Alexis Dawes

Long time no see, huh?

I’ve been in a serious writing phase these past few months. Creating new reports, constructing new strategies, testing those strategies, writing some more.

In between all of that, three things have happened.

1) I moved.
This time from New York City to Center City, Philadelphia. One incident that prompted this move was the guy who bypassed my buildings concierge, and followed me and my daughter into the elevator. The hairs on the back of my neck bristled like a porcupine because he didn’t press a floor when he got on the elevator.

By the 3rd floor (I lived on 14) I dropped my shopping bags, removed my gloves, turned to face him, looked him directly in the eyes and gave him a look to let him know that he wasn’t going to catch me by surprise.

Even though he could’ve been going to see another person on my floor, I just knew that wasn’t the case. I was 100% sure he was going to harm me. It was a distinct feeling that I absolutely couldn’t ignore.

In the movie New Jack City, there’s a scene where Ice-T (a rapper in real life, but a cop in the movie) is telling a story about a thug who killed his mother in order to be initiated into a gang. It was a random killing.

Well THAT was the thought I had as soon as that elevator door closed. It was truly a gut feeling at its best.

Long story short - it didn’t get gory, but it did get scary. He was found waiting for me to come out of my apartment. In fact, when he ‘attacked’, he didn’t know it was the police coming out of my apartment.

I packed up, found a gorgeous condo in Philadelphia, overlooking Rittenhouse Square, and the rest is history.

All hail the portable lifestyle of information product creation!

BTW, this isn’t meant to scare anyone away from visiting NYC. I still feel very safe in the city. I just didn’t feel like the building I was living in was secure anymore. And for the money you have to pay to live in NYC, the stress of that incident took A LOT away from me.

I’m a pansy that way - a pansy who’s determined to be around for a long time.

2) Meanwhile on the Internet… last month I realized that I had a super scamming affiliate.

He had two Paydotcom usernames - both shared a similar phrase.

He sent a number of orders for Desperate Buyers Only in June. I paid him for those sales on July 1st. In July I started getting more orders from him.

Then all of sudden, I started getting chargebacks. First it was one a day, for three days. Then one day I got like four chargebacks. I looked at where the sales came from, and sure enough they all came from that one affiliate.

And all the customer e-mail addresses looked exactly the same - first name, last name, with a Gmail or Yahoo domain. Or first name, last name, and a number.

I went through and refunded the rest of the orders he sent, terminated my relationship with him, and closed the DBO affiliate program to new applicants.

I was so pissed off! Especially since I’d just gone through that PayPal account freezing incident this year.

Apparently Paydotcom got complaints about this person, and they reported him to PayPal. I also reported him to PayPal as soon as the chargebacks started coming in. But that call probably fell on deaf ears.

When I called PayPal about the incident, the rep didn’t even know what an affiliate program was! That’s idiotic.

How the heck can PayPal put their reps on the line to talk about e-commerce issues, and a rep NOT know what an affiliate does? There’s something wrong that picture.

That incident further prompted me to continue launching my new products with Google Checkout.

Speaking of new products and Google Checkout, I’ve been VERY pleased with the service so far. I’ve been with them for 5 months, and I have nothing to complain about.

Amen to that one.

3) As I mentioned in a previous blog post (when PayPal originally froze my account) I’m currently adding more print products to my lineup.

First off, when you snail-mail your products you have a tracking number. So you have fewer problems with chargebacks. In fact, when I did print products early on in my career, I won around 75% of my chargeback cases because I was able to provide tracking information, and show that the person signed for the delivery. (They frequently claimed they didn’t get anything.)

But even more important - (because in reality, chargebacks and problem transactions are the exception - not the norm) - print products create a better long-term image.

I think we all get a little excited and anxious when we’re waiting for something in the mail. I order at least one thing from Amazon nearly every, single week, because I like getting stuff in the mail - (and I read a helluva lot).

As I’m bombarded with information online, I can appreciate being able to pop something in my bag to read at the park.

Yes, e-books are far easier to deliver, and they give the customer the benefit of instant gratification.

But when you want to start going into higher price points - as I wish to do, you’ve gotta go print.

So my brand new $129 product - The Good and Fast Content Creation Formula - is print. And that’s just the beginning.

In case you’re wondering, I’ll talk about The Good and Fast Content Creation Formula later this week.

Until then!

There are some sa-a-a-a-d Powersellers out there this week.

According to Brian Burke, eBay’s Director of Global Feedback Policy, “To preserve the integrity of the Feedback system, effective March 31 all goods that can be digitally downloaded or transferred electronically must be listed using the Classified Ads format.”

They’re apparently doing this for two reasons:

1. Ebooks can be easily reproduced.
2. This can lead to feedback manipulation.

Okay so let’s not overlook the obvious… feedback manipulation does exist.

I’ve read ebooks where authors have suggested that you buy 100 cheap ebooks (under $1 each) as a tactic to raise your feedback score quickly. A new seller with 100+ feedbacks looks more reliable at first glance.

But it also works the other way around. Sellers also list a bunch of $.01 ebooks to boost their feedback rating as well.

However I’m having a hard time believing that feedback manipulation was rampant enough for them to halt digital product auctions altogether.

And then to only give 7 frickin’ days lead time is almost criminal to long-time sellers. (eBay JUST made the announcement on March 24.)

In any case, if you want to sell your ebooks on eBay you’ll have to pay $9.95 a month for a 30-day classified listing. It looks like you can still feature your ad, bold it, etc. Plus you can provide a direct link to your website.

But as Alan LeStourgeon over at Affiliate Confession pointed out, “Auctions excite people into making a buying decision, classified ads don’t.”

I agree. I’m an eBay shopper, and each time I’ve seen those classified ads I’ve scanned right past them. The whole countdown concept of an auction is what forces people into a faster buying decision.

So What Do I Suggest?

Your best option as this point is to paper-ize your ebook for the eBay market. And if your product isn’t suited for paper, then put it on a DVD or a CD.

If you’re selling cheap ebooks (under $1) , then obviously you’ll have to raise the price to $2-$5 to make it worth your while.

It’s a little more cumbersome. But it gives you the power to stay within the high paced auction game.

And if this announcement has just turned your financial world upside down, you have my deepest condolences…

A couple of years ago I created a report where I examined the completed auctions of a few Powersellers who were selling cheap ebooks.

One seller was making something like $3K a week - and all of the ebooks he sold were $1 or less. I was stunned.

I can only imagine how those sellers feel right now.

I virtually weep for you.

1. They seem like they take FOREVER to write. If I remember correctly, it took me almost 6 weeks to crank out the sales copy for Desperate Buyers Only. It normally takes around 2 weeks before I feel like a sales letter is ready for human visual consumption.
2. Once you spend all that time perfecting the sales letter, there’s no guarantee of sales. And after 2+ weeks of working on a single piece of sales copy, you’re going to feel a wee bit crappy if sales are slow.
3. Certain groups of people hate long sales letters. I’ve actually had a couple of affiliates e-mail me to say that they won’t promote DBO because the sales copy is too long.
4. Every so often I get a random e-mail from some fruit cake who scolds me about me overly promotional ways. No doubt, they’re referring to my sales copy.

But in spite of all the reasons I just gave, I see my own future filled with lots more long detailed sales letters. And for one good reason… they produce sales.

And I think what most naysayers forget is that sales copy is A LOT more than mere words on a page.

Long sales copy is the equivalent of me (the salesperson) selling you (the buyer) a $2K dress by telling you how another customer got her fiance to marry her while wearing said dress. Long sales copy is me fixing the dress on you… clasping a necklace around your neck and handing you the perfect mini clutch so you can get the full effect.

You ever go into one of those home goods stores (like Bed, Bath and Beyond here in the States) and get stuck sitting on one of those massage chairs? Long sales copy is having the test massager constantly running on a chair.

Long sales copy is Ikea’s children’s play area. Parents drop off their kids before they start shopping, allowing them the time to shop longer.

Short Copy is a Ticking Time Bomb for Disaster

If you let a desperate buyer leave your site, they’re probably NOT going to come back. Why? Because they’re desperate for a solution. They want answers now.

You can’t be stingy with your sales copy when people want answers AND they’re in a position to buy your product right there and then.

You have to answer all of their questions. You have to make them feel like you identify with their situation. You have to show them the end result of using your information. You have to make them feel comfortable about buying from you – a complete and total stranger.

And that doesn’t happen in 5-6 paragraphs. Period.

So even if you’re cussing the technique, suck it up, and keep on writing. The career you save by being a little chatty just might be your own.