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Black Widows on the Web
by Rick
Beneteau
Watch Out!!
Lurking undercover in the darkest corners of the
Internet lies an extremely venomous creature. Precariously perched in the
binary shadows, it extends its tempting invitation to unsuspecting
victims, masking itself in the flashy JavaScript of pretty webpages,
waiting to strike at the opportune moment. Its bite is fierce and often
lethal. Its fangs penetrate deeply into the thickest of skin as the
life-sucking process begins. Your money and your time are drained. Then,
perhaps your self-confidence and ultimately… your dreams.
These are the Black Widows of the Web.
Let’s personify this 21st Century vermin and call him
J. Alfred Swindler.
J. Alfred Swindler is a smooth operator. A cool, calm
and classy con artist. More often than not, he spins his web in the golden
silk threads of the Get Rich Quick MLM. The poison here can be of the
paralyzing variety. Your very lifeblood is drained in the slow, sadistic
ritual that is as old as the networking industry itself. There are
hundreds of new J. Alfred’s swindling the MLM-inclined every month.
Average life expectancy? One year, or when their pockets are full,
whichever comes first. Mostly, all the MLM failures are planned of course.
When the first crop ripens, harvest and then burn it (and you!).
Only a few MLM companies ever see their second or
third year. Why? Because there is always an overabundance of
hungry-hearted good people like us to fill the matrixes, binaries or
whatever the comp plan of the month is. Take the money and run. Tens of
thousands of innocent people have their wallets (and dreams) plucked by J.
Alfred.
A rule of the unbitten thumb – a cliché - if it
sounds too good to be true, EXIT!!
Avoid being stung! If an appealing, apparently
legitimate MLM comes your way – research, research and research some more.
Another cliché is applicable here - "keep your eyes on the stars, and your
feet on the ground". My advice is pretty simple - take your time,
investigate. Up, down and sideways. Make damn sure there is a solid,
unique product "on the shelf". Check out, and if you can, meet the owners.
The Better Business Bureau for credibility and Dunn & Bradstreet for
financial stability. Communicate with the associates. Your sponsors upline,
downline and crossline. Ask what their experiences with the company have
been. What recruiting methods they use. How much money they're making. How
long it took them to make it. Be careful to sort the fantasy from the
fiction. If you feel ANY kind of pressure to sign up, forget it. The
opportunity will be there a month from now.
I’m not slamming all MLM’s. There are some very good
opportunities out there for people who gravitate to this concept. Just be
careful, no, be meticulous when it comes to this most tempting bait, for
the web of the Black Widow awaits.
Less likely to maim it’s victims with their
free-to-little-cost start-up are the affiliate/referral programs. These
programs need to be researched as carefully as the MLM’s. Always remember
that it is YOUR reputation on the line, online and off, so you simply must
be careful. Some of the household-name affiliate programs are taking a
real bashing with less than favorable reviews across the Web. You need to
look into commission rates, payment schedules (monthly vrs. quarterly),
company support and reputation thoroughly before signing up with any
affiliate program. Spending time and getting information at
associateprograms.com, refer-it.com, and quickclick.com can go a long way
towards educating yourself on the current status of this trendy way of
doing business on the Internet.
Then, there’s the non-venomous, garden variety J.
Alfred Swindler. The time-stealer. The "Yes Man". This guy promises the
moon and delivers local beach pebbles. By far the most prevalent arachnid
of the species, and although non-lethal you will find this type as pesky
as that crazed mid-summer mosquito. "Talkers" are a dime a bakers dozen in
Cyberspace. It’s hard to hold any "person" accountable when their only
existence is a website or email address.
My experience on the Internet leads me to the
conclusion that Talkers will seek you out (spam email) and Doers, well YOU
need to find those precious people. Be it a merchant account or an
affiliate program, you will learn an awful lot by the first communication
you instigate with a new contact. If your email or phone call goes
unanswered within 24 hours, forget them! No matter how appealing the
façade, or enticing the product and program, customer service is the
ultimate criteria to judge somebody by. If they don’t answer you, they
won’t answer your customers. And your customers will only look to you for
answers.
Now that I seem to have blanketed the Internet in a
cloak of evil, I need to state for the record that there are very
honorable companies and people with which to do good business. The World
Wide Web is simply too expansive for there not to be. It’s simply a matter
of spending your time researching and investigating to find that solid
network of good people and companies.
It may take you awhile, but take it from me, the wait
will be worth it. For when you find those kindred business spirits it’s
thrilling to know that you’re on the cutting edge, leaps and bounds ahead
of most of the world by having your cyberstuff together.
Just take preventative measures and always be aware.
Avoid the Black Widows of the Web.
Written by Rick Beneteau
© 1998 InterNiche.net
Rick Beneteau is the highly acclaimed author of the new, top-selling
eBook, Branding YOU and Breaking the Bank.
Spend what he guarantees will be the most important few minutes you'll
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