This email has been a loooooong time coming…
Comes an often-asked question:
“ive sat in on so many webinars from different people just to lurk that my head is spinning..i would love someone to help me but unless i have lots of $$ it doesnt seem to be an option.. and then theres the others with new ones popping out of the woodwork everyday- all the ‘gooroos’ how is anyone ever supposed to figure out who is real and who isnt when they are sprouting like weeds on a daily basis..and i cannot believe that every single person is making 10 figures a day x 7 days a week selling the same stuff and doing IM-i mean really??”
My 100%-not-to-be-questioned answer:
Assume we’re ALL full of crap until proven otherwise.
Yes, even me.
(*Especially* me.)
- Don’t believe someone just because they attach themselves to a bunch of gurus and are always hanging around with them.
- Don’t believe someone just because they claim to have “test” data (data without context is completely irrelevant to you for a multitude of reasons — yes, others’ tests serve as useful beacons and idea-generators, but at the same time, for all you know they are lying or withholding info, plus one lists’ data isn’t going to magically translate to yours — too many intangibles, like positioning, list relationship, brand, offer, message-to-market-match, and the goo-roo band marches on…)
- Don’t believe someone because they shower their advertising with “proof.”
- Don’t believe someone if they are always showing you their lavish lifestyle (you’d be surprised how many people have a Mercedes in the driveway but no food in the fridge…)
- Don’t believe someone just because they take a position where they are the ones calling out the scams and nonsense perpetuated by gurus, goo-roos, etc. (like I do a lot).
- Don’t believe someone just because they’re a good copywriter or marketer.
- Don’t believe someone just because they’re a “rockstar” in your market and everyone faints like liberals at an Obama speech every time they tweet something.
- Don’t believe someone just because they’re blatantly honest about their flaws. (Called “candor” which is quite powerful in advertising.)
- Don’t believe someone just because they’re so charismatic they can charm the birds out of the trees. (Many a serial killer, psychopath, and garden-variety con man is charming and charismatic, after all…)
- Don’t believe someone just because they have 10 pages of glowing “performance” based testimonials (not just “golly gee whiz I really Really REALLY like your product and stuff” testimonials). Testimonials can (and often are) be faked and exaggerated.
- Don’t believe someone just because they have no bad reviews online, and it’s all good reviews.
- And so on, and so forth.
In short:
Don’t believe anyone using any of the above trust-building principles and tactics — yes, even though I highly suggest YOU use (most of) those same principles and tactics. (I certainly do.)
After all, they can be (and are) misused by the corrupted.
So, what can you believe?
In my humble (but accurate) opinion…
Demonstration.
It’s the single most powerful way to prove your case. And, it’s the single best way to prove someone isn’t full of crap.
Hey, want to know if I’m full of it?
It’s easy.
Take the stuff I teach (1) in these emails (2) on my podcast (3) on my “media page” (over a dozen hours of hard audio and video training on there, free) and (4) in the free “Email Players” issue you got when you subscribed to this list. (And before anyone asks… if you foolishly lost that issue, no I won’t send it to you again, I’m not your mother here to wipe your snot nose, you’ll have to sac up and re-subscribe).
Anyway, go ahead and apply the stuff I teach.
Did it work?
No?
Then don’t buy anything from me.
Seriously.
Save yo bling-bling.
I don’t claim to be the end-all, be-all.
Fact is, there are *many* people my stuff does NOT work for. Particularly, people who are uptight, afraid to try new things, (gasp!) offend anyone, incurable perfectionists, plagued with analysis paralysis, can’t make a move without permission, or who play to not lose instead of playing to win.
They’re much better off going somewhere else.
(To someone who will coddle and tolerate them, I won’t.)
But, what if my stuff did work?
Well, then keep using whatever you used, and if it makes financial sense (and you can afford the whopping $3.23 per day it costs) take off the training wheels, subscribe to my paid subscription “Email Players” newsletter, and implement what’s in there each month.
And you know what else?
You can apply this same criteria to anyone.
Is there a guru you want to learn from but, don’t know if they’re the real deal? Then apply the stuff they give away free (or buy one of their products) and apply it.
Did it work?
Good!
If not, move on.
Bottom line:
Don’t trust anyone.
Especially not someone who gives you similar information, setting themselves up as the kings who “knight” others as being good or bad guys. (Like I’m doing in this email, now that I think about it…)
We’re ALL guilty until proven innocent.
And, even then, forever on probation.
That’s the attitude I take.
And, you know what?
It’s saved me lots of time and money.
Go thou and do likewise.
Then, check out:
Ben Settle
