A few days ago, an SBIer commented in the SBI! Forums that she had received yet another e-mail from some marketing guru urging her to buy his stuff. "I am so tired of all the marketing hype sales pitches these days. It hurts my heart to see so many people buy into these programs and then become disheartened and disillusioned when they don't succeed."
Her post reminded of my favorite pet peeve...
I can't tell you how many of these marketing-guru letters I get. They are brilliantly crafted. So much so that I sometimes send a researcher off to buy the promoted product, just to see...
Always a disappointment. Now, I can write that cost off as research. But individuals get hurt, especially those with real dreams, motivation, and desire.
What I've found over the years...
If (and that's a big "if," just to start with -- so many are outright lies) someone really has gone from zero income to $20,000 (or much more!) per month, in just several weeks, she or he has either a concept that cannot be widely replicated, or it's something that won't last as folks pile into it, or it's something that is so exceptionally difficult that only a very few can do it, or it's underhanded and, once again, won't last as it becomes popular, etc.
I'll give you an example of a pre-Internet book that I did buy...
I paid my way through medical school by playing cards in Las Vegas. I bought a $10 book ("Beat the Dealer"). It sounded too good to be true, but it was written by an MIT Mathematician (E.O. Thorp), and thumbing through the book, it looked complicated but interesting.
It turns out that it was too good to be true because most people don't have the math-speed to master something like this -- the margin of error is very low. It took a lot of work and a math-inclined mind to actually master a complicated strategy and play so fast and error-free that you could make money. It was fun and challenging, and I made enough money to take 4-5 free vacations a year with Janice (we'd rewrite the comped airline ticket to stay in California on the way home for a few days) and bring back an extra $2,000 or so per trip.
But after my internship, I never played another hand. It was an interesting means to an end, that's all. It wasn't productive, and it served no good purpose. 30 years later, Janice and I returned to Las Vegas for an affiliate convention. Never played a hand of cards. Pleasant memories (the town has changed!), but a sad town that preys on those who lose too much.
-----SIDEBAR-----
E.O. Thorp only wrote the book after he could not get a game
in any casino. They had banned him. And that brings up a
second good point...
Who sells a money-makeing scheme that works, that makes you
so much money, that you'd be crazy to sell it? Well, folks
who can't use it anymore, for one.
-----SIDEBAR-----
The biggest point here, though is, all of these GRQ schemes, no matter what, have a fatal flaw....
It's simple logic -- if everyone could do it, it would end world poverty.
But... the copy is simply brilliant. It creates the "this time, it's different" feeling (without ever saying those words, of course, because then you'd wake up and realize "the con is on").
Anyway, I could ramble on about this for pages (and already have in my blog posts on Mooch Marketing -- "mooch" is the word that shady direct marketers use for people who keep buying one bad deal after another).
What Mooch Marketers do is worse than merely being unproductive. They take money from folks, often crazy amounts, amounts that can't be afforded, in exchange for disappointment.
I wish they'd go away.
All the best,
Follow Ken at Twitter
Nice Article Dr. Evoy, but I can't agree 100%. After all we would be lumping every bit of information into the hype or scam model. IM niche has more than its fair share for sure. I agree.
Of course we must shuffle through the bad cards to get the winning hands. These hands are few at best, the odds are not good.
This makes it very hard to find the real keepers, knowing when to fold 'em is key. This is one of these things we must learn for ourselves, after all every generation must feel the top of the stove for themselves. We must keep this in mind as we do our more careful observation as well as getting help, we will someday know better which hands are playable.
Keeping an open mind in these days and times does not mean to let your guard down.
I didn't know if I liked "mince pie" or not until I tried it. My favorite is still Lemon Meringue.
I get your point but 100% no, we are not all bad. This is what they teach, the way. I'd agree more like 98%. Great service.
Eric
Posted by: Eric Womack | November 30, 2008 at 05:48 PM
I used to buy all those GRQ plans and programs and junk. Over the years (24 years in fact) I've learned how to tell the good from the bad but it was an expensive lesson.
The worst part is the disappointment of another failed plan - if you're not careful you start thinking that its you that can't do it when in fact you've fallen for something that doesn't really work.
Posted by: Alan G | December 01, 2008 at 07:32 PM
Ken,
It appears a lot of the guru books, businesses or whatever is being sold are based on a principle of being able to duplicate the attraction of people to the business.
Typically, what everyone is trying to leverage is others spending money to do the marketing and through large numbers and a compensation plan that allows one to make money off others' success. A "leader" emerges who everyone follows like sheep until they find out they can't make money and then they disappear to do something else to survive.
As long as "the leader" can keep bringing more people in they can make money, but over time what they are really selling is hope, which is rarely realized because duplication is very difficult when it's based on one's personality to attract. Some have it and most don't.
Posted by: Kurt B. | December 02, 2008 at 11:37 PM