When you are considering whether or not to invest in training, a business opportunity or anything else thats going to cost you time and money 

                      You must do your due diligence 

As you do that you will inevitably find some negative reviews 

That is true for pretty much anything you are researching - even for the biggest, most respected brands on the planet 

But part of your due diligence should include looking between the lines of those negative reviews. 

Most of us will use the internet for our research - particularly for any kind of online programme 

Unfortunately the Internet is still a little bit like the wild west when it comes to what you can say 

One of the most common tactics that has been around for many years is to create negative reviews about product A in order to promote product B.

The more successful and long running the product, the more this tends to happen since they are getting a lot of interest and therefore online traffic - the lifeblood of online business.

Marketers using this “grey hat” tactic will say almost anything about product A, safe in the knowledge that it is unlikely they will face any legal comeback 

As they would if they said those things offline in front of witnesses. 

So with all that in mind here are a few things to think about when you are seeing negative reviews:

1. Is the review quite obviously trying to promote an alternative? 9.9 times out of 10 this will be the case.

2. Does the reviewer have any actual experience with the programme/product/opportunity they are criticising? Often they will admit they haven’t - so how can they actually give you credible info?

3. Do they have lots of comments under their content? Google in particular rewards lots of interaction on web content. Since negativity creates a lot of response (in every walk of life) is another tactic used to divert traffic from one place to another.

It’s how tabloid newspapers compete with each other!

And here are a few things to look for on the positive side:

1. Is all the information available for free? 

2. Is there a money back guarantee for any up front costs?

3. Can you actually talk to a representative before you invest any significant cash or time? Then you can question them about any negative claims you may have seen. 

4. Are you able to actually contact and speak to people who are involved in the programme but are not it’s owners or staff? Again you can ask them all the questions you have. 

When I was researching SFM I found that all 4 of the above points were covered in detail.

I actually covered point 4 first since I knew my referrer. Then I signed up for their FREE video series (as you did) 

That gave me all the information I needed. 

When I joined I arranged a call with the dedicated SFM consultant they assigned to me and had all my questions answered.

When I was deciding where to position myself within the pay plan I was able to arrange a call with SFM’s senior business consultant.

He created a business plan and projection for me based on our conversation about my aims, financial goals and marketing budget. 

All of this was done within the 30 day money back guarantee period - at which point I had only “risked” $30.

I’ve never seen anything as transparent and professional before or since in the online space

Which is why I decided to become an affiliate and make SFM my main online business partners as well as my mentors and coaches. 

So whatever you are looking into - be smart, be objective and don’t be easily swayed by negative reviews.

Use the points above to create your own negative/positive balance sheet and to make a an informed decision. 

Hope you find that useful.

Cheers!