How would you like to have a product that everyone wanted?…A product that many would give anything for. Something people would think about during much of their waking day. During the commute, or while they should be working. Heck, something that they had to keep from thinking about at church. Such a product exists. And you’re in the target demographic for those marketing it.

Wallets seldom open easier than for money making opportunities.

You see it on the infomercials: Carlton Sheets, Forex Trading, Buying/Selling Contracts, Ebay Powerseller Tips. You see it in the classified section of the Thrifty Nickel or the back of your newspaper. It’s what the MLM industry has been selling for years. Get rich by paying $49.95.

At best, it’s selling shovels to those looking for gold. At worst, it’s selling empty promises to those who don’t know any better way. Is it right to sell “dreams”?

Can you see the similarity between bloggers displaying their earnings on their site and the Amway “Diamond” Distributor showing a photocopy of his check at the “drink the koolaid” convention? Did you know that in the end, Amway made as much from its training tapes and books as it did selling actual product? That’s because what it all boiled down to was selling the dream.

Were some better off because of the sales and “life” training provided by Amway? Were some business and people skills developed that helped Amway distributors achieve things they otherwise couldn’t have? And on the other hand, were some Amway distributors disallusioned, spending lots of time and money chasing something that wasn’t a good fit for them? Would it be fair for a company executive to take credit for the one without taking responsability for the other?

A good blogger or webmaster (and fortunately they’re in the majority), will show the responsability to vet all products for sale on their site. This means they spend $67 to buy an ebook off Clickbank (if they couldn’t get a review copy from the owner), they do so if that’s what they have to in order to review it before offering it as an affiliate. This means responsible advertising - telling the truth about a product rather than pushing it just because it’s the highest potential payout. For bloggers and webmasters, decide now, if you haven’t already, what you’ll do to make sure the “success tools” you sell are what they claim to be, and that they are something you’re willing to put your name behind.

Some things are best decided while the dollars are still small.

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