WANT RICHES BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS? HELP A NEWCOMER! (PART 1 of 3)

Dale Rolland, Inner Circle, 2045 Deer Trail, Floresville TX 78114 recently reported on the scam for the “Fail Safe Mail Order Plan” in his “Mail Order Dealer’s Digest” newsletter. This is that deal where a newcomer is instructed to run a classified ad selling a book for $22.95. The scam artist tells the newcomer the exact words to use for the ad and where to run the ad. But, as with all scams, the poor newcomer gets burned to a crisp on this one too.

What happens is that the scam artist sells the SAME list of publications to everybody. All the same people get the same names so all everybody ends up advertising in the SAME publication. The scam artists don’t care if 150 people advertise the same book in the same publication because they made their money off the sale of the information — not the commissions from the sales of the book.

But this is one of those Legitimate Scams I’ve talked about before. Let’s break it down for crystal-clear understanding. This way you may be able to recognize a similar scam in the future and know why it is to your financial advantage to help a newcomer and end up with riches beyond your wildest dreams:

The Scam Begins

Okay. The scam artists initially run ads in magazines that newcomers tend to read the most (like Entrepreneur, Income Opportunities, etc.). The ad says something similar to: “Make $1,000′s with classified ads. Free information.” Almost anybody would be intrigued by an ad like this. The information is normally free or low-cost and this generates hundreds of thousands of responses — including people who only send away for something free with never the intent to buy! Besides the scam artist wants to find people who are desperate — people who will do just about anything to make money. Scam artists ALWAYS entice you by centering their entire program around money (the root of all evil.)

When people respond to this classified ad, they receive a professionally designed information package back in the mail. This package is designed by marketing professionals for a pushy and hard-nosed sale. They get the newcomer excited. They tell them that they can now pay for the child’s education, buy a new car, pay off old bills, take exotic vacations, and a number of other things that appeals to the average guy or gal on the street.

While visions of sugarplums are dancing in their heads, they are busy filling out the order form and enclosing with their check for $22.95, or whatever.

The mailings are timed precisely to arrive at the proper emotional time for the average person to react. (Believe me, there are people that make it their business to study the reactions of human emotions in various situations in order to base a general hypothesis. They then report or sell this information to marketing professionals who base their entire marketing concept upon these findings.)

After the newcomer has sent in his or her $22.95, the scam artist is done with them. They wipe their hands of this beginner, label them as a “sucker” and move on to another fish in the sea. It’s pitiful what money-making profits these nuts are actually passing up by continuing with this warped way of thinking. They may be making $100,000 per week, but without working any harder (even less), they could be making $250,000 per week or even 1 million a week. How? By simply being honest!

Remember, there are no set rules to follow that will guarantee you a million dollars by running a few ads. Mail order is not a world of opening your mail, taking money to the bank, and taking exotic vacations. Believe me — I’ve been in the mail order business for 7 years and I haven’t been able to buy a yacht and take a Caribbean cruise yet with servants falling over themselves to appease me. Wake up! This is the real world folks!

Be sure to read Part 2 and Part 3 of this report as we continue following this scam through the stage of creation, actually unfold the scam and finally explain an alternative method that would have made lots more money for the scam artist.

THE LEGITIMATE SCAM

After spending the last 2 months talking to people who don’t know anything about “our” type of mail order, I found it evident that every one of them was introduced to mail order through “The Legitimate Scam!” What is this scam and why can’t it be stopped? Basically, because it IS a legitimate scam!

Now come on Victoria, who ever heard of a legitimate scam?

EXAMPLE 1:  Collect names for us. We pay $20 each. Guaranteed!

The truth is this company WILL pay you $20 for each name you collect for them. What they DON’T tell you is that each person has to spend $100 or more by placing an order before you get your $20.

The beginner is led to believe that all they have to do is get out their phone books and start sending the company names and addresses. In return, the company will send them $20 for each name and address they send them.

When they send away for the details they discover the “Legitimate Scam” and think everybody in mail order is operating this way. Result: Mail order is labeled as a scam and illegal business activity.

Here’s another example:

EXAMPLE 2:  How to flood your mailbox with $1 bills. Just send $1 for information.

To the seasoned pro, he or she can recognize this scam as very obvious — but to the beginner it’s very intriguing. Besides, it only costs $1 to find out.

What the beginner finds out is that they are expected to run the same ad in newspapers and tabloids. Other people will send $1 for information and their mailbox is “supposedly” flooded with $1 bills. This ad is NOT illegal. It asks you to send $1 for information and you DO get the information.

These types of ads are all a bunch of paper-passing — and I classify them under the heading of a “Legitimate Scam.” You can’t complain that your order was not filled. You can’t complain the idea is not possible. You can’t complain the ad promised something it didn’t deliver.

Around 1965 a guy ran an ad in 1,000′s of national magazines that said: “How to make $10,000 a year. Send $1 for the complete answer.” A co-worker I knew responded to the ad and in return received a piece of paper that said: “Get a job.”

So friends, if this type of activity has been going on since 1965 — and I suspect it really started in the Garden of Eden, why do you think we can put an end to it today?

However — don’t confuse the “Legitimate Scam” with “Lead-Generating Ads.” A mail order buddy of mine will run an ad that states: “Want to make a lot of money? Call (his telephone number.)” This is NOT necessarily a scam or rip-off. Since there is no cost involved — it might be worth your time and effort to call the number and see what this dealer has to offer.

Also, some dealers run ads that don’t tell you what the product is because they have an entire package of information they want to send you. It would be too costly to advertise the complete information in a small 1″ or 2″ ad, so they run “Lead-Generating Ads” to bring them inquiries. This is also NOT illegal and is common business practice. You’ll also find that real “Lead-Generating Ads” DON’T ask you for a lot of money up front. They only tell you enough about the product to entice you to send in a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) or $1 for more information. They are unlike the “Example 2″ that basically tell you the scam before you order it! (It may take a little time for you to make the distinction between these fine lines.)

However, our duty as good mail order dealers should be to ban together and inform the public that “normal” mail order is NOT a part of the “Legitimate Scam.” And when we see one — we should cut it out and send to a mail order publisher to expose. So many people overlook the power of the PRINTED WORD. Instead of complaining, people should be writing their mail order publishers when they are ripped-off, providing them with documentation and a 2 or 3 paragraph summary of the “Legitimate Scam.”

Use wisdom. Get your facts straight. Have documentation to back-up your findings and submit them! Wouldn’t it be great if everybody in the world were honest? What a wonderful world this would be!

CUSTOMER RESPONSE CARD

We all do it. If we get good service or order a product we like — we order from the company again. However, if there is something we don’t like or are dissatisfied with the service in any way, shape or form, we never bring it to the attention of the company. We simply don’t use their services again and think that solves the problem.

Let me share with you something that happened here locally to me. A new pizza shop moved into the neighborhood and I decided to try them out. When I placed my order I informed them that they had been highly recommended and this was my first order. When I picked up the pizza and brought it home it was HORRIBLE! I couldn’t believe I actually paid $14 for the thing. It wasn’t even worth $2 in my opinion.

Naturally, I had made up my mind never to order from this particular pizza shop again — but a few days later the owner called me to ask my opinion on what I thought of the pizza. (He had got my phone number off the check I paid my order with.)

Feeling a little embarrassed and reluctant to tell him how horrible it was, I said, “It was okay but not something I would order again.” The owner became very interested and asked me to give him more specifics. I explained that the sauce was too tangy and there was not enough cheese or pepperoni on the pizza — even though I ordered double of both items. He asked me to give his pizza one more try, but this time it would be free of charge. I accepted.

And guess what? The quality was greatly improved and I am now a steady customer.

You can use the same situation for your mail order business. Only you can’t afford to call everyone that orders from you. That is where the “Customer Response Card” is vital to your growing business. You hardly ever see them in mail order because people don’t think they really work. That’s because they have never put them to use. That’s where you can be different and innovative — and profitable — all at the same time.

“Customer Response Cards” can easily be typeset by any competent typesetter. They should ask such questions of the customer, as:

• How do you rate our service?
• Was the quality of our product or service excellent, good, fair or poor?
• What would you suggest for us to do in order to improve our services?
• Would you order from us again?
• Any additional comments?

Lines should be left for the customers’ name, address and telephone number. In addition, the “Customer Response Card” should be pre-addressed with your address and preferably pre-stamped for their convenience.

If you decide to use “Customer Response Cards” they will serve a very important function in your daily business. First of all, when customers receive them they will know you are concerned about them and their order. They will feel important that you have asked for their opinion and will feel free to make helpful suggestions, complain or brag about your company.

However, you must keep in mind that a complaint is NOT a reflection on you personally. A complaint should be an indication that there is some unfinished business to take care of. Almost 90% of the time, if you listen and try to understand a customer complaint — the customer is more than satisfied.

Then, if you offer to make up for the difference or offer them free services or a money-saving coupon on their next order, they will be much more than satisfied. Not only have you kept a customer but built a trust with them at the same time.

Solve complaints from “Customer Response Cards” as quickly as possible. Customers may make a complaint on a postcard more readily than calling you or writing you a letter. This helps draw your attention to problems before they get out of hand — problems you might not even know existed!

And never forget to thank your customers for providing you with their opinion. You could send them back a discount coupon to use on items you sell on their next order or simply send them a “Thank You” card. Remember that a customer’s opinion is worth its weight in gold. There are professional marketing firms that are paid $1,000′s of dollars per year by companies to find out what people really think of their products. A “Customer Response Card” is a very low-cost way of determining trends and interests that your customer market has. If you keep on top of things, you will never have to hire these high-paid professionals. You’ll know more than they do!