Don’t Stop Buying WSOs!

don't stop buying wsos!Don’t stop buying WSOs! But what’s that I hear? Your guru told you to stop buying WSOs? Your guru makes six, even seven figures a year so he knows best?

Okay, let’s get something clear here. I’m not going all out to contradict what you’ve been taught by someone who likely knows a heck of a lot more than I do about Internet marketing. In fact, the actual points that I’m going to cover in this post are likely much less controversial than the title of this post implies.

Breaking the Mould

I’ve never been a bandwagon-jumper or someone who follows the crowd. I see things are they are and I say things as they are. I think that this is an important trait in Internet marketing, especially with all the hype, hidden agendas and conflicting information out there. I like to think that this is something that serves as part of my ‘brand’. When I first got started I kept coming across the same message: put your own spin on things. Well I’m a ‘pull no punches’ sort of a person and I’m not afraid to go against the tide. When you come here, you’ll get it straight. So perhaps this is my ‘spin’!

Take the title of this thread, for example. It draws your attention to WSOs (Warrior Special Offers). This is a term that has become synonymous with any product or course, whether purchased via the Warrior Forum or not. I think that this kind of gives further credence to how the Warrior Forum has become synonymous with being the last stop for Internet marketers. If you haven’t read my previous blog post, you might find my take on the Warrior Forum interesting.

Also, did you notice that I didn’t use the word “guru” in a derogatory way? Well, why should I? Not all gurus are bad. In fact, I don’t believe it’s the gurus that are at fault. Rather, it’s those who CLAIM to be gurus who are to blame. Thus, the word “guru” has become synonymous with someone who’s misleading, who takes advantage and who doesn’t provide good value or good products, yet gives the promise of riches, often making outlandish claims.

Well this stops here. What other people do and say is up to them. As far as I’m concerned, the gurus are the experts. Jay Abraham – he’s a guru. Rich Schefren – he’s a guru. Lee McIntyre, Alex Jeffreys – they’re gurus. All of these guys are top marketers and they know their stuff. They have the right to be called gurus. Anyway, I digress somewhat…

The Explanation

So then, why am I appearing to go against the grain by telling you to not stop buying WSOs (or any IM products)? Well this is yet another trend I have noticed in the IM world and, although I understand and agree with where the people who say to stop buying WSOs are coming from, I think that it’s important to take a step back and look at this with a little objective clarity.

Basically, I’m not going to tell you anything that’s much different than you’ve likely been told already. However what I’m going to do is just look at things a little objectively. You see, when your gurus, mentors or coaches tell you that you need to stop buying WSOs, what they really mean is stop looking for a quick fix or to stop buying things that can prevent you from keeping your focus. So many products offer a quick path to riches yet, as we know, they rarely deliver in quite the way they imply.

I remember when I first started Alex Jeffreys‘ coaching. He said that you don’t need to keep buying WSOs, rather just stick with one thing. He was absolutely correct. Flitting from one thing to another is never the answer and you’re not going to get very far doing this. So yes, if you find that you’re constantly attracted to e-mail offers, WSOs and banner adverts like a magpie to a shiny object then just stop. You are wasting your time and your money. Do whatever you need to do to remove the temptation but do it and do it now.

Now, if you’re an absolute beginner and need a course, for example, and you don’t have one then sure, invest in one. Did you notice that word? Invest. Yes, it’s an investment and, as such, you should treat it as such and not as just another purchase that can sit on your hard drive gathering virtual dust. By all means get yourself some good coaching, whether that be a WSO or whatever, but work through it and stick with it, resisting the temptation to buy the next thing that comes along. Later on there may be a call to expand your knowledge and skills, but leave that for later. For now, focus on the one thing and take consistent action to apply what you learn. You will accomplish far more by doing this than you will by making purchase after purchase, flitting from one thing to another.

The thing is, the advice to stop buying into all the different products and courses that come along isn’t restricted to only scammy or hyped products. No, it applies to good products also. You see, what happens is you buy into a great product, let’s say it’s a membership site course in how to build your online business. Then another course comes along and it may well be fantastic, so you buy this one. Then another… and another… and before you know it you’re suffering from information overload and you end up doing nothing with any of them. I know what this is like, I’ve been guilty of this myself. There’s no point in having a ton of great information if you’re not going to work through any of it and put any of it into practice.

To Stop Buying WSOs or Not to Stop – That is the Question!

So why is it then that I am saying to NOT stop buying products? Well quite simply, you might actually find that there’s something that makes your work a lot easier or adds to your business or learning. To just take the blanket stance of “Right, I’m not buying any more WSOs” can do more harm than good at times.

For example, not everyone can build squeeze pages from scratch. Wouldn’t it be good if there was a product that allowed you to build your own squeeze pages with a few clicks of your mouse, right from within WordPress so that you can put them straight into your site with minimal fuss? Well there is – it’s called Paper Template. I have this installed on my site and it’s a fantastic plugin. I can actually code HTML from scratch, but my skills are somewhat limited and, even if they weren’t, Paper Template takes what could ordinarily be hours worth of work and compresses the time right down to a fraction of what it could be.

How many of you are adept with graphics design? Some maybe and if you are then you have a good advantage. Personally, I have virtually no graphic design skills. So what if I need to design a logo, let’s say for my website here? Well it’s either a case of bumbling away trying to knock up something myself from scratch or paying to outsource the job to an expert. What if there were a third option? Well have you noticed my logo at the top of the page? I created that using a piece of software called The Logo Creator. I have also used this to create a lot of the little pictures I’ve put in some of my blog posts. I love this software and it’s proven to be invaluable.

Do you see my point? To interpret “Stop buying WSOs” as meaning stop buying things completely could severely restrict you. Rather, the advice should be more specifically to stop buying UNNECESSARY products. If you require training in a certain area because the course you’re working through doesn’t cover it then buy the extra training. That would makes sense, no?

If you come across a piece of software that will only serve to enhance your business and will make things easier then by all means buy it. After all, if there’s something that you’re trying to do and you’re struggling because you don’t have the necessary expertise then you could be unnecessarily increasing your workload or the time spent when you could make things a whole lot easier by purchasing something that could help.

So you see, perhaps this wasn’t all as controversial as you may have thought it was going to be. But I just thought that it’s an important point to address seeing as so many people advise against keeping buying stuff when, in fact, some timely purchases could prove to be prudent and helpful.

6 thoughts on “Don’t Stop Buying WSOs!”

  1. Hi Glenn,

    I agree, you’ve made some great points here. That said, I generally don’t buy more stuff now as I consider I actually have enough knowledge (as in my last post!) to do the stuff I need to do.

    But when I was first learning about stuff, I always considered that the small cost of a WSO was well worth the investment in exchange for all that I could learn from it.

    Now though, unless something is recommended by someone I know and trust, then I steer clear simply because I don’t need any more distractions from my daily workload.

    I hope that makes sense.
    Paul Henderson recently posted…When Will You Know Enough To Progress …My Profile

    1. Hey Paul,

      Thanks for dropping by, buddy. Yep, you make perfect sense. I’m exactly the same. As I said above, right at the beginning I bought all sorts of stuff, some not so good. I then invested in stuff that I thought could be of help. Now, I by and large stay away from WSOs and the like, unless it’s a tool that can actually enhance my efforts and make things easier.

      Of course, I recently purchased a War Room membership and it’s flooded with free WSOs, so I’m having to fight the temptation to get distracted! But even now, I’ve found some stuff that’s been useful.

      It’s just a case of being balanced, selective and not expecting that we’re going to find any magic solution
      Glenn Shepherd recently posted…Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket!My Profile

  2. Steve King

    Hi Glenn,

    I’m with you completely. If you can find something that makes your life easier, helps you work more quickly or adds some kind of value to your business, it’s definitely worth buying a WSO.

    I also liked the fact you talk about ‘investing’ in a course, rather than buying one. That’s the kind of mindset that sets the marketers apart from the buyers. If newbies could make that distinction and transition earlier I’m sure they would experience much less frustration and hardship.

    Cheers
    Steve

    PS – I’m loving the blog layout πŸ™‚

    1. Hi Steve,

      Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, I appreciate it very much indeed πŸ™‚

      I’m glad you enjoyed the post and that you also like my blog layout. If my visitors are happy then I’m happy πŸ˜€

      Thanks again, feel free to stop by anytime!
      Glenn Shepherd recently posted…Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket!My Profile

  3. Hi Dita,

    Thanks for stopping by, reading and leaving a comment πŸ™‚

    You’re absolutely right. I know that I’ve found myself in that situation, where I’ve seen a convincing sales page and thought “Ooooo that looks really cool!” In the past I’ve often given in and made the purchase and in some cases it was a bad decision but mostly, I’ve bought some great stuff. However, did I really need it? Probably not. So now, that’s the first question I ask when I come across something I find interesting, “Do I really need this?” If the answer is “No” and it wouldn’t do anything to really help me or enhance my business right now, then I pass and move on. Likewise, if it’s a WSO in the Warrior Forum then no matter how good the sales page might be, if the copy isn’t revealing enough and the comments in the thread are nothing but praise but without giving any real evidence of the effectiveness of the product, again I pass and move on. Just like with everything else, discipline is essential with regards to WSOs and other online products.
    Glenn Shepherd recently posted…Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket!My Profile

  4. Hi Glen,

    excellent points. I totally agree that there are some excellent WSOs worth investing in. There are others that are mediocre and others that are completely worthless.

    Many people get sucked in because they purchase to “save a buck” or get a “real deal” without giving the purchase a second thought.

    To save a few cents or even a dollar is not worth it if the product is not going to help you achieve what you are trying to do. I’d rather be paying a bit more for something I have investigated first. (That’s not to say I have not made some mistakes)

    I think people need to really decide whether they are buying because they want it or because they need it.

    By the way, one of my best WSO purchases was the Quick Start Challenge, when Dean Holland first introduced his awesome course to the public.

    Cheers,

    Dita
    Dita at Blogging Tips recently posted…Making Money Blogging – Week Two ReportMy Profile

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