If it sounds too good to be TRUE, then it probably is!

"If it sounds too good to be TRUE, then it probably is!"

Hi there it's Dermot here,

Now you are probably wondering what this title is all about, especially as I am an Attraction Marketing Entrepreneur. A bit of a contradiction in itself but hear me out.....

As human beings, we are primarily led by our emotions, especially when it comes to making purchases and investments. In fact, 80% of purchasing is an emotional not rational decision and only 20% of the latter.

When I see something I like, it is my emotional side that likes the item and then a decision comes from that. Yes, I, like everyone else will have an inner battle with my conscience, or as I call the little angel and little devil on my shoulders. Desire makes me want to buy, and guilt makes me not want to buy.

You ARE an Emotional buyer

I start to ask myself questions like "Do I really need it?" or "not?". Now depending on how I'm feeling will always predict the outcome. If I'm feeling sorry for myself, I will buy an item, thinking it will make me feel better, or as I am having such a bad day, that I deserve something nice. That is my emotional justification to me. In most cases, I will make the purchase.

If I am busy or preoccupied with something else or even feeling content within myself at that moment and something catches my eye, I might take a second look, put it on my wishlist and carry on doing what I was doing. In most cases, I won't make the purchase.

The longer you give yourself time to ponder, the more emotionally charged you become and the more likely you are to purchase.

At the end of the day both online and offline, you are in control and have a choice and it has to be your choice, not anyone else’s. I have in the past brought something and then later kicked myself for doing so and then tried to justify or blame my decision elsewhere.

Guilty pleasure. Is it pleasure though or pain. If you buy something and the guilt you feel outweighs the pleasure you thought you would get, then my advice is, take it back, get a refund, as you will feel much better for it. You wouldn’t enjoy the thing anyway as every time you look at it you will feel guilty again.

The same concept applies online, although it is a lot less emotional than when you purchase something in the Main street shop. When I buy something online, its a different type of transaction for me. For example, I don’t receive the purchase immediately and when paying by credit or debit card, it does not have the same emotional impact (uncertainty), as paying in cash.

Be Aware

This is where a credit card can be very dangerous and if you are not careful, you can get carried away. You need to remember that the internet is just one gigantic business, everyone wants to make money, including me.

Besides goods, services and subscriptions do also cost money. If you want information, chances are you’ll have to pay for it. But there is a ton of information, services and subscriptions out there, all telling you that theirs is the best. Header, footer, banner, page, pop-ups, and even video adds offering you  FREE offers, heavily discounted offers, limited offers, once in a lifetime offers. The list is endless, but don’t be fooled by all the bells and whistles and flashy pictures. 

Whilst most business online are genuine and you will get what you pay for, there are those scammers out there who will gladly take your money and then run. I was nearly caught out the other day and that experience actually prompted me to write this article. "If it sounds too good to be TRUE, then it probably is!" Now had I seen this "scam" offer back in January, I would most likely have gone for it and lost my money, but thankfully that didn't happen. I'm not as impulsive now as I was in the past and learning and experience online has helped me.

I learned the hard way, but here are my suggestions for you:

1. Be as Specific as you can

Type in longtail keywords to search for what you are looking for. There is nothing worse than typing in something and then being bombarded by ads and pop-ups, telling you what they think you need. That is targeted marketing and is linked to keywords, so the vaguer you are, the more of them you will get. Do not look at the ads first but scroll down to the web and look there first as that will most likely be what you are searching for, or as near as. You can always refine your search to get even more specific if need be.

2. Do Your Research First

The internet is not limited, it is abundant and growing every second, & yes competition is fierce amongst marketers and companies and everyone is vying for your business. They do want your money, simple as that and once you’ve handed it over you can find yourself being neglected.

Don’t subscribe to or buy the first offer you see, no matter how good it looks. Test it first. I’ve lost a lot of time and money by being impulsive and signing up to the first offer I came across. Do shop around, there is a lot of availability, even if it isn’t ranked high in Google. Sometimes the smaller less known businesses give a more personalized service and give you value. 

ALWAYS read other people's opinions, both good and bad and decide from there. Chances are they've been there done that & worn the T-shirt, so they know from experience.

I agree that time is money and the internet does take up a lot of time, especially if you are running an online business, so entrepreneurs and businesses do deserve the right to charge for their time and expertise, its called Value. The only thing that is going wrong in my opinion, also as a service user, is that you get a lot of hype with a lot of links to even more hype, that leads to total overwhelm and then leaving the site or even the search altogether. Frustrated in many cases. "In your face" hustles have never appealed to me and more and more people are now becoming more wary of them.

3. Is it guaranteed

Make sure there is a no quibbles money back guarantee so that if it is not for you, you can always unsubscribe and get your money back. If there is no guarantee, avoid it like the plague.

Marketing does play on your emotions and can make you feel fearful, anxious or even guilty and obliged to sign up or buy. DON'T Most of the time the emails are sent automatically by autoresponders and not from a person. You would feel silly if you signed up because you felt guilty, sorry for or pressurized by an autoresponder.

4. Ask yourself again "Do I need it or want it?"

Again not to be too impulsive and sign up for or buy the first thing that lands in your inbox or the web. I have a load of "Junk" that I do not need but thought I wanted. Most of it eventually ends up in the bin, so that is not being too environmentally friendly. Ask yourself what will this do for me in the long term, not just today or tomorrow and if you cannot justify then don't buy. Simple as that.

We all like nice things, but do you know if you really want to feel good within yourself and you do want something, then get it for someone else. That will bring more joy to yourself.

5. Value

Does it give me value, or can I give value due to it? No matter what everything does have value in some shape or form. We are growth seeking beings and have a voracious appetite for knowledge and experience. Our brains are learning machines that never stop. You wouldn't buy a second copy of a book you already have and have read unless it was a collector's item or you were buying it for someone else. The same applies to everything else, as the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome. If you can't get any value or give value from it, then leave it. Attraction marketing is growing online, and the great thing about this style of marketing is that it puts control in the buyer's hands.

To Sum up

Going back to the first paragraph, I too am a marketing entrepreneur, but I am not a hypocrite, as I would rather see people happy than trying to sell them something that would not give them value. I hate being hustled and would never try to do that to anyone else, so here goes..... Only joking.

What I do have to offer is choice, your choice to decide what is best for you. Now I don't know your circumstances in life or what your needs or wants are, but like me and every other being on this rock, you do want to better your life, circumstance, finances, relationships, time management........

I am an affiliate with Six Figure Mentors, and they have an offer that might just be "Your cup of tea", you won't know unless you try so, I will pass you onto my mentors: Stuart & Jay, and let them explain to you what SFM is all about and how it works.

Click the link below if you want more information, or don't if you don't, it's up to you.

Have an internet stress free day.