Why I Won’t Be Starring in an Infomercial

Earlier this year I received a Facebook message from a person representing a well-known author and speaker who has done quite well in the infomercial space.

I was told their group was interested in meeting with me to explore the possibility of creating an infomercial that would feature me and teach people about the opportunity for making money on the Internet.

Now I have received calls similar to this many times before. Usually it turns out that it is a studio looking for people to pay them to film an infomercial. In other words, they are selling airtime for their program.

I run from those “opportunities”.

But this call was different.

Would I get sucked into the world of late-night infomercials?

Based on the East Coast, the group seemed interested in visiting with me.

Upon doing some research, I discovered that the person in charge had been doing infomercials for quite some time. I was at least willing to listen to what they had to say.

I was, however, sure to ask if there would be ANY fees associated with me doing an informercial with them. I told my contact that I had been “sold” on buying airtime before, and that if we were going to do something together they would have to foot the bill.

I realized that I was potentially shooting myself in the foot by being so upfront, but I wasn’t going to travel to the coast only to discover that I would be investing more than my time and expertise in this endeavor.

I was assured that there would be no fees.

I should have recognized the first red flag when I asked if they would be paying for my airfare to visit with them.

They said it was customary for business prospects to make their own way for a meeting.

I was curious and bought an airline ticket.

The visit to their headquarters was very pleasant.

The guru I met with and his team were very kind. They were knowledgeable about their space and seemed genuinely interested in me and what I brought to the table.

I learned a good deal about the infomercial business and how money is really made.

After a few hours in their offices we went to grab some food. It was there that a second red flag went up.

As we discussed how much it would cost to produce an infomercial, the guru told me how we would share production costs to be fair.

* RED ALERT! *

It’s times like these where you find out what you are made of.

I’ve learned a lot about boundaries the past few years. Boundaries are designed to keep good stuff in and bad stuff out.

Allowing your boundaries to be violated always leads to bad things. And I had committed to myself and to others to always be honest about my feelings regarding my boundaries. To be clear, it is also important to respect other’s boundaries.

I knew I needed to speak up.

Surrounded by the guru and his team, I stopped the conversation and said something to the effect of this…

“Hold on a moment, please. When I spoke with Bob (name changed) about coming out here, I specifically asked if there would be any costs on my part in regard to the project. I was told that your team would cover the entire thing. My responsibility was to be the talent and bring the education and product.”

You could hear a pin drop.

In my mind, I knew at that moment that I would not be doing any business with this group. I wondered why I had wasted my time and I felt violated that I had been deceived.

Regardless, the time was fruitful. I learned more about myself and realized I was in no hurry to enter the infomercial world.

Several months passed…

Sometime in June I was introduced to another infomercial group. This time, it was a west coast studio. And they wanted to speak with me.

I thought, ok… I will listen to what you want to propose.

This particular group was also established in the space. In fact, they had created at least two informercials that were internet-related.

I spent some time speaking with the two owners on the phone. And I made sure to ask very specifically if there would be any fees involved in a project.

They assured me that they would cover every expense associated with the infomercial. From pre-production to post-production and including all back-end sales, I wouldn’t have to spend a dime. Only my time would be at risk.

I explained that I was uncertain about entering the space and needed to know more. I also told them it was important for my wife to be on board with me.

Their solution was for Mary and I to fly out west to meet with them and see their facility.

Who would foot the bill for the travel?

They offered to pay our way.

Immediately I thought this was a classier operation than the east coast team.

The lesson here is that if you are inviting someone to do business with you, you should pay for their air and hotel to visit you on your turf.

I appreciated the offer and booked our reservations.

Mary and I really enjoyed our time with the owners of the company. They were both very nice, seemed authentic and they understood the industry very well.

They had an impressive operation and they answered every question we asked to our satisfaction.

Mary and I went back to Colorado and I knew I needed to give it some thought.

An infomercial might mean that I would get national television exposure.

It could mean more speaking opportunities.

It could mean more book sales.

And, of course, it could mean more money for me, my family and my business.

Those were all very appealing to me.

However, it didn’t take me long for my mind to confirm what my gut was telling me.

I do not want to do an infomercial.

Before I share my reasons, let me say this.

I have nothing personal against infomercials, the people who produce them, the people who star in them or the people who watch them. My decision to not participate is based on my personal preferences.

With that said, I give you my reasons for not doing an infomercial at this time.

First of all, my personal brand is valuable to me. For better or for worse, the perception of infomercials has a very negative connotation in our society. Usually airing late at night when television time is cheaper, the infomercial exists for one reason… to sell product.

There’s nothing wrong with selling product. I am a capitalist and a big believer in entrepreneurism. But it is the way in which informercials have traditionally sold products that has left a bad taste with so many.

“Buy now!”

“Operators are standing by”

“Only ten available!”

Let’s face it. Whether you are selling a piece of exercise equipment or the world’s best knives, or you are presenting the best real estate system or Internet course, the infomercial is a hokey way of presenting and selling product.

Now I can see how the methodology might be appropriate for selling a product such as Shamwow. (You’ll say WOW every time!) I mean, it’s a towel, right?

But we’re not talking about selling a physical product. We’re talking about selling me. I am my brand.

After the meeting out west, I gave some thought to the reasons people do infomercials where they are representing themselves and their product. I don’t want to put everyone in a box, but I find that by and large people in infomercials fit into one of these three categories.

– The first are virtual unknowns and have no real reputation at stake. You know the guys I am talking about. You’ve never heard of them yet they are the experts in their field and they have a system that can make you wealthy. I call this the “nothing to lose” person. I’ve seen a number of infomercials featuring so-called “Internet experts”, yet I’ve never heard of most of these people.

– The next type are those who either don’t know or don’t care how they appear on an infomercial. I know people who have appeared in infomercials. They either don’t believe that their reputation is affected or it doesn’t matter to them because the money is so good. I don’t judge them for that. It’s a personal choice.

– The last type are those who have had a good reputation, but they are past their prime. At this point, an infomercial looks like a great way to leverage past successes into current revenues. I can think of at least one person I know that has taken this route.

I already have a great reputation which I am very protective of. I’ve been doing business online for over fifteen years, have created a number of successful products, best-selling books and get to speak on a number of interesting and exciting platforms. I feel like I am just getting started!

Infomercials are known for over-the-top excitement, massive income claims and high-pressure sales tactics.

Of course, a number of shows manage to incorporate other hot buttons to make the sale.

Jeff Paul’s Shortcut to Internet Millions, anyone?

The infomercial featured two well-endowed actresses with very low cut tops discussing how they were now making thousands online thanks to Jeff Paul.

I’ve got nothing against beautiful women. Heck, I married one! (shout out to Mary!)

And I understand that there are hundreds of channel choices on cable and satellite. You need to give people a reason to stop and listen to your message.

But if the message NEEDS busty women to get people to stop, I question the value of the message.

I told both groups I met with that an infomercial with me would require a few things.

First, I would have to be completely authentic. I would want to be the same on television as I am in person. What you see is what you get.

Second, the approach would NOT be “make millions on the Internet”. It would be “how would you like to make an extra $500 or $1000/month on the Internet?”

Lastly, there would be no busty babes to get people’s attention. If what I have to say isn’t interesting enough for people to stop and listen, forget about it.

But what I realized is that no matter how authentic I would be in an infomercial, there is still a stigma associated with the format.

I wish I could change the way the infomercial is done. Who knows… perhaps there IS a better way that doesn’t feel so hokey.

But there is a reason infomercials are done the way they are. Just like the long-form sales letter, it works.

I asked a number of family members and peers what they would think if I appeared in an infomercial. The responses were fairly divided. But I have to wonder if we really take people in infomercials seriously…

The other reason I cannot do an infomercial is the way that they are monetized.

When you call an 800# and request a course on how to make money in whatever the infomercial is touting as the the back-end sales, you become a lead.

There is NO profit in selling front-end products via 800#. In fact, the front-end product is usually a loss leader. The whole point is to get the lead so the customer can be presented with a higher priced product.

The higher-priced product is usually in the form of ongoing coaching or a live event.

I am not opposed to coaching or live events.

We charge up to $10,000 for people and businesses to join us in our offices and work directly with my team.

I have no problem charging those fees because I know customers will always get what they paid for and then some. There is great benefit to working directly with me and my team.

However, coaching offered to customers via a call center would not be one-on-one with me and my team.

Let me say this.

Both organizations I met with have developed nearly airtight processes in place to make sure that the sales process is completely transparent. They have rigid compliance for their salespeople so that their call center does not become a boiler room atmosphere. And customers must completely understand what they are purchasing, what kind of promises have been made and what their rights are.

I applaud them for adhering to such standards. Not only is it the right thing to do for the customer, but it covers their legal bases as well.

But the bottom line for me is this…

Even if I provide the content of my coaching program, do I want a third party administering that content and training my customers?

My gut tells me that I should have greater control on who my coaches are and what they are teaching.

So, I have decided not to do an infomercial at this time.

Would I ever do an infomercial?

Yes, under the following circumstances.

1) It is more content-driven and less product pitching. If you have ever seen me speak, you know that I always seek to over-deliver on content. At events where a product pitch follows my talk, it is my goal that everyone in the audience has action items regardless of whether or not they purchase my courses. I don’t like the contrived manner in which informercials are scripted, so authenticity and true value would be paramount.

2) The back end model is new and different. With television time being expensive and front-end products having a low price point, it is essential to monetize the lead. Otherwise there is no sense in creating a show in the first place. So what is the new model? I can’t say that I know. I just know that a new model is needed in order to change the perception of the infomercial into a more respectable vehicle.

I’m not sure either of these conditions can be met, but I would be open to doing a show if I could fully believe in what I was doing.

Yes, I am potentially turning away a nice chunk of cash by not doing an infomercial.

But I feel very good about it.

Money is important, but there are things that are more important to me. And I will not trade those values for a buck.

I have always wanted to do a television show of some kind.

The Next Internet Millionaire is a pilot for what could be accomplished.

I really think the viewing public is more ready for a show on Internet business now than they were in 2007 when the show was produced.

And whether it is a reality show, a segment on an existing show or a stand-alone interview-style program, I believe I am TV ready when the right producer comes along.

By the way, if you are a TV producer or know one who would be receptive to doing something cutting edge in this arena, contact me here!

So what are your thoughts about infomercials? And what do you think of my decision?

Please leave your comments below.