Why is it that so many people online is trying to sell Success?
The online world tends to expose a part of human nature which is less apparent than in face to face conversations. It seems that in the online world, 7 out of 10 times when someone tries to befriend you, they are trying to sell you something which they claim can help you, the most being becoming more successful. I would think that it is actually quite good that they are offering to help people in areas they think might help them but when people step over the line, it sometimes seems distasteful.
This post is likely to offend those who fall into this case, those who try to sell their products about how to achieve a six to seven figure income yearly through their websites which looks like a single digit worth of effort, claiming that they can help you achieve success through building a great website and share all their secret tricks with us. I do not have the privilege of actually buying their products from them because I could not bring myself to believe in them, their target market is quite obviously for those who are just starting out on their journey for the search towards online success. So what is wrong with this picture?
When a website claims that they are able to drive traffic to your website or blog, isn’t it obvious that their website should get lots of traffic as well? To the slightly advanced web user, just a check into the site’s traffic would reveal most of the truth and the truth is in a ratio of almost 4 out of 10 websites I visited, they receive less than 100 visits a day. Another 4 in the range of hundreds and the last 2 actually have some results to show. It is not up to me to judge them but isn’t it suppose to be that people who are trying to be successful should they themselves have achieved some kind of success themselves?
Then who should?
For example, if Mike from Techcrunch or Robert from Scobleizer say something, I am more confident of what they say holds value because of their apparent success which can be clearly researched. If they choose to sell "success" one day, it’s justifiable because they are themselves already successful. They might hold different views at times but they have experienced enough to make their own judgements and have a lower probability of getting a wrong answer compared to those who haven’t achieved success.
That said, I hope that the blind do not attempt to lead the blind. Do not claim to be an expert unless you actually have results to prove. Be fair to others and yourself. The World is based on Trust and Integrity, guard it with your life.
As a number of readers here use Twitter, I would like to bring across this example. There are quite a few people trying to sell their "blueprint" of how to get more twitter followers and such when they themselves have problem crossing the magical 300 followers mark and when the better users have at least 1000 followers. Have you seen any of them lately?
Dr Wright
People sell the dream. Even if they have not gotten it, they teach what someone else told them works. I see people all the time teaching about having a tv show, when they themselves have never had one or had one about 25 years ago.
What about success now? Newbies cant tell the difference and everyone is trying to make a quick buck.
Its easy to get 1,000 twitter followers, just follow them first, then unfollow to make it look like you are very cool and popular.
Do you really need to a buy a program to tell you that??
Dr. Wright
The Wright Place TV Show
http://www.wrightplacetv.com
http://www.twitter.com/drwright1
Dr Wright’s last blog post..How to do a Sampling Campaign
Scott Blogs
Not only do they try to sell success, but they really push those pills for adults!! (keeping my post clean so your filter doesn’t throw it away)
It does make sense though, trying to sell success – simply because people buy it. If I think that you will make me richer, I’ll buy your product. (well, not me, cause I am too smart for that, but “me” in general)
Success comes in so many formats, business, web traffic, web rankings, money, relationships, and in the bedroom (my first example) to name a few. There is really a “success” product or service that you can pitch to everyone – we all have our weaknesses in what we will buy into.
The internet just opens up the doors for everyone to market anything to anyone. As long as there is money to be made, it will never, ever go away.
Scott Blogs’s last blog post..Santa Is a Canadian Citizen
Bobbi Jo Woods
Aptly put!
I’m so tired of these kinds of “salesmen” who claim to know their stuff but the results are in the pudding, folks, and some of those results are a negative reflection on the “salesman” – now, whether the folks reading into these types of messages know or not, one can never tell. However, thanks to posts like this, more folks might open their eyes and do their research before signing an agreement with these clowns or whipping out their MasterCard!
PS – this was a post I got via Twitter from you and I re-tweeted it shortly after I read it. Apparently it’s popular with a couple of my followers already, so the message is spreading…slowly but surely.
Rock on, Maynas!
Bobbi Jo Woods’s last blog post..Social Networking Series: Being Personable and Authentic
Maynas Eric
@Dr Wright: I think you hit the jackpot with that :)
@Scott: Nicely said, there’s more to it than it seems sometimes.
@Bobbi: Thanks! Rock on too Bobbi, btw I like your sites :)
kelly
Again, your blog entry make me sit up and THINK or reflect! For me, I don’t sell success. In fact I have yet to attain it. haha But I like the idea of sharing with others what works for me and what doesn’t. The Chinese call it STUPID, I call it GENEROUS, the Westerners call it GENIOUS! haha
Dr. Wright is right too! I think it is wise to buy only stuff you need. For example, I am no longer a newbie for cPanel and wordpress blog set-up but someone who is not in the know may need a product that explains/guides.
Merry Belated Christmas my friend! And thank you for visiting my “messed up” blog on Christmas!
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