Although the title suggests you start from scratch, a closer look at Fred Lam’s marketing strategy suggests otherwise. In his e-book Starting from Zero, Lam provides simple advice on how to start you own online retail business, gives well-tailored advice and provides profoundly effective ways to promote and launch a business online.
For $1.99? So, What’s the Problem?
If you actually want to learn all the concepts from Fred Lam, then get ready to dig deeper into your pockets. This audiobook author is a product launcher and a hot-topic scavenger who jumps from trend to trend all in order to make money while claiming he’s actually teaching you how to make money through eCommerce. With the launch of courses, free giveaways and the products he sells, it becomes obvious he doesn’t take his own book’s advice.
How Does He Do It?
Prizes. Prizes that include brand new cars such as new Mustangs and Ford Mondeos, rolexs,’ computer gear and other cash prizes. His courses sell like crazy because he gives away crazy prizes to promoting affiliates who can easily get thousands of people to pay $1.99 for an Audiobook. Another catch is that if affiliates send 5,500 leads, the Audiobook guru will buy them a $25,000 Ford Mustang.
Although the Audiobook provides the basics, it convinces you to buy the other four upsells that cost from $47 to $197 and don’t forget the monthly add-on. If you’re going to sign up for more offers, get ready to pay $392 with a monthly training fee of $49.
Fred’s Selling Module
1) Audiobook: $1.99
2) Media Buying 6 Step Guide $47
3) Upsell 1: $147 for 90 days & $49 monthly
4) Downsell 1: $1 trial for 7 days & $49 monthly
5) Upsell 2: Masterclass Training at $197
6) Downsell 2: $79 for 3 months
Thus, if you want to learn everything from Fred Lam’s teachings, then get ready to spend $440 after only 3 months.
The Breakdown
Audiobook
One of the most honest reviews I’ve found is >this one< and obviously there’s no dispute that the volume could have been reduced to less than half. The volume makes the small price of $1.99 seem well worth the buy. The Audiobook is a good starting point that covers the media-buying topics of eCommerce and drop shipping, but it eventually convinces you that you need to buy the upsells if you want to learn more about how to start your own eCom business.
Order Bump
You’re eventually led to ordering the Media Buying Training course for a one time offer of $47 which shows how to make 6 business models. It soon becomes clear that he doesn’t share advice taken from his own experience because he himself doesn’t use these models in this industry.
Upsells 1 and 2
Offer 1 is the $147 eCompreneur with a monthly fee of $49 and here you get access to two of Fred’s tools (Shopzie and Tiny.ie) automated for Aliexpress and Bit.ly. You eventually ask yourself whether you really need these add-ons or if they’re only there to justify the cost.
The 12-week training program also sounds great, until you realize your chances of getting a one-on-one session with Fred Lam are slim to none.
Offer 2 includes an Influencer Masterclass for $197 where Fred has an acclaimed Insta marketer, his good friend and top student Connor James, teach you how to build and expand your business. On the other hand, there are other courses available that initially come with influencer marketing and for a much lower price at that.
Not to mention that rejecting the upsells, you get downsold with 3 easy payments of $79.
Final Thoughts
Fred Lam has a sophisticated model for how he makes money but it becomes obvious it isn’t based on what he preaches which ultimately makes him seem less credible.
Although this review comes off more as an analysis of Fred Lam himself than of his Audiobook, but here, it’s impossible to speak about the work without focusing on its creator and his marketing tactics. If you’re not well informed, then a $1.99 Audiobook could cost you plenty.
My advice is to try the Audiobook if you wish, but be conscious when giving the other offers a chance. You could be maxing out your credit card well over $400 in one sitting when you could have taken a course that delivers equal (or more) value and still be able to invest half that money into your eCommerce business, and not ‘start from zero.’