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I'm Tired of reading "biased reviews"

by FuNwiThChRiS
7 replies
As copywriters, all we do is use, sell, and respond to words. We have an end goal. We need to sell. But when does it cross the line and all become a lie?

Dan Kennedy is a great example (there are many examples). He's a "famous copywriter" for doing nothing at all. His books are just anecdotes, "I know this right" style advice (unsubstantiated), and he uses hype, hype, and more hype to appear like he knows what he's doing. Sure he can write well, but it's easy when you disregard the notion that you are supposed to be telling the truth or stating facts.

Here's one of his review from Amazon.com (from a member who wasn't biased or hired by Dan Kennedy to post a positive review). Ever notice that many copywriters have "reviews" and testimonials that sound just like the writers themselves? They AREN'T real. It's a front designed to sell. All that matters is the quick buck?

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Directly quoted from Amazon.com...

I'm Tired of reading "biased reviews"
This book stinks. It doesn't offer anything for a salesperson as far as mechanics and execution. The book is full of anecdotes and stories which will certainly amuse and entertain, but if your in sales, you need a real roadmap not fun and folly advice.

It's getting real old reading "biased" reviews that make the book sound like the rosetta stone of selling (Look at alot of the reviews and you will notice that everfyone is trying to promote themselves). How hard is it to write a book and get your "peers" to write a glowing review no matter how much the books sucks.

SAVE YOUR MONEY AND MORE IMPORTANTLY YOUR TIME

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Something to think about...
#biased reviews #reading #tired
  • Profile picture of the author Andrew Gould
    Originally Posted by FuNwiThChRiS View Post

    Dan Kennedy is a great example (there are many examples). He's a "famous copywriter" for doing nothing at all.
    As much as I hate to argue with the "#1 Copywriter of All-Time"...

    I'm pretty sure Dan Kennedy's famous for making people rich.

    Sure, his books do contain rather a lot of pitching, but there's plenty of good information in them too.
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    • Profile picture of the author FuNwiThChRiS
      Originally Posted by Andrew Gould View Post

      As much as I hate to argue with the "#1 Copywriter of All-Time"...

      I'm pretty sure Dan Kennedy's famous for making people rich.

      Sure, his books do contain rather a lot of pitching, but there's plenty of good information in them too.
      I'm aware of this, I think he's a good writer, very talented.

      But the question is: Are his claims simply conjured out of thin air?

      I read 63 "Killer Marketing Strategies" by Dan S. Kennedy and while it's a fun read, I didn't "learn" anything or increase my sales by $0.01 because I read that book. It's common sense stuff that anyone in sales would know - he just hypes it up with crazy claims and big words...

      Who do you know that he made rich? Anybody else agree?
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  • Profile picture of the author awebuser
    Unfortunately we live in a commercial word and most reviews are there to sell products. I personally would never write a good review if I did not truly believe the product was good. As a consumer the best unbiased reviews are on review sites as these sites are have reviews from people who are not being paid to make things sound rosie :p
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  • Profile picture of the author ample
    Sometime I wonder what's on the reviewers mind, they recommend things that they themselve don't believe in to other just for the sack of the promised commission.

    "When the food is rot, don't give it to others because we ourselves don't wanted it either." :p
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeHumphreys
    Originally Posted by FuNwiThChRiS View Post

    Dan Kennedy is a great example (there are many examples). He's a "famous copywriter" for doing nothing at all.
    I think the 100+ Million he's generated for clients like Anthony Robbins, Guthy-Renker, Summer Sommers and more would give them reason to strongly disagree with you. Same with Rory Fatt for the restaurant niche.

    There's a ton of marketers and copywriters who publicly give Kennedy props for making a major difference in their business and their lives.

    His books are just anecdotes, "I know this right" style advice (unsubstantiated), and he uses hype, hype, and more hype to appear like he knows what he's doing. Sure he can write well, but it's easy when you disregard the notion that you are supposed to be telling the truth or stating facts.
    Which books of his have you read? How do you know he's not telling the truth or stating facts? Where's your PROOF that he's lying?

    Because quite frankly, I've found most of his under $15 books to have better content and deliver more value than a lot of $97+ digital info-products. I've found his advice to be on mark most of the time too.

    His No B.S Time Management book is probably the best one I've ever read or listened to on the topic to date. That particular book allowed me to reclaim a major part of the time I was losing every day to "time vampires". (Kennedy's term, not mine).

    And if you were truly an elite copywriter like you claim to be, then you'd realize that stories, anecdotes, and analogies are some of the best ways to teach concepts... especially drier concepts.

    As for reviews... every review is opinioned and biased.

    Some reviews are obviously a big hype. Others are from people with completely unrealistic expectations.

    Be realistic: No sane author is going to put the same content as their $1K+ program into a $10 book.

    If they did, no one would ever buy their more expensive products and that would take hundreds of thousands of dollars out of their pocket.

    Many smart non-fiction authors use their inexpensive books as a lead generator to get new customers into their marketing funnel where they can sell more expensive products and services.

    No surprise, it WORKS extremely well for them.

    Food for thought,

    Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author AnneE
    Well I'm tired of reading biased reviews on Amazon or elsewhere too -- but I think we are stuck with them. Authors are coached in how to get those good reviews up on Amazon. Usually though if the glowing praise isn't deserved, then someone else writes a review along the lines of what you quoted that says, I bought this book and didn't think it was so hot.

    I wish the same could be said of all the other online reviews. People put up fake review sites all the time and there isn't anyway to post a message for the next guy who comes along to say, "Don't believe it!"

    As for Dan Kennedy -- I've found some of his information to be pretty good, but not all. I did purchase an audio copy of a seminar he gave. it was spread out on 3 or 4 CD's. The last CD the audio cut out in mid-sentence, in a way that was clearly a mistake. It went something along the lines of,

    "The second step you need to take is to invest in"... end of CD.

    When I sent a msg to the Ebay Seller, he said he had sold dozens if not hundreds of copies and that I was the only person to tell him this. So was I the only one who listened to the end?
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