Have you ever noticed how some blogs are nothing but cut-and-paste sales pitches? You can search entry after entry and never find an original thought from the blog owner on marketing or doing business online! Last week it was a product to help you build your list, this week an e-book containing secrets to make X number of dollars by the weekend (and resale rights included so you can pawn it off on others), next up a software program guaranteed to automate everything for you while you sit on the beach.
It seems like unscrupulous marketers are conducting their own experiment on how many sales it takes to get their customers to salivate for the next big thing. Notice that I said unscrupulous marketers. There are lots of hard-working, honest business people offline and online. However, it seems the internet marketing ”doctors” are flooding websites and inboxes everywhere with pieces of “dog food”. A launch could be considered as operating a can opener. Hear the hum? That’s the sound they hope gets you reaching for that credit card. Oooh, look at that dish of stuff, guaranteed to make you successful!
I am reminded of Armand Morin’s no-holds-barred statement in the last BigSeminar webcast where he asked if these practices should be defined as manipulation rather than marketing. Honestly, anyone who says you must use their product and only their product to be successful; anyone who says success is guaranteed with your purchase of their wares, is only interested in your money, not in helping you succeed in the online world, or in any other business for that matter!
Treating customers and clients with respect will make your business sustainable over the long term. Ringing the bell and hoping customers come running is very short-sighted and demonstrates a lack of confidence in your own business or product’s perceived value.
Stumble It!
