If you've been reading my blog for a while, you've probably noticed that I tend to say exactly what's on my mind. Sometimes, that will have nothing to do with AdSense or Internet marketing. It might be something to do with my life. It could be something that happened to me. Or it might just be one of my occasional rants brought on by... well, anything really. I'm not what you would call "politically correct". In fact, as long as I am speaking my mind, I'll just say that political correctness is for the birds!
I don't apologize for speaking my mind. Heck, if I'm lucky enough to have a big audience, you can bet I'm going to use it.
But those little posts and emails have an effect.
No, I'm not talking about the nice chat with the people at American Furniture Warehouse after my post about their customer service. (Although that did work out very well.)
And I'm not talking about the sense of satisfaction that comes with getting a rant off my chest. (Although that's very nice too.)
I'm talking about the relationship that I build with my readers.
People come back to my site because they trust me. They know I'm not going to hold back to save their feelings. If someone doesn't like what I say and doesn't come back, well... bye.
That's not just true of my "opinion" posts though. It's also true of my Internet marketing posts. And that's the point. Because my users trust me, they trust that the advice I give them is accurate and honest. They follow it, and they get the results I know they can achieve.
You can do the exact same thing with your site. Don't be afraid to make it personal. In fact let your personality and your character come through. When you build a relationship with your clients, you create a loyal customer base -- and that's what brings you repeat traffic and a high clickthrough rate.
What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear them, so please post your comments below. And don't try to be politically correct! ;-)
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
March 1, 2007 01:09 AM
Of course I agree, Joel. I have a very personal style myself. This causes me a lot of loyal subscribers, but also letters of the following type. Funny enough, I received the two letters with only one hours distance.
Letter 1 (resume): I expected to get tips and tricks, and in stead I hear about your dog, your husband and your house. That stinks. Let me out of here!
Letter 2 (resume): I love your letters. They are so personal, and they really show that they are coming from a real person and not a robot.
Well, I didn't miss the first person much, but the second, and many people like him, made me very happy, and it seems worth while to continue to write to people.
March 1, 2007 01:50 AM
I completely agree, Joel. I've been posting to my blog for nearly 5 years now, but it's only in the past few months that I've really come to experience how powerful it can really be. A few recent examples come to mind. I helped at least 3 people figure out how to change the font of line numbers in Word. I helped about 32 people with a common Windows permissions error. And I helped about 21 people fix an error with TortoiseSVN.
Those are just a couple recent cases, but there are countless others. Blogs are simply amazing. I know that I personally find many of the answers I'm looking for in blogs, so it makes sense that Google and other search engines should want to put them (the reputable ones, at least) near the very top of their search results. When more blogs appear in the results, (if they're good ones) searchers will be more satisfied.
I admit that there have been times when I held back from expressing my full thoughts because I didn't think it was appropriate for the public online space. Your post has encouraged me to be more vocal and use my blog to its fullest potential. I hope it only gets better from here.
March 1, 2007 05:21 AM
Political correctness is a social cancer. I refuse to censor my words because some cry-baby is too much of a wuss to deal with honest truth.
I agree with you 100% Joel. Stand up for what you believe in, and have the testicular fortitude to defend it.
As long as your opinion doesn't contradict my own (I am, after all, ALWAYS right), then you're right on the money :-)
Take it easy man,
Lee
March 1, 2007 05:25 AM
I would not normally sound off in such a public forum, but I'm more than a little upset and you invited this comment - so here goes.
In January I ordered your monthly templates and that started a long saga of email back and forth with your support staff, who finally sorted things out, although I still haven't yet received my package. UPS say it's on the way though, so I suspect it'll be here any day now.
But that's not why I'm writing.
You say that you are someone who can be trusted and that you pride yourself on your customer service. Well take a good look in the mirror Joel.
After 10 years online I've experienced some good and bad customer service, but yours is certainly in the latter category.
I have even attempted to contact you twice, through your 'personal' support system and by email and I haven't even had the courtesy of a reply.
What makes it even worse is that, while all this was going on, I kept receiving emails from you about how wonderful your new house was and each one of these emails simply made me more and more angry as I found myself thinking - yes, and I'm helping to pay for it!
I don't doubt your ability and your success when it comes to making money with adsense and the products that I have purchased are excellent. But this recent experience has left a very bad taste in the mouth and will certainly make me think twice about buying from you again, no matter how good the product.
Why is it that you have time to write copiously on all sorts of subjects here on your blog and elsewhere, but can't even find the time to acknowledge an email from an unhappy customer?
I guess time will tell, as it does with everything in this life.
March 1, 2007 05:43 AM
Okay, the epitome of political incorrectness: Jesus Christ is Lord of the universe! And the ONLY way to heaven. However, unlike some other "exclusionary" belief systems, the "ticket to heaven" Christ provides is available to EVERYONE. No special lineage, race, color, creed, sex, etc. required. Anyone can come in.
Jesus also happens to be my personal Lord & Savior, and I want to do everything I can to reflect His light back into the world, even with my online endeavors. In fact, the website I posted with this blog entry is a prime example. I bought (paid very good money for) that "franchise" in November. But I have done virtually nothing in terms of promoting it. AND I'm paying $50 per month in ongoing fees for it. Why have I not promoted it? There are subcategories of "stuff" on the site that, as a Christian, I just can't support. And until the "subcategory filter" is available to allow me to filter out the offensive works, I just will not promote it and risk damaging my witness.
Should you be yourself on your sites? Absolutely! Don't ever compromise your ethics (unless, of course, you have BAD ethics, which should be continually compromised - oh, and if that's the case, you need to find out more about Christ).
So there. Totally politically incorrect. Totally true. Amen.
Scott
Scott Sutherland
Oviedo, FL
March 1, 2007 05:55 AM
So who "invented" political correctness?
A bald man is bald regardless of how you say it - follicly challenged or otherwise. I've got white skin & greying hair (very early in life I add :)) and it's fine by me if I'm called "a grey haired white ..."
As long as the comments are accurate and not abusive then this nonsense called polictal correctness should be placed firmly where it belongs.
I can't understand why some people try to be something else other than they are, especially in print - I call that two faced. Certainly it is important to keep customers happy & provide an outstanding service BUT sometimes the customer is wrong & they need to be told. Let the real you shine through - not everyone will like it but many will.
Wizzer
March 1, 2007 06:12 AM
yup customer relationship is the key
March 1, 2007 06:31 AM
I disagree, Joel. While there are forums for political opinion and forums for product information, I think they need to be seperate.
My father was a successful businessman who was not hesitant to rant about problems of the world, but he would not put a political campaign sign in his store window. If each sign only turned away one customer, you would soon have no customers, he said.
Cheers,
March 1, 2007 06:46 AM
I think your blogs and the information you give is excellent.
I have been wondering, however, about the squidoo video link that always shows a night scene, is this a 'traffic tactic' or something else?
If it is a tactic tell us how it works.
March 1, 2007 07:28 AM
Joel
I've got to say I agree with Donald Saunders comment.
You are a marketing machine and have some good materials but your customer service is plain bad.
I ordered $19.95 worth of stuff and was charged over $59. I then tried to get the overcharge removed and was told it was because I had ordered a CD (of which I have no recollection).
Because I live in the UK I said don't waste your money sending it to me. I don't want it and I want a refund on the difference ie c $40.
Your customer service dept said they would not / could not do that. I would have to wait for the CD, send it back by post (presumably at my expense) and then claim a refund. Crazy.
Anyway. Three weeks later I still have received no package and so I'm left with a very bad taste in the mouth.
Anyway I bet neither you nor your CS dept will even read this never mind do anything about it.
(If you do, I'll happily do another post saying how great you have become!)
March 1, 2007 07:37 AM
Hi Joel,
I have gone throughout nearly the whole of your course “AD Sense Secret” and I have also read your book “AdSenseTraffic”.
About the “AD Sense”, I am not sure whether I am able to ask you a few questions.
About the “AD Sense Referrals”, if happen that one of my recruits was caught cheating AD Sense, I am definitely sure that the cheater will be suspended, but what will happen to the referrer? Will the referrer will also be banned? As a referrer (or Sponsor), I do not have any control over what my recruits are doing.
My second question, about the “AdSenseTraffic”,but unfortunately you did not go in depth about the “AD Words Arbitrage”. Do you have another course which you go more in depth to the “Arbitrage”
Regards
Andre Lee
March 1, 2007 08:13 AM
Hi Joel,
It's a pleasure to receive your emails. I am on a lot of lists, but I never tire of your reading daily emails. It is refreshing to have a marketer speak their mind, instead a daily barrage of sales hype.
Your Friend,
Steve Renner
March 1, 2007 09:04 AM
Joel,
Political correctness is for idiots. With that said there are times to keep your mouth shut and times to speak your mind..its not correctness, it's timing.
I guess if you go with the flow of the political correctness you would consider a Blog a place to voice your opinion. In my opinion all these folks who rant on their blogs about this and that are destroying the power of a blog. Clogging the engines with who cares information.
I use the web for research and enjoyment and I truly hate finding a misleading headline in a feed or search only to find when I get there some high tooting bumble head ranting about BS...who cares.
BTW - dude, you need to drive to the Rocky's. Your web cam is taking pictures of the foothills. If you think that view is great you are going to be in for a huge wonderful shock when you see the 'mountains'
AFW - omg...1 week in town and your screwing with the King Jake...must be the lack of oxygen to your head( no worries, you'll get use to it). I am almost positive, fact I am positive that no-one and AFW seen your post about them on a search engine and I don't think they care. Jake has made a good name for himself here over the last 30 years and if you think 'Joel Comm' ranting about his experience with his company on a blog is going to effect him..you are delusional. You should ask your god fearing buddy Eric for guidance - (I just spit my coffee up with statement)
I wonder if this post will be deleted like Eric deletes his commments if he doesnt agree.?!?
Welcome to Colorado..
Regards
March 1, 2007 10:05 AM
Hey Joel,
You provide valuable information and great products. You have established your credibility and now people want to hear what's on your mind, politically correct or incorrect.
If people don't like what you have to say, then you have created controversy, which is not a bad marketing tactic in and of itself.
Also no matter what you say, you must mean it. It must be sincere. People can read through posts that are not sincere, no matter what you are saying.
A great way to write what you are thinkiing is to keep adigital audio recorder handy. Every time you have a thought you want to share, verbalize it as if you would to a friend sitting next to you. Don't hold back, say exactly what comes to mind. Then when you are ready to post about it, write what you recorded verbatim (except for a few edits that might make it easier to read).
Anyway, keep calling it like you see it.
March 1, 2007 10:19 AM
When I made this post, I knew it would bring customer services issues out in the open, and I am glad for that. It provides me with an opportunity to demonstrate how things like this should be handled properly.
So, allow me to address them please.
Donald, I have a support staff to handle customer service issues because there is no way I can humanly handle it all myself. It's just not doable.
With that said, we are dealing with several issues that have created problems for me and a handful of my customers.
1) Serious growing pains. And I mean painful pains... We didn't anticipate the growth we have and we are trying to grow the organization in an effective manner to better manage the growth.
2) We just moved from Oklahoma to COlorado, losing an employee and having to deal with an increasing number of issues. The move has set us back some.
3) My main support guy has had the flu. Ouch. That set us back as well.
4) Fulfillment issues. A few customers had their orders misdelivered or lost by UPS or USPS. I wish I could take the blame for this, but once the package is in the hands of a carrier, there isn't much we can do except wait.
5) Goof ups. Mistakes happen. A few customers receive a monthly templates package without the starter kit. When this is brought to our attention, we strive to make it right asap. And sometimes we just plain get it wrong. Again, my goal is to make sure that all is made well. Unfortunately, when you are dealing with as many customers as we are, it is nearly impossible to bat 100%.
Donald, I See that your 3rd edition shipped on 2/12 and your starter kit shipped late on 2/22. I apologize for this.
You will not be billed for Month #4. I have instructed my support team to send you the disc complimentary as a way of thanking you for your patience, and for being a customer.
I see Simon has also posted... so I'll say this.
I'm not sure what you ordered, but we don't include any materials unless you check the box and click the "buy" button. So if something has shipped to you, it is customary to have it returned before getting a refund. Since you didn't include an email on your blog post, I can't seem to locate your order. However, rest assured that my support team handled the issue properly. We can't be responsible for what you put in the cart when you place your order. But we are happy to provide a refund upon return of any product.
Whenever I post something like I did today, it is bound to bring out those who have fallen through the cracks in some way. I really hate that this happens, because I know how it feels when it happens to me.
Again, please know that I intend to make every customer happy, not just with my product, but with the entire fulfillment process. We've still got some kinks to work out, and I hope that more people are able to compliment our efforts... and the product. :-)
Sincerely,
Joel
March 1, 2007 10:23 AM
In America, saying Jesus Christ is the lord of the universe IS political correctness.
It's the opposite that isn't
For example...
Religion sucks and makes for idiotic drones.
There.
Enjoy, Lee
March 1, 2007 10:25 AM
Greg,
I am happy to leave your comments stand. Though I find it interesting that you berate those who blather on about those who rants... and then proceed to rant on my blog. Oh, the irony! It's ok... I am a good sport. ;-)
1) I've been to the rockies. That's one of the reasons I moved here. I love it! Infortunately, the view from my office only sees a bit of the back range. But I like living in a more populated area... living in the mountains is not for me at this point in my life.
2) As for my AFW rant, I've already gotten the attention of "King Jake"'s minions. See my follow up at The Power of the Blog. You'll find that your conclusions are mistaken.
Warm regards,
Joel
March 1, 2007 10:58 AM
Joel, it sounds like you are talking about two separate issues.
1-Political (in)correctnes
2-Personalization of customer interactions.
Other posters replied that there is a time and place for political incorrectness. I agree. IMO a good business person knows when to tread lightly and when to let it fly.
Communicating on a personal level with the customer base is a whole different topic. You know personal communication is a HUGE part of developing a return customer base. It can be biased or neutral, politically, religiously, etc, and it can have various degrees of political (in)correctness. A subtle degree of political incorrectness can draw customers back by creating a "Yah, I can relate" or "hmmm, this is a real person" mentality, but lay on some bold or crass political incorrectness and you will most likely drive a percentage of the customer base away..."This guy's a frikkin idiot."
So here's my crass politically incorrect rant...
Hunter, I'm all for saving gas and having smarter drivers.
But deaths on the highway are necessary. To exist as a species we have to follow the rules of equilibrium. We try to circumvent it and keep every human life going for as long as possible with better medical technology and better social programs of all sorts. But people HAVE to die. Period. The ways and means are beyond our control. We could in theory create better driver training and regulations and eliminate the 3,000,000 highway fatalities but those 3,000,000 saved lives will be replaced by 3,000,000 somewhere else on the planet. Maybe not in an 1:1 equal ratio, but averaged over long periods of time it might be close. A new dictator might pop up in some 3rd world country and kill off 100,000 people, a hurricane or other natural disaster might sweep through and kill off another 100,000. We wipe out the black plague and other deadly infectious diseases only to have HIV/AIDS sweep in and take out a few million in place of the other diseases. Back to the smarter drivers... had we been able to better train the people responsible for those 3,000,000 deaths, who's to say 3,000,000 new idiot drivers don't jump into their place. By having X number of cars on the roads, Y number of related deaths will occur.
Sorry, it just bugs me when I hear people spouting off about some new program that can save so many lives per year. NO, it can't, not in the big picture. Our loved ones and we ourselves are going to die. We have to accept that to have a balanced existence. But yah, I'm all for keeping somebody I know alive a little bit longer and letting some 3rd world kid die in his place. That is, after all, what you are suggesting.
March 1, 2007 11:03 AM
Joel,
Quite some time ago I ordered your AdSense Templates (which I have nearly gotten to with my busy life as a musician & graphic designer) :-). The order turned out to be terribly problematic because somehow I was charged twice, and my bank was hitting me with horrendous overdraft fees just at a time when I was getting back on my feet financially and it hurt (I had to skip a couple meals to drive myself to work, kind of hurt). Anyway, I called for help and you yourself got on the phone, spoke with the bank teller, and totally took care of the problem. It was a reminder to me of how I need to behave as a businesswoman-- responsibly, and with care and awareness of my customers. I think you are the 'real deal', I enjoy reading your e-mails and hearing what you have to say.
March 1, 2007 11:34 AM
Joel. You say tell it like it is, well here it is. I'm really tired of all the free things you promote. Because a lot of things you promote you say it's free. I then click on and find I have to buy this 97 dollar or 197 dollar product. Then I get what you say is free.
The absolute truth is I have a hard time putting my confidence in someone who has to trick people to send them to buy things.
Well maybe that's the Internet way. But this does not make me feel you are trustworthy.
I would have a lot more trust in someone who just comes out and says: I've managed to get this awesome ebook, or software, or whatever included for free, with this other awesome product only through my link for my customers.
Then I could trust you because you told me the truth. Then maybe that cuts back on profits. So my only question is what kind of person are you really Joel?
Well Here's What I Really Think. I really do not expect to see this posted.
Thanks, Lou from Http://www.fun-working-from-home.com.
March 1, 2007 11:50 AM
Louis,
I appreciate your comments. Offering a "free" item with a purchase or one thing or another did not begin with me or other internet marketers. It is as old as advertising itself. Check out television and radio commercials. Go to your grocery store. You will see many promotions for "free" items, that are indeed "free". They merely require that you purchase something else in order to get the other item for free.
That is the truth.
Besides, I do offer a NUMBER of things for free. Over the past couple months, I've referred my customers to no less than 7 products or services that were free with no requirement to purchase anything to get the product at no cost.
Best,
Joel
March 1, 2007 04:08 PM
Greetings from the UK, you've got a very good blog here and your ebooks are excellent. Cheers Joel!
March 1, 2007 06:16 PM
Joel:
May I suggest ranting with a promise of content later in the blog?
Or allow a point in the blog to 'reming' you of something that happened to you, then resume speed til you finish.
Jesus is Lord but why must we advertise him so constantly? Let's allow some of the populace to find Him for themselves.
Deaths on the highway are a Darwinian phenomenon. Cell phone operation, personal grooming, etc simply thin the herd of the traits which would otherwise breed on in the human race. Safety programs CAN work but they WON'T, because the problems always apply to 'someone else'. More Darwin at work.
Keep up the good work, when it IS good and cull the rest, if you recognize it.
March 1, 2007 06:42 PM
I see I am not the first one who is not a cheerleader, Joel. I read most of your emails, and occasionally come to your site, but not because I trust you. I receive emails from you and your friends and colleagues everyday. Every once in a while there is a good tip, or even a free tool that is useful. But, like a previous writer said, some things that you claim are "absolutely free" aren't. There is only one internet business adviser (never listed as a guru) whom I would say I trust almost completely, and it is not you.
I started paying attention to you a few months ago when you advised approaching this as a business. But since then, it is obvious that all of your correspondence with us is part of your marketing effort. And I hope that not many of your followers take the same road you are taking.
I am trying to start a business on the internet to provide a service and earn a little money, not to waste money, or take people's money without providing something valuable in return.
For the last few months, you and your colleagues have bombarded my mailbox almost daily with things you want me to buy. I've had my head turned around several times about how to succeed at everything if I only fork out another $97.00.
I finally said to myself, "STOP!" I already have all the e-books and all the tools necessary to succeed, and I haven't had time to build my website yet.
And why should I buy an e-book for $97.00 when I can get a better book at the bookstore for $10.00?
And guess what? The latest tool that you are all raving about - the viral "refer-a-friend" thing: I have it already - got it free from the original designer. They sent it out a few days before MF launched his product.
I never did care for political correctness. I also don't care for using "political incorrectness" as a gimmick. I agree that we should speak our minds in the proper place. Sometimes, as a previous writer pointed out, the place of business is not the proper place to talk about politics or religion.
Have a good day.
Keep a smile on your face, and a dance in your feet.
Jerry
P.S. I hope that you will read these "negative" posts and revise your thinking. Although I do not much appreciate your approach to personal success now, I believe you are a good person. That should mean more to you than being a successful marketer. This world village is a good thing that you started. I cannot see how you could get anything but positive feedback about this. Think about that. And think about your frame of mind when you started world village, and maybe you'll see these negative posts as more beneficial to you than anything the top marketing gurus have ever done for you. Think about it.
March 1, 2007 06:44 PM
Hey Joel,
Always tell it like it is, but never to hurt others, only in the interest of speaking the Truth. While I'm on the subject, your snail slow "fly in" is EXTREMELY annoying. :-) On quite another note.. I think some folks should re-read their bible. Jesus Christ is not, nor ever was, the Lord of the Universe. Genesis 1:1 clearly states: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." When we look beyond the teachings of organized religion to what Jesus really taught (including not to worship him), we discover a vastly different world. In His actual teaching He was trying to tell us that WE are also Sons and Daughters of God and therefore as capable of doing what he did as he was and instructed us to find the Kingdom of Heaven Within. But victimhood has been drilled in our heads from birth.. that we are somehow flawed.. ie.. born in sin that even 2000 years later we still are missing his most important teachings. (The literal translation of "sin" BTW is "to err".. or to "make a mistake", which is not at all a big deal). He taught us that we were not to WORSHIP Christ, we were to BECOME AS Christ through finding the Kingdom of Heaven.. ie.. God within us. Most importantly perhaps, was the Love that Jesus taught us to live and to be. So we should not seek to accept Jesus as our "Lord and Saviour", but rather to live as He taught and to become true Sons of God. That is not to say that we should not seek to establish a personal relationship with the Christ however, because we absolutely should, but we can do that through Buddha or Krishna as well. Whatever our path, the bottom line is that we must live in and from Love.. always. No exceptions. It's the only way.. and it's the only way He and all great Masters have taught.
All the best,
Jon Michael
March 1, 2007 08:56 PM
Jon Michael, you will find a great deal of disagreement on this issue. But this post was not intended to start a theological debate. We'll save that for another day. :-)
Jerry, not everyone can be a fan. But I appreciate you being on my list and keeping up with me just the same.
For the record, I never label myself as a "guru". Other people do that. I'm just a guy who has succeeded in this field.
I review a good many products, but not every product I review is for everyone. I believe I always provide something valuable in return, and frequently give away value without asking for anything in return.
If you are inundated with email, perhaps you should remove yourself from a few lists?
Why buy an ebook? Many people like the convenience and instant gratification of purchasing an ebook. There are times when I purchase ebooks and other times when I purchase books in the store. Many ebooks are not available in printed form, so there are no alternatives.
Regarding Viral Friend Generator, I don't believe you received the same program. The one you claim to have received for free was a cheap knock-off without the same quality of features or support offered by Mike's program.
Where is the proper place to talk about politics and religion? I guess that depends on the person who has the platform. It's really up to others to engage or ignore, but I think it is just as inappropriate for others to dictate when others should or should not discuss a topic. Since it's my blog, I can mix politics and religion with business if I so choose. And I reserve the right to not allow the same speech from others on my blog. But, as you can see from your post being approved, I allow a good many things... even those with negative opinions.
I appreciate your comments about WorldVillage and my other sites. I enjoy building them, just as I enjoy teaching people how to make money online.
Warm regards,
Joel
March 2, 2007 11:07 AM
Hi Joel,
Just stopped by to say that one of the many reasons I am attracted to your products is primarily because you are speaking your mind, in your own unique way and I admire your courage!
March 2, 2007 07:54 PM
If you can't get personal and brutally honest on your blog, then what is this world coming to. That's why blogs are so great. You talk about whatever you want to whomever will listen. Those who get offended should leave and go to blogs that speak to their needs.
Forget about political correctness! Your blog should stimulate us to respond, like I'm doing now.