and scams etc?"
Two great questions. I'll answer the second question first. No, I don't get tired of busting bad programs, scams and anything else that rips off a consumer. I have had family and close friends ripped off by internet marketers. There are so many people out there who have the singular goal in life to make as much money as they can regardless of the cost or who they hurt in the process. That's wrong, IMHO. To be clear, so I don't get emails about being industrious and successful....nothing wrong with making money...buckets of it even...but when a person deliberately takes advantage of folks (particularly these days with people out of work struggling to make ends meet)or sell a product that is bogus then they have gone too far and I am happy to help good, hard working folks know what to stay away from... and look to make money somewhere else.
Now on to the first question. The Thirty Day challenge put on by Ed Dale is a great course and a generous program on the part of Ed and his team. The challenge is over but you can still see much of the content on youtube. If you can't find it let me know. From this FREE course you can learn everything you need to know to get started making money online and once you are started you can grow from there. So many programs from "Gurus" are nothing more than rehashed material seasoned with some of their thoughts to make it their own. The information I have seen from, for example, Jonathan Budd or PotPieGirl is good stuff but I don't think it lives up to the hype and cost. Much of the material available elsewhere for free if you're wiling to do some digging.
In the 30DC its straight talk and good instruction. The program had a pre-launch period to help students get a look at tools and tasks that will need to get done during the course. And man its a lot to learn and execute in 30 days! Awesome. Since you can get the material online I won't go over the content list here. Suffice it to say that it covered all aspects of niche marketing, blogging, articles, PPC, squidoo, adsense etc, etc. The course is free but just to provide full disclosure, they are making money during and perhaps after the program. They get commissions on recommending the services they use themselves and know to be reliable and a good value to their customers.
With the 30DC you get excellent, complete training with a great customer experience and they make, what customer experience expert Frederick F. Reichheld refers to as, "good profits"--profits made by adding value to your customer and helping them in their business--not cut throat or dishonest profits.
Here is another thing I liked about their course. So many internet marketers don't tell you, when they try to dazzle you with big money, that great success comes from hard work, diversification and a great marketing list! That's how they make the money and the course you'd buy from them may or may not get you there. It takes time and effort to build up a good marketing list. With the 30DC you hear this upfront so you have a clear understanding of what is expected of you and what the rewards can be. You gotta love honest, upfront advise.
So kudos to Ed and the 30DC.
Two great questions. I'll answer the second question first. No, I don't get tired of busting bad programs, scams and anything else that rips off a consumer. I have had family and close friends ripped off by internet marketers. There are so many people out there who have the singular goal in life to make as much money as they can regardless of the cost or who they hurt in the process. That's wrong, IMHO. To be clear, so I don't get emails about being industrious and successful....nothing wrong with making money...buckets of it even...but when a person deliberately takes advantage of folks (particularly these days with people out of work struggling to make ends meet)or sell a product that is bogus then they have gone too far and I am happy to help good, hard working folks know what to stay away from... and look to make money somewhere else.
Now on to the first question. The Thirty Day challenge put on by Ed Dale is a great course and a generous program on the part of Ed and his team. The challenge is over but you can still see much of the content on youtube. If you can't find it let me know. From this FREE course you can learn everything you need to know to get started making money online and once you are started you can grow from there. So many programs from "Gurus" are nothing more than rehashed material seasoned with some of their thoughts to make it their own. The information I have seen from, for example, Jonathan Budd or PotPieGirl is good stuff but I don't think it lives up to the hype and cost. Much of the material available elsewhere for free if you're wiling to do some digging.
In the 30DC its straight talk and good instruction. The program had a pre-launch period to help students get a look at tools and tasks that will need to get done during the course. And man its a lot to learn and execute in 30 days! Awesome. Since you can get the material online I won't go over the content list here. Suffice it to say that it covered all aspects of niche marketing, blogging, articles, PPC, squidoo, adsense etc, etc. The course is free but just to provide full disclosure, they are making money during and perhaps after the program. They get commissions on recommending the services they use themselves and know to be reliable and a good value to their customers.
With the 30DC you get excellent, complete training with a great customer experience and they make, what customer experience expert Frederick F. Reichheld refers to as, "good profits"--profits made by adding value to your customer and helping them in their business--not cut throat or dishonest profits.
Here is another thing I liked about their course. So many internet marketers don't tell you, when they try to dazzle you with big money, that great success comes from hard work, diversification and a great marketing list! That's how they make the money and the course you'd buy from them may or may not get you there. It takes time and effort to build up a good marketing list. With the 30DC you hear this upfront so you have a clear understanding of what is expected of you and what the rewards can be. You gotta love honest, upfront advise.
So kudos to Ed and the 30DC.
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