Here’s hoping that Twenty Ten (2010) is all that you hope it will be…

I had planned on running this (with permission) reprint some time back, but had gotten side-tracked with a number of things and didn’t get it here as planned. I think it fits even better NOW, than it would have then… Enjoy!

I’ve had a lot of time to do a lot of thinking about this industry (IM) since the passing of my mother on June 1 of this year. I don’t like a lot of what I see…as I am sure a lot of people reading this blog post don’t as well. Sometimes I get the feeling that I’m watching “The Blue and the Gray” on the A&E channel.

It’s that ugly out there.

Customers screaming at product creators for creating crappy products, using unethical marketing tactics and doing just about anything that they can to make the sale…at all costs. Product creators screaming about customers buying products and refunding two seconds later or about how customers are so unreasonable with their requests.

The war goes on and on and on.

Well, I have a news flash for those on both sides of this war.

If you’re not part of the solution…you’re part of the problem.

Buyers

I’m going to put a lot of this on you, like it or not. Sure, there is a lot of crap being sold out there. I myself have bought it so I know. And yes, there are some really shady marketing practices going on. I won’t list them all because we all know what they are.

But guess what?

If you don’t open up your mouth and say something (preferably do something) then nothing is going to change.

This means…

1. When you buy a crappy product, return it and never buy from that person again. If enough people do this product creators will be forced to actually create something worth while.

2. When you see a marketing tactic that you don’t like, boycott that person’s products. Get off their list(s). Don’t support that person. Let them know that you don’t approve of their methods.

3. When you don’t receive support that you were promised for a product, don’t buy from that person again. It is so easy to promise things but very hard to follow through on those promises without putting in a degree of effort…something a lot of people have problems doing.

4. When you’ve been promised content for joining a list and don’t get it but instead just get sales pitch after sales pitch…unsubscribe. Send a message to the person.

In short, if you feel that a marketer is not providing a quality product or service and is using methods that are less than honorable, it is YOUR responsibility to do YOUR part to put a stop to it. Maybe if enough people said…

“I’m not supporting you any longer”

These people would have no choice but to change their ways.

Again, if you’re not part of the solution…you’re part of the problem.

Sellers

You have a responsibility as well. You are working in an industry with a lousy reputation…like it or not. Therefore, it is YOUR responsibility to:

1. Create quality products.
2. Offer competent customer support.
3. Use ethical marketing tactics.

If you don’t do these things, you TOO are part of the problem and the reason why buyers are going to bitch so much.

Yes, I know…there will be people who you won’t ever be able to please. They will find fault with everything you do. As hard as I try to always create quality products and market in an ethical way, I have people who email me for refunds and tell me that they don’t like what I do.

But those people are very few and far in between.

Is it because I’m so good? Or is it because people are so apathetic that they don’t bother telling me that I’m screwing up?

I have NO WAY OF KNOWING if you don’t open your mouth and say something.

Okay, got it? We are ALL part of the problem if we don’t speak up and let each side know what we don’t like. And sellers, if you run into serial refunders, ban them from buying from you again. Don’t just “chalk it up” to the cost of doing business.

That’s BS.

Again, if you’re NOT part of the solution…you’re part of the problem.

Together…we can clean up this dirty industry.

One protest at a time.

To YOUR Success,
Steven Wagenheim