About seven or eight years ago I bought AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting.

I still have the magalog that sold me on buying the program. When I got it in the mail, I literally blocked out the next evening to read it. So when I got home from work the following day, I sat down on the couch and read the 60-odd-page magalog start to finish — including every sidebar and testimonial.

I bought the course and dove into it immediately. But it took me more than a year to complete it because I was dividing my attention between multiple programs and projects. Nonetheless, the knowledge I learned from the program gave me a much-needed advantage when I finally quit my job in 2005.

Now, some of the promises in AWAI’s marketing quickly came true for me. Others took some time. Here’s a snippet from their current sales letter:

In this world [of copywriting], it’s not unusual to have a shiny new car (or two) in the driveway every year…

To take exotic trips to faraway places several times a year (often for free…)

To be strolling on some ocean shore or tossing a ball with the kids while most people are slaving away in some ever-shrinking cubicle or driving to their next sales call.

Have I tossed a ball with my kids during the work day? Absolutely. We’ve gone on hikes, played at parks, and done all sorts of activities while most people are working.

But I didn’t truly experience the “strolling on some ocean shore” part until just last month — nearly six and a half years after launching my freelance copywriting career.

I want to tell you more about that story. But first I need to back up to the beginning of this year when my wife and I were faced with…

An Unexpected Challenge

The year 2011 did not start well for us.

In January we discovered that the fourth child we were expecting had died. My wife had to go through a long and drawn out late first-trimester miscarriage that was more challenging than we ever expected — both emotionally and financially.

With my vision for the year totally blown to pieces (I thought I was going to be raising a newborn and experiencing sleepless nights in August), I spent a couple months envisioning what I wanted the rest of the year to look like.

During that time, I re-read The 4-Hour Workweek.

I started the Product Creation Work Group to motivate me (and a select group of entrepreneurs) to develop more low-maintenance sources of income based on the sale of products.

And I came up with a rough plan for the year, which I shared here on this blog.

Thankfully, my plans slowly fell into place. Before I tell you about all the things we did, let me explain a little bit of my thinking…

Examining the Facts of Your Life

Most of us have a tendency to restrict what we’re capable of doing and accomplishing to what we observe other people doing and accomplishing.

If all the people in your life are working 9-5 jobs and sending their kids to public school, then it’s easy to decide — unconsciously, of course — that you should be doing the same thing.

And if everybody in your life thinks it’s crazy to go spend a month on a beach, then you’ll probably think it’s crazy, too.

But by unemotionally examining the facts of your life, you may discover you have more opportunity, flexibility, and untapped potential than you realize.

With that in mind, here are two facts about my life:

Fact #1: I’m a freelance copywriter. I don’t have to be in Denver to do my work.

Fact #2: My wife homeschools our children. We don’t have to be in Denver for our kids to receive an education.

Based on these facts, I thought: Why not leverage our location independence to realize a seemingly unattainable dream? And why not do it this year?

“The guard is changing. Being bound to one place will be the new defining feature of middle class. The New Rich are defined by a more elusive power than simple cash — unrestricted mobility. This jet-setting is not limited to start-up owners or freelancers. Employees can pull it off, too.” -Timothy Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek, p. 209

I was especially motivated to travel and do more recreational activities because I knew we might still try for a fourth child after summer.

And So the Adventures Began…

For a brief period this past spring, I went on a Groupon-buying binge. As I wrote at that time, “By buying Groupons, I’m not only saving money on fun activities… I’m forcing myself to make time for activities I enjoy doing.”

Plus, every Groupon has a deadline, so I was forced to plan out the entire summer just to squeeze in all the activities I had signed up for.

Here’s a quick summary of the things I did with my family and friends:

• We spent a weekend in Steamboat Springs to participate in my wife’s cousin’s wedding. Great time with friends and family.

• I went on a 2-day biking trip with two of my brothers, my friend, and his dad. We started in Granby, bicycled over Trail Ridge Road (at 12,183 feet above sea level, it’s the highest continuous highway in the U.S.), then dropped down into Estes Park where we stayed the night. We rode back the next day. More than 140 miles and 9,000+ vertical feet in two days.

• Spent almost a week working on-site with a client in Illinois. I really enjoyed this. While I was there, I boated on the Mississippi River and took a long leisurely bike ride on the trails that run along the Mississippi.

• Took the family up to Granby and stayed overnight. Spent a day in Winter Park doing the alpine slides, miniature golf, a maze, the climbing wall, and the trampoline jump where you’re hooked into a harness attached to bungee cords. The kids LOVED the alpine slides. We’re going to go again next summer.

• Watched a UFC fight on an iMax screen with a few of my neighbors.

• My dad turned 60 this year, so I bought tickets for us to drive exotic sports cars at Pikes Peak International Speedway. I drove a Dodge Viper at 100+ mph three times around the track. My dad did the same, except he drove a Corvette Z06 and Shelby GT500.

• My wife and I went white water rafting down Clear Creek, which runs alongside I-70 as it winds up the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains.

• That same night, my wife and I stayed in downtown Frisco, then biked from Frisco to Breckenridge and back the next morning. Gorgeous scenery. (We drove back into Breckenridge for a little shopping on Main Street later that day.)

• Enjoyed a night of improv at the Impulse Theater in downtown Denver. (Impulse Theater is the longest running show in Denver. It’s hilarious.)

• Went downhill mountain biking at Sol Vista with my brother and friend. Another perfect day in the mountains.

Of course, all of these activities were leading up to

Our 1-Month “Mini-Retirement” in Florida

In the spring, I negotiated a deal with my uncle to stay at his condo on Siesta Key for a whole month. I made the reservation and paid a deposit months in advance, so we were committed to go no matter what.

So in early September we packed up the Odyssey and left the rarefied air of Denver for the sun-baked beaches of Siesta Key.

It was a three-day drive across eight different states: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.

Once we arrived, we unpacked and settled in for a full month on the beach. We practically lived in our bathing suits and went down to the beach and pool twice every day.

Of course, during this time, I still did some work. I bought an iLugger bag for my iMac and hauled my computer down to Florida. I worked 3-4 days a week for about 4-6 hours a day. Just enough to keep my business running.

This made me realize: I have more time flexibility than I think I have. I don’t need to be in front of my computer eight hours a day, five days a week. It’s just not necessary. One of my goals now is to better utilize work time so that I can pursue more recreational activities.

Anyway, while we were in Florida, we decided against visiting the big amusement parks. Not only were they a two-hour drive from where we were staying, they were also exorbitantly expensive. One day at Disney World was going to run us $407 for the tickets alone. Tack on parking, food, and souvenirs, and it would have topped $500 easily.

If we had hit three big amusement parks, that would have cost around $1500 to $2000 — a price I was not prepared to pay, especially given the age of my children.

Ultimately, we decided to do some less expensive “non-touristy” things.

• So we went to Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida — the same zoo I had visited as a 4-year-old child.

• We went to the Mote Aquarium in Sarasota and took a boat tour of Sarasota Bay. We saw dolphins playing, dozens of blue herons and cormorants, as well as fish, crabs, and sponges that are native to the bay. (Catching the sea life and holding it up close was Owen’s favorite activity.)

• To cap it off, Steph and I dropped off the kids at my aunt’s house in Tampa and visited The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. The Dali houses “the most comprehensive collection of original Dali artwork in the world.” And, as you can see, the building itself is a work of art.

A month is an ideal length of time for a mini-retirement. It was a great experience, and I do miss the white sand beaches and brilliant sunsets. But I’m also glad to be home. I’m a social person and being away made me realize how much I value my family and friendships. (My wife, on the other hand, fell in love with the beach and would have been thrilled to stay another week or two.)

Oh, we did one more thing before we got back to Denver.

• We stopped off in St. Louis for a day and went to the top of the St. Louis Arch — the Gateway to the West. The arch is 630 feet wide and 630 feet tall. And did you know there’s a free museum under the ground underneath the arch?

As I’ve reflected on our summer of adventure — and our month-long “mini-retirement” in Florida — I’ve realized we’re all capable of doing much more than we think we can.

The key is to live intentionally.

Certainly, you will face obstacles just as we have.

But you don’t have to let obstacles dictate how you will live. Instead of letting life happen to you, you can make life happen.

What’s stopping you?

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. A parting thought for you:

“Sabbaticals are often viewed much like retirement: as a one-time event. Savor it now while you can. The mini-retirement is defined as recurring — it is a lifestyle.” -Timothy Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek, p. 235

I’m already thinking about what we’ll do next year. :-)

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Scam artists aren’t always easy to spot at first glance, but once you know what to look for, they are much easier to identify.

Here are 7 traits most scam artists have in common:

1. Likable, Confident Personality

Most scam artists are actually very easy to like. This is one way they build trust with their “marks.” Scam artists are often overly confident in their own abilities — and potential customers are drawn to this confidence because they’re looking for answers.

2. Exorbitantly Expensive Coaching Programs

Most scam artists charge five-figure fees for coaching programs. The fees can be $20,000 or more. And the coaching programs are usually sold by promising future wealth because it’s the only way to justify such high prices.

3. Lots of Outspoken and Unhappy Clients

Scam artists are good at getting paid, but nearly always fail to deliver on their promises. Do some research and you will probably find dozens of unhappy clients who’ve posted complaints online.

4. Selling One Solution While Using Another

Most scam artists sell one solution while using another. For example: Using a product launch to sell an Adwords course. The disconnect is obvious once you know to look for it.

5. Failure to Deliver

In case after case, the scam artist’s basic operation looks like this. Step 1: He or she takes your money. Step 2: There is no step two. Some scam artists actually do deliver something for their fee, but it’s always far short of the outlandish promises.

6. Highly Polished Marketing Combined with Unpolished or Non-Existent Products

Most scam artists spend nearly all of their time marketing and almost none of their time delivering on their promises. Products are not delivered and services are not rendered. Hence, the term “scam artist.”

7. Stage Selling at Big Events

Many scam artists pitch their programs via seminars and other live events. They may speak dozens of times a year because of their ability to sell from the stage. This builds their credibility and helps them perpetuate their scams without being detected.

Do Your Due Diligence!

Anytime you’re considering making a hefty investment with any kind of “guru,” make sure you do your due diligence — especially if it’s a high-priced coaching program. You may even want to use this blog post as a check list to make sure you don’t get ripped off.

Please also remember this: Scam artists do not think of themselves as scam artists. They are often delusional and think they are doing the world a favor. This is another reason so many people get taken in. I hope this list of common traits will help you see through the deception.

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy this one: How to Spot a Con Man.Similar Posts:

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Most marketers suck.

Here’s what I mean:

They dish out BIG benefits, HUGE promises, and OUTRAGEOUS claims in their sales pitches… and then… fail to deliver.

I was recently reminded of this when a client told me about “the biggest piece of crap I have been sold” (his words, not mine).

He and I both sat through the same sales pitch for a product being sold by a well-known marketer. The price: $500 for a marketing strategy document.

My client sent me the final “product” and I had to agree. It was, indeed, crap — albeit a particularly expensive variety of crap.

Which is why I believe…

Marketers Should Be More Like Hitler!

Seriously.

The man knew how to keep a promise.

Elie Wiesel will back me up on this. He writes on page 99 of his memoir Night:

“I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.”

Many marketers have a bad habit of making starry-eyed promises… and then failing to keep them. They forget this little detail called “the product.”

“Let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no,” says a man from Galilee.

And let your product always live up to (or exceed) your promises.

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. By the way, in the case of Hitler, I wish he hadn’t lived up to his promises.Similar Posts:

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One of the tactics that I’ve seen recommended throughout the years is to sell your product before it has been created.

Some say you can gauge the success of the product by selling it in advance. If it sells well, create the product. If it doesn’t sell well, scrap it and refund your customers. (One of my clients actually did a dry run via direct mail back when it was still legal — a fascinating story.)

Others say that selling a product ahead of its completion date creates an incentive for you to finish it because you’ll look bad if you don’t follow through.

How I Created a Coaching Program

When John Anghelache and I partnered a couple years ago, we sold a high-level coaching program about how to get copywriting clients.

We had not actually created the content prior to selling the program, but we had mapped out all eight modules and knew exactly who was teaching what.

The only thing left for us to do was to flesh out each module, compile our resources, and deliver the coaching during one live teleseminar each week.

We never missed a deadline and never fell behind schedule. We delivered everything we promised and more. This model worked for us because we did a lot of planning and preparation up front.

The Dark Side of Advance Selling

While I understand the advantages of selling a product in advance, I can also see the potential for problems.

For instance, what if the final product doesn’t deliver on the promises made in the sales copy? Or what if the product is shoddy because you were rushed into finishing it?

These are questions you should carefully consider before publicly announcing or selling a new product that hasn’t been created yet.

Beware of Experts Who Sell Products from the Stage

In the seminar business, the majority of the profit comes from selling products at the back of the room. Naturally, a seminar organizer can’t have the same speakers at every event. So they actively seek out new talent.

But in order to speak at a large event, each speaker usually has to have a product that costs at least $1,000. That’s because the seminar organizer usually gets half of all receipts. He depends on these back-of-room sales to turn a profit.

If a new talent is speaking for the first time, and he doesn’t yet have a product that costs at least $1,000, he will be encouraged to create one.

So the first-time speaker will come up with an idea for a product and sell it from the stage — even though the product may not even exist yet.

A Recipe for Getting Ripped Off?

Giving somebody a grand or two for a product that doesn’t exist yet is a big leap of faith. I know of at least one case where a “done for you” service was sold for $10,000 from the stage. Unfortunately, the service was never delivered. Refunds were not given.

The same thing has played out many times at all different price levels. A speaker pitches a yet-to-be-created product, collects the money, and fails to deliver. Customers are left with nothing but lighter wallets.

Personally, I would never buy an expensive product that didn’t exist yet unless I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the person I was buying from was going to deliver. Even then, I would probably hold off.

An Approach that Works

No matter what price product you want to advance sell, I recommend that you have part of the product created before advertising it. This puts momentum in your favor and increases the chances of you creating a quality product on schedule.

If you’re creating an expensive product with a lot of content, then wait to advertise it until you are getting close to finishing it. If most of the product is already created, then there’s very little risk in collecting orders in advance of the public release.

But if you’re starting from scratch, and all you have is a product idea, don’t advance sell it. Don’t put yourself in a position where it’s easy to let your customers down.

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Are Internet marketing “gurus” just a den of thieves? And is Internet marketing itself now on life support as a result of their unethical business practices?

The reason I ask these questions is because recent events have forced me to ask them.

Internet marketing “gurus” are being called out left and right, new advertising rules are going into effect, people’s merchant accounts are being terminated without notice — it’s probably the biggest shake-up to hit Internet marketing since the first big “Google slap.”

Let’s take a look at some of the “recent events” I’m talking about:

Event #1: Perry Belcher “Retires”

Here’s the short version: Perry Belcher sold fraudulent health supplements through his company called Selmedica. When it was discovered he was committing fraud, authorities seized Belcher’s assets, auctioned off his home, cars, and other possessions, and gave him a 10-year probation.

In what appears to be an attempt to side-step the terms of his probation, Belcher partnered with Ryan Deiss to promote products on the Internet again. “Get Money from Google,” “Social Media Blueprint,” and other programs followed.

But after much dogged persistence by Salty Droid, Perry Belcher pulled the plug on all his online businesses, deleted his Twitter account, and announced his “retirement” from Internet marketing. (Or, more accurately, forced retirement.)

Event #2: Eric Graham Fails to Deliver

Eric Graham is known as the Conversion Doctor. He helps people improve the conversion rates of their web sites. In the past, I’ve been impressed with Eric, and even went to an event in Denver specifically to meet him. (That’s where I got the picture at right.)

Anyway, I was surprised to learn that over the last year or two that Eric has continued to make big promises, but — according to the testimony of multiple customers — has not delivered fully on those promises. Worse, he has denied refunds and not honored his own guarantee, which he features prominently in his sales process.

I wouldn’t even have been aware of these issues had not Fred Black written in detail about his own unsatisfactory experiences with Eric Graham. I respect Fred and his work, so I take this issue fairly seriously.

Turns out, Fred is not the only one who’s spoken out against Eric Graham. There seems to be a pattern of negligence. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.”

Event #3: StomperNet Descends into Chaos

Ken McCarthy (an Internet marketer who has my utmost respect, by the way) introduced Brad Fallon to the Internet marketing community back when I still had a job.

I bought the first “Stomping the Search Engines” program, listened to it in my car, and used what I had learned to build a site that’s been cranking out $20 to $70 a month for more than five years now. The methods described in the program worked for me, so I thought highly of Brad — at first.

Well, Brad went on to partner with Andy Jenkins and formed StomperNet. They did a big launch, claimed to make millions — and from the outside, everything looked peachy.

Here’s what I found interesting: With the exception of giving Brad Fallon his initial credibility, I don’t think Ken McCarthy ever promoted him again. I had always wondered why.

Now I don’t wonder so much.

Andy Jenkins (no saint himself) ended up suing Brad Fallon. They haven’t paid affiliates from the first StomperNet launch. And now Brad has sued his own wife (Jennifer Fallon) over ownership of their wedding favors business. (Oh, they’re getting divorced, too. No surprise there I guess.)

And just so you know I’m not making this stuff up, you can read all about the StomperNet shenanigans on Salty Droid, links to legal docs included. (Warning: Strong language.)

Event #4: New FTC Rules Go into Effect

On December 1, 2009, new FTC rules went into effect. As you may know, these new rules were a backlash caused by “flogs” — fake blogs — being created and multiplied by certain Internet marketers.

The new rules say that if you feature testimonials that include specific results, then you must also prominently describe what “typical” results are. Disclaimers like “Results not typical” are no longer sufficient.

For an in-depth review of the rules, what they mean, and how you should respond, I recommend listening to the Easy FTC Compliance Seminar posted on Robert Skrob’s blog. (There’s also a handy PDF download in case you prefer to read.)

Event #5: Visa & MasterCard Crack Down on Merchants

On January 14, 2010, I received notification from PowerPay (my merchant account provider) that Visa and MasterCard is cracking down on what they consider “brand damaging” business practices.

Behind the scenes, Visa and MasterCard provided merchant account providers with a master list of “worst offenders.” Merchant account providers were told to immediately terminate the merchant accounts of these worst offenders — or face $100,000 fines per infraction.

As you can imagine, faced with $100,000 fines, merchant account providers acted swiftly. And a client notified me on January 16 that the merchant accounts of four major Internet marketers had been terminated. (It’s probably no surprise that three of the four have been targeted by Salty Droid.)

What Does It All Mean?

First of all, let me say that I think there are many Internet marketers who’ve crossed the line and should not be followed, supported, or endorsed. Enough is enough.

Let me also say that I believe there are many ethical Internet marketers who deliver fair value for a fair price — and do not engage in high-pressure sales, deceptive marketing methods, or the outright fraud I’m now aware of.

What this means is this:

• You must choose your mentors and teachers in the online space wisely.

• You must be especially wary of outrageous, hyped-up claims. (If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.)

• When possible, you should get a second opinion from someone you trust when you’re tempted to spend a large sum of money for an event, coaching program, home study course, etc.

• And, possibly most important of all, you must protect your reputation. Because, in the end, your reputation is the most valuable asset you have.

Internet marketing is not going away. The Internet will continue to be a marketing medium. But how that medium is used will most definitely change — possibly more dramatically this year than ever before.

Ultimately, I don’t think there’s any reason to panic. But you should certainly be proactive about complying with the new rules and making sure you’re dealing with reputable online business owners. (This advice is as much for me as it is for you.)

Really, it all boils down to these three things:

1. Guard your mind.
2. Guard your wallet.
3. Guard your reputation.

Simple, for sure. But as most principles go: easier said than done.

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. So far, my 4th business prediction for 2010 — “The End of the Internet Marketing Guru as We Know Him” — is happening a LOT faster than I expected.

P.P.S. Would love to get your comments on this post. Were you already aware of these issues? How do YOU think all these changes and revelations will affect Internet marketing?

P.P.P.S. In case you are interested, here are the new merchant account terms as spelled out by Jud Smith of PowerPay:

PowerPay cannot accept merchant applications for products and/or services employing “Negative Option” enrollment, in addition to the following practices:

Marketing models that employ “Free-Trial”, “Deferred Billing” and/or “Shipping Only”. Customers must be receiving a tangible good or contracted service in exchange for charging of payment cards. Incentivized discount offers are acceptable when the cardholder is receiving something in exchange for payment, however we will be unable to support accounts engaging in hidden or delayed charges and ‘free’ offers that are not truly free.

“Cross-Selling” and “Up-selling” business practices. All sales should be directly between the business entities (merchant) processing the transaction and the cardholder, with cardholder authorization for all purchases.

Per Payment Brand guidelines, the use of multiple merchant accounts, billing descriptors and merchant processors may be viewed as an attempt to avoid chargeback monitoring programs and is prohibited. Perceived non-compliance has led to termination of processing relationships. PowerPay will review the business consideration for opening multiple merchant accounts to ensure compliance with Payment Brand guidelines.

Transactions generated from internet traffic and all other lead sources must be managed and monitored for potential fraud using an approved system. Third Party service engagement may be a requirement for account approval.

The FTC has recently published guidelines regarding “Negative Option” enrollment programs and is taking a very aggressive position against merchants utilizing/employing this business practice. Recommendations take in part from the FTC’s website may include but are not limited to the following:

Material terms should be disclosed in a clear, concise manner. Unnecessarily long or inconsistent terms are viewed as an attempt to mislead the consumer.

Terms should be disclosed in a conspicuous manner, clearly placed and labeled on websites in a location that indicates the importance and relevance to the transaction. Fonts and colors must be easy to view.

Material terms must be disclosed prior to completion of the transaction and before a financial obligation is incurred by the consumer.

Customers must provide affirmative consent to any offer, examples include a mandatory “I Agree…” statement checkbox, where the customer is acknowledging the Terms and Conditions of the offer and consents to be entered into continuity program as a result of completing the transaction. Pre-checked boxes do not qualify as affirmative consent.

Merchants must not discourage or make difficult in any way the disclosed cancellation procedures and all cancellation requests must be honored in accordance with the stated terms of the transaction.

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