- Do you currently have reports or software on your hard drive you’ve never opened or used?
- Have you ever purchased products that did not deliver what they promised?
- Did you ever buy products because the sales page was so good?
I have to confess I’ve purchased a lot of “stuff” online that still sits inside a folder on my computer waiting to be opened or installed. I bought it because I’d say to myself “I’d better get this now because I’ll probably need it later.” Inevitably I get busy with other things and soon forget what I’ve purchased and the initial excitement and enthusiasm for the product has disappeared.
What is “shiny object syndrome?”
It’s the attraction to objects that have a shiny appearance however as the shinyness fades so does your attention. For business owners this means you get distracted by the latest fad or product and go off in a different direction resulting in lost productivity, money and time.
How do you know if you suffer from SOS?
- Buy products that you never use
- Start projects you never finish
- Easily get distracted by the latest fad, product or sale
- Say to yourself “I may use this later in my business.”
5 Ways To Prevent Shiny Object Syndrome.”
Ask yourself these 5 questions…
1. Does the product align itself with the goals of my business?
If it doesn’t contribute to the goals of your business by enhancing or simplifying them then don’t buy it.
2. Will I use this product right away?
The best instance of buying something new is that you can implement it immediately in what you’re doing now. There is a saying in the marketing world called “speed of implementation.” This means the faster you implement something the quicker you’ll see results.
3. Will it cause me to change the direction of my business?
Many products promise fast results so it’s easy to fall into the trap of a sales page that promises fast profits when you aren’t getting any results in your own business. This often causes you to go down a “rabbit hole†that causes you to veer off the original direction of your business. Only later (after wasting a lot of time and money) do you realize it was a mistake and leaves you frustrated.
4. Can the product creator be trusted?
Check if the product creator has a history of producing high quality products and/or there are genuine testimonials of customers who have had success with it.
I’ve sometimes purchased software that wasn’t ready for prime time. It was full of bugs, didn’t deliver what was promised in the sales page and lacked technical support.
5. Will it take other resources to implement?
Some marketers try to get you to purchase an inexpensive product on the front end but recommend you purchase the upsell (backend product) to be successful. This infuriates their customers because they were not upfront about mentioning the extra costs involved.
For example you purchase a $7.00 product on the front end only to find out afterwards you will need to pay a monthly fee to receive the full benefits.
There will be times in your business when you’ll suffer from lack of vision, lack of motivation and lost sales so you purchase the next “shiny object” that promises immediate profits.
Avoid the temptation of always starting a new project. Instead follow through on the one you’re working on so you can begin generating profits.
And now I’d like to invite you to subscribe to my FREE E-course “21 Ways To Get Free Traffic From YouTube“
Greta article! You obviously speak from first-hand experience. I’ve also fallen victem to the “Shiny Object Syndrome.”
Best, George
Thanks for your feedback George
I have gone down a few too many rabbit holes myself. Nice article. Sometimes something sounds good, but few things are as easy as the ad or webinar make them sound. There are steps that you do realize will be such a challenge until you attempt to tackle them. I have learned a lot, but i learned a lot of things I didn’t need to know!