Taking the Mystery Out of Mystery Shoppers

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Who wouldn't love to try luxurious products for free? It's this premise that entices many people to become mystery shoppers.

Market researchers often solicit real consumers to anonymously evaluate the quality of a product or service by purchasing it and then reporting back. It's a seemingly great deal for consumers -- mystery shoppers are reimbursed for their expenses and get to keep the product.

But beware: There are a number of fraudulent mystery-shopping promoters waiting to pounce. In fact, last week the Federal Trade Commission charged a company called Mystery Shop Link with promoting fraudulent claims to consumers who lost millions of dollars because of the service. In a written release, the FTC states:

"In exchange for the $99.95 fee for one year of service, consumers thought they would be trained and certified as mystery shoppers, and would gain access to job postings available through the company, with enough paid assignments available to ensure a steady part-time or full-time income. Instead, consumers received a worthless certification and access to re-postings of other mystery shopping assignments posted by other companies, who were unrelated to the defendants. Consumers still had to apply for these jobs, most of them low-paying, and had no advantage over anyone else who found the postings elsewhere for free."

So how do you find a legitimate mystery shopping gig? First of all, know that you will almost never have to pay to become one. If you come across an ad promoting a mystery shopping service that requires you to fork over any cash, move on.

Also, you should avoid mystery shopping promoters who claim they can get you "certified." Companies that need mystery shoppers usually require no such thing. And if you get a pitch to become a mystery shopper by e-mail or see an ad in your newspaper's "help wanted" section, it's probably best to move on.

To make sure you're not swindled, follow these steps from the FTC to find a real mystery shopping job:

• Do a Web search of mystery shopping companies. Look for ones that are accepting applications -- and don't charge a fee for you to complete it.
• Do your homework. There are many books available on the subject, such as "The Mystery Shopper's Manual" and "How to Become a Mystery Shopper." Read up and understand what it takes to be a good mystery shopper.
• Start with the Mystery Shopping Providers Association Web site at www.mysteryshop.org. You can find out how to register with an MSPA member company, browse available jobs and feel confident that the ones represented there are legitimate.

Source: StartupJournal | Retailing

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Claude Hopkins Prophetic Insights

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In 1918 Claude Hopkins published the book "Scientific Advertising." This book was so revolutionary - and so fundamentally correct - that I can say the following with a straight face:

Every person who is successfully selling online in 2007 is following Claude Hopkins' advice from 89 years ago, whether they know it or not.

In fact Bryan Todd and I consider Scientific Advertising such a landmark text that in our own book "The Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords" (now at your local bookstore), each chapter has a segment called 'Advice from Uncle Claude' where his sage advice applies to today.

At the end of Scientific Advertising, he makes a statement that for decades appeared to be tragically, almost dangerously wrong:

"Most national advertising is done without testing. It is merely presumed to pay. Such methods, still so prevalent, are not very far from their end. The advertising men who practice them see the writing on the wall. The time is fast coming when men who spend money are going to know what they get. Good business and efficiency will be applied to advertising. Men and methods will be measured by the known returns, and only competent men can survive.

Only one hour ago an old advertising man said to me, "The day for our type is done. Bunk has lost its power. Sophistry is being displaced by actuality. And I tremble at the trend."

Little did Uncle Claude know that TV would come, and with it, stupid slogans and talking socks and hundreds of billions of dollars of ads that nobody ever bothered to measure. Surely he was rolling in his grave.

But then the Internet came... and Pay Per Click, an auction where bids in every niche would be different... and 89 years later Uncle Claude turned out to be exactly right.

In 2007, the nonsense is being pounded out of advertising at breakneck speed.

This is bad, bad news for the bunk and sophistry guys. And media queen ad reps who persuade with mini-skirts and succulent cleavage. But it's good news for you and me. And the thing that Hopkins couldn't have forseen was how entire niches and new markets are now created almost overnight, just by understanding your customers and responding to their needs.

At the beginning, this whole PPC game looks really easy. ("Loookeee here, honnnnny, we're gonna get riiiiiiiccchh with thiiiiiiis!") Then you do it for awhile... and fork over your tuition at the School Of Hard Knocks.

Fun, fun, fun.

Those who persist, though, begin to break through. With competent mentoring, it takes about six weeks to 'get it.' You begin to see through the haze... Oh, it's about the conversation inside the customer's head. It's about matching your offering, your message, your story to their desire, then following through and delivering satisfaction.

Once you get it to work, it's addictive. You can't get enough.

Perry Marshall, perrymarshall.com

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