Weird question: not sure how to title. Involves ethics.

[Alicia64]

I'll keep it short:

 

I listened to a podcaster whom I LOVED -- until I realized that he was trying to sell products as hard as he could.

 

That's okay, took his message and left. (I'd bought a book.)

 

I listened to a new podcaster who was wonderful. Then I realized that she too was trying to sell products.

 

I should add: the products from both people (above) are super pricey -- not $25 for a hard cover book.

 

My third podcaster I've listened to is absolutely charming -- British accent, like talking to your best pal over coffee, whole nine yards -- and I just watched a free webinar that she does in exchange for my email.

 

Okay, she gets my email and I get to watch a "free" webinar.

 

The first hour was just a load of fluff with one or two really good bits put in. The last half hour -- and it could have gone on longer, but I took off -- was nothing but a HARD sell for products.

 

Instead of being irritated, I get sad.  I want to believe that people are good and have really good intentions, but all three of the above are clearly "selling shovels to miners." (Old saying refers to those who got rich on the 49er Gold Rush were actually those selling shovels to the miners versus those finding gold.)

 

I know the saying "there's a sucker born every minute" and I'm not a sucker to the point that I spend outrageous amounts of money, but I am a sucker in the sense that I want to believe these people -- like the above -- are good.

 

I guess I am a sucker.

 

Alley              p.s. I know there are plenty of good people like SWB selling books, offering a free forum etc. I've got to focus on that.

 

 

[Nemom]

I can relate.  I have been doing a lot of research on starting a new business I am interested in.  I feel like every website and blog related to the business is trying to sell me something.  It makes it hard to take the sites seriously.

[maize]

Well...people are trying to earn money.

 

Just like any job or business.

 

I'm not sure why they would be doing the podcasts as a free public service?

[Alicia64]

Well...people are trying to earn money.

 

Just like any job or business.

 

I'm not sure why they would be doing the podcasts as a free public service?

 

Everyone needs to earn, of course, but I'm talking about people who are selling in a very sleazy way. I'm not going to go into it b/c it'll take too much time, but these particular sales tactics will take advantage of desperate people.

 

Alley

[LuvToRead]

Well...people are trying to earn money.

 

Just like any job or business.

 

I'm not sure why they would be doing the podcasts as a free public service?

I agree with this.  I do enjoy podcasts, but I always thought the intent was for the person making the podcast to make money through ads or through selling their own product.  

[regentrude]

and your weird question is?

[Alicia64]

I can relate.  I have been doing a lot of research on starting a new business I am interested in.  I feel like every website and blog related to the business is trying to sell me something.  It makes it hard to take the sites seriously.

 

Thanks for getting what I'm saying. Same thing. I'm starting a new business and I don't mind buying books, but no, I'm not going to pay a fortune to teach me.

 

 

 

I agree with this.  I do enjoy podcasts, but I always thought the intent was for the person making the podcast to make money through ads or through selling their own product.  

 

My point is that these particular podcasts are selling in a manner that I find underhanded. I've listened to one podcast for eight years now. They're not all sleazy.

 

and your weird question is?

 

Am I the only one who gets bummed when seeing certain human behavior? I've long believed that people are essentially good, but lately I keep finding examples of the opposite.

 

I want to stress: the sales tactics were sleazy. I'm not listing them here b/c of the time involved.

 

We just watched the Music Man last week -- a great movie that demos sleazy sales tactics.

[EmseB]

 

 

My point is that these particular podcasts are selling in a manner that I find underhanded. I've listened to one podcast for eight years now. They're not all sleazy.

 

 

Am I the only one who gets bummed when seeing certain human behavior? I've long believed that people are essentially good, but lately I keep finding examples of the opposite.

 

I want to stress: the sales tactics were sleazy. I'm not listing them here b/c of the time involved.

 

 

I think we all get bummed by sleazy behavior. I think you're going to have a hard time finding a lot of people who are bummed by behavior that you're unwilling to describe, beyond selling things via podcasts that people otherwise find helpful.

 

I'm not saying this to be snarky, but rather just to explain that you've started a post about ethics and then have commented that you don't have time to explain what specific ethical issues you're alluding to when people don't quite agree with the sentiment in the OP.

Edited February 15, 2018 by EmseB

[Entropymama]

I hear you. I had a recent experience in which I joined a FB forum for people wanting to start blogging. They give lots of great advice, but also push you to buy your hosting through their partner (I'm sure they get a kickback). At one point a woman had asked a question about whether she really needed to buy a website or could she just start with a free site. I responded to her encouraging her to start with a free site, write to find her voice and grow her community, etc. I've been blogging on a free site for years and it's been great even though I've never made a dime. The moderator shut the comments off and deleted my response, replacing it with her reasons why you just 'have' to buy a website. Sleazy. 

 

OTOH, people do need to make money, and recording podcasts and webinars and setting up a website aren't cheap, so I see it from both points of view. 

[Katy]

There are plenty of podcasts that either use advertisements or sell subscriptions as a way to fund the podcast. 

 

I would not give your business or your listening time to those whose ethical behavior you question.

[bolt.]

I don't think salesmanship is inherently sleazy, even when it is smooth, strategic, psychologically informed, insistent, or involves a loose interpretation of facts. I'm irritated when I'm exposed to it, but I've never found myself thinking that those people aren't 'good people'.

 

(I do recognize that sleazy tactics exist... like outright dishonesty and taking advantage of children or something like that. I consider those to be scams, not salesmanship.)

[Alicia64]

I hear you. I had a recent experience in which I joined a FB forum for people wanting to start blogging. They give lots of great advice, but also push you to buy your hosting through their partner (I'm sure they get a kickback). At one point a woman had asked a question about whether she really needed to buy a website or could she just start with a free site. I responded to her encouraging her to start with a free site, write to find her voice and grow her community, etc. I've been blogging on a free site for years and it's been great even though I've never made a dime. The moderator shut the comments off and deleted my response, replacing it with her reasons why you just 'have' to buy a website. Sleazy. 

 

OTOH, people do need to make money, and recording podcasts and webinars and setting up a website aren't cheap, so I see it from both points of view. 

 

Yes, exactly my point. Thank you for taking the time to type this out.

 

I honestly think you can make money without resorting to questionable practices. As a buyer, I want to know about certain products -- definitely -- but I don't like the feeling that someone is using bait and switch sales techniques.

[El...]

I know what you mean.  I hate that.  

 

I can respect trying to run a business, to, you know, feed your family, but the current strategy of "coaching" but actually selling turns me right off.

[Alicia64]

 

 

I'm not saying this to be snarky, but rather just to explain that you've started a post about ethics and then have commented that you don't have time to explain what specific ethical issues you're alluding to when people don't quite agree with the sentiment in the OP.

 

Oh, I see your point.

 

My question is really more: do you feel disappointed by people outside of your immediate circle? I don't really want to ask about sales techniques. I'm certain that these "techniques" were not what I'd want used on my loved ones.

 

Alley

Edited February 15, 2018 by Alicia64

[sarasue7272]

This happened to blogs a few years ago. Everything got overly monetized. I can’t see the pictures or read because the ads are so big. Pop ups begging me to subscribe before I’ve even finished an article. People do need to make money, but when I can’t tell if the whole post/podcast is an ad or genuine thought, I’m done. My favorite blogger has a podcast. She is upfront about the ads. You hear the ad at the start of the podcast, no problem. She is honest about sponsored posts and says at the beginning that it is sponsored. It’s like really terrible product placement.

[LuvToRead]

Thanks for getting what I'm saying. Same thing. I'm starting a new business and I don't mind buying books, but no, I'm not going to pay a fortune to teach me.

 

 

 

 

My point is that these particular podcasts are selling in a manner that I find underhanded. I've listened to one podcast for eight years now. They're not all sleazy.

 

 

Am I the only one who gets bummed when seeing certain human behavior? I've long believed that people are essentially good, but lately I keep finding examples of the opposite.

 

I want to stress: the sales tactics were sleazy. I'm not listing them here b/c of the time involved.

 

We just watched the Music Man last week -- a great movie that demos sleazy sales tactics.

 

I guess I must have missed the sleazy part in your OP.  I read your OP as someone who has a podcast and then sells a product.  Not sure what sleazy behavior in a podcast is, because I have never come across it. 

[regentrude]

I still don't really get it.

When somebody offers free materials, I normally assume that there is a catch and that it's advertising that wants me to buy something. Not sure what is sleazy about this, or why this makes people not "good". Any service or good offered has to be paid by somebody; few people have the resources to finance providing significant content for free. Could you give an example of what made this particular marketing campaign sleazy? I am not seeing what the ethics issue is here, and by what "behavior" I am supposed to be bummed out. 

Edited February 15, 2018 by regentrude

[poppy]

Nothing is free.

 

My favorite podcasts are those by news organizations (like The Daily, run by the NY Times) because I know exactly what they are 'selling'.

[Liz CA]

Oh, I see your point.

 

My question is really more: do you feel disappointed by people outside of your immediate circle? I don't really want to ask about sales techniques. I'm certain that these "techniques" were not what I'd want used on my loved ones.

 

Alley

 

 

Maybe I have been around long enough to not be surprised or disappointed by this. I sort of expect it and I am pleasantly surprised when I am proven wrong.

However, I also have to say that I don't view people as inherently "good." I think people grow in areas of morals, ethics and character; self-regulation, filtering and other forces contribute to a person who is not all self-centered but cares about others. Perhaps some people are naturally more empathetic than others.

[Aura]

There are two types that I see. Both advertise as "come listen to me and learn somthing new."  Both want you to buy something from them.

 

The first is honest and gives you something. They spend time covering a topic and yes, there's a good chance you'll learn something. It's probably basic and if you've done much research in said topic, it might not be new to you, but generally, it's not necessarily time wasted. Then they end with a plug of various sorts and lengths on why you should buy their product and learn more. Nothing wrong here. I expect them to try to make money. They gave you something, but if you really want to delve into their research, it'll cost you. I look at it more like a free sample.

 

The second is what I would call a scam. They promise to give you something, but all they're doing is stealing your time and telling you why you need to give them money. If they promise me I will learn something if I listen, and instead all I learn is how to depart from my hard-earned money, then they have lost my trust and I most certainly will not be giving them any of my money.

[Alicia64]

Maybe I have been around long enough to not be surprised or disappointed by this. I sort of expect it and I am pleasantly surprised when I am proven wrong.

However, I also have to say that I don't view people as inherently "good." I think people grow in areas of morals, ethics and character; self-regulation, filtering and other forces contribute to a person who is not all self-centered but cares about others. Perhaps some people are naturally more empathetic than others.

 

Liz -- I need to adopt your thinking.

 

A.

[EmilyGF]

This is why I prefer a book or paid webinar - so that I know I'm paying for the service instead of being advertised to.

I usually feel guilty when I'm sold to because there is no way I'm going to buy.

 

Nothing is free. Podcasting/blogging/etc is a lot of work.

 

ETA: I think you see this when you compare the price of Cooks' Illustrated ($6/issue for 28 pages) which has no advertising to the cost of Martha Stewart Living ($1 if you get it on sale, 100+ pages, full color) which does have advertising. Creating good content is expensive.

 

Emily

Edited February 15, 2018 by EmilyGF

[lexi]

This is very true of the blogging world. And why I quit blogging after seeing some behind the scenes stuff from major bloggers. It does feel a bit sleazy and tacky. But they’re trying to run a business. Yet it still bugs me.

All webinars have the same format - first part is info and second half is a hard, hard sell on whatever product that they offer (that’s usually really expensive).

But as a former blogger I know how much time and effort I put in to my tiny blog and I wasn’t compensated much. So, if you want to actually get paid to have to sell.

I have no advice other than to say I know what you mean. But I do see both sides a little bit because I did want to be compensated for the time I spent blogging. Yet I was not comfortable with many sales tactics. So I was kind of stuck.

[Farrar]

The hard sell makes me uncomfortable too. I'm part of a business that does a podcast to bring in followers/listeners. We say what we do and try to use posting the podcast to drive traffic/attention to our site. But the content of the podcast is never selling anything.

 

I think what bugs me more is that sometimes I see bloggers/podcasters who are just doing the hard sell all the time, with a lot more sleaziness and almost no real content, just a lot of bland advice and aphorisms... and sometimes they're the ones bringing in a lot more attention and money. And I'm like, geez, what you've got is nothing. Why are people falling for this? That's the part that gets me more - not that people try to sell, because that's just life, but that so many people fall for it.

[fraidycat]

I'll keep it short:

 

I listened to a podcaster whom I LOVED -- until I realized that he was trying to sell products as hard as he could.

 

That's okay, took his message and left. (I'd bought a book.)

 

I listened to a new podcaster who was wonderful. Then I realized that she too was trying to sell products.

 

I should add: the products from both people (above) are super pricey -- not $25 for a hard cover book.

 

My third podcaster I've listened to is absolutely charming -- British accent, like talking to your best pal over coffee, whole nine yards -- and I just watched a free webinar that she does in exchange for my email.

 

Okay, she gets my email and I get to watch a "free" webinar.

 

The first hour was just a load of fluff with one or two really good bits put in. The last half hour -- and it could have gone on longer, but I took off -- was nothing but a HARD sell for products.

 

Instead of being irritated, I get sad. I want to believe that people are good and have really good intentions, but all three of the above are clearly "selling shovels to miners." (Old saying refers to those who got rich on the 49er Gold Rush were actually those selling shovels to the miners versus those finding gold.)

 

I know the saying "there's a sucker born every minute" and I'm not a sucker to the point that I spend outrageous amounts of money, but I am a sucker in the sense that I want to believe these people -- like the above -- are good.

 

I guess I am a sucker.

 

Alley p.s. I know there are plenty of good people like SWB selling books, offering a free forum etc. I've got to focus on that.

Is selling inherently bad?

 

All sales? Or only certain products and services?

 

Is it bad for an accountant to “sell†their services? What about a plumber? Is it sleazy for local bakery to sell their product?

 

At what point do sales become sleazy?

 

I like to think most are good people who are trying to support themselves and their families. They have really good intentions about putting food in their kids’ bellies that week. God knows there are not enough “paid jobs with benefits†to go around these days. Maybe due to the sleaziness of employers off-shoring many jobs?

 

And they’re not installing credit card skimmers at your local gas pump.

 

Kudos to these people for trying something “outside the industrial box†and within the bounds of “ethicalâ€. If the product or service is not for you, no biggie, don’t buy it.

 

Webinars 99.9% of the time are just long advertisements. It takes those people hours of time and energy to put a one hour webcast together, plus webhosting fees, etc. Unless they are independently wealthy philanthropists tossing out free advice and help out of the goodness of their hearts, of course they’re trying to make some money!

Edited February 16, 2018 by fraidycat

[TravelingChris]

I do not go to webinars much mainly because I actually prefer to read.  But some of the things I read do have appeals to subscribe or buy a book or what have you.  I don't mind since I do not think I can get much info for free,  There is either advertising or appeals or fundraising requests.  I try to help as  I can for info I value.  So I have donated to The Guardian (and wish that more papers had a donation model rather than a subscription model) and to Wikipedia.  

 

On facebook I am on several groups that aren't selling anything but facebook is selling our info to companies I guess. All I know is that marketers have been super confused by me.  

[8circles]

I understand exactly what you mean. I think.

 

I don't think sales is inherently bad. My DH is an excellent salesman (not his job). It isn't the selling that makes me uncomfortable.

 

It's the almost desperation to make every interaction a possible sale, regardless who you are talking to. 

 

I do think that sales to people who you already know don't need or want what you are selling is bad. I know most people will disagree with that.

 

I've never tried to articulate this opinion so I'm just thinking "out loud" here.

Edited February 16, 2018 by 8circles

[fraidycat]

I understand exactly what you mean. I think.

 

I don't think sales is inherently bad. My DH is an excellent salesman (not his job). It isn't the selling that makes me uncomfortable.

 

It's the almost desperation to make every interaction a possible sale, regardless who you are talking to.

 

I do think that sales to people who you already know don't need or want what you are selling is bad. I know most people will disagree with that.

 

I've never tried to articulate this opinion so I'm just thinking "out loud" here.

Yeah, this can be annoying. In person.

 

But “regardless of who you are talking to†on a podcast or webinar doesn’t really apply. Presumably the people listening in are interested in whatever the podcaster/webcaster has to say/sell... because if not they can turn it off and walk away at any time.

 

And they don’t personally know most of the listeners, so they don’t know what the listeners want or need, but they can offer their wares and the listener can choose to purchase, or not.

Edited February 16, 2018 by fraidycat

[8circles]

Yeah, this can be annoying. In person.

 

But “regardless of who you are talking to†on a podcast or webinar doesn’t really apply. Presumably the people listening in are interested in whatever the podcaster/webcaster has to say/sell... because if not they can turn it off and walk away at any time.

 

And they don’t personally know most of the listeners, so they don’t know what the listeners want or need, but they can offer their wares and the listener can choose to purchase, or not.

 

True... hmmmm...

[guilfordlake]

 A couple of thoughts because I'm deep in research phase right now for a potential business. I haven't really seen what you've experienced but that may be because you and I are looking at different industries.

 

Webinars are huge right now. And they are designed to sell products, frequently courses. The good ones will provide a fair amount of useful information during the webinar. But for the nitty-gritty, solid instruction, you will need to buy the course. Creating an online course is a lot of work but if done well, is a great way to provide a lot of people with your expertise. You can help a lot more people with a course they purchase than you can if you are just doing one-on-one coaching or selling a book.

 

Podcasts are done to help others, spread information, but also to build a presence so you have an audience who wants to buy your product. Yes, in the end, they want to sell.

 

But in all the podcasts I've listened to across writing, marketing, & business niches, the people doing them aren't interested in selling to just anyone. They'll be the first to tell you not to buy if you have doubts and they all offer money-back guarantees. They genuinely want to help people while at the same time, make a living. Webinars and podcasts are part of how they make that living.

 

I can imagine they are some sleazy sales people out there and I wouldn't recommend listening to them but there are a lot of great people of there who are selling products that are really beneficial.

[guilfordlake]

Thanks for getting what I'm saying. Same thing. I'm starting a new business and I don't mind buying books, but no, I'm not going to pay a fortune to teach me.

 

 

 

What is a fortune? I see some classes that are thousands of dollars and those are way out of my league (Marie Forleo's B-School for example). But if I can pay someone I trust and respect and have followed long enough to know that they know what they are talking about, I don't think a couple hundred dollars is out line. I see it as the same as hiring a fitness coach to help me with my weight lifting technique or hiring a nutritionist to help me learn healthy meal planning techniques. If I want to learn about email marketing, I'm going to hire someone who can teach me that because I think it will be faster and less expensive in the long run than me trying to pull together the resources to teach it to myself.

 

I also think it's a matter of spending enough time "with" the person who is doing the sale to learn if they really know what they are doing or if they are just trying to make a sale. 

[Ausmumof3]

I've got a bit turned off podcasts by this as well. It's less that I don't expect them to want to make money or sell products but more that I get turned off when it starts feeling like people are making statements they don't necessarily believe in to sell the products. It's hard to define where the point is but some definitely cross a line.

[Ausmumof3]

I understand exactly what you mean. I think.

 

I don't think sales is inherently bad. My DH is an excellent salesman (not his job). It isn't the selling that makes me uncomfortable.

 

It's the almost desperation to make every interaction a possible sale, regardless who you are talking to.

 

I do think that sales to people who you already know don't need or want what you are selling is bad. I know most people will disagree with that.

 

I've never tried to articulate this opinion so I'm just thinking "out loud" here.

Yes! The best sales people are the ones who are really interested in figuring out what customers need and making sure they match it as well as possible. They will get the return sales over someone who managed to push someone into buying something they didn't need or didn't suit their purpose.

[Wheres Toto]

I can't stand the blogs that are all ads.  There's an inch of content surrounded by ads, pop-ups all the time, bars on the bottom that give you no space to read anything.  I just click off because it's not worth it.

 

What seems super-common right now is a link on Pinterest or someplace similar that promises content - the top 10 ways to do blah blah blah with your kids - you click on the link and there's a nice header with the same title.  Then you get a small paragraph introducing the topic with a LINK to a completely separate website, often someone else's blog, where the actually list/content is.   Why did I need to even go to that original blog?  It had NO information that had anything to do with the topic, just a link to the real topic.   I no longer pin anything without following the link, then I Pin from the site with the actual content so I least  I'm not sharing the "fake" link and not helping their lame attempt to get clicks (except they still got mine I guess, but I'm not sure how to avoid that).

[SparklyUnicorn]

People gotta earn a living.  Why isn't knowledge and writing worth something?  Many times these people don't have entire departments who sit around in meetings trying to figure out how to get people to buy something. 

 

 

[Bluegoat]

I think of these people much the same way I think of the people who do in-person seminars that give you a little information but are really looking to sell you their expensive "system for success."

 

It's more like self-help/motivational stuff than a real product, and a lot of it is just well-packaged smarm.  I do think it's sleazy.

 

I don't think selling is necessarily sleazy, but there are types that strongly tend to encourage sleazy techniques.  A lot of commission sales do, even when it is a real product people need.  MLMs do, and the products there are often pretty worthless.  And this kind of selling, in person or in a blog, of mostly worthless information and hype.  

 

There is a reason those seminar guys are typically seen as sleazy.  

[solascriptura]

I guess I’m cynical. I assume that most people that regularly post on blogs, podcasts, and the like are trying to sell something. Whether a product, viewpoint, or their own version of something. If you think about it, even authors that seek to publish are hoping to sell something.

[Soror]

I don't generally have the patience for podcasts.

 

But I'm rather tired of the fact that nearly everyone is selling something these days.

 

There are all these so-called experts about everything. Lose 20 lbs and your an expert. Then post a million edited photos to show how great your "program" is. 

 

 

[sassenach]

People don’t podcast for free. They’re either selling a product or advertising space.

[Word Nerd]

I don't think I've ever listened to any podcasts that were pushing a particular product, so I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to. The ones I listen to like Serial, S-Town, and various fictional/storytelling all have paid sponsors. They cost money to make, so I don't have any problem hearing ads about Bomba socks, Squarespace, Audible, etc. when I'm listening to a podcast.

 

ETA: I don't get why it would be considered OK to accept paid advertisements from other companies/individuals but somehow sleazy or unethical to promote your own product/service. 

Edited February 16, 2018 by Word Nerd

[SparklyUnicorn]

I don't think I've ever listened to any podcasts that were pushing a particular product, so I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to. The ones I listen to like Serial, S-Town, and various fictional/storytelling all have paid sponsors. They cost money to make, so I don't have any problem hearing ads about Bomba socks, Squarespace, Audible, etc. when I'm listening to a podcast.

 

Me either.  I mean sure many of them have written books, but I don't think that makes them greedy money grabbers.  My husband wrote a book. Believe me, there is (generally) no money in book writing unless you write a ton of books.  He did it because he is passionate about the topic and enjoys writing.

[SKL]

Yeah, I do find it annoying and it makes me wonder if these people really believe what they are saying, or if they're just pandering.

[Word Nerd]

Me either.  I mean sure many of them have written books, but I don't think that makes them greedy money grabbers.  My husband wrote a book. Believe me, there is (generally) no money in book writing unless you write a ton of books.  He did it because he is passionate about the topic and enjoys writing.

 

I just remembered that I listened to a podcast series on parenting introverted kids by Susan Cain. She mentioned her book Quiet and an online course that offered more in-depth information, but it didn't feel pushy or out of place at all. The information she shared in each podcast was valuable in itself.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ok even if some of them are 100% about selling their book (or product), why is this pandering?  Why is it more acceptable to get a big name publisher or company to do the pandering for you?  If they created the product or wrote the book, I bet they are quite passionate about their product and book.  So that they speak enthusiastically about their ideas is not fake in my mind.  Marketing folks probably don't give a rat's behind about many of the products they write commercials for.  It's just another job of selling to them.  Why is that more palatable? 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I just remembered that I listened to a podcast series on parenting introverted kids by Susan Cain. She mentioned her book Quiet and an online course that offered more in-depth information, but it didn't feel pushy or out of place at all. The information she shared in each podcast was valuable in itself.

 

I heard that one too.

[fraidycat]

Ok even if some of them are 100% about selling their book (or product), why is this pandering? Why is it more acceptable to get a big name publisher or company to do the pandering for you? If they created the product or wrote the book, I bet they are quite passionate about their product and book. So that they speak enthusiastically about their ideas is not fake in my mind. Marketing folks probably don't give a rat's behind about many of the products they write commercials for. It's just another job of selling to them. Why is that more palatable?

In my observation and opinion:

 

Because entrepreneurship and passion is not valued in our society.

 

Go to school, get a job, make a wage with health benefits is “the right†way to do things. The epitome of success according to many (most).

 

Those marketing guys - they got a job, so it’s all good. We can “trust†them. They’re just doing what they’re told to get their paycheck.

 

Those ones trying to share something they’re passionate about and make a living “outside of the corporate box†- they’re just a bunch of zealots or snakeoil salesmen, not to be trusted. If what they do is so good, they’d have a “real jobâ€.

[Bluegoat]

No, I don't think it's because they are "entrepreneurs" and we don't like that.

 

It's not that uncommon for someone to think up a product and sell it themselves, either because they want to or have to.

 

Bill Gates did it, as did many tech people.

 

Joan Jett started her own record label because she couldn't get anyone to sign her.

 

People often really admire people who do things like that - usually if they don't it's because of something to do with the nature of the business.

 

I had a university prof who published his own book.  It might be prejudiced for people to wonder why no one else wanted to publish it, but I didn't feel prejudiced when I had to buy it for a hefty price for his class and it was crap, I felt jaded.

 

I think the reason people feel put off about these kinds of things is it comes off like a kind of hucksterism or a bait and switch.  I'd also say that in my experience, people who are really experts will often do things like podcasts or radio shows without trying to sell something - they are confident enough in their material to think you will want it, or enough people will want it.

[SparklyUnicorn]

No, I don't think it's because they are "entrepreneurs" and we don't like that.

 

It's not that uncommon for someone to think up a product and sell it themselves, either because they want to or have to.

 

Bill Gates did it, as did many tech people.

 

Joan Jett started her own record label because she couldn't get anyone to sign her.

 

People often really admire people who do things like that - usually if they don't it's because of something to do with the nature of the business.

 

I had a university prof who published his own book.  It might be prejudiced for people to wonder why no one else wanted to publish it, but I didn't feel prejudiced when I had to buy it for a hefty price for his class and it was crap, I felt jaded.

 

I think the reason people feel put off about these kinds of things is it comes off like a kind of hucksterism or a bait and switch.  I'd also say that in my experience, people who are really experts will often do things like podcasts or radio shows without trying to sell something - they are confident enough in their material to think you will want it, or enough people will want it.

 

Do they get paid to do the podcasts?  (if you know) 

[Bluegoat]

Do they get paid to do the podcasts?  (if you know) 

 

Not usually I don't think, but they tend to get sponsors if they are any good.  And it's not always that they don't have a product, like a book, that they want to sell.  It's that they don't have that hard sell approach where talk the time they are telling you how wonderful the book is.

 

It's kind of like authors doing a book tour where they do radio or other interviews.  They might get asked questions about the book or even do a reading, though not always - sometimes the interviewer just asks about other things altogether.  The book gets a mention.  But really, you aren't getting all of this "oh you have to buy my book to get the rest of this information..."  You don't get the impression the interview is a tease.

 

Or - you could compare it to fake articles in a paper.  There are articles really written by experts who might sell a book, too.  But you can tell when someone has written something pretty much exclusively to get you to read their book - it's really just advertising.  Or your friend invites you to a party and you find out they really want you to buy something....

 

I don't know what you call that technique in the selling world, but it's not something people tend to look really favourably on.

[Rosie_0801]

Ok even if some of them are 100% about selling their book (or product), why is this pandering?  Why is it more acceptable to get a big name publisher or company to do the pandering for you?  If they created the product or wrote the book, I bet they are quite passionate about their product and book.  So that they speak enthusiastically about their ideas is not fake in my mind.  Marketing folks probably don't give a rat's behind about many of the products they write commercials for.  It's just another job of selling to them.  Why is that more palatable? 

 

Women are socialised to hide their light under a bushel. Marketing departments are bushels to hide behind.