Buying an IM Product? First Ask Yourself These 10 Questions!

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This is the first post of the year at BlogPiG.com and I hope it finds you very well indeed.

As we all plan and dream for 2011, many of us will consider buying solutions which promise to help us achieve our aims.

Someone in this very position posted this question on a large Internet Marketing forum earlier today:

Do you believe in software making $xx,xxx a month?

This person was fed up with responding to claims such as this by handing over his credit card, only to be disappointed when the product didn’t deliver. I won’t bang on about the morals of this situation here, we all know this selling tactic is used in IM.

Anyway, this question prompted me to say as part of my response:

“People need to realise that claims of vast wealth are not what should influence their purchase decision when considering a product.”

But the promise of earning five figures a month is pretty compelling, right? And if you don’t use the claimed earning potential to assess if the product is right for you, what should you consider?

A lot of you will have learnt this lesson already but I thought I’d share, as humbly as I can, my suggested approach to any purchase of any info product, piece of software or money-making-system on the web.

First of all I would recommend you keep this in mind:

Any software, or indeed info product or system you ever buy should be treated by you as a tool in your toolbox, not as the Holy Grail.

Other tools you will have to rely on are:

Knowledge: the information you accumulate on your journey through IM
Yourself: your drive, your common sense, your application of knowledge, your action

You need to be up front with yourself about your level of knowledge and you need to be realistic about how much action you can or will take.

Then decide what your next step is within IM. Is it to learn more? Is it to build ten sites? Is it to earn your first $1 or to reach your next $5000? Is it to begin outsourcing or automating more of your work?

Commit to your next step. This next step is now your goal (not earning ‘$63,757′ this month or whatever other random figure someone has planted in your head).

Research your goal and see if you can achieve it without buying a product – I know, a left-field concept from someone who, er, makes and sells products. But really, ask yourself: Have I now got enough knowledge and time to achieve this goal purely through free resources and my own action?

Sometimes the answer will be a pleasantly surprising,’yes!’ In some cases the answer will be no, because your time is just too limited – not enough time to learn more, not enough time to do more. If this is the case, then you can start looking for a product to help you, but you’ll be doing it with more knowledge under your belt.

You’ll also be in control now – you are seeking a product to meet your needs; you are not having a product thrust upon you by someone who knows nothing about your needs, your knowledge level or your ability to take action.

So, you’ve driven your own road to a product you think you need in your tool box. Now, before you hand over your precious cash, here are the top ten questions I’d recommend you ask yourself:

1. Am I clear about what I need the product to do for me?

2. Have I found out about this product through a trusted source e.g. a satisfied customer, a colleague or someone I’ve had positive dealings with before?

3. Do I understand what this product actually does (not the $ it claims it will earn me) e.g. it generates content for my website?

4. Do I understand the non-monetary results I can expect from this product (not the $ it claims to deliver)? e.g. 100 articles per week will be posted to my site

5. Do I understand how much of my time this product will require to get the advertised results?

6. Do I understand who this product is aimed at – novice, intermediate or advanced IMers – and is that person me?

7. Am I confident this product will help me meet my current goal, or am I just hoping it will?

8. Can I afford to do without the money this product will cost me, without going into debt?

9. Do I fully understand the refund policy of this product?

10. Do I honestly have the time to dedicate to this product within the refund period?

Happy with your answers to those questions? Splendid! Then you’ll know to do one of two things; walk away (this will be the most common conclusion you come to) or buy that product and use it immediately!