James Grey
01-13-2008, 11:43 PM
Now that this “Work and travel” thing has started to become big I have been seeing the usual band of internet “I can show you how” hustler crowd coming out of the woodwork to take advantage of peoples dreams of Making Money and Traveling.
Frankly it is starting to really bother me, so here is some advice on how to avoid throwing your money away (and if you are an Internet Marketer doing any of these things then there is a special place in hell waiting for you):
I was recently offered a “Work and travel” related ebook by PM on another forum so I will use his product as an example.
After receiving the PM I sent him back an email asking him the following questions:
1. Do They “Practice What They Preach”?
(Q): How long have you been Making Money and Traveling?
(his Answer): I have traveled to Southeast Asia and Europe a bunch of times
(Translation):"ZERO YEARS! NEVER!"
Notes: I have been making money wile I travel for over 7 years, making mid-six figures a year, I can spot a “Work and travel” BS artist a mile away
2. Do they actually make a living with their “system”
(Q): How much do you make a year working and traveling?
(his Answer): I do really well, more than enough to travel
(Translation):"I live in my moms basement and drive a Yugo"
Notes: You may have noticed I asked how much a “Year” he made – that small point is very important. Only by doing something for years during different phases of the worlds economy can you really know if it will work consistently
3. Do they only sell “How-To” Internet Marketing products to first time Internet Marketers?
(Q): Do you make the majority or ALL of your money only selling how-to Internet Marketing Products?
(his Answer): I sell all sorts of products
(Translation):"I only make money selling people products on how to do something that I have never done"
Notes: The “How-to Internet Marketing” market is swamped with people – it is VERY hard to compete in. From my experience “first timers” in the Internet Marketing business tend to do well with unique non-Internet Marketing related products. Exception: Some people that have a descent amount of capital can do well selling Internet Marketing related products as their first product.
4. The amount of pages in their ebook is never mentioned on the squeeze page (sales page)
(Q): How many pages is your ebook?
(his Answer): Its big, everything you need to know
(Translation):"It's 37 pages long"
Notes: Most “how-to Internet Marketing” ebooks are far too short for you to actually learn anything. They were quickly put together by people that rewrite stuff from Internet marketing forums, or put together by a ghostwriter “on the cheap” (at 20+ dollars a page for a ghostwriter even a short ebook can end up costing thousands so most people that use ghostwriters keep it under 50 pages.).
Don’t get me wrong – a ghostwriter can make great how-to Internet Marketing ebooks that you can learn from – IF they are long enough. An ebook with high quality content and over 350 pages will take a minimum of 4 months to develop and thousands of dollars to bring to market. “Fly by Night” Internet Marketers do not want to spend that sort of money or take the time to ensure that they have a high quality product – they will bang out a horrible 20 page ebook and throw it on the market until it stops selling.
Any ebook or website about “how-to make money” with less than 350 pages of content is not enough information for you to actually learn how to do something.
How many school books are 47 pages long?
None.
Why?
Because you can NOT learn anything from a book that is shorter than your car manual
5. Do they ONLY make money with 100% internet based businesses?
(Q): Do you make any money with non- Internet related businesses?
(his Answer): He did not answer this one
(Translation): "I only sell 20 page Internet Marketing products to unsuspecting people"
Notes: Internet Marketing is one of (if not) the best way to make money wile working and traveling. BUT, it is not the only way. There are literally hundreds of other ways to make money and travel (Even Tim Ferriss sells physical products). If someone has actually traveled and made money they will know that Internet Marketing is not the “end-all” way to make a living wile traveling.
Not everyone can make money with websites – don’t let anyone fool you into thinking differently - you can make money overseas without an Internet Marketing busness
6. Are they a real company or just some dude in his moms basement?
(Q): (this was actually the second PM that I sent him).
Where is your company incorporated, what is your physical address and what is your phone number?
(his Answer): He did not return my PM
(Translation): "I work out of my mom’s basement"
Notes: If someone makes REAL money from working and traveling, or from an Internet Marketing related business (like over 100K a year in pure profit) then they will hold their assets (ebook, import export company, ect) under a Corporation for the tax benefits, liability issues and access to corporate credit.
Seriously – would you leave a 100,000.00 Thousand Dollars sitting on your front porch?
No, you would put it in a safe – a corporation is a safe
And every real business has an address and phone number – most people don’t put it on their webpage because they would be SWAMPED from people calling (I personally suggest that you do NOT put your number or address on your website except under certain circumstances). But if you ask for it, and they don’t have one then they are “fly by night”.
If you do get a number and address and you are concerned that it may be a scam then just call up – if someone answers or you get an answering service in the companies name then that’s good enough, it is a real number. 9 times out of 10 you will get an answering service anyway, don’t leave a message – returning international calls to people that aren’t even customers yet is expensive for the website owner, please respect that.
If some homeless person came up to you on the street and offered to sell you a success book for 30 dollars would you buy it from him?
No – you would run away
If they don’t even have enough money to pay for a basic business tool like a corporation that every other “real” business on the planet has, then they are NOT successful enough at what they do to teach other people how to do it and they have NO business in the “how-to” business. Period.
7. Do they offer on-going support AFTER you buy their product?
(Q): Do you have a member forum where I can get help with learning your product or network and study with other people that have bought your ebook?
(his Answer): We do not have a forum yet but we will soon
(Translation): "I am too lazy to moderate a forum because I don’t care if my customers are successful or not, I just want your money then I will disappear when my ebook stops selling."
Notes: Moderating a forum is a time consuming task so most Internet Marketers don’t want to have one especially if they are just in it for the “quick buck”. To properly learn a system a student has to have someone they can ask questions to, study and network with other people that have bought the product.
If the person that sold you your product (ebook, video, ect) REALLY cares and wants you to be successful with their system then they will have a forum where you can continue learning after you buy their product. If they are not willing to give you any of their time after you give them your hard earned money than don’t buy their product. Note: this refers to information products.
Well – I know that was long winded but I hope it will help people
~James Grey
*Sorry, I am not the greatest writer – but that’s what freelance editors are for
Frankly it is starting to really bother me, so here is some advice on how to avoid throwing your money away (and if you are an Internet Marketer doing any of these things then there is a special place in hell waiting for you):
I was recently offered a “Work and travel” related ebook by PM on another forum so I will use his product as an example.
After receiving the PM I sent him back an email asking him the following questions:
1. Do They “Practice What They Preach”?
(Q): How long have you been Making Money and Traveling?
(his Answer): I have traveled to Southeast Asia and Europe a bunch of times
(Translation):"ZERO YEARS! NEVER!"
Notes: I have been making money wile I travel for over 7 years, making mid-six figures a year, I can spot a “Work and travel” BS artist a mile away
2. Do they actually make a living with their “system”
(Q): How much do you make a year working and traveling?
(his Answer): I do really well, more than enough to travel
(Translation):"I live in my moms basement and drive a Yugo"
Notes: You may have noticed I asked how much a “Year” he made – that small point is very important. Only by doing something for years during different phases of the worlds economy can you really know if it will work consistently
3. Do they only sell “How-To” Internet Marketing products to first time Internet Marketers?
(Q): Do you make the majority or ALL of your money only selling how-to Internet Marketing Products?
(his Answer): I sell all sorts of products
(Translation):"I only make money selling people products on how to do something that I have never done"
Notes: The “How-to Internet Marketing” market is swamped with people – it is VERY hard to compete in. From my experience “first timers” in the Internet Marketing business tend to do well with unique non-Internet Marketing related products. Exception: Some people that have a descent amount of capital can do well selling Internet Marketing related products as their first product.
4. The amount of pages in their ebook is never mentioned on the squeeze page (sales page)
(Q): How many pages is your ebook?
(his Answer): Its big, everything you need to know
(Translation):"It's 37 pages long"
Notes: Most “how-to Internet Marketing” ebooks are far too short for you to actually learn anything. They were quickly put together by people that rewrite stuff from Internet marketing forums, or put together by a ghostwriter “on the cheap” (at 20+ dollars a page for a ghostwriter even a short ebook can end up costing thousands so most people that use ghostwriters keep it under 50 pages.).
Don’t get me wrong – a ghostwriter can make great how-to Internet Marketing ebooks that you can learn from – IF they are long enough. An ebook with high quality content and over 350 pages will take a minimum of 4 months to develop and thousands of dollars to bring to market. “Fly by Night” Internet Marketers do not want to spend that sort of money or take the time to ensure that they have a high quality product – they will bang out a horrible 20 page ebook and throw it on the market until it stops selling.
Any ebook or website about “how-to make money” with less than 350 pages of content is not enough information for you to actually learn how to do something.
How many school books are 47 pages long?
None.
Why?
Because you can NOT learn anything from a book that is shorter than your car manual
5. Do they ONLY make money with 100% internet based businesses?
(Q): Do you make any money with non- Internet related businesses?
(his Answer): He did not answer this one
(Translation): "I only sell 20 page Internet Marketing products to unsuspecting people"
Notes: Internet Marketing is one of (if not) the best way to make money wile working and traveling. BUT, it is not the only way. There are literally hundreds of other ways to make money and travel (Even Tim Ferriss sells physical products). If someone has actually traveled and made money they will know that Internet Marketing is not the “end-all” way to make a living wile traveling.
Not everyone can make money with websites – don’t let anyone fool you into thinking differently - you can make money overseas without an Internet Marketing busness
6. Are they a real company or just some dude in his moms basement?
(Q): (this was actually the second PM that I sent him).
Where is your company incorporated, what is your physical address and what is your phone number?
(his Answer): He did not return my PM
(Translation): "I work out of my mom’s basement"
Notes: If someone makes REAL money from working and traveling, or from an Internet Marketing related business (like over 100K a year in pure profit) then they will hold their assets (ebook, import export company, ect) under a Corporation for the tax benefits, liability issues and access to corporate credit.
Seriously – would you leave a 100,000.00 Thousand Dollars sitting on your front porch?
No, you would put it in a safe – a corporation is a safe
And every real business has an address and phone number – most people don’t put it on their webpage because they would be SWAMPED from people calling (I personally suggest that you do NOT put your number or address on your website except under certain circumstances). But if you ask for it, and they don’t have one then they are “fly by night”.
If you do get a number and address and you are concerned that it may be a scam then just call up – if someone answers or you get an answering service in the companies name then that’s good enough, it is a real number. 9 times out of 10 you will get an answering service anyway, don’t leave a message – returning international calls to people that aren’t even customers yet is expensive for the website owner, please respect that.
If some homeless person came up to you on the street and offered to sell you a success book for 30 dollars would you buy it from him?
No – you would run away
If they don’t even have enough money to pay for a basic business tool like a corporation that every other “real” business on the planet has, then they are NOT successful enough at what they do to teach other people how to do it and they have NO business in the “how-to” business. Period.
7. Do they offer on-going support AFTER you buy their product?
(Q): Do you have a member forum where I can get help with learning your product or network and study with other people that have bought your ebook?
(his Answer): We do not have a forum yet but we will soon
(Translation): "I am too lazy to moderate a forum because I don’t care if my customers are successful or not, I just want your money then I will disappear when my ebook stops selling."
Notes: Moderating a forum is a time consuming task so most Internet Marketers don’t want to have one especially if they are just in it for the “quick buck”. To properly learn a system a student has to have someone they can ask questions to, study and network with other people that have bought the product.
If the person that sold you your product (ebook, video, ect) REALLY cares and wants you to be successful with their system then they will have a forum where you can continue learning after you buy their product. If they are not willing to give you any of their time after you give them your hard earned money than don’t buy their product. Note: this refers to information products.
Well – I know that was long winded but I hope it will help people
~James Grey
*Sorry, I am not the greatest writer – but that’s what freelance editors are for