Am I crazy or what?

Hi everyone

Tell me if you think I've lost the plot......

As of today, my income generating eBook package 'How do I get started with my marketing?' is available for automatic download from my website, with absolutely no guarantee of payment for me other than an appeal to basic human decency that people will pay for it if they genuinely like it.

To date, the package has been available with an obligation free five day review anyway - so this approach is really not all that different I guess - except that it doesn't give me the opportunity to collect all those precious email addresses from when people ordered it for the free review. So far, the five day review approach has worked well (surprisingly, the dishonest ones are relatively few), but now I really want to take it to the next level.

I've done all this because after reading the likes of Think and Grow Rich, The Science of Getting Rich and the Rich Dad Poor Dad books, it has really hit home to me about the importance of giving before getting. But am I doing it in the right way?

My question I suppose is this - will people respond honestly? I.e. if they like and indeed use the package, are they like to give voluntary payment - or will I just be taken advantage of??

I really would appreciate your thoughts on this. Take a nosey at the site if you like to fully understand what I'm rambling on about. (www.tamaralyster.com)

Cheers,
Tamara




Can this possibly work?

Tamara,

I'm gonna give it to you straight, ok?

The strategy you suggest *can* work. I use it often.

Will it work in your case in my opinion?... unfortunately, no!

Why?

You have not done anything in the copy on your site to make you prospects *want* your ebook.

You are selling to small business owners and they are the most skeptical market of the lot. They get people wanting to sell them something *every* day. In short the have to screen out 99% of everything they see and hear.

Another free ebook on marketing (now matter how good it might be) is simply not going to cut it. The fact that they can pay you what it is worth after review is not going to cut it....

Their screening antannae are just too sensitive. The words 'ebook' and 'marketing' do you no favours in this market... talk about red flags for bs detectors! (please note I am *not* saying your ebook is bs just that you are describing it in exactly the same ways of 99% people that know nothing better than to hype and bs).

Yours is a very tough target market, unless...

You make then *want* your offering. That means appealing to whats in it for *them*...

Tell 'em how a small business like theirs has improved turnover 20% in three weeks as a result of one of your strategies.

Give 'em testimonials of business owners like them who have succeeded

Appeal to their greed glands...make the offer just *too good* to turn down... make it *different*...give them real benefits and make them alive, touchable and achievable.

Your main sales point seems that you are a nice person to do business with. Thats nice and no doubt you are and that *is* important...but in your target market it will sell you next to diddly squat.

In conclusion no matter which strategy you use unless you get your prospects 1. Past their bs detector and 2. Make them *want* your offering you'll always be whistling in the wind.

This may not be what you want to hear Tamara, but its the truth in my opinion.

Wishing you luck and prosperity.

Take care,
Andy


What does Michael Ross describe as 'brilliant'?

Hi Tamara,
I thought you might be interested in a company called Give to Get Marketing http://www.givetogetmarketing.com. They explain that you can (and should) give in order to get the results you want. But instead of giving the whole book away and hope that people will pay (which can definately work) you can also try other things such as newsletters and so on. I'm not associated with them, I just like their message.

Good luck.

Sharon

> Hi everyone

> Tell me if you think I've lost the
> plot......

> As of today, my income generating eBook
> package 'How do I get started with my
> marketing?' is available for automatic
> download from my website, with absolutely no
> guarantee of payment for me other than an
> appeal to basic human decency that people
> will pay for it if they genuinely like it.

> To date, the package has been available with
> an obligation free five day review anyway -
> so this approach is really not all that
> different I guess - except that it doesn't
> give me the opportunity to collect all those
> precious email addresses from when people
> ordered it for the free review. So far, the
> five day review approach has worked well
> (surprisingly, the dishonest ones are
> relatively few), but now I really want to
> take it to the next level.

> I've done all this because after reading the
> likes of Think and Grow Rich, The Science of
> Getting Rich and the Rich Dad Poor Dad
> books, it has really hit home to me about
> the importance of giving before getting. But
> am I doing it in the right way?

> My question I suppose is this - will people
> respond honestly? I.e. if they like and
> indeed use the package, are they like to
> give voluntary payment - or will I just be
> taken advantage of??

> I really would appreciate your thoughts on
> this. Take a nosey at the site if you like
> to fully understand what I'm rambling on
> about. (www.tamaralyster.com)

> Cheers,
> Tamara