Have you seen it? I know you have. It’s my new PROVEN 7 step system for running a profitable online business! What profitable online business did I apply these principles too…Well only this one, but I will make a beautiful video set to music with shooting glitter and make you feel like I CARE ABOUT YOU. Click register here to find out I have no business credentials, no training, and no profitable venture to speak of. BUT I have taken this magic online selling course so now I sell that course to you too and sell my course. I am the “ProfitLuvinDiva4Life.com” and I just danced away with your money.
This is the 21st century “how to” marketplace and I am here in honor of hard working creative and well-meaning people as a giant human warning label. My name is Stephanie Licata and I am here as a service to human beings.
READ THE FINE PRINT.
Our online marketplace is being littered with self-proclaimed “experts” and business gurus who have lots of flashing lights and a questionable resume. But BOY do they have personality! I am going to throw out an informal observation. Questions and comments welcome.
As a result of our most recent financial crisis, a collective anxiety has developed among hard working individuals that does NOT discriminate. No matter what your story is, you are scared. The bottom could drop out at any moment and this has you longing to control your own financial security and destiny rather than rely on an organization that could eliminate your job tomorrow.
Enter the idea of Entrepreneurship. “I know! I will call the shots! I will make my own hours! I will create the security I feel I can no longer rely on from anyone else and I will sell some service or product online. This will be something I love, something I always wanted to do. Wait. I don’t really know how to do this, I think I need help. Wow, this program looks EXPENSIVE, it must be REALLY intense, packed with great content and legitimate business training.”
Stop. Read the warning label and ask these questions before your purchase:
What business other then selling this business (you are about to buy) about selling have these principles been applied to such that the strategies resulted in a profitable business venture?
What consistent business success have you maintained and over what period of time that legitimizes you to guide me to build a credible business?
What is your track record with producing tangible business results and in what industries and for how long?
**TRICK ALERT: They claim the investment in their program is an investment in YOU targeting your insecurity and bringing about that feeling that you deserve a REWARD! Think about it like this: How many of you have dieted and worked out hard for a few days and then think “Hey, I deserve a reward, I am going to have this donut. I earned it!.” This is the same psychology they play into — its an ugly but SUPER effective marketing tactic and it’s making a bunch of self-proclaimed experts a LOT of money!
I regret to inform you but the snake oil salespeople of the 21st century have arrived. The real injustice: They’ve cloaked themselves in inspirational quotes, happiness, passion, and even convinced themselves they are out to help you become fulfilled. They have manipulated your emotions to make you feel like they are your friend and deeply want to help you. In some cases, they aren’t even conscious of the fact that what they are doing is a performance not a service. (Well that’s me wanting to believe that if they were conscious of it, they would stop).
This message is to every person whose skill, talent, and value has ever been under-appreciated, underpaid, gone unnoticed, or remained dormant. I urge you to search within yourself for something greater than the next best video and worksheet series created by entertainers and clever sales people.
Overnight Success: Oxymoron
Businesses are NOT GROWN AND MADE SUCCESSFUL in 4 weeks, 7 steps, or because it FEELS GOOD. I have been so lucky to have loved most of my career, but it was never all easy, never all my dream come true, and for sure never overnight. We have an epidemic online and it’s an underground society of online marketers who refer each other to unsuspecting individuals. Their credibility, content, and actual value is quite simply: SMOKE AND MIRRORS. Are there good eggs out there? YES. You just have to be a VERY alert INQUISITIVE consumer to find them. I’m outing the less than experienced making claims that are not able to be backed up by content and value that is consistent with their marketing claims.
Buyer BEWARE!
If you are struggling professionally, I sincerely urge you to think before being sucked into one of these courses. If you are entertaining one, I suggest you vet them out and ask what credible business experience they have outside of online marketing about business building. Ask about their education and training as a business consultant or coach and use the questions above as tools.
There are plenty of people with good intentions, but when asking the right questions you should be able to detect this pretty quickly. Those jumping on a bandwagon because a few people sell legitimate programs become an insidious agent of emotional manipulation disguised as mentorship. It is taking advantage of people’s fears, insecurities, and hopes for their future. Are people big people? Yes, they are. They also get scared and it skews their judgment. As a concerned citizen I write this to those that are concerned for their ongoing financial security and professional future. Most of what these people are peddling can be acquired FREE or for low cost through the Small Business Association from actual trained business professionals. Please visit the SBA here for helpful resources on building a business to find out if it is for you.
I will continue to write on this topic as purely a public service. Perception truly is everything. It’s not worth your money and for slightly less than that few thousand dollars; you can go to the movies to be entertained.
Be well. Make sound changes.
The mission of Sound Change is to dramatically increase the number of professionally self-expressed people on the planet.