Don't be a sell out!

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So I got a little excited at the start of the week, when I found an E-Book while I was just randomly trawling the internet. The sales pitch was fantastic, a quick search and yes they have an affiliate program, and it pays 50% commission - WINNER!

Not only that they have a compete refund if you don't like the book, plus 3 additional bonus books and from the sales pitch it looks to fit my niche market brilliantly and is along the same lines as I teach - WINNER!

So I bought the book but didn't have time to start reading it, had to sign up as an affiliate to Clickbank, to which I was originally denied but after a bit of messing around got approved. I'm ready to sell.

On my flight to the city yesterday I started reading the book so I could write a killer review, this is going to be my #1 recommendation, take pride of place on the top menu and make me a killing over many years to come - WRONG!

The sales pitch and the actual content are poles apart. The methods for handling horses are archaic and bordering on cruel.

When the first page advises you need your horse to fear you first and to cause pain by whipping the horse I knew I was done and could not promote the book in any way, shape or form.

What's the message?

Do your homework first don't go blindly rushing ahead.

Keep your integrity and don't sell out for the chance to make a sale. Believe in the products you promote so you can hold your head high and know that you genuinely help people. Don't be a sell out for the $$?

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Recent Comments

61

I hope that you requested a refund....

I am sure that Amazon would have many products, for example books related to your niche and a number of those books you may already have. If you already have the related books, you could write product reviews. Just something to think about if you already did not.

I’m about to go try and get that happening right now Dave. Will see if it’s as easy as they made it out to be :)

Well if they do or they do not, you could make a product review of the product and mention the experience of getting your money back or not, as well. That way you may also get additional visitors to your site who were about to buy the product. And maybe not, based on your review. Make sure that you have some other suitable product for them that you do recommend.

Amen, Amen and Amen! Cruelty of any kind is unacceptable! Being wealthy in justice, great moral values and love for all life (ummm well except spuders...God help me I try, and if too big, I run!) GA can have some big ones...eeew!

As the saying goes " one attracts more willingness with honey than vinegar"

Suzanne

Unfortunately I didn’t need to read far into it to find out the main premise of their training and I’m afraid it may work for a short while for some although I would never do it, and I’m not prepared to have others follow my recommendation.

In the end it will spell disaster. There is no need for cruelty to teach any living creature. I catch the spiders that are too big to stay in the house and put them outside lol.

@HeidiY Thank God you're integrity wasn't for sale like one member commented! We sure do not need more cruelty in the world! Im trying really hard not to be cruel to spiders but its me dead or the spider! I'm a little selfish in that regard :)

On the spuder topic, I was at a refugee camp in Northern Thailand on the border of Burma and it was 10 pm and going for ladt run to the bathroom which was outside of our Tarzan hotel (literally) me Jane just Tarzan AWOL ...lol anyways I ran out with flashlight stil by my teeth while poditioning the feet so not to fall in hole and when all set looked up and a dinner playe size spuder on tbe wall.... I never knew I could run so fast with gladlught in teeth and pants down! That was some scary nightmare! Hahaha the Pastor thought Iwas joking and that it was the size of hus thumb nail... he did go look and passed me running down the stair case. Needless to say it was a sleepless night in the Tarzan hotel with half walls made od bamboo and banana leaves and a banana leaf roof!

The ants ate just as big, one could saddle up!

A brave soul you are for catching and releasing.... unfortunately I can never do that!

Suzanne

Lol love your story I can just picture it! Oh yeah any bigger than the size of my hand and I get the other half to relocate them.

I’m quite practiced at it these days and caught a huntsman at work when all the other girls were running around screaming. Got a ladder as he was up high, my trusty container and a piece of paper and scooped him up. No one could get into the photocopy room cause he was above the door lol.

It’s a good party trick and you don’t really get near the spider!

Nah nah nah.... really a huntsman....oh EEEEEWWWWWWW

Great message! Hm. You may need to write the perfect ebook yourself. If you're looking for it, others might be too. Or if you do find a better ebook that you can promote, maybe you can review the first book and then offer the better one? Either way, good for you on sticking to your values.

Thanks for your comment. I went back into Clickbank to try and find an alternative and I think there is a big gap there just waiting (for me) to fill.

I’ve started the outline for my own ebook, I now need to decide what I focus my time on. The book will take quite a bit of work which will take me away from my niche site which is still quite new and needs lots more contnent.

I really need to be doing this full time, so much to do and not enough hours in the day!

I know exactly what you mean. Until you can transition to full time, you have to remember the mantra, "small strokes fall great oaks". Then you'll look back and wonder how that outline turned into an ebook. Sure, it will take longer than you want because you still have your site to develop -- plus the rest of your life. But just keep chipping at it. You'll get it.

Heidi, great post, great decision making. Thanks for sharing your story. You know what: You could still write an honest review. Wouldn‘t that make a wonderful content piece that would add tons of credibility to your blog? Tell people that this book is NOT good and why you don‘t recommend it. Tell them what they should buy instead!

chris

Thanks for your comment Chris, I just need to write what they need to buy lol.

I completely agree that integrity is the most important and not to sell out. Many online marketers could learn from you.

And remember you can still do a review so other people do not waste money on the book and then direct them to a better choice and still end up making money:-)
Mikael

Definitely all is not lost. This has spurred me on to create my own ebook in direct competition, it may take me a while but Rome wasn't built in a day and if they can make money then I figure so can I :)

sounds great you use it as a motivation like that

Hi Heidi,
Thank you for your enlightening message.

Sue and I have been been down that "scam road" several times. It took awhile to learn how to be cautious and check things out first.

It wasn't -ebooks or products, it was whole training programs that was the problem.

Then we saw Wealthy Affiliate. It was like reaching the "promised land".

Best wishes in find your dream and pursuing it.

Bill

Love that "the promised land" it's a fantastic platform that's for sure. I can't believe how much I have learnt even in the first few months. It's so enjoyable and rewarding getting the brain engaged.

Heidi,

Thanks for the info. It's amazing that what gets sold/bought is not what it says it is!

Whoever wrote that book should be whipped and then shot! Who would do that to any animal? I happen to have a soft spot for horses to begin with - I had 4 when I was growing up - along with puppies. dogs. cats, birds. rabbits, snakes, fish, ducks, geese, turtles, penguins, goats, sheep, lions and tigers and bears - OH, MY! You get the picture...............

I'm sorry you found that, he world's not always a nice place. I'm glad you kept your integrity

My best,

Laurel

Hi Laurel

LOL yep I have about half of that menagerie now! I love them all to bits and couldn't imagine my life without them.

I have a big dominant gelding and I know if I treated him the way this book suggest he would likely kill me! So not only is it wrong it's dangerous IMHO.

Good learning curve all the same!

You'll laugh......My first horse was a Shetland Pony named Blacky...I know, not original but I was 5 and he was black......
Anyway, my Uncle built a small track for me to excercise him on and for some reason couldn't get one very large "boulder" out of the track.
I would ride that crazy pony around the track and he would throw me on that rock as many times as he could.....I guess it was a competition - who gave up first!
He even bit me once when i was giving him a sugar cube....But I loved that crazy pony anyway!

If it had been a person or company that "bit the hand that fed them", I'm sure I wouldn't be so nice with my comments!

I've always thought that animals are many times nicer than humans, and humans should return the favor.

Laurel

Great thought, I'm at a bit of a standstill as I'm waiting for affiliate programs to approve me. I took some time to look over what programs are available and what products are on these sites to make sure they fit with my niche and that I trust these products. Thought maybe I was being too strict and picky with what I wanted to promote. Hopefully this is ok..

I don't think you can be too picky, and I also think there are enough really good products and offers out there that we as affiliates can maintain our integrity and offer great value to our readers.

Good on you for doing your homework, sometimes it is easy to get carried away with joining every affiliate program or network that you come across just to have choice. I know I did and now realise I may never use some of them. It's a learning curve that's for sure.

Thanks for the pep talk..

This was a well written post. I feel like I flew on that plane reading the book beside you. It is easy to get caught up in hype and sales pitches but when you get to the nitty gritty it doesn't always stack up. You just have to attribute this to your learning process.

Honestly Freisia I was so excited after the sales pitch, it just sounded absolutely perfect for my niche. Obviously the pitch was good enough because I bought the book immediately, so I thought this will be an easy sell, it basically sells itself.

I wonder how many returns they get? I expect it's high.

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