That's what a client asked me the other day.

And that's what's wrong with sales, marketing and business in general, if you ask me.

Just to see where he was going with this, I replied: "Lying would be one boundary, selling people a scam would be another, why... what do you have in mind?"

He went on to ask me how strict I am in regard to these boundaries and if I would be willing to write advertorials for him that wouldn't exactly be lying but exaggerating the promised outcomes etc.

I don't know about you but it makes me feel sick to my stomach in two ways:

1. As a moral human being
2. As a marketer

I mean... the first point is clear (hopefully). It's just as wrong as stealing... to give people the impression they would be paying money for a product that will get them a specific outcome, while we know that it's not gonna happen.

But, also as a marketer, as a business person I'm wondering: what type of thinking is that? Yes, you might make a bunch of money selling that lie... but what will happen with your next product?

This is not only about this specific client (now former client) that will probably just move from scam to scam trying to get rich off people that are either naive or desperate (or both).

This "exaggeration" of what a product can do for you is widespread even amongst many of the famous high-level marketers.

It starts with fake urgency. Fake scarcity. Fake simpleness or fake comprehensiveness of the product in question.

Not having to stand face-to-face with their customers have made it even easier for online businesses to falls into these patterns.

I hate when marketers do that. It gives us a bad rap. Offer a great product or service and be honest, sincere, and upright about it... while using copywriting and marketing techniques to make people pay attention to and see the value of your offer.

That's the way to do it.

I mean... even your school time bully who would threaten to beat you up after class had more integrity then such business people and marketers... he actually showed up and punched you in the face and then some.

He walked the talk.

And then you won't have to keep looking for new people to rip off either. The same people who've bought your first product will come back for the next.

It's not that hard. All we need to do is: deliver exactly what we promised.

Tell me: what is something YOU hate that many business people as well as marketers do?