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The Worldwide Brands Home EBiz Newsletter:
"Stalked By The Dark Side"
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This Week's Featured Newsletter
Article:
"Stalked By The Dark Side"
by
Chris Malta
I like the Star Wars movies; who
doesn’t? I was much more of a Star Trek fan growing up, though, and still am.
However,
over the years I’ve gained a growing appreciation for the dilemma faced by the
character of Luke Skywalker. Be the Good Guy and Bask in the Light, or let Evil
take over, and succumb to the Dark Side? Is it better to rest secure in the
knowledge that although you may suffer for it, you are doing the right thing? Or
is it easier to gain everything you want in the world by doing the wrong thing,
and trying not to care?
We research and market information in our Internet business. When done properly,
it’s very valuable information to Internet Store owners. We take tremendous care
to do it properly.
In our particular field, there are so many shysters selling worthless
information that it’s hard to get people to take us seriously, even though we
produce a scrupulously honest product.
For that reason, we had an especially hard time marketing ourselves when we
first started out, many years ago. We needed extra help. We had the stigma of
dozens of unscrupulous people in our market, who were selling bad information,
to overcome. Why should anyone believe us, when all their experiences with
companies making the same promises were lying?
We made contacts with the press, and told them what a wonderful thing we were
doing. But we were still a small company, and not worthy of their attention.
We talked to Advertising, Direct Marketing and Infomercial people who were known
in the Internet arena, and extolled the virtues of our product. We offered to
pay for small promotional campaigns to help us get started. They all agreed,
after seeing our product, that oh, yes indeed, we had the genuine article there!
But still, we were a small company, and we didn’t have the kind of money they
wanted. We weren’t worthy of THEIR attention either.
We
contacted well-known Internet Gurus and told them what a great job we were
doing, and asked for their reviews and endorsements. Most of them were more
interested in Affiliate commissions they could make from us, though, and we just
weren't big enough yet. Those few who bothered to respond managed to say "Go
away, son, ya bother me!" in a variety of non-offensive ways.
So, disheartened, but not discouraged, we made our way on our own. We called
attention to ourselves in any way we could. We offered valuable free information
related to our general field, and treated each of our new customers like gold.
We agonized, seemingly forever, over Search Engine placement, banner campaigns,
and grass-roots marketing; all the while working ourselves silly improving our
product.
Then, finally, we began seeing our efforts rewarded by a steadily increasing
flow of business. Internet business sites were recommending us. Our customers
were singing our praises from the rooftops. Our sales were growing by large
percentages every month.
Our business had begun to succeed! There was dancing in the streets over here!
We had proved to ourselves that we could tell people the TRUTH and still be
successful.
You see, the truth isn’t as pretty as the lie. Every day, we take the risk of
losing sales by telling people the cold facts about doing business on the
Internet. We don’t try to sell our customers a sugarcoated fantasy and tell them
they’ll get rich overnight. We tell them that it’s hard work and takes time, but
that it is tremendously rewarding when done right.
At any rate, we felt vindicated. We had done it ourselves, with a little help
from some wonderful business friends we met on the Net, and we were succeeding.
Suddenly, a strange thing began to happen.
Out of the blue, direct marketing and infomercial people started calling US.
These were the same people who had no use for us when our bank account wasn’t
tasty enough for them. Now that our name was out there, and we were becoming
very well known and successful, they all had things they wanted to talk to us
about.
Those things started to sound more and more shady with each phone call. Here’s
an idea of what we were hearing from them:
We got calls from several marketing people who had all kinds of companies who
wanted to partner with us. One woman in New York had a whole string of them
lined up. Web hosting companies, merchant banks, “instant-web-store” businesses.
She told us that we were “well-positioned”, because we had a steady stream of
customers coming through our site, purchasing our product.
“Hit your customers while they’re hot!” she said. “They have their wallets out;
this is the time to nail them with all these other add-on services. They trust
you; you have the reputation. All you have to do is tell them that they NEED
these other things, and they’ll believe you! You can make a FORTUNE on
commissions selling all these extra services ‘on the back end’ (right after the
sale)!”
We patiently explained to her that while we DO recommend a couple of companies,
we ONLY recommend companies that we’ve done business with, and trust. We
explained that while these services of hers may well have merit, we were not
going to recommend them on someone else’s say-so.
“Don’t be foolish!” she exclaimed. “This is how you REALLY make money on the
Internet. YOUR product is just the first slice of the pie! You can triple the
value of each sale if you let me set this up for you!”
The others who contacted us all had basically the same pitch. They said, “Now
that you have the customer’s wallet open, take them for all you can!”
One guy from Baltimore actually said “Hey, if you want to piddle along just
making enough to pay your mortgage and go on vacation once in a while, that’s up
to you. I’m telling you where the BIG Internet money is”.
Well, after wrestling with our collective conscience for a split second, we
decided we liked paying our mortgages and taking a vacation once in a while just
fine. Besides, we honestly believe that you CAN be very successful and do
business honestly at the same time. There’s a side benefit to that as well…we
get a much better night’s sleep.
Don’t get me wrong…I don’t walk on water. I was flattered by the fact that the
big shots were seeking US out, and wanted to work on a commission basis with us.
I felt a kind of ‘I-told-you-so’ thing with these people, who had basically
laughed us off back when we had nothing. Reason quickly won out, though.
I realized that they were exploiting US by trying to get us to
exploit our customers.
So, how does this story apply to your Internet business?
Here's how.
These people have tried time and time again to use us as a vehicle to
reach their goal. We have turned them down every time. However, their ultimate
goal is YOU!
Whenever
you see inexpensive "Amazing Systems" that will make you Rich on the Internet,
you're seeing these people. You're only seeing the tip of the iceberg, though.
Underneath that wonderful, amazing, inexpensive Package you see online or on TV,
there is an entire, well-oiled, sinister Marketing Machine that is poised to
start attacking YOU the minute they get your phone number and email address.
It starts
after you purchase some Complete Amazing System for 49.95. Now, this System is
supposed to be Complete, right? However, shortly after you buy it, you'll start
getting phone calls from these people.
The first
caller will thank you for buying this Complete Amazing System, but will tell you
that for just a couple of hundred more dollars, you can have the REALLY Complete
Amazing System, and if you don't have the REALLY Complete Amazing System, you
will never succeed.
Once they
sell you THAT load of donkey-pucks, the next caller will tell you that you need
to spend a thousand dollars on the REALLY, REALLY Complete Amazing
System, or your REALLY Complete Amazing System will never succeed.
Finally,
when they have you on the hook for that junk, you'll get the call that
goes after your entire bank account. They'll tell you that you need to spend
anywhere from three to ten thousand dollars for their personal help to
teach you how to use your REALLY, REALLY Complete Amazing System, and if
you don't have their personal help, you will never succeed.
It's a
Money Machine, folks. Dreams of Instant Riches are the lure, and well-trained,
uncaring, commission-based salespeople are the fishing line. It's very real,
it's very large, and it's looking for YOU. We have heard from thousands
of people over the years who have been hooked by this system, and they all
regret it.
When you
start getting phone calls telling you that you need to upgrade your Complete
Amazing System, hang up, throw out the Complete Amazing System you bought, and
start your business the right way; yourself.
“Beware the
Dark Side, Luke!”
Chris Malta
Founder/CEO
Worldwide Brands, Inc.
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