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Lex DeVille's: Guru Cults Exposed: The Tactics "Experts" Use To Pull You In & Suck You Dry

Maxboost

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GURU LANDING PAGES ARE SHORT AND SWEET
Most guru ads lead to a landing page with an opt-in of some sort (usually for a webinar). The landing page doesn't seem like a page of influence, but it is. We won't spend much time on it because there's not much to cover, but there are a few key things to point out.

LANDING PAGE TITLE

I forgot to cover this on the Facebook ad part, but guru landing pages use the same title as the ad headline. Their titles target very specific people with very specific needs and overcome their objections at the same time.

Screen-Shot-2018-02-24-at-4.32.28-AM.png


This isn't an ad funnel landing page, but it's still a good example. It starts with how simple it is to make a million dollar coaching business. How they did it with just ONE 45-Minute Presentation. Notice they avoid calling it a webinar, because that's kind of a taboo word now.

The headline makes it sound super easy, shows you get something for free, and targets people who want to build a million dollar plus coaching business.

Their subheadline addresses any limiting beliefs the prospect might have that stop them from moving forward. They're saying they did this without a blog, podcast, YouTube, or ANY boring marketing stuff no one wants to do... What they're implying is you can do this without a blog, podcast, YouTube, or ANY BORING PROCESS because who has time for that...

This title will be the headline for their ad, their landing page, their webinar, and will probably be on their sales pages and other marketing communications. The formulas are pretty simple...

How To Do X (great thing)
Without Y (all the bad things)

How To Do X (great thing)
Without Y (bad thing)
Even If (all the reasons that stop you right now)

For instance, one of my past programs used something like:

How To Become A Great Copywriter
(even if you suck at writing and failed English twice)

The top part describes what this is (copywriter training), who it's for (people who want to learn to write copy), and states an outcome without making guarantees. The subheadline uses things people think to themselves (limiting beliefs) to enhance the headline and overcome their doubts.

THE BULLET POINTS

The next thing you'll usually find on these landing pages is a series of bullet points. These bullets simply describe the pain you have and show how that will transform once you go through the webinar.

When you make the shifts you will...

• Have what you need to generate a steady flow of high-pay clients

(even if you don't have any clients right now.)
• Know the secret to growing a loyal following
(even if you don't have any social followers or an email list right now)
• Know how to put yourself on track toward your first 5, or 6 figures
(even if you don't currently believe it is possible right now)
• Discover how to live a life of passion and joy while doing what you love
(without spending years wandering in circles wondering why people won't buy)

These bullets will be very specific to the ideal client, their problems, and their limiting beliefs. They use a similar formula as the title to draw you in, remind you why you're there an what you get, and show you how you, yes, even you, can make this happen!

THE COUNTDOWN TO WEBINAR LAUNCH

Most landing pages have a countdown to webinar launch. A lot of gurus launch several days from the date of signup, but one thing I learned from the top guys is they say they use a system like Stealth Seminar.

Stealth Seminar not only automates webinars, but their countdown timer makes it appear as though the webinar is launching at the top of the hour. That makes it seem like you're just in time...you just barely made it. Lucky you!

Gurus claim this increases webinar conversions by like 90% and people are far more likely to watch the full webinar. What's funny is I notice some of them don't use this system despite teaching it. So I suspect it's mainly another affiliate income source that generates a hefty profit considering Stealth Seminar starts at like $70 a month.

CREDIBILITY MARKERS

If they didn't post credibility markers in their FB ads, they usually will here. Just a little bit. It will either be a testimonial of someone who "closed two $5,000 sales their first week" or logos of the places they've been featured like Entrepreneur.com, Forbes etc. These are usually directly below the bullet points.

LIMITED TIME OFFER

This is the landing page most high-ticket gurus are taught to use. The top guys and girls aren't using it, but it's what they've taught in the past. Usually there's a notice at the bottom that says something like:

"We have 75 seats available and they go fast so join now!

It's part of the template, but they usually modify it a little.

CALL TO ACTION

There's usually 2 calls to action. The rest of the landing page is pretty standard. Not much info beyond the bullets. Just enough to agitate your pain and give you enough reasons to enroll right now.

You really nailed it out of the ball park with this thread. wow you blew my mind!
 

eliquid

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For those of you that attended the summit and heard my presentation...

Combine what @SinisterLex is showing you, with what I mentioned about Japan and Brazil.

.
 
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Gary

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@SinisterLex ,fascinating! Your depth of knowledge about how these messages are crafted has me hooked.

Just now, after reading this 3rd page of posts, I began to see the Black Mirror version of this tale. In the not-too-distant future, you (played by some super-smart British actor) rebels against the Tier 2 guru he works for and begins to expose the science behind the funnels, exposing the loops for what they are. Just as you are doing now. But the world in this future is just a series of sales funnels for everything, from eye color changes to choosing a mate. Most of the population is trapped in a series of loops.

Of course, you don't actually succeed in trying to disrupt this global manipulative matrix, and at the end of the episode we see you strapped into a chair inside an all-white room. Even your head is secured tight. You have catheters and a feeding tube inserted into your body. And you are forced to watch the same 15 minute webinar on endless repeat. You spend the next several decades cemented in this same loop. Until you expire.

Muahahahahahaha
 
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MJ DeMarco

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The thread that keeps giving value...

Meme_-_Clapping.gif


Thanks @SinisterLex
 

GMSI7D

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For the machiavellian: please use this powerful information to provide real value


Machiavellian people are not on earth to provide value but to take value or energy from a system, a group of people and so on.

they make 4 % of the population according to science. sometimes, they can very dangerous


this is called " psychic vampirism " in esoteric circles

here is a link for people who are interested in that subject:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nxwuEQ9plw



by the way, you can't win against these people. never

you can only flee away as soon as possible.

well said in the 36 chinese stratagem " if all fails , retreat "

quote :
"If it becomes obvious that your current course of action will lead to defeat, then retreat and regroup. When your side is losing, there are only three choices remaining: surrender, compromise, or escape. Surrender is complete defeat, compromise is half defeat, but escape is not defeat. As long as you are not defeated, you still have a chance. This is the most famous of the stratagems, immortalized in the form of a Chinese idiom: "Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is best"

from :Thirty-Six Stratagems - Wikipedia
 

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psGNdh7UPB4


A while back I had to remove someone close from my life that was a daily mental and emotional drain. Even though I like to tell myself I'm strong in those areas. In business anyway.

It took listening to that video on repeat for a week straight before I had the strength to do it.

Lex said it earlier. There's nuggets everywhere.

But they work as long as you use them as a step, and not a crutch.
 
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Maxboost

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Browsing through Reddit and I spotted a fake guru.

Hi Reddit, Susanna Brisk here. IAmA Sexual Intuitive®, meaning I coach people worldwide on identifying their needs and how to get them met. I wrote a book called "How to Get Laid Using Your Intuition" AMA. • r/IAmA Hi Reddit, Susanna Brisk here. IAmA Sexual Intuitive®, meaning I coach people worldwide on identifying their needs and how to get them met. I wrote a book called "How to Get Laid Using Your Intuition" AMA. • r/IAmA

I went through her copy and it is terrible. Lol She literally gave no value to redditors asking for help. She sounds like “The Well Defined Woman” lol

sexualintuitive.com

After reading her site I feel as though she is not talking to anyone in particular but throwing a big net hoping something will catch.She should have hired lex to write her copy.
 

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I wouldn't say there's never a reason to watch webinars. I don't like to close off avenues, and thinking in absolutes hasn't served me well. This isn't to say I disagree with you, though. I've watched webinars where I got useful information, but there's more to guru funnels than webinars anyway.

Yes you are right. I misspoke. I actually meant to say that there's very rarely a good reason to watch a webinar in full. And I mentioned those rare good reasons, like when someone is an absolute beginner and the introduction to the field itself is value he / she gets from the webinar. Or when there are actionable documents / sheets etc you can get out of it.

Yes, closing off avenues isn't a right thing to do. You know they say, never burn your bridges... Love your thought process Lex. You should write a Book on thought processes for success, limiting beliefs, why people do what they do etc. Honestly I mean it. I would read it.
 

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My litmus test is whether I think Richard Branson, Elon Musk, MJ, Vigilante, etc would continue reading it.

Bingo.

That, and my closest friends on this forum. If I wouldn't feel like my most authentic self saying something in front of a room with my closest and most admired friends from this forum, then it's bullshit and I am on the wrong path.
 
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csalvato

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Tier 1 - This would be the digital marketing companies or marketers at the top who spend hundreds of thousands learning what works to sell their marketing system to coaches, coursemakers etc. Neil Patel, and Derek Halpern are two of the more well-known names, but the best example is probably Russ Ruffino's Clients on Demand. The other day in his Facebook group he mentioned their business hit their first million dollar month recently. This group also includes the biggest, most notable coaches, speakers etc. Tony Robbins, Ramit Sethi, and other names you'd know if you heard them. These are influencers others model their systems after.

Tier 2 - At this level you've got gurus who have money to spend on high-ticket training. They're not as well known and you probably haven't heard of them, but they're still training with the big dogs at the top and earning hundreds of thousands, if not millions per year. They spend money on all the retreats and enroll in the most expensive courses and trainings to learn how to sell their coaching programs better. These gurus will buy virtually anything if it will help them sell. The biggest one I worked with directly sells a repackaged version of Clients on Demand system. It's almost exactly the same with a hint of "branding" sprinkled in. Some of the gurus at this level do sell really valuable programs, but you're gonna pay for them.

Tier 3 - This level is made up mostly of people who buy into Tier 2 programs. Tier 2 programs are usually less expensive than Tier 1 programs, (but not always). Unlike Tier 1 and Tier 2, Tier 3 people often have little to no business experience. They're looking for the fast path out of the 9-5, and they believe coaching is the way. Since Tier 2 teaches them to do what they love and use their system to sell it, they end up not making much money, because what they sell isn't worth the $3000-$5000 price tag they slap on it. These people take out loans to buy the training, and they'll buy multiple trainings because they suffer a lot from imposter syndrome. In Tier 3 you find gurus selling more abstract concepts like "life" "inspirational" "spiritual" or "motivation" coaching, because these are concepts where it's hard to measure success, and easy to say someone didn't do it right if it doesn't work.

Tier 4 - This would probably be the final tier. This is the tier a certain recently outed guru around here would fall into. They follow people like Neil Patel or Tony Robbins and try to reverse engineer their systems so they don't have to pay for any training. They might pay for less expensive training such as NLP where they don't have to put much of their own money at risk because they don't have much to spend. This tier includes a lot of ebook wantrepreneurs who sell sh*t they don't even practice. They sell mostly low cost programs because they don't know anything about selling high-ticket programs, and they have limiting beliefs about others buying from them in the first place. As someone previously mentioned, it's much safer to sell an ebook at $2.99 than a program at $10,000 when what you're selling is crap. If someone refunds $2.99, it's no big deal. But at $10k, that's gonna make a dent. Tier 4 gurus mostly get their info from blogs, emails, books and low-cost gurus at the bottom.

It's scary how accurate this is.

Funny thing is, my personal belief if you can go right to Tier 1 by not being lazy and thinking about shit from first principles.

Buying from Tier 1 people will help, and will land you in Tier 2, most likely...but if i had to speculate, what brings Tier 2 into Tier 1 is critical thought and blowing up assumptions to find the fundamental truths.

IMHO, this doesn't even just apply to gurus. It applies to pretty much any business.
 

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psGNdh7UPB4


A while back I had to remove someone close from my life that was a daily mental and emotional drain. Even though I like to tell myself I'm strong in those areas. In business anyway.
.



psychic vampire are very gifted to manipulate people

this is called " mind control "


here are some famous guys that were able to make people do things for them:

believe it or not, while in jail charles Manson received hundreds of letters a week from women who loved him

that's the power of evil charisma over the masses


charles-manson-n.jpg




anybody here could have been manipulated by these guys

david k.jpg





why ?

because they have a 100 % belief in what they do

and a 100 % yang attitude will always win over a weak intent ( the masses )

the masses don't know what they want . a 100 % belief will master the masses



---> Tony Robbins , Jordan Belfort and so on, the modern gurus also have this 100 % belief in what they do


a 100 % belief will do anything for you.

a child mastered an adult with this power in think and grow rich

 

Andy Black

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It's scary how accurate this is.

Funny thing is, my personal belief if you can go right to Tier 1 by not being lazy and thinking about sh*t from first principles.

Buying from Tier 1 people will help, and will land you in Tier 2, most likely...but if i had to speculate, what brings Tier 2 into Tier 1 is critical thought and blowing up assumptions to find the fundamental truths.

IMHO, this doesn't even just apply to gurus. It applies to pretty much any business.
Ooo. Nicely articulated @csalvato.

This probably explains why I bail as soon as I spot someone following a formula. And why I have Ca$hvertising and a few sales books but won’t read them. I know I’m throwing out the baby with the bath water in some ways, but I want to find my own fundamental truths.

Hmmm... being a consumer rather than a producer is much more dangerous than I first thought.
 
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Browsing through Reddit and I spotted a fake guru.

Hi Reddit, Susanna Brisk here. IAmA Sexual Intuitive®, meaning I coach people worldwide on identifying their needs and how to get them met. I wrote a book called "How to Get Laid Using Your Intuition" AMA. • r/IAmA Hi Reddit, Susanna Brisk here. IAmA Sexual Intuitive®, meaning I coach people worldwide on identifying their needs and how to get them met. I wrote a book called "How to Get Laid Using Your Intuition" AMA. • r/IAmA

I went through her copy and it is terrible. Lol She literally gave no value to redditors asking for help. She sounds like “The Well Defined Woman” lol

sexualintuitive.com

After reading her site I feel as though she is not talking to anyone in particular but throwing a big net hoping something will catch.She should have hired lex to write her copy.
Read the copy. And the testimonials.

Nearly felt asleep.

1. Lots of words need to be cut.

2. Didn't emphasize on the problems, and detail them extensively for her to start bridging to the solution

3. I felt that she was 'rushing to sell' on the first write-up on the top of the page. IMO, probably just some brief statements might be enough. And the font size too....bloody small....
 

Lex DeVille

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ENTER THE CULT - THE NEARLY UNSTOPPABLE POWER OF WEBINARS

Tier 1 gurus teach most of their techniques to students. They'll show you how to use Authority and Future Pacing and Framing. But there's one thing they won't tell you. No Tier 1 guru ever mentions how they studied cult indoctrination. They also don't mention how those techniques are applied in their webinars (as well as every webinar their students create).

Lucky for you, I'm the guy who trained their students how to structure, write, and build their webinars for maximum impact. And fair warning...I've studied cult indoctrination.

So today's lesson is on webinars. I'll show you both sides of the technique patterns. From influence and persuasion, to NLP, and finally cult indoctrination. We may have to break this one into multiple parts.

5-Shifts.png


WEBINARS HAPPEN IN PHASES

Any Guru who's been trained doesn't just make a webinar. There's a structure and format they follow. It's been tried and tested over many years even before the internet. Digital marketing has simply optimized it. A couple things you need to know:

1) Most webinars are NOT designed to give you answers (they create questions).
2) Most webinars are NOT meant to give value (they're meant to sell to you).
3) Most webinars are structured to shift you from curious onlooker to card ready buyer.

Breaking down a full webinar slide by slide would take forever. So we'll look at the sections you'll find in most webinars instead. This will give you a high-level overview that you can carry forward if ever you find yourself in a webinar funnel. The phases of a webinar are:

Phase 0 - Pre Webinar
Phase 1 - Introduction, Targeting, & Promises
Phase 2 - Reframing, Future Pacing, & Authority
Phase 3 - The Magical Life-Altering Shifts
Phase 4 - Recap, The Choice, Close



PHASE 0 - PRE WEBINAR

Pre-webinar happens when you first enter the room. You open the screen and you either get a live person or not. Either way, the speaker begins establishing authority instantly before the webinar starts. They do this by saying, "Hi John, Hi Mark, Hi Cindy...we'll get started in a moment."

Usually you won't have access to the other participants. You might not have any way to know if this webinar is pre-recorded or live. But the speaker mentions people by name so everyone watching knows (believes) there are other people watching even if no one else is there (including the speaker lol!).

This technique helps put you at ease. You feel like you're not the only fool in the room. Plus, if others are watching, this person must be someone others thought was worth listening to. So maybe it's worth a few more minutes of your time, because who knows...this might be the webinar that changes everything for you.

This tactic is especially useful for unknown gurus, but even well-knowns use it.

One other thing that happens in this phase is the guru says something like:

"To get the most out of this webinar, be sure to silence your phone and close out other screens. Make sure you have time to watch in a quiet place away from other distractions. Give me your undivided attention so you can come away with profound insights."

Yes, they want your attention, but there's more to it than that. By closing out other distractions, you don't just give your attention. You give your focused attention to the ideas they want you to consume (mainly that following their words and their system will pave the way to riches). This is another Cialdini approved presuasion method.



PHASE 1 - TARGETING & PROMISES

When the webinar begins, the speaker either gives a very brief introduction, or skips it for now. Then they go straight into targeting so they can grab their ideal client's attention. This happens in one to two slides usually titled "Who This Is For."


Who This Is For:

This is for anyone who wants to make millions selling books about topics they aren't qualified to sell. Coaches, consultants, NLP practitioners, middle age dude with the beer gut watching from your couch in your underwear. If you use insights you don't have to create unique breakthroughs for other people, then this is for you...


If you fit the description, then they have your attention, even if only for a moment. After that the webinar continues straight into promises. First a series of slides with small promises and then a big promise at the end.


My Promise To You:

Today I'll show you how to turn your ability to use vague language and minimal research to build a 6-figure business selling kindle books even if that seems impossible right now. I'll show you how to become a best-selling author practically overnight without spending years learning the trade. I'll also show you how to put yourself on a path to your first $1,000 $2,000 or $10,000 months as quickly as possible.

My promise to you is to show you a step-by-step strategy to 6 figures per month.

The promises are always something they know their ideal target wants. They know this because they've researched it (as you've already seen). They've spent time figuring out exactly what this person wants to hear and conveniently, that's exactly what they say. :D

At this point your interest is peaked, but you're still skeptical and cautious. You know at some point they'll probably try to sell you something. Gurus know you know this. Which is why the next slide is this...


There Is Nothing For Sell
But if you stay to the end, you will get a free gift.

This isn't a lie. There's nothing for sell...on this webinar. But by the end they will pitch for your cash. This slide is to help you drop your guard for now. It also uses future pacing to incentivize you to stay to the end.

Before they can sell to you, they have to get you to be open to the idea of being sold to. That starts by changing your beliefs about what this webinar is. Once you believe there's nothing for sale you have no reason not to believe this webinar might actually offer real value.



PHASE 2 - REFRAME, FUTURE PACING, SUMMARY, AUTHORITY

Knowing there's nothing for sale, and there's a gift at the end, you become more interested. A key moment opens up, and now the webinar hits you in the gut with pain points. So the next couple of slides cover your pains as you describe them.


Does This Sound Like You?

Do you write long direct-response stories on popular forums about your expertise, but still people won't buy? Do you post direct response paid ads, and sometimes people buy, but you don't make millions? Do you have some months where cash pours in, but you can't maintain it? Are you struggling to bring in a consistent flow of clients no matter how hard you try?

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE 100% ON THE RIGHT PATH BUT NOBODY CARES?

So they've brought you face to face with your pain. They've said all the things you say to yourself when you're laying in bed at night. They replace your "whys?" with their "do you?"

And then they blow your mind...


THE REAL PROBLEM?
You haven't made the "shifts" yet...
OH SNAP!

This simple reframe is a real eye-opener. It says everything you thought was the problem, isn't the real problem. Since you were wrong about the problem, it suddenly makes sense why your solutions didn't work. But now you have a question...what are the shifts??? dun dun dun...

Right after that slide you'll move into future pacing slides. They won't tell you what the shifts are just yet. Instead, they tell you what you'll get once you make those shifts. This allows you to imagine that future and how much better it will be.

There's another NLP technique used here too. It's called a presupposition. Presuppositions are assumptions about events that will occur. In this case it is presupposed that you will be making these shifts at some point. Sales gurus would call it assuming the sale.


ONCE YOU MAKE IT...

You'll be able to package your overnight insights into 2,000 word ebooks that break the payment system from so many buyers. You'll have as many clients as you want every single month on autopilot without you doing anything. You'll hit 6 or 7 or 12-figures whenever you're ready for it. Your bank account will skyrocket and you'll be able to afford a biosphere home on the moon. AND you'll do all of this while remembering the beautiful joy of what it means to be a true entrepreneur.

By now the webinar is about a 3rd of the way complete. At this point you might start to wonder if you're getting anywhere. Gurus know this.

So they move into the final part of Phase 2, authority. This is where they finally introduce themselves. They throw whatever credibility markers at you that they've got. The purpose is to prove that they are someone worth listening to, and that they can therefore help you out.


Who I Am:

I'm an NLP Master Practitioner with years of study. I've had 100,000 app downloads. I've played poker with @MJ DeMarco. I've talked to 100's of women all over the world. I've completely eliminated phobias in at least 5 people who wouldn't publicly disagree.


Credibility establishes authority. People listen to authorities. Credibility markers are things like big numbers, name dropping, places they've worked or been featured (Forbes, Entrepreneur) important titles, testimonials, downloads, likes, shares, etc.......

Tier 1 and Tier 2 gurus are more likely to use actually sales numbers to establish authority. Tier 3 and 4 use more vague concepts like app downloads, or number of likes and shares, so they don't have to straight up lie about sales achievements.

One other thing I've seen Tier 1 and 2 gurus add recently is some pictures of their family. They'll have a slide covering some awesome vacation they took. This helps you feel like they're a real person just like you who's just trying to give their family a good life. It also implies what the viewer will have once they make the shifts.


PHASE 3 - THE MAGICAL LIFE-ALTERING SHIFTS

And so...we finally reach the shifts.

The 5 (or 7 or 10 or 3) Shifts (or changes, or steps, or leaps) consume a major portion of the rest of the webinar. This is the supposed "meat and potatoes" you signed up for. Really this is just the part where they change how you think about the purchase you'll later make.

Each shift, like every other part of the webinar, follows a specific structure and contains specific information in a series of slides. With many of my past clients we used the following tactics in these slides:

1) Shock
2) Support
3) Stakes
4) Stuff
5) Story
6) Summary

Shock -
They say something shocking or unexpected to get attention.
Support - They back up what they say with some kind of evidence.
Stakes - They let you know what's at stake if you do this or if you don't do this.
Stuff - This is the tiny little part of the webinar where they might teach you something of value.
Story - They reinforce what they just taught you with a story or testimonial.
Summary - They summarize the whole thing.

The structure of the 5 shifts is done in a way that lowers your guard, and prepares you to take the correct actions later on in the funnel. For that reason, you'll find the shifts usually go something like this:

SHIFT 1 - ALWAYS TRY TO HELP PEOPLE
This isn't about you helping people. It's about you believing they help people.

SHIFT 2 - CHARGE A PREMIUM
This isn't about you charging a premium. It's about you beginning to understand and accept that they charge a premium.

SHIFT 3 - USE THE SECRET TOOL
The secret tool...is webinars, and you have to agree that it works because you're still watching it!

SHIFT 4 - LEVERAGE YOUR TIME
This shift describes separating your time from your pay. But it's really about them subtly overcoming your objection to spending X amount for something that doesn't take that much time for them to deliver.

SHIFT 5 - INVEST IN MENTORING
The final shift is ALWAYS to invest in mentoring. Mentoring gives you accountability and insights and blah blah blah. If you really want to hit 12-figures, you'll need a mentor.

As you can see, these shifts are NOT designed to HELP you. They're designed to SELL you. More specifically, they prep you to be open and accepting of the upcoming sales pitch.



PHASE 4 - RECAP, A CHOICE, THE CLOSE

When you get past the 5 shifts, you're feeling good. You feel confident. You feel excited. You've just discovered some crazy insights (or so you believe). Good luck implementing them without a mentor though...

You feel a sort of high at this point. Part has to do with the webinar information. Another part has to do with the speaker him or herself. Tier 1 & 2 gurus know how to change the speed, pitch, and tone of their voice to hype you up (even though they'll say they don't do that anymore because it wasn't an ethical way to sell).

FYI...they still do it.

So now there's a couple of slides that recap the entire 5 shifts to remind you of everything you just learned, and also to explain how the guru delivered what they promised (so you don't feel cheated). Then you get a slide that says you have a choice.


Now You Have A Choice:

You can keep reverse engineering funnel after funnel, going nowhere in life, making shit pay, and having no clients and no food on the table OR....

AND FINALLY...

The truth comes out. Once they remind you of how shitty life is right now, they drop this bomb on you...


Here's How I Can Help:

My team and I have set aside some time to talk with you about how you can apply these ideas in your business today! And the best part? It's totally FREE!

After that you're almost done. You've only got a couple more slides. The final slides get more specific with targeting. You'll usually have the following:

Who This Is For
Says things about you that you would agree are true.

Who This Is Not For
Describes the kind of person you don't want to think of yourself as.

Why We're Doing This

This slide is where they first mention selling to you. They say on the call they'll talk with you about your strategy (And they will, but they won't help you refine it. We'll cover that later) and if you both think you're a fit, they may invite you to become one of the new clients they accept this month (the words "this month" add a scarcity element).

If We Work Together
This is a future pacing slide that also lets you know there will be expectations of you if you get accepted (you will be expected to conform to their standards). Again they play on scarcity and ego too. The very fact you could be denied compels you to be among the first to get your free call.

Call To Action
The final slide of the webinar is a call to action. For Tier 3 & 4 gurus, this often goes to a sales page. Tier 1 and 2 gurus know it's better to send people straight to a booking page for a call (because $10,000+ sales happen on calls).


AND THAT'S THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES BABY...

By the end of the webinar, you've gone from skeptic who's never heard of the speaker, to extremely interested, motivated, informed prospect who needs to take action RIGHT NOW before you miss your chance to get your FREE strategy session where you'll learn how you can start to apply the 5 shifts to your business (remember one of those includes getting mentoring!).

Whew...

That was quite a read.

A little bit later we'll talk more on some of the cult indoctrination that's taking place here. I'll probably just do an entire lesson that brings all of those pieces together after we finish the main funnel topics.

Up next...

The FREE Strategy Call

Stay tuned...

P.S.

Imagine you weren't a savvy Fastlane entrepreneur...you hate your job and your life. You don't know about process. You still search for events. Can you see how easy it would be to "fall" for a webinar after reading the post above? But it can happen just as easily to Fastlaners too, and that's why we're talking about it. Never think it can't happen to you. You'll be the first person it happens to.
 
Last edited:

p0stscript

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Never think it can't happen to you. You'll be the first person it happens to.

I'm always wary that it can easily happen to me, in fact I was hooked at this point...

middle age dude with the beer gut watching from your couch in your underwear. If

OK, probably not, although I'm finding this very useful. Cheers.
 
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ENTER THE CULT - THE NEARLY UNSTOPPABLE POWER OF WEBINARS

Tier 1 gurus teach most of their techniques to students. They'll show you how to use Authority and Future Pacing and Framing. But there's one thing they won't tell you. No Tier 1 guru ever mentions how they studied cult indoctrination. They also don't mention how those techniques are applied in their webinars (as well as every webinar their students create).

Lucky for you, I'm the guy who trained students how to structure, write, and build their webinars for maximum impact. And fair warning...I've studied cult indoctrination.

So today's lesson is on webinars. I'll show you both sides of the technique patterns. From influence and persuasion, to NLP, and finally cult indoctrination. We may have to break this one into multiple parts.

5-Shifts.png


WEBINARS HAPPEN IN PHASES

Any Guru who's been trained doesn't just make a webinar. There's a structure and format they follow. It's been tried and tested over many years even before the internet. Digital marketing has simply optimized it. A couple things you need to know:

1) Most webinars are NOT designed to give you answers (they create questions).
2) Most webinars are NOT meant to give value (they're meant to sell to you).
3) Most webinars are structured to shift you from curious onlooker to card ready buyer.

Breaking down a full webinar slide by slide would take forever. So we'll look at the sections you'll find in most webinars instead. This will give you a high-level overview that you can carry forward if ever you find yourself in a webinar funnel. The phases of a webinar are:

Phase 0 - Pre Webinar
Phase 1 - Introduction, Targeting, & Promises
Phase 2 - Reframing, Future Pacing, & Authority
Phase 3 - The Magical Life-Altering Shifts
Phase 4 - Recap, The Choice, Close



PHASE 0 - PRE WEBINAR

Pre-webinar happens when you first enter the room. You open the screen and you either get a live person or not. Either way, the speaker begins establishing authority instantly before the webinar starts. They do this by saying, "Hi John, Hi Mark, Hi Cindy...we'll get started in a moment."

Usually you won't have access to the other participants. You might not have any way to know if this webinar is pre-recorded or live. But the speaker mentions people by name so everyone watching knows (believes) there are other people watching even if no one else is there (including the speaker lol!).

This technique helps put you at ease. You feel like you're not the only fool in the room. Plus, if others are watching, this person must be someone others thought was worth listening to. So maybe it's worth a few more minutes of your time, because who knows...this might be the webinar that changes everything for you.

This tactic is especially useful for unknown gurus, but even well-knowns use it.

One other thing that happens in this phase is the guru says something like:

"To get the most out of this webinar, be sure to silence your phone and close out other screens. Make sure you have time to watch in a quiet place away from other distractions. Give me your undivided attention so you can come away with profound insights."

Yes, they want your attention, but there's more to it than that. By closing out other distractions, you don't just give your attention. You give your focused attention to the ideas they want you to consume (mainly that following their words and their system will pave the way to riches). This is another Cialdini approved presuasion method.



PHASE 1 - TARGETING & PROMISES

When the webinar begins, the speaker either gives a very brief introduction, or skips it for now. Then they go straight into targeting so they can grab their ideal client's attention. This happens in one to two slides usually titled "Who This Is For."


Who This Is For:

This is for anyone who wants to make millions selling books about topics they aren't qualified to sell. Coaches, consultants, NLP practitioners, middle age dude with the beer gut watching from your couch in your underwear. If you use insights you don't have to create unique breakthroughs for other people, then this is for you...


If you fit the description, then they have your attention, even if only for a moment. After that the webinar continues straight into promises. First a series of slides with small promises and then a big promise at the end.


My Promise To You:

Today I'll show you how to turn your ability to use vague language and minimal research to build a 6-figure business selling kindle books even if that seems impossible right now. I'll show you how to become a best-selling author practically overnight without spending years learning the trade. I'll also show you how to put yourself on a path to your first $1,000 $2,000 or $10,000 months as quickly as possible.

My promise to you is to show you a step-by-step strategy to 6 figures per month.

The promises are always something they know their ideal target wants. They know this because they've researched it (as you've already seen). They've spent time figuring out exactly what this person wants to hear and conveniently, that's exactly what they say. :D

At this point your interest is peaked, but you're still skeptical and cautious. You know at some point they'll probably try to sell you something. Gurus know you know this. Which is why the next slide is this...


There Is Nothing For Sell
But if you stay to the end, you will get a free gift.

This isn't a lie. There's nothing for sell...on this webinar. But by the end they will pitch for your cash. This slide is to help you drop your guard for now. It also uses future pacing to incentivize you to stay to the end.

Before they can sell to you, they have to get you to be open to the idea of being sold to. That starts by changing your beliefs about what this webinar is. Once you believe there's nothing for sale you have no reason not to believe this webinar might actually offer real value.



PHASE 2 - REFRAME, FUTURE PACING, SUMMARY, AUTHORITY

Knowing there's nothing for sale, and there's a gift at the end, you become more interested. A key moment opens up, and now the webinar hits you in the gut with pain points. So the next couple of slides cover your pains as you describe them.


Does This Sound Like You?

Do you write long direct-response stories on popular forums about your expertise, but still people won't buy? Do you post direct response paid ads, and sometimes people buy, but you don't make millions? Do you have some months where cash pours in, but you can't maintain it? Are you struggling to bring in a consistent flow of clients no matter how hard you try?

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE 100% ON THE RIGHT PATH BUT NOBODY CARES?

So they've brought you face to face with your pain. They've said all the things you say to yourself when you're laying in bed at night. They replace your "whys?" with their "do you?"

And then they blow your mind...


THE REAL PROBLEM?
You haven't made the "shifts" yet...
OH SNAP!

This simple reframe is a real eye-opener. It says everything you thought was the problem, isn't the real problem. Since you were wrong about the problem, it suddenly makes sense why your solutions didn't work. But now you have a question...what are the shifts??? dun dun dun...

Right after that slide you'll move into future pacing slides. They won't tell you what the shifts are just yet. Instead, they tell you what you'll get once you make those shifts. This allows you to imagine that future and how much better it will be.

There's another NLP technique used here too. It's called a presupposition. Presuppositions are assumptions about events that will occur. In this case it is presupposed that you will be making these shifts at some point. Sales gurus would call it assuming the sale.


ONCE YOU MAKE IT...

You'll be able to package your overnight insights into 2,000 word ebooks that break the payment system from so many buyers. You'll have as many clients as you want every single month on autopilot without you doing anything. You'll hit 6 or 7 or 12-figures whenever you're ready for it. Your bank account will skyrocket and you'll be able to afford a biosphere home on the moon. AND you'll do all of this while remembering the beautiful joy of what it means to be a true entrepreneur.

By now the webinar is about a 3rd of the way complete. At this point you might start to wonder if you're getting anywhere. Gurus know this.

So they move into the final part of Phase 2, authority. This is where they finally introduce themselves. They throw whatever credibility markers at you that they've got. The purpose is to prove that they are someone worth listening to, and that they can therefore help you out.


Who I Am:

I'm an NLP Master Practitioner with years of study. I've had 100,000 app downloads. I've played poker with @MJ DeMarco. I've talked to 100's of women all over the world. I've completely eliminated phobias in at least 5 people who wouldn't publicly disagree.


Credibility establishes authority. People listen to authorities. Credibility markers are things like big numbers, name dropping, places they've worked or been featured (Forbes, Entrepreneur) important titles, testimonials, downloads, likes, shares, etc.......

Tier 1 and Tier 2 gurus are more likely to use actually sales numbers to establish authority. Tier 3 and 4 use more vague concepts like app downloads, or number of likes and shares, so they don't have to straight up lie about sales achievements.

One other thing I've seen Tier 1 and 2 gurus add recently is some pictures of their family. They'll have a slide covering some awesome vacation they took. This helps you feel like they're a real person just like you who's just trying to give their family a good life. It also implies what the viewer will have once they make the shifts.


PHASE 3 - THE MAGICAL LIFE-ALTERING SHIFTS

And so...we finally reach the shifts.

The 5 (or 7 or 10 or 3) Shifts (or changes, or steps, or leaps) consume a major portion of the rest of the webinar. This is the supposed "meat and potatoes" you signed up for. Really this is just the part where they change how you think about the purchase you'll later make.

Each shift, like every other part of the webinar, follows a specific structure and contains specific information in a series of slides. With many of my past clients we used the following tactics in these slides:

1) Shock
2) Support
3) Stakes
4) Stuff
5) Story
6) Summary

Shock -
They say something shocking or unexpected to get attention.
Support - They back up what they say with some kind of evidence.
Stakes - They let you know what's at stake if you do this or if you don't do this.
Stuff - This is the tiny little part of the webinar where they might teach you something of value.
Story - They reinforce what they just taught you with a story or testimonial.
Summary - They summarize the whole thing.

The structure of the 5 shifts is done in a way that lowers your guard, and prepares you to take the correct actions later on in the funnel. For that reason, you'll find the shifts usually go something like this:

SHIFT 1 - ALWAYS TRY TO HELP PEOPLE
This isn't about you helping people. It's about you believing they help people.

SHIFT 2 - CHARGE A PREMIUM
This isn't about you charging a premium. It's about you beginning to understand and accept that they charge a premium.

SHIFT 3 - USE THE SECRET TOOL
The secret tool...is webinars, and you have to agree that it works because you're still watching it!

SHIFT 4 - LEVERAGE YOUR TIME
This shift describes separating your time from your pay. But it's really about them subtly overcoming your objection to spending X amount for something that doesn't take that much time for them to deliver.

SHIFT 5 - INVEST IN MENTORING
The final shift is ALWAYS to invest in mentoring. Mentoring gives you accountability and insights and blah blah blah. If you really want to hit 12-figures, you'll need a mentor.

As you can see, these shifts are NOT designed to HELP you. They're designed to SELL you. More specifically, they prep you to be open and accepting of the upcoming sales pitch.



PHASE 4 - RECAP, A CHOICE, THE CLOSE

When you get past the 5 shifts, you're feeling good. You feel confident. You feel excited. You've just discovered some crazy insights (or so you believe). Good luck implementing them without a mentor though...

You feel a sort of high at this point. Part has to do with the webinar information. Another part has to do with the speaker him or herself. Tier 1 & 2 gurus know how to change the speed, pitch, and tone of their voice to hype you up (even though they'll say they don't do that anymore because it wasn't an ethical way to sell).

FYI...they still do it.

So now there's a couple of slides that recap the entire 5 shifts to remind you of everything you just learned, and also to explain how the guru delivered what they promised (so you don't feel cheated). Then you get a slide that says you have a choice.


Now You Have A Choice:

You can keep reverse engineering funnel after funnel, going nowhere in life, making sh*t pay, and having no clients and no food on the table OR....

AND FINALLY...

The truth comes out. Once they remind you of how shitty life is right now, they drop this bomb on you...


Here's How I Can Help:

My team and I have set aside some time to talk with you about how you can apply these ideas in your business today! And the best part? It's totally FREE!

After that you're almost done. You've only got a couple more slides. The final slides get more specific with targeting. You'll usually have the following:

Who This Is For
Says things about you that you would agree are true.

Who This Is Not For
Describes the kind of person you don't want to think of yourself as.

Why We're Doing This

This slide is where they first mention selling to you. They say on the call they'll talk with you about your strategy (And they will, but they won't help you refine it. We'll cover that later) and if you both think you're a fit, they may invite you to become one of the new clients they accept this month (the words "this month" add a scarcity element).

If We Work Together
This is a future pacing slide that also lets you know there will be expectations of you if you get accepted (you will be expected to conform to their standards). Again they play on scarcity and ego too. The very fact you could be denied compels you to be among the first to get your free call.

Call To Action
The final slide of the webinar is a call to action. For Tier 3 & 4 gurus, this often goes to a sales page. Tier 1 and 2 gurus know it's better to send people straight to a booking page for a call (because $10,000+ sales happen on calls).


AND THAT'S THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES BABY...

By the end of the webinar, you've gone from skeptic who's never heard of the speaker, to extremely interested, motivated, informed prospect who needs to take action RIGHT NOW before you miss your chance to get your FREE strategy session where you'll learn how you can start to apply the 5 shifts to your business (remember one of those includes getting mentoring!).

Whew...

That was quite a read.

A little bit later we'll talk more on some of the cult indoctrination that's taking place here. I'll probably just do an entire lesson that brings all of those pieces together after we finish the main funnel topics.

Up next...

The FREE Strategy Call

Stay tuned...

P.S.

Imagine you weren't a savvy Fastlane entrepreneur...you hate your job and your life. You don't know about process. You still search for events. Can you see how easy it would be to "fall" for a webinar after reading the post above? But it can happen just as easily to Fastlaners too, and that's why we're talking about it. Never think it can't happen to you. You'll be the first person it happens to.

Wow! Rep Transfer man... You hit the ball out of the park with this one!
 
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GMSI7D

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Wow, thanks for the added value. I'm going to have to reread everything again.

.

this is just the tip of the iceberg

a very important concept is reframing



case study :Reverend Jim Jones, cult leader


jim.jpg

people who commited suicide in this cult are considered " crazy" by society

but this is not the case

they are normal people who really believed that they were going to the next level of reality : heaven or whatever

so dying is reframed : going to the next logical level



you should look at this website :

Beyond Mind Control - Learn the Communication Methods of Cult Leaders


this is well explained too in NLP materials.

NLP is a tool for mind control. you can do good things or evil things with them

you can lay girls, make people buy your stuff. whatever.
 

Gary

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MJ DeMarco

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WTF, this thread is forcing me to think of another TAG beyond GOLD... platinum? Legendary? Mind blown?

mindblown.gif

More thanks and rep+
 
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MJ DeMarco

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For those who may not understand the concept of a productocracy VS bro-marketing...

A hammer can help you build a house, something quite valuable.
A hammer can also be used to threaten (or coerce) you into giving someone money for something not so valuable.

The tool is the same.

How it used, is not.
 
G

Guest6814

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This reminds me of the garbage seminars that they had in the ‘80s. People would attend loud cheering sessions, designed to make them feel good, and come back with T-shirts. The T-shirt might have a number like 25, representing one’s next numerical goal of suckers to bring in. They’d tell you “feel-good” stuff like “Visualize” or “Think and Grow Rich.” They’d tell you to write down sky-high goals like “One year from now, I will have one million dollars. I will obtain one million dollars through real estate deals, blah blah blah.”

Another one was the three-day seminar on how to get rich fast. Each day, some speaker would rattle off some empty phrases, and would announce the Three Words That Will Make You Rich, from an ancient philosopher (maybe giving the name of an Old World Chinese philosopher, possibly a made-up name). At the end of the seminar, when the audience is just about to rip the words out of the speaker’s mouth, he says, “Here are the three magic words: ‘Never give up.’”

Sometimes those seminars would give away door prizes. The ad would announce a long list of great prizes, with “air freshening system” buried in the middle of the list. Guess which cheap little fan with scented crystals they had stacked under a table, giving away as they only let one participant leave at a time (so he couldn’t turn around and tell the others the seminar was a ripoff)?

Equinox and other idiocies were around in the ‘90s, too: “Name 10 friends, right now. You’ll sell to them. Then, each of them will sell to 10 others, and so on, and somehow all that wealth will trickle back to you. Here are some pictures of expensive cars parked in front of a mansion, to fool you into thinking you’ll own all this stuff one day.”
 

jlwilliams

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This is really among the best threads I've read anywhere.

This topic has fascinated me since I saw a book in a catalog, that's right, a real catalog. I was young and the web wasn't really a thing. Maybe late 1980s or so. Anyway, the book was "how to get rich writng how to books" and it stopped me in my tracks. I wondered how anyone didn't see right through it. The game hasn't changed, only the medium used to deliver the pitch.
 
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ZF Lee

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For those who may not understand the concept of a productocracy VS bro-marketing...

A hammer can help you build a house, something quite valuable.
A hammer can also be used to threaten (or coerce) you into giving someone money for something not so valuable.

The tool is the same.

How it used, is not.
Now that avatar pic change is simply mind-blowing.
 

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