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Do You Buy Too Many Products?

by Brad Spencer
22 replies
I just posted a list of lessons I wished I knew about internet marketing when I started.

A turning point for me was when I realized I was buying too many products.

Ya know what got me to this point?


A computer crash...


My computer crashed and I was worried about how many pdf's I bought and would lose if I lost my hard drive. At that point, I realized I was deep in products I'd NEVER EVEN READ!!!

So, I decided I'd go on a "buying strike" and invest more into outsourcing my "hated tasks" (there are many but they include web design, back end programming, and computer trouble shooting). Sure enough, I had more success in that month of "buying strike" than I'd had in my pre-"buying strike" time combined.

The moral of this story, if it isn't obvious, is to do more with what you've got NOW and put your money and time into using the skills you ALREADY have rather than buying ever new launch out there.

I just hope that one person realizes the silliness of buying tons of stuff and PM's me with their story confirming my own. Just a thought...



Cheers,


Brad Spencer
#buy #products
  • Profile picture of the author RetireVerySoon
    I hear ya man, I've been spending so much $$$ on junk websites that I'm just exhausted. I had to take a break for awhile before I got back onto the right track buying much less and working much more.

    Thanks again for the advice.
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  • Profile picture of the author rmholla
    I just suffered a laptop crash and I think it is related to downloading too many items that were just taking up space.

    Hopefully the computer repair guy can salvage the important stuff.


    Rhonda
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    • Profile picture of the author DavidParton
      I am right there with you. You know how in IM circles they say you have to establish yourself as an expert? I think I am one. I have become a "Professional IM Product Consumer"

      Slap a dot com after that and I might have something there!

      One way to slow down your buying... unsubscribe from all the IM lists that just keep pitching the latest launches.

      David
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      Nothing to see here. Move along

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  • Profile picture of the author Brad Spencer
    Hey I appreciate your comment but I think you should readjust your sig box. It's pretty obnoxious and violates WF terms of service.


    Brad
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    • Profile picture of the author Frank Bruno
      It's a good idea to come on over to the seller side instead of being a buyer.

      You start becoming a seller instead of a buyer your business will take off.

      He have to change your mindset and quit being a consumer of information and become a seller of information.

      Frank Bruno
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      • Profile picture of the author DavidParton
        Brad,

        My sig was from the old version of the forum. After I posted I saw how gibbled it was and you are right it was obnoxious!
        Signature

        Nothing to see here. Move along

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        • Profile picture of the author naruq
          For Me it is the quality not the quantity of the products I invest in.
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          Please do not use affiliate links in signatures

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  • Profile picture of the author RetireVerySoon
    can't argue with that
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  • Profile picture of the author Norma Holt
    If the quality and need is there maybe I will buy something but the rubbish that's put up for sale now under the heading of some guru or other is usually not worth the time of day. My free hate is when someone offers something for free and then tries to hit you with a bill. There has been a lot of research into how to get people to buy but little is said about offering good quality so that your clients will respect you.

    The most obnoxious thing is the software that enables people to churn out e-books in minutes so the author can make a killing. It takes me months of research, editing and rewriting to produce a quality product.
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  • Profile picture of the author strive4impact
    It's a great point. It's so easy to get sucked into buying stuff you won't use.

    Where I generally get killed is on the backend sale... "If you just bought product A for $197, surely you're going to want to include product A2 for $97, which includes double the amount of what you just got, for only half the price..." And my credit card is already out, so I often go "oh, what the heck."

    Generally I can avoid buying on the front end if it's something I'm not going to use right away. But if I buy the product, and the backend is more of the product at half the price (or something good like that), that's usually where I get pulled in to buying something that I may or may not use.

    The crazy thing is that I even know what's being done to me in the sales process... and yet I still actively participate.

    Anyone else guilty of that?
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    • Profile picture of the author Norma Holt
      Originally Posted by strive4impact View Post

      It's a great point. It's so easy to get sucked into buying stuff you won't use.

      Where I generally get killed is on the backend sale... "If you just bought product A for $197, surely you're going to want to include product A2 for $97, which includes double the amount of what you just got, for only half the price..." And my credit card is already out, so I often go "oh, what the heck."

      Generally I can avoid buying on the front end if it's something I'm not going to use right away. But if I buy the product, and the backend is more of the product at half the price (or something good like that), that's usually where I get pulled in to buying something that I may or may not use.

      The crazy thing is that I even know what's being done to me in the sales process... and yet I still actively participate.

      Anyone else guilty of that?
      Its a case of buyer beware. If I inspect a site that promises one thing and has a back end to it I usually blacklist the e-mailer so I don't get caught again. If someone offers me something as a gift or for free and this happens they don't get a second chance either. These tactics belong in the gutter as far as I'm concerned. If a product is good it should bear scrutiny before someone is expected to buy.

      The best salesperson on IM was Corey Rudl who put up a chapter of his book and offered a 365 day money back guarantee on it. I bought it for around $350 and it still sits on my shelf having been used to teach me a lot about the Internet. It has recently been used by my daughter for the same reason. I've owned it now for several years and would not part with it, although it doesn't do much for me these days.

      He did not use any tactics, tricks or mysteries to get me to buy. Pity he is not still around to teach some of these 'gurus' how to conduct business on the web.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        I set up a simple method for myself when I realized how many WSO's and freebies I'd downloaded and not even used.

        Each month I create a folder for that month - every WSO, free download, etc I get goes into that file. By the end of the month, I have to read them all because my rule is that I can't download anything the next month until I do.

        Funny thing - it works. The last week of the month I make sure I've look at all my downloads - I delete any that don't live up to what I expect and move the best into permanent folders according to category (list building, SEO, etc). If they have some info I like but a lot of stuff I don't need, I copy/paste the relevant info into word and file that, deleting the book.

        It makes me think twice before getting something new (do I really need to read that this month?) - and avoids the piles of ebooks that I'll get around to "some day". Been doing this for two years now - and it works great for me.

        The only purchases that don't go into the monthly files are PLR articles or PLR books that I plan to use later - they have their own folder.

        kay
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  • Profile picture of the author MaxineKelly
    So nows its revealed why those junkies are still able to survive. This is because of you guys, you just keep buying whenever you see good discount button ... lollzzz

    Anyway you should always back up your files. I generally use my flash drive and sending files to my email account in zip format
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  • Profile picture of the author BIG Mike
    Banned
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    • Profile picture of the author Brad Spencer
      Originally Posted by BIG Mike View Post

      If you are actually building a business online, then I think you need to consider budgeting both time and money each month to avoid information overload. It also helps you avoid buying things you are never going to use anyways.

      If you are going to buy anything, buy things that you can immediately put to use that will benefit your own business. My own rule for this is whether I will be able to read it or use it within the next 3 days. If the answer is no, I do not buy it, because I do not need the distraction.

      My second rule for this is to wait up to three days before making a final decision. I bookmark it in a special folder and go through it each morning. You would be surprised how often a day or two later you just end up deleting the bookmark. It has nothing at all to do with the price - for me; time is the issue.

      Timing is everything for me - I do not have the luxury to drop what I am doing to focus on something new. In addition, if you are in business online, then neither do you. Do not let vendors drive your purchasing decisions for you!

      Love these tips.

      I usually follow them but I find the times I'm ticked for buying something...it's because I didn't follow these tips.

      Definitely a great reminder.

      Cheers,

      Brad
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  • Profile picture of the author Norma Holt
    The science of selling is about catching the unwary. Triggers for a sale are words like FREE, SALE, BARGAIN, DON'T MISS OUT, HURRY, and so on.

    Books have been written on this and fortunately many early marketers published this type of information usually for free. This kind of material is worth keeping in a file if you can't remember it.

    Other terms that trigger results are words like 'amazing', 'secret', 'revealed', and of course the big one 'millionaire'.

    Human nature is so predictable. Unfortunately they don't teach you in school how to say no to something that promises to be a good deal. It's all a case of experience and being burned a few times.
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    Roman Emperor Constantine <> Who wrote the New Testament <> Crimes Against Humanity <>
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      I'm a sucker for trigger words.
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  • Profile picture of the author Hendry Lee
    Such a thread always makes me feel guilty...

    I recall a few years ago, I wiped out all of my hard disk and start from scratch. Sure I miss one or two things, but none of them are as critical as when I decided to purchase them...
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  • Profile picture of the author Rich Muir
    I am a bit of a buyer but these days really focussing on just the core of what I need to focus on and not getting distracted by "The magic bullet"
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  • Profile picture of the author SimonRiver
    Well, I'm glad you've decided to go on a buying strike, especially during the recession.
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