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Why Do People Fall for Things Like This?

by Mark Singletary
22 replies
Over the last 20+ years, I've fallen for my share of hyped up junk in the form of courses, reports, tools, themes, etc. that were going to help me in business. Compelling sales techniques + persuasive copy have sucked me in a few times before I learned to be a little smarter with my purchases.

One of the recent products of the day is an Amazon S3/DropBox/OneDrive replacement. Instead of monthly or yearly costs, the offer is you can get a ton of safe, secure storage for a very low one-time lifetime fee (in the teens).

1. Why do people think that these IM "gurus" have figured out how to have safe, encrypted storage for a lifetime for basically less than a one month fee of Dropbox?

Is it a once in a lifetime deal that can't be missed or is it for suckers only? I mean Google, Dropbox, Amazon, and Microsoft are in it for profit as the sales letter says, but why would people even trust this? What's the psychology going on here?

2. One of the companies that you can get rid of forever, according to the sales letter, is Wistia who provides video hosting services.

Yet the video sales letter is made with Wistia!! It says so right on the video! Get away from Wistia and the others with our service but we use Wistia ourselves instead of our service.

They've made 500+ sales. I know the vendor can get theirs because people won't use nearly as much storage as is being offered, upsells, etc. but here I'm talking about from a consumer standpoint. What is the psychology of all this?

Mark
#fall #people #things
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    if it is under 20 dollars what is to fall for.. great impulse purchase for the people who well barley or never use it anyway ..but get to dream big of all the things they could do ..

    and a case of you get what you pay for who find it does not meet their needs .
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  • Profile picture of the author Monetize
    People want shortcuts, the next best thing,
    shiny object syndrome, FOMO.

    Take your pick.
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  • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
    Fallin' is a belief in jumpin' kinda turns out not so good.

    It is an Icarus thing, I guess -- investin' momentum in what will 'venchwlly bring you less.

    Thing is, we nevah willingly or knowingly fall (less'n we slebbrutty skydivah types).

    That is the prahblem with leapin' into the next space gonna exist & persist, I guess.

    It is equally wished & dished, but rarely expertly fished.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
    I think balance is important. On the left side of the scale we could have People that are completely naïve/gullible/etc. ... Then on the right side People who are negative/cynical /etc. That said, there are some amazing Entrepreneurial/Marketing teachers out there.

    Something I learned from Allen Says (original WarriorForum Founder) ... Is something he calls "The Herd Mind." Essentially they're looking for the "quick" and "easy" way to drive traffic (etc.) and often respond to these offers claiming "easy" success.

    However, usually a Person has to put in a certain amount of time, effort, and energy to be successful.
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    • Profile picture of the author Odahh
      Originally Posted by Jonathan 2.0 View Post

      I think balance is important. On the left side of the scale we could have People that are completely naïve/gullible/etc. ... Then on the right side People who are negative/cynical /etc. That said, there are some amazing Entrepreneurial/Marketing teachers out there.

      Something I learned from Allen Says (original WarriorForum Founder) ... Is something he calls "The Herd Mind." Essentially they're looking for the "quick" and "easy" way to drive traffic (etc.) and often respond to these offers claiming "easy" success.

      However, usually a Person has to put in a certain amount of time, effort, and energy to be successful.
      this is a great snapshot ...i think the people on IM seem to be divorced from the prices people are paying in every other part of the economy in first world countries ..

      if you order a couple large pizza a few side and a 2 liter of soda from dominos ..it is easy to spend 50 dollars on delivery ,

      got out to dinner easy to spend more than that ....there are 30 $ scratch tickets ..what the price of a movie ticket at theaters that are open ..

      actually i will stop there people who but any products related to any thing to do with IM are nothing like people who buy products in every other part of the economy..

      the customers of IM products are different
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  • Profile picture of the author oppyeaunome
    This is the name of the game online. You will find some people who are genuine, but one thing I've learned is if it sounds to good to be true then it is.

    You must learn how to discern what makes sense online and what doesn't. The faster you learn to do this the better for you and the more money you'll save.

    People like quick and easy. It's the way our minds are wired. We want maximum for minimum.

    If you can learn how to profit off this the right way you'll be able to make lots of money online.
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  • Profile picture of the author hometutor
    Originally Posted by Mark Singletary View Post

    Over the last 20+ years, I've fallen for my share of hyped up junk in the form of courses, reports, tools, themes, etc. that were going to help me in business. Compelling sales techniques + persuasive copy have sucked me in a few times before I learned to be a little smarter with my purchases.

    Mark
    I bought that storage. It sucked. I couldn't make a folder.
    There's no way to drag multiple files at once as I recall
    No interface for automation of syncing even with Windows

    It only cost $17.00 which is why I bought it. I used PayPal because I knew I could get a refund if I needed one. Sure enough I got a refund. If others did these types of products may not exist.

    I'm a little different though. I train people how to use Google Drive and help them with their Gmail accounts. So maybe I know what should be possible compared to the average person.

    In the end I think it's the low cost, but then as we discover, there's a reason for that low cost.

    Rick
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    I think my big issue with a lot of the things sold here and at W+, JVZ, etc. is that the sales letters talk about things in a long-term way and this talk fools people into thinking this a good business decision.

    I understand impulse buys. But for example, I've been burned with beautiful themes and helpful plugins with promised updates that never happened and within a short period of time the product was unusable. Meanwhile, a company like ElegantThemes.com provides the updates and is a trusted force and has built a big company. They aren't perfect but I know they'll fix stuff, they'll answer support questions, etc.

    For files, these people could absolutely make $ even without OTOs for a period of time (maybe a few years) because cloud storage such as S3 is dirt cheap. Also, no one is going to use their full 10 TB of storage. (if they did the deal wouldn't work).

    But when I think file storage, I think safety and security for the long term. Sure, I've got files that might be nice to keep but I wouldn't trust a nobody with vital important stuff where I want lasting protection.

    It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts. A lot of people may lose even their nice to keep files. Maybe not. Maybe it's legit and they are in it for years to come. We'll see. Well, I won't. Because I've mostly learned my lesson.

    Mark
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    • Profile picture of the author Odahh
      Originally Posted by Mark Singletary View Post

      I think my big issue with a lot of the things sold here and at W+, JVZ, etc. is that the sales letters talk about things in a long-term way and this talk fools people into thinking this a good business decision.


      But when I think file storage, I think safety and security for the long term. Sure, I've got files that might be nice to keep but I wouldn't trust a nobody with vital important stuff where I want lasting protection.

      It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts. A lot of people may lose even their nice to keep files. Maybe not. Maybe it's legit and they are in it for years to come. We'll see. Well, I won't. Because I've mostly learned my lesson.

      Mark
      do you believe the majority of people buying this are making a businesses choice ..or a consumer purchase ..you make great points that this is not really much good for a business .. in your experience ....the other side of the coin is that it is probably just a conumer purchases
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  • Profile picture of the author John Jonas Phil VA
    I think what's attractive about these deals is the idea of sticking it up to the big corporations. And feeling superior because you "found" a better solution that's cheaper than anything else.
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  • Profile picture of the author Marx Vergel Melencio
    It's quick. It's easy. It's new. It's an alternative. And it's cheap.
    --> So better have it now. Than not have it later. Even when you don't need it today.
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  • Profile picture of the author Darryl Smith
    It is the human mind that needs retraining.

    From the start of time, if there was a quicker and easier way to hunt for food and gather seeds, edible roots and shoots, then humankind chose the path of least resistance.

    Modern times have not changed anyone.
    The sales page says it is a quick and easy path to riches, all you need to do is...press this silver button and all your instant cash dreams will come true. [Honest - look at all these testimonials from my buddies - um - beta testers]
    Yeah right, how many push button instant rich schemes do we need to buy to fill vacant lives and give a dream for another day?

    Until we train our minds to disbelieve the promises and empty words on the sales page, hyping the BS products 'to the moon' then we are doomed to repeat our folly forever....

    It is not a business or consumer purchase - it is a very (financially) dangerous dopamine hit which is so very addictive.

    Withdrawal symptoms vary... as do results.
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  • Profile picture of the author Smruti Ranjan
    That's because people don't use their common sense......they just follow others.....
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  • Profile picture of the author superowid
    Actually people like to be lied to/cheated... That's the fact!
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    • Profile picture of the author hbeezy
      Originally Posted by superowid View Post

      Actually people like to be lied to/cheated... That's the fact!
      This is exactly what I was going to say; People like to be bamboozled into something they think they're going to need. It sucks, but that is the harsh reality.

      For some, they catch a "high" off of thinking about what could happen as a result of buying the product. Others "feel" the high from reading the copy on the salespage.

      Then, when it comes to doing the work (which is usually right after the purchase) they shy away from it (using the product) because the idea of work makes them drop right back to planet Earth.

      So, in some or most cases you may find a bunch of misled individuals who don't care about making a $20 purchase every day, week, month, etc because in the moment, it "feels good".

      The worst part? After the customer purchases, he or she may not even vet the product for what it is! In the case of a bad product, the person probably doesn't even care to refund it. Instead, they take the loss and move on to the next product (i.e. shiny syndrome).

      The solution? HARD WORK. Period. Focus on one thing. You may not see the results immediately or as fast as you want to, but if you stay consistent, you will see results.

      Another reason people fall is because they don't use their common sense. Their emotions are so tapped in when they get caught up in the copy. They don't ask questions.

      It's almost as if they're hypnotized to buy or something. But that's the extreme example.

      If anyone is still engaging in this type of stuff, it's not easy to break out of the wormhole if you're searching for the light.

      Ideally, someone has to explain what some of you are doing to yourself and I'm happy Mark started this post... to show everyone who still visits the WF that there are people who care to tell them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by Mark Singletary View Post

    Over the last 20+ years, I've fallen for my share of hyped up junk in the form of courses, reports, tools, themes, etc. that were going to help me in business. Compelling sales techniques + persuasive copy have sucked me in a few times before I learned to be a little smarter with my purchases.
    I look at it a little differently.

    These cheap offers are something I buy regularly. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don't.

    But these are things I study.

    First, I study the sales letter. What can I learn about copywriting from it? What appeals are they using? What bullet points? What objections do the testimonials answer?

    In nearly every case, the pitch is more important than the actual product. And pitches are free.

    And once I get the offer...

    What upsells are they using? How are they presented? How are they related to the core offer?

    In some cases the product is actually useful. But the majority of value I get is usually from the pitch itself.
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  • Profile picture of the author TimPh
    People don't want to work hard. They want easy programs that help them make money overnight.
    They need it, so the Fake GURU gives it to them. They teach them easy strategies that never work.
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  • Profile picture of the author George Flm
    Sometimes the adrenaline rush gets the best of prospects who are eager to buy what you have to sell because it will save them years of trial and error and make them be somebody. I think it's a win-win proposal - they get your secret because they are doers and want to apply it - and you on the other end of the exchange feeling fulfilled because somebody got a good deal.
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  • Profile picture of the author plopza
    I used to fall for these shiny objects all the time. I feel like now days these guru things are not as popular. Maybe some people have figured out that the gurus just send customers from one guru to the other and the only person that comes out ahead are those gurus. I could be wrong though as they are still around so possibly people are still falling for it to a large extent.

    And put a subscription on top of that for an amount most people forget about and you make a killing. Hulu does this to me. I keep it month after month and never use it. As a matter of fact we had a Hulu series recommended to us a week or so ago and I used my seedbox/sonarr/plex setup to download the series bypassing Hulu even though I pay for the crap!
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    Good marketing creates the dopamine effect...it makes me feel good to buy this because I can...or the herd mentality...everyone else is doing it I want to be on board...or the fear of missing out...this doesn't sound true, but what if it is and I pass up this opportunity?

    A good way to advertise is by using your competitors' audiences through retargeting. Saves a lot of money and has super results.

    So, if I'm selling file storage, I would let my competitors do the heavy lifting by paying for ads. I would then retarget everyone that responded to their ad and visited their site...

    it can be done and is done.

    Anyways, if you visit a competitor and don't buy, there are several reasons. Price is a big factor.

    If I retarget you with a super-duper, out-of-this-world offer...you'll take notice and be more inclined to try what I offer. I already know where you were looking. I know you're probably in the market. I know you're my target audience. All I have to do is make my offer better.

    Plus, if my price point is in the impulse buy range, I can usually score a win
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