Why this We Marketing cyber chick isn't to be trusted
Today's Adventure in the Biz Opp Jungle:
'In which Charlie is turned off by this cyber-chick, imagines a world of
Door-to-Door Sales Robots, and looks into the "We Marketing" opportunity.'
Hi,
It's one of my pet-hates...
When a website tries to sell you a serious opportunity... using an animated
character.
You may have seen these on some network marketing or MLM websites. These sites have all the usual sales copy written down in the old-fashioned way. But for some reason they also create a computer-generated "sales person" to pitch the idea to you.
It's insane. Do they think this boosts their credibility?
For me it's an instant turn off.
In my view, the person selling the product should speak to you directly - and
"live". Just as John Pierce does on this site, which I recommended on Sunday:
http://www.thegurusteacher.com/BOJ/
If this isn't possible, I don't see the point in creating a robotic avatar to
do the job.
Otherwise, you can imagine companies developing legions of door-to-door "Sales Robots" to sell their products. Gone would be the days of real-life salespeople. Instead, animated machines would convince you to spend your money.
Imagine if you opened your front door to see Metal Mickey and C3PO standing
there... and listened to their pre-programmed sales pitch.
Would you buy double glazing off them?
Take 'We Marketing' for instance...
Let me give you an example. A reader recently asked me to look into a company
called We Marketing. They offer you a home-based opportunity to make "£250.00 - £750.00 a week".
The idea is that you simply "process orders" according to the instructions they
send you.
So I went to the site, only to be confronted by a dark-haired cyber saleswoman.
I mean, she looked alright for a computer animated character, but it's hardly
something that would convince me to take an opportunity seriously.
Saying that, I knew instantly that this was one to be avoided. Cyber-chick
aside, the site looked clumsily put together and didn't fill me with confidence.
The opportunity is pretty much as follows:
* You fill out various database forms with a list of advertising companies they
give you. These are leads that may or may not be any good.
* You then place classified adverts with them offering the same "work from home and earn 250.00 - £750.00 a week" message that brought you to We Marketing in the first place.
* If and when you've suckered in some fellow seekers, you send them the same kind of package that told you how to place these ads.
This is known as the "data processing" trick. It sounds like a real job, but
you aren't really processing orders. You are placing ads using leads that you
have to pay for, and which you then have to select and pursue yourself.
You may generate some money from these ads if (and it's a BIG "if") the leads
are any good and the market isn't saturated... but I doubt it. With no real
product at the heart of this, you're really just paying money for these guys to
give you leads that expand THEIR vacuous business.
See this old issue of The Biz Opp Jungle for a rant on the subject:
http://www.bizoppjungle.com/Letters/What_NEVER_to_buy_on_a_Monday.aspx
Some ways to protect yourself
With all these 'work from home' offers check there's a landline phone number,
not a mobile. Get an address, a proper street address, not a P.O. Box address.
Never send money without asking the company for specific details of what
they're offering. If it's along the lines of what I've described above, then
forget about it. If it's a genuine way to work and make money for the time you
put in (NOT commission for placing ads) then maybe consider it.
While I was looking at We Marketing, I found another example in my inbox.
Yes, another 'work from home' offer! It read:
"Here is a special provision of an employment offer in order to increase
employment rate in UK irrespective of the age and gender. This does not require any professional qualifications.
This Organization is founded to increase employment among the honest,
trustworthy and intelligent individuals living in UK to handle some elementary
paper work and payroll administration to our clients in UK. Your Obligation is
to work for 2hours a day and also listen attentively to given instructions.
Your Job [sic] is to take care of all applications with regards to new clients
that are willing to register company in Cyprus. Yours is to be filling all
documentations from these individual companies which will be sent to you under the companies [sic] name.
Salary Terms: 100 pounds for each transaction, Get back to us asap via email
address below if you are interested in the employment offer."
If you've seen something like this, delete it.
First, off the email doesn't say which company is making you this offer. There
isn't a phone number. And the email is littered with mistakes. I don't just mean
typos (like you get in my emails!), but really strange linguistic ticks and
grammatical oddities that make it sound like a foreigner has written it, not a
UK employer.
Nothing about the email says to me "Formal job offer from respected company".
Instead it screams out: "Run a mile, Charlie. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"
And finally today...
More feedback on Junk Mail
I've been getting a little more feedback on My Junk Mail Secret, as mentioned a
few weeks back (see my website for details if you missed it).
A reader tells me:
"Part 1 of the 'secret' was basically just a long advert for his £197 back-end
product, and Part 2 seemed to just be a collection of unoriginal copywriting
tips. So I sent it back on July 24th since when, like your other reader, I have
heard nothing."
I'll keep looking into this one. Perhaps the publishers will get in touch and
I'll convince them to offer the refunds.
You never know.
Charlie Wright
The Biz Opp Jungle