Protect Yourself from Silver Bullet Solutions

by Joan Friedlander

Have you ever been enticed to buy something in response to the limited time discount offer - and the promise of an altered future?

Have you ever "run" to the back of the room during a seminar - with many others - to buy the products and programs that promise to change your life forever?

You're not alone. I've been in those seminars where hordes of people flock to the back of the room to swoop up the latest and greatest. I've seen and been influenced by the tactics that imply that if you're not buying their product or service you are missing the boat - and you may just be a loser. I've even bought a couple of times, sometimes with good results and sometimes not.

If you're like me, you probably receive a great deal of e-mail from other entrepreneurs who tout the amazing results of their programs. They extend a silver bullet offering that could cause you to think you won't make it without their program. As a matter of fact, pages and pages of information in an e-mail advertisement or on a Web page tell you just how amazing their program offering is, and how rich you will become if you buy what they offer. And don't forget all the bonuses worth thousands of dollars that you'll receive when you buy at no extra cost. The tactic is designed to make you feel that you could have a six-figure business (or become a millionaire) but you're missing just one thing; they have it and you don't.

I'm not saying that the promises are without merit, but there are some critical underlying requirements that will impact your success and which I encourage you to consider.

What can impact your susceptibility?

I find that one of the greatest challenges an entrepreneur faces is setting realistic goals, developing a plan to reach them and then following the plan. Doing so takes a great deal of work and discipline, which is not exactly the hallmark of the entrepreneurial personality. Unfortunately, without taking the time to build a good foundation, many expect instantaneous results. Add a little envy to the mix (a pitfall of comparing yourself to others) and you're ripe for the "pickin". Perhaps this is what creates the opening for "make-tons-now-using-my-amazing-system" tactics.

Buyer Beware

If you're not doing as well as you would like - or think you should be - you could be easily swayed to jump and buy without regard to appropriate due diligence.

Even if you don't bite, the message can still make you feel badly about yourself, which makes you vulnerable to the next offering. Of course, the message can only do this if you have the conditions that lead to vulnerability in the first place.

What can you do to protect yourself?

If you are groaning a bit at this point, go ahead and groan! You know what they say about the truth: first it will piss you off and then it will set you free.

Understand the economic component that can make you susceptible. Are you struggling financially? Are you afraid, having plunged into a business and find yourself falling short? Do you tend to be impatient and desire the short term promise over the long-term investment?

Understand the emotional component that can make you susceptible. Identify the internal dialogue behind your susceptibility. Identify the emotional factors at play. For example, do you like to belong? Do you feel you're missing out? Are you looking for the silver bullet solution?

Do your due diligence in your own business and invest the time to create a strategic plan. Then stick to it with all the faith and discipline you can muster. If this is not your strong suit, by all means, get help.

Trust Your Gut Response. The angst associated with the magnetic pull to say yes is usually offset by the opposite desire to say no (thus, the magnet phenomenon). If you notice the pull to buy, and also notice the opposite response, consider trusting the accuracy of your opposite more than the one that pulls you to buy. If you notice you are worrying about the money required and beginning to justify your purchase, take heed.

Walk Away. One of the best tactics I use when I find myself in the field of that strong magnetic force to buy is to "walk away." This can be especially useful in the face of those limited time offers. Generally speaking, if I'm feeling that tug of war it's not a good time to buy. Sometimes I wait a bit and will physically walk away so I can get out of the magnetic force field of the impulse decision. I rarely regret not buying something, certainly not as much as buying something I don't receive full value from.

Know thyself - litmus tests for anything you buy

Successful outcomes require a real investment of your time.
Let's revisit the e-mail plus bonus offers. Let's also assume they're good products. The only way to get value from them is to invest hours and hours reading and/or listening to all the materials you've just bought. You've got to be willing to do the work. If you're not, you have just bought a lot of worthless information - to you.

The product or service needs to enhance and support your goals, not make or break your goals. It's easy to be distracted and to try this, that and the other thing. You'll do much better and make better decisions, if you start with nearly clarity about your core business, and then choose the programs and services that best meet your goals. This means you have to know, very deep down, what you are up to and how you would like to get there.

When you are confident and certain about your goals, and keep them in mind as you review opportunities, you are empowered, and therefore much less susceptible to silver bullet solutions. Then, when you decide to invest in a product or service, it will be with confidence that it's a tool that you can use to grow your business in the way that matters to you.

 

by Joan Friedlander, © 2005. All rights reserved.