How To Identify a Trustworthy Business Guru/Coach
Knowledge is the world’s most valuable resource, and without the proper use of it, you can’t be successful in business, or anything else in life. Wherever you look online, you’ll probably run into a post of some claiming to know how to make money while sitting on their couch—they’re living the dream. After working 45+ hours a week work, having to withstand the verbal torment caused by a disrespectful boss, getting a paycheque that doesn’t reflect your worth, paying dreadful bills, and then worrying about the stockpiles of debt you need to make minimum payments for.
You wouldn’t be wrong to want to make money doing nothing as well. But it’s that desire to receive the maximum outcome with minimal input that could end up costing you in more ways than one. With all the questionable content online urging you to pay large fees, for what ends up being general information, it would be nice to know how to filter the truth from the trash. Here are some tips to help you avoid business “gurus” that are selling you more than what they actually offer.
Beware of Repackaged Knowledge
To be frank, many of these coaching programs you see online, is just general, recycled information that you can find at your local bookstore. The costs of these books range anywhere from $10 to $100, yet gurus charge over $400 to $1,000 for you to receive these “revolutionary nuggets.” This strategy is best utilized when the individual selling their services already has some sort of following, a form of perceived credibility.
If someone with 100K followers on Instagram, or 40K subscribers on YouTube is presenting business-related information, the assumption is that the information they’re outputting has intrinsic, fundamental value because of the “position” they occupy. The easiest way to avoid this ploy is to read books on money management, wealth creation, and the fundamentals to entrepreneurship, so that you’re well equipped, and better prepared to build sufficient, and stable wealth.
Be Weary of Large Lump-Sum Fees
Oh the large lump sum, such a commonly used marketing tactic. This occurs when you pay a large fee upfront, for a service that will be used over an extended period of time. It’s more beneficial for you to search for coaches, and experts that request payments as you continuously use their services because you now have the opportunity to test the effectiveness of what they’re selling without losing any cash.
Analyze Their Refund Policy (If They Have One)
There are many gurus online to be sceptical of, but to test the validity of a specific business professional, check their refund policy.
A properly worded refund policy gives a particular product, or service added legitimacy. If their refund policy isn’t clearly written, easy to locate, or too complex to understand, then it’s best to just forget it and move one.
Avoid “Secrets”
Anyone that tells you that there are secrets to get rich quick is selling you a beautiful fallacy. There are no “secrets,” just wisdom, knowledge, hard work, consistency, and the application of all four. Without the proper use of those 4 pillars (And a few others), becoming successful in any field is a pipe dream. Don’t be fooled by the idea that you’re missing out on a method that everyone else seems to know. Educate yourself accordingly, and apply these four concepts to your business strategy. Don’t let the thrill of quick cash overtake the process to becoming successful.
Watch the Rented Reality
Probably the most effective marketing promotion gurus’ tend to use is their luxurious lifestyle. They’re selling you the American Dream, which they realistically aren’t living. What tends to happen is that some individuals rent these expensive items, like cars, houses, watches, and shoes so that they can promote a existence that isn’t real—it’s all smoke to say the least.
The purpose of this is to urge your materialistic tendencies to supersede your sense of caution and carefulness. When you observe successful entrepreneurs, like Tobias Lutke, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve Jobs, the self-promotion of a lavish, over-the-top lifestyle is non-existent, but do see facts and portfolios of wealth.
How I Made [Insert Crazy $$$ Amount Here] in [Insert Short Time Span Here]
The best advice for these taglines is to just ignore them all together. Adequate wealth doesn’t get made overnight. It’s a process, which takes time, and a sufficient amount of learning.
In this digital age, many things are documented and tracked. If someone does something relatively noteworthy, it’s very easy to fact check. Don’t let your oozing desire for luxury trap you into an investment that will cost you more than you were initially ready to give. Sadly, some people online are just offering placenta, and labeling in a way that convinces you to buy. Ample research on the individual you want to follow is a great way to supress any urge to make a lot of money “quickly.”
Fact Check
As we transition into the last point, fact checking is an essential key to not wasting your time, money, and effort. If you do a Google search, and find nothing on the specific individual you’re learning from, or you do Google, and find a series of negative reviews, then you’ve most likely walked into a potential scam. A paper trial follows every successful person. If you can’t find records of your Business Coach, then you should be weary, and ask very detailed questions about their credentials before you invest your money into them.
Conclusion
These are just some of the many strategies you can use to avoid buying into something that looks better than what it actually is. Don’t be caught in the large group of people that are led by their desire to make money quickly, and as a result, avoid using their conductive reasoning skills. These tactics will definitely help to keep you, your money, and your time safe!