Seven Signs that "Great Opportunity" is Really a Scam
![]() |
Free Download - Google Adsense and How It Works By Mathew Tamin |
One of the most popular scams out there is the "business in a box" hoax. If you are currently in the process of looking for a business idea, chances are you will come across this kind of scam.
The "business in a box" pitch looks something like this:
scam blurb
Wow, sounds like a sweet deal. Or does it?
Think about it... If a company is selling you an opportunity to sell their product, chances are they've sold the exact same opportunity to thousands of other people.
(After all, why would they limit their profits by selling the rights to that product only to you?)
That means you have to compete against thousands of other people who are selling the exact same product, with the same website, using the exact same marketing strategies you are!
Do you want be contending with that many IDENTICAL competitors? (Nope!)
Not only that -- if the product really was that hot, why isn't the company selling it itself, instead of merely selling the opportunity to sell it?
... Because they know they're not going to make much money that way, that's why.
To make sure that YOU don't get sucked in by this kind of scam, we're going to show you how to filter the REAL money-making opportunities from all the B.S. out there, with our handy "Scam Detector Check List."
Whenever you come across a possible business opportunity, simply consult this handy checklist. It'll help you discover if it is a real opportunity -- or a real waste of money.
You know you're dealing with a scam IF:
#1. The company can't prove a successful track record
missing the targetIf you've never heard of the company before -- and they can't offer solid proof they've got a successful track record -- then how can you trust them to help YOU make money?
Be skeptical. Ask questions. If they say they're a successful company, ask for proof!
#2. You can't talk to a company representative in person angry phone callBefore you make a significant investment in a business opportunity, give the vendors a call. Talk to them in person. Ask them hard questions.
If they don't make it easy for you to talk to them in person, then don't do business with them!
#3. Former customers have lousy things to say about the product lousy customer ratings. A little bit of research goes a long way. Try typing "the name of the program + scam" or "the name of the program + customer review" into Google and see what results you get.
If the majority of the results are from former customers saying the product is a scam or a waste of money, then whatever you do, don't make the same mistake THEY did!
#4. 1000s of other people are selling the EXACT same thing
too many competitors If your "business in a box" package includes a product for you to sell, do a search on the name of the product in Google and go through the results. How many people are selling the exact same product? Say hello to your competition!
(And how many of them are using the exact same website the company is trying to get YOU to buy?)
If a lot of people are selling that product -- and you can't see any way to offer a unique selling proposition that makes your offer stand out from the crowd -- then quite frankly, you're going to find it extremely difficult to make any money at all.
#5. They can't show you legitimate testimonials from recent customersno testimonials to show If you are making a significant investment in a business opportunity, the company you are purchasing from should be willing to put you in contact with other successful customers. We get this request all of the time, and have numerous successful customers who are happy to give us a personal reference at a moment's notice.
(If you'd like to take a look at how we use those testimonials on our salesletters, please look at our sales page for our best-selling course,
Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet.
Look for testimonials that names, photographs, and URLs, if possible. The more information that proves the testimonial giver is a real person, the better.
If the testimonial has a URL, go to that person's website and check it out. Does it look like the website of someone who's making good money? Look for the contact info on the site and then email that person to ask him or her directly about the product you're thinking about buying.
If the person says yes, it really is a good deal, and is still experiencing good results with that product, then chances are it's the real deal.
However, be on the watch for DATED testimonials. If people were able to make money using this package four years ago -- but the profits have long since dried up -- then the product's not going to do you much good now, is it?
#6. The company is charging YOU money to sell THEIR products
hefty price tagIf a company is making a product that millions of people are going to want to buy, why wouldn't they simply sell it themselves -- instead of making other people pay for the opportunity to sell it for them?
The truth is, companies like this KNOW their "affiliates" aren't going to generate any sales. That's why they need to get your money up front!
Take it from someone who has been running a highly successful affiliate program for years. If someone wants to become an Tamin Web Host affiliate and sell our products for us, we'd never make them pay. Why should they? They're doing us a favor!
#7. The company makes outrageous income claims without backing them up with proof
false promisesIf a company says their product will have you earning tens of thousands of dollars within a matter of weeks, BE SKEPTICAL. There is no magic bullet on the Internet that can promise a five-figure income in 30 days or less.
The truth is, building a profitable business takes TIME. Sure, you can have a profitable business in less than a month... but you'll probably have to wait a few more months before the money really starts pouring in.
So whenever you see outrageous income claims, ask yourself -- where's the proof?
Look for testimonials that back up these claims. If someone claims to have made incredible money from using this system, track them down via their URL and ask them if it's really true.
And be sure to listen to your "inner radar" to determine whether the person is genuine or not.
Above all, do your research and ask lots of questions. If you follow these guidelines, chances are you will make the right decisions and pursue the right opportunities.
When it comes to online success, there is no magic pill. If you want to start a real business on the Internet you need to be prepared to put in the time and effort to build it.
... Of course, there IS one complete business-building system that DOES deliver on all its promises.
We're not going to lie and tell you that you will be making tens of thousands of dollars in a month's time... because only a very few experience that kind of phenomenal success right off the bat..
Just remember, when you're thinking about buying into an "online cash machine" opportunity, use your common sense. Because if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Seven Signs that Great Opportunity is Really a Scam - To learn more about this author, visit Mathew Tamin's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
![]() | |
| |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
|
| |
| |||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
![]() | |
![]()
| |
![]() | |
|
| |
![]() | |
|
| |
![]() | |||||||
|
![]() | ||
|
| ||
![]() |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
![]() |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
![]() |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
![]() |
|
|
![]() | ||
|
Top 50 Productivity Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | ||
|
Top 50 SEO Posts - 2008
Top SEO Posts of the Year | ||
![]() | ||
![]() | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||










Subscribe to Mathew's articles











