By: Michele Winslow
How many remember the old saying “Slick as a Snake Oil Salesman?”
It refers to the con artist of the 1800’s who sold an oil that was suppose to protect a person and/or their animals from snake bites.
Many times the product was made from items, which were poisonous or narcotics, the majority of which today are illegal.
Ever wonder why so many women in the books of the 1800’s were swooning or listless?
Books at that time were the Radio, TV, Movies and DVD of their day. Many of the heroines were probably either alcoholics or drug addicts from taking legal, over the counter patent medicines or the preparations made by the “Snake Oil” salesman. Cocaine, Morphine, Heroin and Opium, which are illegal today, were legal until the early part of the 1900’s.
Today, we still have these “Snake Oil” salesmen still prying their trade.
They are on radio ads, TV and the Internet, anywhere they can get you to give up your hard earned money.
How many “Info-commercials” are on late at night, or QVC or the Jewelry Channel? All trying to convince you that you “must have” the current product they are selling.
The Internet is a rich and fertile ground for the modern day salesman.
Buy this product and “you will be a millionaire in no time.” “Become an overnight real estate mogul,” “Sell this product and make $1400.00 a week.” I’m sure anyone who has been on the net for more than a month have seen or been sent this type of ad.
So, you’re tired of working for someone else…you want to be rich!
Real Estate without putting out my money, just bidding on un-claimed or abandoned property, then reselling and I get all the profits!
Six months time, I’ll be in the same league as “The Donald”, my own luxury yacht, personal plane, fabulous vacation home, furs, jewelry, European travel, etc., any and everything I’ve ever dream of….all for a onetime payment of $100.00!
Sounds great to me, where do I send the money!
You send in your $100 for the course, resale rights, etc., which gives you a website and promises you a million hits a week.
And what do you have to do, nothing….just rake in the money. Don’t forget the products you are selling is something that everyone, every household needs and wants.
Ok, a million hits sounds great, and they show you deposit slips with all the money they have made.
Easy money …don’t have to work hard, except opening checks received by the hundreds on a daily basis, just selling information that people think they want.
About a week or two later, you receive a letter saying there is a great new up-date to your program $97.00 one time fee, a new website, only $29.95 a month.
Again, great deal, you plop down your $97.00 and sign up for that $29.95 website.
Three months later, you haven’t made one single cent. So far, you’ve paid out $197.00 for the program and the update, plus $90.00 for your “new” website, you are locked into a 1 year contract and, you’ve received at least 100 emails selling the very same product you are trying to sell.
And those million hits you were promised? You got them, and learned that a million hits are great, but if no one has bought or even looked at the product, what good are they?
Hits are good, but cold hard cash sales are better.
Hopefully you have not quit your job, thinking you’re going to be an instant millionaire. As P.T. Barnum said in the 1800’s “There’s one born everyday!” Hopefully this saying does not apply to you.
Modern day “Snake Oil” salespeople aim their pitch at those who can least afford to lose what little money they have.
Today they are selling dreams, get rich quick schemes.....and they are just that, dreams and schemes. The only ones making money are the “Snake Oilers” as they steal your hard earned dollars.
If you really want this product, can you afford to spend this money? Is there a bill that has to be paid?
Are you going to be another one of those who spent the rent on lottery tickets when the lottery jackpot was in the millions, then had to scramble the following month to make up what you lost?
Think….if you can afford to lose this money, go for it. You might luck out and get a diamond in the rough. But think long and hard first, for diamonds in the rough, are extremely rare and very difficult to find!
Remember the old saying, “If it sounds to good to be true…it usually is!”
This article was posted on January 20, 2006
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