Tens of millions of people are trying to earn money on eBay these days and most of them will make only small amounts and eventually quit trying and drift away. Most of those millions will wrack their brains, trying to figure out how to win riches from eBay, and never really understand why it didn't happen. Sometimes it's easier to observe failure and know what NOT to do.



This email is from a man who is guaranteed to fail and the reasons aren't hard to figure out. Here are his exact words ...

Hello Sydney,

I can't afford any investment in more marketing programs right now. I could use some promotion for the ones I have a lot of time a fair amount of money invested already.

I also haven't been able to produce with eBay!

Please visit my links: (3 URLs here)

Also, if you'd really ('really' is in bold type and italics) like to help, please encourage others to visit my sites as well. I haven't been able to make a dime on the Internet yet. I also am having great difficulty finding a job as well;this is no money from anywhere!

I have child support to pay and if I go much longer without paying, I'm looking at 1-3 years in prison for non-payment. Yes, debtors prison is still alive and very well here in Northern Michigan.

So, I'm asking you to please help me in this way and I won't have any problem with rewarding you handsomely!

(1.) There are so many issues here that it's hard to know where to begin, but the best place is with his three websites:

His first site is about:

* Bookkeeping

* Personal Income Tax

* Classic Rock & Roll

* With "links to eBay, Amazon & more!"

Who, exactly, is his audience? There is no clear focus and no defined audience. Those searching for information on rock and roll are unlikely to be interested in bookkeeping.

What's even more amazing is that there is absolutely nothing at all about bookkeeping or income tax, except for a comment on the home page. There are a couple of links to rock and roll sites and one to the front page of Amazon. How is he hoping monetize this site?

His second site is about how to make "Explosive" income with his "revolutionary home based business". This from a guy who admits he hasn't made a single cent on the Net, yet he isn't bothered about selling others a program that obviously isn't working for him.

The third site is about auctions and the home page says, "CLICK TO ENTER" ... but when I do absolutely nothing happens. A completely blank page opens and remains constant. There isn't even a 404 message.

(2.) He wants my help, yet has total disrespect for me and my business. What he is truly saying is, "I have spent all my money in other places, and now that I have none left, I want you to help me". Where will I get the time to help him? It will have to come either from my own business or I will have to take time away from my students who pay for my help. He says he "won't have any problem with rewarding you handsomely!" Very generous of him, I'm sure.

(3.) He wants me to send traffic to his sites. But he says nothing about how my customers and students would benefit from what he has to offer. Does he really believe I would betray their trust by sending them to three absolutely worthless sites that offer them no benefit whatsoever?

And even if I shared his moral character, why would I do such a thing? If I don't mind betraying others, it would have to be for personal gain and I will not make money by sending him traffic.

(4.) Worst of all, he displays no concern whatsoever for his children or their mother who is trying to care for their children without any financial support from their father. He says, "Yes, debtors prison is still alive and very well here in Northern Michigan.". He's not in trouble for debt - he's in trouble for not making his child support payments. As well he should be.

The entire focus of this email is me, me, me. The author cares nothing about anyone else and obviously doesn't understand the top three rules of marketing, which are:

#1: Focus on your customer

#2: Focus on your customer

#3: Focus on your customer

I used to take the time to help people see that a major reason for their lack of success is that they aren't putting the needs of their customers first. Generally, though, their response is to argue with me that once they're making money, then they can afford to care about others. It doesn't work that way.

Does this mean that all caring and decent people are certain to succeed while selfish ones are certain to fail? No, but offering value to the customer is definitely the starting place of success.

Sometimes I do help people who are down on their luck and can't pay me anything, but this guy won't be one of them. His callous disregard for others is repulsive. My delete key is the perfect response to this selfish man.