The Deception Perception: Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

The Deception Perception

Without a doubt, people would rather do business with someone they know, like, and trust. Credibility is critical. This is especially true conducting business on the internet where people never actually meet face to face. Building a sense of trust with your customers takes time. And, it's one of your most valuable assets.

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

I recently had the opportunity to hear a well known internet marketer speak. It was a great presentation, chock full of all sorts of useful tips. I was very impressed with all he had to say so I went to his website and signed up for his newsletter.

He sent me an email (by autoresponder, of course)saying he had set up a special call for his newest subscribers to give us more great tips. All we had to do was dial in at a certain time for a teleseminar. He sent me a followup email reminding me and saying again how much he appreciated having me on his list. He looked forward to having me on the call.

So Far, So Good.

Last night, I dialed in at the scheduled time (after rearranging my schedule to do so). The gentleman came on and said he'd be with us in just a few moments, he was gathering up his notes. Then, he came back on, told us because of the number of people on the call, he had us all muted and there wouldn't be time for any questions. He went on to deliver some great information followed by a sales pitch.

The Problem.

One small, tiny, little problem. He wasn't really there. It was a recording. Now, if I had known it would be a recording, it wouldn't have bothered me a bit because the information was good. But, being led to believe it was live, being given a bit of a smoke and mirror show, changed my perception of the man and his products. If this teleseminar was smoke and mirrors, are his products smoke and mirrors, too? Is it all just a slick manipulation to sell products that don't work?

I certainly don't want to spend money on a product that teaches me how to be slick and deceptive.

The Moral of the Story

Seemingly harmless deceptions create a lack of trust for customers who are quick to look elsewhere for more trustworthy solutions.

Caroline Jordan is a small business wizard who doesn't hide behind curtains or conduct smoke and mirror shows. She gives self employed professionals straight up advice on how to grow their businesses, improve their cash flow, attract customers they enjoy working with, and develop additional revenue sources. For more tips and strategies for success visit http://www.TheJordanResult.com

In The News:


ProPublica

Ethics group urges investigators to probe lobbyist involved in Owens trip
WatertownDailyTimes.com
By BRIAN AMARAL A public ethics watchdog wants federal ethics investigators to probe a lobbying firm that arranged Rep. William L. Owens's trip to Taiwan. In a letter sent Wednesday to the Office of Congressional Ethics, officials from Public Citizen ...
Owens Welcomes Ethics ProbeWWNY TV 7

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USA TODAY

Justice ethics report finds misconduct by Stevens prosecutors
Anchorage Daily News
By PETE YOST AP WASHINGTON — The Justice Department's internal ethics watchdog said Thursday that two prosecutors in the bungled corruption case against then-Sen. Ted Stevens engaged in reckless professional misconduct by failing to disclose ...
Ted Stevens Case: Justice Department Says Two Prosecutors Engaged In MisconductHuffington Post
Justice Dept. probe finds misconduct by prosecutors in Stevens trialCNN International
Justice Dep't: Misconduct by 2 in Stevens caseWBRC

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McKenna faces 2 ethics complaints over county work
The Seattle Times
A lawyer and a citizen have each filed ethics complaints against Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna. The Associated Press Note to Kyle Olive and Kimberly Christensen (and the note would be the same regardless... (May 24, 2012, by Creasy ...
McKenna faces ethics complaint over county workThe Columbian

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Man leading ethics probe of Baptist leader resigns
The Daily Advance
(AP) — The head of a group investigating the comments of Southern Baptist Convention ethics leader Richard Land has resigned. Arkansas pastor Richard Piles said he has taken over as Trustee Board chairman for the Ethics and Religious Liberty ...
Southern Baptist committee head resigns in Richard Land ethics caseThe Tennessean
Investigation re: Baptist spokesman's commentsOneNewsNow

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Board Dismisses Ethics Complaint Against Two Aldermen
Patch.com
There is no conflict of interest by members of the Common Council also serving on the Waukesha County Board of Supervisors, Ethics Board rules. By Sarah Millard Alderwoman Kathleen Cummings, sitting, listens to the Ethics Board discuss a complaint ...

and more »

The Guardian

News Summary: News Corp. lobbyist testifies on UK government contacts to ...
Washington Post
ETHICS PANEL: Lobbyist Fred Michel talked Thursday to the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics that the British government created because of the hacking scandal. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published ...
British Inquiry Questions Murdoch LobbyistNew York Times
Adviser pulls Cameron into storm over HuntFinancial Times
British PM David Cameron appointed 'known Murdoch supporter'The Australian
Daily Beast -Huffington Post
all 1,273 news articles »

Ex-SEC Attorney Barred for 1 Year Over Stanford Ethics Lapse
BusinessWeek
Spencer Barasch, who participated in the SEC's investigation of R. Allen Stanford's $7 billion Ponzi scheme, performed private legal work for Stanford Group Co. about a year after leaving the agency even though its ethics office had told him he was ...
SEC sanctions ex-staffer who represented Stanford CoReuters
SEC Bars Former SEC Employee On Alleged Conflict Of InterestWall Street Journal

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Essex County Ethics board reprimands Keene super
Plattsburgh Press Republican
ELIZABETHTOWN — The Essex County Ethics Committee issued a decision reprimanding Keene's supervisor for using town gas. Its findings came Thursday after a six-week review, saying the committee believes Bill Ferebee's use of 14 gallons from the town ...


Ethics should guide Vanderbilt investments
The Tennessean
Thousands more participated in the movement for ethical investment by producing, showing and sharing media, and hosting dozens of teach-ins including a march on the Board of Trust in November and a teach-in with more than 50 faculty and students at the ...

and more »

Boynton expense fund is an ethics risk, county says
Sun-Sentinel
A Palm Beach County ethics officer said recently that restrictions on the reimbursement funds are ambiguous and elected officials don't have to report how they spend it. And while nothing requires them to return extra money, keeping it would be a ...

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