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Are You A Forum Phantom?

DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
edited June 2007 in Marketing
I am totally amazed at how many people who post on forums claim they want to be successful, yet they do everything they can to sabotage their success by concealing their identities.
No  name, no pic, no address, no phone number, no website, no sig file...If your goal is too become successful online, that`s certainly not the way to do it.
Look at the top marketers. We know their names, where they live, what they look like, etc. That`s how they became top marketers. They developed a trust factor online, by exposing themselves and revealing who they are.
They allowed us to get to know them. And people buy from people they know and trust. That`s an ironclad fact.
Hiding behind a silly avatar and screen name doesn`t instill very much trust. Who or what are you guys hiding from?
Are the cops hot on your trail?...the feds?...a psychopathic ex? Seriously though, would you give your money to a phantom?
Well then, why would you expect anyone to give their money to you? So many people who post on forums are phantoms. Why?
Actually, a better question is, unless you are indeed hiding from the law, why not put yourself out there? The more familiar people are with you, the more people will trust you, the more likely they are to buy from you.
After all, isn`t that why you`re in business in the first place? I just don`t get it.
Now I understand, some people just aren`t very secure in how they look and I respect that. But that really shouldn`t be a concern to you. Here`s why:
It`s not about your looks. It`s all in how you present yourself. It really is.
I can tell you from personal experience, no one cares what you look like...what color you are...whether you`re a man or a woman. If you act and portray yourself as a knowledgeable professional, you`ll be treated like a professional.
Let me give you an example of what I`m talking about:
Remember Ruben Studdard? He won the 2003 American Idol talent contest over fan favorite and runner-up Clay Aiken.
Ruben was a huge, 300-plus pounds black man. In fact, because of his velvety smooth voice and size, he was nicknamed "the velvet teddy bear." But America didn`t care about his weight. The only thing that mattered to the voters was that Ruben Studdard could sing his butt off.
Here`s my thing, if someone is going to judge whether or not they want to do business with you based on your looks, race gender or anything else, you`re better off without that type of client anyway. Who needs `em?
Associating your face with your business has proven to be extremely effective. That`s why whenever you see infomercials on television, they`re not only selling the product or service, they`re selling the person behind the product or service as well.
Look at the television commercials of your local car dealerships. They put their faces front and center, because they understand that people buy from people they know and trust. And the more they see your face, the more they feel they know you and the more they trust you.
It`s all about human psychology. Can you imagine how uncomfortable you would feel, if your next door neighbors wore masks all the time, and you didn`t know their names?
Wouldn`t that freak you out? Would you trust them? Of course, you wouldn`t. Well the same premise applies in marketing. You`ll be more successful, if people know and trust you.
Just make sure you don`t abuse that trust.
Dale King

Comments

  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    Raisecapital02,  this post was mainly written for small business owners like many of us on the forum, not giant corporations.
    That said, you make a valid point about safety. However, there`s a way around the safety issue. If you don`t want people know your home or business address, you can get an alternate address through the UPS Store.
    In addition, if you don`t want people to know your real phone number, you can simply use voice mail.
    You can still reveal your identity without sacrificing your safety.
    Dale KingDKing2007-6-25 13:34:39
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    There is plenty of information about me on my website.
    Nikole, you must be the unhappiest woman in the world. You very rarely have anything positive to say. Don`t you have anything better to do than to take transparent shots at me? So, so sad.
    By the way, I`m not going to let you hijack this thread with your poisonous negativity, so as far as I`m concerned, this conversation between us is over.
    Dale KingDKing2007-6-26 15:55:2
  • stonesledgestonesledge subscriber Posts: 608 Silver Level Member
    To each their own. if someone chooses to share a picture, info etc, that is up to them. I change mine from time to time. Sometimes a picture, sometimes a graphic. My choice. It is one thing to say to someone on the boards "hey you really seem neat, I would like to know more about what you do and why you do it.." It is another to make some shy people or folks who rather be private feel bad. It is a strange world out there and you can`t assume why people do things the way they do. It is their choice...so be happy that people are contributing and helping eachother and don`t worry about what they share in the profiles.
  • InactiveMemberInactiveMember subscriber Posts: 12
    At one time my SUN profile contained a link to a business web site. The web site had an easy to find phone number. We received numerous telephone calls, most of which were sales calls from SUN spammers - MLM types. It was bothersome. Some people put an almost insane value on their privacy. I am one of those people.
  • CookieCookie subscriber Posts: 2
    Hey kids, what gives?  The above exchanges prompted me to look at my OWN profile which I hadn`t looked at in some time & it`s virtually blank!  I`d filled in everything when I joined in `06, except for my picture; location:  Chicago, IL; interests: gardening, reading...   I don`t even remember now what all I wrote.  Anybody know why everything I wrote would vanish?  Could this be why a lot of profiles, when clicked on, show Not Available instead of the person`s info?  Anyone I can complain to, to get the original profile back?
  • drvagdrvag subscriber Posts: 5
    I looked at mine and most of what I had under "what I do" is gone also.
    It only says "Successfully take" now.
  • CookieCookie subscriber Posts: 2
    After my post, I also sent an email to Contact us at SuN telling them about the"vanishing act."  I just checked & my Profile page is back to normal.  Spooky....
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