Well, I think I do. I’m not offering a bonus at all. And since John isn’t offering an affiliate contest so I can win a new Beamer, I feel comfortable in my decision.
Let’s think about Traffic Secrets bonuses for a minute.
They are the shiny things affiliates for Traffic Secrets attach to get you to go through THEIR link instead of mine. But what are these bonuses good for, really?
On some lists I see people offering bonuses for things they can no longer successfully sell. The people behind this tactic hope you don’t pick up on that.
Other bonuses offered are things you don’t need at all to get what you’re after when you buy Traffic Secrets. They have no relevance to the product being sold. They’re just something “shiny” the affiliate throws in just in case you’re newbie enough that you think you’re getting a “super deal.” They appeal to the “pack rat,” collector mentality. The people who think that if they load up on enough bounty that it will make them successful just sitting on their computer.
Some bonuses actually could add value to Traffic Secrets. But they’re in the vast minority in every launch. Mostly they are things thrown in, like a box of outdated DVDs from some conference last year that nobody went to.
The Person Who Has The Best Bonus for Traffic Secrets is…
John Reese! Did you see that you get lifetime access and more info added to the course for life? His “bonuses” blow the living crap out of every bonus offered by all his affiliates put together.
No one can top the product being sold with old information on DVD best used as coasters for Monday Night Football.
Distraction, Lies, Sleight of Hand Trickery
I saw one email where the “guru” was touting he had the world’s only copy of the transcripts from Traffic Secrets just to bolster his offer. Dude, we all got copies of the transcripts.
In the same email he stated how he was going to be a heavy critic of Traffic Secrets (but go check out John’s videos and get that cookie!) and that he and John might not be friends after his “honest critique” came out. Give me a freakin’ break!
You and John shouldn’t be friends because of THAT crap more than anything else.
People will do and say absolutely anything to make a sale. Know that, and then just separate what John is selling from what everyone else is selling. It’s not John’s fault some of his affiliate do stupid crap to sell Traffic Secrets. He doesn’t encourage it publicly or privately. To that I can attest.
The best bonus for Traffic Secrets is no bonus at all. The “bonuses” being offered will just get you on yet another list, and believe me, those bonuses are NOT free. You will be pitched to death from most of those lists and you will pay dearly for the distractions you don’t need anyway.
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The Notorious Rick Butts 07.15.08 at 12:38 pm
Jack you are such a kiss up!
I’m starting to worry about you slipping into guru-hypnosis.
Just kidding - your blog post here makes sense.
I didn’t know there was no affiliate contest - and with all the bonuses being offered it is almost impossible for me to really believe.
They probably just left you out of the contest.
These launches all look alike to me.
Except for you - most of the content these days looks a lot alike too.
Like you, I really feel that what people need most is encouragement, emotional motivation, and personal skills to manage their time, step OUT of the IM launch rash and get to doing the things they already know how to do.
Rick Butts
The Notorious Rick Butts’s last blog post..I Am Joe’s Email List - An Open Letter To Internet Marketers
Edward Lomax 07.15.08 at 1:18 pm
I guess since my inbox was flooded with Bonus deals all day… it’s time for me to get off some lists.
What you said above really goes with my mood lately. I think I take on too much at once and therefore don’t get the full benefit of what I am doing. It is actually for this reason and this reason only that I did not buy Traffic Secrets at this time… even though I do want it and will buy in the future.
I want to get some things off my plate so I can go through the course and give it justice. I’m confident that the course is so complete, any added bonus would just be a distraction.
Edward Lomax’s last blog post..Free Wordpress Blog Set Up Videos
Iago 07.16.08 at 1:55 am
The offer I got from Jason Mangrum is pretty decent — he’ll buy TS2.0 for me — if I join My Internet Business at the Silver, Gold or Platinum level — but since I am already joined up in it under him, I might give Mr. Reese’s upgrade a pass this time around. In fact, I think I’ll just continue to stick with what’s offered in Authority Black Book (especially now that Version 2.0 is out [and safely ensconced within the depths of my hard drive]) along with the socnet-oriented material J comes up with. But Jason tends to do things differently. I mean, getpaidbygod.com? That is just too cool. As is Authority Black Book.
Jack Humphrey 07.16.08 at 3:47 am
Rick,
If there’s a contest, I’m certainly not getting the obligatory emails that “So and So is in the lead and all you need to do to take them over is sell 50 more!”
So the deceitful emails coming out from affiliates does look incentivised beyond commission, but unless I got left out of the contest, (I wouldn’t even win a toaster), there is none.
With my list and my reach, I’ve made a grand total of 1 sale, according to my inbox this morning.
People can say “great post” all they want, but bonuses and lies are definitely winning out over reason.
Debbi Bressler 07.16.08 at 12:17 pm
No, there was no affiliate contest. I was pretty surprised myself, given the multitude of emails and the fact that it was, by “guru” standards, a relatively inexpensive launch.
Fortunately, I didn’t get bombarded by offers because I’d already unsubscribed from most of those lists. And, no, I didn’t buy John’s package. But, if I had, I would have looked over the bonuses to see if there was anything of value.
While I don’t believe in the lies, if John didn’t outright outlaw bonuses, I see nothing wrong in it. Marketing 101 teaches to define your USP. As as a smart consumer, I’d certainly take advantage of a bonus or special in the offline world if it was something I could use. They were taking a commoditized item (TS2) and making it unique to them…which I personally find a smart thing to do.
What I DID find interesting were the yet-to-be-created bonuses that were offered by some people. Gave the impression that everyone was waiting everyone else out to see what they were offering, and then scrambled around to put together a better offer….even if the components weren’t there yet!
Debbi Bressler
Mark the car mechanic 07.16.08 at 4:33 pm
Saw this post after I purchased through an affiliate link. I went with Brad Callens offer with his keyword and seo elite offers. It will keep me busy until the TS package arrives who knows when. Mike Filsame offered 1/2 off a secret price < that was funny! Brads stuff seems dated I hope it is still useful. What do you think Jack?
Rick : thanks for trying to keep me on track by reminding me to take action and keeping focus. This is why I follow you.
Jack : You seem to be getting more bitter with every passing day? Maybe for good reason with all these launches the is air getting thick. It seems the mega gurus sense the end is near and they are milking the last drops from there niche. Thank you for providing this post so we can discuss this topic.
Edward: Your right! I need to get off some lists and get back to work.
Jack Humphrey 07.16.08 at 5:28 pm
Mark,
Not bitter, but definitely more willing than ever to expose the serious weaknesses in the system without regard for what certain people think of me breaking rank.
The stuff I publicly rant about is NOTHING compared to what I know about some very popular marketers. If I ever decide to just let it all out, man, I could take down some giants in this industry.
I just don’t want to sit back and watch people get taken anymore.
Martin Paul 07.16.08 at 9:05 pm
Hi Jack, love your stuff. The Stomperboys have a pretty good offer. Yeah, I had a bout 5 lists trying to entice me.
MP
Lawrence Ip 07.17.08 at 9:12 am
Hi Jack…
When it all comes down to it… No matter how brilliant the product… It’s all about service. Come to think of it.. Service is a product too.. Great Service.. Well.. Great Service is a Treasured Asset. It is the “Emotional Software”.. It’s the glue that brings it all together and gets us recommended.
Lawrence Ip
Lawrence Ip’s last blog post..WordPress Comment Management with Disqus.
francisco 07.18.08 at 5:07 pm
great stuff - you are right some folks really tell you anything to make a sale…I had this guy Dan Lok chasing me for a while and was shocked about the old material he offers some of the stuff goes back to 2002
thanks and greetings from Kuala Lumpur
Cisco
andrew goulding 09.11.08 at 6:58 pm
Having been burned too many times, I rarely pay any attention to bonuses unless they are products created by the affiliate themselves (or his/her company)…and reasonably new. Most of the rest just clogs up my hard drive.
Andrew Goulding
andrew gouldings last blog post..Is John McCain Sarah Palin’s Bitch?
Free Traffic Secrets 11.22.08 at 1:55 am
I agree with you on this.
The many worthless products that are being offered today as bonuses to another product is simply disappointing.
Bonuses are supposed to further add value to the main product and so should complement the main product and not the other way round.
Thanks
Afam Uzoechina
http://www.free-trafficsecrets.com
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