Jonathan Mizel is Part of the Problem

In my opinion this guy’s way of speaking about sales is part of the problem. The problem with sales. The problem with internet marketing. The problem with America.

Sales and internet marketing has degenerated into nothing but a bold, selfish attempt to con as much money out of customers and others you interact with. The goal of this guy seems to be milking as much cash out of his customers as possible, and to teach you how to do it with your customers.

I’d never heard of this clown before yesterday when I received an email from AWEBER email list management company telling me about how great this guy was. I clicked on the link they gave which forwarded me to this page.

He calls his marketing system,

“A systematic process that sucks the maximum amount of cash out of each prospect.”

Sounds great, yeah, I want to suck all the cash out of anyone that comes to my site so I can be “successful”.

Prospects, as he calls them, are the people the rest of the world calls friends, customers, mom, dad and grandma.

I’m all for internet marketing and trying to sell something that benefits other people. This guy doesn’t appear to care what you’re selling – he’s only concerned with how much cash you can take out of your customers’ pockets and put into your own… here’s another quote.

“When this system came around, it really changed our lives. And, it will also change your life. I don’t care what you’re selling.”
– Jonathan Mizel, Autoresponse Seminar

and another,
“These are totally unique methods. I have not seen people reveal how to do this anywhere else. They have doubled and tripled our response. They squeeze more money out of these prospects.”

Yeah, well, while you’re squeezing the money out of our moms, sisters, brothers and friends I hope your satisfying whatever selfish need it is that takes you to any limit to con money out of your subscribers.

Alert to all Jonathan Mizel’s “subscribers”, “prospects”, and “customers”… his system is designed to make him a lot of cash at your expense. Does he care about what is being sold? His goal seems to be that he just wants to squeeze the last penny out of you.

Is this what sales people and companies are turning to? Major corporations sending people to seminars to learn how to pull the money from hardworking Americans’ pockets?  No wonder sales is so looked down upon.

Sadly, this is the state of America… yes, this is what America has slid into… the country where it’s OK to pit company and research teams against individuals with money to spend. It’s like survival of the fittest. Obviously a team, and INDUSTRY, of people all focused on how to systematically trick people out of their cash will beat a lot of individuals in this game.

What a sad game it is.

What happened to integrity? What happened to providing valuable products and services that people NEED and that can better their lives FIRST. That should be the main goal… shouldn’t it?

No, the main goal has devolved into shoveling some slop into a pile. Painting it different colors. Adding some sexy models… and selling the hell out of it. No matter what it is – if you can sell it – that’s the entire goal of some companies. Forget about value, that’s not even a consideration to many companies.

My idea about internet marketing and sales is different from this. If you don’t have something of value to sell – if you are not really trying to improve someone’s life with whatever you’re selling – then it’s junk. If you have any integrity at all, you can’t sell it because you won’t allow yourself.

Selling junk is not my style.

Apparently it IS the style of many companies in America though. You might know some.

As proof that some major companies are embracing this… you know who one of this clown’s top clients is? American Express.

Welcome to America… the land of the free greed. Go get yours even if it’s at the expense of other kind, considerate, clueless, or otherwise easily-led people.

That’s a really sick system and I’m avoiding all people that agree with sales systems like this one and I’m avoiding them at all costs.

Shouldn’t you too?

Disclaimer: Everything contained here in this article, and on this site is opinion. It’s strongly stated, but also strongly believed. If you have a problem with my opinion, change the constitution.

Update 6/10/09: It’s been an interesting week as several (5) of internet marketing groupies (the least eloquent among them, lets hope) of Jonathan have responded to this article.

One said, “You are well off track and should be silenced for ever.” And, my favorite… “What in the hell do you think marketers do? They sell product to whomever. Get over it.”

One accused me of writing the whole article as linkbait. Wouldn’t I have done better to choose someone with some notoriety? No, it’s just that the message of his system was shocking to me as I read it.

This groupie carefully crafted his comment and showed the full range of his intelligence…

“Just because you call someone a prospect doesn’t mean jack shit. It doesn’t mean that you instantly don’t give a rats ass about the person.

The problem with America isn’t guys like Jonathon. It’s guys like you who cast judgment on something you know nothing about.

Now show me a sales receipt from Mizel or shut the fuck up.”

Apparently this tool guy thought it doesn’t matter what someone says about their system… That’s not enough evidence to judge it. I guess? Not sure. Not putting any more time into it to try to get down to the same mentality and figure it out.

Jonathan too responded and let me know that the quotes I was seeing on the Aweber blog were from about 10 years ago. If that’s so, then I can understand that things change over time. I certainly have.

Jonathan also had this to say…

“There’s little room for people who hate effective direct-response marketing in the advertising/marketing industry.”

I’m not sure what he means by that. Does he think I want to join his groupie list? As in, “Vern, there’s not enough room in my camp if you don’t like the effective techniques I’m using here… pull it together chief, or I won’t let you jump on-board.”

Is he saying that any internet marketers have got to love all direct-response techniques so long as they’re effective?

Is he saying that internet marketers that don’t agree with sucking every bit of cash out of someone’s pockets – have no place in the advertising/marketing industry?

You’ll draw your own conclusions.

See – my issue isn’t with successful/effective direct-response marketing. It’s more about applying some limits to what we can do as internet marketers when talking to customers. There are many ways to be “effective” -  not all of them are agreeable to me.

This “anything goes” attitude, sucks – and personally, I think it’s morally criminal. The sales process can be influenced by hundreds of things. Is it right to go after people with an anything goes approach – no holds barred?  Bring out the psychological road maps and apply the pressure just where it’s needed to overcome resistance and create a sale?

Is this right? To me – no.

Jonathan made no mention about whether his ideas have changed during a decade of time passing. So – do some research to figure out his latest message if you’re interested in finding out where he stands today.

Oops, one more thing I just noticed… one of the comments came from someone writing from Jonathan’s same IP address, same night about 3 hours after Jonathan’s comment… I hope his wife doesn’t talk with that sailor mouth! lol… ok, I’m done…

Bellwether Reality bellwether09@gmail.com 66.8.164.127

Submitted on 2009/06/08 at 10:33pm Boohoo, did an internet marketer hurt your feelings? What a load of self-righteous bullshit. What in the hell do you think marketers do? They sell product to whomever. Get over it.