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Understanding How Tiredness and Self-Control Are Mistaken for Resistance

Posted on 14. Nov, 2011 by nardene in Blog, focus, resistance, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing

I noticed something very unusual when I went for my 7 km walk.
I noticed that as I passed the liquor store, my brain would start to wander.

And it wasn’t the liquor. It was just the point in my walk.

You see I’d pass the liquor store at about 40 minutes into my walk. And no matter what I was listening to on my iPhone, I’d find it hard to concentrate on. Even on days when I was really trying hard to pay attention, my mind would wander.

So I tried to listen to music instead

Same thing. Around the 40 minute mark, my brain was off for a walk of its own. And there’s a reason why this happens. It happens because of the blood flow to your brain. When the brain has to concentrate on an activity, it fires up its pumps and hey the blood comes rushing in.

To find out just how much you’re paying attention, University of Cincinnati researchers tracked mental activity using transcranial Doppler sonography (TDS). The device measures blood flow velocity in the brain. Joel Warm, Professor of Psychology at University of Cincinnati, believes the reading could be an indicator of sustained, or non-stop, attention, also known as vigilance.

“The velocity goes up, it means that blood is being rushed to an area to carry away the waste product.

The more mental activity, the more the waste product,” he says. During various 40-minute tests, researchers saw a decrease in blood-flow velocity over time, and, therefore, a decrease in attention.

“Sometimes in the first 10 minutes,” Warm says. “That early.” And he says many times the participants didn’t realise it was happening.

What this means is simply that our brains can’t sustain the intense pressure

But it depends. If the brain has to tackle stuff that is well within our comfort zone and mildly challenging, it will hold out for a lot longer. But if we’re learning something new, or doing something that is challenging, the brain feels the intensity. And after a while it just needs a break. In everyday terms this break is often termed as exhaustion.

We don’t know why we’re feeling so drained, but drained we are.

And of course, we don’t want to appear lazy, so instead of taking a break, we soldier on. And the brain doesn’t co-operate. Which is when you find yourself checking email, hovering endlessly on Facebook and doing activity that tires you even further.

You’re not dealing with good ol’ resistance here. You’re dealing with a brain that just can’t function at that level. And of course, the more you push it the more resistance you feel.

But it gets worse

Just focusing on a task is hard enough. But when this focus has to be run over the term of a project, we have to put in tremendous self-control. And as you accurately guessed, self-control is extremely draining. And the reason it’s so draining is because self-control seems to be in limited supply.

So if you’re on a weight-loss diet AND completing an article that needs to meet a deadline, you need twice the self-control. If you add another factor to that list, you would need thrice as much self-control—and so on. So if you use up self-control completing the presentation, you’re more than likely to chew on the chocolate cookies—despite the diet.

What seems like resistance is really a factor of exhaustion

What seems to be a factor of giving into resistance is actually just an inability for the brain to sustain continuous control over the situation. Not only is it battling with tiredness, but the self-control is adding another level of intensity.

Something has to give. And that’s when you officially lose the plot. That’s when you think you’ve lost the battle to resistance.

Which is why rest matters

Every 40 minutes or so, you need to take a break from what you’re doing. On a day to day level that helps you prevent this endless back and forth bounce between Facebook and back. But remember what’s also happening when you’re resisting Facebook.

You’re using up your self-control.

You actually like ambling around checking what’s happening around the Internet. So don’t resist the Facebook temptation. Give in to it. Allocate a fixed amount of time, e.g. 5-10 minutes doing something that makes you happy. Then when your ten minutes are up, and you’ve had a bit of a rest, go back to what you’re doing.

But surely no one has time to take these crazy breaks all the time

No one does. And that’s the point. Your brain is going to stop being attentive. And though you may be sitting at your computer pounding away at the keyboard, it’s not going to do an hour’s worth of work in an hour. It’s going to do just 20-30 minutes.

And then it’s going to have drop outs in your attention. As it gets more tired, you get more inattentive. By the second hour, you’re pretty much drooping.

But if you took the break, and don’t constantly strain the leash on your self-control, you give your brain it so richly deserves. That blood-flow velocity reduces naturally. And you’re more refreshed to take on the next hour, and the next and the next.

When I’d go for my walks past the liquor store, I’d fight my brain.

I’d want to keep concentrating. But now I don’t. I realise that I’m fighting two pitched battles: tiredness and self-control. And if I just play along with my brain’s natural rhythms, I stand to learn more and achieve more—while still resting more. And what’s more, I don’t feel bad that I’m just giving in to resistance.

Interesting, huh?

Research source: Science Daily + ‘Switch’ by Dan and Chip Heath

The Brain’s natural rhythms help us achieve and learn more. Do let me know what you have learned from this article?

[next_step]

Understanding How Tiredness and Self-Control Are Mistaken for Resistance

Posted on 14. Nov, 2011 by nardene in Blog, focus, resistance, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing

I noticed something very unusual when I went for my 7 km walk.
I noticed that as I passed the liquor store, my brain would start to wander.

And it wasn’t the liquor. It was just the point in my walk.

You see I’d pass the liquor store at about 40 minutes into my walk. And no matter what I was listening to on my iPhone, I’d find it hard to concentrate on. Even on days when I was really trying hard to pay attention, my mind would wander.

So I tried to listen to music instead

Same thing. Around the 40 minute mark, my brain was off for a walk of its own. And there’s a reason why this happens. It happens because of the blood flow to your brain. When the brain has to concentrate on an activity, it fires up its pumps and hey the blood comes rushing in.

To find out just how much you’re paying attention, University of Cincinnati researchers tracked mental activity using transcranial Doppler sonography (TDS). The device measures blood flow velocity in the brain. Joel Warm, Professor of Psychology at University of Cincinnati, believes the reading could be an indicator of sustained, or non-stop, attention, also known as vigilance.

“The velocity goes up, it means that blood is being rushed to an area to carry away the waste product.

The more mental activity, the more the waste product,” he says. During various 40-minute tests, researchers saw a decrease in blood-flow velocity over time, and, therefore, a decrease in attention.

“Sometimes in the first 10 minutes,” Warm says. “That early.” And he says many times the participants didn’t realise it was happening.

What this means is simply that our brains can’t sustain the intense pressure

But it depends. If the brain has to tackle stuff that is well within our comfort zone and mildly challenging, it will hold out for a lot longer. But if we’re learning something new, or doing something that is challenging, the brain feels the intensity. And after a while it just needs a break. In everyday terms this break is often termed as exhaustion.

We don’t know why we’re feeling so drained, but drained we are.

And of course, we don’t want to appear lazy, so instead of taking a break, we soldier on. And the brain doesn’t co-operate. Which is when you find yourself checking email, hovering endlessly on Facebook and doing activity that tires you even further.

You’re not dealing with good ol’ resistance here. You’re dealing with a brain that just can’t function at that level. And of course, the more you push it the more resistance you feel.

But it gets worse

Just focusing on a task is hard enough. But when this focus has to be run over the term of a project, we have to put in tremendous self-control. And as you accurately guessed, self-control is extremely draining. And the reason it’s so draining is because self-control seems to be in limited supply.

So if you’re on a weight-loss diet AND completing an article that needs to meet a deadline, you need twice the self-control. If you add another factor to that list, you would need thrice as much self-control—and so on. So if you use up self-control completing the presentation, you’re more than likely to chew on the chocolate cookies—despite the diet.

What seems like resistance is really a factor of exhaustion

What seems to be a factor of giving into resistance is actually just an inability for the brain to sustain continuous control over the situation. Not only is it battling with tiredness, but the self-control is adding another level of intensity.

Something has to give. And that’s when you officially lose the plot. That’s when you think you’ve lost the battle to resistance.

Which is why rest matters

Every 40 minutes or so, you need to take a break from what you’re doing. On a day to day level that helps you prevent this endless back and forth bounce between Facebook and back. But remember what’s also happening when you’re resisting Facebook.

You’re using up your self-control.

You actually like ambling around checking what’s happening around the Internet. So don’t resist the Facebook temptation. Give in to it. Allocate a fixed amount of time, e.g. 5-10 minutes doing something that makes you happy. Then when your ten minutes are up, and you’ve had a bit of a rest, go back to what you’re doing.

But surely no one has time to take these crazy breaks all the time

No one does. And that’s the point. Your brain is going to stop being attentive. And though you may be sitting at your computer pounding away at the keyboard, it’s not going to do an hour’s worth of work in an hour. It’s going to do just 20-30 minutes.

And then it’s going to have drop outs in your attention. As it gets more tired, you get more inattentive. By the second hour, you’re pretty much drooping.

But if you took the break, and don’t constantly strain the leash on your self-control, you give your brain it so richly deserves. That blood-flow velocity reduces naturally. And you’re more refreshed to take on the next hour, and the next and the next.

When I’d go for my walks past the liquor store, I’d fight my brain.

I’d want to keep concentrating. But now I don’t. I realise that I’m fighting two pitched battles: tiredness and self-control. And if I just play along with my brain’s natural rhythms, I stand to learn more and achieve more—while still resting more. And what’s more, I don’t feel bad that I’m just giving in to resistance.

Interesting, huh?

Research source: Science Daily + ‘Switch’ by Dan and Chip Heath

The Brain’s natural rhythms help us achieve and learn more. Do let me know what you have learned from this article?

[next_step]

Forget Benefits, And You Will Sell More

Posted on 01. Oct, 2010 by Michel Fortin in Articles, benefit, Blog, claim, Copywriting, feature, focus, market, selling, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, success, word

What’s the single, most important element in copywriting?

Let me say it another way.

You’ve done your research. You found a starving market. Your product fills a need. And your sales copy shines with benefits. If everything is so perfect, then why is your product still not selling? Is it the price? The offer? The competition?

Maybe. But not necessarily.

The fact is, these things are not always to blame for being unable to sell an in-demand product, even with great copy. Too often, it has more to do with one thing:

Focus. (Or should I say, the lack thereof.)

In fact, the greatest word in copywriting is not “free.” It’s “focus.” And what you focus on in your copy is often the single, greatest determinant of your copy’s success.

In my experience, copy that brings me the greatest response is copy that focuses on:

1. One messsage
2. One market
3. One outcome

Here’s what I mean…

1. One Message

The copy doesn’t tell multiple, irrelevant stories. It doesn’t make multiple offers. It doesn’t go on tangential topics or provide extra information that doesn’t advance the sale.

Copy should make one offer and one offer only.

Too many messages confuse the reader. And as copywriter Randy Gage once noted, “The confused mind never buys.” It confuses them because they don’t know which offer provides them with the best value for the amount of money they are ready to spend.

Prospects want to spend their money wisely. Lose focus, and it is harder to think clearheadedly as to make a wise decision in the first place. Remember this axiom:

“Give people too many choices and they won’t make one.”

You don’t want to do what my teenage daughter does to me. When we go shopping for a dress, after hours of flipping through hangers and racks, she finally pinpoints one she likes, goes to the changing room to try it on, looks at me and asks, “How’s this one?”

“Perfect!” I say. “You sure, dad?” She asks. “Yes,” I add. “I’m positive.” So we head to the cash register when, suddenly, she stops along the way, picks up another dress off the rack, and says, “How about this one? Or maybe this one? Oooh, look at this other one!”

We came really close to walking out of that store without buying any of the dresses.

2. One Market

I don’t want to spend the little space I have for this article to extoll the virtues of niche marketing. But when it comes to writing high-converting sales messages, it goes without saying: trying to be all things to all people is next to impossible.

When it is possible, then your sales message must be generic enough to appeal to everyone, causing the majority in your market to feel you’re not focused on them.

(There’s that word “focus,” again!)

In order to appeal to everyone, your sales message will be heavily diluted. It will lose clarity. People will feel left out because you’re too vague. You will appear indifferent to their situation, and to their specific needs and goals, too.

If you cater to a large, diversified market, I highly encourage that you segment your market and target each segment separately, and write copy that caters to each one.

That is, write copy for each individual and targeted group of people within your market. If your market is made up of two or three (or more) identifiable market groups, write copy for each one — even if the product is the same for everyone.

3. One Outcome

“Click here,” “read my about page,” “here’s a link to some testimonials,” “call this number,” “fill out this form,” “don’t buy know, just think about it,” “here are my other websites,” “here are 41 other products to choose from,” and on and on… Ack!

When people read your sales copy, and if your copy is meant to induce sales, then you want one thing and one thing only: get the sale! In other words, there’s only one thing your readers should do, and that’s buy. Or at least your copy should lead them to buy.

In other words, the ultimate outcome should be to buy — every call to action, every piece of copy, every page, every graphic should revolve around this one outcome.

Remember K.I.S.S. (i.e., “keep it straightforwardly simple”).

You would be surprised at how many salesletters I critique where the author asks the reader to do too many things, to choose from too many things, or to jump through so many hoops to get the very thing they want in the first place.

Your copy should focus on one call to action only, or one ultimate outcome. Forget links to other websites or pages that are irrelevant to the sale. Forget irrelevant forms and distractions. Why invite procrastination with too many calls-to-action?

In fact, I believe that the goal is not to elicit action but to prevent procrastination.

Because when people hit your website, whether they found you on a search engine after searching for information, were referred to you by someone else, or read about you somewhere online, then they are, in large part, interested from the get-go.

So your job is not to get them to buy, really. They’re already interested. They’re ready to buy. Your job (i.e., your copy’s job), therefore, is to get them not to go away.

Ultimately, focus on the reader. One, single reader.

This is probably the thing you need to focus on the most. The most common blunders I see being committed in copy is the lack of focus in a sales message, particularly on the individual reading the copy and the value you specifically bring to them.

In my experience as a copywriter, I find that some people put too much emphasis on the product, the provider, and even the market (as a whole), and not enough on the most important element in a sales situation: the customer.

That is, the individual reading the copy at that very moment.

Don’t focus your copy on your product and the features of your product — and on how good, superior, or innovative they are. And don’t even focus on the benefits.

Instead, focus on increasing perceived value with them. Why? Because perception is personal. It’s intimate. It’s ego-centric. Let me explain.

When you talk about your product, you’re making a broad claim. Everyone makes claims, especially online. “We’re number one,” “we offer the highest quality,” “it’s our best version yet,” etc. (Often, my reaction is, “So what?”)

And describing benefits is just as bad.

Benefits are too broad, in my opinion. You were probably taught that a feature is what a product has and a benefit is what that feature does. Right? But even describing benefits is, in my estimation, making a broad claim, too.

The adage goes, “Don’t sell quarter-inch drills, sell quarter-inch holes.”

But holes alone don’t mean a thing to someone who might have different uses, reasons or needs for that hole. So you need to translate benefits into more meaningful benefits.

You see, a claim always looks self-serving. It also puts you in a precarious position, as it lessens your perceived value and makes your offer suspect — the opposite of what you’re trying to accomplish by making claims in the first place.

Therefore, don’t focus on the benefits of a certain feature. Rather, focus on how those features specifically benefit the individual. Directly. Personally. Intimately.

There is a difference. A big difference.

The more you explain what those claims specifically mean to the prospect, the more you will sell. It’s not the features that counts and it’s not even benefits. It’s the perceived value. So how do you build perceived value?

The most common problem I see when people attempt to describe benefits is when what they are really describing are advantages — or glorified features, so to speak. Real benefits are far more personal and intimate.

That’s why I prefer to use this continuum:

Features ► Advantages ► Benefits

Of course, a feature is what a product has. And an advantage (or what most people think is a benefit) is what that feature does. But…

… A benefit is what that feature means.

A benefit is what a person intimately gains from a specific feature. When you describe a feature, say this: “What this means to you, Mr. Prospect, is this (…),” followed by a more personal gain your reader gets from using the feature.

Let me give you a real-word example.

A client once came to me for a critique of her copy. She sold an anti-wrinkle facial cream. It’s often referred to as “microdermabrasion.” Her copy had features and some advantages, but no benefits. In fact, here’s what she had:

Features:

1. It reduces wrinkles.
2. It comes in a do-it-yourself kit.
3. And it’s pH balanced.

Advantages:

1. It reduces wrinkles, so it makes you look younger.
2. It comes in a kit, so it’s easy to use at home.
3. And it’s pH balanced, so it’s gentle on your skin.

This is what people will think a benefit is, such as “younger,” “easy to use” and “gentle.” But they are general. Vague. They’re not specific and intimate enough. So I told her to add these benefits to her copy…

Benefits:

1. It makes you look younger, which means you will be more attractive, you will get that promotion or recognition you always wanted, you will make them fall in love with you all over again, they will never guess your age, etc.
2. It’s easy to use at home, which means you don’t have to be embarrassed — or waste time and money — with repeated visits to the doctor’s office… It’s like a facelift in a jar done in the privacy of your own home!
3. It’s gentle on your skin, which means there are no risks, pain or long healing periods often associated with harsh chemical peels, surgeries and injections.

Now, those are benefits!

Remember, copywriting is “salesmanship in print.” You have the ability to put into words what you normally say in a person-to-person situation. If you were to explain what a feature means during an encounter, why not do so in copy?

The more benefit-driven you are, the more you will sell. In other words, the greater the perceived value you present, the greater the desire for your product will be. And if they really want your product, you’ll make a lot of money.

It’s that simple.

In fact, like a face-to-face, one-on-one sales situation (or as we say in sales training, being “belly to belly” with your prospect), you need to denominate as specifically as possible the value your offer brings to your readers.

In other words, express the benefits of your offer in terms that relate directly not only to your market, but also and more importantly:

1. To each individual in that market
2. And to each individual’s situation.

Don’t focus on your product. Focus on your readers. Better yet, focus on how the benefits of your offer appeal to the person that’s reading them. And express how your offer benefits your prospect in terms they can intimately relate to, too.

Look at it this way:

• Use terms the prospect is used to, appreciates and fully understands. (The mind thinks in relative terms. That’s why the use of analogies, stories, examples, metaphors, and testimonials is so important! Like “facelift in a jar,” for example.)
• Address your reader directly and forget third-person language. Don’t be afraid to use “you,” “your,” and “yours,” as well as “I,” “me,” “my,” and “mine.” Speak to your reader as if in a personal conversation with her.
• Use terms that trigger their hormones, stroke their egos, tug their heartstrings, and press their hot buttons. You don’t need to use puffery with superlative-laden copy. Just speak to your reader at an intimate level. An emotional level.

Because the worst thing you can do, second to making broad claims, is to express those claims broadly. Instead, appeal to their ego. Why? Because…

… We are all human beings.

Eugene Schwartz, author of Breakthrough Advertising (one of the best books on copywriting), once noted we are not far evolved from chimpanzees. “Just far enough to be dangerous to ourselves,” copywriter Peter Stone once noted.

He’s not alone. My friend and copywriter Paul Myers was once asked during an interview, “Why do people buy from long, hypey copy?” His short answer was, “Human beings are only two feet away from the cave.”

(Speaking of Eugene Schwartz, listen to his speech. It’s the best keynote speech on copywriting. Ever. Click hear to listen to it. You can also get a copy of his book, too, called “Breakthrough Advertising.” I read mine several times already.)

People buy for personal wants and desires, and for selfish reasons above all. Whether you sell to consumers or businesses, people are people are people. It’s been that way for millions of years.

And nothing’s changed.

Your message is just a bunch of words. But words are symbols. Different words mean different things to different people. Look at this way: while a picture is worth a thousand words, a word is worth a thousand pictures.

And the words you choose can also be worth a thousand sales.

Forget Benefits, And You Will Sell More originally appeared on The Michel Fortin Blog. Please visit to subscribe to it, or Tweet This.

A Disturbing Trend in Internet Marketing

Posted on 30. Aug, 2010 by Michel Fortin in affiliate, behavior, Blog, commentator, competition, controversy, failure, fake, focus, FTC, guru, Joel Comm, Opinions, pressure, question, racketeering, ray edwards, responsibility, Ryan Healy, scam, scarcity, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, success, training, transparency

A recent blog post has stirred quite a lot of controversy. It specifically made some stark accusations about a certain number of marketers who appear to be colluding.

Some call it unethical. Others call it smart business. And a few go as far as calling it an illegal cartel that should be charged with breaking racketeering and anti-trust laws.

I don’t know if it’s true or not, so I won’t comment on it directly. And I’m not a lawyer by any stretch.

But I can comment on what we observe. And we can certainly observe a few things that are rather obvious. For example, if you’re subscribed to several of these marketers’ lists, even if only a handful, then I’m confident you’ve noticed some recurring trends.

(Let’s call them “musical-chair product launches.” Oh, and let’s not forget the once pricey product you paid a marketer just a few weeks ago now being given away for free as a bonus to buying from their affiliate link during someone else’s product launch.)

Personally, I don’t think it’s wrong for competitors to partner up as to time their product releases separately. (I’ll come back to the term “competition” later, as it is important.) To a certain degree, this is definitely smart business.

The question is, at which point can this specific situation be deemed illegal or not? The answer is arguable — and by arguable, I mean in a court of law. But blogger Antone Roundy said it best, when he shared the following insight, which I agree with…

“But if they’re promoting each other regardless of product quality or value for the price, that’s unethical at best. And if they’re agreeing to a pricing scheme or taking products off the market during other peoples’ launch periods to reduce competition, I’d expect the FTC to be breathing down their necks really soon.”

This is what seems to be happening here. We can debate the legality of it. But illegal or not, it’s definitely unethical. Even if it is legal, the appearance of impropriety alone is enough to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths. It certainly does in mine.

After my wife’s controversial report, Internet Marketing Sins, which she released over two years ago, you can say that a line in the sand has been drawn. Since then, a number of marketers have expressed on which side of that they now stand.

To name a few — I’m linking to their specific posts wherever possible — there are people like Joel Comm, Ryan Healy, Ray Edwards, Dan Gallapoo, and many more. (Funny how many of them are copywriters, eh?) The numbers seem to be steadily growing, too.

(If you have 45 minutes, listen to this podcast by Randy Cantrell.)

We’ve also seen the emergence of a growing number of consumer advocacy and personal opinion blogs that are entirely dedicated to being critical of unethical marketing practices, and exposing deceptive and dishonest business activities.

Aside from The Salty Droid mentioned at the beginning, others include Patrick Pretty, Lost Ball In High Weeds, Dont Step In The Poop, and many, many others.

Do I like them? To be candid, some blogs — and especially some of the commentators on these blogs — are caustic, jarring, and vile. Some are a bit too toxic for my taste.

But while I may not like them, I don’t necessarily blame them. After all, they didn’t just appear out of nowhere with the sole intent to make marketers’ lives miserable. Many of these types of anti-scam blogs were created as a result of a personal, bad experience.

Plus, they can easily polarize people.

Many disgruntled consumers who are attracted to these blogs have grown highly cynical, suspicious, and resentful. So it’s only natural they voice their grievances on them.

But what frightens me is that the voice of genuine scam victims are muffled by a small yet vocal minority of anti-marketing extremists who spew their venom senselessly.

These pitchfork-wielding protesters seem hellbent on destroying any levelheaded discussion. They flame anyone who voices any opposing views, and rabidly pounce on anyone who might want to take a stab at having an intelligent, sensible argument.

I’ve seen some bigoted commentators bash others in an attempt to manipulate, irritate, and denigrate. This is childish behavior, and it defeats the purpose. They should focus on the issues, and not on whether someone is overweight, effeminate, or disabled.

Focus on what they do, not who they are.

Nevertheless, I often want to join in on the conversation myself, but I stop short of doing so because I fear what I say will fall on deaf ears — if not get drowned by a handful of witch-hunting McCarthyists who trawl around for any faint smell of blood.

Now, this doesn’t mean the other side is innocent, either.

Namecalling and ad hominem attacks occur on both sides.

I’ve seen a lot of venom spewed from proponents of these marketers. Genuine scam victims continue to be victimized through what appears to be concerted efforts of another vocal minority who feel that some of the marketers singled out are beyond reproach.

Some have gone to the extent of saying that scam victims are really the ones to blame. They say things like “caveat emptor (buyer beware),” “they’re jealous or envious of those who make money,” “they need to take responsibility for their actions,” etc.

Sure. Just like women wearing provocative clothing are looking to get raped, right? Ugh.

Granted, the market should bear some of the responsibility. Plus, I definitely agree there are trolls out there who just want someone to blame for their failures and inadequacies.

But caveat emptor is a weak argument when it seems to be used as a means to exclude the responsibility of others. Counter-blaming your customers should never nullify your actions when you blatantly prey on the market’s relentless dream for the magic pill.

Caveat emptor is not some loophole to take advantage of the vulnerable.

Just because you robbed a bank that had no alarm system doesn’t mean the bank is in the wrong because they lacked security. A robbery is still a robbery.

And it’s still wrong.

The question is, where does the vicious circle stop?

If the blame should be split 50/50, then so should the solution be split 50/50, too. Marketers should stop selling magic-pill solutions to a market who’s desperate for help. And the market should stop chasing the dream by buying into magic-pill solutions.

As we know, there is no such thing as a magic pill. If they keep chasing it, they will murder any chances of achieving true success. And sometimes, that can be quite literal.

As long as there will be a market for magic-pill solutions, there will always be marketers willing to provide it to them. So aside from more laws and regulations, which I’m not a fan of, achieving a compromise is a challenge, particularly when both sides are greedy.

So another and perhaps more effective solution is: education.

Educate the market on what to look out for and avoid, as well as educate those who are learning how to market and may think of modeling such unethical practices.

In my estimation, too many marketing products out there are just snake oil. Period.

I understand and appreciate that buyers should beware, that they should do their due diligence, that they should take their time and investigate before jumping in. Agreed.

But fake scarcity ploys during high-pressure product launches remove any chance for the market to appreciate what exactly is being sold. It reduces their ability to think critically, investigate the offer adequately, and make an intelligent buying decision.

So education is powerful. And these blogs, while harsh in some cases, are vital.

Let me end with this. Antone Roundy’s comment about gathering with other marketers to time product releases being a smart business practice is right. After all, that’s why many associations exist. But I agree this works only up to a point.

I’m far from being a lawyer, but if it is unacceptable when products are taken off the market, as Antone said, then that’s exactly what seems to be happening here. In fact, these are not “product releases.” They are not even product launches, for that matter.

They are simply close-ended sales events.

But let’s take a closer look at what constitutes “competition,” and how it applies, here. Defined, competition is: “the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable terms.”

Whether the people in this group of marketers are acting independently is debatable. The question is, are they truly competing against one and other? In other words, are these guys truly competitors? This is something I think any court will need to define.

But here’s my take. They sell information, true. And it can be argued that information is not really competitive. For example, just because I bought a Stephen King novel doesn’t preclude me from buying an Anne Rice novel at the same time.

One can sell information on, say, affiliate marketing while the other on, say, traffic generation. So they are not quite “competitors.” But herein lies the problem…

Marketers are not authors selling their information. They are more like publishing houses selling information products. Yes, products. And as publishing houses — and again, I’m no lawyer — they seem to be colluding to some degree.

Even the term “information products” is debatable, too. Because the “products” most gurus sell today aren’t really information. In actuality, what they’re selling are business opportunities packaged as information and sold under the guise of training systems.

Again, this is just my opinion. I always want to look at both sides of an issue before I form an opinion. And in this case, after everything I’ve seen, all I can say is that the whole musical-chair product launch game just doesn’t smell right to me.

A Disturbing Trend in Internet Marketing originally appeared on The Michel Fortin Blog. Please visit to subscribe to it, or Tweet This.

Why People Are Addicted to Info-Products

Posted on 12. Jun, 2010 by Ryan Healy in addiction, attention, Blog, Contributions, dopamine, drug, focus, guru, information, Matt Ritchel, productivity, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, spending, success

Have you ever wondered why people buy dozens of info-products… and yet never seem to get around to consuming them, much less using them?

I have.

And for a long time I just blamed it on people being lazy. In my own case, I blamed it on being too busy with client work to get around to some of those extracurricular learning pursuits not necessary to my daily work.

But there is now new research that discounts “The Laziness Theory” and “The I’m-Too-Busy Theory.”

Turns out, it’s not that people are lazy or unwilling to take “massive action” — it’s simply that living an always-on wired life causes people to become addicted to new information.

Addicted to Information?

I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Check out this article — Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price — by Matt Ritchel.

As Ritchel explains, scientists have discovered that reacting to a never-ending stream of “information bursts” causes the brain to become excited and release dopamine, which in turn causes feelings of happiness.

As Wikipedia reports, “Dopamine is commonly associated with the reward system of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate a person proactively to perform certain activities.”

So let’s connect the dots…

• Whereas, responding to “information bursts” causes the brain to release dopamine;
• And, whereas, dopamine reinforces the behavior that produced it;
• Thus, replying to emails, tweets, Facebook updates, forum threads, and other forms of real-time interruptions can lead to compulsive behavior, possibly even addiction.

Yikes!

If you’re not careful, you could find yourself checking email dozens of times a day, replying to text messages the minute they arrive, logging onto Twitter multiple times an hour, checking for Facebook updates, seeing what’s popular on Digg…

…and on and on and on in a never-ending dopamine-reinforcement loop.

It’s a dangerous, time-sucking, attention-killing cycle.

Social Media: The Drug of Choice in the 21st Century

Once you’re hooked on social media — with your cell phone in your pocket and your laptop on the kitchen table — you’re little more than a human version of Pavlov’s dog:

1. Every time you hear (or see) a notification, you respond immediately…
2. Your brain rewards you with a little more dopamine…
3. And the cycle becomes a little bit stronger, a little bit harder to break.

The negative side effects of constant distraction (a.k.a. “multi-tasking”) are many.

Ritchel reports, “While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress.”

Let’s not beat around the bush here. Research has plainly shown that multitaskers get less done and are more stressed out than people who focus on a single task at a time.

So I think it’s reasonable to ask: Are email and social media keeping you from success? While you’re pondering this, let me tell you…

Why People Pay Good Money for Information…

… Information They Don’t Need and Will Never Use!

Stress and decreased productivity are not the only consequences of an always-online, always-distracted lifestyle.

You may also find yourself inexplicably compelled to buy information — even information you don’t need and will never use.

This is because multitasking literally rewires your brain.

Recent tests conducted at Stanford “showed multitaskers tended to search for new information rather than accept a reward for putting older, more valuable information to work.”

Are you feeling compelled to buy yet another home study course even though you have multiple home study courses gathering dust on your shelves?

Or are you wanting to sign up for another membership site even though you already have multiple online memberships that you never use?

Well, now you know why.

The More Distracted You Are, the More Money Marketers Make

Marketers like to whine about how hard it is to sell to people who are distracted… how there’s so much competition for people’s attention that it’s hard to make a buck.

I think there’s some truth to this. But I think there’s more truth on the flip side of this argument.

Here’s my theory: The more distracted you are, the more money marketers make.

That’s because the more caught up you become in the distraction-dopamine cycle, the more likely it is you’ll continue to reinforce those positive feelings by seeking out new information.

And the more you seek out new information, the easier it will be for marketers to sell you “secrets” you think you don’t yet possess.

Which means: Not only does multitasking rob you of your productivity, it robs your bank account, too!

Now you know why all the gurus want you to follow them on email, Twitter, and Facebook.

They want you to be distracted.

Because the more distracted and confused you are, the easier it will be for them to get your credit card number — and sell you yet another overpriced course you’ll never use.

With that in mind, don’t you think it’s time to reconsider your use of social media?

Tips for Breaking Information Addiction

(And Taking Back Your Life)

In spite of the risks, I don’t necessarily recommend swearing off cell phones and social media. So here are a few suggestions for getting value out of social technology without letting it rule your life:

• Limit your connections. Connect only with people you really want to connect with. Don’t follow just to be followed.
• Tether social media profiles together so you can control multiple profiles from a single control panel or with a single RSS feed.
• Spend no more than 30 minutes a day on social media. Set aside a specific time to update your profiles and reply to people.
• Turn your cell phone off to block unplanned interruptions. Being accessible all the time should not be a badge of honor.
• Use a tool like RescueTime.com to block distracting web sites during periods of focus time.
• Be cautious about spending money on new information, especially if you have information you’ve paid for that you haven’t used yet.

As we sail deeper into the uncharted waters of the 21st Century, I believe one of the keys to success will increasingly become a person’s ability to block out distractions and focus on completing one task at a time.

Ultimately, self-control and constant vigilance win the day.

Why People Are Addicted to Info-Products originally appeared on The Michel Fortin Blog. Please visit to subscribe to it, or Tweet This.