Sales training and marketing tips based on reality selling becomes almost obselete when you enter the world of online marketing and selling. The average marketing person stands amazed at the millions of advertisments, listings, promises of success and money.

This is something every online marketeer will experience. Be careful of the undercurrents of being drawn in to such excitement, if you do not keep your wits about you. I am not going to scare you away. but I do want you to listen. This can prevent you losing a lot of money because the REST of the package seems geniune.

After spending lots of time and money, seeing some results but not having the time or patience that is needed to drive a proper marketing project for business or product, one tends to turn to the one that says: I am a millionnaire and I will show you the shortcuts to get there.

Very easy writing, very clever words, lots of things that make sense. Nothing wrong with that. I am even able to identify that it is similar to doing magic.

You visualize, you use tools, you get manifestation into reality. Watching the results are really exciting, when you see that this different strategy makes your hard work visible to the millions using search engines.

Tempted further, you make use of the massmailing program underwritten by such an advertising guru. They too seem very geniune. Speaking of legal opt in e-mails etc.

And you make the mistake to sit back and relax. And Believe. Nothing wrong with that either, except never to let your guard down. You are afterall a "protege" of this big, sucessful man with his empire.

Let your alarmbells go off when the phone rings. You had to submit your telephone information when you made the purchase for the book, or when you subscribed to the program.

Listen, LISTEN when that call comes. At first your heart races, when you are told that this is the time to act NOW. Not tomorrow, not waiting for the hardcopy document. Careful, clever questions are asked about your budget, how much money you would have available on your cards, whether they via/mastercard. You are smoothly being told that you will be assisted by a professional to drive your business to ultimate sucess. Brilliant initial sales pitch.

The executive will be insistant. Grab your creditcard and give out the information over the phone! Along with the little 3 digit key at the back. Yes, now over the phone! And to agree to give away thousands of the big US dollar because unless you act NOW, this chance will be gone forever!

DO NOT do that. Ever. This is when your alarmbells should be ringing so loud, that you make an excuse. You play for time. You get a reprieve for delay from the executive of this marketing giant.

This is the time surf the Web and use the right keywords. They are : Scam + the Company name.

Dear marketeer, so eager and so keen, be prepared for the shock when you see tens, even hundreds of listings of people who have been caught. Because nine out of ten times, THAT phone call IS a scam.

You can report it, you can mail the relevant company and ask for an explanation. Chances are that you will get an automated reply telling you that they will come back in 24 hours. Which they do not.

Suddenly all the companies that are so heavily promoted by the guru, this saviour of online advertising and marketing, send out urgent emails that they not in any way associated with this company. They agree that you should NEVER give out this information on the phone!

Your emails from the mother company will remain unanswered. The phone number will be different.

You came away from a huge scam. Scared out of your wits perhaps, but intact. Never, NEVER work with a company that calls and just asks for your credit details over the phone. Do not think that just because the owner shows off his new car, and pictures with his boat and throws around huge names, that they are 100% geniune.

For if you do, you are easy prey to scam.

The emails to you will stop after your queries, no more advertising emails sent to you. And no, even if you insist, you will not even get a remote explanation of why they need to do this.

I have been a sales and marketing manager for many years. I am not blind to opportunity and chances to grow. I am not adverse to new strategy. I give motivational talks to business people and it works. The reason for this warning is clear. If they can ALMOST get me, would they succeed in taking your money?

Listen to your instinct. ASK for more detail, whether by fax or email. Request references.

Search the internet and check if maybe, just maybe this is a scam.

Just a word of warning.