The Answer is "Yes," but Can Be More Complicated Than You Think. Let's Take a Look at How Honesty Really Works in Advertising.
By G.H. Bey
Let me say at the outset that his article may not get the attention I think it deserves, because of the subject matter it contains. However, I feel compelled to explore the subject of honesty in advertising with you. I feel the need to write about this because at the end of most of the articles I write I ask those who are new to mail order or network marketing to call me if they would like free advice on building their business.
I do this because there's no better way to find out what is really going on for the newcomer to the industry. Some of them want to know if I have found the magic formula to making millions in this business. Others want to know whether the program that they've entered (or the product they're trying to market) can really make them the money that the advertisement or sales letter promised. To the first question, my reply is, "I don't know of any magic formula that will make you rich. But if there IS such a formula, those who possess this formula will certainly not be interested in sharing it with others."
I have also found that there are many people out there involved in programs that will never, never make them any money at all. Rather than telling people that they're not going to make any money working a particular program or selling a particular product/service, I try to get them to look at what they're doing from an objective point of view. And if they really feel they can make money with what they're doing, they should stick with it for a reasonable amount of time to see if their gut feeling was right.
I don't feel comfortable throwing cold water on the hopes and dreams of others, even though I know that what they are doing, or the way that they're going about it, will not work. So, what I try to do is share some of the experiences that I have had and hope that it will help them to move in the right direction.
My point here is: What is the right direction? Most of those who have experience in mail order and network marketing know that if you want people to buy your product or program, your advertising must appeal to your prospects' emotions, not their common sense. Yes, if you expect to make money in this business, your advertising must appeal to the emotions. You must give people what they want.
What do people want? They want to be healthy, look younger, be popular, make lots of money, etc. when your advertisement tells people that your product or service can deliver these things to them, and do it in a HURRY, you are appealing to their emotions.
Now, what appeals to the people who start a business? That's right--you guessed it. MAKING LOTS OF MONEY. Now, the truth about people making millions in mail order or MLM is: MOST PEOPLE DON'T. However, 98 percent of the advertisements that we read tell us that if we buy this product or enter this program, we're going to get rich.
The point is--People sell get-rich programs for three reasons. First, there are those who really think that they're going to get rich. Others sell these programs because they have invested a great deal of money in a program and have found that it can't make them rich, so they're just trying to get some of their money back by selling the program to others, even though they know the program doesn't work. Finally, there are those who sell get-rich programs simply to rip off unsuspecting beginners.
In my opinion, the great majority of the people in mail order/MLM are honest and don't take advantage of people. They don't want to rip people off. I feel most people in this industry want to be truthful, but the fact is: If you tell people that they're not likely to make millions of dollars most of them are not interested in buying the program you have to sell.
So, what's the solution? Does a person in mail order or network marketing just have to be dishonest in order to make money? The answer to this question is NO. You don't have to be dishonest to make money in this business. You don't even have to stretch the truth.
The ironic thing about this is--Those who are truly honest are the most successful in the business. Why? Because they don't sell get-rich-quick programs, they sell products and services that fill the wants and needs of the people who purchase them. It's that simple. If you take the time to research and invest in high-quality products and services, you won't have to be concerned about deceiving anyone. People who think they they have to sell get rich quick programs in order to make money are only fooling themselves.
You'll never make any real money selling unrealistic money games. That has been proven over and over again. The truth about making money in this industry for the small mail order or MLM dealer is, in the long run:
Honesty is the Best Policy.
G.H. Bey offers free business building advice to mail order and MLM beginners. You can contact him at (412) 363-7187. You can also receive five unique business reports with reprint/resale rights (a $19.95 value) for only $5. Just send your request to:
Day-Star Communications 7023 Hermitage Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208-1110
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