www.BreakingOut.NET » The Horrible Sales Tactics of Some Internet Marketers

The Horrible Sales Tactics of Some Internet Marketers

Written by kevin

Or,

From The Desk of: Kevin, BreakingOut.NET

I want to talk about the horrible sales tactics that some Internet Marketers insist on using.

You will probably have encountered some or all of these tactics. As indeed I have. And most of these tactics make me cringe.

A lot of these techniques are more or less “standard” sales promotion devices. The online Internet Marketing equivalent of age-old pushy sales techniques from the offline world. They’ve been used in one guise or another throughout the world over since the beginning of time.

Arouse interest, curiosity, desire, appeal to greed and fear of loss. And any or almost any, method you can come up with that’s within the law is justified to achieve this.

If you’re a foot in the door salesman, where your aim is to get the contract, close the sale and get out of the door, never to come back, then we can maybe “justify” using these sort of techniques from our sales battle chest. Grab the Cash and Dash.

But if we are aiming to nurture our customers, maybe regard them more as clients, with whom we are building a long term relationship, then Cash and Dash now looks very out of place.

If you treat your audience, your prospects, your customers, as long term prospects, as clients with whom you build a long-term relationship, then these devices are not only tacky and distasteful. They also become unnecessary and even damaging.

The best customer is always the one you already have. Because long term relationships mean long term sales. Repeat sales. So we need to treat our customers as long term clients. Not as short term punters.

Even if we’re not aiming to develop long term client relationships, it’s still the case that there are always two ways of conducting sales business. Reputable and disreputable.

Which one are you going to choose?

So here’s my list of the Nine Worst Horror Sales Techniques Used By Some Internet Marketers…

Inevitably, we have to start with…

Make Money Online

Usually with images of unopened stacks of freshly minted Dollar bills either stacked next to the computer, or flooding out of the computer screen straight at you like someone who has won the lottery or a TV Game Show prize.

Where do they get these stacks of freshly minded Dollar bills from… Very suspicious.

Just like the old “Make Money from Mail Order” ads, brought into the Internet Age.

It should really read: Steer Well Clear of Make Money Online.

Next we start to get specific…

How I made $64,387.79 in just 30 days!

This announcement usually comes with a (possibly “Photoshopped”) screenshot of an earnings statement from an affiliate program. Should you believe these images of earnings statements that you find on the Internet?

It’s up to you. I prefer to believe in Photoshop.

Mind you, the taxman could well believe in them – he’ll probably be happy to take them as evidence.

Don’t forget that anything and everything can easily be Photoshopped nowadays. Remember the old saying: Don’t believe what you hear and only believe half of what you see.

And just because someone else made X amount in Y number of days does not automatically mean that you can do the same straight off.

Buy now! We can’t hold these prices much longer!

I can’t hold my laughter much longer either.

From the Desk of:

Uh oh. This can surely mean only one thing.

It’s another of those ueber-wealthy Nigerian princesses/industrial magnates/deposed presidents (delete where applicable) who has had to flee to a neighbouring state and so happens to need some help in transferring $7,235,749 USD (seven million two hundred and thirty five thousand seven hundred and forty nine dollars) out of the country and needs the bank account details from you, a complete stranger, to help him do this. Lucky you.

Or if it isn’t, then the Internet Marketer responsible has copied the technique straight from the 419 department* and doesn’t realise it makes him look like a Nigerian email spammer.

I actually find this one almost quaint. It’s like the opening address of a letter from an old fashioned bank manager of 50 or more years ago. It conjures up the image of some big heavy wooden teak bureau desk, cluttered with papers, fountain pens sitting in inkwells and a green-shaded desk lamp at the side, with the occupant busy filing away documents in the drawers below.

In reality, the occupant of the desk of anyone using such an opener these days is likely to prove far less trustworthy than your average bank manager.

But I think I’d prefer an email from the desk of a Nigerian 419 spammer than from the desk of some of the Internet Marketers out there. At least with the Nigerians you can be guaranteed an amusing read.

Far more appropriate would be

From the Scrapbox of Tired Old 419 Cliches of:

* 419 refers to article 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code relating to “Advance Fee Fraud”. By the way, I also dislike asterisked statements and small print – but both of them are hard to avoid completely.

Click Here for Social Proof

Now this is a powerful one. Social – and proof – together in one deadly potion. This one should get the punters.

You usually see this just after they’ve made some ridiculous revenue or profit claim that they feel is going to need backing up one way of the other.

Anything “social” is generally considered to be a good thing. Like social welfare, social democracy, social responsibility, social conscience, social housing and social security.

We now also have social media.

And now we have something even more drum-tight that the punters will (hopefully) not be able to argue with.

Proof.

Put them both together and you have something that will (hopefully) blast any and all objections and doubts away: Social Proof.

But it’s the “proof” bit that amuses me most.

“Proof” is something we assume to be absolute. After all, who in their right mind argues with proof?

But whether or not it proves anything is for the audience to decide, not you, Mr. Internet Marketer. Just because YOU consider something to be “proof” does not mean it really is.

And “proof” of precisely what, exactly?

It’s presumptuous, bumptious, annoying and insulting.

To me, Internet proof is never real proof. Think Photoshop again. There’s your proof.

The only “proof” you can be really sure about is that which is stated on a bottle of liquor. And even then, with some liquor imports it still pays to be sceptical.

Please don’t try to “prove” things to me. Leave it to me to decide for myself. Implicit marketing is always better than explicit marketing.

And as part of “social proof” we have..

Testimonials

This is the old original word for that horrible term “social proof”. Also sometimes known as references. But that’s gone out of fashion amongst most Internet Marketers. They prefer “social proof”. You might argue with references and testimonials but proof is proof, is it not? Proof is what gets the customer in a corner, not references or testimonials.

A few testimonials don’t do any harm. A small number might even be beneficial. But a whole list of them is just irritating. It looks suspicious too. Why are you trundling out all these people? Can we not believe what you yourself say?

And the implication you’re making in doing this is that all of these people are smarter than me – they bought the product. So if I don’t, I must be a dummy beyond any help.

I don’t appreciate being treated in this way.

Nor does it automatically mean their decision to purchase really was right – even for them. Don’t forget there’s a mug born every minute.

“FREE Report Reveals The REAL Secrets Of Making A Six-Figure Income Online In Just 30 Days!”

There’s nothing wrong with free reports, guides, e-books or anything else free in itself. In fact, there’s some damn good quality free stuff to be found on the Net.

As well as a lot of dross.

And what is wrong are stupid claims like the above which try to suggest that something is a secret when it isn’t.

Which also brings me to…

Secrets

Aarrgh!

Whether Revealed, Uncovered, Exposed, or “The Secrets THEY Don’t Want You To Know”, secrets are to be found in practically every Internet Marketers box of tricks.

Sometimes you get the impression Internet Marketers have more secrets than the CIA. If you’re out for a quick buck from your punters, you’ll never get far without one or two – or preferably more, secrets.

But secrets are effective as a selling tool. Or so they say. After all, who can resist being let in on a secret?

The trouble is, talking about secrets tends to make you look tacky and disreputable.

Wait there’s more!

Unfortunately, there nearly always is.

Like pop-ups that pop up when you try to leave. They’re the online equivalent of the proverbial brush salesman with his toothpaste smile and foot placed in the door to stop you closing it.

My opinion of the integrity of any Internet Marketer who throws this one at me when I try to leave his site descends down into the bargain basement and beyond. I never go back to the site of someone who tries this trick on me.

Wait! There’s even more!

Just a couple of other things that I dislike about some Internet Marketers. These are minor points, but I’m going to mention them anyway as they’re my own pet peeves.

Firstly, websites and product promoters who talk about “product launches” and “going live”.

I know what they mean. But it’s still back-room Internet Marketing Techy Talk.

To my mind, these terms don’t belong in the public domain when you are talking to your customers. Please don’t use them in this way.

Secondly, business entities that include the name “Ventures” or “Enterprises”.

They makes the whole business – whether venture or enterprise, look tacky and out for the quick buck. It’s like calling yourself Ajax Inc.

So which ventures are you specifically interested in then, Mr CEO? Any and all ventures that come our way, of course. We never say no to a quick buck!

Maybe it should read Vultures, rather than Ventures.

I’d rather not do business with any “Ventures” or “Enterprises” if you don’t mind. I prefer to stick to good plain old Ltds and LLCs.

So that’s it. That’s my personal list of horror Internet Marketing techniques.

Why do many Internet Marketers persist in using these horrible methods?

Partly it’s because these methods work, at least to some extent. Sometimes also because people are wary or scared of trying out any other techniques that aren’t already tried and tested. Don’t try to be different. Just swim with the shoal.

But perhaps “work” should be put in inverted commas. They only “work” in the sense of generating quick bucks. Whereas if your business isn’t focussed on Grab the Cash and Dash, then they don’t work. In fact, they do the opposite. They alienate and annoy and with that damage the chance of building long term relationships with your customers.

As I said at the beginning, I think these methods derive from taking the wrong approach towards your audience.

If you treat your customers as long term clients and not as short term punters, then the above methods will have no place in your strategy because you won’t need them. Your clients will be worth far more to you in the long term than they are by culling them now for the benefit of a quick short term gain and to hell with the future.

PS!

And just because almost every other Marketer may be using them, doesn’t mean that you have to.

Try and be a little different. Do things differently.

Stand out from the crowd a bit by daring to be a little original and distance yourself from their well-worn old sales techniques that they copy from each other.