.
"We have a special sales mechanism intended just for independent software vendors like yourself. It can both increase your application's security, and improve your conversion rate."
"We at the Peterson Media School would like to produce a free television commercial for SpamButcher."
"Sounds like we need to run you a little advertising campaign to get things moving! I've got the local media contacts you need."
"We'd like to send your software out to 400 of the most visited download sites and search engines."
All of the above are variations on actual sales pitches sent to me. Sometimes it's hard to tell when your email address and product name have simply been stuck into a form letter. Doesn't someone make a product to stop this kind of junk email?
When people come to you with business opportunities - they are usually doing it to make money for themselves. That's fine, but none of the above cases offered anything unique. All of them were offering services that you could readily research on the web and locate multiple providers for.
Why would you think the company offering the best service would just happen to approach you? That's like assuming that someone who cold-calls you to refinance your house is going to offer you the best mortgage rate (they aren't).
Most of these guys are ultimately sales people and would love to get you on the phone so they can wear you down into saying "yes" to something. Don't call them. Do not let them call you. Avoid giving out your phone number.
If you think you'd be interested in the kind of product they offer - do your own research. Try to figure out what other shareware authors are doing, and if they're having success or not.
The Usenet group alt.comp.shareware.authors can be a good resource.
The web is littered shareware author's blogs which can offer answers. A Shareware Life is one of the better ones.
Avoid any opportunity that requires significant money up front. Make sure you can readily track the results of any money you do decide to spend. This way you can "pull the plug" once you figure out you've spent $215 to make $30.
If you're not even sure how you'd judge the success of a promotional effort - run away.
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