Are STUPID People The Best Marketers?

Unless he was talkin to Grumpy, who is clearly NOT Happy, and is now especially pissed because Homer was making him, Happy and the other 4 little kin folk late hi-hoing to see their missus, Snow White, who hates to be kept waiting.

I am not a fan of dualistic thinking (i.e., smart-stupid, happy-sad, etc.). We are far too complex an animal to be reduced to simplistic labels that fail to capture the totality of our being. We all make "smart"
and "stupid" choices. We are all on an evolutionary process and "stupid" choices can lead to interesting life redirects. Jeremy Schumacher writes some interesting posts about the first few years that he floundered in IM doing things that made no money at all but learning as he went on to build massive financial worth and arguably become one of the most successful internet marketers ever. (He sits on the boards of Google, Ebay, Amazon,etc). People thought he was stupid then and considered him a failure for beating what they thought was a dead horse.

Education does NOT equate to intelligence nor does a lack of it equate to stupidity. While there is some correlation, I've long ago let go of demeaning the uneducated nor exalting the educated. Consider George Bush "graduated" from Yale and I rest my case.

We are all born with different gifts and, often, aptitudes lead to interests to skills to finding their power. The current view on intelligence is that there are many types. I believe that they have identified 7 types, i.e. emotional, physical, spatial-relations, etc., over and above just intelligence quotient (IQ). I have friends that are highly successful because they are so emotionally sophisticated and were able to parlay that aptitude into interest/skill/power. They have no use for academics or anything that smacks of elite thinking, but are quite successful nonetheless in professions that favor E.Q. over I.Q. Similarly, I know a few artists that never read, don't bother with mass conscious thinking and are brilliant (and successful) in evolving their artistic gifts. They see the world very differently and I'm always a better for going down their rabbit hole and coming up the other side with a rebooted consciousness.

I tend to see people on a continuum. As far as IM is concerned, there are so many variations on the theme, that there's room at the banquet table for all of us to enjoy. If we were to check our egos and arrogance at the door, we'd probably learn a few fine things even from people that we esteem to be different.

We'd probably have a whole lot more fun too.

I agree, reckless is a better word.

Getting "stuck" and overanalysing something isn't necessarily the characteristic of a smart person. It may just mean they're less willing to take potentially harmful risks.

I think that over-analyzing is dooming yourself. I once spent a good two months studying a niche so that I could understand the people inside and out. When it came game time, I started building a list, and I hit a bunch of nerves because I dug TOO deep with what I knew about them and their feelings. It all went wrong and all of the hard work that I had invested in that didn't go anywhere.

I was trying to convey that I understood their concerns, but I ended up going too far without realizing it.

I think following the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) is the ticket. I notice some of the most profitable people learn just enough to be dangerous about something and then keep their conversation (either through list or directly on their site) simple.

On the other hand, I do see people who obviously are just writing and you can tell that they really don't know what they are talking about....wait, am I making this mistake now?

I don´t completely agree with this. I think it is more related with the ability to take risks, make mistakes and fail with dignity.

Intelligent people are not the ones who get frozen, but people who are afraid of failing.

A good entrepreneur will not be afraid of hitting the wall again and again until making a little whole he can keep digging to go through.

But if the person is not intelligent, he will not be able to see the seeds of success, will not be able to replicate, diversify and scale. So there is a roof.

All the successful marketers I have personally met are very intelligent, but still have this playful attitude, this thing of wanting to play and have fun.

Just my 0.02 cents...

Sandra

Keep in mind, the dictionary definition of "stupid" refers to those who lack common sense, and/or intelligence. The common sense part, would be the most appropriate here, as intelligence can be irrelevant to one's ability to even do something... but common sense can be relevant to HOW they do it.

Are you waiting for 2nd luck?

You really need to be ultra careful when talking of spelling.

Daniel

Duuuhhh.... Huh?? What that you say? You use big words.

See, but a "stupid" or dumb person, may never know that they can't do it... so they DO it anyway too; and part of that is the reason for their success if any is met.

I am hearing some people talk about "dumb luck"; but take into account as well, the fact that "stupid" people, do and do... without thinking about whether or not it could even be done, they push ahead anyway, and make it happen regardless of whatever walls are in the way. They get around them.

So even though they are not weighing out exactly how to do it all, and if it's absolutely going to fail, and every other little detail about their consumers and business either... part of the lack of that maybe keeps them from stopping and working on every "dumb" little thing too (distractions)...

Also, are they really so stupid, if they know they should be getting others to do the job, instead of themselves? Not knowing how to do something, and admitting it... to me, would mean a recognition of a potential problem, which in turn means the person considers outcomes, and acts based on those findings.

Whereas, the other form of people I am talking about, could give a damn about such things... they just want the result, no matter what method they need to use to get it.

There's a saying that for some reason, I want to put in here: "if you throw enough **** against the wall, some of it is bound to stick".

Perhaps the difference, I am seeing... the ones who throw it all up there; versus the ones who learn what actually sticks, so they don't have to throw it; versus the ones who know what sticks, but can't get a hold of the sticky stuff.

Hi PowerEdge,

I think that it would be a bit too much of an all-encompassing blanket statement to arrive at either conclusion as a rule and therefore the question requires slightly deeper analysis.

Some less intelligent people will do better than some more intelligent people because of the reason you have given.

Conversely, some more intelligent people will do better than some less intelligent people purely because they have thought things through more thoroughly.

Perhaps something that confuses this issue is that on the internet, one can gain an advantage by using the ability to remain anonymous or use pseudonyms to create sock puppets or indulge in other underhand behaviour with the anonymity used as a form of conscience-protection that enables this behaviour.

Sometimes the use of these tactics is very cleverly done, but the marketing is rushed, raw and heavy-handed (because the marketer chooses quantity over quality) which gives the impression of stupidity leading to success.

On the internet, some very intelligent,subtle and refined marketing campaigns remain somewhat 'in the wilderness' because they are outgunned by less subtle marketing which uses deceptive but eye-catching, over-hyped, in-yer-face mass marketing which gains mass exposure. It might get rejected instantly by 99% of prospects, but if the remaining 1% who are sold on it is a huge number of people, that can equal marketing success.

Upon initial examination, the sales material/marketing campaign might not look so clever in terms of it's brashness and lack of subtlety and also because of the negative publicity it can create.

But viewed from a different perspective, if it outguns the cultured approach through brute force, mass exposure (whether negative or positive) and sales made through the 'curiosity factor' ("is the product really as horrible as the marketing? Everyone's talking about it, I have to know...") coupled with the possibility that if it bombs horribly on one occasion, the pseudonym disappears and the marketer creates a new unblemished one - is it really stupidity or is it actually genius?

It's the old question - how valuable is a long term good reputation online in markets with short memories (fast turnover of customer base) plus good and bad feedback as standard for sellers regardless of whether they are actually good or bad, versus the ability to be in two or more places at once with multiple identities and the ability to kill off identities, create new ones quickly and give yourself testimonials while giving the competition bad feedback? (Or in the same place multiple times selling multiple versions of the same thing, but with different covers, to the same people)?

The answer to that question also depends on the type of person asking it. A psychopath just needs to simply answer that question, whereas the average person needs to make sure that they aren't going to get in the way of themselves by setting out on a course that they cannot justify to themselves in the long run.

Overall, 'stupid people' probably aren't the best marketers. But more intelligent people with too much of a powerful conscience or sense of social responsibility can easily be outgunned on the internet by those who are willing to lie continually, rip off the hard work of others and adopt multiple personalities for the purpose of shilling and sock-puppetry, even if they're not 'a PHD' - which can often give the impression that 'stupid people' have an advantage, or are 'better marketers.'

It's not all about 'just do-do-do'. Just a little thought can go a long way. But there are probably many intelligent people stuck in no man's land and continual paralysis because on the internet, as well as in the offline upper echelons currently, it may appear that stupidness is a valuable asset. But I believe that it's more complex than that and that most of those paralysed people are being forced to question whether their conscience is getting in their way, not their intelligence.

Quick example, generalising massively -

In the IM market, people tend to buy junk because non-junk usually comes packaged with something very unpopular - hard work.

Or alternatively - people buy BS because the truth doesn't sell - it's not so much fun to fantasise about hard work, persistence and ingenuity as it is to fantasise about time-freedom, endless cocktails, white sandy beaches, roaring Ferraris and constantly being surrounded by scantily-clad members of the opposite sex.

I wouldn't say STUPID, I would say a DIFFERENT kind of smarts...street smarts!

I've noticed that people who have learned the value of listening and dealing with customers tend to do very well in IM. This often comes from the service industry (retail, sales, customer service) which are not typically all that well paid or looked upon the same way as "professional" careers.

Yet, some early experience in these areas give you the "street smarts" you need to know how to...

1. Read markets and understand buying mentality
2. Get to the root of what's behind a given market
3. Know how to persuade people and impress them
4. Not being afraid to take action and see what the results show
5. Understand the value of working together, networking and working your way up

Most of all though, it gives you 1:1 experience dealing with real buyers/customers which corporate or other business types may not have.

Jeff

You need to be a cross breed.

You need to be smart enough to stop doing things when they don't make you money, smart enough to discover the right niches, and "stupid enough?" to not see the imaginary road blocks and just get started.

We are our biggest roadblock. If you over think you wont start and if you're too stupid you will chase rabbit holes that got no rabbits.

The ultimate: a highly intelligent, self starter who works like a horse and (here's the kicker) possesses WISDOM.

Patrick

Hey Everyone,

I'll be the first one to tell you that I over analyze and sometimes question my ability to take action on good information, this is partly due to information overload, as I've worked for several large software companies that demand perfection and question any idea that as been suggested for the greater good of the company.

But, I will tell you now that I wholeheartedly believe that I'm a smart person who has made stupid decisions, but I never question if I'm stupid, because I believe that once I roll up my sleeves that I can accomplish anything, I think what's missing from this post is the fact that people are highly critical of one another...

...and it's that criticism that sometimes lead to inaction, because we don't want our boss, family and friends to think that we are stupid. But the greatest quote I've seen to counter this thought is....don't quote me word for word, but...

Knowledge isn't power... it's the ability to act on that knowledge...this is power.

Hi theory expert,

Hire and outsource but also, perhaps - incentivise? IE, dangle the carrot? IE affiliate?

I would be interested if you would care to elaborate some more on your experiences which have led you to this conclusion, as I'm sure others would too, if you would be so kind.

Spot-on, buddy. I was just going to write a same thing.

The action, or hard work, is what makes the most difference. All the smarts
in the world doesn't mean a thing if not put into action. It is only by hard
work that many mediocre people, who have no talent, no education, no skills,
achieve great results.

As the saying goes, hard work will always beat the genius who refuses to
work hard. However, if the genius works hard, sky is the limit.

I will jump in here and say this...

People that I know, have worked with, have helped, have trained, etc... People in that group that I know have become successful are probably the people you're referring to as the stupid type.

• These are people that if there is a problem with a program or the operating system of their computer, they will buy a new one.
• They don't know jack about anything technical.
• They never had any type of college education. (I never either)
• When you talk to them they basically seem to not know "anything about anything" lol.

But...

Because of those good points... they succeed.

I know, how the hell can those be good points?

Because they have no idea about how something can fail, because they don't really know the mechanics of it in the first place.

So they just "do stuff" and "stuff happens."

They are still taking action no matter what, because they don't understand how it can fail.

Now people like me that came from a programming background, fixed computers, rebuilt motors, blah blah blah... Can pretty much figure out how to fix just about anything.

We tend to think a million miles ahead before we even start something. We tend to think about the 4,000 possible ways something can fail. Eventually we talk ourselves out of even bothering to move forward on the idea.

I still find myself using that mindset even though I know it is wrong to do so. It actually irritates the hell out of me that I have such a hard time controlling it.

Because here is the thing....

Remember how I just said over analytical people like myself tend to think of a million ways things can go wrong? How we then talk ourselves out of even trying?

What if we followed through and those things that could go wrong, didn't go wrong?

I'll leave it at that...

If stupid people are the best marketers then I should be on my way to being a millionaire!

Savants...great example Q-Man!

With the way you have worded the question, I would have to agree with you.

Stupid people do not overthink, they take action as that is all they are capable of doing

Stupid people will really listen to and do as their mentors instruct, as they do not have an opposing inner voice

Stupid people keep their marketing simple

These 3 of course apply to all of us, taking action, using proven methods and keeping it simple.

Well I will tell you the secret. It isn't being smart or dumb. Those that make it in Internet Marketing wear a Mojo bag.