Frank Kern Mass Control 2.0 Review
February 27, 2009 by fladlien
Filed under Uncategorized
So I bought mass control 2.0 for the nice sum of $2,000. I wanted to explain to you WHY I made this purchase, what I think of this course, and also some “hidden lessons” about these high ticket items that I think you will find extremely instructive.
This is also a “no-punches” pulled review, with no particular slant or hidden agenda of any kind. I am going to be particularly candid about my thoughts, as I always am, so you’re going to get some insights from me you probably won’t get anywhere else.
Enough preamble, let’s do it.
First, here’s WHY I bought mass control — ONLY for the bonus. This is instructive for two reasons. First, you should always create attractive bonuses, because that will get you more buyers, plain and simple. Second, the bonus was for a “closed door” workshop in san deigo in 2009.
The content of mass control 2.0 is not that important to me in reality. Sure, I’ll pick up some gems, but I have found a long time ago that once you hit the 100k mark, people become more important in your business than information.
So I bought just so I can meet other people and hopefully set up some relationships with them, that in the future, will result is some profitable business partnerships.
For example, I’ve already lined up some big people for my webinar series to raise funds for my brother Ryan Fladlien, who recently passed away (instantcontentcreation.com/Ryantribute/. Almost everyone I contacted was a person who I had met at a seminar before, and it was much easier to get in touch with them and to work something out.
That’s invaluable.
Now let’s talk about the actual content. Here’s an insight that should help you make smartest purchasing decisions in the future. There is NOT much difference between technique going on here. Frank has a few insights that no one else possesses, but nothing that will dramatically change your business overnight.
That’s because marketing fundamentals are marketing fundamentals, period. The only difference is that Frank engineers the right “conditions” to get the great successes he has. 90% of his techniques you can find out about in most $97 ebooks. The secret is Frank knows the set up.
He finds situations with amazing and interesting proof elements. Great back stories. Special circumstances. Then he applies his formula (it’s mostly email marketing with some free gifts thrown in) and gets fantastic results.
To me, that’s an incredible insight. I didn’t buy this expecting to immediately find some bit of wisdom that would get me a ton of money over night. I bought because I’m a shrewd business person who looks for even the “slightest edge” to enhance my ability to deliver value to the market place.
A 2k investment to me works like this — if it allows me to make a measly $200 more a month, then I’m happy with it because that’s $2400 more a year. And I’ve already applied some of Frank’s stuff to make about $240 in “found money” that I wouldn’t already have made, all from a few minutes of work.
Which leads to another point — it’s not the information that I find valuable, but the ability to easily reference it and “deploy” it. I know most of this stuff already, I just don’t have it as organized as Frank does, so the time he saves me alone is worth it.
Finally, I like to buy 2K products just to see what they look like, how they’re delivered, what happens after I buy, how I’m marketed to on the backend, etc., because I know I’ll pick up one or two big lessons.
So to wrap it all up — will you find any big “mind changing” information in Frank’s mass control that you can’t get anywhere else for much cheaper? Probably NOT. Is his stuff as powerful and mysterious and as easy as it seems? No. But nothing marketed THAT well ever is.
But with the right mindset, it’s a steal for $2,000 because I know I’ll pick up three little things that will make me better at communicating the value of my products… I’ll pick up at least two or three valuable connections in San Diego… I’ll save a few hours each month in time simply because I can reference Frank’s stuff..
So I’m happy with my purchase, but not the reasons most people would think.
What your thoughts on this?
-Jason
Mass conrtrol – what does that say? There’s a cosmic choice in the name. Good marketing to some, but not to others. Who wants mass control? History throws up a few names and daily experience many others. But do you really want to be like them?
Frank is great and I have read alot about him. His ideas are amazing!
The article is great and your style of writing is good dude.
Great Post. This contained alot of information and your blog is great. I am really looking forward to learning about Affiliate Funnel System
People with new sites (such as myself) can’t afford the Frank Kerns of the world, and there seems to be a mixed review here (which makes it very interesting). I have deleted myself from Frank Kern’s mailing list. Why? Because he fed me hype about giving away free hints and he doesn’t deliver. His emails are nothing more than a come-on to buy something. > But you know what? That’s what people seem to want now. I have been using the honest, home-spun approach in my newsletters, and it plain doesn’t work. Who would’a thunk it? People actually fall for the mile-long emails with hard, in-your-face selling. The very thing they hate most is what they fall for first. I haven’t figured that out yet. I hate to think that I have to join that club, but if that’s the only thing that works, I don’t see much choice. > But just in case some of your readers are the old-fashioned variety, I would like to extend an honest invitation to pick up lots of writing tips at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com. Thanks for the opportunity to blow off steam.
Jason, thanks for the post. Some valid points. Relationships ARE important. Which is why Dale Carnegie’s book should be required reading for all marketers/salespeople/copywriters.
What Kenny said is true also… implementation is key. What Mass Control did was layout a complete system of selling/marketing a product with great results. This differs from works like Cialdini’s Influence which is not a system but a description of how people behave depending on various circumstances. If you’re new to marketing, MC can be a huge step in the right direction. Of course if you’re an old hat or been in the trenches for some time, insights may not be as mind blowing.
Fact: Kern sold out Mass Control 1 & 2 and reaped the profits. The most recent being $4 million in sales (according to Frank) – after paying affiliates and costs, netting 40% at a rough guess, is not a bad pay day. That amount of bank will keep him and his family comfortable indeed during these times when many will find it tougher. Ultimately, he must be doing something right and one could do a lot worse than study and use his marketing insights.
While I appreciate your comments- I think you are missing one vital component- full implementation.
Having taken MC 1.0 for a full launch in a non IM niche- it is very powerful and profitable.
The full system works likes gangbusters.
I believe what you’ve written, and that you will have increased monthly income with a few strategies- but I believe the full power of MC comes from using the whole system.
Hi Jason,
Well – you passed 10 comments…
I am impressed with your reasons for spending the $2000. Not the usual.
No doubt, you will implement some of what you learn from Frank, and pass it on to your students (either consciously or subconsciously) in your future lessons and blog postings.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Trevor
Thanks for your thoughts, Jason, and I appreciate the other information about the back end. I had read an interesting forum post about the $2700 mastermind, from the standpoint of the success-minded will appreciate the value of that, and the unsuccessful… also known as people with a lower Consciousness Of Wealth…. will say no to that, as they do to greater success in their lives more generally.
I realize that may be an over-simplification, although it makes each of us pause to think where we are on that scale.
Warmly,
Dan
Actually K, Mass Control at $2K is the money maker($4 million in one day), the back-end is just a back-end. Kern makes more on the front end of each unit sold($1,000 plus) than he makes on 3 months of the back-end. The back-end is just extra profit.
As for observing how Frank does things, it’s important to make note of what not to do as well. For example, Frank told the original Mass Control buyers that they would get a physical copy of the course once online delivery was complete; we never did. He also told original buyers that they would receive dvds of the San Diego seminar because not everyone would be able to attend; we didn’t. That was a year ago.
With the release of Mass Control 2.0, he informed original buyers that they would get 2.0 free because he never delivered on his original obligations in 1.0. He was supposed to forward instructions on how to claim our copy. He hasn’t. That was 3 weeks ago. I’m not holding my breath.
Frank puts out some good info, but after being burned 3-4 times by him not delivering on his obligations, I’ve learned my lesson, and will never buy from him again. Anyone who seeks to emulate Frank should probably leave these practices off their list of things to do.
Always enjoy reading your ‘insights’, Jason.
And your review of Frank’s Mass Control V2 – well, I too got sucked in for the bonuses. Frank’s bonuses in particular.
The ideas behind Mass Control are not new. Kinda like the huge ‘Law of Attraction’ blitz, which also was absolutely NOTHING new. But it’s putting it all together with a NEW style of delivery that sucks people in.
Frank’s wacky and often irreverent style is a huge part of his delivery for Mass Control. And it works.
If I can actually make it, maybe we’ll run into each other in San Diego.
Take care…
Marketers marketing to marketers really is an odd setup. Phrases like “So I bought just so I can meet other people and hopefully set up some relationships with them, that in the future, will result is some profitable business partnerships” just don’t happen anywhere else.
You can get pretty well everything Frank teaches – plus a heck of a lot extra brilliant stuff – by buying every book ever written by Robert Cialdini, and you won’t need to break a 100 dollar bill to do it. You won’t get to meet people, but then that’s what social networks are for.
Frank is brilliant at selling Frank so you’ll probably learn all the really good stuff just by following the marketing campaigns, and they’re free. Perhaps the big guns will start charging just for the priviledge of selling to you next!
Glad you picked it up Jason – with your approach, sounds like it has met your goals. I was at SD for last year, and it was a great seminar with an all-star cast. Extremely well orchestrated and great value – alone it is worth the price of admission and the main reason I bought.
As far as the $2K price tag, it’s not the money maker. It’s the lead-gen for the continuity back-end @ $297/month. If just 50% of buyers stay on for an average of 3 months …
And the seminar is not a pitch fest (it’s solid content delivered by guys who can and do run their own seminars),but it is the lead-gen to join Frank’s master mind group. 20 people @ $2700/month….
Lots of fun to do the math on these types of launches. But we all know (right?), that it’s not the product that will make us money, it’s watching how it is all rolled out and following the funnel for both buyers and non-buyers after.
Have fun in San Diego Jason. I loved that town!
Jason… once again you nailed it. Brilliant insights for such a young man. I’m impressed.
The takeaway for me is revealed in this one line “I’ll pick up three little things that will make me better at communicating the value of my products”. Communicating value is the key. Frank Kern and company know that the information could be contained in a $29 bookstore book. But they package it to create the perception of huge value and they create such excitement and anticipation that forking over $2k doesn’t seem like such a big deal. After all… the plan is to sell out in just days, sometimes even less.
Great post! Enjoyed it immensely.
Doug
Thanks for confirming my thoughts on Mass Control 2.0! No one can say that Frank Kern isn’t a genius at marketing…his products…to make himself $$$$. I’m just a bit burned out on the avalanche of hype that surrounds Kern…as a matter of fact, when I see his name on an email, I lock up my credit cards for a week….
)
I hate to get all hippy-dippy this early in the morning, but ~hey~ it’s Friday and ~hey again~ the subject is Frank Kern!
The choices we make are ALWAYS “engineering the outcome,” and EVERYTHING is a choice. I know you know that, Jason, and so does Kern, but lots of folks don’t. (Or, they don’t want to admit it?)
The two of you also share a deep appreciation for consciously selected words and thoughtfully designed systems, and I think it’s cool that you didn’t just “pshaw” Kern’s teachings as Guru Snake Oil 2.0 because of the high price tag. I think it’s even cooler that the opportunity to connect with folks in San Diego justified the purchase for you. I’ve genuinely enjoyed watching your “comfort zone” grow over the last few months. That rocks.
As Queen Kapi’olani famously exclaimed: kūlia i ka nu‘u (to the summit!) — aka ROCK ON, dude!
Have fun in SD, and don’t forget to take some time to smell the ocean!
A few years back, I wasted hundreds of hours trying to learn everything for free on article sites, freebies, and free audio interviews. I thought I was smart that I wasn’t spending any money while others were spending $47 or $97 on Internet marketing products.
But I hardly learned anything from those interviews save for a few catchy phrases that Gurus used during those interviews. It was entertaining but did nothing to improve my bottom line. It has all changed now and I’m trying my best to share my thoughts with fellow marketers through articles so they don’t waste time like I did.
Bonuses are what make me decide WHO to buy a big launch from.
Each ‘heavy hitter’ that offered Mass Control 2.0 had their own collection of ‘goodies’ to offer as ethical bribes.
That said, I still could not have bought this. As much as I really wanted it, others helped me make that decision.
Best,
-K
http://www.for-the-troops.com/shop/
10% of after-tax proceeds benefits military charities
http://www.tinyurl.com/ryantribute
Click above to hear my interview with Jason and his amazing offer to honor his brother, Ryan
Dear Jason,
Thanks for the interesting review. Yes, mass control is worth buying for the swipe file and the inner circle. I hope you’ll interact with many promising marketers who show up in San Diego.
For me, Frank Kern’s first steel guitar video brilliantly showed the importance of making people FEEL a certain way, suggesting success with radically new possibilities.
Prospects believe a man who has faced the Feds, lost everything, gained it back double, and and gained the confidence to live a successful AND happy life. His video and sales letter copy/images are right at the top. Frank’s the multimedia second coming of Gary Halbert, the late great copywriter.
For guys, Frank’s profanity and good old boy boy cool is the best freedom and success fantasy going. For women, Frank represents ageless surfer dude cool. At times, he overdoes the routine. But hey, who can argue with Frank’s marketing genius and success?
Not I.
In the glut of online pitches, Frank stands out: unstressed, unafraid, outrageous, and confident he can beat the slickest marketers out there. I just hope he doesn’t surround himself with so many fawning fans he loses his edge.
Cheers,
Mary
Hi Jason,
I agree with Lance that you at least get a chance to interact with Frank. The reason why I think MC worked so well is because Frank worked himself into celebrity status using the techniques that he revealed in his course.
I don’t have MC but I do have a copy of his first San Diego seminar so I do have some kind of idea what the course is – though I would still prefer to have my grubby hands on the course =)
Asher
Good thought provoking stuff Jason. It really is all about the “people” you know. In internet marketing “it’s not just what you know….” as there is a bottomless pit of “how to” stuff out there. The reason I buy your stuff is obviously the “people” part. Look forward to doing some JV stuff with you one day when I’ve earned it. Ciao…
I bought Mass Control the first time and it didn’t live up to my expectations (in terms of helping me to dramatically increase the money I make online). I attended the April Mass 2008 Control workshop in San Diego. Didn’t make any connections.
But, oddly enough, I feel that I got my money’s worth. I especially enjoyed the information that I learned at the San Diego workshop. I’m impressed with Frank Kern’s marketing strategies. Now that I understand some of the techniques in Mass Control, I learn a lot watching his campaigns.
I feel that I got my $2,000 worth! Yes, much of the info can be attained in lesser priced products. But, part of Kern’s strategies include simplifying (what appears to be complex) stuff, in my opinion. And he provides context for those unfamiliar with the sophistication of online marketing.
Like you, I’m happy with my purchase for reasons that aren’t the normal reasons. By the way, I haven’t reached the 100k level, yet.
You make some excellent points, Jason – thanks for putting the post up.
Fundamentals are fundamentals and won’t change. Frank does a great job of organizing them into a system, but you can get the basic information elsewhere (good for people who didn’t have the $2000 handy to know).
The personal contacts at the meeting are another thing – that can be worth the price alone. I think your target point of 100K from your online business is a reasonable estimate of when actively networking will make the biggest difference. And if someone’s at that point, 2000 for the course isn’t out of reach.
Thanks again for the post. It’s refreshing to read an honest review.
Seeing “how” someone actually does a process and what the customer experience is has become one of the best educational tools I have found to advance my business.
I agree that too many overlook the bonuses.
You purchased a $2k question for Frank in my opinion. You will get at least one chance to personally interact with Frank. That short time will pay for itself many times over during the course of your business, but I don’t have to tell you that.
Lance
Hi Jason -
Terrific insights.
Let me first apologize for not following through
on promotion with you – is it too late? I’ve
been dealing with too many headaches recently
and I’m just backlogged.
Second, there isn’t a lot new under the sun
but that doesn’t mean it’s not valuable – most
of us already have more ideas than we need
and recognizing that A) having information
distilled and organized is of great value (hint:
that’s what I see this market appreciating /
wanting more and more and B) the human
element – if you work things right you can
get into Frank’s inner circle or meet people
who are at a higher level of commitment than
the ebook only buyer.
I hope you’re doing well – just want to
show my appreciation for your reminder.
All the best to you – X
Thanks for speaking the truth: Relationships Rule…
It always comes down to who you know
I already had a commitment that weekend (and Mass Control 1.0) otherwise I’d look forward to meeting you there.
One day not to far from now hopefully,
Phil