The thing is Rich, some of the experts you coach sell the reprint-rights, PLR, crap. Their whole business model is… target the opportunists. So are you saying that your clients are selling crap to their customers and misleading them too?

You help these coaching clients sell MORE of this crap to people? You encourage it?

Mike Filsaime - your client - got his start selling this crap. He still sells some of it: http://the-best-deal-ever.com/index.htm/. This page is full master resale rights, PLR, and other garbage… THAT… when it all boils down to it will not help ANYONE build a significant business… just like you say. It got opportunist written all over it.

Look he sells a product teaching people how to sell this crap to other people to: http://www.the-total-resale-package.com/resale/

What do you think of that?

I get the impression you say one thing, but do another.

It’s like you’re fighting against all this “opportunistic” stuff, but you’re in bed with it at the same time. (You’re clients are the guys you don’t want to be friends with? I think you’re smart enough to know it?)

You comments box says “Speak your mind”, and i just did. Your post above sparked these comments.

I’d like to know what you think about what i have just said? Am i right or wrong?

I’ve really wanted to go to a ‘big’ internet marketing seminar for sometime now but from the sounds of it I’m better off not having gone to this one.

I have to admit I’ve been to an internet marketing seminar that was held locally and went to the back of the room, and actually bought.

It was a coaching program that cost almost $10,000 and from the sounds of it I’d be rich by the end. For me, I didn’t fall for it because I’m lazy and want the easy way out of making a lot of money, I just felt like they knew what they were talking about (after listening to their 2-day internet marketing seminars) and if I followed I’d be sure to make the money back and much more.

About a week after joining that program I had knots in my stomach all the time so I called up the company and got my money back. I’ve never done anything like that since.

Now over a year later I’m making money by providing services to other business owners, and was able to quit my full time job. I rely on hard work and small investments that I can afford (not putting it all on credit cards).

So, can I still be your reader?

I think maybe I felt a little guilty after reading this and thought I should come clean..lol.

Looking forward to the part two of The Attention Age Doctrine!

Having attended seminars in other areas (mainly sales and real estate investing), I have come to the conclusion that most of them are nothing more than thin attempts to sell you an overpriced and overhyped collection of junk.
What is disapointing is that I know there are some events that are worth attending, where I can learn and be helped.
But I am not going to play “Russian Roulette” trying to find out which one of the hundereds I get pitched is that gold nugget.

Rich, I’ve really enjoyed your Attention Age Doctrine and Internet Business Manifesto. I honestly haven’t read a more informative set of documents when it comes to online business. I was actually reading through the (annoyingly-pseudo-narrative-though-pretty-spot-on) “E-Myth” when I found your information. I immediately dropped the queue of other materials I had planned to read and dug in to the rest of your site. I am really looking forward to your next installment of the Attention Age Doctrine.

Currently, the only online business I’m doing is the occasional item on eBay (though arbitrage, real-world and virtual, was a big part of helping me pay my way through school ten years ago). I do, however, absolutely plan on utilizing online marketing as I go forward with another project.

Like you, I really don’t like the Private Label Rights swindle or related products and scams - I just don’t anyone but a handful of marketers making a real living with them. Those marketers got where they did by having original content and useful information, but seem to be peddling something different (hey, who wants to give away the farm?)

The challenge for me is that I *don’t* currently have a product, and don’t want to resell someone else’s information. I do animation, web design, graphic design, etc. - Digital Media, basically. My wife has written some children’s books, one of which is the first in an intended series, and we had an agent, as well as publisher interest, but nothing which we felt comfortable with.

I plan to create Direct-to-video animated DVD’s based on her books and my illustrations, but the challenge is in raising the capital needed to initiate production. Once I do that, I can finish the project and have a product to sell, online or through other channels. I plan to start working on a grassroots/social marketing PR campaign to raise interest in the project and hopefully stand out from the crowd of authors and artists out there, the thing is I just am not sure of the *best* way to get it rolling. Okay, I realize there probably isn’t just one best way, but lots of ways which are less than ideal, and I hope to avoid spinning my wheels any longer than I have!

I am more than willing to do the work and I’m driven like a poor man’s mare, I just need to be pointed in the right direction - how many of your clients are using the internet, not to sell something at first, but to generate funding for a future revenue-producing product? That’s where I’m really busting my brains. I have lots of ideas (too many, probably), and eventually would like to see more of this business become Automated, but at the moment I want to be able to pour myself into production, knowing that I have a fairly captive niche-audience (faith-based/family-friendly) for the eventual product. I have no doubt it will take off like a rocket when it’s done, and I actually look forward to the ten months it will take to get it cranked out - it’s just that staying-fed-housed-and-clothed bit in-between I’m still trying to figure out.

Rich, I’ve really enjoyed your insight and look forward to finding more efficient ways to channel my manic tendencies…

Hey Rich

I was at Mal Emery’s seminar on the Friday. Didn’t get to see you speak as I had another seminar to be at.

Saw the same thing there. Speakers telling their story of how they made it. Hard work. Effort. But when they mentioned their “instant money making product” people rushed to get it.

You can often learn a lot more by watching what successful people do than by what they sell you.

Regards
Kyle

Hey Rich, I understand where you are coming from on the resale rights bit, but
I also wanted to bring another point to this conversation. While I wholeheartedly
agree that you do need your own product; I also can see the short term benefits to
using private label rights to bring in enough income to give you a quick start up.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about just slapping your own name on someone
else’s work, and then having the gall to call it your own. Frankly, my belief is
that if you are going to move in to that field, then you need to at least take the
time to add your own content, related to your own experiences, and not the experiences
of other marketers. If I am wrong in this matter, then I am more than willing to
admit it.

I look forward to Attention Age part 2, like every one else. I hope that the content
will spur my husband and I on in our quest to help Christian marketers be bi-vocational,
while keeping first things first.

God bless, Teresa

Rich,

This reminds me of what you said to me on our very first 1-on-1 call.

You told me that, from your experience, entrepreneurs are the least likely to succeed (and enjoy their success) by following somebody else’s model.

That is to say, if you’re an entrepreneur at heart, you’re doing nothing but a disservice to yourself by going after the get-rich-quick, Internet marketing hype.

I bought into the hype when I first started my business, and it was very difficult for me on a personal level. Making money wasn’t hard, but I was unhappy with the work — it wasn’t MINE.

Thanks to the revelation, I’ve been able to help my peers understand this fact… and now they’re building their own ground-breaking web businesses that are absolutely NOTHING like the garbage sold by so many Internet marketers.

I look forward to your latest report!

Hi

Know where your’e coming from - sometimes even when we know better we think people just want the quick fix and the best way to be competitive is to give people that - its the online equivalent to fast food. I’ve been sucked in a few times and now I just read, invest and listen to a few select people, my experience shows me that the fast food buzz is short lived and eventually people get it. I believe this is something people learn - even investing time and money in duds has taught me something.

Looking forward to Attention Age part 2!

All the best
N

Richard, you’re such a sweet heart!

Have you ever done a personality type analysis? I’m sure if you do the personality type analysis you’ll be high on the amiable type.

I know of a quick quiz that determines what type you are. What I like about this quiz is that it claims that one person can be high in more than one type but the highest score is of course your dominant type. However you can be high in more than one type and that’s why in different situations the different type of you shows up. Which makes total sense to me than other quizes that make you fall in one and only one type and doesn’t justify your different actions that don’t reflect the type you’re supposed to be in based on those quizes

Anyways, back to your post,

I never believed in a “become a millionaire overnight” type of advertisements and never fall for them. I receive a lot of these everyday but never took an action to buy any. I know it’s a trap!

But you know most people fall for money big time; So they get trapped easily. Just mention money and they’ll do anything you ask them to do. That’s, in my opinion, justifies why although they say they understand and agree with you, they just blindly go ahead and bye the quick soln.

it’s a trap…

Hey Rich

You’re obviously more intelligent than the average, and I think you’ve just come up against the mind-boggling fact that not everyone is as intelligent as you are. It’s an easy assumption to make that everybody else is just misinformed, and as soon as they see the truth, they will behave in the “right way”, but after a while, you will realise that the world just ain’t like that.

This is a problem faced by all visionaries, because they can’t see why people behave like sheep, following whoever pushes the buttons, without thinking things through, and especially when they are in a crowd of other people all doing the same thing - like at a seminar.

It’s comparatively easy to ignore the typical sales email series, there’s nobody else providing peer pressure, and the atmosphere in your home is not generally full of excitement and expectation. At a seminar, it’s harder. Plus, there’s a lot of NLP and hypnotic selling techniques used at seminars, and this is very effective as a conversion tool.

You will never know for sure whether the people to whom you give your very straightforward, clear and helpful advice will really take it to heart and apply it. But don’t throw in the towel. If even the standard 20% follow through, we will think it’s worth it, and bless you for it.

Please don’t leave us out in the cold. Some of us are hanging on your every word.

Nothing worthwhile is easy.
I wish I had a magic button I could sell to dummies.
That is what you should do Rich, invent a magic button!

Rich,

Disenchanted & disheartened. Totally understand. I have noticed a measurable uptick (downslide?) in my attitude in the past year or so. Lots of it is attributable to my present life circumstances, some to the oncoming severe (and largely ignored) recession. But most of the attitude is directly related to sheeple I encounter.

For years I was I a top billing recruiter. The way I succeeded (other than the fact it was a booming economy) was that I gave all my candidates hard to hear advice, that if applied, helped them land jobs. Two things motivated me to tell people things that are tough to hear and say, 1- there is no sense in sending someone to an interview, just to have them fall on their face, especially when my bottom line relied on their success and 2-the desire to help others learn the things I learned, without the pain.

Now, as the economy tightens, my advice is greatly needed. Yet, almost no one wants to put in the effort to do the things I KNOW work. Even when their entire family’s future depends on it.

Most people, my friend, are just inherently lazy and stupid, I am having a real rough time coming to terms with this. And I see you are too.

So, my final comment is, my attitude is directly related to my dilemma: should I continue taking the high road and telling people the truth while making no money for myself? Or should I create a program that appeals to the lazy and stupid and basically “cheat” them out of their money to benefit my family? Damn, I hate my morality sometimes.

Peace.

Ethics. A very thin line indeed.

IMO it happen because of supply and demand. we are not living in a generous world. people always take advantage of other people’s weakness. nobody give something for nothing. market loves a winner and scarcity. for that reason that’s why a lot confusion, scam and spam going on but nothing is being stopped.

this environment are used by the people with money in biz to gather the phobia but hungry market into their dungeon. those people don’t care which dungeon those market or opportunity seekers are put into because they has created the JV and money in the list system. those people know that the market will buy from people whom they trust and has credibility.

so who will the market trust? definitely not newbies who are taught by them that creating new products, JV and money in the list is the key to success. those principle are created for the benefit of certain people only. and that is the reason IMO why most people failed online. that’s why i’m not into seminar, making money system or anything of that kind or even building a list. a list only needed when you have valuable info for your subscribers. if you are selling garbage to your subscribers you will create garbage market.

so thanks to you Rich for not being one of them. your “The Attention Age Doctrine” has taught me a lot about the market and i’m looking forward to the second part. to me success is journey not a destination and life is a non-stop learning process. we learn so we can teach. we teach because giving let us experience the greatest feeling in life.

Yes, for sure, we’re all hanging in there, waiting for Part 2.

But in the meantime, is there any chance of losing the GREEN? I find it incredibly aggressive.

Rich,

I feel that you and I should be friends by now. And here’s why.

You write about Strategic Vs Opportunistic approach. And I am using your guidance as a Blueprint in all my business endeavours.

You talk about Opportunity Vs Distraction. And I used your metrics this Summer to spot the biggest opportunity on the Internet…LOL

Now here’s where the rubber meets the road, my friend…I will use your advice on how I should treat my business (as a REAL business, of course), in order to create a Brand within a Brand…

If I become successful by using all of your mentoring and guidance, I will write a book about it, and I will tell the Whole World that I owe it all to you…

However, if I don’t - then I will come to you for guidance, once again… And I know that you will help me identify my constraints…

But for now - just one piece of advice to you…

Jesus said, “Father - please forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing…”

Please forgive them, Rich…For your Coaching clients are scared, confused, and blinded by the smell of an easy profit…They are not concerned about Ethics, or Goodwill, or benefit of the Mankind…They are only in it for the money, Rich. So whatever you’re writing right now is not for them, Rich. You’d be better off saving your wisdom for those of us who really deserve it, for those who are seeking it, for those who will cherish it and use it wisely…

All the best to you in your wonderful work, Rich - please keep it up for all of us!

Best regards,
Val

I don’t think I’ve read a more honest assessment EVER. I see this happening a lot online. The sad thing is that people fall for this kind of blatant lying, just because these people are known as “The Experts.” I can’t wait to see what else you have coming…

Rick,

Excellent article. Insightful. Powerful.

I just posted a link to it at one of my sites … http://www.moneyyeshellno.com/

Thanks for writing this!

Scott Hove

Great Post! Keep up the excellent word.

Love & Gratitude,
Tina
Think Simple. Be Decisive.
~ Productivity, Motivation & Happiness

Rich

I think sometimes the people who do what you said, do the hard work, go the right way, follow YOUR plan or someone else’s are so afraid that someone who they coach, they mentor, they lead might pass them by, might actually DO what they teach them to do- that they subconsciously prevent someone from doing that by NOT teaching the real steps, by NOT showing the truth of how they did what they did. It’s ironic to me how people like yourself, people who have made hundreds of millions of dollars have broken thru that barrior- you do NOT fear that someone might bypass you, someone might actually do all that you taught them. So when you teach someone , you teach them WHAT you did- rather than some psuedo formula that really only teaches bits and pieces and could only create, if at best, 1/2 the success that you had. I applaud your comments, especially, ESPECIALLY because you said some of the people you have mentored were in that room!

Thanks for being THE VOICE…. you teach, “Many people don’t know who to trust- they don’t know where to go to get their answers, so BE that person.” You are trustworthy Rich- thanks!

Sandi

ps… as a matter of fact I feel so passionately about this I am going to link to this post on a new Video I am going to do on YouTube about this very topic. “Is the person you are learning from REALLY teaching you how to do what they did?”

Thanks for the inspiration! I’ll get that done today!

Richard,

I predicted this about you in July of 2006 and it’s documented in an article on my blog.

Now, I’m not Nostradamus so how was I able to do that? It was easy. And it was two-fold:

1) Association. Read the first reply in this comment thread. While I can find good things on which to focus about most anyone, the person replying in the first comment has a valid point.

2) Without problems, there’d be no need of solutions. So people are getting the impression that you’re not highlighting their REAL problems but, instead, a la “Wisk Detergent”, inventing them by a mischaracterization. A ring around the collar used to be a sign of a hard worker and they turned it into a shameful one.

Unconsciously, you did the same thing by acting disappointed by the herd mentality of those running around for cheap and easy PLR which, by the way, can still be used to make a small mint if a person is ambitious enough and knows what they are doing. They just can’t make any money using it amongst the personality cult of the people you, and associates, train to believe otherwise.

I’d like you to go back and re-read Napoleon Hill’s best known work. Then, together, we can look at that same “herd” of people and see the spark of ambition that got them to the seminar in the first place. And to realize that before your disappointment, they had been doing mighty fine hadn’t they? They paid a seminar fee? Or did you lure them with another of those “free seminar!” offers? They paid airfare? Hotel? Cabs and meals? Time away from their families?

And your show of thanks is to blame them?

It sounds to me like both you and your “panel of success” failed.

I’ll tell you what. When you feel ready, contact me. I won’t even publicize it. And I’ll show you a way to feed everybody - including the original pack of cronies on whose shoulders you’ve ridden to prominence.

When you’re ready.
Sam

Get Rich Quick — send me all your money! :
Wait, that will only get me rich. Ahh, what the …, you’d spend your money foolishly elsewhere, so send it to me instead

You’re right on Rich!

Rich,

Right after being swindled out of $2479 by a the Marketing Mentors Inc. and their Attract Clients Like Crazy boot camp, I came across your materials and they really helped me open my eyes.

I’m aware of my mistake and regret not having the information you provided sooner (http://www.marketing-systems-review.com/)

Thank you.

The first post nailed it for me Rich!

Yes, I agree with your sentiments in this post - I hate and loath the get-rich-quick scammers in this wonderful industry (of Internet Marketing) and can see through their lies quickly… I applaud what you said, that I have said to colleagues many times, but…

Some of those ‘people’ are YOUR clients!

They pay YOU money for coaching, and if you truly felt the way you do about people doing this sort of thing, why are you NOT coaching your clients to NOT indulge in this sort of behaviour???

Why are you refusing to take their money and work with them if they continue to use your knowledge & coaching to perpetuate this scenario???

I know you & Mike Filsaime are friends - perhaps even very tight? I don’t personally know Mike, and I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he is a nice guy, honorable, ethical, etc… Yet, Mike is a big one for this sort of stuff! He’s constantly pumping the get rich quick thing, along with reprint rights, etc etc.

There are MANY others I am sure. Mike’s just the most obvious one that comes to mind.

So…… whaddayasay Rich???

R U gonna walk the talk or just talk?

I for one am very interested to see the outcome of this…

Eran

PS: I attended 1 big IM seminar back a few years ago in Sydney (I am in West Australia) and it was one big pitch fest from start to finish! I had a good time & met some good people, but was pretty disappointed with what happened there, ESPECIALLY when I paid $2-3K (I forget how much exactly) for the ticket, accommodation, airfare, food, etc just to get pitched at for 2-3 days!

PPS: No way will I fall for that again. There’s only 2-3 people who run these sorts of seminars that I would go to now, and both of them are very strong on NO PITCHING by their speakers. Just give great info - teach, educate, inform, enlighten. That’s how it should be, UNLESS the ticket is dirt cheap & you KNOW u will get pitched at cos it is cheap!

Ooopppssss….

In my above post, I said “Why are you refusing to take their money and work with them if they continue to use your knowledge & coaching to perpetuate this scenario???”

I got 1 word wrong: are SHOULD have been aren’t, so:

Why aren’t you refusing to take their money and work with them if they continue to use your knowledge & coaching to perpetuate this scenario???

Sorry & thanks.

Eran

Hi Rich, received your notice in my inbox and came on over to read what’s up.

I’ve been handling phone calls and publishing articles about this very thing now for over 1/2 a decade. I’d stop, but the calls just keep coming. My conclusion drawn a long time ago - common sense is one commodity in definite short supply on the ‘net. Oh, and tally in impatience. No one has any nowadays. Everything is “I want it now!”

The internet is a place where people come for information. Putting one’s creative abilities to work to provide that sought out “widget” information requires the one thing that most people lack - the ability to hunker down to start something and stick with it. I’ve asked and/or told people to stop spending money and do something productive like teach themselves how to code a website and provide a valuable resource. I’m positive if I was in the room with them, and not on the phone, they are just shaking their heads. “It’s too hard.” “I just can’t do that.” “It’s too much work.” Yet they blindly run up their credit cards and search for someone to blame when life isn’t handed over in a nice, neat little bundle of money.

I’m not sure if you’ll allow me to post the direct url, but if anyone is interested just visiting my website and looking under the Article Library will get you to the most recent called, “Putting That Making Money Online Thing In Perspective.”… my (in vain??) attempt(s) to be heard on the subject of “that guru you follow did not do it ‘overnight!’” I’m tired of the lies. And, on a daily basis, dismayed at how easily they are believed.

Honestly, Barnum knew what he was talking about when he said there’s one born every minute. Take that statement down to nanoseconds and we’ve about summed up the last decade or two.

Thanks for an interesting visit. Enjoyed all the comments, too

Rich, check this out when you get a moment.
Just a lucky guess?

tinyurl.c o m/ 2guf8z

At last someone who tells the truth (if you pay close attention to the words in this blog). I’ve been studying the whole Internet Marketing ‘industry’ for years and am happy to say I’ve never spent one dollar on anything offered. I worked very successfully in marketing for 20 years and have been teaching it, at university for 5 years and consulting, with similar success. Where nearly all so-called gurus (there are a few well-known exceptions) demonstrate a) their lack of REAL marketing understanding b) their ‘get rich quick at the suckers’ expense’ mentality is they break a key rule of professional marketing: building long-term MUTUALLY profitable relationships. TIP: to anyone thinking of investing in whatever this week’s over-hyped package is: do they REALLY care about me long-term? Do they PROVE they do in a concrete way? Most don’t and most fail this simple test. It amazes me that the ‘bubble’ hasn’t burst sooner. Alas, there are a lot of desperate people who don’t know any better.

Chris in Prague, what still remains to be addressed is why Rich did not take responsibility for the fact that his trained minions were unable to get their point across. If his frustration is sincere then he’s just waking up. If he’s using it as a sales tactic, then he’s blaming the sheep for being sheep rather than blaming his shearers for not being able to shear them.

It’s really that simple. But imagine calling attendees idiots because the sales force couldn’t convert. lol Anyone? Bueller?

Hi Rich;

I have been watching your blog for some time now and have always been impressed. I read the first half of the attention age report and am looking forward to the second half.

I too have become bitterly disappointed with the “pitch-fest” (or table rush as you called it) that tends to happen at each and every live event these days. Regardless of how well-meaning these speakers are on stage they lack one critical skill (in my opinion)…

They can’t teach anything!

They know how to do, but they can’t teach others how to do it for themselves. At least not in the 90 minutes of stage time they are given. So it’s no wonder they have to resort to fluffing and pitching just to capture the attention of the audience, who are numbed by the onslaught of “magic bullet” so-called opportunities.

But the blame can’t all be laid on the speakers, or on the event organizers who create the schedules and the set up for these events.

Some of the blame needs to be laid squarely on the shoulders of the people who are only interested in a push-button solution.

It is a huge barrier for those companies (like me) who are actually trying to engage people in real education, real training and real ownership of their personal level of success.

In our new marketing “bookinar” (book + seminar = bookinar) called “Make My Marketing Work” we expect and require people to participate actively in the process of learning. They have to engage in the material as they go through it so that by the time they are done they have not only learned how to approach their marketing strategically… they have actually spent time practicing the various elements we teach them.

I apologize for the rant here, but I have spent the last 5 years working directly in the seminar industry and this has been a growing frustration that doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

I appreciate the work you are doing help make people aware that there is no magic bullet, no push button instant fix they can use in ANY area of their lives.

Keep it up, Rich!

Paul
www.makeanythingwork.com

I agree, Sam. But that is a question Rich, himself, must answer. I’ve been expecting (or rather hoping for) an ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ scenario in ‘Internet Marketing’ for a long time, now.
Paul, I really sympathise with your situation; fortunately, students here, KNOW that nothing is achieved without THEIR hard work. For now, they’re not living in an environment where they expect instant gratification (as seems to be more and more the case elsewhere) as their ‘right’. I still blame the fake ‘gurus’ though for not ‘telling it like it is’ rather than how people would like it to be.

Response to Theresa…

P.T. Barnum never said “There is a sucker born every minute” - it was one of his competitors at the time who had his mummified giant hoax “stolen” by Barnum who is actually the one who said that.

Here’s a link with more info on this: http://www.ringling.com/explore/history/ptbarnum_1.aspx

Paul

I agree with Frann’s first post (Oct 27th), but would like to add that you forgot to take into account the power of the mob mentality. Even when you know better by yourself, watching the queue form and feeling like you might miss out can make an idiot of us all… especially after all the right buttons have already been pushed and are buzzing. Did you ever watch Men in Black?
“A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it.” —Agent K

Maybe that’s why marketing and coaching is all moving to mass delivery systems?
Why don’t you create an alternative mob pressure in the right direction?

Crystal