A few years ago, I heard some biz advice I’ll never forget.
It was from direct response copywriting master Bob Bly (quoting a man named Jim Alexander) in an interview about getting clients.
And it’s so good, I immediately memorized it.
What was the advice?
“I can deal with a client who is ignorant. I can deal with a client who is arrogant. But I cannot deal with one who is both.”
Translation…
If someone’s arrogant, but know what they’re doing, it’s fine to listen to them. You might even learn something. And if someone’s ignorant, that’s also OK. You can work with someone like that, too.
But if someone’s both, then watch your “gluteus maximus.”
Because you’re in trouble — with a capital “T”.
And guess what?
There are people like this EVERYWHERE online.
Example?
OK, few months ago, some dude on Twitter kept giving me (100% unsolicited — I did not ask for it) advice with the words “ignorant” and “arrogant” written all over it.
He “critiqued” everything from my tweets to my profile location.
Hey, I’m sure this chap meant well.
But he spent all his time yapping without bothering to ASK questions (to, uhm, see what my results were first — from which he may have learned something).
And so his advice came off as so much hot air.
Another example?
While back, another whipper-snapper marketer flat out insisted I only send 2 or 3 emails per MONTH instead of my usual 5 or 6 per WEEK.
Is that right?
So I should ditch my sales data because someone whose only education on the subject is a free report from 2003 says so? (This dude would have kittens if he saw the mega successful 3 emails per DAY series I just helped with.)
Look, I could go on and on.
This stuff is rampant online now (especially in social media).
Everyone’s an “expert” these days.
And while most of these people mean well (demonstrating their knowledge for credibility purposes) many are really just newbies in guru “clothing.”
Ignorant, arrogant and dangerous to your bottom line.
Ben Settle
P.S. One reason I’m creating the Crackerjack Selling CD Club is to counter all this tomfoolery. For more info, sally forth over to:
