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A Misleading Ad - The Guy Who Got Rich QuickChris A. Friar
We've all seen this guy's ads featured in
income opportunity publications. He's the guy making
anywhere from $5,000 to $500,000 in a few days or
weeks. He claims he got rich quick with very little
effort and only a few brain cells functioning. He
attributes this success to a secret plan or product he
is willing to sell you for $20 to $30 bucks.
Now let's step back for a moment and look at
this guy's ad. First of all, his ad is usually a page
long. The print is micro-small so he may put as many
details of his wonderful life on one page for your
enjoyment and envy.
After we hunt down our glasses and settle
down to read this fascinating "rags to riches" account
we become boggled and googly-eyed with the details.
These details usually include how broke he was and how
now he and his family are buying Mercedes and BMWs
every year and taking exotic vacations they only
dreamed about. He usually refers himself as "a little
guy" just like you. Therefore his ad is strategically
written to strike a cord that adheres to those of us
looking for a way out of pending financial doom or the
nine-to-five grind.
The guy who got rich quick offers you the
"sizzle" without even a glimpse of the steak. This
type of advertising is usually called 'a blind ad'
because we never know what the product is. All we know
is that it's a BIG SECRET plan to riches.
The intention is to ask you to buy something
without knowing a thing about it. Well you know it
made him rich, don't you? No you don't. There is no
law against telling stories. There are only laws
against misrepresenting products being sold. He
doesn't say anything about the product except that
it's a money-making plan. As long as it is possible
that such a plan could make money for someone under
some circumstances, the authorities don't object to
it. It makes no difference if the story of the Guy Who
Got Rich Quick is total fiction. He's not asking you
to pay anything for the story only the secret
plan.
Very often the plan is a book or manual
consisting of ways to sell by mail. It probably did
make him rich. After all, selling things by mail is
what he's trying to do with his ad.
Most books sold this way do not tell you
anything specific about the experiences of the
advertiser. He tells you to pick some product, write
an ad and take your money to the bank. It's about as
useful as an 8-page manual on how to be a heart
surgeon. Never buy anything from a blind ad that
doesn't have a solid money-back guarantee.
The fact is, there are no real "get rich
quick" plans. The mail order business takes time and
money to launch. The Guy Who Got Rich Quick never
tells you what he paid for his full page ad. A full
page ad in a national publication can cost anywhere
from $600 to $2,500 for a one time buy.
He didn't say that you must advertise
consistently to be successful in mail order. He also
forgot to mention the cost of paper, postage stamps,
office equipment and time required to get your offer
delivered.
Those of us who are in business for ourselves
know that the only secret to making a profit (or
riches) is perseverance, a lot of hard work, good
management, good customer service, time and
commitment.
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Chris A. Friar is a business reporter and former media relations executive for the largest advertising firm in San Antonio, Texas. Her articles and advertising critiques have appeared in various local, state and national publications including USA Today. Friar is writer/publisher for Home Grown Business News a publication exploring good and bad business opportunties for those who wish to work at home. | |
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