Internet Newbie Diary

Since I was talking about horses and the carrot approach that snags so many opportunity seekers, it shouldn’t surprise you that now I want to talk about the flipside.

The carrot is the enticement, dangling in front of your nose, offering you something you want, desire, and (if the sales copy is good)… something you’ll be convinced that you need.

The stick

There’s a stick? Somebody is going to beat you with a stick when you land on their website? In a manner of speaking, yes.

Let’s look at ways the stick is used.

Limited time

Is the clocking ticking? Do you have to make up your mind in 17 minutes or the reduced price disappears?

One Time Offers (OTO)

OTO is really the same idea as above. The clock is not ticking, but once you leave this page….

Limited quantity

Only 17 copies left!

… and then they’re gone forever

… and then the prices goes up

Offensive copy

We’ve all seen this kind of copy:

• you’d be an idiot to pass this up
• only a moron would not see the value of this offer
• I’m richer, smarter, have bigger cars than you do
• you will feel terrible if you don’t grab this right now
• obviously you don’t care about your success if you’re not willing to spend a measly $ x dollars
• there are winners and losers.

It’s offensive. And it’s a little like watching a train wreck. Do you click away, or keep reading? If you were at a party, a lunch, or hanging around your office how would you respond to somebody talking to you this way?

Don’t be a horse.

Remove the blinders. Watch for the carrot and the stick approach. Take time to assess how you are being sold. What you respond to. It isn’t only a way to protect yourself from the dream sellers. You can also learn a lot about emotional triggers and the right (and wrong) ways to communicate with your own customers and visitors.

Look in the mirror.

Do you look like a horse? Do I? Don’t answer that question (!)

I was talking about opportunity seekers and how we’re prime targets for the dreams sellers. And as promised, I’m going to expand on some of the ways we’re drawn in to spend our money.

There are no secrets here. None of these ideas are new, or only used on the Internet, or only used for opportunity seekers. But, it’s important to put them in perspective because once you do that, you can take a step back and clearly assess an opportunity on merit instead of hype.

The carrot

Horses love carrots. Dangle one in front of their noses and they’ll keep moving forward hoping to get a bite.

How many websites do you visit where they are screaming about having a six-figure income?

Or displaying pictures of themselves with a flashy new sports car?

Let me ask you this. If you were starving, would you want someone to sit down in front of you and eat a big juicy steak?

Would that steak motivate you or just make you more hungry?

Motivation is good. I want to make six-figures a year. In fact, you can sign me up for the six-figures a month plan.

But right now, that steak just makes me more hungry. And that’s exactly where the dream sellers want you. Hungry. Starving in fact.

The hungrier you are, the more willing you’ll be to try the next ‘big’ thing.

To gamble on the best tool, secret method, never-before-revealed, underground, insiders-only, just-released, incredible, amazing, gotta have, you-won’t-believe it, backroom opportunity.

Now I could tell you I make six-figures a year. Throw up a photograph of a Ferrari. A big house with a fabulous pool. Throw in a beach vista with a few palm trees and a couple strolling along the beach. And how would you know if it was real or not?

The next time you’re considering a purchase, ask yourself what the carrot is.

Will the carrot nourish you or just keep you moving forward hoping to get a bite.

Are you motivated or are you starving?

And keep in mind that asses love carrots too.

Is Newbie a bad word? To some it seems newbie equates to idiot, dummy, stoodge and (often) fair game for low-quality high-price ‘opportunity’ pitches.

Let me say something right up front here.

If you are dealing with anyone who treats you in a condescending way because you brand yourself a ‘newbie’, then run…don’t walk … in the other direction.

If they say things like …oh, you would think that because (you’re a newbie)….

Oh, you would ask that because (you’re a newbie) …

You would not understand the explanation because (you’re a newbie) …

This particular system, process, product is not for you because (you’re a newbie) …

Or if they say they are ‘training’ you or ’shaping’ you to perform (as in to buy certain things, show up certain places, talk and post about particular people or products)… Run. Run. Run.

You are not a circus monkey to be trained to jump through hoops. And ‘training’ and ’shaping’ in this context is not only blatant manipulation, it’s insulting and condescending.

Here’s the thing

You may be new to internet marketing. Fair enough. But a lot of people that have been around for months and even years still consider themselves ‘new’ because there is a lot to learn. No one person can be an expert in all of it.

Here’s the other thing. Unless you crawled out from under a rock yesterday, you are bringing to your Internet learning a wealth of off-line experience and knowledge. Perhaps you’ve been a marketing manager, or customer service rep, or have done direct sales. Perhaps a copywriter, newletter editor, receptionist or deck-builder.

You bring a wealth of skill to your online business. Yes it will take you some time to put all the pieces together. But even if you consider yourself a newbie in some areas, you might already have mastered other areas.

Look, everybody online started somewhere. Don’t hang out with the bores and the arrogant ones. The ones who call you ‘peeps’. The ones who are ’shaping’ and ‘training’ you. The ones who see you as acquisitions.

Don’t be somebody’s ‘peeps’. Be your own person.

The Internet is a ‘network’, but it is made up of individuals. Think for yourself. Stand on your own two feet. And don’t let anybody talk down to you because you’re new.

Mostly, don’t be afraid to say you’re new. It’s impossible to learn if you don’t ask the right questions. Be yourself. Be authentic.

Newbie is not a bad word. It’s simply an admission that you are smart enough to know what you do not know. And confident enough to ask for help so you can move forward.