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The Grant Rant for Today is About ‘Refunds’

Having just wrapped up another successful launch, it is with bemusement that I watch a slow trickle of refund requests coming in to the Support Desk.

Some are quite polite, some are quite confusing, some are quite harsh and some offer no reason at all.

I have seen a simple ‘Refund Please’ and even one that stated ‘This product rocked, I am just not ready to implement it yet so please can I have my money back’.

Of course, you can probably add many of your own excuses to this list but what I am wondering today is what is the common thinking on this refund culture that seems to be growing more common, especially on the Warrior Forum where we are talking about such low values in most cases anyway.

Up until now, I have always supported just giving the refund with a 30 day guarantee and a smile. However, is 30 days really too long? Could 7 days be better or in fact, maybe none at all? After all, PayPal don’t always support buyers of digital downloads do they?

If a buyer has a genuine reason, such as the product doesn’t work in their region for whatever reason, then that could be a fair request. But if a buyer openly says this is great, I am just not ready for it, and then is that fair?

Next we move on to the less favourable refunders which are those that go straight for the jugular. Don’t we all just love seeing that email from PayPal saying that a dispute has been opened. Doesn’t that just taint the smile when refunding a little bit.

After all, if these people had just asked, they would probably have got their money anyway so what makes a person go straight for the sledgehammer over a $7 purchase?

If you are one of these people, might I add here that PayPal are closing down Warriors wholesale right now and this action could have far deeper repercussions than just a $7 refund. It really is not a good practice and I believe people that do this should be named and shamed, unless of course they had no alternative.

Well, this Rant is in danger of going on far too long and I think you get my point but what is the common thinking out there? Do we hold fast and say goodbye Mr. Nice Guy or do we simply submit in grace and hope that PayPal doesn’t start waving the flags when the hit men attack!

Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today

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The Grant Rant for Today is About ‘Review Copies’

This is quite a complex scenario to explore in some ways as some people feel that it is ok to give away copies almost wholesale while others will protect their Product with a ball and chain until a few moments before release.
I think the first point to consider is what you are trying to achieve by giving out review copies.
You may be asking for advice or proofing of some sort prior to release and this is a valid reason to ask for a review. The problem here is that people lie! I am sorry to bring this bad news to the table but it is a fact. I have seen people asking for reviews of sales pages and products within Skype groups only to see many gushing comments being returned. Then when I go to take a look, the sales page doesn’t actually sell, it is confusing, full of errors and maybe even just a mess so why don’t people tell you that? Simply because friends don’t like to offend and so is this a worthwhile strategy? Do you want sales or do you want a pat on the back?

The next scenario is that you want to impress affiliates by letting them take a look around or even use the product prior to the launch. This one is actually a good use of reviews and can cement the opinion of an affiliate in one direction or the other, thereby getting a definite result. One point I might add here is not to directly ask for them to provide a review on the sales thread though. Of course this would be great if they gave one but it should not be out of some obligation and ideally it will be given after the time of launch as pre-release testimonials are viewed with some suspicion in the main.

The next type of review to me is definitely a No-No.
This is when vendors offer free review copies to their list.

Why on earth would anyone offer a product free of charge to a list of known buyers. Not only that, but buyers who have already bought from you!

By doing this you are effectively taking cash out of your own pocket and worse than that, you are telling your buyers it is ok to give this away free and thereby reducing the value of the product in their eyes.

What happens to the people on the list who didn’t get the free copy, are they more motivated to buy? I doubt it and I know for certain that I wouldn’t.

In my mind, I would be thinking if the product can be given to some of the list, why shouldn’t I get it free too?

So before this rant gets in danger of becoming too long I will summarise by saying give your review copies freely to affiliates as that is a proven benefit. Ask for review for proofing purposes from people you can trust but not from your direct community as you cannot rely on the response, and finally, don’t get your customers to review by giving free copy, this is just madness!
Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today

 

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The Grant Rant for Today is ‘Approach to thinking’

Just yesterday, I witnessed a perfect example of the wrong approach to thinking. I am having a new kitchen fitted and it was the turn of the plumber. Now, bearing in mind this is a set fee job, there is no benefit in drawing the work out, the plumber stood in my semi-demolished kitchen and sighed, then sighed again. He phoned his mate to come around and look then spent almost an hour discussing what a mess the current pipe work was. He then called another friend and told him how the job was going to take him much longer than usual and basically lost at least an hour in just complaining about his task ahead.
Then, satisfied by his extensive rant he set about completing the work, which took about 90 minutes! He had spent 40% of his time complaining and 60% actually doing before heading off with a cheery wave saying ‘Well that wasn’t so bad really’.

My point here is that many things in life aren’t actually as bad as you initially perceive and if you cut out the 40% of ‘Rant Time’, just think how much more productive you would be in your working day.
Yes, I know it is human nature to complain and I do it too but in my case, my complaints tend to be centred around lack of action rather than as an excuse for action.
So today, before you start evaluating problems, take a deep sigh, a quick step back and then get on with resolving the problem.

As my friend Darren Monroe once told me… Don’t Just See The Solution, Be The Solution.

Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today.

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The Birth of the Grant Rant

For those of you who are yet to discover the Grant Rant, let me explained a little about the background.
Somewhere around September 2011 I purchased a product from Todd Gross & Charles Kirkland called WSO Super Affiliates. Now in true WSO style, I didn’t actually get to looking at much of the product as my mind was firmly in shiny new object mode at that point.
However, one thing that did come out of this product was an invitation by Todd to join his WSO Super Affiliates Skype Chat Group.

I had joined many Skype Groups before and had always witnessed the initial rush of enthusiasm, followed by a steady decline after only a few weeks. This was incredibly frustrating for me as I could clearly see the benefit of interacting on Skype Groups and the power of the networks that can be created.

So, seeing this group as being potentially valuable, when the conversation started to die away, I really didn’t want to let it happen yet again. Todd was always around somewhere in the background but by his nature, was not the most vocal person in the room and so I tried to come up with a strategy that might breathe new life into the Group and stimulate conversation.

The last thing I wanted to do was to keep going onto the group and saying things like ‘Hi’ or ‘Is anyone around?’ and appearing rather sad or crazy. Instead I needed to think of something to say, and something that might stimulate conversation and so the Grant Rant was born.

The form of the Grant Rant was to discuss a topic that had entered my mind that morning around product launch, working with partners or quite often about mindset. It was never intended to be a definitive answer on anything, rather to be just a perspective that people should freely discuss, challenge or add to.

I posted the Grant Rant for about a week and noticed that the conversation still did not come and so in some dismay I stopped. Facing defeat, I was about to head back to the drawing board when suddenly, people started to ask where was the Grant Rant for today.
Suddenly the group started to show sparks of revival and indeed from that point on, the Rant became a daily feature and continued to be a bit of an attraction for some months to come.

Now I admit that there is a time and a place for everything and maybe my time has moved to other things now but the reason I tell this story is that the Grant Rant actually served many purposes. It gave me something that people remembered me by. I claimed a place in that group and also gained respect from many members.

The group has gone on to bigger and better things since the days of the Grant Rant and I do take pride in the thought that maybe my contribution was a part of this success.
I know that the Grant Rant certainly helped me to grow my own career and therefore, if you spot an opportunity where you can take a stage, the benefit can often be far beyond your expectations.

Anyway, I have gone on for long enough today and want to wrap this up but I did feel that it was important to tell you this story before I start sending you some of my Rants so that you know where they are coming from and why they exist.

As you read the Rants that I send to you, please don’t forget, they are never intended to be authoritative. They are intended to provoke thought, help you to analyse various situations in your life and even to reply to me to argue your case.

The Grant Rant will continue to be published on the Warrior Forum and on the Global Reach Alliance site so please do feel free to comment as you see fit.
I will aim to send out the Grant Rants once or twice a week and they will appear in your inbox as being from The Grant Rant so keep an eye out for these.

Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today

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The Grant Rant for Today is ‘Resistance’

As my working focus turns increasingly towards Launch Management, I find myself coming into contact with a whole range of character types. Although most of them share the same dream, which is to launch a product into the Internet Space, I am seeing more clearly the obstacles that impact on their journeys to success. Quite often, the barriers are in place before the product is market-ready, in fact they are probably in place before they thought of entering the world of Internet Marketing or before they even left school!
The primary barrier that I am seeing almost daily is deep within and is whether an individual is wired for success. Whether they can extend beyond their comfort zone and whether they truly are psychologically prepared for this journey.

So ask yourself first, are you ready for this journey, do you truly believe it is your destiny, will you embrace the experience and will you relish the glory that follows?

Most people would say yes on the surface as it is the standard dream we all aspire towards but deep down inside, we have been conditioned in certain ways and this is why entrepreneurs become wired for opportunity and employees are wired for work!

Yes, if you are held back by your inner beliefs, then absolutely you can change, it will not happen overnight but mindset can be shifted as long as you believe and persist.
To help you along the way, it is always good to get in with the crowd, share the buzz, the dream and the motivation but please do not, and I mean DO NOT call me to discuss your launch until you are ready for success deep within.

A journey can never be completed until everyone is travelling in the same direction. Ok, you could climb on board and just enjoy the ride but then, is it your journey? Your destiny? Your dream?

No it is not…so go away, get the mind set for success and then let’s talk…
Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today

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The Grant Rant for Today is ‘Monday Morning Blues’

As with every Monday morning, I bid farewell to my 2 sons as they head off to school for the week, returning once again each Friday for their weekend with Dad.

As I walk away from the front door and back to my study at the rear of the house, I kick a discarded trainer to one side, discover their breakfast plate on the carpet and some other reminders that the house which was so recently active is now facing a relatively dormant period.

With their voices fading away down the crescent, an emptiness replaces and it is this void that I am now thinking of. So, rather than allowing the void to take control of my mind I must instead reassert my dreams and ambitions for the forthcoming week. Push aside the emptiness and refill it with energy, commitment and determination.

I am in fact lucky to have every week clear to focus almost exclusively on my career and I must realise that these times should be maximised to ensure that the weekends I spend with my boys are filled with fun and memories.

So that is my Monday morning, a battle between an emptiness and a space to be filled with opportunity and growth. Which will be the victor? Let’s see what comes on Friday.
Have a great week full of renewed conviction and lets make this week count!
Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today.

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The Grant Rant for Today is ‘Tears on the Keyboard’

 

Tears on the Keyboard
by cheetah100 under CC BY  with WPSEOPix

A big lesson that I learned very early on in my resurgence was to leave negative emotions outside of a professional persona. This was reinforced only the other day when a negative reaction of mine was misconstrued and resulted in all manner of emotions bursting to the fore.
If you set your stock by your own identity, the one reason that people will take note is because they perceive you to be in a position of strength or greater awareness on a given topic, despite possibly being contrary to your own inner feelings.
In fact, my own childhood was scarred by a perceived failure, I am sure my mother intended it to be a driving force but when I achieved 98% in an exam, the reaction was not one of praise, it was more like, ‘What happened to the other 2%’?
As I said, for some people this might have motivated them towards perfection but in my case, it made me believe there was no real point in striving for the peaks if criticism was the only reward. It was therefore easier to stroll along, not aim for perfection and therefore not get destroyed if it was not achieved.
Now don’t get me wrong, I have achieved many good things in my life and have enjoyed success along the way but maybe, had I not had success tainted in those formative years, who knows where I would be today.
Anyway, this is slightly off the topic and was merely to prove a point, you see, I have now exposed an inner secret from my past but does this make me stronger or does it actually provoke negative thoughts you might harbour from your own childhood?
Whatever thoughts are actually rushing around your mind right now, the chances are that they are not driving you forward to achieve, and not reinforcing the positivity we need to move forward each day.
Therefore, the rather cryptic title is suggesting that you should never allow your tears to fall on your keyboard or be exposed to the world. No matter what inner turmoils you are facing, your public persona is not the place where your tears will fall on sympathetic ears, especially if you set yourself in a position of perceived strength.
Try to see the keyboard as a positive force, your gateway to a better place where everything is perfect and you can stroll around your virtual world with whatever disguise you choose to display.
Of course, I am not saying be false or misleading, what I am saying is that anyone who is listening is seeking better things and by helping them achieve, your life in turn will also be better, but you cannot do this through negativity and when your tears do fall on your keyboard, let it be waterproof, let it repel those tears and give you the strength to be positive for all who might await a strength from within.

Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today.

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The Grant Rant for Today is ‘Management over Mentoring’

ManagementI see many mentoring offers…
I speak with many who have bought into mentoring dreams…
…but I haven’t found too many people that are happy with the outcomes!

I have found people that respect their mentors…
I have talked to people who have learned from their mentors…
…but I haven’t talked to many who have found success through mentoring!

And you know what suddenly dawned on me? You don’t need mentors!

Yes, let me say it again…You don’t need a mentor!
What you do need is management, someone to manage your targets…
Someone to manage your expectations…
Someone to help you achieve those expectations…
…and someone to make the dream real!

You might argue that is what a mentor does but I might argue it is not.
In many cases, a mentor will take you along their journey, a journey they pre-defined before they ever even knew you, a journey mapped out from their attainments rather than your intentions.

A manager will know you first, a manager will design a journey based on your criteria, and a manager will help you find the way, not by pushing but by pulling…

As I become more involved in Launch Management, I see how many others fail to see the value in this activity. I become frustrated at how many people prefer to mitigate failure, but Launch Management isn’t about a product launch, it is about a Career Launch, it is about managing your dreams and expectations and then making them become real for you, as you imagine and as you wish, not as is dreamed up for you before your name was ever even known to them.

So, next time you feel you need mentoring, just ask yourself what your desire is and then ask yourself, do you need mentoring or do you need managing?
Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today.

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The Grant Rant for Today is About ‘Validation’

Just the other day, yet another mis-aligned WSOTD ‘Award’ reminded us that this accolade is merely a marketing tool and should really not be seen as an attainment for WSO Creators.
Despite the fact that most marketers see through this as a mere revenue channel, many people still strive for attainment when they launch and many other marketers also congratulate those to whom it is bestowed upon’.
So why does WSOTD still hold such high regard?
I would suggest that it is because of our need for recognition, for praise and for reward.
I am not sure in many cases that it is even related to the surge of sales it would bring after being announced, it is more likely related to the same need that drives people to become celebrities.
If there are any chinks in our armour, we look for validation from our peers, we desire to see our name in lights and we overlook the underlying motivations for any accolade because of our own ego.
Conversely, I have seen that when people do not get WSOTD, they can use that as validation of failing, so whichever way you view WSOTD, as long as you develop sufficient self-belief and value in your own creations, you also won’t need WSOTD as you will already know you are a winner!

Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today.

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The Grant Rant for Today is ‘Be a Tart’

I am not sure if this word has a similar global meaning but in the UK it is a term for ‘someone who puts themselves about a bit’, generally in a promiscuous way.

Of course I am not suggesting you should lower any moral beliefs but I do feel that the term is suitable in many other ways.

As you move forward, it can only help for your name to become visible.
The more you can get your name in front of others, the more chance the lights will turn on when you offer anything for sale.

Familiarity is a known driver to sales and when people believe they know you, even if only by seeing your name scattered around enough, the sub-conscious mind makes them more drawn to your offer.

This is why I always make the effort to connect with affiliates whenever I can, it is why I always reach out to people that appear in my radar for whatever reason and even to the most intent, why I create these Rants.
If I promote a product, or even if I want someone to promote mine, I will watch their activity and will comment on any of their product releases, again just to get my name in front of their eyes.
Then, when it comes to asking, they feel they know you already.

As with everything, it does involve work on your behalf but it does reap rapid rewards and a strategy I firmly subscribe to.

Oh, and if you are thinking that you are just not that confident, don’t forget, it is all just virtual connecting and so does it really matter if you get ignored from time to time? It is no big deal, move on and move higher.

Here Endeth the Grant Rant for Today.

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