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Advertising is an age-old craft… almost as old as deception. And the two married together often create the modern sales pitch. Here is a list of some of the more commonly used, and most deceptive, advertising terms.

#6 – Money Back Guarantee
Try it, and if you don’t like it you’ll get your money back! Less shipping. Less processing. Less handling… less headache to just forget it. I heard a commercial the other day for a prostate supplement with a 30 day guarantee. Now… how in the world would you even know after 30 days if it was even working? I’m not saying all money back guarantees are worthless. But it is more of an advertising tool than testimonial of their product. Advertisers know that most people won’t act on it, and those who do will usually deal with an aggressive sales pitch before getting their refund.

#5 – “Free”
I’ve done my share of “free” marketing, and I can tell you that nothing is ever free. Why would a company pump money into something they are going to give away? They’re not. A free sample maybe, ok fine. But we all know “free” is never free. It’s usually only “free” if you buy something. Or if you’re being scammed. Read the fine print and ask questions. “Free” has become so tainted that it’s starting to fall out of favor.

#4 – Moving MLM Product
In the MLM and pyramid schemes, often times there is a product involved, and you’ll hear a lot of talk of “moving product” and not much about anyone actually using it. That’s because the product is a front. Sometimes money moves happen without any product actually moving. Crafty businesses know the law well enough to avoid getting in trouble.

#3 – Ground Floor
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been presented with a “ground floor” opportunity. While it’s most commonly used for MLM, it can be used in other areas as well. This is one of those illusions that people fall for every day. People want to think they are the first to get in on something new and exciting. Typically the only thing new and exciting about a “ground floor” opportunity is that you are a new victim and they are excited that you’re falling for their pitch.

#2 – The “Secret System”
This is one of the more annoying advertising ploys. You’ll see it on web pages and in print. It’s typically a long, rambling story about a guy who made boatloads of money with some secret money-making system. He was smart enough to figure it out on his own, but you’re not that smart and have to pony up some cash for him to tell you. And it’s very simple to implement, too. Maybe even guaranteed. So you read this novella about how insanely rich this guy is, and then you have to send in a coupon (print version) or will be sent to an order page (online version). You might have to sign up for some free ebook if you’re online as well. And of course the ebook says nothing either. It’s one long sales pitch.

#1 – Testimonials
Advertisers have no shame. Testimonials are a great advertising tool, but unfortunately many of them are fake. Advertisers are known to simply make up a testimonial and slap a fake name on it. Or if they want to be “legit” they’ll either pay someone to write one, or have a friend write one. The sad thing is that there really are true testimonials from satisfied customers out there, but you just can’t tell which ones are valid.