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Author Topic: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses  (Read 2328 times)

HalleluYAH

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Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« on: March 08, 2011, 09:35:19 AM »
I’m new here, so if this post is inappropriate, please delete it.

I built my site (East Central Minnesota Directory Online) because I could not find anything else like it, with everything under one roof, on the Net. 

To make a long story short, when I started to call the businesses, listed on my directory, to verify  their information (names, addresses, and phone numbers), I got an explosion of negative responses ... from name calling to slamming the receiver down to you name it.

Why?

As I was building my site, a company blanketed this area with phone calls, offering the businesses free ads on that company’s Website. Those businesses that accepted the “free” ads were then sent a huge bill for their ads.

So, here comes me, after the dirty deed was done, telling those businesses that they had free listings on my site.

Any how, after I got done crying in my beer, I decided to keep on building my site, added as much quality to it as I could.

Also, clearly stated on every page, listing businesses, it says:

“Your basic business listing is free.”

As of today, most businesses (small-small businesses for the most part in this area) remain very suspicious of my site, although a few occasionally request a free listing on it.

I really cannot blame those business owners for their negative response; however, if anyone has suggestions about how I can overcome mistrust from local businesses, besides what I’m already doing, please let me know.

Thank You!
« Last Edit: March 08, 2011, 09:41:17 AM by HalleluYAH »
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David Geer

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2011, 01:12:29 PM »
I was on the other side of those phone calls when I worked for a hearing aid company. I was also in charge of the company website and its computers so these types of decisions were basically left up to me.

The reason I never went with a local directory is because even back then the average person on line was using Google. Now

Get up high enough in the search engines

Tell the visitors on your site to be sure to tell the business how they found it. A small percentage will enough to raise curiosity

And you may have something.

Just my thoughts from the other side of the telephone : )

Rick
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HalleluYAH

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2011, 05:38:20 PM »
Thanks for taking the time to reply, Rick.

Most of my traffic comes from Google by people entering business names,  phone numbers, and addresses.

You suggestion,"Tell the visitors on your site to be sure to tell the business how they found it", sounds good.  Just might do that. 
« Last Edit: March 08, 2011, 05:39:53 PM by HalleluYAH »
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Kimbro

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2011, 06:11:28 PM »
I am a strong believer in making a positive out of a negative when ever I can.
I see a great opportunity for you to make a positive out of this situation.
In fact the scam has created a buzz - the proof of this is that people are slamming the phone down on you - the topic is fresh in their minds.

Perhaps in a generic letter,email, community ad board or local newspaper ad:
Grab the attention of all those who fell prey to the previous scam with a statement along these lines.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did You Fall Victim To The False Free Website Directory Advertising Scam?

Dear Business Owner [or Advertising Manager, or Public Relations Officer]

It has come to our attention that a lot of businesses in [your Locality] fell victim
to an outrageous scam when they submitted their business to the Online [name the directory].

This has placed our own Online Directory in a tenuous position, based on the bad experiences with [name the bad directory] suffered by our local businesses.

We understand your caution in dealing with online directories based on your own bad experience - or the rumor spreading from other businesses in [your locality]

Please do not place us in the same category as these scammers.

To do so will harm us both.

After all you must have realized the benefits of submitting your business to a Free Online Directory when you submitted your business to [name bad directory].

Therefore this notice is not to convince you of the benefits of submitting your business - rather to introduce ourselves to you as a trustworthy source for your advertising needs in [Your Locality].

[Introduce yourself here as a local - give a short history - your business address - Phone#'s, Fax, email address.]

[Then outline the exact terms of your proposal and how they differ from the scam they got caught up with or heard of]

[Explain how as a local business starting out you need their help in overcoming the bad reputation engendered by the previous Online Directory Scam and in return how you will help promote their businesses for the years to come.]

[Emphasize that you are a real contactable person in their own locality - there for the long haul - and that you will NEVER charge them for a FREE service.]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am sure that anyone who has been a victim of - or heard of -this scam will read your message.

If your message portrays you as being a victim as well [because your Genuine Online Directory has been tared with the same brush as the scam one] the
community reaction should be one of giving your business a leg up.

Hope this info helps,

Cheers,

Kitty.
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KirkhamsEbooks.com

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2011, 06:53:42 PM »
And I thought I was good at using negative advertising to my or my client's advantage

YOU ROCK!

Rick
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Kimbro

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2011, 07:26:01 PM »
And I thought I was good at using negative advertising to my or my client's advantage

YOU ROCK!

Rick

HMmmmmmm Just Love it when you say that Rick!

Cheers,
Kitty.
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HalleluYAH

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2011, 08:26:55 AM »
Ditto to what Rick said, Kitty!

Who was it that said, “if you help enough people get what they want, they will help you get what you want” ... or words to that effect?

God bless ... and have a great day!
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JoeSpirit

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2011, 09:48:27 AM »
Ditto to what Rick said, Kitty!

Who was it that said, “if you help enough people get what they want, they will help you get what you want” ... or words to that effect?

God bless ... and have a great day!

I believe that was Zig Zigler.

Kimbro

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2011, 07:59:33 PM »
Ditto to what Rick said, Kitty!

Who was it that said, “if you help enough people get what they want, they will help you get what you want” ... or words to that effect?

God bless ... and have a great day!

Thanks and that saying is very true.
You know around ten years ago I was in a bit of a dilema.
To cut a very long story short - At age 55 I was finally living in my dream location.
The only problem - it was 85 klm from my work in Brisbane.
I never envisaged that I would have a problem finding work on the Gold Coast.
After 11 months of commuting to work - leaving before sunrise - returning after dusk - and still no prospect of a local job, I turned to the internet.
I was led to believe that if I worked hard and followed instructions to the letter, I would be able to make an income from home.
The first program I joined was "Get Moving Today" This program sold a very good autoresponder - which I used myself and worked my socks of promoting.
Finally I was informed after 3 months that the company was going to cut me a check for $12,000. It was just before Christmas.
Two days later the autoresponder stopped working and the company had dissapeared of the face of the earth - no check!

The next company I tried was "Body Extreme" a well established company of 8 years. They had great nutritional supplements and a very economical Voip service.
I recruited people into this opportunity like gang busters - because the product was exceptionally good there was a very low attrition rate and my income was growing monthly. The company paid monthly and I thought I had found the source for my future income online. Then without notice Body Extreme went out of business!!

I don't want to go on and on with the amount of so called Gurus that scammed me and how much time and effort seemed to be wasted.

Actually the time and effort was not a waste - it did two things - I learned from my mistakes and I got really ANGRY with the crooks out there.

I came to the full realization that it was incredibly hard to find the RIGHT information to success online [that situation has only got worse now].

Feeling passionately that there was a need for people starting out in internet marketing to get the right information to start a business from home online, was the birth of my first website KIMBRO.NET

I have serviced over 6 million customers from that site to date - making the road to online success for my visitors a lot easier than it was for me at the start.

I now firmly believe the fastest way to success online is to promote your OWN website. You can promote other peoples products from that site if you wish - but the big advantage of establishing your OWN business online is:

1] If the product you are promoting on your OWN site shuts down - you still have your own business and customers.

2] Promoting your own site is a lot more economical than trying to promote other peoples websites.

3] Your own website gains value as real estate property in cyberspace.

4] You can truly only be your own boss if you own your own business.

The saying: "If you help enough people get what they want, they will help you get what you want." is very true.

If you develop a site with high quality content that people need/want, people will visit and recommend your site, fulfilling your need/want.

Cheers,

Kitty.

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2011, 08:21:02 PM »
Seems to me if you're promoting someone else's product without sending people to your own website you still have a boss and depend on him/her to stay in business. Promote your own site and the product fails you change your page and you're still in business

Rick
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Kimbro

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2011, 08:35:38 PM »
Seems to me if you're promoting someone else's product without sending people to your own website you still have a boss and depend on him/her to stay in business. Promote your own site and the product fails you change your page and you're still in business

Rick

Spot on Rick.

Cheers,
Kitty.
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JoeSpirit

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2011, 05:12:41 PM »


I don't want to go on and on with the amount of so called Gurus that scammed me and how much time and effort seemed to be wasted.



Kitty.

It sounds like you've been through the proverbial "guru wringer" like I have Kitty.

I had a number of companies suddenly disappear on me too. And some that sold to new management that completely changed the business model.

Life sure can have its little distractions.

Kimbro

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #12 on: March 13, 2011, 05:45:13 AM »

Yes Joe, it is all too common a story - well lately it is getting even worse than in years gone by.
I think it is hard for honest people to realize that unscrupulous people can tell such blatant lies on their sales pages.
People also don't realize how easy it is to forge the so called "PROOF" exhibited on the sales pages.

I never lost a lot of money because I didn't have any to start with but I know of retirees that lost literally thousands of dollars in continuity programs where they were solicited into joining programs with up-sells after up-sells -just throwing good money after bad - convinced they just needed one more piece of the missing program to make it all work. A friend of mine's parents lost $40,000 of their retirement fund following a so called "Guru", scam artist.

At least I learned a lot of very important lessons whilst going through this tedious learning curve and in my heart I knew there must be an honest way to make a decent living Online. I reverse engineered the methods that the crooks used to scam me. I studied all the code they were using to funnel me into their sales systems. Then used that knowledge to set up my own business - with one big difference - my business is set up for the long haul - dealing with people honestly and building on a good reputation. I work hard but get a lot of satisfaction from my work as well as a healthy income, for which I am very grateful.

The most tragic outcome of victims of a scam artist is that they get so disillusioned from their bad experiences that they get turned off Online business altogether.

Cheers,
Kitty
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HalleluYAH

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #13 on: March 13, 2011, 08:29:37 AM »
Thanks for sharing your inspiring story, Kitty.

It drives home the point that we’re only defeated when we give up. Discovering what’s right comes from correcting our mistakes, not being defeated by them.
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Kimbro

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Re: Overcoming Mistrust from Local Businesses
« Reply #14 on: March 14, 2011, 01:29:42 AM »
Thanks for sharing your inspiring story, Kitty.

It drives home the point that we’re only defeated when we give up. Discovering what’s right comes from correcting our mistakes, not being defeated by them.

Very True David.
Cheers,
Kitty.
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