Everyone knows the “gurus” and how they sell snake-oil to the hungry masses. Large numbers buy, but almost no one succeeds. As a result, the business training industry online is full of scams – overly hyped-up courses and training programs that never yield the transformation promised.
And we, collectively, both providers and customers have to do something about it… otherwise customers will never get the education they need, and providers will all be cast in the same dark light.
Our Vision
I’ve made it a goal for our company TANDA Digital to remove the uncertainty for buyers, and clean the industry of scams by guaranteeing results will be achieved 100% of the time if our systems are followed diligently – or else, we will refund 100% of the money.
But this is not enough. We also need your help, and we believe that educated consumers can make the right choices and will not be tricked by deceptive marketing and empty promises.
Below we will outline the main reasons why customers are tricked, and show you how you can prevent yourself from falling in the same trap.
1. Social Proof is Misused to Fool the Wrong People into Paying Money for Something That Won’t Get Results for Them
Skills and techniques in business don’t translate very well. If someone who is already making a revenue of say $10,000 per month goes through a training program and starts making $1 million a month, that is no indication that someone making $0/mo could replicate that result.
And yet, this is how social proof is used in this industry. Leaving aside the fact that much social proof is bought or made up, even when it isn’t, it’s almost always taken out of context.
As a result, beginner entrepreneurs who just don’t know any better invest their hard-earned money in courses and trainings that overpromise and underdeliver for them.
Every time when you look into a course, it is highly recommended that you ignore most social proof. Speaking with customers is also not a gold standard. Even those that made a bad decision are unlikely to admit it, because admitting it would make them look foolish.
The best way to look at the value of the course is to check the transformation promised, understand the process used to get you there and see if it makes sense in your specific situation, and understand exactly what kind of people it has gotten results for.
In addition to all this, you should also ask if you’re a good fit for the program, and, if the answer is yes, if you buy, and you give it your best and follow through but don’t get results if you will be refunded your money.
2. Providers are Greedy and are Looking to Maximise Short-Term Results at the Expense of Long-Term Good Business Practice
This is still a very young industry. As a result, most providers are really marketers looking to make a quick-buck rather than established companies looking to build real, long-term value.
This means that they just want to maximize short-term sales, even if this means selling to people whom they know won’t succeed. The ones who bear this loss are, obviously, consumers.
As a consumer you should research the provider and their reputation, and make a judgement about whether or not they are a company whose values you want to support or not by paying for their products.
3. Not everyone is in a position to get results from business training programs
Business is very difficult and very risky, especially if you’re starting from absolute scratch. Typically consulting & training services are useful for established businesses with an already proven concept, but not so useful for entirely new businesses.
As a result, most absolute beginners are unlikely to be successful with a training program from the get-go, even if that program is very good. Unless the program was specifically designed for this situation, it doesn’t make much sense to look into it.
Despite your great desire to skip over steps as a complete beginner, it’s much better to invest your time in slowly learning the essential concepts of business and getting some experience before investing your money into a course. The very first steps in business you should take alone and start figuring things out for yourself and gaining experience.
This will come in very handy even when you actually DO decide to invest in a course or training – the concepts will make a lot more sense to you, and you’ll know exactly what to do with them.
4. Guarantees Are NOT Tied to Success
Very often, when the gurus offer guarantees, the guarantees are not tied to your success. Or if they are, the conditions are so vague that the guru can always claim that you didn’t meet them.
So make sure that the conditions for the guarantee are objectively verifiable and tied to your success if you follow all the instructions of the training. Such conditions will help ensure that, in the worst case scenario, you don’t lose your money.
This presumes, of course, that you actually give your best effort and follow through with the program. On the producer side, what companies should do is what we do for our Ascendancy Program. We offer a 100% guarantee, 100% of the time, but we select very carefully who we allow into the program to make sure they get results!
5. Don’t Fall for High-Pressure Sales Tactics
Very often gurus employ a sales team. The people on the sales team are instructed to follow a specific process, which, in order to make up for their lack of sales skills, will often involve high-pressure tactics.
If you notice that the salesperson is trying to push you to buy, making you feel guilty and being overly insistent, then that should be a warning signal. Usually, that indicates that the company is after sales at all costs and doesn’t really care if you’ll be successful.
What you want to look for instead is a salesperson who helps you make a good decision for yourself, without pushing you, and is totally cool if you decide that the investment isn’t right for you.
Concluding Remarks
Better educated consumers and a greater number of providers who take the long view of this industry will create greater value for everyone involved. Producers will also make greater money in the long-run if they can deliver on their promises and build a reputation for excellence and care for their customers.
As a result, it’s very important that you, as a consumer, follow the 5 points mentioned above, and choose to reward with your money providers who are working to make the industry a better, cleaner, more valuable place for everyone. You hold the power so use your judgement wisely!
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