Just got a ridiculous email sales letter and must get opinions...

Hey everyone -

A few posts earlier there's a gentleman asking about direct sales and helping out a friend of his in a territory ...

...well I rec'd this email (it's not spam because I've chosen to purposely be on this marketers list - to see what kinda' controls he puts up and what he's doing as he's sold a lot over the years) and a part of it just came off as so silly to me - and I imagine ANYONE who has REAL, face-to-face sales experience that I just have to share it...

...Okay - first, I have to be careful here - a part of me wants to mention the name of this MAJOR marketer, but I'm thinking that he's gotten results with his ad copy and probably learned a thing or two from a few people on here - or is well regarded by some - so instead of turning this into an attack - let me just post the part (paraphrased in MY words - so there aren't any legal/copyright issues) that I find silly and get everyone's opinion to see if I'm on track (plus this will dispell anyone who thinks I'm an affiliate or promoting it as I'm not including ordering info/names etc.) ...

Alright -again, I have to "paraphrase" here and re-word it, lest I infringe on any copyright issues - but let me say that the guy goes into a long sales-pitch for doing joint ventures with his company ...and how with the millions you'll be bringing him - you'll stand to make 50K or 100K on each deal yourself (Wow - sounds impressive - just look at the dollar-signs in my eyes!!) ('course I'm ROLLING my eyes at this point, in reality) ...so he goes on and on about how if you've got the talent to bring him the deals - he'll give you %'s so you'll be making money like never before - etc. ...only thing is (surprise) you have to learn his system ...

...no big deal - right? After all - if the guy needs people to bring him deals - then learning his system should be something he is more than willing to show you ... right? Heheheh.. this is the best part - he wants you TO PAY HIM to bring him deals ... here it is paraphrased:

"I can't... waste time on people
who... can't make... deals happen...."

"....anyone to be trained to represent my
interests must put up a
$1,000 to show you're serious"

...AYE-YIE-YIE!!!

Okay ... any salesman who's a CLOSER - who has closed people on a regular BASIS ...is the only type of salesperson that this guy is going to want to work with.... closers, indeed, are hard to find ... closers are what you want - they are the 20% of the 80-20 rule....

...and ANY CLOSER IS GOING TO LAUGH YOU OFF THE PLANET FOR ASKING HIM TO PAY YOU TO BRING MILLION DOLLAR DEALS TO YOU.

Okay folks - having been in sales for years (and don't get me wrong - I don't know everything ...particularly the marketing angle - hey, that's why I often post with you guys cuz' all of you GET that part of it) ...this is just silly and laughable ...I am posting it here because I think many of you might have gotten this guy's email (again I purposefully put myself on his list JUST so I can see what he's up to ...) ...

...but I'd like to know of anyone - anyone who has seriously done any real sales (face to face - over the phone - you name it) ...if you dont' find this as ridiculous as I do ...

...the reason I ask isn't for any votes of confidence for myself - it's because I have to explain this kinda' thing over and over to people I've run into who are thinking about selling something hair-brained or whatever ...and then they tell me they have to PAY the company in order to represent them and I'm like "HOLY SHI-ITE ... you've GOT to be kidding me????"

...Fine - this 'guru' has got a prime market of wannabe's who think they can bring this guy deals after PAYING him to do so - then I guess he's just working his gig and I don't want to mess that up for him ...but I did write him the following email (anonymously, of course):
------------
Dear ______ -

Your chutzpah is something to behold - I send this from a different email than the one you actually sent it to because I like seeing the "control" pieces (or tests) you send out - you've got to be getting some interesting results from what you're doing ...but I feel absolutely compelled to tell you, after reading this most recent email ... I'm a salesperson by trade ... and fine, maybe you don't know that, but any salesman worth his salt is going to bawk at the idea of PAYING someone to bring them deals ...

..yeah, yeah - sure you'll get a lot of gullible people to believe that line about "training the right people" etc ... for goodness sake - then why don't you have website that you could point real salespeople to so they can "train themselves" into your way of doing things - and those people could then bring you deals with NO cash-output or overhead expense of your own?

Tell me why you wouldn't do this? After all, I'd love to bring deals to you - and get a percentage of the deal -I've been involved in sales for years now ...you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain from it.

I'll await your answer...

Thank you.
-----------------------
I'm not expecting a response ...but if I get one I'll share the gist of it with you guys.

Thanks for letting me rant a bit ...although I think some people could learn a lot from this post ...and please, anyone, I'd love to hear from you if you've ever even HEARD of a situation where someone PAYS someone to bring them or their company sales and it's actually legit.

Thanks,

KK

[Ankesh]

Actually - many companies charge for training and/or admission.

MLMs come to mind.

Its legit.

KK,

Thanks for asking.

Here's what's Really going on with that email...

The guru does NOT want you to bring him deals - although, he will accept them if you birng them and IF they fit his criteria (criteria you will not know of). But he DOES want to Sell Training in Deal Finding.

So you learn to find a deal. What then?

In comes his offer. HE will take your deal.

So now with a Buyer of your deal, should you find one, you are more likely to buy his training. As you already have a buyer for the deal you find.

Bill Myers used the exact same technique when he was selling his Watch Package - a package which was a book about antique watches and some other stuff. To encourage you to hunt for these watches he Offered to BUY any watches you found. How would you know what to look for? Buy his package. So in your head the thought goes... I can buy the package, find a watch and this guy will buy the watch from me maybe for thousands of dollars and I've made money by buying this package.

The Jewellry Making Scam works the same way. Buy our info on how to make jewellry and We will buy the jewellry you make (if it's suitable - and only we know the criteria for suitable jewellry). So you buy the info thinking you have a ready-made-buyer of your product.

Real Estate Gurus do the same thing. By offering to Take Over any Deal you bring them. How do you find the deals? Buy their course on finding real estate deals - a course which promises a Cookie Cutter, No Brains Required Approach.

It's the Same Approach/Technique. Only the price of the course/info/training varies and whether your Investment gets you written, audio, video or Live information in return.

Now you know. Can you think of a way to Apply this to Your Business, or can you think of others who use the technique.

Michael Ross

Michael -

You're dead-on ...and Iabsolutely understood that the moment he pitched his "$1000" b.s. - and while it's not ridiculous in that he's fishing for people to buy his package - it is to anyone in sales ...but I suppose then obviously I'm not the people in his target market (or should I say - those that he's out to scam) ...I suppose I should be proud of this. Like I said, he's a big-name guru who I thought was much more about bringing people results - but seeing that he's just scamming like so many other guru's - it's just interesting to say the least.

A scam is a scam is a scam ... pretty amazing when you think about it.

Thanks for your POV ...

KK

I wonder if it is the same email that Sandi was speaking of a few posts below.

Originally Posted by Kelly Kasabian

Michael -

You're dead-on ...and Iabsolutely understood that the moment he pitched his "$1000" b.s. - and while it's not ridiculous in that he's fishing for people to buy his package - it is to anyone in sales ...but I suppose then obviously I'm not the people in his target market (or should I say - those that he's out to scam) ...I suppose I should be proud of this. Like I said, he's a big-name guru who I thought was much more about bringing people results - but seeing that he's just scamming like so many other guru's - it's just interesting to say the least.

A scam is a scam is a scam ... pretty amazing when you think about it.

Thanks for your POV ...

KK

I was wondering the same thing when I first started reading Sandi's post - but then when Peter chimed in, I'm thinking it's a different guru (although they may be associated) then the one I dealt with.

From what has been stated in your posts, Kelly, I believe it is a different guru than the one Pete and I posted about.

Sandi Bowman

Don't mean to change the topic.

But since discussions on Email stuff keeps on coming up...

Thought some of you may be interested in the following...

http://www.imediaconnection.com/news/14257.asp
http://www.emailexperience.org/
http://www.emailstatcenter.com/

Phil

[Ankesh]

Am curious - is there a reason behind all the secrecy?

Why not just reveal the names while posting? That helps other people more. (And will also help keep the tone down of our own posts - not that this thread is inflamatory)

I'm pretty sure who Kelly is talking about. The "guru" is famous for his $25000 seminars. And learnt a lot from Harvey Brody. But won't reveal the name because its Kelly's thread.

Not sure who Sandi is talking about.

But I would really like to know - why not reveal the names?

Hi, Ankesh,

I've seen other posts in this and other forums start really nasty threads when folks were named in such posts so I didn't want to start a he said/she said type of thread. It's enough, IMHO to simply state the situation. Most folks who are involved in some way will recognize the individuals and that's sufficient.

I realize that it might be helpful to others to avoid the situation but that wasn't my purpose in posting. It was to give folks some food for thought before they follow an emerging trend which could be hazardous to their business success. In other words, to get folks to see things from a different perspective.

I can't speak for Kelly...that's just my view on it.

Sandi Bowman