So here’s the problem.
My ex-copywriting apprentice is going to the big Traffic & Conversion Summit in San Diego next month (which is good)… but, she’s going to be surrounded by homeless cats (which is bad).
Here’s what I mean:
She’s a generous, giving soul with her time and knowledge.
(The opposite of me.)
And, thus, when she first discovered her newfound copywriting and marketing “powers” she wanted to be a do-gooder and help people — even people she did not know — with free advice, tips, ideas, and, yes, giving away her time freely, without asking for anything in return. She primarily did this via hanging out in various Facebook groups networking and contributing to discussions. In one case, some bloke (who had never met her, or had seen any of her work) even asked her to JV with him in his new business, and they’d split the profits.
At first, she was flattered.
Then, I explained why she should ignore him.
The dude was a poser with nothing to offer and, even if he did, why would he offer her half his business if he doesn’t know her, had never met her, has never seen any of her work, or even knew she existed 24 hours earlier?
Doesn’t that seem a bit… oh, I dunno… suspect?
But, she felt bad for the guy.
(Again, she is a much nicer person than I am.)
So, she declined his invite, gave him some good advice instead, and then (figuratively) swatted him on the butt, gave him a cookie, and sent him on his merry way, thinking that was done and on to the next adventure.
But alas, it wasn’t so.
Like a homeless cat will do if you feed it just one time — he came back looking for MORE free advice, ideas, time from her, etc. (Specifically he wanted to know if she knew of a pirate site to download a $5k product for free.)
Shocking, no?
So once again, she dispensed free advice.
(Sending him to the sales letter so he could BUY it.)
And, once again, she thought this was it and he’d leave her alone. Of course, he didn’t leave her alone. He came back to burgle even more of her time and knowledge and ideas…
(She now ignores the hoser finally.)
The point?
To stroke my ego with “I told you so’s”?
No.
(Well, maybe…)
All I want to say is… don’t feed homeless cats.
Not just the ones who show up on your doorstep each night expecting a saucer of milk… but also the ones online who will come back again and again for more “food” (free time, ideas, products, etc) from you… and sometimes even getting hostile if you don’t give it.
Make them learn how to hunt on their own, instead.
It’s the only way to save them.
Here’s where to go next:
Ben Settle
