Could I Offer You a Free $100 Bill?

In Shel Silverstein's 1970 song I Got Stoned And I Missed It, he tells of "a nut down on the corner givin' dollar bills away."

Being otherwise preoccupied, Silverstein wasn't able to take advantage of the opportunity.

But untold numbers of websurfers essentially did the same thing when Mike Enlow tried to give away $100 bills on a web site he created for that purpose. (We can speculate that not all of them were operating their computers in an impaired state).

Mike tells the story in Internet Marketing Expert Can't Give Away $100 Bills. Despite being an unapologetic sales page, the story has great insight into the need for credibility in everything Internet.

Paul Hancox picks up the story and adds to the need to establish yourself in his post, How To Give Away Hundred Dollar Bills.


What's their general conclusion?

Enlow expressed it well when he said about shoppers on the web, "They Don't Believe One Darned Word You Say! Literally. They're sick of being lied to. Sick of being misled. Tired of outrageous offers, unsolicited email spam, products that don't work as advertised, and people who hide behind fake names and fake email addresses.

"And Here's The Problem: Even if you are selling the greatest, most effective, amazing product or service in the history of the world (even free $100 bills), I GUARANTEE you that whatever you are doing to establish your credibility right now isn't enough."

Does your website make it easy for people to snail mail you? Place a phone call? Do you show your name? Your photograph?


The more of these things you make easily accessible, the more trustworthy you appear.

Hancox adds, "The funny thing is, in so many aspects of our lives, we’re all trying to give away hundred dollar bills. Maybe not that specific dollar amount, but we may be trying to give away something we think is of value."

He goes on to say "One of the simplest and yet most effective things you can do in life to improve your marketing and, quite frankly, just about everything you do to persuade and influence others, is to look at it from the other person’s perspective."

And this, my friends, is the secret to all great advertising as well.

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