Affiliate Project X Reviewed - Full of Hype or Help?
Edition #89 - 10/16/2006
I wish I had gotten this review out a couple of weeks ago when I bought this product, but as many of you know, I was immersed in preparations for another product launch at the time.
When Chris McNeeny launched his latest ebook, Affiliate Project X, earlier this month, I received about a dozen email promos for it. I got them from just about every internet marketer that I subscribe to, including several that I personally know and am friends with.
Since I was bombarded with it, I’m guessing you may have seen some of the same.
The thing is, some of these guys promoting it are really friends of mine…guys who typically do not promote junk, and whom I generally trust for marketing tips.
So naturally, I went and checked out the site.
What I came across was what I would consider to be unquestionably one of the “best-written” sales letters I’ve ever seen. As soon as I saw it, I knew… it’s no wonder so many of my friends are promoting it, this thing must be converting like crazy.
I sat down and read through the page, and by the time I got to the order button I was truly salivating for the information promised by the sales letter. I knew I had to buy it. At that point, I was thinking of it in terms of using this information for MYSELF, and not necessarily as review-material for this newsletter.
So I went ahead and bought it for $77 (since then, the price has gone up to $97 and may be going up to $197 soon).
Unfortunately, this product did not even come close to meeting my expectations, and left me disappointed with the purchase.
I did not ask for a refund, because I don’t think Chris is trying to rip people off, and because I just typically don’t ask for refunds. I also feel like its sort of a courtesy as a fellow marketer, and I feel more justified in giving brutally honest reviews when I’ve paid for it.
Okay, so before I continue, I want to give two disclaimers that I don’t always give.
1) I do not think Chris is trying to rip people off, or that he’s a bad guy.
2) I don’t think my internet marketing friends who promoted it were trying to mislead you, or that you should judge them on the basis of this one product. In fact I think most of them were sincerely trying to help.
Okay, so that said, I’ll tell you what I think…
I think the sales letter is over-the-top full of hyped up claims, and the product does not fulfill those claims.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not jumping onto the “all hype is bad” bandwagon.
If you’ve seen any of my product launches, you’ll know that I also weave certain hype elements into my own marketing style. I make no secret about it, because I’ve also TAUGHT in this newsletter about how YOU as an internet marketer can use tactics such as urgency and scarcity to drive your sales.
While there is a contingency who will vehemently disagree with me on this, I feel that as long as your claims are TRUE, and your product helps people in the way you say it will, then there’s an ethical place for marketing “tactics”. If you disagree, then honestly you should get out of this industry altogether. If you feel it is wrong to attempt to sell anything to anyone, then you can’t be an internet marketer.
At the same time, I’m not afraid to call hype for what it is, and separate the facts from the tactics…particularly when those tactics are clouding the truth.
In the case of Affiliate Project X, I think a brilliantly written sales letter kind of got away like a runaway train, and took on a life of its own apart from the product it was originally intended to promote.
Let me break it down a bit and point out some things in the sales letter…
The headline starts by saying, “You’re about to discover the affiliate secrets that the gurus have been keeping from you.”
I’ve started to realize lately that guru-bashing is becoming a very popular and profitable strategy. A good example would be the “AdSense is Dead” guy, whose reports supposedly flew in the face of the gurus. He created instant trust by disagreeing with the gurus, and made an absolute killing when he launched his product shortly thereafter.
I’ve long considered myself to be a “Non-Guru”, but please realize that doesn’t mean that I’m ANTI-guru. There are plenty of good gurus out there, and the way most of them became gurus was by sincerely helping people. If they never helped anyone become more successful, then they wouldn’t have so many followers.
Okay, so that’s not to say that all gurus are trustworthy, I’m just saying that being a guru does not inherently make someone untrustworthy.
But what’s happened lately is that SOME gurus have gone overboard with their hyped up techniques, and it’s caused a large fallout in the internet marketing community where a lot of people now think that ALL gurus are bad.
The ironic thing is that this new breed of anti-guru people are still craving leaders. Maybe the gurus didn’t lead them to success, so they’re looking for someone new to show them the “truth” about making money online.
This opened the door for some smart marketers to fill that void by turning themselves into self-proclaimed bearers of the truth (and that opportunity still exists very much). All you have to do is loudly proclaim your anti-guru dissent, and claim to be a revealer of the truth hidden by gurus. And if you can get people to hear you, you will soon have many in agreement with you. The extra dose of irony is that those marketers become instant “gurus” in their own right.
This whole rant is just to say, beware the anti-guru marketing technique. It may be legitimate to a degree, but I’ve been around a lot of gurus, and I can sincerely tell you that in general they are NOT trying to hide secrets from people. In fact, most of the time its just the opposite. They’re trying to learn more so that they can reveal more.
The anti-guru marketing technique is founded upon exploiting the pent-up frustration that so many marketers have toward the gurus.
But this is not where the Affiliate Project X sales letter took a wrong turn. I think that started to happen when the income claims started popping everywhere. Let’s look at some of the income-related lines from the sales letter…
“The methods the real super affiliates use to make $500 per day…”
“Quit your job in weeks, not years and make as much as $1,000 per day…”
“A complete affiliate formula… that will allow you to make at least $5,000 per month…”
“…guiding you every inch of the way until you make the same $2,000 per day that I make.”
“… one of my test subjects caught fire and did $400 in a single day.”
“…had collectively done $643/day in their final week.”
“…a few secrets separate… the abject failures from the $500/day affiliates. ”
“$600 IN MY FIRST TEN DAYS” (testimonial)
“$1,465 SINCE I STARTED” (testimonial)
“…the very reason that some affiliates make as much as $20,000 in a single day”
“…how to 100% guarantee a $200/week income stream”
“…and setup $5,000/month income streams every time”
“…used by the world’s most successful, underground $500/day affiliates”
“…how the super affiliates - the $1k/day guys - do their research”
“…as much as $5,000 per month with NO list and NO special skills required”
“…including a $6,000 per month income stream that you can replicate”
“…you are practically guaranteed to be making $100 per day within 30 days”
“…every promotion that a $600 per day affiliate has ever done”
“…the surest path to $500/day financial freedom on the planet.”
“…replicate, sit back and watch those $2k checks roll in like clockwork.”
“…an hour’s work a day for $2,000 a week, anyone?”
“$19,000 in two weeks…”
“I have generated a little over $400 from a dead start.” (testimonial)
“…when I began to make $1,000 per day.”
“…I have gone from broke to banking over $12,000 in a single day.”
“I was making $300 per week… then $400… and it grew and grew”
“… a few weeks later, I did $750 in profit.”
“…and then I hit $15,000 per week”
“…my income hit the $1k/week level, then a few weeks later, $2k a week.”
“…I hit $3,000 per week in clear profit, then $10k per week”
“…soon I was making an easy $15,000 each and every week.”
“…and another $14,000″
“…hitting $1,000/week within 2 months of my initial experiment”
“$300 IN THIRTY HOURS” (testimonial)
“I made $476 in 3 hours”
“…set up a $50,000 income stream with a single web page”
“…a full $180/day with no advertising costs”
“I setup a $46,000/year income stream while in an Internet cafe in London.”
“…already set up $2,470/month in passive income streams.”
“…were collectively making $1,509/day.”
“…was making fully $300/day despite starting out with no capital.”
“…making $5,000 is one hell of a feeling”
“…when you have your first $1,000 week”
“do this, make $100 per week and repeat” (testimonial)
“…every strategy used by the $100,000+ affiliates”
“…and a full 8 weeks to make $2000 per week”
“I want to make as much as $2,000 per day…”
“…buyers making as much $600 in the 30 hours since launch.”
“…10 of them were making a upwards of $100 per day.”
“…affiliate promotions that make me $100,000 per year.”
Okay, now I’m not saying that those are straight up “income claims” as the FTC would define it, but good grief!
That’s a LOT of numbers for one sales letter, wouldn’t you agree? Normally you want to be extra careful not to confuse your reader, because a confused mind never buys. But in this case, I think the barrage of digits had a bit of a “shock and awe” effect.
I can tell you that by the time I finished reading the sales letter, I was like… okay I don’t have a clue who this guy is, but I HAVE to know how he makes all those amounts of money.
With all those SPECIFIC numbers, it must be true, right?
I’d be willing to bet that the above numbers ARE true, but here’s my advice. Don’t let numbers alone sell you on ANY product, because they are not necessarily representative of the value you’ll be getting.
Another area of the sales letter that I’d like to mention is the prevalance of “so-called-evil”.
This is another marketing technique that has become highly successful lately, with various “black hat” evil secrets being revealed by the gurus and anti-gurus alike 
I guess a lot of people think that the biggest money-making secrets inherently must be evil or illegal in some way, and we’re attracted to it.
The sales letter says things like…
“I would guess that less than 100 affiliates world-wide are using these underground, “black hat” methods”
“…you guys are going to feel a little uneasy when you learn how I have been making my riches.”
“Several of my techniques are so profitable, so devious, so treacherous…”
“My methods are downright evil. Chances are I will get shut down by someone, somewhere…”
However, I didn’t find anything overtly evil in the methods described in the book. A lot of it involves what I would call “spying on the competition”, but nothing particularly unethical, and nothing illegal that I could find.
Once again, it’s a tactic. People are drawn to the dark and mysterious ways of making money. Sometimes those black hat methods are real, but here’s my advice. Don’t buy anything just because it claims to be “bad”. Maybe it really is, but chances are better that it’s just a sales tactic.
I could go through the entire page and pick apart the dozens of hype-laden promises that led me to buy it, but I don’t think that’s necessary.
In the ordering area, he says “It is beyond dispute that any affiliate on the planet will need this at some point” .
To that statement I simply have to disagree. If you’re new to the internet marketing game, this ebook could get you off to a great start. But you’re not destined for failure without it.
He even goes so far as to say, “You will not find my techniques in any e-book on the market. Ever.”
Again, simply not true. In fact, I’d dare say I’ve seen EVERY one of his techniques in other ebooks, though he does put his own spin on a couple of them.
With all of the hype and claims, I really expected the ebook to be “all killer and no filler”. After all, who would have the guts to make such bold claims unless their product seriously rocked?
That’s why I was surprised to find the quantity of information relatively small. The ebook is only 50 pages, and the strategies don’t even start until page 11 (the first 10 pages are an introduction and basics of affiliate marketing).
In all, the ebook covers six techniques over the course of about 32 pages. Again, I was fully aware of all six of these techniques, and I’ve also seen them taught in other places (but maybe not all in the same place).
In fairness, maybe I’m overestimating the prevalence of these techniques being known and used. Maybe I just happen to have spotted these techniques in other places because I’m already one of the super affiliates and I know what to look for. That is possible.
So the bottom line…
Are these six techniques worth the money?
1) YES they are worth the money. In spite of the hype, one small technique (it could be any of them) would easily pay off the price of the ebook.
2) BUT if you already know the techniques (like me)…it obviously isn’t worth your time. I’m guessing that most semi-successful affiliate marketers know this stuff, but again I might be wrong.
3) AND don’t set your expectations too high if you read the sales letter. As I mentioned, I was disappointed because I was expecting life-changing information after reading it.
If you can contain your curiosity; more power to you. But if you just can’t contain your curiosity (like me), then I’d say feel free to take him up on his money back guarantee. He is so brazen as to say that if you’re not making $2000/week within 8 weeks than you can have all your money back.
I’ve covered a lot here… really more than just a product review. I’ve also talked about income claims, anti-guru marketing, and so-called-evil-marketing, all of which are forms of hype in my opinion.
I’d be happy to hear your take on all this.
As always, you can leave your comments here in the blog.
Have a great day!
Your review jives completely with Ewen Chia’s. Thanks to both of you, I saved $77!
Hi,
I am sitting in India . I can’t understand your USA language . I want to konow about how to get
a Job from their .
Thanks
Saju kurian
Eric,
Thanks as always for a great honest review. I got bombarded like you and I almost got sucked in. You are correct about the sales letter. It was incredible and it almost sucked in. I guess I am just a skeptic. I felt uneasy with all those claims. I mean good grief. Well anyway, thanks for always telling it like it is.
Brad Dixon
http://admin.onlinebusinessgenerator.com
FREE Gold Membership ($97 Value) with my compliments. A growing community of marketing friends.
Thanks for this review Eric. I too was drawn by the promises in the sales letter, not so much by all the numbers but, because it looked to offer information that I may not have read or heard of elsewhere.
After getting my copy (for $77.00) the thing that I noticed the most was that a total newbie would have a hard time understanding all the terms and technology that most of us who have been at this for awhile already have learned. I did find value in some of what Chris shared but again, with my goal being to offer help in the area of technology as I have been doing for over 12 years, I thought that this was NOT something a newbie should spend their money on.
Hi Eric: I feel better now, thanks. As you said, I got bombarded with promos to buy this ebook, but after buying so many over-hyped ebooks that turned out to be a repeat of what is, for the most part, common knowledge, I decided I’d resist buying this one because I probably already had 5 ebooks with mostly the same techiques. I must say, it was really difficult to resist … hard as hell in fact.
Buy I did. Thanks to your review, Eric I’m certainly glad I did as I’m generally like you, I don’t usually ask for a refund (except once for an ebook that was so over-hyped and so totally bad).
Much appreciation for your honest review, Eric, as usual.
Hi Eric
Thanks for the honest opinion. Glad that I did not buy it before reading your view as I was bombarded with many emails promoting it. As usual, I am always looking out for your view before jumping into it.
Great post Eric!
I agree with you that nowadays guru-bashing seems to be the fad. Everyone seems to be an evil alien with plans to take over the world, everyone besides the marketer stating the claim, lol.
Of particular interest is this product (I shall not name the marketer) who comes up with wild claims about how to finally end your financial worries and actually has many many big names endorsing her course. Indeed, she touches the heart of many, and does provide some great information as pre-selling, but instead of a real attempt to help the little guy with financial difficulties success, she comes up with a BIG-TICKET item to sell.
I don’t know, but I was disappointed. If she has a BIG-TICKET item to sell, I feel that she shouldn’t have gone on and on about how she’s here to salvage the poor 9-5 blokes, and how OTHER marketers are out to kill, and make herself sound like an angel from above.
I digress.
Anyway, I didn’t find the sales letter for Project X especially hypey actually at first glance, maybe because I’m kinda immune to it already since everyone’s doing it, haha. I didn’t really buy it because I got pumped up by the salesletter, but I did find the ebook very useful. I guess the most important thing is that one of his tactics would have been sufficient to pay for the ebook itself. Overall, I still think it would be a great shortcut for beginners, though like you said, veterans won’t find it too helpful. Anyway, I think its gravity on CB hit a high of 740 and even broke Mike’s BM record.
And check out the warrior thread at http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=109510
Many many people find it outstanding.
I got many email promoting this ebook.
I didn’t buy the product.
Ewen Chia and You has simmilar opinion about this product.
I knew it….
But I do promoting this ebook to my list, and got 5 people buy the products.
not bad !!
YUAN
I liked Affiliate Project X. For me it was worth the price of admission to get all that info in one place, and clearly explained. As you point out, the sales letter should go in your copywriting “swipe file” - there’s some brilliance in it. Same with the “Adsense is Dead” guy (Scott Boulch), a good writer and his marketing was brilliant (I didn’t buy his product, though.)
Bear in mind there are forthcoming bonuses and updates to Affiliate Project X.
Anyway, that’s my 2 cents. Keep up the good work, Eric. I look forward to your reviews and marketing info.
Hi Eric,
Thanks for this review about ProjectX. I too received an enormous number of emails promoting this program, most of them from “gurus” whose lists I unsubscribed from ages ago. (funny about that!)
The sales letter sold me so I purchased the book, after promising myself never to buy another ebook until I had written my own, which of course hasnt even been started.
I was really disappointed with PX. I have also heard of those tactics from other sources although in fairness to Chris, he does explain them in a bit more detail than many others.
Another disappointment was the writing style. The sales letter was so well written that I expected the book to be the same and sadly it isn’t. I found it annoying when he starts to talk about a technique then just as one gets interested he says something like “….I’ll return to this later”. Gosh that’s frustrating, and a really poor teaching style too. So I’ve concluded that the sales letter was written for him by a copywriter, and Chris wrote the book, another thing we should be aware of when reading any sales letter in the future.
For me, the best part of the ebook was Chris’s recommendation of one of Brad Callen’s programs,
Keyword Elite.
When I purchase something new, if I find it to be useful, I put a shortcut to it on my desktop, to make sure I use it . ProjectX hasnt rated that honour, it’s tucked away in My Documents collecting dust for the time being. After reading your review I might return it, as a protest against the untrue claim of
the info being unique to Chris. I think we all need to be accountable for what we put up on the Web and take moral responsibility for it.
In closing , your post has boosted my confidence in my own opinion. When one is relatively new to Internet Marketing one thinks that what the experienced marketers say must be the truth. Sounds naive I know, but it’s all a matter of confidence along with the accumulation of more knowledge, and posts such as yours provides both.
Kindest regards
Veronica
Your review is quite revealing. Since switching over to the prioritizing mode, I didn’t buy the product.
Your mention of “black hat” techniques up there, however, reminds me I may have fallen victim to such a tactic from one of last week’s biggest sales. BTW, I purchased the product(s), which was something I had intended to do earlier, after anticipating it’s release for quite sometime; hopefully the shipment arrives soon.
I guess everyone must have experienced what follows the pre-launch/release of products. There’s the usual windfall of emails from affiliates promoting the stuff, each one trying to outbid the other with their range of extra bonuses, should the purchase be made through their links. One in particular offered bonuses M and N (say) - enticements -, which I assumed would be right for me, and effected the purchase there and then. And guess what? Even after sending several emails to the product affiliate promoter, inquiring, to the effect, the whereabouts of the bonuses, he stays silent!
Am I eventually going to get bonuses M and N? I don’t know, it’s not detrimental though, but it’s something more to be aware of. There’s a minefield out there.
Thanks for your review.
Hi Eric,
Thank goodness for such a plain straight talk of an honest opinion. We need more of you in this era of internet marketing who will call a spade a spade and not a thing use for digging dirt. Personally, I did not buy this e-book even though I’m a newbie regarding internet marketing but I recently found myself paying close to three $300.00 to a lady who professes to be the most honest straight talk person on the net purposefully there to help people be on their feet. Having bought into what she was saying in her sales letter, I sent her an e-mail asking if she knew of a way I could set up a website and start selling some of her products which she gave a full resale rights. She replied by saying I should wait for some few weeks and that she was about to release an e-book to address the issue. What do you call this, cheat or greed or better still selfishness? Here I am almost broke after spending so much money buying a lot of junk and now finally breaking my own rules to fall into the net of such an over promising marketer and finally leaving me in the midst of the ocean and even looking forward to estort more money from me.
Bravo Eric, we need more people like you who will be the mouth piece especially for the newbie looking forward to aspire in internet marketing.
Stay Blessed and refreshed.
Hey Eric,
I purchased Project X and then I purchased Chris’ earlier ebook Adwords Miracles and then I purchased Keyword Elite which was promoted by Chris in Adwords Miracles.
I have read a lot of Adwords material and I found this stuff the easiest to get through and start applying.
It is easy to see that the material comes from his own experience working with Adwords.
But Eric, you were actually using one of the methods from Affiliate Project X in your review weren’t you?
Here’s to us ALL making lots of cash!
Phil
Good Morning, Eric!
A spectacular review, as always. I am simply tickled pink every time I read one of your posts!
I just love it when you completely confirm my own thoughts and impressions - and best of all, your voice rings out loud and clear across the internet.
I am delighted to be a long-time subscriber and customer, and just knowing there’s someone out there like you - actually purchasing and reviewing products and services - holds us all to a higher standard.
Which is as it should be.
There’s a dark void where honesty, integrity and sincerity should be in the Internet Marketing world.
I’m guessing that’s one of the reasons that your light shines so brightly.
God Bless!
Lisa Preston
Hi Eric,
You are one of the few internet marketers that I rely on for an honest opinion on products flying around on the net. I almost bought ProjectX because I am desperate and hungry to learn about that one technique or secret that will jumpstart my business. That being said, can you recommend a particular product that would actually be useful in getting targeted traffic to my websites. It would be an SEO product that is affordable. I did not jump on the most recent promotion that cost $750 per month which is out of my comfort range.
Also, I am lookng for a product that actually walks you step by step on how to set up a complete web page that is idiot proof, including downloading, uploading, transfering of information, etc. Another product that explains how to submit your websites through natural search engine optimization. I have read about so many of these products, purchased some of them, and
I am overwhelmed and skeptical about most of them now that I read about.
I have invested in Joel Comm’s Adsense templates (the earlier version this summer), and
Shawn Casey’s, “How to Make an Absolute Fortune”. I would really like to keep the cost down!
Thank you for your honesty and integrety. I truly respect your opinion as a professional.
Nancy Lenz
Whether the sales-letter was well-written or plain just hypey, personally, I feel that anyone who does not read this ebook has missed out on a lot of valuable information.
Finally you’ve come out with your review on Project X. I really want to know what you have to say. Lucky for me, your thought on the PX is the same as mine. Chris makes a bold claim that nobody on the Internet, ever (yeah right!), reveal the secrets on Affiliate Marketing. What a rip-off.
It was my mistake also to easily get sucked in into his sales letter. I agree with you Eric, PX sales letter is on of the best sales letter I’ve ever read.
I really, really, really, really, really (sorry for keep on repeating but I must) believe that PX is the thing that I’ve been searching for after reading his sales letter. After I’ve bought it, believe it or not, tears come out from my eyes because I’ve seen or heard all of his techniques somewhere before. The reason that I shred with tears is that I’ve been totally lied by him. I thought PX can really change my financial problem but in the end, I’ve earn nothing at all, PERIOD!
That’s the problem when we ourselves did not write our sales letter. We hand it over to some mumbo jumbo brialliant guy with words to write it for us. I just can’t take this crap anymore. Somebody have to do something regarding this matter.
Eric, keep up the good work. I wonder what’s next review from you will be.
Hi Eric and all…
“He created instant trust by disagreeing with the gurus…”
If so many people are so eager and willing to trust someone who flies “in the face of the gurus,” then what does that say about the gurus?
I walk into a darkened room full of people feeling the walls for a light switch. I find it, flick it, and there’s light. In the Internet Marketing World, I just became a guru. It’s an “in” title far too easily and arbitrarily bestowed these days.
“Hey! He’s got TWO working brain cells! Bow before him!”
I LOL when the gurus disagree with each other :-)~
I think you’re far too gracious and forgiving toward your friends who promoted this. They were all promoting with their affiliate links. It’s all about the money.
I think a simple truth has escaped the minds of many IM’s today. Whether you call it “hype” or “tactics,” claims made about a product that aren’t true have a name:
Lies.
A rose by any other name…
G’nite
To be quite frank i am newbie to internet marketing but i have been in it for yonks of years project x is a dissapointment for $77.00 although there is a good in the book as well but it sales letter was on the wrong route
Hi, Eric,
I just subscibe to you newsletter and I must said your review must have caused a big ripple on the internet marketing scence but not amounting wave yet.
Human buy on emotion especially many eager new Internet Marketer who wanted to be overnight riches and/or overnight success. And I have read some way on the internet this phrase and it’s aptly descibe many successful entrepreneurs. ” I have spend the last 17 years to be an overnight success.” There is no shortcut in success.
I did not buy the book and I believe the fundamental of all marketing is the same, the difference is the approaches and how to apply them to your advantage. I do not doubt the techniques of PX though I do not know what are they. One of the Internet marketer I knew couple of years ago promote one marketing system and was very successful and introduce to his subscribers. And some of his subscribers replied that the technique worked for him (the internet marketer) but might not work for them (his subscribers). Why, simple because he has a huge list but not his subscribers. If you got what I mean.
The recently trend on internet marketing promotion is alraming. Once there is a new program coming out from a certain guru, your inbox will be bormbarded with promotional emails of the same product/program from amany gurus. What make it worse is many gurus start offering incentive on their own products and programs package with purchasing of the new program through their link. How does the new and small guy response to this apart from being hyped into paying for something that doesn’t worth what it’s claimed to be plus a hugh package of products or program that they might not know aht to do with them. If the gurus or experts product or program is so good, why do they need to package and promote other people products/programs together. Some food for thought.
Forgive me for being blant! Any one have any enlightenment idea?
Eric, thanks for the review.
I stopped reading the sales letter half-way through. Why? It was as if I had read it before, all glitter and no glory! Man, I must actually be learning something. Three years ago I would have stopped reading, but not in disgust, but to go get my credit card!
I just read somewhere that when the caveman came across the sleeping bear he thought he had dinner in the bag. Affiliate X made me feel the same way!
Grandma always used to say, (Say it with me: If it sounds [or looks] too good to be true, ………………….)
Mike
BusinessByMouse.com
well wriiten sir . hat off to u. u tips v ill more helpfull 4 our future .
thanks 4 u once again , and to u r smart attention
niru
Eric, why do you NEVER have an opinion that you don’t partially retract for fear of offending someone?
Examples:
“1) I do not think Chris is trying to rip people off, or that he’s a bad guy.”
Then you proceed to explain that Project X is a rip-off.
“2) I don’t think my internet marketing friends who promoted it were trying to mislead you, or that you should judge them on the basis of this one product. In fact I think most of them were sincerely trying to help.”
Either your “friends” WERE misleading us, or they were promoting a product that they hadn’t tried themselves - either way it is misleading.
Have the guts to have an unqualified opinion.
I also don’t believe that you couldn’t have got this review out sooner. I bet it was delayed so that you wouldn’t interfere with your “friend’s” promotions for Project X.
Hey Paul- Not true. I’ve done several negative reviews with no disclaimers and I’ve offended plenty of people.
And also not true on your second point… I happened to be in the middle of launching one of the biggest product launches of the entire year for this industry. I would have loved to have gotten this out right away, it would have been blogged about like crazy.
Hi Eric,
I did purchase and read affiliate project X. I’m curious, are you saying the teqniques in there don’t work?
I thought it was pretty good and was willing to create a strategy around it.
If you think the techniques are not sound. please elaborate,
Thanks,
Dave
Dave- No I’m not saying the techniques don’t work. As I mentioned, the techniques themselves are worth the price of the ebook if you don’t already know them. And like ANY info-product…they’re only worth it if you APPLY them.
Hi Eric
You are obviously an American from good honest Nordic stock. I like your style, and your advice
- Don’t buy anything just because it claims to be “badâ€.
absolutely tickles me pink!
cheers
Simon
Hi,
I’ve been marketing on the Internet for around 9 years now and as a consequence I didn’t buy PX. I’m developing a 250 module course that takes newbies and experienced alike, step by step, through the absolute maze of Internet marketing. At the end of the 12 month course they should be making a significant amount of money. For that reason, I may eventually buy PX and make sure that I have got the ’six’ covered. For that reason I thank you for your honest review of the product. However, I must make mention that if you offer a bad review and do NOT endorse a product then an affiliate link is a type of ENDORSEMENT. I understand the “Why Not?” mentality and getting paid for time invested but I think your strategy and position as a ‘trusted expert’ would be STRENGTHENED by not profiting from what in your opinion is an over hyped product. I also think it would boost sales of your genuine recommendations and you would only miss out on a few sales of the ’stinkers’. Apologies for the rant and I wish you well. All the very best, Allen
Eric,
Thank you for an your honest appraisal. I did not buy this ebook because to me it was overhyped in the letter, and I’ve been sucked into one too many of the high priced programs by the gurus. I can understand how many others who have had similar experiences feel. I only started on this track about four months ago and my expenditure far exceeds the earnings that have been promised. This is my problem and no one else’s but I am working through everything systematically now and aim to reverse the direction of the cash flow, but with more integrity I hope than I have experienced to date.
I have recently found your site through purchasing Joel Comms Instant Adsense Templates and look forward to your straight up and down approach assisting me in my learning.
Yes the review is very accurate. I bought both of Chris McNeeneys books and did find the methods didnt really match the claims, though he did take time to answer email comments, and do followups.
To some extent he was a victim of his success, as everyone was doing exactly as he advised, so I suspect only the fastest and most expert made much money from project x type Adwords campaigns.
One other thing …the guru bashing technique has been going on for years now. Heck I have a domain name with ‘gurubasher’ in it! What seems to be recently on the rise is the hyping of ’secret , borderline-legal instant fortune making information’ for a limited time at fast rising prices, using sophisticated marketing techniques - some of the Black Hat and Death of Adsense stuff referred to above.
The good news is that genuine marketers who are seen and proven to be overdelivering new, solid quality product- Joel Comms Instant Adsense Templates for example- just enhance their reputations. No backlash there!
I wish you had spoken up sooner. I could have saved my $77. Yes, I was taken in by the hype and I just wish I knew how to write a sales letter that good.
Hi Eric,
I summed it up as a lot of hype as well. Glad that others have had the good sense to pass it up.
Barbara King
http://www.BestFreeMarketingTools.com/
THANK YOU ERIC, FOR LETTING ME KNOW ABOUT THE AFFILIATE X E-BOOK. I SORT OF THOUGH OF THAT AS TO MUCH TALKING ABOUT IT. I NEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH IT BUT THANKS AGAIN ERIC FROM LEON VINES.
Hello Eric,
Great Review of the book and actually the only way to approach the topic, as you have is to have bought the product or had access to it.
I didn’t buy the product myself. The Sales Letter was too good for me to believe in especially with all the income claims. Look, the book was just released, it seemed obvious to me that the testimonies were lies as far as this product is concerned.
Th information I missed by not purchasing is surely already available somewhere, some shape or form. Heck I probably have the techniques on my computer buried under Junk on one of my drives, somewhere.
I enjoy reading your tips.
Thanks,
Jim
Hi Eric, Ken Mathie here.
RE: “I received about a dozen email promos for it. I got them from just about every internet marketer that I subscribe to, including several that I personally know and am friends with.”
This is the problem and as I see it an enormous headache for most if not all new comers to IM. The sad part about development of the net over the pasts 12 months I believe is that so many well known marketers are putting their names to many product they have not even reviewed prior to recommendation.
Shame more vendors don’t supply access to the product for review prior to launch. At least then the Marketer can make an educated decision as to recommend or not. Too many people online today just seem as though the almighty dollar is number one and do not consider the hardship and pain paying out $90+ may cause someone, especially if the product does not deliver as promised. These poor souls that order go away and fade into the distance completely disillusioned and after several similar purchases with little or no results, they give up..
Keep up the good work you, most of us may not relies it but you are doing every Internet marketer a huge good turn.
Take care,
Ken Mathie.
Didn’t buy it after Ewen Chia reviewed it. After reading your review, I’m happier I didn’t buy it…
Ian del Carmen
http://TheMasterTape.com
The truth about Guru’s and Making Money!
Sure they charge say $29.95 for a ebook and pay you 50%! But, you need to remember the Gurus will have 10 to 20,000 affiliates out there advertising. If only 1,000 sell 1 book each month, then that Guru will make $15,000 a month.
Now, that same Guru will have a new book, Item, and/or product in the works. Mr./Ms Guru will then be able to advertise to his affiliates for his new Item “How I Made $15,000 A Month”, but you’ll never in this lifetime see in print just how he made that much money a month.
Former President and Founder Of Internet Marketing Center Corey Rudl Had 90,000 Affiliates Selling His Products! Corey Passed Away June of 2005!
Now, If you would look at their page where they show the BIG Income you’ll see that the dates are before the new “SPAM” laws became into being! Also, (SPAM) used to mean {”Some Thing Posing As Meat”} and {”You’ll Find It In A Can”!} Yea, that was some time ago!
I’ve learned over the years if it’s hyped over the top, it’ll be usless to wast any money on…
Yours
Kenneth E. Wheeler, Sr
203 North East St.,
Parkersburg,IL 62452
Phone: (618) 442-5056
Eric
Well written is all I can say, because being new to IM I to come across every man and his dog trying to sell me something and what’s worst I get emails from people selling the same thing whom I’ve never subscribed to so how does that work? admitedly some do have something to offer, but the rest is just crap. So here’s what i do…I study only with those who have a rep in the industry and stick to those only primarily because they have done it the hard way and they have made mistakes whilst building the fortunes. I am just putting the finishing touches to my new site along with writing my own copy along with ebook for a niche I researched the proper way and I have passed it around for comments and the feedback is great…..So my advice to those starting out is to stick to your game plan and don’t get sidetracked and when there is a need for additions to your project go look for the tools and review extensivley and finally pick an expert you feel you can work with and work with him or her…..Marlon Sanders is one such person
Best of luck guys and gals because you’ll need it with all this info about.
P.S learn to pick sense out of nonsense.
G
I too bought the book and though I am new to all this and want to get started in affiliate marketing, I too was disappointed in the actual context. I didnt like the 11 page intro and felt the rest of it was poorly structured.
I also bought Joel Comm’s AdSense Secrets, he offers NO REFUND. I am waiting on the package, apparently he is overwhelmed with orders. I am hoping it is worth the money. Do you know anything about him?
Hey Bill- I think you’re referring to IAT and not Joel’s AdSense ebook (as he does offer refunds on it). And yeah I know a lot about him. I am his partner on that project, and he is one of the most trustworthy marketers you’ll ever meet. I feel we really overdelivered on the product, and you’ll be happy when you receive the package.
Hi Eric,
I’m getting used to wait for your reviews and sometimes feel hesitant to move without getting one from you. Yes, the PX copy is exceptionally well-written (kudos to the copywriter) and really encourages one to get a copy of the book. I could have gotten one had I not missed the $77 special deal. But I kept on coming back to read again and again the sales copy, until your post came (thanks heavens, but please be quick next time - you’re almost late, perhaps a little later for the others).
After reading the posts, I feel happy to have done my own sales copy and wrote my own book at the same time. What I have in my sales letter may not be that compelling, but at least nobody gave me a bad review. This is one great lesson I learned today - to write the sales copy yourself, which should come straight from the heart, expressing the real content of the product you’re trying to promote.
All the best, Eric, and . . . please be quicker the next time!
ReyM
Hi Eric!
Thank you for advice.
regards
Johannes
http://www.intramed.no
This is just ridiculous! YOU previously sent an email telling people to buy it. And now you’d slagging it while STILL using an affiliate link. And now some unethical idiot earlier in the comments is chuckling how it’s worthless but notes that he still got FIVE friends to buy it. Nice of you to throw your friend/business associate under the bus, Eric. Or is this yet another ‘anti-hype’ marketing technique?
Thank you TARI…
Hey Tari- I definitely didn’t send any email about it to anyone. You must be thinking of another marketer…maybe another Eric?
Well written truth Mr. Holmlund,
I did not purchase the ebook in question but did get my paws on it quickly after it was released and at the time of reading, never seen the sales page nor any hype. To tell you the truth Eric, since it was given to me by my bro I thought it was a free ebook. I’m not even much of a marketer and there wasn’t much of anything in PX regarding the claims on the salespage…in fact, felt somewhat like groundhog day.
A few things that raise warnings bells for me is when a sales letter starts with, “Quit your job” “Get rich while on the vacationing on a beach” “Make money while (or in) you(r) sleep” “Wanna live the lifestyle of your dreams?”… !
The hype being used by a good percentage of “guru’s”, I think is getting over-whelmingly overused with this bandwagon mentallity of ‘ buy…or else bad things happen! ‘ . Give us a break already. What I do like is it’s box it comes in. Resembles a launch of a blockbuster movie….(am I seeing a pattern here?)
Good job on the review Eric……the truth will set us free.
I have to admit I just skimmed over the sales letter without really reading it in detail like I do most sales pages. Why? Because I bought Adwords Miracle from Chris and thought it was the best Adwords book I had read. So, I bought Project X with little hesitation and I’m glad I did. It’s one of the few books that I printed out, will read more than once, will markup and will generate ideas from.
I have been doing the internet marketing thing for a few years (not a full timer yet) and I picked up some key ideas from Project X. It could be a difficult book for beginners to benefit from, and perhaps super affiliates like Eric may not benefit from it. But, there are some like me who did.
About the sales page - show me a sales page without some hype and over exaggeration and I’ll show you a product that doesn’t sell. A fact of marketing.
About this anti guru thing. I think the beginner and intermediate marketers are becoming more and more frustrated with the “Gurus”. We get the impression that they really do want to help us succeed -we just need to buy their product. So, we buy their product and may find some value in it, but in most cases just feel sold.
When was the last time a guru offered you some assistance/advice for nothing in return? Very few will repsond to your emails personally. The bottom line is you are part of their list. You always hear how important your list is. You are not a person to most of them - your are $$$ on their list.
I have become so skeptical of the gurus that I rarely buy from them anymore (Eric, Chris and one other are my exceptions). I am tired of being pitched on the same product by all the gurus. I am tired of email subjects “Don’t buy XXXXX product” and then they offer you the bonuses of the century if you buy XXXXX from them.
I am also tired of working so hard at this and being left on the outside looking in at the guru circle. When was the last time one of the gurus asked you to be a JV partner on a launch with them? Probably never because you have not made a name yet. A catch 22 - you may have a great product, but no name and so no JV opportunities with the gurus. But if you had those guru JVs you may be able to finally make a name.
And, by the time you hear about product launches from one of the gurus, your chances of making many sales are slim because the gurus have already emailed their list of internet marketers. They have a big head start on you. Many times getting the product for free, and having marketing strategies in place before you ever even know of the product.
The more I look at this the clearer it becomes. It has become way to difficult to complete in the internet marketing arena - unless you are already an established guru, or you have an unbelievable product.
As for me, I am bowing out of the marketing to internet marketers game. I am moving my time and energy on to non internet marketing niches.
Wow - I think I had too much coffee this morning:)
Mike
HI Eric,
Ewen Chia had similar review in his blog few weeks back. He took some bashing for that. I think here you had been honest for the most, except your disclaimer number 2 ” I don’t think my internet marketing friends who promoted it were trying to mislead you, or that you should judge them on the basis of this one product. In fact I think most of them were sincerely trying to help.” I admire your loyalty to your IM friends -:)
They are REALLY misleading us for their own benefits, always trying very hard to add few more buck to their “millions”. They are just greedy. I am not anti-GURU, but have opted-out from most of the SPAM lists because of this never ending “secrets” revealing product-launches and saving a bunch of money that way.
Quamrul
Eric,
Thanks for the review. I didn’t buy the product, but did learn a lot about how to write great sales copy!
Steve Polk
http://www.aquickwaytocash.com
I think it’s probably safe to say that there are very few ebooks published nowadays containing information that is new. Generally, 90% of them are just re-hashed, regurgitated methods that have been used many times by many people before. However, not being a “guru” myself, I found some stuff in this book that I had never seen before, and also, as Eric points out, some new twists on old techniques. I actually purchased the book without even reading the whole sales page, because it was recommended by someone whose opinion I value greatly. Whether it was hyped or not, the book gave me info that I can use. And I think it’s a good idea to repeat a couple of things Eric said:
“I’d be willing to bet that the above numbers ARE true” and “Are these six techniques worth the money? YES they are absolutely worth the money.”
Personally, I found a lot more value in this book than some of the high ticket “ecourses” and “instructional videos” that some big name gurus have produced.
My feeling is that if I can make thousands of extra bucks from one technique I learned from a $77 ebook, it was a worthwhile investment.
It is the best review of ProjectX I’ve seen on the Internet so far.
It’s good to see that someone doesn’t give us only the hype and hope to get some comissions.
Thanks for yet another candid review Eric.
I wasn’t even enticed into purchasing the product. Every time I received an email about it, I just clicked delete. I’d purchased an ebook from someone some weeks ago - and I believe is probably the very same guy who hasn’t delivered on his promise for the Instant Adesense Secrets bonus. But in my view, this was just a rehash of one of his mentors eboooks. Again, same strategies with a new twist. In the main I’m not against that since who wants to reinvent the wheel right?
The problem is I’m just fed up with affiliate marketers - and I’m sad to say it is usually the guru’s - who promote these offers without even reviewing them! I purchased another product some weeks ago, signed up to the affiliate program myself (it was a excellent product and I use it) and was shocked to see that the email that the “guru” had used - making out that it was his own experience - was a script from author of the product. Again, nothing wrong with that right? Except to say, I don’t believe that this “guru” even looked at the product. If they used “his” program to create the product, he was promoting it!
I am not a “guru” basher by any means, but we all have to wise up and in my view, if the product don’t do what it says on the box, ask for a refund!! The only way these people will learn is if someone starts to hit them in the pocket.
I won’t be asking for a refund for my StompetNet program though. Ken Evoy of SiteBuildIt! was the first person to teach me this stuff back in 2002 and I’ve seen his “sticky” tactics slaughtered by some of the well known Internet Marketers to such an extent that I moved away from creating content rich websites. Funny how these same people didn’t promote the StompetNet program.
Trish
Hi Eric,
A great review. My email account was also bamboozled with this offer and I found the sales letter (although masterfully done) had an effect like ‘information overload’ to my brain and, after reading a few lines, my finger was automatically heading for the back button. With a sudden twitch and click, the page was gone. Suffice to say I have learned that the more hype I see on a particular product, the more I am prone to closing the page.
Thanks again Eric for keeping me informed. I look forward to the next email from you :o)
I think everyone here needs to read the Rich Shefren “final chapter” book is F*R*E*E and FULL of tons of useful information to help you REALLY make money
Those numbers are fine!!! I mean, C|NET and IGN and DIGG are making those kinds of numbers so why can’t all of us. (pardon my sarcasm)
Another to-the-point review Eric! Thanks!
I too was taken in by the sales page although I resisted purchasing.
After reading an email from Dr. Mani, an IM I trust, I never made the purchase.
Following is an excerpt from Dr. Mani:
Does Affiliate Project X really reveal new tweaks to boost your affiliate marketing results?
Can Affiliate Proejct X actually help affiliate marketers at all levels of success to get better?
And will you m.ake m.oney from using Affiliate Project X in your own efforts?
Those were the questions I set out to answer for myself.
The problem is that Affiliate Project X is loaded with so much information, you could spend several weeks testing each one out - and still get it wrong. Yes, in the right hands, this is powerful stuff… but in the wrong hands, it loses most of its firepower…
Trust me, my hands are the wrong hands which is why the purchase was not made. :o)
Also, I am in disagreement with Paul’s statement above:
“Eric, why do you NEVER have an opinion that you don’t partially retract for fear of offending someone?”
I have read many of your posts where you flat out “bash” a marketer or technique you disagree with!
No DISCLAIMER or RETRACTION! Your unbiased honesty is why you attract readers.
Mike G’s comment:
“When was the last time a guru offered you some assistance/advice for nothing in return? Very few will repsond to your emails personally. The bottom line is you are part of their list. You always hear how important your list is. You are not a person to most of them - your are $$$ on their list.”
I am in total agreement with this. I have sent emails to some of the “GURUS” as well as use their contact/support forms, without
so much as a reply! Their list is not as important as they would like everyone to think it is!
One more thing Eric, I am patiently awaiting the arival of IAT! I truely hope it lives up to the “hype” created by you and Joel.
Thanks again Eric for being a straight forward blogger without fear of the backlash! You ROCK my friend!!
Walt
Hi Eric
‘Affiliate Project-X’ cost me only $48.50
Love your reviews… I get hundreds of emails every single week
and when I first saw ‘Affiliate Project-X’ ebook at $77.00 I was
tempted but I ignored the offer as I’m currently studying the
techniques taught by an $millionaire Affiliate marketer by watching
videos (beats reading ebooks any day) so buying ‘Affiliate Project-X’
wasn’t exactly at the top of my list
But a week later I pulled out my credit card and bought
‘Affiliate Project-X’ for $97 — So why did I do this…
For starters it had absolutely nothing to do with any of the reviews
I had read — the sales copy is convincing, but that’s not what pinned
me down.
I just sat back and waited… and nearing the tail end of the $77 promotion
a handfull of marketers were giving away some incredible bonuses — I picked out
the best (a beta version of a soon to be released adsense arbitrage course
that will be selling like hot cakes for $97 in the coming weeks)
My advise… set yourself up with a NEW (throw-away) email address and sign up to
lots of newsletters. This way you won’t lose out on any hot offers.
Thanks for the review.
Yes, I too received numerous e-mails from ‘gurus’ and wannabes alike.
I think I received about 14 e-mails that except for the signature said exactly
the same thing. 2 of those 14 were actually from so-called gurus.
I would have thought that at the least, the gurus would have used their own wording.
Makes me wonder if they bothered to read the book.
Thanks again. Always a good read.
Chuck
Hi Eric..
… however, true to most of you hv said here.. Its really not for the newbies.. I don’t find it a the said “step-by-step” method that really to understand and although it mention the use of using Keyword Elite, there is no sufficient guide on how to use it for someone new in this….
Ur review is the best…
I am a newbie in IM though and I bought the ebook at $77 for “fear” that the price will raise and I could no longer afford it
Oh… forgot to mention… after getting the book.. I immediately saw a Torrent version … just to test out if its real & i download it… to my Horror , its the same that I hv bought
*sob*
In 11 days, I’ve already made more than 5 times the $77 investment I made in this book, by using only ONE of the techniques. So how much money did you naysayers make by not buying it?
As Eric says, the techniques work. Nuff said.
nick
Hey Eric,
You hit another one right on the nose. I was sucked in by the great ad copy and DID buy it and was disappointed from the getgo, so I intend to exercise my right to refund. As Lisa Preston (another shining light in the realms of IM) said, you are a bright light in the internet marketing world and I love your honesty and look forward to your reviews. So while there IS a dark void in the IM world where integrity and honesty are concerned for the moment, the light is growing! Thanks again.
Jon
It sounded so good–I received an email from a guru who said that it was very good, but that it wasn’t for newbies. My jaw ‘dropped’ with that honesty. (I didn’t buy it.) Michelle
Hi Eric,
I am glad to be your member. I am also a newbie who wish to earn some living. I have received lots of email from everyone just want to get our money . I thought no one will be honest to point out the ‘true’ for the product. We newbie have been ‘cheated’ alots of money before making one our own. I agreed with all the readers that you will be in my favourite top list now on. I just order Joel Comm. latest package and still waiting for my delivery. Hopefully, is not another item to be keep in my document file to “collect dust” and waste of money. I will love to share my opion to you and all the readers after ‘trying’ out. Look forwards to receive more helpful advise in future. Thanks buddy
Dear Eric.
good day.
i was subscribe at your program and toled you on my last reply(blog).
i hope to you all success and progress.
now i am member at gdi program with above website.
see you later.
I’m sure you didn’t have this in mind at all Eric, because you’re a nice guy who likes to help people, and a real anti-guru who would never intentionally stoop to subversive marketing tactics.
I feel very protective of you, but I’m really afraid some people might misinterpret your sincere desire to help people as a stealth tactic only designed to stuff ill-gotten affiliate checks into your wallet.
I can see how one could misjedge you because this completely thumbs-down recommendation review contains just about every major hype statement and outlandish claim from the original sales letter itself.
I hear that some of those guru idiots actually use that strategy to teach copywriting to newbies. You know, like a cheap and lazy way to reproduce a sales letter without paying for it.
I mean, some would have thought a line or two - even a paragraph of your articulate vitriol would have gotten the point clearly across. But I agree with you - they’d be wrong. They just don’t understand much more effective your review is when you hammer home how unbelievably effective a sales letter this atrocious product has, not just by stating it, but by quoting each individual major income and social-proof claim from the sales letter…
“…one point”,
“…after another”,
“..after another”
And a lazy reviewer might have only made the point and quoted just one or two examples for clarity. But you, my dedicated marketer, took your own valuable time to cull through the letter and reproduct a full FIFTY quotes from the sales letter. God, you really know how to bolster your case against that product and there’s now way you could really call this a “rant” without this kind of passion!
You REALLY made your point, and your readers will be so very well served. But you might see where some nay-sayers and, maybe even some of those evil gurus you protect us against, might think that was just a stealth marketing tactic. Those dicks.
And I really appreciate you taking the time to identify which of those quotes were testimonials, not sales copy. Otherwise I might have thought there was no social proof of those income claims which are just on the very border of activating the lights and sirens at the FTC, and that it was just really hype-y sales copy.
And I would never have gotten mad enough at those underhanded emeffers to jump right over to that repulsive sales letter (through your affiliate link, of course) and seen with my own eyes that you were not exaggerating at all — every one of those claims were in the sales letter. Omigod - the cajones those guys have!
And thanks for the preamble “The sales letter says things like…” before you quoted 3-4 of their most high-powered stealth tactics. That was really educational. I admit I had to dig deeper into the sales letter to find them, but I saw every one! I would never have bothered to look at the sales letter had you not brought that offense to my attention.
If I have one criticism, it’s only that you didn’t include in your review some images of those outlandish checks and bank statements those evil-doers splash all through the sales letter. I think then people would REALLY understand how impossible it was for this crappy product to ever make good on these claims - outrageous!
I hope you’re not disappointed, but I ended up buying the product just to see what unmitigated gall these copywriters have. And you’re right - I didn’t learn a single thing! You REALLY know your stuff.
I’m definitely going to look up my receipt and get a refund, as soon as I can find it and have time to. I might have time to dig it up next week. No way I’m gonna let this end up as digital dust, like the other products that I got sucked into buying because of these totally unbelievable sales letters.
I notice you care for me like this in a lot of your posts Eric, and I want you to know I really appreciate it. I remember even when all those evil gurus were promoting their adsense product and you stood up to them by letting us know how crappy an investment that was. Thank god I took your advice and waited to buy the adsense stuff you and Joel did…whew, dodged another bullet because of your honest and forthright reviews.
If I had to make one small criticism (and it’s not such a big deal that I would immediately stop reading your blog or prevent me from taking you seriously at all) … it would be that some of those guru pricks might actually have the balls to suggest that using affiliate links in a product you trash and slash could look like a conflict of interest. You know, like when a review is being sponsored by sales of the product.
I’d hate for people to so misinterpret your intentions. You are, after all, my watchdog, my beacon of ethics in this void of morality that is the internet. I would be really pissed if someone were to accuse you of having anything other than my interests at heart. They just don’t know you like I do, those jealous dongs.
Your disciple forever,
Jon Thornstein
p.s. I’ve got a great list of charities you can send your affiliate profits to, should you have a pang of conscience along the way. Not that there’s any reason for you to have one, but just because I know you hold yourself to a highers standard and might not want anything to even remotely seem like your were full of it…or yourself. I hope you appreciate I’m just thinking of you and trying to protect you from those jerks.
ok, Eric, my sincere apologies if i have mixed you up with someone else as you have indicated in terms of receiving an email promo on this. i do have to wonder though, why you’re using an affiliate link if you’re not that happy with the product or how it was promoted.
i haven’t bought the product myself, but i will say one positive thing: for once, we’re seeing some decent visuals in terms of classier graphics, and a better looking site. honestly, some of the gurus themselves blind one with nasty looking ebooks, ugly boxes, and garish site colours.
i received an EXCELLENT promo email today from Jim Daniels of JDD Publishing about Rich Schefren’s The Final Chapter. the email was a tad longish, but full of praise and info, none of it over the top, but all of it compelling. i went right over to grab the product which was free (but so valuable as it turns out that it could have been sold), and on the page where I found it, there were testimonials, none of them over the top hype.
because of how Jim worded his email, packed with important info, but with no sleazy hype, i was much more receptive to what he had to say. i’m sure you know who Rich is as he coaches a lot of the top so-called gurus, including Joel Comm he says. currently, there are 147 comments on his blog today about this release, so clearly other people appreciated the approach and went to check it out.
i made it a point to hunt down the first two parts of the product as well, The Internet Business Manifesto and The Missing Chapter and i’ll be reading them tonight, and also this weekend, i’ll be listening to the mp3 downloads of coaching interviews he did with Mike Filsaime, Hans Johnson, and Jim Edwards.
Hi,
How can I reach Chris Mcneeny so I can request a refund on my purchase of Affiliate ProjectX?
Thanks,
Larry M.
Hi,
I’m so glad I wasn’t the only that was ripped off by this book. OK I know I’m a relative newbie but I was told that a website would be brought out to help us (no mention that it would cost another $97). But I figured I’d try it anyway,. So do you want to know how mch I’ve made by promoting constantly for the last month a big fat ZERO. So another rip off scam. Luckily for you Eric I didn’t buy through your link and to be honest I will never trust the guy who’s link I went through again, so it’s also his loss.
The most annoying thing is my laptop crashed big time and I know your supposed to backup your data but I hadn’t so I can’t get a refund, because I don’t have a receipt, I don’t have the book and to be honest I’m pretty p***ed off that Chris hasn’t replied to my emails. But I will not lose hope I’m sure not all you guys out there are the same though I’m beginning to wonder. So Eric prove me wrong.
Karen
Hi Eric,
He got me to but he will never get another penny from me again. He goes on and on and you can’t understand half of what he is saying unless you have been in this business for a lond time. I sent his support systhm an email about this problem but he never sent me back an answer. I would have been surprised if he did. I want my money back. Good luck. That will never happen.
Jack Hadley
Eric:
I believe that the testimonial is true.
I used the Leech Method and it earns me $500+ commission in just one campaign, with 1600 ROI over 20 days.
Yes the techniques have been discussed else where, but IMHO Chris explained it really well .
nice marketing technique.. keep it up
Eric
Thanks for such an honest review for Affiliate Project X - there was so much hype coming out and I was just about to purchase it when your newsletter arrived. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to read a review that really reviews the product. I appreciate the time you took to dig into both the product and sales letter - and provide concrete talking points. So often reviews are done to encourage the reader to buy - regardless of all the shortcomings. Thanks for saving me some money and frustration. Keep up the great reviews and content and I will continue to read and take action.
Excellent quote from Mike G
“show me a sales page without some hype and over exaggeration and I’ll show you a product that doesn’t sell. A fact of marketing”
Don’t you all agree?
To all of you who are sooooooooooooo happy that they saved $97 USD by not purchasing this extremely well written marketing e-book (it marvelously puts all the pieces of the marketing puzzle together)… Think again. This is “your opportunity” to see a real life example of how someone (Chris McNeeny) dominates the affiliate marketing game. Chris is a workhorse… a true workaholic … and a very clever marketer and copywriter.
“Anyone” should approach this book as a selftest to figure out if she/he has what it takes to become successful in affiliate marketing. No matter what the answer will be - you’ll save a small fortune. Becoming successful in the Affiliate World is a combination of “the will to learn” and “the will to work”…
I have to say I agree with Eric fully. I have the book, read it a few times and their certainly isn’t anything in there that is not somewhere else on the net or in another E book or as far as that goes in Googles Help files. I have also watched all his videos which really lacked any kind of professionalism, the guy burped and excused himself so much on one it was painful and embarrassing to listen to. He hypes about his videos too which are really mostly audios as I watched one the screen sat still and on a Google search page ( showing a search for his previous product Adwords Miracle) for about 10 minutes while he went on talking about being an affiliate and stating that failing campaign after campaign in adwords comes with the territory. I know for a fact that his presell was written by some guy named Andre Chapron, he states this in one of his videos. And Chris is definitely not Anti-guru. I have emailed him back and forth and felt him out and he is right in with them and in fact was one of the Guru’s that got an advanced copy of the Pipeline Profits program that’s been a big hype lately.
I have all books on Adwords and I think one of the best is Perry Marshalls The Definitive Guide. But not one of these books walk you through an actual live campaign. I think if your a beginner you can learn everything you need in the adwords help files and a simple search in google will bring up all these so called hidden secrets. And there are a lot of free adwords books that have just as much info in them as his book does. And one of his methods is to only bid on keywords using the brand names but in Adwords that’s a direct Trademark infringement and if you do that not only will your ads be disabled but you probably won’t be paid by the vendor. Google also frowns on Squeeze pages and pages that simply re-direct and have opt-in boxes, if your ads are not disabled for it they will be penalized with poor quality score for your landing page. For example try promoting one of Yahoo’s sites or products, if you use any keywords with Yahoo or ad copy with yahoo or any of yahoo’s companies (read their affiliate agreement) not only won’t you be paid but your ad’s will be disabled. He and many others have left a lot of important little facts that you need to know when you are working in adwords, things you will go through with your ad’s daily.
Eric,
As someone who has read loads of e-books on affiliate marketing and anything else to help me make money online, I found that the Affiliate X e-book is no better or worst than the rest. It gives some valuable information but to me its not worth the price of admission.
I appreciate the half-honest review. I had just watched the video for it and was kind of excited.
Not anymore. Really I don’t get it. Either it’s good or it’s not. Apparently excessive HYPE and then not delivering is OK. What does respect for “a fellow marketer” really mean? One might think it means writing and ranking for Affiliate X review hoping to make sales of the product. Your review isn’t bad enough to upset any gooroos or good enough to really help someone that doesn’t need the product. Aren’t your readers fellow marketers also$?
Thanks for the info. In most cases I think you give good advice even if grey today.
Dear eric,
I was ready to get my credit card to buy affiliate x just like most of you.
I have a question about your review.
Your review is about affiliate project x and i was ready to buy affiliate x.It should be from the same author of dayjob killer.Affiliate x is an automated software system.But the author would be chris x.
Is this the same product as affiliate project x?
kind regards,
Giovanni
It’s a different product by the same guy.
OHH,
And i forgot to say that it was a killer salesletter too!!!.And i think it is well copywrited because the text differs.
Giovanni
Thank you for the review. Based on the hype and e-mails i’ve been getting I honestly thought this was a killer product. Based on your review I can see that it does offer good value, it seems that it covers stuff I may already have seen. considering that i’ve bought commissionblueprint2 among other excellent products.
more rubbish from someone trying to get new peopel to handover cash and then give them little in return , how on earth wold 36pages make you any money , i know of a local guy called andrew fox and believe me he has the leased cars, the rented house and leased boat but its all through conning people into thinking they will make money , by selling rubbish ebooks , ONLY PEOPLE MAKING MONEY ARE THESE GUYS MOST OF THE TIME YOU CANNOT GET A REFUND , DNT BE SUCKERED PEOPLE , I AM THE ANTI GURU AND PROUD OFF IT !!!
Thanks for the review,
To be on top of the game in any field we must always read everything we can thats out their, even if its to say we already know this stuff. The day we think we know it all is when we start to die.
Have an awesome day
play to win
Noel
haha almost bought it a year later…blog bookmarked, I like your style.
Hey Eric - I also found this product not to be what it was advertised - i asked for a refund and haven’t heard back for 5 days now.
thanks for the reveiw.i to got so many e-mails and spent the money and i am a newbe and this is way over my head.the 1,2,3 step i got lost and e-mail them for help no one got back to me!so i am going for a refund.i have spent so much money on trying to be a affiliate and so far have made no money!