Information Sells

I Can Get Em For You Wholesale

Are there any Good Guys on the internet?

The previous post talked about not falling for the zombie schemes of get rich quick marketers. We all agree, we don’t want to do that.

But there are legitimate coaches and teachers selling their products on the internet. How do we tell the Good Guys from the Bad Guys?

Establishing a trustworthy relationship on the internet can be hard because you lack some reliable, real world cues. Anyone can put up a good looking web site – so location and presence don’t count as much online as they do on Broadway. You can’t look the salesperson in the eye to gauge sincerity. But, some signals remain the same, even online: reputation, guarantee, previous dealings, personal recommendations from friends – all can help you rate an offer before you buy.

WEED THEM OUT

Like you, I buy info and training products online and sometimes find my mailbox bursting with new and pretty exciting offers. I’d probably enroll in Frank Kern’s Mass Control program if I had the money to spare (that guy can sell!), but I’m a little less thrilled with the other 3,000 offers screaming for my attention.

So I’ve developed a 10 Point Checklist to weed out the hucksters from the teachers. I consider a score of 3 on the Bad Guy list enough to lock the doors and hide the credit cards.  The Good Guys all seem to score a perfect 5 without even trying.

10 Surefire Ways To Tell The Good Guys From The Bad Guys

GOOD GUYS

1. Make believable promises with measurable goals.
2. Are accessible by email or phone to answer questions about their product or service
3. Have a track record for good service, which you can research before you buy
4. Value their reputation too much cheat even in little ways
5. Have references and testimonials that can be easily verified

BAD GUYS

1. Promise the moon, the sun, and the stars – with no experience necessary (i.e., Make $100,000.00 selling online even if you don’t have a mailing list!)
2. Have lots of Buy Now buttons – but never answer email and can’t be tracked down
3. Are selling a program for several thousand dollars that will teach you their secrets for success in a field where they are basically unknown and unsuccessful.
4. Prey on fears with false scarcity claims and phony deadlines (only 10 left! sale ends tonight! etc when availability is limitless and sales terms never change)
5. Have page after page of Google results when you search for “marketer’s name” + “fraud, scam”

I have my personal list of Good Guys – people whose products I use and trust: Bill Myers, Janelle Elms, Naomi Dunford, Havi Brooks, Brian Clark, to name a few. Sometimes I’m an affiliate, sometimes I’m just a fan – but I know, trust, and recommend their products from personal experience.

What about you – do you have mentors you recommend? Or have you bought an info product and kicked youself for it later? Please share your experiences in the comments.

Photo by kilgub Released under Creative Commons License

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Tags: internet marketers, scams