Why I’m NOT endorsing the Affiliatedotcom launch

Jim, I do “get” it. I too agree that if you haven’t had time to personally review the entire product, why do a big marketing campaign to promote it. I always understand that having an affiliate link by no means means that you are endorsing the product as “proven”. You endorse the creator and that is the best testimonial you can give Chris, that he is a “proven expert”. Thanks for a great article.

Hi Jim,

I understand what the other people mean as it is the kind of thing some marketers do.
But you said you weren’t endorsing it not that you weren’t promoting it.

I watched all the videos and Chris said he wouldn’t promote anything without having seen it first, so I wonder why he expects other people to do that?
I think they should have invited their main affiliates to view the content first.

Thanks

Keith

Oh, and another thing… how often does Jim spam your inbox with affiliate link after affiliate link? hardly EVER! Jim deserves every peice of commission he get’s from his sales of this.

Jim, stuff the naysayers and put your aff link back up NOW.

[reply from Jim]: The link is there for those that want to find it…thanks Andrew. I have to go for a couple hours…can’t wait to see what storm I’ve stirred up by the time I get back! ;0)

Jim,
I appreciate your honesty regarding this product. I would not endorse a product that I have not had time to fully vett either.

Unfortunately I am unable to watch the videos for some reason and can’t figure out why my computer won’t allow it no matter who is promoting it and I can’t view it directly from the web site either. Any suggestions?

Again, thanks for all the info you provide us!

Cindi

Hi Jim,

In the continued wake of an depression(not recession!) There will be many that promote “how to make money” info as a lifeline out of the job scenario.

My only gripe with this is that most of what I’ve seen is simply rehashed plr training material promoted by some that have never implemented the methods they teach..When you ask for testimonials the response back is very weak. Not saying all the info is bad,just buyer beware.

Tim

Jim
Over 5 years following you, Yep you still was able to sneak a hint in their on the link bit,but oh well you are still the ONLY one I trust anymore.It seems their is a lot of people out their that could get a very high paying job with one of our banks or with a insurance company, may even do good as a politician.If any others are thinking of using this reverse S— I sure hope I am not on your mailing list.

Hmmmm. Looks like an endorsement, smells like an endorsement, quacks like an endorsement…

[reply from Jim]: …but with no affiliate link in the article what difference does it make? I’m telling you about something that may or may not be a good fit. Take the info and make an informed decision.

Hi, I just had to open your email and read your notes and commments cause of your headline about not endorsing the chris farrell product. THAT got me curious.

Anything Chris does will be excellent, he would not put his name on anything that wasn’t worth the money….just wouldn’t.

But I didn’t buy it either and would not endorse it either. Unless you are a very experienced marketer and have building your sites down pat and writing your content and all the technical aspects of this business down cold.

Cause this is about traffic! All kind of traffic generation….and traffic generation is no good if your sites don’t work, you have junky content, or no clue about SEO.

So learn in steps, something I didn’t do to my detriment, and if you are ready for traffic generation then go for it. If not don’t buy this.

And as for Jim, I think it was an excellent headline that got me to open your email and get to know you better. I will keep a better eye on your letters to me from now on.

thanks for the heads up

michele

I agree with you Jim, I never send a product link to my subscribers that I haven’t used and had success with.

There are two reasons for that: One is that I want to be available to help if my subscribers need help, and second, I feel I would be lying to them if I promoted a product that I haven’t used and been successful with.

Thanks Jim for providing us with the opportunity to make up our own minds and the terrific content you provide in your newsletters.
I’m “over” all this affiliate linking stuff and have unsubscribed from several people who used to give great content but now are only interested in promoting affiliates in order to get the big $$$ and then brag about it to their list.

Let’s face it IM is very competitive and takes a huge amount of time to start seeing real results – after trying this for a several months and doing lots of course a “day job” is becoming more appealing every day!

Although it’s exciting to sbe reminded of how powerful facebook can be for internet marketing, I didn’t really see anything novel in the training videos.

It’s all the ideas that I’ve thought of doing before and have never carried out simply because no one has mentioned it before.

What I’m starting to realize is that people think of things, share them, and then the big marketers make it into a nice big package with a huge price tag.

Marketing for local businesses is something that has been done since at least 2000, Jim simplified it with offlinebiz, then Mike Koenigs made a big box package with a huge price tag.

Stick to your instincts, research on your own and follow through until it works.

ps. Not default in a bad way – just living up to your commitment to your list. I meant that as you did not have time to check this product you could not recommend it. If you had the time to check you may have been able to recommend and then I would have had to unsubscribe from your list too.

Over 90% of Internet Marketers FAIL!

Meaning, there are thousands of people out there who only have expensive hobbies online.

Only a few on top are making a full time living or good money at this.

How many hundreds of million of dollars have been spent on launch ideas with only a few people successful out of the thousands that have tried?

Mike Filsaime was just pawning off his butterfly marketing course(with PLR rights) right after he announced he was getting out of Marketing, less than 6 months ago?!?

Now he has a new product which claims the “old ways” are gone? Huh?

Many of the “Gurus” dump their outdated stuff then run to the next idea, with thousands of frustrated people holding the bag.

And every new launch is “$1997″, it’s to the point where the price tag is laughed about at Marketing conventions, an inside joke. Well, it’s not funny anymore.

I personally got 5 gurus contacting me from their lists, all with their affiliate links to Mike’s new project.

ANIK SINGAL, RUSSELL BRUNSON, JIM COCKRUM, and others. Right after Skip and Jim gave an affiliate link for some other big launch weeks previous. What’s going on here guys? Is the tank draining on IM and the big guys are scooping up what’s left?

And the time constraints with the “get it now before we close up shop” stuff is getting unbearable. How do we even know this stuff works and what faith should we have after we’ve been suckered over and over again?

Personally I think it’s insulting after watching this for years.

I trust Jim and think he’s a good guy, but man, this marketing industry becoming a cliche punch line.

Jim,

My last post wasn’t directed at you. And yes, I was trying to back up your point with my own, to others. I’m just using speaking from my soapbox in your thread Jim, sorry.

But I think NOBODY should be endorsing products pre-launch, and if they do, it’s foolish to even listen to them.

Edsel, Pinto, Gremlin? Anybody remember?

Tell me if Mike and Chris’s “vehicles” are running after a few months then maybe I’ll buy, ya know?

Internet launches these days have a short shelf life. This isn’t 1997 and we’re in awe of “HTML”. I want to meet and see a real person 8 weeks from now who has a REAL testimonial, without an affiliate link attached, and a REAL face saying “I now make enough money to pay my mortgage and then some…thanks to Mike and Chris”. In fact I’m going to have to see many testimonials like it.

Otherwise Mike and Chris can “keep the doors closed” all they want.

And by the way, today I have received my EIGHTEENTH panic email about Mike’s system being “closed”, like I said before, punch line……cliche…..getting old.

I just love some of the comments by the previous responders above; especially the one about all the gurus sounding like (they really are much worse than) used car salespeople these days. I was an international automotive consultant for many years. One of the thing I did was train car sales people in consultative selling techniques (lower pressure).. I hated the old ploys and gimmicks used by so many in that industry but let me tell you, the gurus put the car industry to shame when it comes to these less than ethical practices. I think if I hear the phrase once again “before we close the doors” or have to listen to one more countdown of the price (I could sell this program for $2497 so it would be a real steal at $1297 etc etc etc but today, if you buy before 12 midnight, you can get it for $1 and a 7 day trial) I think I am going to puke. It makes me almost want to cuss.

I also loved the comment about how some of these gurus are just milking the unemployed in this down economy. I can feel that pain.

But here are the specific reasons I could not buy this program.

I think Chris truly is one of the good guys. They almost had me pulled in based on Chris’s reputation alone however I have to admit, the pairing of these two individuals was more than a little troubling to me.

I also do not feel there was enough emphasis put on video in all it’s forms. While I think this is the key to the marketing of today and well into the future; the emphasis on this program…well come to think of it, I don’t believe this program has any real focused emphasis.

Then there were the things that drove up the cost that I have absolutely no interest in.

Ten gurus: my God I go through that routine everyday. That’s like handing me a blindfold and putting me up against the wall and handing a rifle to the ten individuals lined up in front of me and suddenly I hear ready, aim, fire. I have been studying this whole internet marketing thing for nearly six months and I can honestly say, I think the gurus have had more to do with holding me back than anything else.

Here is another slant on the…only 3% of people who start in this industry end up with any degree of success. These gurus may all have big fat wallets BUT they are as a group really 97% UNsuccessful. They truly help very few. I would love it if these gurus could actually speak in terms of the number of people they have really helped to gain some level of real achievement. They can’t.

Personal coaching has no interest to me whatsoever at this time because there is so much information out there I can learn for free and at a perceived value of $250 per hour or more for coaching, NO Thank You!

A party in Vegas: please give me a break. I don’t need to go to some shindig to watch a bunch of gurus slapping each other on the back with a 24 hour glad handing exercise celebrating their own achievements.

In my humble opinion, webinars are a big waste of my time. GENERALLY speaking they only serve to explode the egos of those giving them.

Here’s another angle: If you opt for the financing plan for this product, that is $397 per month for 6 months which equates out to near $2400. That is a new car payment for many people and at least they will have a car to show for it for at least that 6 months. If this program turns out to be like so many of the other programs out there (and the chances are 97% that it will) you will have nothing to show for your dollars.

Finally I truly appreciate your stand on not recommending this product and for all the good reasons you gave. That took some guts I know and can truly respect that. I even understand your take on…I am not going to recommend it but if you still feel like it is a program you can’t do without, please use my link.

Sorry for being so wordy!!!
Rick A

I, too, am weary of being slammed with eMail from every subscription to buy this. I’ve spent several thousand since 2003. All of these courses offer something as does most any educational enterprise; however, I’ve appealed to everyone from whom I buy to produce current training specifically for tangible products like kitchenware, tools, yard art, toys, camping gear (no, not electronics or jewelry). Skip and Lisa and Steve L. are the only folks who come close any more. Everyone just adds something to the effect of “this will work with products, too.” I’ve done 4 affiliate courses, and they all offer something, but where is the guidance for those of us who want to run and online store instead of a greeting card shop in the mall? I’m in the process of unsubscribing to most of the newsletters I receive because they all tout the same thing at the same time. Still, there is a market for this stuff and so these folks should appeal to it. My question is: If these guys are making gazillions of dollars, why are ALL of them still pushing all of this stuff. I’m hard pressed to believe that to a man/woman, they are all just fulfilling a need to help the underdog. I would say that your campaign as an affiliate, Jim, has been nowhere near as spam-like and offensive in the email bombardment as that of some of the other recognized gurus in this biz. They should follow your lead. Every day is a bit much in my opinion unless they are just desperate.
Thanks for SSM, MST and the blog. I am saving my money to follow JJ’s advice and “replace myself.”

I usually like Jim’s stuff, and his style – but I don’t like this post because it does smack of “negative support” and hence just another “marketing ploy”. It would (in my opinion) have been best left unsaid.

However, I’ll just add my main beef about current IM Offers, whilst everyone is up in arms about marketing – the ridiculous claims for SCARCITY that are being made, particularly for a whole swathe of Traffic products. The sellers clearly intend to offload thousands of copies, but claim to be limiting it to 200 or 300!! It’s such a blatant lie that I just unsubscribe – I hate being lied to anyway, but this is so stupid it beggars belief!!

Thank Goodness Chris F or Jim have not indulged in this (I’m not sure about Mike F).

John O’York

I too am a paid member of Chris Farrell’s membership site and I am very satisfied. BUT I was blown away by him teaming up with the partner for this project. I just don’t get it. It could start to tarnish his impeccable reputation. I know I’ll be watching closely.