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-   -   Are the gurus smelling a little desperate? (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6119)

GordonJ January 27, 2009 09:45 AM

Are the gurus smelling a little desperate?
 
Of course, Jan/Feb are big months in direct marketing. Through tax refund time you'll see and get in your mail a ton of promotions. So it isn't uncommon to have your inbox flooded with special offers.

I've noticed something. And I know something too. The guru who last year hauled down his six figures selling "be like me" products is off to a sluggish start and some are in the toilet. And they have become desperate.

The number of emails have picked up. Their offers are getting more recent, and there is a battle of the gurus to get butts in the seat at their latest super dooper must-attend seminar.

Have you noticed this too, or is it just the seasonal bump that has always existed?

Will you be attending any seminars and if so, which ones are looking good to you?

I find myself yawning at the current offers. Some gurus who haven't answered their phones in years are suddenly "on the scene" again with one pitch after another...and the "insiders circle" is being pitched at feverish rates.

Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platnium, Diamond, Ruby Slipper levels and at each one you are encouraged to UPGRADE...until you get to sleep with the guru and have him whisper his innermost thoughts into your ear.

And yet, there are a few marketers who are having record breaking years...and are growing faster than ever. Why?

Could it be they use less hype and sell better quality products that people want? I don't know, what do you think?

Maybe I burned the toast, but my email is starting to have the smell of guru desperation.

Again, its a great time to start a specialty business. I'll reveal my new business in an upcoming SeedZine issue.

Gordon Jay Alexander

PS. Sign up at www.seedzine.com

MMacGillivray January 27, 2009 10:01 AM

Re: Are the gurus smelling a little desperate?
 
Hi, Gordon - recently I unsubscribed from several marketers' mailing lists - and probably will do so again. There's one marketer in particular who sold memberships to a site - and then proceeded to disappoint subscribers by hardly ever appearing there himself. Now he appears to be touting more products than ever, sounding increasingly desperate.

I wonder if he's stopped to consider that his "list" of friendly subscribers needed more of him for their membership fees than he was prepared to give. The cost of this mistake may haunt him for years to come.

.... er, I could be wrong, of course!

Margaret

Sandi Bowman January 27, 2009 11:46 AM

Re: Are the gurus smelling a little desperate?
 
I've noticed that subscriptions I used to get one per week (quality, too!) are now sending out several 'issues' a day! I unsubscribe, simple as that. If they're that desperate, they probably don't have anything to share with me that'd be useful is my thinking.

Occasionally I get an 'extra' or 'urgent notice' from one that normally is just once a week or so...that's acceptable if not overdone. When it reaches daily...and then two or three at a time in my inbox from the same one well...they've over-stayed their welcome.

Sandi Bowman

Larry Foster February 13, 2009 10:50 AM

Re: Are the gurus smelling a little desperate?
 
What I've noticed is a lot of re-launches with a limited time discount from the original price.
I know that many claim to be not participating in the economic situation.
But, reading between the lines, I can see some incomes dropping.

BTW, glad to see the ehotsheet in my mailbox again. It's been awhile.

Larry Foster

JimmyKrug February 13, 2009 07:50 PM

Re: Are the gurus smelling a little desperate?
 
The market is very good right now for low-cost products. In my own business, the online sales are doing well because I'm selling inexpensive products and services. I'm not really an online Guru, though. I'm more of an offline Guru. I'm using the term "Guru" in a good way. You know... sort of like "Good Cop, Bad Cop." Guru's are supposed to know their subject matter inside out.

In the offline world, things are ROCKY to say the least. Most of my clients have large overheads and they released many employees and have cut back on a lot of services. They hire me to create publicity for their products, services and events. Many of my clients are in the media themselves, so it's always interesting! ;) Right now, there's a domino effect happening that's caused a slow down right across the boards.

For me, selling eBooks and software products online is a nice break from the pressures connected with the offline, face-to-face world of hardball marketing. The stress level there can be off the charts at times.

When it comes to the online world... if you're marketing high dollar guru products, it's better to add lower priced items to your menu than it is to take a "fire-sale" approach with the high-dollar products.

I would encourage anyone, though, to get started selling their products and services online - immediately. Especially if you're just getting started. I'm getting more feedback and more mail today than I did when things were really taking off in my own business back in 1998. I believe that's because people are looking for real, cost-effective solutions in today's economy. That's the name of the game in 2009.

Several Guru's I've done work for in the past HAVE TO rely upon seminars to generate 80% of their income. Their business models are designed that way. So yes, they have some problems on their hands. Others I know in the print media advertising world - they have even bigger problems on their hands. Those who are better diversified right now - in terms of products and services, they will have a much easier time than others will.

By the way, I found this board originally through one of Jim Straw's posts. I'm on his advisory board for the AABPE.com site. He sells very well-written information products. I especially enjoy his one on Mail Order.

Take care, everyone.

-Jimmy

Phil February 14, 2009 06:24 AM

Re: Are the gurus smelling a little desperate?
 
Talking about the market being very good right now for low-cost products...

For those that Don't bother reading and using the News as a Brainstorming tool regarding Trends and Creating fresh new ideas... A perfect example of taking advantage of the current Economic situation...

$1. Starbuck instant coffee
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&cl...ncl=1303756212

On the mention of Jim Straw's recent new AABPE.com business startup, some may just recognize a few others that are on his advisory board... :)
http://aabpe.com/
http://aabpe.com/board.html

And on that note... Here's another somewhat related business idea that Anyone interested can “Twist” into all kinds of other Niche marketplaces and industries by Studying these particular type of business models and of course taking Action... ;)
http://springwise.com/retail/crowdsprout/

Phil

GordonJ February 14, 2009 10:35 AM

Then our 39.95 book on Toll Positions should do great, right?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyKrug (Post 23978)
The market is very good right now for low-cost products.
-Jimmy


The BOOK on Toll Positions is due out April. The initial price will be 39.95. It is a real book that details how anyone can get started in the lucrative Toll Position business.

Over the last couple of years Harvey Brody has been helping people get their feet wet in the TOLL POSITION business and he has deferred to me when it comes to the instruction. This has caused a couple of problems due to my teaching methodology.

I'm a HIT THE BALL kind of instructor and we'll learn from feedback on how to hit the ball further and straighter and make it do what you want. This has proven to be a much more advanced system in teaching someone to golf than the traditional PGA system of "Grip, Stance, Swing".

Does HIT THE BALL translate when trying to help people find Toll Positions. UM, yes and no.

Why haven't we just released a step by step, here's how you do it, A-Z, nuts and bolts set of instructions on the HOW?

Because. Because we wanted a "measured" response, and because we don't have a lot of time, it has been a sideline, back burner project for us.

Truthfully, it has been hard keeping up with the handful of DOERS who have actually contacted inventors and others about stored value products. Neither Harvey Brody nor I have the time to be sending dozens of emails a day regarding this, although we have.

What happens when we have 1000 or 10,000 people who want to contact us? Its not going to happen, we can't do it.

But we can make the initial information available to the masses knowing full well that the vast majority are NOT going to act upon the information no matter how detailed it might be.

95% of the buyers will be "collectors" and will quickly move on to the next launch or Warrior Special Offer and continue to SPEND money rather than make it.

It is those 5% of DOERS that we want to work with and mentor further to take them to the Toll Position Promised land where milk and honey flow freely through the streets of gold.

Toll Positions are one of the very few ways in the United States where you can go to bed poor and wake up rich. Winning the lottery has done it for a few, having a rich relative that liked you die in the middle of the night has worked for a few others.

Other than that, and maybe a guru launch of their latest Internet Marketing product has worked for two or three...I don't know of any other way to start from scratch and in a matter of days or weeks to have a positon of control and ownership that could produce big money to you, seemingly overnight.

It is why I've been diligent in taking copious notes and recording hours and hours of Harvey Brody lessons that now can be unleashed to the general public.

Several of you SowPubbers have made significant contributions and will be receivng a special Thank You edition when it rolls off the presses.

I am putting the finishing touches on the manuscript before it goes to "proofreading, editing and legal" and then it will be released.

39.95 plus shipping and handling. We want to release millions of copies, will settle for a few thousand, because within those few thousand we'll find a handfull people who will locate toll positions which will allow a win/win/win/win/win result for all involved.

Do you think 39.95 plus shipping and handling is LOW enough?

I do.

Gordon Jay Alexander

PS. FINAL CHANCE to get your questions answered in the book. IF you have any questions, feel free to post them here and I'll let you know if we've covered that or not. It has been almost 18 months since we gathered the first round of questions and it has taken a year of working with people to sort out how to best bring this information out that will not eat up all of our time and yet help the sincere DOER to get established. Chances are we have the answer to your question in the book, but, how will we know if you don't ask? So, LAST call for questions regarding Toll Positions as a path to wealth and happiness.

JimmyKrug February 14, 2009 02:50 PM

Re: Are the gurus smelling a little desperate?
 
I would write a media release and send it to the local press in your city/state, etc. announcing the book, what it does, and who has already benefited from the information contained inside. That could very easily land you an interview for either, radio, TV or newspapers (sometimes all the above).

Then I would do a national media release letting the national editors know that you’ve been interview by the “ABC Times” or you were a guest on WKRP in Cincinnati, etc.

That’s how you can roll out a product like that. Don’t rely upon Internet Avenues. Go to the offline sacred cow media types first, then, let them filter your information through the online pipeline.

Publishing companies blitz a variety of media editors first with the product, then the editors blitz the public. Doing the reverse is a lot of work and unnecessary. Load your product into the biggest cannon at your disposal and light the fuse.

As far as your “Hit-The-Ball” teaching style goes – embrace it with open arms. What comes naturally to you will saturate your writing style with your own legitimate enthusiasm, insight and vision and will go a long, long way in creating the desired end results. If the book isn’t targeted at the general masses, you don’t have to worry about “speaking their language.” There will be people who thrive on your style as is the case with every style (casual, witty, folksy, technical, spiritual, etc.). The people who connect with your Hit-The-Ball style are the people who will produce the type of results this book is geared towards producing. It’s the “finding your own voice” side of being a Guru, Wizard or How-To teacher. (Melvin Powers and Charles Atlas are examples of legitmate, good Wizards in their niche).

The rest of the crowd will be on to the next book/opportunity/ etc., within 30 days, anyway, so like you were saying, there’s no need to worry about them. The ones that connect with you, though, will REALLY connect with you.

I wasn’t really sure what you meant about people contacting you? Was this going to be a membership site? I would just get the book out there along with the contact information for the media and watch the process work to see where it leads to. You could have a gold mine you’re sitting on. Who knows? Either way – you don’t want to leave it on the backburner for too long.

bobmcalister February 23, 2009 08:16 PM

Re: Are the gurus smelling a little desperate?
 
what a great place ...been away a while ...but nice to visit again
the thing that brought me back was the recent roar of bob serling and his 'toll booth ' marekting adn easy licensing ..thought it ws you guys in a different persona!

just wanted to stop and sy hi

Pickle March 5, 2009 05:02 AM

Re: Then our 39.95 book on Toll Positions should do great, right?
 
Gordon -

I have a couple of additional questions for Mr. Brody, if you're still taking them...

(1) Most chain stores and departments stores ask new suppliers to fill out a form that shows the financial position of the supplier. What if you are a new company with little to no assets? Won't that make the retailers nervous? If I don't start distributing products through mass merchandisers, then where do I start?

(2) Who does the quality control inspection for your products? Do you hire someone to inspect the products after they are manufactured... or do you just trust that the products were manufactured correctly? I'm assuming that someone, somewhere, does QC after the products are manufactured, and before the products go to the distributor or retailer.

Thanks,
Pickle

P.S. Thanks Gordon, for keeping Harvey's teachings alive.


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