One of the most effective tool in sales copy is the testimonial. Write in your ad copy how you made thousands, if not millions, using your product or technique — and you can expect hordes of people joining your program, buying your ebook or getting your product.

But are these claims always real? How true are these claims?

Some I may say are real, with a few embellishments here and there. But others are downright laughable.

Take this person who wanted to advertise with us. His ad says “Learn how I am making $19,500 a month with Google Adsense.” Pretty impressive, huh? He sent in his credit card payment, and what do you know, it was declined for insufficient funds! Now, if you are earning almost $20K a month, why can’t you even afford to pay $150? I looked at his website, and there’s no way that he is making that much money. He doesn’t have traffic, he’s got low paying keywords, even if his ads are a bit in-your-face.

My point is to take these claims with a grain of salt. Don’t take them at face value. This seems like common sense, but believe me, many people are impressed with claims (however empty). They buy the products expecting the same result only to be sorely disappointed.

Marketing claims are designed to sell; not always to represent reality. Buyers beware.