Rob Toth TeleSeminar: Annoy Your Buyers?
November 15, 2007 · Print Post
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I listened in to Rob Toth teleseminar and I think it was a useless teleseminar because the tactics that he is speaking about and selling are already in use and it is quite old. I have personally done all of his tactics that he has proposed in his new product and I have gotten results from these tactics. Good results may lead to bad things, such as annoyed readers.
If you can recall, I had a scroll bar at the top of my blog about my new revolution theme contest, grabbing the attention of many readers to participate. This has helped a lot with my contest and new traffic. I also received some emails about the annoyance of the bar. Luckily I only had it for 1 week, the week of the contest. Once I took it down the emails stopped.
Rob Toth, has the right concept and idea. Grab your readers’ attention and try to offer a second chance sale to those that are not interested, maybe even upsell something to the buyer. His new product BuyNowWizard does all this and maybe even annoys the buyer or potential buyer.
Don Morris the new owner of the popular 7Dollar Script joined in this teleseminar, the audio on his end was very low and I did not really hear most of his conversation. I think the script that Rob is using is part of the 7Dollar Script. It has the same features and some characteristics to is, but Rob decided to add some other attention javascript to the file as well.
The whole teleseminar is all about getting that second chance and interacting with the potential buyer. There are several attention grabbers which Rob uses within his software, again I have done all of his tactics within BuyNowWizard and they do work, but incorporating them all at once or maybe use more than one? Here are the features which Rob Toth’s new product uses:
Browser Warning Bar
The browser warning button can be found with Internet Explorer or FireFox. It is the traditional light yellow bar that floats on top of your page and provides you a warning. With this product you are able to create a warning to your reader.
That does grab the attention of your readers, luckily this does not follow you as you scroll through the content. Rob says we are naturally pulled to the warning bar because it is a warning bar. With his product you are able to change the text and insert links and even change color.
Pop Up on Exit Screen
This is not an old strategy as it was used many times before Rob’s new product. There are multiple versions of this popup exit overlay. This is very good for giving your product another chance in being purchased or maybe even doing a case study on why they are leaving, as this screen shot below is doing.
The uniqueness of this on exit popup overlay definitely captures the attention of your buyer; it sticks a warning sign right in front of them before they can leave your sales page. This is helpful to have the buyer optin to grab a free report or even view a video. This has done well and much better than on entrance popup overlays.
Limited Time Offer Count Down/Closing Deadlines
A simple counter that grabs the attention of your users by providing them the limited time they have before they are not able to purchase or grab your free report. This again is an old tactic but useful. MSN, Yahoo and many others use this tactic to run contest and competition to their readers. You have X amount of time before this special offer will end. Usually it will last for 1 week or maybe 30 seconds, it depends on the product and how long you want to provide the special offer.
You will tend to see fake timers that will count down from 60 seconds and at the end of 60 seconds you get a popup. Well I believe with this script you are able to control the closing deadlines and special offers, very powerful. But this is an old strategy yet it is still useful.
There are even scripts that provide the first X buyers get a discount, after X amount of buyers bought, the product is set back to its’ original price.
Inventory Counter
Another powerful feature which is also old is an inventory counter. This is another great tactic to use. It tells the buyer ‘If you are Serious, BUY NOW before it is all gone!‘ This was done in a very poor traditional way where a hard number was just implemented on the sales page, 67 left out of the original 100. It really was not a counter, but BuyNowWizard can do this, Don Morris 7Dollar Script does this as well, for $7!
This specific tactic is the most powerful for this script as Rob says. I believe it is powerful because it does work, even back in the day when marketers just put false numbers on their sales page and not an actual counter.
The inventory counter will only attract the most serious prospects and will make your potential buyers into buyers. It creates the sense of urgency to purchase the product before the actual product runs out.
The Total Annoyance
All tactics are very helpful and yes they do work. Now the only problem is incorporating all of these into once, it will get annoying. I have checked the report page Robs’ BuyNowWizard and he incorporates 3 out of the 4 tactics that were described within his teleseminar.
I found the bar to be annoying with the on exit popup, because first that little bar caught my attention and I click on it and read what it had to provide to me. When I want to redirect away I got hit with the “WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?” on exit popup overlay. Super annoying, especially when I first saw that warning bar.
The warning bar caught my attention and I didn’t even get to read the damn title of the sales page. The warning bar brought me directly to the optin page of the landing page, again I didn’t have a chance to read the damn sales page.
Now at the bottom there was a time counter saying if you do not act now and grab this report for free, it will direct me to a page where I have to pay $9.97 for it. I actually waited for the timer to expire to see if it was a legit timer and not those timers that just count and it did re direct me to the order page of the free report. Well all I did was just hit the back button and counter restarted itself, now if it was cookie enabled that would be the best! (thats my Idea Rob!)
The only problem is his counter is at the bottom, I would imagine you are able to move the timer around where you want, because what if I never scroll all the way to the bottom, I stop mid way on the optin page and I never see the footer? I would never know about the counter.
Well, over all this little script catches the attention of the reader but will it annoy the readers or buyers? I know when I had my contest and I had the warning bar it did create an annoyance to some, but it converted well.
Do I use these tactics on my sales page, yes. But not all at once, because I too am a buyer and all of those scripts would definitely annoy me. Each an everyone of his scripts can be easily found and bought for free or under 7$ each. His system is for marketers that do not want to do that additional work (10 minutes), it is in one whole package for users to chose and change. Again, each of his tactics are all old and have been used and have been proven to work, but put them all in a basket may lead to annoyed readers. If you want to listen to the teleseminar I listened to you can do so here: BuyNowWizard with Don Morris and Rob Toth.
November 16th, 2007 12:01 am
LOL ROB is horrible guy, I went to his siminar in Texas on day in 2005 and i left in 1 hour of hearing his boring talks about this and that. Im like this must be for beginners, this is nothing new to me. I was dissapointed but oh well, i got my monies WORTH. lol it was a free ticket completely WORTHLESS. So i walked out and he stop. He was begging me to buy his marketing course for a 75% discount, im like dude if your a “marketing Guru” the Why shouldnt i become a Guru? then he offer it to me free,. I was think PLEASEEEEE stop harrasing me. He is not who you think he is. A Broke Marketer who is NOT a GURU of marketing, but a Guru of loss.
November 16th, 2007 12:54 pm
Hi Ian,
Love your angle for pulling in attention to this review.
It’s unfortunate Don’s audio was a little too quiet.
I see you’ve used the same strategies in your marketing and understand them well. Great!
While 7DS is a great product, Buy Now Wizard is in no way affiliated with it or based on it. Buy Now Wizard comes with 3 attention grabbers: Browser Warning Bar, Before You Go Exit Window and Second Chance Sales Saver and 5 “fear of loss” functions: limited time, limited quantity, one time offer, deadline and firesale.
I encourage you to visit the Buy Now Report page again and you’ll find that you cannot access it. The back button on a browser does not refresh a page so the visit isn’t seen as a new visit. But if you were to exit and come back, it would be blocked to you. Additionally, I’m not strict with my pages and don’t enforce IP blocking just cookie based. But IP is available.
The reason for this comment is simply to clarify a previous reply I see on here from “Juan Burton”. Seeing as I haven’t even *attended* a seminar let alone held one, and seeing as in 2005 I had nothing to do with the “internet marketing niche”… it’s obvious that he’ s referring to another Rob.
Glad you joined in the call… I imagine it was mostly review for you (as you suggested) but repetition is the mother of all learning.
With appreciation,
Rob Toth
November 16th, 2007 1:27 pm
Just a couple points if I may:
I don’t believe Rob every claimed that the features of Buy Now Wizard are new, unique, or even exclusive. He acknowledges that these techniques have been used before and simply positions BNW as a simply, easy-to-use system for implementing these conversion boosters. I happen to like it because it’s the best-looking implementation of these features that I’ve found.
I’m a bit surprised at your characterization of Rob’s teleseminar as “useless,” given that you endorse these techniques, use the tactics yourself, and actively promote Buy Now Wizard with an affiliate link. Perhaps _you_ found nothing new here, but I imagine there are plenty of people for whom this is new. (I know, from the comments I have received, that the information was helpful.) After all, you’re not writing this blog to gurus, are you?
While it’s true that one or more of these techniques, taken individually or grouped, may be annoying to some, simply choosing not to use them because they annoy is being short-sighted. Use them if they work. Popups, for example, have always annoyed people, but they’re still in use because they work. A great marketer will test and track the results of using these techniques, and will continue to use one or all of them if they produce the results — profits — intended.
Best regards,
Don Morris
November 16th, 2007 2:54 pm
> Rob
thanks for clarifying that part - I was not sure if it was base or maybe an advance version of the7DS. Don Morris audio was very low and most of the conversation was hard of hearing.
Rob, I enjoyed the call and it was informative - I was hoping to find something ‘new’ with the attention grabber tactics
Good luck with it
> Don
Which comment would you like left, it seems duplicate? I imagine the latest one?
Best looking implementation you have found? from doing some scripting, each script is all in its own - they are not unique. The teleseminar was useless to me because I knew everything Rob spoke of and I have personally used the tactics he has implemented on BNW. The product useless, no; the seminar to me from my point of view and experience, yes.
I am writing about it why not promote it? Agreed, their maybe a lot of people that do not know about it, but again I do know about these tactics and I have been using these tactics, and I even state they do work.
I am not bashing on BNW, since I state in my blog I use part of these tactics with my sales pages. These attention grabbers do work and produce results, I just wouldn’t use them all at once is what I am saying.
November 16th, 2007 3:50 pm
Ian, I think you have hit on one of the biggest reasons people are afraid to use some of these conversion tactics. Nobody wants to be perceived as annoying.
But the question is, are you *really* annoying buyers, or are you annoying prospects, or are the people you are annoying simply never going to buy anyway. In my experience, when people buy and they like the product, they seldom complain about the sales process. After all, it worked for them. They got what they wanted and they are happy.
If your buyers aren’t happy, it definitely points to bigger problems than urgency-creating tactics. It’s probably the product’s fault, or you weren’t truthful in your offer.
If you aren’t annoying someone, chances are, you aren’t promoting hard enough.
@Juan Burton, LOL. I was like “what, Rob did a seminar and didn’t tell me about it!” You might want to aim a little better before you shoot. Rob’s a standup guy and has a lot of good information to offer.
November 17th, 2007 2:02 am
> Internet Marketing Tips
that question is really good..I guess we have to define annoying right? is it annoying to marketers such as you and me and the web designers? or is it annoying to the potential buyer who has no experience with the web?
well sometimes curiosity really gets buyers and they do not mind all that fancy stuff, sometimes they find it amusing and entertaining
“you weren’t truthful in your offer.”
this is very true - a lot of marketers put in a lot of time to get users to buy when the product is boring and proves to be useless, they feel scammed.
“If you aren’t annoying someone, chances are, you aren’t promoting hard enough.”
I find this very interesting - again the definition of annoying or the perception of annoyance? maybe a post should be written about this….hmmm
November 17th, 2007 2:17 am
Hmmm…. lots of these tactics and products are WORTHLESS. These are designed to scare your potential customers away. If I bought and used this CRAP I would lose lots of business. #1. ALL.. of these tactics can be searched, found and downloaded tons of other places My customers would be hating me and run away like dogs. #2. I personal hate going to sites using these same tactics, so annoying and harrassing.
Annoying Will Get You Shut Down and Boxed Out!
P.S. That siminar SHUT Rob DOWN.
November 17th, 2007 2:56 am
Juan,
What if people are annoyed by over-hyped headlines? Would you stop using them? Would you say that any copywriter who says to pump up your headlines should be “shut down.”
That’s crazy talk man.
*I* personally hate claims that aren’t realistic for your target market.
For instance, I saw this headline recently …
“We Are Some of the World’s BIGGEST Spiritual WEIGHT LOSERS and You Should Be Too! Now You Can Finally Look Like Superman or Superwoman …Without Having To Go To The Gym!
Anyone who claims to be able to make me into Superman without having to go to the Gym (or exercise at all, as implied) would not be someone I would want to buy from.
Now, in contrast, someone who tells me that if I want their special offer, I need to buy it within 3 hours or before the limited quantity runs out, and HONESTLY does limit the offer, is being far more sincere.
@Ian “I find this very interesting - again the definition of annoying or the perception of annoyance? maybe a post should be written about this….hmmm”
LOL. You are right! And I’ll do it if I can ever get done building for the launch of my new product
But my point is: there are many, many people who see your offer who are not qualified for it. They don’t need it and they aren’t in the target market. If you aren’t aggravating at least a few of those people, I don’t think you are promoting the benefits of your product hard enough. Now, as I said, if you actually end up with aggravated *customers,* then you have a problem.
Can it be taken too far? Of course. And it is taken too far all the time.
I get tons of spam email, but I don’t say that email is aggravating. It’s the message and the messenger. These techniques are very powerful when use *right*
If used wrong, they are stupid and aggravating.
November 17th, 2007 5:15 pm
Very smart products and tactics! Definitely the appropriate attention grabber for the times and I can see how they would work if implemented correctly. I do have 1 question though: Why pay for such products when similar, if not identical scripts, can be found on free js sites? I’m not criticizing the products in anyway (in fact they got me thinking), just wondering if there is any added benefit to purchasing the branded products?
November 17th, 2007 5:42 pm
@Mori For me, it’s a matter of time. I don’t actually think that all of the features of BNW are actually available for free. Most of the scripts I’ve seen are just countdown timers, but don’t actually limit access to the page or redirect people to a different page after the countdown.
I could be wrong, but it would take me at least several hours to know for sure. Then I have to worry about whether or not the scripts actually work (which many do not).
Then I have to hope that there is some documentation to go with the scripts.
Then I have to see if all of the scripts to do what BNW does will “play well” with each other (because you won’t find them integrated into one tool).
My point is, free is not always free. Sometimes it costs a lot (of time) and you still don’t end up with the right soltion.
The beautiful thing is, it’s your choice.
November 17th, 2007 5:44 pm
Internet Marketing Tips,
“We Are Some of the World’s BIGGEST Spiritual WEIGHT LOSERS and You Should Be Too! Now You Can Finally Look Like Superman or Superwoman …Without Having To Go To The Gym!”
“We” is not “ME” or “I”, “WE” is an entire community of inspirational members of our health and fitness programs. We are not the world’s biggest nor largest, but one of them.
Not made into a superman, but LOOKING like superman.
Our course teaches inspired individuals how to exercise and use their envoirnment to get in shape, tone, or whatever their goal may require.
It is never stated that our course requires no exercise at all. You do not have to go to a gym to exercise, its all natural and simple. The way you put it, make me think if anyone is going to have a great fit body is sounds very dangerous. lol
But sure some headliners may get annoying after a while, just know how to use and imply them. Think of more out-of-the-box and inovative ways of using them.
Hype is one thing and true is another.
Best Wishes!
Juan
November 17th, 2007 6:13 pm
@Mori: I see the benefit in the package concept. You don’t have to pull together perhaps eight separate scripts to get the eight different features in BNW (or similar product). You don’t have to worry that those individual scripts will have variable collisions and won’t “play nice” together.
Also, paid software is often (although not always) better supported. That includes customer support and continuing (upgrade) support.
Finally — and I mentioned this earlier — the combination of the package and support benefits means (in this case) that the product _looks_ good. That is, to me, a big selling point. BNW is classy. Many free scripts just don’t have the polish that this product has. By using BNW, I know that my site says to the user, “this site owner takes pride in his work.”
November 17th, 2007 11:31 pm
Thanks for the responses, both very helpful.
November 18th, 2007 9:16 am
I mentioned to Ian the other day that I thought it would make a good blog article / case study if he tried to replicate a package like BNW for free - ie. by spending the time searching for scripts that are similar to what is in the package (maybe calling in on a couple of people to look over anything that wasn’t quite working correctly *wink wink*).
Then look at the cost of the package vs the time / hassle spent putting a free one together, and documenting it for the masses. And then of course, if a good quality package was put together, it could be sold for an appropriate sum, making it win-win all round!
It’s something I’d like to have done, but time doesn’t really allow for it right now.
November 18th, 2007 9:59 am
That’s a great idea Simon.
It would be very compelling.
Doug
November 19th, 2007 2:09 pm
> Juan
these products, worthless? I don’t think it is worthless - since they do work. Scaring the potential customer away, depends on the playing field I say. These ideas are old and are strategic and they do work, they do convert. Like i stated I have used them and it has worked, especially pre release on products and websites.
> Simon
great idea, just wish I have the time to do a case study or create a product similar
> Internet Marketing Tips
that is true time is money and researching does take a toll on time, especially if time can be used more beneficial.