Who else is not telling the whole story?
I remember being so excited when I got a train set for Christmas. I was maybe 6 or 7 years old. But I still remember.
We opened the box and I began to snap the tracks together, ever so carefully, just like the figure eight shown on the box.
It was a beautiful sight. Perfect eight.
Next I took the four train pieces out of the box. There was a black plastic old-style locomotive, one silver tanker car, one green boxcar, and a bright red caboose.
I set them all carefully on the tracks. Then, linked all the cars together with that strange little hitch trains always have. I was ready to go.
This was going to be great. I built it all by myself!
I flipped the switch on the locomotive and waited for the train to roar into action around the track.
Nothing.
What could be wrong? Why isn’t it working?
I looked it over for a bit, much like any man lifts the hood of the car to look at the engine when it won’t start. I’ve seen my dad do this many times, even though he hasn’t a clue what he’s looking for. The answer, the fix, the problem, should just jump out, right?
That’s what I expected.
But no. It didn’t.
I swallowed my pride and took the locomotive to my dad, half expecting him to say, “Did you break it already?”
But, to my surprise, he instantly knew what the problem was.
“You gotta put batteries in”, he said simply.
“Do we have any?” I asked.
“No”, he replied.
And I went away in tears.
Until this day I wonder, “When you buy something, why don’t they provide everything you need to make it work?”
Which brings me to the topic of this internet marketing incestuous business non-sense.
If you’ve ever thought of having your own internet based business, you know there is no shortage of people, gurus, offering courses on how to build it and make millions with your own online business.
I watch these video sales pitches all the time. They flow like a river through my email daily.
The one thing I find lacking in all these pitches is the *batteries.
Yesterday I watched a ninety minute presentation from three hugely successful people. You’d know them, but their names are not important here, only the message is, so I won’t name names. But you can figure it out, I’m sure, if you’ve been online looking for biz-ops.
The first guy is literally the biggest motivational speaker out there. The second was a real estate dude turned best selling book author turned pitchman. The third guy, brought in as bonus, is the *battery guy. More on him later.
So for ninety minutes the two first guys tell their rags to riches story. Now they’d like to help you up too by sharing their templates and resources for success.
I think this stuff sounds great. So far, I’m in. Even though when the price finally comes out it’s nearly $2000. But I’m still thinking that price might be a good investment for the tested shortcuts they provide.
Then, as a bonus, they bring out this third guy who has a software that’s really going to make the whole thing accelerate. This is the big push-button solution. The nitrous that puts enormous power into your internet business. And…And…he’s letting you use his amazing software for free*!
(*for 14 days)
Bingo! It’s even worse than *batteries not included.
As a “bonus”, he going to put the batteries in my train for two weeks, then take them back unless I give him $129 a month.
If I’m a kid, I’m surely gonna cry when he takes my batteries away.
As an adult, I’m going to be really pissed off!
But this is what 90% of these “gurus” do. They sell you a course on how to do it, but fail to mention all the subsequent costs (expenses) you are going to have to actually run the business.
I wish they would break it down honestly. Every step, every software, every cost.
Did this course make you successful?
Or was it the $10,000 you spent on Facebook ads?
What other software or apps will I need to run this successfully and how much do they cost? Aweber? Hosting? Payment processing? What else?
Everyone talks about building a list, but no one says how much that will cost per month per subscriber. I need to know that.
If I were buying a physical business I would want to know the cost of rent, utilities, license fees, advertising, product or service cost. BEFORE I ever agree to purchase your business!
This is so hard to state or measure online because there are so many damn options for everything.
So you buy the course, read it, or watch it through and think, “Oh, yeah, I got this. I definitely can do this!”.
And then you go online and try to put all the pieces together only to find, *batteries were not included.
You scrap all your hard work to that point and go off looking for the next BSO (bright shiny object). You fall prey to guru after guru telling you, “You can do it! Just buy my course and oh yeah, by the way, my good friend XXX has this crazy easy software you should get to make my stuff work better”.
Or faster. (faster is easy bait ‘cuz we all want it faster!)
Internet marketing incest. Like MLM where only the top guys make lots of money telling the bottom people how to do it.
Buyer beware!
I know there are good teachers out there. Honest entrepreneurs who tell the whole story.
One of my mentors, Bob Bly is one of them. You can click here if writing opportunities interest you. Especially as a fun, income-producing retirement strategy.
Leave a comment if you know about other experts so everyone can have a fair chance at creating a real, working online business. The courses they offer can be high priced or low priced, there are people at all levels who want to get in. I just want who ever is selling the course material to disclose everything needed to make it work. No hidden costs. No surprises. No B.S..
Just remember… I want batteries to be INCLUDED!
