I Question Your Integrity!
By Willie Crawford

I seriously question your integrity! I don't believe a word of
your advertising or any of your promises! You'd be shocked if
one of your customers said this to you, wouldn't you. You'd want
a detailed explanation of why they feel this way. You'd
acknowledge that YOU needed to correct whatever it was that
caused this feeling in customers - IMMEDIATELY. Yet, many of
your potential customers do feel this way. They just don't tell
you.

Your prospects have seen so much hype and so many scams that they
don't know who to trust. They've seen the truth "stretched" so
much that they don't know what to believe. Your product or
service sounds so wonderful. It sounds like the perfect solution
to their problem. It sound like the perfect way for them to
finally start building that on-line business they hope will
someday provide a full-time income. They want to believe you,
but instinct teaches them to be very cautious... and that's good.

What makes your potential customers feel distrust though. Well,
I saw the perfect example, in an on-line discussion forum
recently. In a post on this forum, it was stated that marketers
routinely use contrived testimonials. It was suggested that most
of those giving testimonials for some products have never even
TRIED the product. It was suggested that many big name
marketers merely trade testimonials. This has not been my
observation but "revelations" such as this are certainly a cause
for concern. That type of behavior is NOT the standard. Most
on-line business people that I deal with have a lot of integrity
and honesty. If you deal with people who adhere to a different
set of standard, then you need to change your business
associates.

Sometimes it does appear to be a "dog-eat-dog" world. People do
often espouse using questionable tactics to get ahead. It often
looks like you have to "pull out all of the stops" in order to
really grow you business. It sometimes looks like the secret is
to do whatever is necessary to make the sale. Buy into that
philosophy and your online business will not survive long. Word
spread very fast online!

In most jurisdictions it is illegal to make false claims both
on-line and off-line. People have their businesses shut down for
misleading the consumer in the U.S. and many other countries.
People go to jail for tricking people out of their money.

Even if certain behaviors are not illegal, if something inside
you tells you that it doesn't feel right, don't do it. It's
that intuition and your conscience talking to you. They are
both very good guides of what will lead to true long-term
business success. What are some of the common behaviors many
consider "questionable?"

- Stating that an offer will end on a given date and then
extending the offer repeatedly. Your prospect notice this and
they DO respond (by not buying and by giving you negative press).

- Using a guarantee full of loopholes because you don't
believe in the product. Offer a strong guarantee and if you
don't believe in a product enough to do this, find another
product.

- Misstating how long you have been in business. People do tend
to feel more secure in dealing with someone who have been around
long enough to demonstrate they will likely be around next year.
However, in many niches, people also know when someone entered
it. They know when they first started seeing your name. They
can also check on-line sources such as "Whois" to see when a
website was established.

- Misstating your subscriber numbers. It take time to build a
list although you can accelerate this considerably by using a
list-building service. You can also buy subscribers from many
sources. However, if you've only been on-line for six month
it's hard to believe you've built a list of 10,000.

I am sure you see, and could list, dozens of other questionable
practices. They are not the way to build a successful business.
When you consider using a questionable practice, ask yourself
how many on-line millionaires use them. I don't think you will
find many because most of them simply wouldn't take the risk.

Aside from taking the time to build relationships with your
potential customers and letting them get to know you, what can
you do to establish your credibility? How can you show that you
operate your business with strict ethics and integrity? The
best way that I have discovered is to associate with
organizations that require it's members to meet and ADHERE to a
code of conduct. I'll tell you about 2 in this article.

The first organization I'll mention is called the International
Council Of Online Professionals (i-Cop). In order to become a
member you have to promise not to engage in questionable business
practices. You also have to agree to respond to any complaints
that the organization receives. These complaints are followed-up
on until they are satisfactorily resolved. Records of unresolved
complaints are made available to members/subscribers.
Prospective members must pass a screening to include a website
review. Those who don't yet have websites may join but must
also meet "standards."

I am a member of the International Council of Online
Professionals and encourage you to become a member too. Members
are given an emblem to display on their website identifying them.
This banner links back to a page confirming you really are a
member. Anyone seeing the i-Cop emblem on a website know that
this is a person they should be able to trust. They know that if
this person behaves in an unethical manner he will be quickly
discredited (once concrete proof is presented). To learn all
about i-Cop visit: http://williecrawford.com/cgi-bin/tk.cgi?icop

I-Cop publishes a "Rap Sheet" reporting disreputable business
that is well worth subscribing to.

The second organization I am a member of, and will recommend to
eligible businesses, is the Better Business Bureau (BBB). BBB
memberships are not available in most countries. That's why I
mentioned i-Cop first.

What's the BBB all about? Well... if I am thinking of getting
car repairs done here in Florida and am uncertain of how
reputable or dependable the business is I would check their
record with the local BBB. If they are not a member I wouldn't
do business with them because most reputable U.S. off-line
businesses are members (in my area). They proudly display
their membership plaque because it reassure their customers
that they adhere to a very strict code of conduct. Problems
with members are reported to the BBB and become a matter of
record that any consumer has access to.

The BBB has a fairly stiff screening process and many
pre-requisites. They actually sent someone out to interview
me and investigate my place of business. They wanted to
know all about my products/services and wanted to fully
understand my business. Not all types of businesses are
accepted into the BBB. They also required that a business
be established for a minimum of 1 year.

BBB membership allows you to advertise your membership locally.
For online businesses, there is a BBB Online. You must first
qualify for a basic BBB membership before you are considered
eligible for a BB Online membership. It requires a separate
application process. The BBB inspects your website as well
as your regular membership history prior to considering you
for BBB Online. If you qualify for BBB Online, you are
given a hyperlinked image to place on your approved website(s).
Clicking this emblem takes the potential customer to the BBB
Online site where they can investigate your business history.

The basic BBB membership fee is based upon your business size
but starts at $225 per year locally. The BBB Online membership
is an additional $100 per year. I consider these basic
business expenses and well worth the cost. If you are just
starting out you may think this isn't something you can afford.
Only you can decide if a membership is merited.

I've given you just two methods of enhancing your credibility
and professional business image. There are other organizations
you can join which may also serve the same purpose. Industry-
specific organizations are an example. Regardless of what you
do to dispel natural online consumer mistrust, you must be
aware that it does exist. You have to demonstrate that you
are trustworthy. Establish your credibility and your sales
increase exponentially.

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Note:
This article first appeared in our ezine, Limitless
Marketing Ezine. I publish original material
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Feel free to publish this article in your ezine,
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My email address is willie@williecrawford.com

Thank you,
Willie Crawford

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