Do you Buy the Lie?

What is it about lying that is so attractive in marketing?

Why do marketers choose to think we are so stupid as buyers?  

Are we?

Is it true that honesty, respect, and authenticity are not well received?

Are relentless daily pitches an exercise in discipline, personal development, and service, or some cheap SEO and browbeating strategy that preys on the weakest of us?

Sometimes, it starts with what sounds like a sincere educational story of how they became successful, followed by exaggerated self-edification of their unprecedented successes.  I particularly love the “I created 787 millionaires or six-figure earners” BS. 

Like you would know, 787 distributors audited financial statements.

Or “I created 250,000 customers and was the company's number one distributor and then quit to become a guru”. 

This begs the question, what happened to all those customers and all that income?

But beyond the BIO BS the worst is the disingenuous pitch. Here are a few real examples:

• “I want you to get this money that I imagine you could find a great use for.” This is his explanation for why he is sending this pitch on a service on which he earns a commission.
• “Burnt out by all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions? I totally get it. To be honest, in the past, I've been pretty strict about deadlines.”  

Then he goes on to lie about why he is making the offer AFTER he said you couldn’t get it anymore.

Do you totally get it?  Really?  If so, why are you sending another BS pitch?

To be honest, are you not being honest, or are you only honest when you preface your statements with it?

Have you been pretty strict about deadlines?  What does “pretty strict” mean?  And for the record, I read all your stuff, and you are NEVER strict about deadlines. You keep offering your deal in stupid ways long after you said you would not offer it anymore. Liar.

Here are the stupid lies:

• So many people said they couldn’t open the link.  So we are sending it again.
• There was a typo in the offer.  So we are sending it again.
• It was so successful we wanted to continue to make it available.
• Just in case you didn’t see it the first nine times.
• I just want so much for you to get these programs.
• I care so much about your success.
• Next, I looked at the prices of each one…Took out my big red pen…I drew a huge line right through the middle!

Sure, you did.  And I am six years old.

“My clients have been paying $12,000 for these programs for years, and you can buy them all for only $500 in the next 24 hours, and then they will never be for sale ever again…ever.”

I am glad I am not one of your $12,000 clients. I would feel ripped off right now. I am sure you will never sell any of these training programs that you pitched in a 10-page letter, claiming these programs led to your success. I am positive you are going to destroy them all after this fire sale. And I am a moron.  

Do you know why these brilliant millionaire marketers keep sending this?

Because we are that stupid.  At least enough of us.

There is a different way, a way of peace and integrity. We can still cast an honest vision, sell the features and benefits, and be transparent. We don’t have to lie.  

And we don’t have to Buy the Lie.