Transparency & Exposure Online In Today's World

I was reading an article about a college football coach and how he explained to his players that the Internet is very transparent and that anyone with a cell phone can catch a quick picture anytime... that anyone can say anything they want... and that the players should guard themselves and always keep in mind that someone is watching.

Very interesting. Imagine being a star athlete with tons of followers in today's Internet world.

For online marketers... there's transparency and exposure, review blogs and forums, haters and chastisers and anyone can post an opinion about anything good, bad or ugly... hurtful or shameful, attacking or downright slanderous.

Regardless, there's plenty of sites and offers with HUGE credibility... loads of followers... household names across the world... like Amazon, Wal-Mart, Sears, etc. A site and affiliate program for Amazon.com is quite trustworthy and people dont really question the site. NOW, they may question the product on the site -- and there are plenty of amazon listed products with reviews (yes negative too).

So, there are plenty of prized, well trusted, proven products and services to promote as an affiliate and not worry too much about the trancparency rich world we now live in.

With all this, I cannot help but to think of the importance of "treating people right". I cannot help but think of how important it is to "do the right thing"... and how important it is to build trust with your list and customers.

Think if you used the "transparency" to your benefit, and just did good business the best you can? Think about providing more in "use-value" than you do in "cash-value" and think about how you can over-deliver the best you can.

Now, this in itself is easier said than done.

It's hard to not rip on a customer who takes advantage of you, or who is a seriel refunder, or someone who is well... a jackass. It's hard to be nice, hard to swallow that pride and be nice. I often battle this myself.

However, I'll give you a recent example of how I'm going all out to treat people better than I ever have in the past (even though I think I've done a pretty good job of that in the past, but not 100% of course).

One customer hammered my help desk with tickets, called my office and also sent me very negative comments. In this product I sold, not one person has said one negative thing yet. Not even a hint of anything negative. IN fact, just the opposite. Nothing but pure glowing remarks so far. But this one customer was very demanding, asking for point-blank personal help and mentoring on a non-one-on-one mentoring program.

I decided to offer a refund, and then asked the customer to lay out questions and I'd answer them. The customer took the refund, and asked the questions. I answered the questions, gave one on one advice and all of that after the refund was issued.

Will this customer blast me? I hope not, but you never know. I'm not in charge of what the customer does. But, I sure went out of my way to overdeliver... for free. BTW, the questions had NOTHING to do with the product I sold at all. The negativitiy was in the form of threats, and the customer grouped me in with a different marketer who gets a bad rap in our IM niche. This customer spent over 5k with this other marketer and just spent 77 with me, yet I was the big bad ugly guy -- only a few days into the program. Oh, and this customer admitted to not having gone through my stuff yet too.

All in all, I think it is evermost important to build "trust" with your list and customers... to create more of a following, and to focus on those who appreciate what you are doing and providing... and filter out the negative ones. I sometimes wish I could only have empowered, positive customers... who are motivated and driven... who appreciate and take action... but you and me both know that's not the case. Many are jaded, and for good reason too. Just look at the bad products and scams that pepper the net.

Anyway, I think you should do this:

Treat your customers and list how you'd LOVE to be treated yourself. Do that and I bet you'll be fine and dandy in this transparent, exposed world we now live in.

Respectfully,

Eric Louviere

PS - No, of course I'm not perfect (for the haters)