How many times have you seen an ad like this?
Launch your very own money making website today that's 100% ready to take orders and pull in MASSIVE PROFITS for you right now.
Is it a scam or an opportunity? It can be either depending upon how you handle it. Let’s analyze the ad above step-by-step.
Let’s look at the statement: “Launch your very own money making website today that's 100% ready to take orders and pull in MASSIVE PROFITS for you right now.”
Is it a scam? No, but it is misleading and a half-truth.
TRUE: “You get a free website that’s 100% ready to take orders and pull in MASSIVE PROFITS.”
HALF-TRUTH/FALSE: Pull in MASSIVE PROFITS for you right now. The website itself is ready, but it takes two-to-tango. You aren’t ready to pull in MASSIVE PROFITS right now. Your website is like a free BMW that’s ready to go under one condition: You have to do your part and put gas in it. Unfortunately, the nearest gas station is 200 miles away and it’s going to take a concerted effort on your part to get your tank filled up.
ANALYSIS: Does that make the free BMW (uh, website) a bad deal? No. Actually, you are getting something of value for free. Usually these offers include not only a website but also tools to expand and modify it. Not only can you use it for the intended purpose of the giver, but also for your own purposes if you have the initiative and imagine. Often similar products can cost $200 or more.
Well, what about the unsavory character who is trying to deceive you? Why should you have anything to do with him? Well….you are in business. How many times do business people go to lunch or social engagements with people they don’t care for because it’s good business? They are getting some benefit that exceeds the pain they have to endure. In the same spirit, you have to look at the merits of the benefit NOT the shortcomings of the benefactor. (After all, he might just be a nice guy who is a little overzealous and desperate in his marketing campaign.) Besides, if you have your act together he is incurring the risk (after all, if you don’t like his service or product you might use his website tool to develop and market a product or service that will compete with him.)
Ultimately, you have to determine whether accepting his offered service or product can make the execution of your game plan (you do have a game plan, don’t you?) more efficient and cost-effective.
