The Infomercial is a Liar

So I was watching tv late one weekend when Jeff Paul’s Shortcuts to Millions came on. Like watching the proverbial train wreck, I couldn’t look away. Two buxom lasses interviewed “millionaires” at a pool party about how much they’ve made using Jeff’s shortcuts.

I give them credit. They varied the amount to make it more…ahem, believable. One guy makes $110,000 a week. But another makes just $7,000 (poor guy). There are sparkling piles of cash, exciting music, and flashy colors. Enough so that you might even be distracted and believe that Jeff really wants to help you make money. Heck, you don’t even have to know how to use a computer to get rich!

Here’s a video of a guy revealing the scam behind this. While the product they push is just $39.95, once you’re hooked, sales guys will call to convince you you need to spend thousands more. Thus Jeff gets rich.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdAMrY6YEm0[/youtube]

Let’s bring it back to the marketing. This infomercial is well-done, and I’m sure it gets its fair share of sales. I was almost convinced. But you have to look beyond the phony testimonials and understand that sometimes marketing is a liar. I hate saying that, but so many companies use unsubstantiated claims in their marketing like:

• Guaranteed to make you rich
• Lose up to 50 pounds in 3 weeks
• If Joe Blow can make $50,000 in a week, so can you!

There’s no rules that make marketers tell the truth. It’s more a code of ethics a few of us hold to. When you read those sales letters trying to get you to buy something, know that the numbers they put out there (what you’ll make, how many people have already signed up) are completely bogus. Yes, I said it. I have written sales letters (and taken a hot scalding shower after) and the numbers are made up.

So in doing your marketing, I ask you this: would you rather lie to get more sales (and then deal with the customer service nightmare after the sales) or would you rather find the real attributes of your products and use those as selling points?