I recently received the following email to my Super Affiliate Handbook ebook support address from a fellow who is obviously more than just a little bit cynical about Internet marketing business opportunities due to work-at-home scams:
HELLO
I've just recently been ripped off by a work-at-home scam and I need to be sure you are not going to do any of the following.
- Leave me with no way to contact anyone for support.
- Ignore my emails but at the same time send more of your own FORM emails trying to make a sale.
- After I order your product, you then proceed to tell me that I need to pay more money for coaching, mentoring, or to move up to the next level
You see, I have never had an online business and have no website and I am interested in affiliate marketing but need a lot of help to implement this project. I am willing to work and have the desire, just don't have the knowledge.
Need to know you'll be there.
Please email back.
THANK YOU,
Joe
Here's my response to Joe and everyone like him…
Dear Joe,
I appreciate what you are asking, as I know there are many work-at-home scams out there and I'm very sorry to hear that you were caught up in one.
I appreciate and applaud your due diligence in researching my product prior to investing in it.
However, there is a limit to what one can expect to receive in terms of support depending upon the amount you pay for a product.
If you buy a $5000 coaching program, what you are asking for is completely legitimate.
On the other hand, when you buy a $27 ebook, expecting much more than product download support is somewhat unrealistic.
Granted, I personally answer questions here on my webmaster information site but what I personally do is beyond what you can normally expect from industry ‘experts'.
So-called EXPERTS typically sell you their knowledge via ebooks on the cheap and then never answer your questions. So, if you want to ask questions about the content in their books, you should be prepared to pay for their time and advice.
In other words, before you buy a product, you should research all the offerings your chosen expert has available and if those products meet your needs.
For example, if you want personal feedback, check to see if your expert has an ‘ask questions page‘, a membership site, or offers one-on-one consultations.
To be clear, personal consultations are generally more expensive than membership coaching offers.
For just a moment, put yourself in the busy shoes of your ‘expert'.
Would you spend much time answering questions from people who spend $27 to buy your book, or, would you choose to work harder with those who pay more for your valuable advice, i.e. one-on-one coaching and consultations?
Take that as a BIG hint as to how you should build your business AND avoid work-at-home scams.
Cheers,
Rosalind
Comments, questions or suggestions? Please leave a comment below!
Cheers,
Hi, I’ve been looking at online businesses as a way to supplement my full time income and am looking at Amazon’s affiliate program, which seems to have a good reputation. I have also seen a lot of hype about Network Marketing VT. I was wondering what your thoughts on both of these were and if you had any additional affiliate or online marketing programs you might reccomend. This is a first time for me and I have made a commitment to myself of at least a year to dedicate to this…even if it just ends up being a hobby.
Many thanks
Jules
In an economy that still is trying to correct itself, there are many people who are trying to find a way to earn extra cash or are trying to create passive income over the long haul, so many of us are turning to the internet and looking at all the possibilities it has to offer.
I totally get this gentleman’s concern. If you happen to be unemployed, and you’re on the government dole, you may not have the funds to spend on personal coaching programs, so many times we take a chance and buy that e-book from a so-called expert and hope for the best.
The last thing that you want to discover after the fact is that someone just wrote an e-book and there is little or no support as far as a forum to answer questions or gain some guidance.
I’m first getting back into blogging, and I will be giving affiliate marketing a go, while working full time and restructuring my website. It’s tough earning a living today, even with a college degree, so I’ll be here more often Ros.
Rosalind,
Congratulations on your Online success. I pray that some very near day I too will hit it and be successful. Amen. Now, my question is , do you offer a small group one/two days coaching at your office? There we can all do a hands on together and watch you and even help each other. Anyone needing assistance can get it there. If you do not have an offer like that think about it and do the math and tell us what it will cost to accomplish that. I tell you many of your clients might be interested and appreciate it
I understand how this guy feels. There are a tremendous amount of let downs regarding many of the IM products on the market today.
Most books seem to rehash the same old tired content. Some of the 5K coaching programs are scams too as you don’t get access to the ‘guru’ in question. Only a ‘coach’ who has never met the guru in person.
Some of the BS out there is truly sad. And I can understand how people feel after getting burned a few times!
Hi Ros, I agree that sometimes customers expect too much from products about internet marketing. I also agree with Joe. Some internet marketing products promise so much more than they plan on delivering. But I think Joe has to do some research before buying a product. Its a sad fact there are a lot of people out there looking to make a quick buck.
I think your Handbook over delivers right off the bat. There is a wealth of info in it for people just starting out as well as seasoned marketers. It would be really cool to have you, or any expert around to answer questions whenever I need help. But for 27.00 thats unrealistic.
But Joe,if you are reading this, I have never asked a question of Ros that has not been answered by her or her assistant or partner. You are dealing with a class act with Rosiland. Not that you can or should bombard her with questions. But Super Affiliate Handbook is a great place to start learning about internet marketing. There is a lot to learn and even the marketing gurus pay to keep learning.
But I can vouch for Rosiland Gardner and her products. You can’t go wrong and you’ll get so much more than you should expect (in my opinion)from her ebook, with or without support.
So, you can relax Joe. You’ve come upon one of the best.
Penny
Keep in mind that if you are unhappy with what the product delivers, you can always ask for a refund.
Sometimes an inexpensive information product delivers valuable information that could shave years off your learning curve and show you the tricks of the trade for your selected business. You could avoid costly errors and years of frustration by learning from the mistakes of others. You can benefit from the years or even decades of experience of successful entrepreneurs.
I personally thought that the Super Affiliate Handbook was worth the money (even though I paid more than $27 for it). 🙂
It seems to be human nature that many people who receive free (or inexpensive) advice don’t appreciate, value, or follow it. Charge them big bucks and they suddenly take notice.
Clients who are cheap and don’t want to pay reasonable fees are a pain; they ask for billing adjustments, impose impossible deadlines, demand extra work for free, et cetera.
If your information product or consulting service delivers (or over-delivers) on its promise, you have earned your money. If your client will benefit from additional consulting, it is only fair that you be compensated accordingly.
Hi Ros,
The poor guy must have been scammed a lot and this is typical. He just wants to trust somebody who can guide him to the right path. There are many like him who are victims of so many “Gurus” who will make them rich in a fortnight.
One has to understand that earning money on the internet is not that easy as everyone makes them think. They should stop running after every shiny object that promises to convert them into millionnaires.
Achieving success online requires motivation and implementation. By just buying a $27 ebook or $5000 coaching program will not guarantee success. Taking action is what makes people succeed.
I just received an offer in my email today called “Simple Home Wealth System” by a guy named “(Name removed), the #1 home job consultant in America:” Do you know of this individual??? It seems like he bought an system from you and found out how to turn it to have more money from people buying extra things? I may be wrong, but could you shed some light on this if you may? Here’s the link: (affiliate link removed)
I personally have purchased a number of internet marketing courses over the past few years. I have so much information to go through, and I am not sure I am wasting my time. Most questions can be answered in the material and some companies do respond. Other companies close down their websites. So, here is a hint: download your product purchases. If later you find they have no value, just delete them. I don’t have time to assimilate all of the information yet, but I am sure I will eventually make more than just a few dollars here and there.
WSOs keep cropping up and are tempting. The advise on these is get them if you need them now. They may have good value, but purchasing WSO after WSO will only drain your checking account. WSO means “Warrior Special Offer” available on Warriors forum. You could spend hours going through WSO. I may still get the current $5.00 WSO. If I do, I hope I don’t forget I have it. I don’t just want to be a collector of information. Let’s face it. There can’t be that many secrets. A lot of the info had to be duplicated elsewhere. I may still get it though.
Regards,
Jim Young
Hi Ros,
I think your very right. People have to understand they get exactly what they pay for and they should understand exactly what their buying. I purchased you handbook and found it extremely helpful in just understanding how things work on the internet. I did lots of research on you prior to purchasing and found you to be very much above board on your products and services to be genuine so I made my decision to purchase and have not regreted it. Do your due deligence folks!
Tammy
If you went into Barnes & Noble and bought a $27 book on how to start up or run a business, would you expect the author to offer you support? By email or by phone or by any other means? No, you wouldn’t. You bought his/her book because the jacket description made it sound valuable to you.
I think because a book is offered via the convenience of a download is not justification for the customer to expect hand holding beyond the advice given in the book. If the sales page convinces you that the content is going to be worth your time and money then buy it – but don’t expect anything beyond that.
Obviously, there are scam artists out there. Lots of them. And the internet makes it uber simple to rip people off. So just do your due diligence on the product and/or the author before you purchase and go from there. Most legit product producers have a money-back guarantee — which, by the way, sets THEM up to be ripped off by people who buy and use the product with the intention of requesting a refund. The trolley goes both ways.
Rosalind,
I find your information very useful, even though my business plans are in a different area of providing training on-line in product-based project management. I am currently involved in mentoring with PMI-SOC and I learn a lot about people’s expectations and commitment. I have run into one example of a person more or less taking the attitude that it would be my responsibility to find them a better job because they paid $70 for a mentoring program, which only covers the cost of group sessions while everything else is volunteer based.
To address this unrealistic kind of expectation in selling project management training and offering free software in the bundle I designed a strategy whereby the value of what they get is itemized explicitly. For example, your ebook could emphasize the $27 covers simply the cost of creating, maintaining, and distributing the ebook, marketing website, etc., that is simply a low-cost opportunity for people to learn about your program. You can add the necessary in-depth courses and even mentoring if you want at additional costs that you clearly identify on your website. My (tentative) setup would be as follows:
$200 software application package deal:
1-a. Excel-workbook based business applications implemented with VBA and focused on project management, which is personalized to the individual buying the product.
1-b. Detailed user-guide in PDF format for step-by-step instructions.
1-c. Optional on-line training program bundled with access through the workbook (PDU eligible).
$150-200 webinars/seminars deal (PDU eligible):
2. Provide the same training on-line or in person over several sessions to deliver a course to a group of up to 10-15 people where questions and answers are handled.
$(TBD) Licensing agreements for people to organize local seminars (PDU eligible)
Since the scope of project management is quite large there will be 16 specialized areas, each approximately structured as outlined above, and perhaps a $27 introduction guide to provide an OVERVIEW that educates people with respect to which of the specialized areas may be useful to them (none – all). It will likely not eliminate whiners, but as Melissa pointed out you can offer a $27 eye-opener and allow people to figure it out from there, or you can use that as a valid introduction to take them through the whole process.
I agree that many ebook buyers do have unrealistic expectations. After all, if they went into their local bookstore and paid $27 for a physical copy of “The Numpty’s Guide to Affiliate Marketing” by Ann Author, they surely wouldn’t expect Ms Author to be there to hold their hand and help them set up their business (and nor would they expect to be able to return it to the store and get a no questions asked refund because they’d read it and realised there was work involved).
However, these high expectations have been caused by the many unscrupulous internet marketers who’s sales copy is specifically written to convince the potential buyer that all they need to do is purchase the latest ‘must have’ product and push a button, and they’ll be a millionaire by the end of next week.
Genuine internet marketers like yourself who actually walk the talk are hugely outnumbered by those who make their money by pushing one shiny object after another, regardless quality. Mud sticks, and unfortunately you all get splattered.
Well said Ros.
I have worked for years, marketing in the music biz, both selling the product and dealing with “creative” people. (often dealing with the wanna bes). There are far too many “won’t work” or “can’t be bothered to understand how it works” people out there and I have seen it similarly in IM & affiliate marketing
How anyone can expect an ebook (or even a course) to change their income for the better without changing their attitude to life & work is beyond me. What happened to good old apprenticeships? Or networking?
I can understand his concerns over scams but first grow up and think/work in a businesslike way’ Lay the ground for your business (website, list, blog etc) otherwise the ebook will be like a fairy story with an unhappy ending!
“caveat emptor” is worth repeating to oneself every time one is tempted by a bright shiny object that will bring in the first million
AJT
P S and the fact you answered his query even before he paid a penny speaks volumes for you!
Hi Ros,
My two cents – many of the IM claims are over hyped “buy this bright shiny object and you will be a millionaire overnight” I have come across very few that do what they say on the label. My advise for buying any training is do they offer a refund? If they do you can assume the person has some integrity. I now only buy courses for a specific purpose i.e. Quick Face book Graphics and some of the best stuff has been very cheap but it only solves one problem.
People also need to appreciate that throwing up a website is not a guarantee of revenue. If you opened a shop on the high street would it survive without care and attention? I know websites provide passive income but if you want to run it as a business the same rules apply that you use for bricks and mortar business’s. Could you get a business up and running on a $27 investment??
Internet Marketing is a wonderful way to make a living but like everything reward always follows effort – check the dictionary 😉
Regards
Nick
Hi Ros,
No, I don’t expect too much from IM products but then I’m not so “new” to it anymore either. I think that has something to do with it, because It takes a little time around here to understand what you get for what you spend.
When we buy something at a local store, no matter how much it costs, we can make a call or go back and stand there in person and complain or just “get more info/instruction” on the product one-on-one, whatever the case might be. I’ve done it myself in Canadian Tire with a ten dollar item. People transfer that expectation to a degree to the internet I think. And when they can’t get that kind of connection, it makes them mad.
Now if they were promised that type of “connection” and didn’t get it, that’s a whole other subject on the scammy side of things, not what we’re talking about here and there’s a difference.
It’s kinda funny as I see the same happening in my business. People spend 5$ and ask for time and delivery of 5,000$. I mean we all try to get value for our money, but on a certain point, especially when we try to build a business, we need to act ourselves: no book, no coaching, no advice will ever help to build a business except we are going to actually DO it. People often first complain and then try. Sure, buying a book has never made anyone rich 😉
And yes, we can just expect so much – the promise is that someone has documented what she did, NOT that she will do the same for another person. So in the end it´s all about doing it yourself and maybe also use human sense and the will to succeed to get further questions answered 🙂
Hi Ros,
I couldn’t agree more with your response. You can’t expect to get a full blown mentorship program for a one-off $27. Most people don’t give their businesses enough time to succeed and put all their hopes and dreams into one product. Success is a process of development and learning. If a person is really on a low budget but wants plenty of support then, once a person has researched a mentor then take advantage of all the free stuff they offer since its valuable…but most importantly put it into practice.
This is for Joe in case he’s reading it.
A few names off the top of my head… Rosalind Gardner (of course), Jim Edwards, Michael Cheney, and Yanik Silver. These are people you can trust who have made their own ways in the internet industry. (all in different ways, I might add…)
Promo’s you read about a product should directly reflect what you get. If you’re not promised support after the purchase, don’t expect to get it. For $27 and just learning from Rosalind’s experiences, you are getting a STEAL!
Rosalind helped me get into internet marketing years ago with the first version of the SAH.
Rosalind is smart, she’s business savvy, and she’s always full of new ideas on how to improve any internet business.
Thank you Ros! Its been a pleasure!
Best wishes,
Carolyn
Hello Ros,
You told this person the way it is in this business. I also agree there are a lot of scams out there. There are also good honest people doing business on the Internet and you are one of them. I bought my first copy of Super Affiliate Handbook many years ago. It is one of the best books on the subject out there.
People need to realize that if it sound too good to be true, it probably is. One of the ways to check on a product is with google search. Just type the name of the product or name of the author with the name scam at the end. Just check the percentage of negative vs. positive reviews.
Thanks for this post. It’s a good one.
Bill
In a way I don’t blame Joe for his concern over getting ripped off by so called “gurus.” The Internet Marketing niche is so saturated with so much misinformation that it’s hard to tell the real experts from the scam artists.
I have been reading your articles and I have purchased the “Super Affiliate Handbook” and I’m currently a member of the “Affiliate Blogger Pro” membership site and I’m a happy customer and I would highly recommend you because you have walked the walk. You actually have websites in niches other than Internet Marketing.
The only advice I can give Joe is don’t believe the get rich rich quick hype because just like any other business, making money from Internet Marketing takes time and a lot of hard work. The biggest mistake that you can make is chasing the next shiny object when you haven’t completed the first task. Remember to always stay focused and you will achieve your goals.
How many times have I wanted to write something like that and didn’t why? Well even if you are new at this you still have to take into account the product price. For 27.00 you cannot expect alot of attention, however; with Roz that does happen as she writes to us on a regular basis. Also may I suggest to Joe that he Googles and researches each product? By the way becareful on those reviews as they may diss the product to sell another. This business is not for the faint of heart. It is a fickle, daring, and sometimes confusing business. Perhaps having a foundation first (which would be your research) and then build on that. That said, I can tell you that most affiliates (not all) would have not taken the time to even respond as Roz did. Why? Because she is the exception and not the rule and SHE CARES. So, to sum it up go with the people who have a real relationship building attitude (as Roz) gives info in her emails (as Roz) and don’t send crap! As the saying goes “when EF HUTTON speaks everyone listens. So weed out the others and learn to listen to the EF HUTTONS and you will do fine in this business.
I wish you all the Best!
Debi
I do feel there is a lot more expectations and sense of entitlement in the Internet marketing/make money niche.
Perhaps it’s the title and the sales copy, but would this gentlemen expect Dr. Phil to be at his beckon call because he purchased “The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom” book for $6? I just picked a celebrity to make a point. Insert any regular person selling an info product. 🙂
What is being sold in an info product is the “information”. Not direct access to the author (unless offered as part of the price, which is very doubtful for a less than $30 eBook).
I agree if he’s purchasing a coaching or mentoring program, that’s different, but folks need to temper there expectations when purchasing an eBook.
Hi Ros
That was really well explained (as usual). I think that many people who purchase products to help them to start an online business (particularly when they are just starting), believe that one product will solve their problems and they will instantly be able to get a business up and running.
While there are great products available, such as your Super Affiliate Handbook (which I have), they seem to forget that a business is something that you build and it needs to grow and flourish and you need to keep learning for the business to grow. This is especially true in the world of internet marketing where there are so many things constantly being updated and changed.
Certainly people who purchase a $27 ebook shouldn’t expect a massive amount of support, this is a starting point and when they see how much they learn from the ebook then it stands to reason that they will purchase the coaching. It’s just such a shame that there are so many fraudulant products out there but also a shame that people have such unrealistic expectations when they are first starting out – I doubt if there really are many marketers who have made a million dollars in their first year 🙂
It doesn’t take too long to discover who the gems are to learn from, such as yourself. I will always be grateful that the Super Affiliate Handbook was one of my first purchases and that I began my training with one of the best. thanks Ros
Thanks kindly for the kudos, Melissa!
Cheers,
Ros
Perhaps part of the problem is the huge promise of what is contained in the ebook purchased, and then the lack of delivery. No matter how little one pays for a product, we are entitled to what we are promised, and if not delivered, we should have a way to contact the seller…. that’s fair no matter what the cost of the product.
Ruth,
I agree, but the buyer needs to READ and UNDERSTAND the promises before buying, i.e. caveat emptor.
Cheers,
Ros
Surely if one buys an ebook such as your Super Affiliate Handbook (which I have), reads, understands and does everything that the book tells you to do (which I confess I have not! – well, I have read it but not necessarily put it all in to practice) then you can expect reasonable results. But even these will also depend on dozens of factors well outside the scope of the book – such as the product you promote, presentation on your website, the country you are trying to target, to name but a few.
I agree with Melissa below “I will always be grateful that the Super Affiliate Handbook was one of my first purchases and that I began my training with one of the best.” I think this really sums up the situation – “one of my first purchases”
If you do follow the advice you receive initially from a recognised expert’s ebook you will almost certainly see results. THEN it is time to take your training to the next level and opt for personal coaching, join a group coaching programme or whatever, because you will then understand your new business better and recognise that if you follow the advice of experts who have already made a good living from their own system, you will see an instant return on your investment.
There probably are a lot of fraudulent products out there but perhaps there are also a lot of “fraudulent” buyers out there as well. These are the people who really have no idea what they really want and think/hope that buying a cheap ebook and spending a couple of hours a week will solve all their financial problems. This is simply not realistic, people spend years at university studying to be an engineer, accountant, lawyer etc – but do not instantly earn millions. And that’s assuming they even get a job when they graduate. The same goes for affliliate marketing. It is a complex business that requires the affiliate to initially spend considerable time (and probably investment) studying the subject and their chosen market before they can even earn one dollar. As with any business or training, individual results will vary widely. Each person’s results will depend on his or her background, dedication, desire, motivation and perseverence.
But those who are diligent and persevere will undoubtedly reap the benefits, and in my humble opinion there is no better place to start than the “Super Affiliate Handbook” – but that is just the beginning!
Ros, you say “promote & prosper!” – for the beginner it is really a case of “study, learn, promote & prosper!”