Earthtiger Systems

Sometimes you have to just say no and end a relationship. As always, there is the possibility that you are making a mistake. Yet, these decisions have to be made. I say make them and move on. No one decision such as this can make or break a company anyways. I still feel compelled to comment on it, though. Mainly because I am in the hunt to build a company built on good, quality products and services which I am not ashamed to have my name associated with.

If you do not believe me, you are welcome to move on. See, I am tired of the situation we are in as a people right now. No one in my opinion cares as much about doing a quality job as they do about getting paid. I like to think that I, Timothy Lynn Singleton, do care as much.

I sell gold and silver. Why? Because there is no more sure way to protect your savings from total loss than precious metals.

I am in the process of setting up an Amsoil distributorship: Why? Because I want to run it in my own vehicles and it is of Rearden Steel quality by all accounts.

We are proud to be a Nutronix distributor: Why? Because the first two thoughts I have when I saw the product and opportunity were first, I need to get this into the hands of my mother and second, this system is do-able and duplicatable by any and everyone.

We sell coconut sap sugar that has a glycemic index safe for diabetics: Why? Because there are more than a few diabetics around me, I love and use the product, and it helps diabetics to be able to enjoy their food more.

What is the thread holding these products together? Me and my belief in their ability to make peoples’ lives better.

Having worked my way through more than a few supposed systems for using clickbank as a way to make a good affiliate income in the last few weeks, I can tell you now that when you go down the path of looking for a system just be prepared to lose some money in simply bad products.

I am not referring to clickbank products because clickbank has proven itself over time to be on the up and up.

I am referring to the so-called gurus who want to tell you how to get rich from clickbank for $39.95…or $399.95. The really special ones, though, tell you that for $39.95 they will tell you how to be free. You sign up and sure, yeah, you have the bones of a plan…for another $197 they will give you the rest of the puzzle. So, there you find yourself more than a little pissed and having to go through the refund process.

So, having spent some time in the affiliate marketing sphere, looking into all the ins and out of various offerings, I decided to pull the plug on chasing so called experienced gurus. One company was kind enough to try to keep my business by asking me what was wrong:

Thanks for your email. May I ask what features of your premium membership you were not impressed with or what you felt let you down from your expectations? We are so committed to helping our members succeed that we would love to be given the chance to help you out in anyway we can, you name it!

Please be aware that once we cancel your Premium subscription you will have no further access to the Premium area and Premium tools. Your account will have this access level removed immediately.

We are more than happy to cancel your account if this doesn’t interest you. Please email us back and we will process your cancellation immediately.

Hope we can help out.

They were trying to be nice and of service, so I kind of felt bad for some odd reason. Their site was better organized than most. Still, I have the information I needed in a usable format that I can integrate into my business plan. Since I had an inkling of appreciation for their efforts (no one else bothers to listen, they just keep pounding away with cool copy hoping something will prod me into spending money.) I decided to answer them in a complete fashion as it might help them. Who knows? I might return down the road as a customer. Here is my reply:

Information overload, actually.

See, I have looked into a TON of affiliate marketing programs lately. Some will say, “$39 and we will teach you about affiliate marketing. Okay, so I pay and BANG! Right there on the first page is an upsell to ‘really get ALL the secrets.’ I understand about upsell, but do NOT promise me the moon in order to get the down payment and then hold me hostage for another $197…or another $995 in one case.

Not saying YOU did this, just explaining myself in detail in order to help you understand my decision. Moving on.

As I say, I have signed into a number of programs. One I paid $299 for. I saved the money over a number of months because I was determined to do everystep outlined in the program because it said in 90 days I could be generating an income I could live on. Well, guess what? Half the links in the program did not work. Sure, I have no doubt this fellow is making money hand over fist with the number of websites he has out there, but that really does not help me, does it? Regretfully and after five different requests for help in at least making the links work, I requested and quickly received a refund. Please understand, I did not want a refund, I wanted the information so I could work the program.

Now…and this part you are going to love…many of the various programs I have signed into are now trying to cross sell me each other’s programs and products. What the hell is that? I tell you what it is, many of these big dogs are making a killing off of people’s desperation and hopes and it is not right; it is theft by deception in my opinion.

Again, this is not aimed at you, just trying to help you understand why I am canceling.

Besides the upsells that in some cases can total nearly 2 grand and even more in some cases, there is the barrage of emails from the gurus who are desperately trying to find just the right pitch that will cause me to let loose of my money. Which in and of itself is not a bad thing, it is what I want to learn to do to sell clickbank products, too. It is bizarre to pay money for one plan, then have the people you paid that money to try to sell you yet another plan, then, while you are in the middle of digesting that plan, they are promoting a buddy’s plan and finally you have to say, “Hold on, I have repeatedly asked what is THE best way to market as an affiliate on the Internet. You have changed horses three times in three weeks and I cannot think clearly, what is it you are telling me I should do?”

The simplest solution to me is to STOP and get off ALL the horses because you can only ride one horse at a time if you want to get anywhere.  Finally, I come across a plan that explains to me how to market clickbank products in conjunction with several other opportunities and guess what? The knowledge is free. I just had to keep looking and wading.

I have no idea if yours is effective or not. I simply know that I cannot make more than one system work at a time and am so overcome with so-called affiliate marketing systems right now that I cannot continue on this path.

I am sticking to my original plan. Find products and services of good quality and come up with an honest marketing plan that does the product justice and is in no way misleading or overstating of the benefits of the product or service.

I think telling the truth about a good product or service is a good way to sell the product to a person who wants it. I cannot address yours as there is just no way for me to swallow everything in the amount of time I have in a day. I have formulated a system I think will work from the gems I have managed to dig out and I am on my way. I am in the business of moving products and services offered through two main companies, certain clickbank products, and a small but growing number of tangibles that reach a specific level of quality. That’s it.

Please carry out my request for cancellation as I do wish to cancel.

1. Jonathan Lackman says:

   February 11, 2010 at 8:56 pm

   Reardon Steal quality? Ayn Rand, good stuff. I’m a long time amsoil dealer but I was reading Ayn Rand before amsoil…
2. admin says:

   February 11, 2010 at 10:36 pm

   Yes, Rearden Steel quality. Atlas Shrugged changed the way I look at everything I do and represent.

   Think about it. What would the world be like if every man who called himself an artisan or craftsman or mechanic approached his work the way Henry Rearden approached making steel?

   Thanks for reading.

   Tim