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Friday, November 09, 2007

Rich Schefren blah blah blahhhh, Part 2

A Tiny, But Necessary, Pre-Qualifier

"I have been on Sam's list for close to a year now, and he has been a big influence on the way I market and also my marketing tactics. He is someone to watch and learn from. And it's so entertaining! I'm so glad I got the Secret Weapon Lite from Sam because frankly I think I might have been a little (!) disappointed after I paid a lot and found out what it was. Thank you, Sam!" ~Brian Beshore


"Sam, Thank you very much for the Lite Version tool, I would also like to thank you for your entertaining style of marketing, I find it very refreshing."  Larry McCann
"Once again Sam, you have told it like it is. I have received at least 8 emails this past weekend from either [name withheld], or his voice box [withheld].  Have you noticed lately how these self appointed gurus aren't pushing anything under $1000? These guys make me sick.  They aren't anything special. They just had the balls at some point to hold themselves out as the expert. I wonder how many of them have actually made any money selling a product that does not proclaim to make it's purchaser a internet gazillionaire? I'm going to guess very few." ~ Big Dom
"Hallo Sam from cold, wet, windy UK. Thanks for this very useful gizmo and keep up the good work on revealing the truth to those who can be bothered to listen." Kind regards, Alan

For those of you who've recently come to know of me through the lifelines I've sown into modern social media, I'd like to make a distinction.  Finding me through the "frame" of social media, there's a good likelihood that I might seem like "just another blogger" seeking his share of the attention pie.  But there are those who have come to know me through the frame of the "work from home" (WFH) sub-culture and see my posts as a kind of sobering revelation in a wilderness full of well-funded, highly misleading advertising.

Back in July of 2006, I published a post titled, "Rich Schefren...blah blah blahhhhh."  It wasn't because I was feeling oh-so-small that day and just happened to feel as if taking a shot at an alleged multi-millionaire would somehow restore me to my proper size.  It was due more to a healthy predisposition to speaking up whenever the bullshit starts to fly.

In fact, when Mike Chen's "Secret Weapon!" (the supremely, over-glorified, split tester) came around, I laid out $497 for it so that I could give the LITE version away to my list members for free.  Feel free to pick upyour own free copy if you wish!.

That being said, the Rich Schefren article linked above was prophetic.  I won't hash out all the details except to say that for those of you who love a good, simple fog-cutting analysis (or drama), all the information you'll need is between both these articles.

As many of you know, Rich just came out with "The Attention Age Doctrine" which is creating new buzz.

On his blog, a recent article read,

That’s why it’s rather ironic that I am writing this post from my hotel balcony in Sydney, Australia, once again disappointed, depressed, and disturbed by what I witnessed yesterday at an internet marketing event I participated in.

There were 16 speakers, many of whom were clients of mine. It was an impressive lineup of self made entrepreneurs who got to their current position by learning, thinking, working hard, and marketing even harder.

Yet table rush after table rush were for so-called "short-cuts" like Private Label Rights Products, Push Button Software, And you just sit at home and get rich while my company does all the hard work for you type products.

Not one person speaking from the stage got to their current position by any of these methods. You would think that the audience would see that. But if you did, you would be wrong.

What’s even more troubling is how unconscious opportunity seekers are to this "blind inner idiot" controlling their actions. Is it only me who sees this? Am I the only one whose perplexed with the inherent disconnect between what people say they " understand and agree with" and what they go running to the back of the room to buy?

This is appalling.  Listen very closely to the last paragraph and it will tell you quite a story.  For here's how it should have read,

"I must deeply and sincerely apologize to each and every one of you.  Those 16 clients of mine were obviously not trained well enough to persuade you that our way is more sound and desirable than the ones to which you all just rushed like a stampede of bison."

Instead, you, the seminar junkie get blamed.  And, truth be told, if there's any blame to be laid on the seminar junkie, it should be for having gone in the first place.

"You Guys Behaved Neither How We Wanted
Nor Expected. Therefore, You Are Idiots."

You've gotta give Rich credit.  I mean, only someone with balls the size of Memphis would have dared try that.

But one visitor replied to Rich's statement with,

"The thing is Rich, some of the experts you coach sell the reprint-rights, PLR, crap. Their whole business model is… target the opportunists. So are you saying that your clients are selling crap to their customers and misleading them too? 

You help these coaching clients sell MORE of this crap to people? You encourage it?

[Name Withheld] - your client - got his start selling this crap. He still sells some of it: [site withheld] This page is full master resale rights, PLR, and other garbage… THAT… when it all boils down to it will not help ANYONE build a significant business… just like you say. It got opportunist written all over it.

Look he sells a product teaching people how to sell this crap to other people to: [site withheld].

What do you think of that?

I get the impression you say one thing, but do another.

It’s like you’re fighting against all this “opportunistic” stuff, but you’re in bed with it at the same time. (You’re clients are the guys you don’t want to be friends with? I think you’re smart enough to know it?)

You comments box says “Speak your mind”, and i just did. Your post above sparked these comments.

I’d like to know what you think about what i have just said? Am i right or wrong?"

Don't get me wrong.  Rich shares some brilliant concepts that marketers NEED to learn.  And it's just unfortunate that a guy with as much excellent information and know-how as Rich Schefren blamed the failure of his panel of successful clients on the attendees.

RICH, IF YOUR SPEAKERS DON'T GET THEIR MESSAGE ACROSS, DON'T BLAME THE ATTENDEES!

"What’s even more troubling is how unconscious opportunity seekers are to this "blind inner idiot" controlling their actions. Is it only me who sees this? Am I the only one whose perplexed with the inherent disconnect between what people say they " understand and agree with" and what they go running to the back of the room to buy?"


Sam Freedom"s Internet Marketing Controversy Blog

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Sam,

Awesome as usual. Right in line with what we were chatting about on the phone last week.

Keep it up!

Oh, give me a shout - I have something "ironic" to tell you...

Mike

Anonymous said...

Hi Sam, I have been reading your blog for awhile now. I find what you have to say totally refreshing.

I can't tell you how many people I have talked to who have been sold products for which they did not have a clue how to use, then are left high and dry with out help from the person who sold them the program.

I believe strongly that you are responsible for your condition. Yet I feel that people are being taken advantage of.

I have tried where I can to put them straight, get them down to basics first.

It's good to have a voice that cuts through the misinformation.

Nick

Pete Moring. said...

Hi Sam, I've been following you for just a couple of weeks on Twitter. Can't believe you can cram so much information into one day at a time.

All good, I might add.

Rich Schefren;- 'Dodgy'.

Mark Joyner; Joe Vitale; Total Hypocrites.

Great stuff.

Pete.

Sam Freedom said...

Anonymous Mike - Left a message, you're turn. ;-)

Nick - Thanks for chiming in. My experience is that the bulk of passers-by are either afraid to appear distinct from the crowd by commenting or they're just really identified with the idea that the only way to make any progress online is to accept the neutering advice that the "experts" hand out.

And whenever someone like yourself steps up to the mic and basically says, "You go, man!", it emboldens others who are too shy to express their sentiments similarly.

The interesting thing to note is that when people are getting neutered on the "experts" pages, their approval is usually just an "I agree!" and not much more - no rational, individual expression to support or back it up. But when they feel SAFE to let themselves be heard, like here, they express themselves both powerfully, uniquely and very interestingly.

Just as have you. And I thank you for speaking up.

Pete - I appreciate you stepping out of the foggy, non-descript visitor soup to show your support. Your statement also demonstrates the power of a) social media and b) some of what's been said on this blog.

Much obliged.

Sam

Anonymous said...

***Ok I'm not sure what's wrong so if this is the 3rd time this comment is being posted pls delete!***

Sam,

Thanks for stopping by. I just took a look around and it's not just refreshing, but also a relief to see people speaking their (and everyone else's) mind about the reality of IM.

I remember that post by Dr. Mani and I was quite impressed by his guts to speak up, and once again, the same with you.

Looks like I've found a new joint to visit :)

Anonymous said...

Hey Sam,

Dave Origano here - we exchanged some blog comments before.

Actually I've been disgusted with Rich lately. Have you seen his latest 'Petition' where he crushes those (direct-) marketers that hype up everything they sell? (Himself and all his clients included!)

I'm wondering if you've ever taken his $397/month course. I've done so and thought the content was great. His product is a good one, but I strongly disagree with the marketing.

Your thoughts?

-Dave

Sam Freedom said...

@Dave,

Hi Dave, I remember the previous exchange - nice to see you again.

Actually I've been disgusted with Rich lately. Have you seen his latest 'Petition' where he crushes those (direct-) marketers that hype up everything they sell? (Himself and all his clients included!)

Well, here's the rub, Dave - here's how to demystify everything (except the great unknown). Every person begins their course of action with an intention. Most often, the intention is selfish but marketers, simply being creatures, convince themselves that they really want to help you. The truth is, they're motivated by all the pictures of the guys with the hot girls, hot cars and cash, just like many of us are.

So they "quote scripture to their own devices" - in other words, they quote well known, famous people, in order to get you to think they are just like those people. But the difference is that those people actually STOOD IN with humanity and got down in the dirt with them and did the work together.

They didn't come up with great phrases and cool quotes while racking up $10000s of dollars via Paypal or from a cushy beach in Puerto Vallarta.

Now, THOSE THINGS ARE OK.

The point is to just know that with which you are dealing. Many of them are just animals who have just enough extra knowledge to make them dangerous to your financial well-being.

I'm wondering if you've ever taken his $397/month course. I've done so and thought the content was great. His product is a good one, but I strongly disagree with the marketing.

That's like loving a sports care but hating the company's ad campaigns. When you pay them, you're casting your vote.

Your thoughts?

You got them. But, in conclusion, I don't mean to come down on Rich hard and I never brought Mike into this - someone else did and that allowed Rich to divert attention from the real problem which was the hypocrisy of his insulting people for doing exactly what some of Rich's clients had previously taught them to do.

That's just plain weird if you ask me. And you are, so there it is.

Thanks for taking the time to write,
Sam

-Dave

Pete Moring. said...

I've never paid Rich Schefren a penny, but I believe he's 'GIVEN' me more than I could possibly BUY elsewhere. I think he's an amazing humanitarian.

I do, however, have to agree about his petition. I think he's possibly tripped himself up there. Unless, of course, he's intentionally courting controversy to prove his point about getting recognition FAST.

I do believe he's made a RARE mistake though, as history is littered with the 'corpses' of well-intentioned individuals who 'believed' their way was the ONLY way.

I belive in freedom of speech. Something we REALLY lost a long time ago. If some marketers want to abuse other people's greed, then so be it. We all have a certain amount of GREED within our makeup. It's up to the individual to keep it under control. Not the marketer to protect us from ourselves.

There's just too much 'political correctness' in this world (thanks to the Yanks). It's time we stopped all the pussy-footing and got back to 'reality'.

Pete.

The law of the jungle and all that.

642-504 said...

According to my point of views, at what time populace are getting neutered on the experts pages, then their endorsement is typically just agree and not a great deal of more. Thanks for the nice post.

Jan said...

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