We briefly discussed fool’s gold last week … do any readers of ThePaepae.com recognise this name: WORLD INTERNET SUMMIT?

I seem to recall Shaun Stenning and his overblown and ill-fated snipr and twalk schemes were hyperbolically promoted at something like this? (See how that worked out here: Is this how Shaun Stenning handles a request for a refund?) This event looks to me like a similar sales fest for get-rich-through-the-internet hard-selling ‘superstars’.

From my point of view, and in the context of the considerable discussion and evidence of the outcome of such schemes here on this site, it seems incongruent that a chartered accountancy firm would be involved in gushy promotion like this — giving away ‘FR*EE‘ tickets (if you book NOW) — and ‘speaking’ at the ‘amazing conference’, even.

Colour me quizzical

Matthew Gilligan's firm has worked with spruikers in the past. Now they're promoting THIS? Wow.

Personally, I always hear a strident carnival barker’s voice in my head when I read this sort of hard-sell: ‘Hurry, hurry, roll on up! Only a few seats at this special price! Book now! Don’t miss out!’ What a sales spiel …

Dear [client name],
You need to jump on this immediately.
We are going to speak at an amazing conference. The information you will get at this seminar could literally put tens of thousands of dollars in your pocket. Best of all its F*REE.
The world’s biggest internet marketing seminar is coming to Auckland, May 19-21 (just a short time from now) – “World Internet Summit.”
It teaches you how to start your own profitable internet business from home. Or, if you already have a website – how to get massive traffic to that site.
But here’s the exciting part they are holding what’s called the “Internet Challenge.”
What is the “Internet Challenge?”
Last year, attendee Chris Tomlinson walked away with a cheque for $50,269. Can you imagine receiving this?
Tickets to the event are usually $197. But for GRA clients is FR*EE providing you register by clicking here. We only have so many tickets we can give for FR*EE so book NOW.
See you there.
Kind Regards
Gilligan Rowe & Associates LP

A question of reputation

Several people have mentioned this breathless promotional message to me, including a couple of lawyers who called it ‘completely unprofessional’ (that’s in their opinion, I guess) … and others who said it looked like ‘…exactly the sort of thing your accountant should be warning you to RUN AWAY from!’

I’m inclined to agree with them. Speaking personally and based on the many sad tales of disappointment surrounding internet get-rich-quick spruikers documented here on ThePaepae.com and elsewhere, promotion of such ‘internet goldmine’ stuff strikes me as out of place. It seems well, unseemly for a firm of chartered accountants to put their reputation behind something like this — unless they’re offering a concrete guarantee of some sort? (See my post What you say ‘No’ to — it defines you.)

These few thoughts are simply my personal opinion, naturally.
What do you think?

– P