Why Would People Pay When They Can Get It For Free?

Originally Posted by BIG Mike

If I did that, I wouldn't be able to allow myself to spend any time in this forum



This is a HUGE mistake that a lot of people new to IM make, and they end up hurting themselves in the long run.

I say it's a mistake because a lot of folks take that information contained in a $7 report as "Expert" information and then try to build a revenue stream around it. They lock themselves into a "I was taught to do it this way" approach without keeping an open mind to other, potentially better or alternative methods/information.

In doing that, they give up the most important aspect of what research is all about, which is acquiring extensive knowledge and expertise. While that $7 might save you a couple of hours of using your brain, you don't realize what you're missing out on.

It's not about the price or the convenience - it's about the knowledge gained and more importantly, how that knowledge fundamentally contributes to their overall understanding of what it is they're learning and how they can build upon it and apply it in the future.

I'm not suggesting that people shouldn't buy information...whether at $7 or $700, all information is good. What I am suggesting is that buying information should be the last step in the process, not the first.

I'm also suggesting that, if you're going to pay for information, then pay those who have some demonstrable expertise on the topic.

Before I buy anything, first I carefully research the topic. The web certainly makes that easy enough to do these days. The main benefit of doing so it it exposes you to other ideas, alternate methodologies and so forth, that allow you to expand your research into areas you probably hadn't thought of.

Once I'm confident that I have a solid grasp of the topic, I can then start making informed decisions about what info to buy and what should be avoided.

During that process, I also tend to learn who the real experts are, which allows me to focus on their products/services rather than those who are posing as experts.