Michael Roddy is an internet marketer, who claims to have built a successful digital agency online, that generates 6-8 new clients on autopilot every single month. Today we're going to be taking a look at the eBook which is called The Instant Agency.
Firstly, this eBook is not to be confused with another course called Instant Agency, a business leads software program created by Victory Akpos.
The eBook claims you can get new clients without lead generation, cold calling, prospecting, sales calls, meeting or proposals... or ever having to talk to or see your clients automatically.
If your BS meter is going off right now, so was mine!
How can you have a digital marketing agency and get clients without talking or meeting with them, heck even a Zoom meeting?
The pitch is a business machine that works for you 24/7, where you only have to ensure it's running, not chase new clients.
What You Actually Get
The Instant Agency claims to be a 168 page eBook to learn the whole Instant Agency system. Additionally to this you get 5 free (self-rated price wise) bonuses, including a $700,000 plug and play agency website template, a quick start guide, 7 day fast start video series and access to a Facebook group.
The book currently costs $37 but you can purchase via his special offer for only $5.60.
As this is a digital download, you get access to the files within a few minutes after purchasing.
Who is Michael Roddy?
Michael (not to be confused by the Hollywood actor) is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and started as a 21 year old who hated working at a trade show booth events company so started a digital agency so he could become a digital nomad.
I couldn't find any information about him online.
The main point Michael mentions is that he doesn't even need to deliver the service you sell, this is very similar to Drop Servicing.
This is when you sell someone else's services as your own by adding a markup. Imagine building a website for someone and charging them $997 but paying someone $297 to do it instead. You'd make a tidy profit doing this.
The Instant Agency Process
Michael has created a 6 step process which includes:
- Choose profitable agency niche
- Create seriously good offer
- Earn your first business
- Automate sales
- Get traffic
- Escape your business.
Michael is saying you should offer attractive prices that can be fulfilled easily, or automatically compared with charging high prices and having to go to meetings, create beautiful proposals and constantly respond to emails.
The sales page for this eBook actually gives you some pretty good insights into the eBook and what you're going to learn. For example on page 37 you learn about 40 profitable agency ideas.
Buying The Front End
After buying the eBook I was then presented with an upsell offer for the Ultimate Agency, which I assume is Michael's premium training. I hadn't even received the eBook at this point, before being hit with his full course.
However this course didn't seem to have any pricing at the top of the page despite having a one click upsell button, and despite reading the page multiple times could not see a price, only a deceptive button to signup for this program.
After slowly reading, he's buried the price of $97 1/3 of the way down the sales page, but apparently it's free for 30 days, but this just means it's a money back guarantee.
Deceptive to say the least.
I'd say many people click this button thinking it's the next step in the order process. The only other funnel I've seen this done is Tai Lopez, and well, lets not talk about him.
This Ultimate Agency package includes:
- Get clients from directories
- Get clients from Instagram
- Get clients from LinkedIn
- Get clients from Yelp
- Emails
- FB + Google Ads
- Phone Scripts.
But remember on the front end, Michael was saying we were going to get traffic for free without talking to people? So how come he's now saying we need the full agency package.
Does his front end eBook not work?
The Downsell
After skipping the first button, I was then offered the Ultimate Agency package for 50% off.
So the price was now 1 payment of $47.
Declining this, you then get your order confirmation screen.
The Instant Agency Review
So after buying the course I was sent login details for Kajabi which is a web based membership platform. I was also given instructions to follow Michael on Instagram, join his Facebook mastermind group which has 46 members as of July 26th and only 4 posts in the last month..
Michael's email says they have a ton of people on their way to running an Instant Agency, but I wouldn't call 44 people at $5.60 a ton.
Then told to book my free coaching call with Michael. I paid $5.60 for an eBook and he's offering everyone a breakthrough session.
I have a feeling you will be getting sold on a premium upsell here.
The eBook Reviewed
Firstly the eBook was actually only 153 pages, not 168 as claimed. Of this the first 6 pages were table of contents. So now it's 148 pages. Plus the last few pages are links. So now it's about 145. Then there's 30+ pages of spiel at the start, so it's about 120 pages of content.
Every page has a link to his Facebook group and to book your free breakthrough session. This is annoying. It's clear he wants to get you on that coaching call.
By page 16, you've read through who Michael is, his old way of being an agency and the spiel about what you're going to be doing.
By page 36 we were actually into the content, which starts with choosing an idea to target with your Instant Agency. There's over 41 ideas of proven ideas. These all look like categories from Fiverr if you ask me.
Michael recommends going to Upwork to get other inspiration to see what people are actually buying.
I would have thought you'd need to know how to fulfill the services or at least where to outsource them too before choosing an agency niche though. I could choose translation but this wouldn't work as how would I know the work was accurate?
I could also choose web development, but again I may know nothing about this topic, other than the high profits to be had.
On page 52 Michael points out that you need to lead with a ridiculously good low-medium priced front end offer, this is the secret to the Instant Agency. Long term he could make $5,000 off this client, but you need to lead in with a good front end offer.
Michael goes on to say you should have three types of offers, a DIY, Done With You or Do It Yourself. For example small businesses may not want to spend $1,500 on FB ads, but may be willing to spend $500 for coaching on FB Ads once a week.
Page 71 we're told the difference between a showroom and the salesman, and why we need to have a buy now button on our instant agency. This is in stark contrast to the other agencies out there that don't offer this.
Page 74 you get a done for you Clickfunnels template which costs $97 to $297 a month. It's a little pricey for beginners in my opinion but if you want to use this template you can go ahead and use it. If not you can follow the steps for creating your own template.
There's no WordPress, Builderall, Systeme, Kartra or Leadpages landing page.
Where To Get Clients For Free
I was a little underwhelmed here, because the main focus to me was this would be an automated traffic generating machine.
The first method recommended is using Fiverr, but there's absolutely no guidance on doing this. He simply tells us about his friend Gun who was making $10k a month, which I find hard to believe with Fiverrs 20% commission and low $5 entry point.
The second is to create a Facebook group in a niche that's relevant to your agency. The basics are there, but how to actually grow a Facebook group? Yeah, there was nothing in this eBook.
The third option was using Google SEO but again no guidance on how to do this. Michael recommends writing a 2,000 word article because Google loves long form in-depth content, which again is true but not really the only way to rank number one on Google.
Method four was cold emailing and again you guessed it, how do you actually do this?
Method five was paid advertising, but the sales page talked about free traffic, yet he claims this is the most recommended way to make up to 1400% ROI.
And then he says you should record yourself on camera, which of course most people won't want to do.
Method six is retargeting customers and claims to be the easiest money you'll ever make, but again no mention on how to do this.
Not once does Michael show you how to setup any of these traffic sources.
Page 134 you learn about how to grow your Instagram following through Influencers and using the DM scripts provided to you.
Page 137, went on to show you how to travel the world for free using an American Express credit card, strange inclusion.
The book concludes on page 143 with an interview with a 7 figure instant agency owner called Mr X. No website, examples are provided and could be anyone.
7 Day Fast Series Training
Another bonus is the 7 day fast start series which is a series of 5 minute video clips.
These videos were quite basic, and were over the shoulder with Michael in the bottom corner. This includes using Upwork to find what people are looking for. He used Powerpoint presentations as an example.
After going through these videos I get the impression that we are going to be launching a similar service, and then fulfilling the order through Fiverr, and delivering the files directly to the customer. Again no mention on how to setup your site or funnel though.
We then learn how to use Instagram stories to create offers, but if you have no social media following this won't work, but again no guidance on how to get social media following.
Michael shows us in a video a service called FindThatLead, which lets you find prospects and send out cold emails. This costs $49 a month. This was a tool I hadn't heard of before, so it was interesting to learn about.
But how do we email these people? Again not shown.
Do we just load this up into our GetResponse account and send out random emails? If you're a beginner in this topic, it's probably going to leave you with a lot of unanswered questions.
Verdict
Seriously, this eBook under delivered. It was spiel after spiel with limited information. There was no automated sales process here.
There was no guidance on setting anything up. This was simply a low entry price to be upsold on his full priced agency course.
The main reason I bought the course was to see what his 'automated business' that required 2 hours work per day was, and as I guessed it wasn't shown.
Michael's premium training is clearly what you need to learn this, but not once did he mention on the sales page you'd need to pay extra for this content.
If you're going to promise so much on the front end, you need to provide it.
My #1 SMMA Recommendation
Voted as the #1 course on imrhys.com for the last year, the smma blueprint is one of the most powerful social media marketing courses for starting your own agency from anywhere in the world.
They offer 75+ video lessons across a wide range of modules so you can start your own agency in days. You also get access to a community as well as on going coaching calls.
The course is offered by two real agency owners who have proven experience in this business.
Last Updated on July 26, 2020 by Rhys Dale
Rhys is the owner and chief editor at Im Rhys and is living in Chisinau, Moldova. With over 15 years experience in eCommerce and Affiliate Marketing he has started many successful 6 and 7 figure businesses. After successes with USA and China dropshipping, he expanded into building 70+ micro affiliate websites in 30 different niches that generate money on autopilot. He now helps his wife to run her social media agency as well as travelling the world at every opportunity.
You explained everything perfectly. This was one of the most underwhelming things I’ve ever bought. It was only $5.60 like you said so no big deal but this Ebook is a joke. I unsubscribed from him after reading a couple pages. Can’t stand guys who do this crap.