Infomercials are lengthy TV commercials that act like a reporting piece. People get wrapped up in the promises, and believe every testimonial – thinking they will find huge financial freedom and success as described in the program.
They buy the program, and they try it but go nowhere. The program will lead them to believe that it is because of the buyer’s lack of commitment and motivation. The truth is – the testimonials they have sought out are of the exception – people who came in at the beginning, before competition, and who were able to make it work. Or people who had a very lucky break – but cannot repeat the process again. Most of the people who buy into the program will NOT succeed.
Take the “cash-flow” program, as an example. You purchase the program for whatever the cost is, and they send you some information on how to get yourself set up. Then you are left to follow a plan they give you. You will need to find your own clients – and that won’t be easy. Free ads in Penny Saver publications won’t work – they are inundated with such ads. Look in your newspaper -chances are they are all over it, as well. People are getting conditioned not to believe in these types of ads – they are normally too full of hype. And the person who advertises the program is lead to think he will be making $5000-$30,000 commissions.
I have been working funding services for about 5 years, before I ever saw an infomercial on it, and I don’t understand why it has to cost money to do. I learned everything from experts, from funders, and from attorneys – at no cost. I have truly been trained by the best in the business, and I have lifelong resources now. We get the job done, and quickly. Deals are closed without problems on our end.
The main difference in our business is that we do primarily settlement and pre-settlement funding, and our deals need to be big enough to make it worthwhile. We do not do car notes or notes on boats, etc. We do purchase property and inheritances, annuities, structured settlements, and lottery winnings. We do not make $30,000 commissions. We know that people who want to sell these assets are usually hurting for money, and cannot afford such commission fees. To make that high a commission is outrageous. There is already a discount on the future worth – commissions cannot eat that much more if it!
I have been approached by many folks – asking about “so-and-so” – who is he and is he legitimate? I have not heard of most of these people, but my guess is they are working this infomercial business. Many do not return calls, and many tell outright lies – just to get a deal. Some people ask me to explain why they signed a contract but never heard from the person again, and 7 months later they still haven’t got their money. All I can surmise is they are probably inept business people. They perhaps were unable to find a funder to take the case.
Many of the little cases, like boat or car notes – will not find a funder. There is little incentive to do all the paperwork for such a small amount return – and it’s silly to chase them down. Funders do not like risk, and they do not like little or no return on their money. Be aware of situations you bring up to a “cash-flow specialist” – and know you will be paying for the advance. My advice is to shop around, and make sure you are not scammed. Believe me when I say this – all the inept people and the scammers make it tougher for us who run an ethical business – I spend too much time doing damage control.
Find a business that speaks authoritatively. Find one that cares about you. Find one that tells you the conditions and fees up front. Find one that does not charge you up front to get an advance. If in doubt, ask around. Some situations require an attorney – is there one available? Are there laws that need to be reviewed or dealt with in your case?
Stop and think before you believe all you hear in an infomercial. Ethical services are already established. The competition already exists. Free ads rarely get you anywhere. Beware of the little things that raise a red flag.
In the same mindset, be wary of all those infomercials that ask you for money to make money. The people who are selling the program are the ones making the money – you who buy it are the ones who are going to make more money for them. And you will be left on your own to struggle to make the program work.
If this hits as truth to you – look at the Internet emails that do the same thing! Are you falling for every story someone puts in front of you, promising riches?
P. Roe does website optimization work, and is working on her sites all the time – many are in number 1-10 ranking on Google and Yahoo! Subscribe to “Wise Little Tidbits” for more optimization tips. mailto:ezineshere@aol.com?WLT http://doubleii.com/webservices.htm
