What’s in a Name?
Quite a lot, actually.
Paul’s awesome post on phony supplement review sites spawned a bit of discussion (both in the comments and via e-mail) about the importance of knowing WHO you’re getting information from. It’s about credibility: Paul and I both have our names out there on the reviews posted on UltimateFatBurner.com - which means that we can be held accountable for what we write. The authors behind a bogus site, on the other hand, are more likely to be anonymous – for obvious reasons.
This can be true for other forms of internet “information” as well…including health/fitness info. A perfect example of this is a site I stumbled over last week, titled “The Best Way To Exercise.com”.*
I was asked about the site by a member of the “Fat Loss Revealed” forum. Naturally, I’d never heard of it, so I wandered on over to take a look…and damn near fell off my chair, laughing. It’s a multi-page ad for a super-dee-dooper “secret” workout program… and I gotta hand the author credit for chutzpah. Anyone who could write this, has got big brass ones.
Finally… a Trainer You Can TRUST!
World Renown…
Personal Trainer…
Fitness Authority…
Health Professional…
Exercise Physiologist…
Neuromuscular Bioenergeticist…
Pick a title, any title… this is me – any and all. I don’t care what you call me – as long as you’re willing to listen. Who I am shouldn’t matter as much as what I know. To be honest, I’d actually rather maintain some degree of anonymity, so that the messenger doesn’t get in the way of the message.
Emphasis mine.
Lemme get this straight…this ad was written by a trainer who’s “world renown” (sic) but prefers to remain anonymous so “the messenger doesn’t get in the way of the message”???
Riiiiigggght… Call me suspicious, but this isn’t exactly the right way to win my trust.
The only difference between this and some anonymous review site, is that the author has the cojones to spin anonymity as a virtue! Nice try, but it’s completely bass ackwards: a world renowned trainer’s name would ADD credibility to the message, not detract from it. Even if the name didn’t ring a bell, I could still “Google” it for some independent verification. Self-proclaimed experts are a dime-a-dozen, after all. Why on Earth should I be “willing to listen” to one if I can’t validate his/her claims of expertise?
And brother, does the author make claims! For example, s/he…
- has the best certfication
- attended the best schools
- had the best grades in his /her class
- is ”officially” certifiably smart
- has written the best books with the best fitness secrets
- produced the best fitness training DVDs
- owns one of the best fitness centers in the country
- has millions of people watching him/her online every month
- normally charges people $500 per hour.
We also learn that s/he’s “won competitions” and “turned heads” – despite the fact that s/he’s had to work…
through and around a broken lumbar vertebra, rheumatoid arthritis, 8 years of undiagnosed Lyme disease, head-on rollover car accident… brain injury, broken bones, bruised ego… bouncing back time and time again.
Ok, the brain injury part I believe… 
But seriously, I could just as easily claim I have a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from M.I.T.; was part of the team that created the Hubble Space Telescope; am a former chess grandmaster and a descendant of Louis the 14th. It’s complete BS, of course, but if I made these claims anonymously, how could anyone possibly check?
So, what’s in a name? Like I said above: it’s about the source’s credibility. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a supp review site or an ad for a (pricey) “secret” fitness program – a credible author should be willing to have his/her name associated with it.
*I’m not linking to it on purpose – I have no intention of directing traffic over there (just in case).
Paul on 31 May 2009 at 4:42 am #
Another beauty post, Elissa!
Gabriel on 24 Jun 2009 at 10:07 pm #
Awesome, you guys rock!!!
John on 24 Jun 2009 at 11:04 pm #
Never mind a name… don’t be anonymous just make one up and add the Dr. designation and your all set!
Did you know that Dr.George L. Bingham states that by using the Accu-trim Bead you will lose 30, 40 or even 50lbs without diet and exercise!! You just have to place this wee little magnet on your ear lobe and voila the bead “gently stimulates the acupressure points that trigger weight loss”!
He’s a Dr. don’t you know – he can’t lie – you should trust him – he’s even wearing a white smock and has a stethoscope around his neck!!
GAWD!!! I’m amazed at what comes in the mail!
Doug Jones on 27 Jun 2009 at 12:44 am #
Hi,
It’s easy to bash somebody that you don’t take the time to know. It would have been quite easy to figure out who I am… no big deal though.
I was just trying a new approach with my marketing… using a more “stealthy” approach. Funny thing is, it doesn’t work as well.
There are links on the bottom of each page on my website that you can click to see who I am and what I’m all about.
If you don’t get your hopes up too much, you just might like me.
Doug Jones, BS, MA, CSCS
Exercise Physiologist, Certified
Strength & Conditioning Specialist
http://www.TheBestWayToExercise.com
Elissa on 27 Jun 2009 at 1:14 am #
I shouldn’t HAVE to try to figure out who you are. It’s YOUR job to present yourself and your credentials to me, as a member of the public seeking useful fitness info. It isn’t MY job to “take the time to know” you. It’s YOUR job to introduce yourself to me, and present some solid justifications as to why I should spend my money on your materials.
I cannot speak to the overall success or failure of your “stealthy” marketing approach, as I’m not privy to your sales figures. But it certainly didn’t work well with me. However, if you come up with a sales page that’s a little lighter on teh cute, and a little heavier on the professionalism, then who knows? Maybe I just might like you.
Doug Jones on 27 Jun 2009 at 3:07 am #
I was always taught that finger pointing isn’t too professional… not to mention the jibe about my brain injury; that really hurts!
Granted, I can understand your “anger” if a person was making claims that they couldn’t substantiate, but give a guy a chance…
Doug
P.S. And regarding my figures, I’ll quote Ben Stiller with, “I’d say strong… to quite strong.” (name the movie)
Elissa on 27 Jun 2009 at 4:09 am #
Doug: if you take a look around at the site, you’ll note that our deal here is Consumer Advocacy. There’s a ton of scammy stuff being marketed on the internet, and there are a number of “red flags” people need to look for, when evaluating the worth of an advertised product.
Sorry, but your site was flyin’ ‘em. Big time. I work with and/or am acquainted with a number of well-known trainers who are authors of both online and print materials, such as Tom Venuto, Will Brink, Hugo Rivera and Rick Collins. I’m also on the mailing lists of authors like Charles Staley and James Villepigue. I have books by Ian King, Charles Poliquin and Ross Enamait on my bookshelf. Needless to state, these folks do NOT market their materials by playing “guess-whoooo-I-yam” games.
It’s all about transparency, Doug. Take a look at Hugo Rivera’s site, for example: http://www.hugorivera.net/ On that site, it’s easy to see exactly who I’m dealing with. There are articles I can inspect. I can check out his blog, look at his comp photos, and even ask questions. Hugo is all business – there’s no bull there. It’s a great example of how to market your product in a professional way.
For the record, I am not “angry” with you – not one bit. Your sales site, however, was ripe for some snark, and got both barrels. The brain injury remark was based on the melodramatic recitation of your perseverence through various injuries and setbacks. If you have, in fact, recovered from a serious brain injury, then I’m happy to apologize for that. However, the point of the post was that your site failed a basic test of credibility… this made your claims – which ranged from the grandiose (”world renown”) to the irrelevant (being a member of MENSA) – suspect.
Believe me, I understand that I have a pretty sharp “pen”. If I were on the receiving end of this lecture, I’d be pretty unhappy about it too. Be aware, however, that I am criticizing your sales material: for all I know, you’re a vastly better trainer than all the folks listed above. Unfortunately, there was no way to conclude that from your site.
There is a truism w/respect to job interviews: you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. However, I’m not an employer: thus, I would be happy to take a look at your materials, and – if they merit it – put up a sequel to this post saying – in essence – “hey, I made fun of this guy, but it turns out he’s the real deal.” I’ve eaten humble pie before: it’s not terribly tasty but it is nutritious enough. However “angry” you think I am, I have no problem with trying to be fair and “giving a guy a chance”.
Elissa on 27 Jun 2009 at 4:46 am #
LOL – it appears that the site has changed somewhat since my original visit…so at the moment, we appear to be arguing about what WAS, rather than what IS.
So, in fairness, here’s Doug’s (new and more revealing) bio page: http://thebestwaytoexercise-onlinepersonaltraining.com/IntroDougtion.html
I’ve made a note of it here: http://blog.ultimatefatburner.com/2009/06/27/sequel/
Paul on 27 Jun 2009 at 5:22 am #
I guess my question, after checking out your bio Doug (which appears quite credible) is why on earth would you market yourself anonymously, when you have real credentials to sell yourself on?
Doug, it may be you need to hire someone to help you market yourself effectively online. Seriously. You will do irrefutable damage to your reputation in no time if you don’t do this properly.
Hire a professional. It’s will worth the money.