by Patricia Mayo

Believe it or not, there are actually quite a few truly useful things sold by those 10 mile long sales letters (with the distinct exception of “make money online” information products). Not all products promoted in such ways are crap - and thinking that way is just the coward’s way out.

Original Photo by Steve Woods

However, in order to fully understand whether you’re being sold a rip-off or a real resource, you need to know the full-on ins and outs of sales letter marketing.

It will take some practice before you’re good at reading between the lines, and I’m sure some deceitful marketer is going to read this and revise their marketing - but I’m going to have a go at making this as bullet-proof as I can.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so you never miss the next great communication tip. Thanks for stopping by, I hope to see you often!

Trisha, @mayobrains on Twitter

by Patricia Mayo

You’ve seen the headlines - “The new revolutionary way to…” - “Super insider secrets for…” - “The easiest way to…” - “…that THEY don’t want you to know!”

Photo by Moza

As a ghostwriter for many years of those awful five page sales letters and “make money online” information products, I’ve seen - and written - it all. You wouldn’t believe how the “make money online” business really works - and how little of it, actually does.

The reason why all those neat tricks you learned in “make money online” information products don’t work is two fold: the mindset behind it, and the mindset it produces.

More people go into debt chasing some “revolutionary new super secret easy way to make money online” - including, and especially, blogging for money. But you know as well as I do - most of these “insider tricks” are junk, and just an inside joke to trick you into buying.

Real internet marketers don’t sell “online money making secrets” - they give them away for free. Think about it. If they really are making the money they claim, why do they have to sell the information product that teaches you how to make money?

by Patricia Mayo

Photo by TW Collins

You can plant a field by starting with just one seed.

You can get a million subscribers if you publish just one podcast.

You can have server-crushing traffic if you write just one blog post.

You can become the biggest and the best company in the world with just one customer.

When other people can see what you imagine, you make the saying “seeing is believing” work to your benefit. Don’t hesitate to simply make a few things a little more concrete - because now you have something to show for all your great ideas.