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NO. This is not about religion, but more about one of the major pitfalls of many in business. And by ‘business’ – yes I include internet business…. especially the internet. And I’m not talking about believing in the internet, but more about believing what you do… and what you sell. SO what am I getting at? Well, you can tackle this in 3 ways. 1. You won’t see the CEO of Ford Motors driving a Honda. Nor will you see Ronald McDonald eating in Burger King. 2. If you have never tasted something, how do you know that you don’t like it? 3. Do you jump into a bath, without testing the water first? OK – let’s get to the point. Most sellers on the internet, are in fact – resellers. They try to sell something else that isn’t theirs. They didn’t create it, make it, design it, but they are happy to promote this to others. There is NOTHING wrong with that! The problem lies here…… So many resellers of products or services on the net, simply do just that – resell… without even trying the product for themselves. Ask yourself why? I can tell you that if you take the time to use, test, scrutinise something, become familiar with it, and even find some of the short-comings and perhaps minor mistakes, this process will leave you with a better understanding of the product. In some cases, you really might not like it at all, and decide it’s not worth your reputation to try to sell it to others. Plus – by actually ‘using’ the product / service, you will possibly learn something beneficial to you, or to your business. This is where most internet marketing sellers / resellers fall down. These ‘gurus’ don’t make BIG BUCKS each year for nothing, and if they’ve taken the time to reveal some of their secrets and strategies in the product you are selling… take the time to discover exactly what they are. McDonalds ‘believe’ in their product – although many people knock them, they still make vast profits each year by following what they believe in – by selling to people just like you and me. If one of your friends asked you to recommend your favourite wine, you will tell them based on your past experiences which meant you have tried it before, and LIKED IT. So, if you haven’t read the ebook you are selling, or you don’t use the software you are promoting, how do you know it works? Try it. Give it a go. Not only will you learn far more about the product or service, this will help you in your marketing / promotional methods, and you never know…. You might just discover something really useful, exciting and profitable just by using it yourself. Occasionally, if you use this method, you may discover something you feel is too good to share, and don’t want you competition using it, so you keep quiet! Other times, you may find out that the product, service, ebook, software…. is just not up to scratch. A great looking website, a smooth sales-page with sharp copy and extra bonuses, can sell anything! Even if it’s not really worth it. You’ll only know if it IS worth it, when you give it a go for yourself. PLUS – by doing this, you will certainly avoid any complaints from disgruntled buyers, if you have sold them something which under-delivers and over-promises. I read a fantastic article a few years ago. It was advertising a Do-It-Yourself Swimming Pool Kit. It had fantastic pictures of glorious hot summer days, with crystal clear waters gently rippling inside a pool…… with sales copy which grabbed your attention…. “Don’t spend $10,000 - $100,000 or more with professional pool installation…. Create your own with our very special and exclusive D.I.Y. Swimming Pool Kit. For just $299 (with free shipping)….. “ On and on the sale copy went, drawing the reader in… getting them excited on how they could save a fortune by doing it themselves…. This company was receiving lots of enquiries from interested people wanting to become affiliates for their Mail Order program….. it was all going ‘swimmingly’ well! (please excuse the pun!) But behind the scenes, it was all going wrong. Horribly wrong…. For the customers. The sales copy had been so carefully and cleverly written that no-one spotted two fatal things… Firstly, there was no offer of a guarantee, or money-back refund policy. But hey… with an offer this good, there wouldn’t be any need… or would there??!! Next, nowhere in the sales material did it actually mention what the D.I.Y. Swimming Pool Kit consisted of….. and here lies the problem. Surely enough… the customers orders were placed, checks cashed, and the product shipped….. So what was in the shipment when it arrived at the front door? The D.I.Y. Swimming Pool Kit contained… a garden spade and a hose-pipe. Technically, the company hadn’t broken any rules at the time. And they were under no obligation to make refunds. However customers were not happy! You see, people just like you and me, were promoting, marketing, advertising this in order to make a sale / commission…. But without knowing exactly what it was. So, the moral of the story is……. Copyright © 2005 Gary Durkin All rights reserved worldwide. Gary Durkin is the owner of many successful internet sites and has been doing business online since 1999. He is the founder of the Internet Advice Center http://www.InternetAdviceCenter.com You are free to distribute this article, providing it remains unchanged and with this box attached. View all Gary Durkin's articles About the Author: |
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Do you REALLY believe?
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