Real-World Example Of Exposing Flaws In A Sales Letter

By Tim Gross - Internet Business Blog | December 16, 2008

You’ve may have heard that it’s a good idea to mention a minor flaw in a product that you’re selling to increase credibility.

Here’s a real-world example:

I recently listed a vehicle for sale on Craigslist with LOTS of photos from every angle. I got a couple of calls over the first 2 weeks… Then, a guy called from 100 miles away and was interested but said that when he’d gone to look at other vehicles, they were actually in terrible shape (ie, the ads he’d responded to were misleading)

I didn’t want him to waste a 100-mile drive if he wasn’t going to be happy with the vehicle, so I took a close-up photo of a small tear in the leather in one of the back seats, and took close-up photos of some fine scratches and minor paint-chips on the hood, explaining that it was in great shape for a 6-year old vehicle, but it of course wasn’t perfect.

I added those “flaw” photos to my Craigslist ad and something interesting happened…

I started getting a lot more calls, with serious buyers offering to come look at it with cash in hand to buy. (I’d already taken a deposit on it, so I had to turn them down.

I Raised My Credibility With The Buyers

When I pointed out the small tear in the leather that they most likely would not have seen if I ddn’t show them, they figured I telling the truth about everything else (and I was).

What That Means To You:

It’s easy to forget, but try to point out a potential flaw or drawback in your product/pitch. Too many sellers online sound like snake oil salesmen… Increase your perceived credibility and you’ll increase your sales.

Topics: Marketing | 1 Comment » Trackback URL

View From My Backyard (Rainbow)

By Tim Gross - Internet Business Blog | December 15, 2008

We’re gettin’ rain in California… Here’s a photo of a rainbow over my backyard - This is NOT Photoshopped :-)

Topics: Personal | No Comments » Trackback URL

Checked Your T.O.S. Lately? (Cyber-Cheating = Jail Time…)

By Tim Gross - Internet Business Blog | December 2, 2008

Here’s an interesting article on the implications of the MySpace suicide ruling, regarding how much legal weight website Terms Of Service carries:

Examples:

1) Anyone under age 18 using Gmail or any of Google’s other products is breaking their T.O.S.

2) Match.com prohibits married people from using Match.com to cheat on their spouses

3) eHarmony.com forbids users from lying on their profile

In theory, after the MySpace suicide ruling, anyone doing the above can be classified as hackers and put in jail.

My point in mentioning this isn’t about their T.O.S. though, it’s a reminder to look at YOUR website terms of service…

If you’re like most Internet marketers, you put up a T.O.S. page based on what you saw others doing (if you did it at all), without really considering what it means, and what it may be binding YOU to.

I remember a high-profile company during the dot-com bust who couldn’t sell their customer database (which was their main asset) when they tried to sell their company, because it would have violated their own T.O.S. agreement to their users/customers. (Ouch)

What does your T.O.S. and Privacy Policy give you the right to do, and what could it possibly restrict you from doing in the future as your business grows and changes?

The above examples highlight theoretical risks for end-users, but as business owners there’s always the potential for frivolous lawsuits that a proper T.O.S. can help derail.

1) Does your T.O.S. say you promise to never sell, rent or trade your subscriber list under any circumstance? What happens when you decide to sell that domain with it’s subscriber list in a couple of years?

2) Do you ask people to enter their email address into a form before they can download or access something without explicitly stating in your T.O.S. that by entering their email address that they’re being added to your newsletter and will receive recommendations and promotions from time to time?

3) Do you offer any type of software download without having a specific disclaimer that absolves you of all responsibility if it causes a problem with their computer? If not and their hard drive happens to fails the day after they install your software, you may have a problem.

4) Do you provide any hosting or ecommerce-related scripts that could possibly fail or cause down-time without stating that you’re not responsible for any loss of income due to a problem?

5) Do you link to any outside resources/websites/products without mentioning in your T.O.S. that you bear no responsibility for the companies you’re linking to?

You’ve got to remember:

-Some people try to make a living filing frivolous lawsuits

-Others are confused and direct their anger at the wrong thing

I’ve had people contact me demanding a refund for a competitor’s product that I had no relationship with (never promoted, never linked to, etc), and even after I proved that they were asking the wrong company for the refund, still didn’t believe me.

You can’t control what lunatics stumble on to your website, you can only try to protect yourself from whatever bizarre things they may do.

Topics: Oops (Bad Move) | No Comments » Trackback URL

Shocking Blog Analysis: Rate The Guru

By Tim Gross - Internet Business Blog | November 20, 2008

An interesting site http://www.typealyzer.com/ analyzes what type of person you are by your blog writings.

Out of curiosity, I ran my own blog TimGross.com first (duh, I’m a self-involved narcissist)   :-)
And then I ran quite a few other business marketing blogs to analyze as well. If you’re not familar with the 4-letter labels used in the results, they’re standard personality type designations.

I have to say, I think mine is pretty accurate (ie, I’m a brainstormer and need to be passionate about a project to be able to see it through).  A lot of the results are what you’d expect, but there are few surprises (Spoiler Alert: Frank Kern is methodical)

I’ve long said how important it is to know what type of person you are and what your strengths and weaknesses are. If you don’t know and try to work the “wrong way”, you’re in for a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Here are the results categories and blogs that fit in each:

ESTP- The Doers

http://www.TimGross.com
http://www.internetmarketingsecrets.com/blog/
http://www.paulcolligan.com

Description: The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

ESTJ -The Guardians

http://fourhourworkweek.com/blog
http://www.masscontrolsite.com/blog
http://www.Income.com
http://www.TerryDean.org
http://www.EdRivis.com
http://www.ArmandMorin.com

Description: The organizing and efficient type. They are especially attuned to setting goals and managing available resources to get the job done. Once they´ve made up their mind on something, it can be quite difficult to convince otherwise. They listen to hard facts and can have a hard time accepting new or innovative ways of doing things.

The Guardians are often happy working in highly structured work environments where everyone knows the rules of the job. They respect authority and are loyal team players.

ISTJ - The Duty Fulfillers

http://www.CopyBlogger.com

Description: The responsible and hardworking type. They are especially attuned to the details of life and are careful about getting the facts right. Conservative by nature they are often reluctant to take any risks whatsoever.

The Duty Fulfillers are happy to be let alone and to be able to work int heir own pace. They know what they have to do and how to do it.

ISTP - The Mechanics

http://www.michelfortin.com
http://www.john-carlton.com
http://www.pqinternet.com
http://www.ryanhealy.com
http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com

Description: The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generelly prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.

ESFP - The Performers

http://www.internetlifestyle.com/blog
http://www.JasonMoffatt.com

Description: The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

INTJ - The Scientists

http://www.markjoyner.name/logs
http://www.alexmandossian.com

Description: The long-range thinking and individualistic type. They are especially good at looking at almost anything and figuring out a way of improving it - often with a highly creative and imaginative touch. They are intellectually curious and daring, but might be pshysically hesitant to try new things.

The Scientists enjoy theoretical work that allows them to use their strong minds and bold creativity. Since they tend to be so abstract and theoretical in their communication they often have a problem communcating their visions to other people and need to learn patience and use conrete examples. Since they are extremly good at concentrating they often have no trouble working alone.

…So what do you think, how accurate are the assessments? Did you run the analyzer on your own blog? Do you agree with the results?  Also - If I left your blog out of this list, nothing personal, I just did a random sampling.  :-)

Topics: Cool Tools, Marketing | 8 Comments » Trackback URL

Online Business Ethics Part 3: Passive Marketing

By Tim Gross - Internet Business Blog | November 19, 2008

Continued from part 1, about business owners being terrified of complaints

Business Owner Type 2:

Overly passive marketing that doesn’t push for the sale. Beyond non-hype, the seller doesn’t even sound that convinced of his product himself.

This is probably the most common pitfall that business owners and entrepreneurs find themselves in. It’s the “If you build it, they will come” philosophy.  You give a short description of your product with an order link, and hope for a sale.

Too often, the sales don’t come, at least not enough to keep the business’ doors open.  It’s all done straight by the book… the bland book:

To some people, “boring and bland” is synonymous with “ethical”.  By not understanding the huge hurdles that need to be overcome in order to make a sale to a new customer as a previously unknown business, that they follow institutional advertising thinking that will be enough.

The problem is that institutional advertising works to some degree because of the institution. A large company with a long history of satisfactory products and services doesn’t have to work as hard for the sale, because their reputation preceeds them. You, as the newcomer to the marketplace, don’t have that luxury.

Direct-response marketing expert Dan Kennedy said, “If your advertising doesn’t embarrass you, you’re not pushing hard enough”.  (That’s not an exact quote)

While I don’t completely agree with that (I’ve marketed plenty of products without embarrassing myself), the concept is important: Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone. It’s not unethical to be passionate about your product. Show your passion.

(To be continued)

Topics: Marketing | No Comments » Trackback URL

Online Business Ethics Part 2: Terrified Of Complaints

By Tim Gross - Internet Business Blog | November 7, 2008

In part 1, I listed the 8 different types of Internet businesses (in terms of ethical approaches). In this post I’m going to focus on #1, the “newbie trap”:

1) Terrified of getting a customer or even subscriber complaint of any type. Terrified even of getting criticized by non-buyers

I’m sure you’ve been in a retail store and witnessed a hapless employee getting verbally ripped to shreds by an angry, agitated customer who believes they’ve been treated badly. Sometimes those customers have a point. Sometimes they don’t.

A small percentage of customers (and people in general) are a huge pain in the butt.

-You get the idea.

If you think those people aren’t online, you’re sadly mistaken. In fact, because of the anonymous nature of the Internet, more people behave even worse.

Here’s a sampling of stuff I’ve dealt with doing business online:

A customer purchases a downloadable product late at night, then emails support late at night that they weren’t able to download the product. At 7:30am Eastern time (4:30am Pacific, where I live) the email again saying they haven’t received a response yet and that they must be getting scammed, demanding a refund immediately or they’re going to do a chargeback on their credit card.  (Remember, this all occurred after-hours, even though our contact form clearly states that our customer support operates 8:00am-3:00pm Pacific time.

Customer angrily calls our office angrily demanding to know what in the hell we think we’re doing charging their credit card… And then sheepishly apologizing once they’re told what the charge is (they forgot they purchased, etc)

Accusing us of spamming them when they receive our email newsletter even though they subscribed to it in the first place.

Filing a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau Online because they installed free software we offered and had trouble uninstalling it… They never even contacted us for help first.

In fact, over the course of 5 years and well over 100,000 sales, my last online business received a grand-total of 2 complaints to the Better Business Bureau Online, and neither complaints were from actual customers! One was regarding a problem uninstalling free software, and the other was someone who said they kept receiving emails from us after they unsubscribed.

That’s something I’m very proud of. But that doesn’t mean it’s possible to keep everybody happy, and you just have to get used to it.

Even if 99 out of 100 customers say your product is great, the hundredth person will say it sucks, that it’s a ripoff, that it’s not worth what you’re charging (not matter what you’re charging), that it doesn’t work, that it’s a scam…

No matter how good your product is, no matter how good your customer support is, some people will be unhappy. Every once in awhile you’ll miss someone’s email asking for help. Somebody will send a support email to the wrong place and you’ll never see it, or it’ll get eaten by a spam filter, etc. (Side note: I highly recommend using Help Desk software or at least a Contact Form instead of just having people email you directly)

…And I haven’t even gotten into the criticism and complaints you can get from people who haven’t even purchased anything from you yet.

The moral of the story: Sell good products and provide good customer support, and thicken up your skin for the inevitable complaints you’ll get every once in awhile. It’s all part of doing business.  :-)

Topics: Marketing | 1 Comment » Trackback URL

How To Troubleshoot Slow Wordpress Admin Panel

By Tim Gross - Internet Business Blog | October 24, 2008

If your Wordpress blog is running slow, especially the Admin panel, here’s how to troubleshoot and fix it.

Note: Regardless of what you think, it may not be Wordpress or your hosting company’s fault, even if it seems like it is.

1) Change your Wordpress Theme to the default theme, see if pages load faster. If it does, consider switching to a different theme.

2) Disable your plugins. Some plugins check back to the creator’s site for updates automatically, and if their site is down or if the plugin is buggy, it could slow everything to a halt.

If you can’t get into your Wordpress Admin panel because it’s running too slow to even disable the plugins, FTP to your /wp-content/plugins directory and temporarily rename the /plugins folder so Wordpress can’t see it, or download the files in /plugins and delete them from your website as a test.

If that fixes the problem, re-upload and/or enable individual plugins to find out which one is killing your load time, and stop using that one.

3) If you’re using a router for your home/business networking, try bypassing the router entirely and connect a computer directly to the modem. For me, that fixed the problem, which means it’s a router issue (surprised me, I’ll tell you).  Solution: Troubleshoot your router, see if it needs a firmware upgrade, try disabling its firewall options. I use a Linksys router, their support is 1-800-326-7114 and for $9.95 if they can fix the problem, they’ll upgrade your firmware and tweak your settings, it did the trick for me.

4) It could be an Internet hop/connectivity problem. In Windows, click Start=> Run, enter “cmd” (click enter)
Then, enter “yourwebsitename.com tracert”  (for me, timgross.com tracert”)

You’ll see each “hop” in the Internet that connects that website to you. If one of them “times out”, that could be the problem. I had a hop timing out and THOUGHT that was my problem, but it turns out it wasn’t, it was the router.

Solution: If you’re sure it’s not a router issue, call your Internet access company and tell them you’re having a traceroute problem to a website, and give them the details. In theory, they can reroute the paths to fix the problem.

2nd Solution: Use an anonymous proxy server like worksurfing.com and try connecting through it. I was actually able to log onto my Wordpress Admin and post successfully doing that before I fixed the problem. Drawbacks: They throw popup ads at you, annoying.

5) Check to see if your MySQL Database needs to be optimized or fixed. Download plugin WP-DBmanager and activate it. You can optimize and fix (as well as back up) the MySQL database running Wordpress, which may fix problems that are slowing it down.

I hope that helps… When I was trying to fix the problem, I didn’t run across any info about it possibly being a router problem, so I hope this helps somebody!  :-)

Topics: Cool Tools | No Comments » Trackback URL

« Previous Entries