Internet Marketing Consultants - suddenly there are so many....

[AndrewK]

<gasp> Andrew: a LINK!??! After pointing an ironic accusing finger at my link to more info about Gareth Morgan's book?

Actually, Terry, I assumed Andrew deliberately disabled his signature link in this hallowed thread out of deference -- like mafia dons leaving their armed gorillas-in-suits at the door to the meeting room. <-- this symbol means 'joking'

Thanks guys, i took the site down some time ago but just hadnt got around to removing from my sig. have done it now though.

[kingkong82]

"Are you certain Donna that the people who click on your Google ad's"

are there ads on propertytalk...can't see any...

[spaceman]

I'm Confused........

"Are you certain Donna that the people who click on your Google ad's"

are there ads on propertytalk...can't see any...

.....how does a blind man surf the web???????

Cheers
Spaceman

[donna]

Just who's getting rich quick? Great article by Rob Stock

In the SST - journalist Rob Stock has jumped on Aussies former evangelical pastor Pat Mesiti and his business partner Greg Owen - for their marketing strategy of getting Kiwi bums on seats at their upcoming seminars in NZ.

The two have done the classic salesman trick (according to Rob Stock) of writing books to enhance their credibility. Pat Mesiti and Greg Owen are behind the Millionaire Makers series - 9 x books each worth $14.99 that tempt buyers with promises of achieving "financial abundance for life".

The books are really advertisements (says Rob Stock - Sunday Star Times) disquised as books trying to drum up bums on seats for seminars in Auckland in Aug, Nov, Feb - where the 9 authors (some of the biggest names of the Australian wealth seminar scene wil attempt to sell mentoring schemes, high-risk options trading systems, boxed software programs and even franchise-style online marketing businesses to Kiwis.

Each book contains a 'free' invitation to a seminar worth $1994 - it's brilliant marketing says Rob Stock as befits the man behind the series a former evangelical pastor Pat Mesiti, now a preacher in the secular church of financial abundance.

(Great line Rob Stock)

Pat Mesiti had to stand down as a preacher back in 2001 for visiting prostitutes - a scandal that led him to reinvent himself on the wealth-creation speaking circuit.....says Rob Stock.

Hillsong church and Mesiti still have much in common including the message that God and Jesus want their believers to be rich and unusually that Jesus was himself rich....says the article by Rob Stock. (umm was Jesus rich? )

The article goes on and finishes with a classic line - one we have been inferring here......

Rob says....

For the record, this cynical journalist for one is deeply sceptical about the 'get-rich-quick' schemes/the software. I have no doubt they work - the problem is, I think they work for those selling them, not those buying them.

Thanks Rob - I enjoyed reading that - and Kiwis beware the Aussie wealth creation speakers are on their way.

Link

Cheers,

Donna

[Marc]

Yep...

And even though Rob provided his opinion I am 100% sure they will still fill the seats and sell product.

And there will be NZ based people/businesses that will spam the crap out of their databases for affiliate $$ and they will also get good $$$

I am slowly learning the longer I watch these people that they will make money no matter what people say and the affiliates will still make $$ as well.

There are loads of naive, gullible even stupid people out there who love giving their $$ away. Thats why spammers are still making millions.

There is something sickening about feeding off naive people that makes my skin crawl.

Cheers

marc

[PeterEmpowerEd]

&quot;I don’t know when I can get the guys back, so please, please join me next weekend.&quot;

And even though Rob provided his opinion I am 100% sure they will still fill the seats and sell product.

And there will be NZ based people/businesses that will spam the crap out of their databases for affiliate $$ and they will also get good $$$

I am slowly learning the longer I watch these people that they will make money no matter what people say and the affiliates will still make $$ as well.

There are loads of naive, gullible even stupid people out there who love giving their $$ away. Thats why spammers are still making millions.

There is something sickening about feeding off naive people that makes my skin crawl.

You mean like this...?

A Stunning oppertunity

A great Mate of mine Dean Letfus has secured an oppertunity for his clients and has kindly let me offer the same deal to my clients and website members. So check this out..... G’day. I’m very, very excited to announce that I’ve been able to talk the Geekversity guys into returning to New Zealand. I attended their event a few weeks ago and I was blown away. 2 full days of incredible education, like stuff I’d never heard before, amazing!! I waited the whole weekend for the pitch fest hard-sell and there wasn’t one!! I felt a real kindred spirit with these guys. Like me, they value integrity, their information is world class and they genuinely want to help people get ahead in their lives. So after twisting their arm to repeat their event here in New Zealand I have also managed to talk them into allowing you to come ……. FOR FREE!! Yes I know, I know, thank me later. It’s Saturday week so I’m sorry for the short notice but this was the only slot the guys had to be in Godzone for ages. I have never recommended a non property event ever so I’m not doing this lightly, but their information totally rocks. Imagine being able to take your property skills and apply them to the fastest growing industry on the planet, and be able to do it with as little as $100 down instead of 100K like we need in real estate. Whether you’re looking for cashflow, a home based business opportunity or to grow your existing business you need to be here!! I don’t know what more I could do than arrange this event for you as a Massive Action friend and negotiate the ticket price down to zero. I am serious this is no pitch fest, you will leave with your head full of new info that can make an enormous difference to your financial future. So no money down, no risk, great quality education and the chance to network with Dean and the extended Massive Action family…… You need to book NOW!! I don’t know when I can get the guys back, so please, please join me next weekend. I unreservedly recommend this event to you. See ya there Dean! I gotta say I was gutted that I missed this and since then I've heard nothing but rave reviews for the event. So if at all possible get yourself along and have a we laugh to yourself when you see all the other paying attendees while you get in for free care of your mates, Steve and Dean Register Here.....and do it right now because seats are very limited
http://tinyurl.com/<snip>

from Steve Goodey's "blog". (Reproduced verbatim.)

[PeterEmpowerEd]

Or like this?

Judge disagrees conman too fat for jail
By LEIGH VAN DER STOEP - Sunday Star Times 28/06/2009

A MORBIDLY obese fraudster who argues he needs specialised medical treatment that can't be provided in prison has lost his bid to be freed while he awaits further court action.



Max Heslehurst, who has been reported as weighing nearly 200kg, was earlier this year found guilty on 41 counts of fraud and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison a term partly reduced because of his obesity-related health problems.

But Heslehurst widely known as Mad Max or Fat Max has appealed the convictions, saying a note outlining one or more of his previous convictions was mistakenly handed to the jury. He applied for permission to await the appeal's outcome at home.

His lawyer, Mike Meyrick, told the Appeal Court that bail should be granted not only because the appeal case was strong, but because of Heslehurst's ill-health and his difficulties obtaining medical treatment in confinement.

Heslehurst had been found guilty by a South Auckland jury of fleecing at least 30 victims across the North Island of $344,000. ....

Heslehurst reportedly duped his victims including a solo mother, a dentist, a racedog trainer and a group of Hamilton bankers by offering to sell them cars or televisions for bargain prices.

He told one of his victims he could get seven wide-screen televisions cheaply because they had belonged to failed finance company Bridgecorp and were to be auctioned the next day. But there were no televisions or cars. ....

Full story: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-t...o-fat-for-jail

[PeterEmpowerEd]

Sworn to secrecy?

from Steve Goodey's "blog": I gotta say I was gutted that I missed this and since then I've heard nothing but rave reviews for the event.

Could this be why? - from the Geekversity 'free' seminar terms and conditions:

8. I AGREE NOT TO:
1. make any comments to any third party which defames, denigrates or disparages Geekdom, Geekversity or the Program, including its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, contractors, Geekversity seminar presenters or any other person involved with the Geekversity seminar; and

2. make any statement, or permit or authorise any statement to be made, which is calculated or reasonably likely to damage the reputation or cause other damage to Geekdom, Geekversity or the Program, including its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, contractors, Geekversity seminar presenters or any other person involved with the Geekversity seminar

I've never seen such conditions in a seminar participant agreement. Has anyone else?

Looks like they're VERY concerned about course attendees "defaming, denigrating or disparaging" the event, its organisers and any follow up programme -- i.e. giving honest feedback based on their own experience.

Whitt posted one person's experience: http://tinyurl.com/GVMyExp (Opens PDF) earlier in this thread, which was illuminating. Perhaps, despite the geeks' eager affiliates' best promotional efforts, the emperors have no clothes?

If their course is as "fantastic" as their promoter and sales affiliate Dean Letfus says, what on earth have they got to worry about?

- Peter

[spaceman]

C is for cookie

An update on the mega-clicker, for anybody who is interested.

The evil germans have provided me with much information and code. Once again most of the stuff I'm trying to do has been done before and it is simply a matter of smooshing a few bits and pieces together, to get the desired result.

Predictably there is quite a bit of time and effort put in by the big players out there to put a stop to what I'm trying to do.(not me personally, but people like me in general)

The entertainment value therefore is quite high, and it could take quite a while until I get bored again.(Unless of course it becomes obvious that the good guys are so much smarter than me... this is highly likely) Unfortunately my boss is back at work tomorrow, and I will have to start working for a living again, so this is going to take longer than I thought.

The most promising line of attack seems to be cookie stuffing......the mega clicker can find the affiliate tracking information and then change it, enabling it to generate fradulent sales and steal the revenue from any legitimate sales. ........ Yes I know very naughty ....... of course I would never actually do such a thing as I'm only doing it for fun and the learning experience that it provides. Not sure what TPR2 will do with it after he has coughed up for the pie & pint though

Cheers
Spaceman

[WBuffett]

You mean like this...?

from Steve Goodey's "blog". (Reproduced verbatim.)

I don't see what the problem is, the writer of the blog said something along that he is serious this is no "pitch fest" and he would hardly say that and then at the end of the free information meeting they invite people to their longer paid seiminar. There is no sales pitch, its there is black and white, so what is there to lose ?
The blog writer is a Christian so he would not lie. You are far too suspicious of peoples motives.

[PeterEmpowerEd]

The blog writer is a Christian so he would not lie. You are far too suspicious of peoples motives.

Of course, WBuffett. You're right. Someone like that would always tell the truth. What was I thinking?

[WBuffett]

Of course, WBuffett. You're right. Someone like that would always tell the truth. What was I thinking?

I have read the thread you linked to, which you seem to insinuate that Christians do not always tell the truth, my response is that omitting to say anything or keeping quiet when you know something is wrong/untrue/fraudlent/people will lose their savings etc due to keeping quiet is hardly the same as lieing.

The courts of the land give the guilty party the right to remain silent, and you cannot be convicted for choosing to remain silent. If however they spoke up and lied they would be guilty of perjury.
Lieing is not the same thing as a low standard of business or personal ethics and to tar someone with the brush of being a liar for these reasons is legally incorrect as defined by the courts.

So once again I believe that the blog writer is telling the truth, he has no reason to lie in regards to the sales pitch or whatever.
In fact the information evening sounds a very good deal and I would go if I could afford the possibly quite reasonable cost.

[Xav]

So once again I believe that the blog writer is telling the truth, he has no reason to lie in regards to the sales pitch or whatever.

Perhaps you should PM him for an answer to the question I asked earlier before you get too excited about lack of motives.

Lieing is not the same thing as a low standard of business or personal ethics and to tar someone with the brush of being a liar for these reasons is legally incorrect as defined by the courts.

Nice to know you would go to a seminar run/promoted by people with a low standard of business or personal ethics so long as they don't fit your definition of a liar. Almost makes me wish I was one of those people.

(Note: I am not saying Dean is not telling the truth re the hardsell, but the complete lack of logic compelled an answer).

[PeterEmpowerEd]

What would a similar analysis of PropertyTalk posts reveal, I wonder...?

Lily Allen 'one of the most negative celebrities on Twitter'

Lily Allen, the singer, may have told us all to 'Smile' in her cheery hit single but scientists studying her postings on Twitter ay she is one of the most negative celebrities.


Popstar and 'twiiter' Lily Allen performs at Glastonbury Photo: JANE MINGAY

A study of posts on the social networking site found Allen is one of the UK's least positive celebrities, with her 'tweets' revealing she has been 'having bad dreams' and 'crying'.

Jamie Cullum, the jazz star and boyfriend of model Sophie Dahl, was the most up-beat celebrity according to a scientific formula.

Jimmy Carr, the comedian, was second while British tennis star Andy Murray, clearly enjoying his Wimbledon success, was third.

Rapper P Diddy was the least positive star, followed by London mayor Boris Johnson, Britney Spears and Allen. Completing the top ten of the most fed-up stars were the recently separated couple Katie Price and Peter Andre.

Language experts created a formula to gauge how positive each Twitter post is by assigning values to individual words and tracking the sentiment of various phrases.

Incorporated into a computer program, it gauges the mind-set of more than 3,000 Twitter users each day in real-time and gives each post a score depending on how positive or negative it is.

London was the most laid-back part of the UK while the West Midlands was found to be home to the highest number of glum people.

The study was carried out by Foster's, the Australian lager company.

Most laid-back celebrities on June 30 (when sample was taken): ...

"carried out by Fosters"!?! Ha! Anyway, while UK-centric, it's interesting. Read on at telegraph.co.uk site.

See also: Steven Fry's twitter tips -- thoughts and advice from someone who has actually proven his expertise (unlike some self-proclaimed 'gurus'). Includes this gem, with which I am in accord...

3. While I will certainly let you know of a new audiobook I’ve recorded, or the release of website t-shirts or whatever, I am absolutely not looking to use Twitter as a market stall.
I will mention but not push new ‘products’, just as most Twitterers do and just as we all do when we announce any posting to our websites or blog spaces.
For me Twittering is not a commercial or PR activity, it’s a fun and fascinating way to interact with all kinds of people who have so much to say. Since the primary function of Twitter is to answer the question “what you are doing?” my tweets will sometimes, obviously, involve news of publications or openings or events. Just be assured I am not using Twitter to advertise!

Any thoughts?

PS Xav, who would you nominate as "most evasive"...?

[Perry]

I wonder why people who use Twitter are called
twitterers? Might it just be that "Twits" would
not be warmly appreciated?