Search
Most Popular Articles
- Discussion of the Human Body Defense System
- The story of the 12 animals zodiac in China
- How to Balance Your Body to Get Pregnant
- Eating Junk Food -- The Hidden Price
- How To Stop Your Cat Scratching - Get Rid Of Those Fleas
- Ski Boots -- Testing 1, 2, 3
- Wear it Up or Wear it Down?
- Cat Care, Cat Products and Cat Diseases
- Choosing a Cell Phone
- Artificial Satellite Types
Exposing the Miracle Cure
 Category |
: Health |
 Times Read |
: 46 |
 Date |
: 28 February. 2008 07:00 |
by: Hiram Perez
It was Saturday morning and while I was making breakfast, letting the cats outside, and watering my half-dead plants, I had the TV on. Saturday morning TV is usually composed of nothing but infomercials and today was no different.
One of the channels had this guy hawking a book on natural cures. He claimed that no matter what kind of disease you had, there was a natural or herbal cure for it -- and he had it in his book. No drugs, no surgery, no traditional medicine needed at all. Now he wasnt claiming that the information in his book would lessen your symptoms or reduce your pain, no, he was claiming that you would be absolutely, positively, money-back-guaranteed CURED!!
My jaw dropped as I listened to this guy make all these outlandish claims and I thought, how can people listen to this kind of junk? Worse, how can people send this guy their hard earned money?
The more I watched, the more it hit me that he was using a very familiar sales formula. You hear others use this same formula for a variety of products. This sales formula contains the following elements:
Element Number 1. ITS A MIRACLE!
This first element is insidious because it offers hope to people that have little left. Weve all heard the claims before: lose weight while you sleep, cure cancer overnight, stop pain without surgery.
Youve also heard about other "miracles" Im sure: double your money in the stock market, become a real estate millionaire, clean your bathroom with no scrubbing, and on and on. Someone once said, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Good advice.
This first element is the BAIT. Its used to create interest and the more outlandish the claim, the more likely youre going to stop and watch. And why is it that youve never heard about this miracle before? Well, see item 2.
Element Number 2. THERES A CONSPIRACY!
The guy said that the reason no one had ever heard of any of these "cures" before was because the __________ (insert your favorite opposition group here) was trying to cover it up and keep it off the market.
In his case, the FDA was against it. The drug companies were against it. The medical community was against it. You name it, he claimed they were against his information. I thought, "hey, this sounds exactly like the claims that theres a car that runs on water but GM and the oil companies dont want the public to know."
So when you come across any kind of quack making any kind of outrageous claim and you ask why hasnt this been make public before, the answer you always get is that theres a conspiracy against them.
The second element builds INTRIGUE and continues to draw you in. They make you feel like youre part of some deep, dark secret.
Element Number 3. A PROPHET CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS.
These guys always portray themselves as a "prophet in the wilderness" just trying to get the word of this miracle out to the masses. They talk about all the problems theyve had getting anyone to listen (theres a conspiracy, you know). They say that they do what they do because its their mission, their passion, its the right thing to do. No, theyre not doing it for the money -- however they do accept MC and VISA.
The third element builds EMPATHY or even sympathy for the guy and his product. You think, "Poor guy. All he wants to do is help people."
Element Number 4. TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
The clincher is that theyre only offering this miracle for a limited time so you have to act fast. Time is running out and the "miracle" will only be offered for the next 3 minutes (or 30 callers or whatever).
Heres where they play on your fear of missing out. You begin to ask yourself, "What if it IS true? I dont want to miss out." and you reach for the phone and your credit card.
The forth element is designed to get you to take ACTION. Its like putting a string in front of a cat and then jerking it away. The cat chases it on instinct. Same principle. Theyre going to dangle this miracle in front of you and then start to take it away hoping youll jump up and call the operators who are standing by.
Element Number 5. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE.
Of course, the product or book comes with a full 30-day money back guarantee so you have "nothing to lose." Excuse me, nothing to lose??? What about losing your health by following some quack cure? What about making your health situation worse by withholding or foregoing medical treatment? Id say youve got a LOT to lose and you need to consider this very carefully.
The fifth element builds CONFIDENCE that you can always get your money back so its no big deal to go ahead and order it. Well, Ive already mentioned that you have a lot to lose -- and getting your money back may not be all that easy either.
CONCLUSION
So there you have it. The next time you watch or listen to ANY kind of commercial that offers a "miracle cure" for only $19.95, see if the sales pitch doesnt follow this same formula. Ill bet it does.
Remember, there is no free lunch and there is no "miracle cure." Getting and staying healthy takes work. No bottle of snake oil is going to erase a lifetime of poor eating habits and a lack of exercise.
You CAN improve your health but youve got to take a balanced approach and consistently work at it. So turn off the infomercials and Ill see you at the gym!
About The Author
Hiram Perez has made good health and fitness a lifelong study. Discover other simple and common sense techniques to improve your wellbeing by signing up for a free 5-part mini-course at http://www.Balance-Your-Health.com
hiram@balance-your-health.com
Random Article 1 |
Random Article 2 |
by: Janice Elizabeth Small Now I know youre always asking yourself questions. You know the ones like "Why cant I lose weight?" and "Why does everything thats bad for you taste good?". But those questions wont get you anywhere except maybe helping you feel sorry for yourself and se |
by: Chris Robertson Although the common wisdom is that we spend a third of our lives sleeping, many of us dont get the quantity or the quality of sleep we need. Our hectic lifestyles and the 24-7-365 availability of distractions such as cable television and the Internet can cause us t |
Random Article 3 |
Random Article 4 |
by: Jamie Clark Thinking about weight loss surgery? Youre not alone. Over two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Many are looking for ways to lower their bodyweight and enjoy a healthier, more active lifestyle. A fast surgical procedure seems like a great option. But, for th |
by: Tara Grant As a pregnant woman, you may experience sex drives much like your moods. Up and Down! Some women claim that they have no sex drive at all during pregnancy, and others, say their sex drive is better during pregnancy. With changes to your body happening so quickly, your m |