What About Bill?
August 15th, 2009 by Bob Bly
What would you do about Bill?
Bill B. e-mailed me to say he couldn’t afford my Internet marketing home study course.
Now, there are Internet marketing courses out there costing thousands of dollars.
Mine sells for less than $100, and the week Bill wrote me, I was offering a special discount, selling it for just $77.
So I recommended a less comprehensive ebook I have, which is a good beginner’s guide and sells for only $19.
Bill’s reply was that he would “really appreciate it” if I were to “donate” the book to him (as if he was a charity?) because he would not afford to pay for it.
When I asked him why he should get a free copy while thousands of my customers have paid $19 for it, he chastised me for being uncharitable, greedy, and only caring about making money.
“It’s okay if you can’t help,” Bill wrote. “One day you will understand why helping someone you don’t know feels good — more than the little money on your pocket.”
What do you think I should have done with Bill?
A–Give him the e-book. After all, it’s a PDF, Bob — doesn’t cost you anything.
B–Refuse to donate it. After all, it comes with a money-back guarantee — if Bill doesn’t like it (or even if he does), he can just ask for a refund and it will be free anyway.
C–Other.
If you picked “C: Other,” what would YOU do in this same situation?
Do you agree with Bill that I am a money-grubbing Scrooge?
Or was I more than fair with Bill, pointing him to the cheaper product instead of pushing him to buy the slightly more expensive program?
What say you?
P.S. Would Bill go to the GROCERY STORE and expect them to give him free steaks?
Does his dentist treat him free of charge?
Would he call a plumber and ask the plumber to “donate” his time fixing Bill’s broken toilet?
Why should I, as a writer, not get paid for my expertise and time, while everyone else Bill deals with gets paid by him?
This entry was posted on Saturday, August 15th, 2009 at 11:19 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
August 15th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
C Other — I’d point Bill to some of the blog articles that you’ve posted, that might provide similar information, or at least a starting point, but aren’t as nicely organized as your courses. Or, a link to someone else’s free stuff, if you figure Bill will never be a paying customer anyway.
And the plumber and dentist don’t have a blog, where they provide some free info, and charge for other things. If they did, I’m sure Bill would send them a similar email.
August 15th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
When someone creates something with the intent of selling it, by definition, they don’t give it away for free.
Seems like a nonissue to me. The answer is so obvious.
But… Here’s something I do wonder about… I’ve seen tons of very attractive programs being sold on the internet by copywriting experts. They look very attractive to be sure but many of them sell for many hundreds of dollars.
So… my natural response is this: Couldn’t you get the same benefits by simply buying and studying some of the classic books on copywriting and marketing? Wouldn’t that accomplish the very same thing at a mere fraction of the price?
Moreover, you’d be getting the expertise and perspective of not just one single copywriter, but that of many, which will certainly work to your advantage.
Well… That’s just my personal analysis. Since I’ve never purchased any of those programs and compared them to the classic books – I can’t definitively say what would provide me with the most benefit.
But, nevertheless, I think it’s something worth pondering.
August 15th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I don’t know that I’d have been even close to as polite as you were about it…probably why my wife deals with the humans and I stick to the writing.
It seems like yet another case of someone not showing any respect to what we do. And you’re right…he wouldn’t be able to get those other things for free. And who cares if it’s a PDF?
Do you deserve to get shafted because you’ve found a way to make a recurring income while only having to do the work once? Tell Bill to piss off and stop trying to take advantage of people.
August 15th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Bill is a very experienced and thoughtful scam artist. He needs to be slapped twice and told to get a job and life. While you could give him the book, he’ll never amount to anything, nor achieve any success since he feels he is entitled to charity. This sense of entitlement is sad and will always handicap Bill. Charity is something that should be accepted grudgingly when you are hungry… when you need a place to sleep – you take it if you need it, but you have no entitlement to it. Ultimately, it is everyone’s responsibility to earn their keep, feed themselves.
Your charity would be wasted on Bill. Why not print up 100 copies of your ebook and contribute it to inner city school students? You will surely have more impact.
August 15th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Debra: Among other things, I told him to do exactly as you suggested: I sent him to a page on my site where he can read dozens of my articles on these topics free:
http://www.bly.com/newsite/Pages/articles.php
August 15th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Bamboo: You CANNOT learn Internet marketing by reading classic marketing books, because there are MANY important Internet marketing principles and techniques you need to learn that these old books don’t talk about — methods that are UNIQUE to the Internet.
Just about everything you learn about marketing from reading classic marketing books can be applied to the Internet, but not everything you need to know about Internet marketing is contained in classic marketing texts.
August 15th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Definitely B.
If you ever donate items, it should be to people you know will actually benefit from the items. If you start giving stuff away to just anyone who asks, it can snowball from there to out of control proportions.
Besides, you have enough for free on your site to show him what to do to raise the original $100 for himself.
August 15th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
C – “other”…block his emails.
Even he does buy your product, he will probably be a complainer.
August 15th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
typo correction! Even IF he does buy your product, he will probably be a complainer.
August 15th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
If he can’t afford the book, will he have enough money to implement what he learns to do?
August 15th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
@ Bob: Though I said “classics,” I wasn’t referring to “old books” only – I was referring to *any* quality books that you can purchase from bookstores on the subjects of coywriting and marketing.
And I also wasn’t making a reference to what you, yourself is specifically selling… but to what many copywriters online in general are selling, which do often retail for hundreds of dollars.
August 15th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
[...] Originally posted here: What About Bill? – bly.com blog – bly.com dire… [...]
August 15th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
[...] What About Bill? – bly.com blog – bly.com approach marketing blog [...]
August 15th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
B. Bill most likely writes to movie stars, lottery winners, etc. And always the same idea, since they got more him , they should give it to him. If they don’t, he just lays on a guilt trip and tells everyone what a cheapstake, moneyhungry bastard they are. Unfortunately there a lot of people like him out in the real world.
August 15th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
If other people knew that you’re giving away $19 worth of ebook for free, they might do same approach like what Bill did to you. In short, if your real intension is to sell your ebook, then be it. Eventhough, it cost you nothing to make an ebook. Business is business. Well, you could always write free ebooks if you really want to help other people like Bill.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:53 am
[...] This post was Twitted by Todd_Johnstone [...]
August 16th, 2009 at 5:20 am
Bob,
As a fellow copywriter, I must agree with you. We sell with words and if other people think that just because our “product” doesn’t cost us anything, they really don’t have a clue about marketing and copywriting.
By the way, I have purchased several of your items and found that I get good value for money by doing so. We all deserve to make a living, however we choose to do so. If he wanted to actually do something with his life and use your tools or someone else’s to do so, he would find a way!
August 16th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I think you might point out to him that his time is worth money. If he wants to get something for free then give him a list of URLs to things you have written where he can get the same content but it will take him longer. If he wants the short cut, then he must pay for it. But in the time he saves, he will be ahead in dollar terms.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Barry: I DID do that — see #5 above.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Bob, I believe you handled it as well as you could. You offered him alternatives to fit his budget, yet you did not diminish your own products to do so.
Despite what others have posted, there is a cost to publish an eBook. The time, energy and expertise to write, edit, polish and publish them is expensive. Once finished, there are no more added costs other than a few moments to download a file, but to say you shouldn’t charge because there aren’t costs would be the same as saying that second-run hardcopy books should be sold for pennies on the dollar because the only cost is paper and binding.
As for Bill, not only will he never be a customer, he will never be a benefit nor a hindrance to you and your business. People like Bill exist and complain, but those who know them understand them and ignore them.
I run a highly successful toy and baby furniture store. When a baby furniture competitor went out of business, I had many of their customers come to me to get products. Some complained about my higher prices. We simply responded, “That’s why he’s out of business and we’re not. There is a cost to selling these products and we have to find a price that pays our bills.”
Do we lose some customers with this approach? Yes. Do we win customers with our honesty, integrity and service? Of course – enough to have a multi-million dollar business.
There is a cost to doing business. Stick to your guns, Bob. Stick to your prices. And remember this simple caveat from Meg Cabot, “You aren’t a hundred dollar bill. Not everyone is going to like you.”
August 16th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
B AND C. My ideas for “other”? I am too much of a lady to say!
People like this never cease to amaze me.
I was raised by a very frugal woman and some of that gene has passed onto me. I use restaurant coupons, get excited when I watch my frequent flier accounts grow…
But I would NEVER pinch pennies on advice that would benefit my future–both in the short run AND longterm.
One suggestion, though: Offer gift certificates. That way, people like that can guilt their friends into taking care of them.
August 16th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
[...] What About Bill? – bly.com blog – bly.com direct marketing blog [...]
August 16th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
B. Bill, as many have said, is a complainer and will complain to get the book, complain if he got it and will complain about it after reading it!
August 16th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
If Bill is too lazy or too uncreative to figure out how to raise a hundred bucks then your books won’t help him anyway. If you want to give him a chance, try referring him to this thread on Barbara Sher’s bulletin board. It offers 322 posts with ideas for making about $100 in an hour. I wouldn’t consider giving him even the $19 ebook for free unless he spent at least 4 or 5 hours trying some of these ideas.
http://barbarasher.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6327
August 16th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
I personally get these emails ALL THE TIME from people regarding my ebooks. Some of them are more creative than others – trying to negotiate a special “one-time” seasonal sell.
Regardless, I ALWAYS answer with Option B and point out, just as you did, that we offer full money back guarantees.
Very seldom I’ll receive a response that borders on being rude – such as your email from Bill. Those are the ones that I find usually end up wasting a lot of time if you even try to respond in a helpful way. It only leads to Bills doings a lot of namecalling – nothing can reasonably convince them about the benefits of a mutually-helpful business transaction.
August 17th, 2009 at 7:05 am
[...] would you pay? Bob Bly, copywriter extraordinaire, in what about bill tells the story of a potential customer of his home study course sending him an email complaining [...]
August 18th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I say go with B for BULLS***
You are offering your product cheap and affordable. If Bob doesn’t want to cut back somewhere else for great info, then his loss.
Dave
LifeExcursion
August 18th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Bob:
Of course you are not a money-grubbing Scrooge for not giving Bill your book for free.
No business has an obligation to give away its products to anyone who says they can’t afford them.
Without debating the larger issue of whether any tenets of social responsibility, business ethics, corporate citizenship or general humanity require us to give something back to society, it is beyond any concept of charity, generosity or morality for a specific recipient to dictate that a specific donor has a duty to make a specific gift of a product for no reason other than the recipient can’t afford it.
He just wanted something for nothing and is trying to make you feel guilty for not giving it to him. He’s the one who should feel guilty.
August 19th, 2009 at 12:29 am
At first my knee-jerk response was that this guy is a scam artist who is used to hounding people until he gets his way-kinda like a kid who expects that if he nags enough, he’ll get his way. I know people who skirt through life by coercing people into giving them what they want. One person I know actually got something worth a couple of hundred dollars for free because he complained unrelentingly about a misleading ad.
However, I think there is the other problem occurring here of people not valuing writing services. You can find hundreds of posts right now for writing jobs with the compensation listed as: by-line credit. A great offer! Also, how many of us have encountered clients that expect us to write in-depth samples on-spec.
Someone like “Bill” is not at the point where he could ever operate a business of any type in a successful manner. He should read Suze Orman first and get his finances straight because buying one “how-to” book is only the first step in investing in a business. What is he going to do for software, servers, etc. Oh, I guess guilt all those suppliers too into giving him something for nothing. After all he is Bill. One other thing, people like this usually don’t stop and by positively validating his obnoxious behavior would only be an invitation for him to keep it up.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Jackie: I know moochers of this type personality. One couple told their kids to lie about their ages so they could get into amusements cheaper. Another buys clothes from catalogs, wears them to a wedding or Bar Mitzvah, then returns them for refund. And they brag out it. To me, it’s repugnant and pitiful.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:49 am
If it isn’t worth it to him, it shouldn’t be worth it to you.
August 19th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
My partner totally disagreed with me. He said give him the book for free, because it would be a great way to hook him into buying other products. He said never mind the principle at play here, once Bill had one product, he’d probably be coming back for more. -This from the guy who won’t let me buy one carnival ride wristband and let our kids share it, lol. Sorry Bob, I have thought about doing it-I guess when it suits, you can always find a justification (“Those carnival people are charging way too much for those rides!) But I do detest the people that buy, wear and return clothing-stuff like that just raises prices for the rest of us honest folk.
August 19th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Jackie, I think your partner’s wrong. If Bill *says* he can’t afford Bob’s $77 book now, what reason is there to believe he’ll ever buy anything at any price later?
Bob did right to turn him down.
August 20th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Jackie, I agree with Bill: Who wants a customer that takes your product and doesn’t want to pay for it?
August 20th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
I mean I agree with Ken…..
August 24th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
You were being generous with your time and pointing him to free and affordable options. It is highly unlikely he couldn’t afford your e-book; it’s highly likely that his priorities will keep him at the level he is now.
August 26th, 2009 at 2:36 am
You appear to be a man of integrity.
Why didn’t you give Bill the ebook?
In your own words, it wasn’t costing you anything.
Not only should you have given him the book (since he had the unmitigated gall to ask) but you should have also offered Bill an hour or so of your precious time to teach, train and mold him.
The immediate benefits of your sacrifice would have served to profit Bill immensely and immediately…but the long term benefits would have been in your favor.
And even if they weren’t…you should have given when it was asked of you. That is your job as a teacher.
You will make plenty of money…this was an opportunity to help Bill get into a profitable situation, as well.
Afterall, the goal of online marketing is numbers…or making money. While the goal of life is also numbers…changing every life you come in contact with for the better, if you can. It is your responsibility as a human being.
Yes, you should definitely have helped Bill.
Lynne Gordon, 100 Percent Health
May 27th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
A door is a panel barrier, that is used to cover an opening in a wall or partition going into a building or space. A door can be opened to give access and closed more or less securely. Door Trade Leads Portal including steel door, security door, gate door, wooden door and so on. Door Trade Leads Portal help you to find door manufacturers and door suppliers.
November 11th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Bob:
The fact that you are concerned with your actions tells me that you are a honorable person who wants to do what is right.
Thanks for being that way in a world of cynicism and contention.