Smart Internet Marketing at Guruphobia

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Keep a Simple Promise, Part II

March 15th, 2009 · Gurus Behaving Badly

The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.

I’ve simply been busy, laying in wait, biding my time.

There seem to have been a spate of guru promises lately – fancy, outright self-important declarations, actually. About many things – promising a minimum income level, promising to never take commissions on products they recommend, promising to launch projects on xyz date, promising to hold personal one-on-one consulting calls. Different gurus, different promises.

Many of these promises simply not kept.

Promises broken.

Why?

“Because my guru friends told me I was crazy to make this promise.” – So you succumbed to peer pressure even though you screamed a promise to your customers or your mailing list from the rooftops? How pathetic.

“That wasn’t the exact promise I made.” – Oh yes it was. Interesting that you made this promise in your artfully crafted sales letter, but when you took $xxxx of fees from me, that sales letter simply disappeared from public view right after the “limited sales period” ended. Some kind of scarcity tactic, eh?

“That Guruphobia guy is just a crybaby.” – Oh really? Because I keep my promises to my clients, and because I’m calling you other gurus on promises you break? Or is it because I haven’t rubbed shoulders with you at Internet Marketing Conferences? Or maybe I have……studied you up close………but you simply haven’t realized it.

Reputation is vitally important – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Keep your reputation radar up and focused before you drop serious coin on any product.

If you’re spending a lot of money on a course, a seminar, or consulting, then you should simply demand a certain standard of excellence from your seller.

Will there be times that you are sorely disappointed in a product or service that you purchase? Of course. But if you are, be sure you learn your lesson. If you go back for a SECOND round of guru purchase disappointment, then its nobody’s fault but YOURS.

Mr. P

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Every Marketer Wants to Be a Guru

May 29th, 2007 · Gurus Behaving Badly

Every Marketer Wants to Be a Guru.

What a sweeping statement, by one of the most well-known Gurus around.

And one that I disagree with vehemently.

You see, Mr. Guru, not everyone WANTS to be you, or WANTS to be like you. 

Sorry.

There are marketers who are just happily motoring along, making very good money, staying in the shadows, unbeknownst to the general marketing population at large.

How do I know?  Because I know several personally.

These marketers don’t need throngs of adoring fans hanging on their every word.  They don’t need to be the center of attention.

And what about you, Mr. P?  Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?

Not at all.

I don’t need to be “known”.  My main purpose is to vent a bit, or a lot………..and in the process, perhaps give back a little to the community.

After all, how many of my products have you seen me sell on this site?  How many affiliate links have you seen me post thus far?

So consider that for a minute, before someone tells you, “Every Marketer Wants to be a Guru”.

Mr. P

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Buying for Bonuses

May 28th, 2007 · Gurus Behaving Badly

Have you ever come across a situation, where a guru promises a fantastic bonus for buying through his/her affiliate link?

And you take the bait, buying the product?

I have, and I’m sure so have you.  Now I think many of us can understand when gurus are foisting “worthless” e-book bonuses our way – you know, the ones that you’ve seen percolating through the net since 1972?

What really burns my hide, though, are the other bonuses, many from big name gurus who should really know better.

  • The One on One Consultation Bonus – I’ll admit, I’ve been burned by this one twice before.  Guru A promises a “one-on-one personal consultation” with me – in one case, said Guru promised to record the call on Skype and send me a copy, so that I could reference it for posterity.  My posterior.  In one case, Guru A simply failed to respond once my payment for the product went through.  In the other case, Guru B was clearly overwhelmed by the response, and “amended” the bonus after everyone had purchased to a “group teleconference”.  Shame on you.  Mind you, these were “top shelf” gurus, too.
  • The “Free Advertising Bonus” – Guru C offers free advertising on his niche publications, that go out to lists in the “several hundred thousands”.  Problem is, when said Guru C is contacted for the ad, he conveniently disappears.

The lesson here?  Never buy on the basis of a bonus.  If you must buy a product, buy it because it is fundamentally sound and well-reviewed by people you TRUST.  You’ll save yourself much disappointment.

Mr. P

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Wherefore Art Thou?

April 26th, 2007 · The Newbie Dance

Well, well…….

I guess it’s been a while since my last discourse, hasn’t it?

Well, I’ve been busy……busy reading, busy working, and busy playing.

I’ve spent some nice recharge time on Sunset Beach and Mokuleia on Oahu (vacations aren’t over-rated).  They inspire some of my most creative endeavors.

The entrepreneurial world can be at times maddening, but when the celestial planets line up, the payoff can be extreme.

No, I’m not getting existential on you.

Just trying to prod you.  Get busy living.

Stop to smell the roses, but don’t get stuck in the mud.

Make time to love the significants in your life.

And ask yourself this question:

What have I done to make the planets align for me today?

 

- Mr. P

 

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Remembering Milton Friedman

November 16th, 2006 · The World

Many of you reading this blog won’t even know who Milton Friedman was.

Mr. Friedman was an influential economist, a leader of the “Chicago School” of economics. He championed Free Market Economics and deregulation, and his theories and teachings helped shape American Economics and Economic policy in the late 20th Century. He even won a Nobel Prize in 1976.

However, as with any Economist, he was adored in some corners and chastised in others. He had his successes and his utter failures whilst advising many Presidents.

Many saw Friedman as a political right-leaner. However, while he served as an advisor to numerous Republican Presidents, his views were much more Libertarian. He served on a panel that helped abolish the draft in the 1970s. He questioned the U.S.’s involvement in the first Gulf War, and vehemently opposed our current Iraq war.

I first met Milton Friedman in a seminar almost 20 years ago when I was still in my University years. I found him articulate, compelling, gracious, and very funny. After the seminar, I approached him, shook his hand, and asked him to sign a dollar bill for me.

“Isn’t this defacement of currency?” he asked me, his dry wit emerging.

“Don’t worry…..this dollar will never return into circulation again”, I answered.

Milton Friedman shaped my views on Economics, Fiscal Policy, and Politics for years to come.

Years later, my home was burglarized, and much of my cash and valuables were stolen. After surveying my missing belongings, I noticed that my “Friedman Dollar”, which had been encased in a protective plastic sleeve, was missing. Out of everything that was stolen, the loss of that Dollar hurt me the most.

I just read that Milton Friedman passed away today in San Francisco at the age of 94.

He might have been a small man in stature, but he was a giant in his field, and I will greatly miss him.

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