So If You Don’t Pretend, Have You Failed As A Marketer?
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I’ve seen so many emails from Internet marketers lately that seem to be written for 6-year-olds. It got me to wondering if that’s what it really takes to get someone to take action on something.
You know the ones, they go something like this:
Oh my gosh, I am SO sorry for doing this to you, but that email I sent you yesterday had “this” price instead of “that” price. So I’m going to make it up to you by giving you a discount.
This is a super secret website that I’ve passed out to only a handful of people. It contains my most prized secrets. My friends were telling me I was crazy for doing this.
If my competitors found out about this, they’d surely steal my business, so if I give you a ridiculously low discount now, I might be able to head them off.
Gosh darnit, if that server didn’t act up again. So many people emailed me telling me they couldn’t access the order form, blah blah blah.”
Is it me, or do these sound like carefully crafted scripts, ploys that have been engineered to lull their audience into believing they’re getting a deal? Am I the only one who gets mad over this?What troubles me is this is how these guys are making their money rather than just coming out with the truth like Josh Spaulding, Mark Mason or Clayton Makepeace.
I want out as an Internet marketer!
Or at least I would if I didn’t want to prove these pretenders wrong so much. But that’s not the real reason. I’m doing it because I want to succeed…the right way.
I’ve heard it takes something like seven times for a person to hear/read a message before they actually buy what’s being sold to them, or something like that. I think I recall that correctly. Geesh, seven times? I guess I’m one of those people who can make a quicker decision about something long before I reach message number seven.
These are things I’ve learned so far about Internet marketing:
- If you have to make up a reason to contact your readers, then don’t. It’s as simple as that.
- If you don’t have trust, you will NEVER make it anywhere, online or off.
- Unless you have something profound to say, some new information to deliver, then resist the urge to email your audience every day hashing out the same old message with a new veneer on it.
What are your thoughts on this?
Leave a Comment
September 21, 2008 at 11:19 pm
I know exactly what you’re saying! I can’t stand that.
I don’t mind a good sales pitch, in fact I like it, because I will often learn something from it.
However, I’d prefer if they didn’t insult my intelligence with that “made a mistake on the price” BS.
In addition to being annoying, it makes them look like they don’t believe in their own product, and feel they have to “trick me into buying it”.
Luckily, there are a lot of IMers who are more straight up with you and their sales. Those are the ones I buy from, and those are the ones I’d prefer to be like.
Cheers!
Jay
September 22, 2008 at 6:32 am
@SuiteJ
Thanks, Jay. I’m sure there are a lot more of us out there that feel the same way. Maybe one day they’ll get the message.
September 22, 2008 at 7:35 am
You just hit the nail on the head Mark, the sad part is how people buy into this stuff. I know people who have spent thousands of dollars and are no farther along today than when they started.
I prefer a more Truth in Advertising approach, like what I Twittered about at http://twitter.com/cybercoder/statuses/929736275
September 22, 2008 at 9:01 am
@David
LOL I saw that yesterday on Twitter. Very funny, but brutally honest. That’s what it’s all about.
September 22, 2008 at 9:21 am
@Mark, But will honesty work on the Net?
I guess we will find out soon enough when I release my eBook in the next few days. Should be interesting.
September 22, 2008 at 11:56 am
Gee, Mark — thanks a lot. Now you’ve gone and revealed my entire business strategy. I call it “Honest And Open Communication.”
Mark Masons last blog post..Anyone Get The Number Of That Truck?
September 22, 2008 at 11:59 am
@Mark M.
Sorry buddy, I don’t know what I was thinking.
September 22, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Oh yea, I’ve blogged about this before…
I screwed up the price.
My server blew up.
Did you miss this?
Please oh god please don’t give this link to anyone, it’s just for YOU.
Aye curumba
One all time fave: Dear !firstname_fix you know I want to give you and your biz all I’ve got!
A step further is: Dear !firstname_fix, I’m sending this from my personal email account, not some automated email garbage…LMAO!
Dennis Edells last blog post..6 Days Since Last Post: Lots Of Updates!
September 22, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Great post! You already know how I feel about this stuff man. Folks that send me emails like that get one less reader of their newsletter with the quickness!
I, like Jay, appreciate a good salesletter, but not that crap.
I prefer the honest approach. “look, I’m gonna sell you something now, if you buy it, I get some money lol” not in those words…but, maybe, I’ve done it before and it worked!
People get sick of the fluff man, just gimme the real deal!
Normal Joes last blog post..I Caught John Cow Talking About Me Behind My Back!
September 22, 2008 at 1:54 pm
What a funny topic here, as I get these so called deal emails from VistaPrint all the time with a subject like Sorry The Site Was Down, or something similar. Then offer to give me a deal to order.
Even though it pisses me off when I get those, I had to admit it is pretty clever!
You see, people in internet marketing have saw everything there is to see, so it is pretty hard to BS us. Where your average Joe Blow sees the same stuff as a cool opportunity.
Work At Home Mom Taras last blog post..Free legal ecourse for bloggers
September 22, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Hey Mark, gonna have to agree with everybody else on this subject.
In fact, just recently I experienced this with the folks behind Market Samurai. I knew after receiving the first email from them saying that the price would never go below $169 or whatever it was that I would eventually get another email from them trying to sell it at a lower price.
What do you know, about 2 days after that email I get another one from them saying that they are only giving me 2 days to get MS at an extra special price. Never again will it sell for so low…..yeah, except that you said that 2 days ago. While MS is a good product that makes things easier, the constant emails about it isn’t going to make me buy it anytime soon. I will eventually buy the product if I feel that I could use it.
September 22, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Hey Tara, I wouldn’t condemn VP so fast, their site IS down a lot. LMAO!
Dennis Edells last blog post..6 Days Since Last Post: Lots Of Updates!
September 22, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I just had this very same kind of conversation with my affiliate manager at NeverBlueAds. As an internet marketer you can lose credibility quickly if you promote products that on the surface appear like a great deal but in the fine print cost a lot for little value.
James Wilcoxs last blog post..Affiliate Challenge Week 3
September 22, 2008 at 10:02 pm
@Dennis
Since I posted this last night, I have received about three other such messages cleverly crafted to fool the reader. Ugh!
@Normal Joe
Yep, my BS-o-meter starts going off pretty quick these days. LOL
@Tara
I’d be more inclined to believe a real business using such a tactic than I would a marketer. But if they repeat it, then their credibility goes down in my eyes.
@Jarret
I know the email you’re referring to! I agree that they should have never said “never” and sent the messages so closely together.
@James
Welcome to MeAndMyDrum! Sadly, I see that as well, when the sales page is really more sizzle than steak.
September 29, 2008 at 4:49 am
I agree with Joe. There are some like Yaro Starak, Charles Heflin, and Jason Potash, that I listen to. They will also tell you what not to buy.
I have received emails from them recommending or not recommending products or “if you are still trying to make your first dollar online, this $500 info product isn’t for you … but if you are well advanced and are ready for the next step …”
This kind of thing I appreciate.
I also appreciate when I get an email that gets straight to the point. When I am trying to clear 97 messages from my inbox, why would I want to read a big long funny story which takes forever to get to the point???
Oh yeah – recently Yaro sent one that was something like “if you aren’t interested in getting … which you heard about, then delete this email and get back to work.
I was like, “Thanks!”
Also – when 6 marketers start to promote the same thing and I decide I want it, I specifically make sure to buy from the links of the marketers I LIKE. And I clear my cookies first too.
Annas last blog post..Persistance
September 30, 2008 at 6:20 am
@Anna
I have an allergic reaction to messages that go on and on. Like you, I get so many emails in a day that if they don’t capture my attention in a few seconds, it’s off to the trash for them. It gets a little monotonous discovering that a lot of promotions are about the same thing, but that’s just part of the deal.
September 30, 2008 at 11:11 am
Mark, you hit bulls eye with this post. I too am sick of these BS marketing emails that definitely insults my intelligence. The most recent one simply said, if you don’t click this link you are passing up on making $1000 a day. Wtf? Do they really think I am gonna click on that? This was actually from a make money blogger too. (won’t name names) Anyways, it’s all in the game and the Gmail shortcut Shift+# has become my best friend.
K-IntheHouses last blog post..Win a Free iPhone
September 30, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Nicely written. I completely agree with you.
I just can’t believe those “Internet Marketers” are still sending same e-mail all over again. Is it possible they still find buyers and people who will waste time on their “hidden stuff”?
I don’t see myself as such marketer, so i will continue looking for something that will valuable for other people, so every side would be happy.
Marries last blog post..Is a House Rental the Better Option for Your Trip?
October 2, 2008 at 6:08 am
@K and Marrie
Thanks for sharing your point of view. Some Internet marketers teach us more about what not to do, than what to do. So there is some silver lining to all this.
October 5, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Here, here.
I thought long and hard before starting a blog that would teach people how to make money by writing, because the whole make-money-online field makes me cringe. Maybe it’s just my personality, but I end up unsubscribing from the mailing lists of even the people I respect, because it is so clear they are trying to sell me something.
I know there is all this proven science out there about copywriting techniques, but it’s not for me. I’ll buy something from folks I’ve learned to respect from their blogs (for example, I’ve purchased all of Seth Godin’s books), but a simple shopping cart link on the site works for me.
Trust me, I’ll find your product if I want it, heh.
I’m glad I can say that I make a nice living from sites that have nothing to do with the how-to-make-money niche!
Lindsays last blog post..Blogging Economies of Scale (or why one site is more practical than many)
October 5, 2008 at 9:52 pm
@Lindsay
Welcome to MeAndMyDrum and thanks for taking the time to comment. I’m glad to hear there’s one more person that supports the concept of truthful advertising.
October 8, 2008 at 3:48 am
Yes, I am also aware of all this made-up scripts and it is getting much more easier to identify them. They don’t stop don’t they? Even after not getting replies?
Roger Hamiltons last blog post..Robert Peston of BBC…your views [Marc d'Espagnac Mortgage Advice]
October 10, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Frankly I cannot stand internet marketers that lie about anything. I see so many ebooks titled “Make $212,382 in one year!” or equivalent statements that are absolutely ridiculous. Anyone that has something worth listening to doesn’t need to explain to others how much money they make.
James Spinosas last blog post..15 Ways to Decrease Your Visitor Base
October 10, 2008 at 9:54 pm
The worst I have seen is the push to order something for free or close to free, and then you find out you have actually signed up for a subscription. I got suckered into one of those by a “trusted” internet marketer fronting for a guru. I still haven’t got the subscription canceled!
Louises last blog post..Easy Shrimp Pasta Recipe With Basil, Orzo and Feta Cheese
October 11, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I actually think that most people who aren’t bloggers still don’t see this stuff as highly promotional the way that most bloggers do – the way that you point out in this post.
So the only real way to change this is to convert the rest of the world to bloggers.
David – Chicagos last blog post..Speaking Of Facebook – It Needs Change Management of Customer Service