If you yourself is an entrepreneur, you probably heard of tons of courses whether is a self development, self healing, sales tactic, motivation talk, business strategies, road to IPO, property guru etc. Probably you have also heard of some well known company like Success Resources, Bole Resources, Doers, Capital Miracle, Asia Works, Vistage Malaysia and many more providing education platform and sell courses and mentoring as their business model.

There are people who obsessed with these kind of  courses and “invested” a lot in it but still yet to see any significant result on the goal that they wanted to achieve. Of course, there are too success ones. I myself been joined these courses and preview classes for many times (being invited by so many friends) from last time till now. I’m not against with any of these classes or courses, but i disagree on how they sell their courses.

Overselling

As my own opinion and experience, majority of these courses and mentoring companies or teachers oversell and overpromise in their presales presentation. Whether is learning a new tactics or some advise from your teacher, you should understand that things that you have learn may or maybe not apply in your cases. These companies are still a for profit company and their goal is earn as well. With the standard “package” that you have paid, the knowledge that you have learned from the course is something general to cater for the mass, as it might be applicable for you.

These speakers are good presenters, they can sell, in fact, they are very good in it.

What’s in the video is almost the same as what i’ve experienced in all these courses selling that i’ve joined,

  1. Always there is a free or discounted preview classes or sharing.
  2. Always there is a energetic speaker on the stage.
  3. Always start with alot of interaction with the audience and bringing up positive vibe into the closed hall. (when this started, this is where the influencing come)
  4. Speaker will to share (or brag) on their profile.
  5. Speaker will share how pity they are in the last time. (The room started to fill with emotions)
  6. Speaker always have testimonials from its success students etc. (Most of us will be persuade, but wait, are you curious those that failed?)
  7. Before the selling start, the speaker will always want you to agree with their statements. “Do you want to be success in your life? Raise your hand if you agree! Alright, seem all of you want to be success. Don’t just sit here, success always come with action, act now! Sign up the course right now and change your life!“
  8. There are always more persuasive ways to “convince” (create an urgency) you to purchase. “Wait wait guys, do you want to hear some good news? I’ve some good news. You know what, today, i’m going to use my own money to subsidise your sign up. Do you want to know how much is it? Raise your hand if you like your course to be subsidise by me! I see your sincerity and hear you guys, i’m very touch with all your response, i decided to give out a 50% discount! “, applause from the audience.  In that moment with that kind of vibe in the closed hall, most of us  can be very emotional and closing the deal from the speaker is most likely success.

Education equal to cult

Why some said these kind of courses, mentoring are cult? In another way of thinking, education can be some form of brain washing. Compare education with cult, think deeply, you will understand what i mean. When you believe and allow something goes into your brain without processing by getting others opinion, education works the same as religious, you will believe blindly for whatever these teachers said. Your life and your business is not going to success because you do what as you told in the classes or by the teachers. You success because didn’t follow exactly what they said instead of used and modify what you’ve learn and put it in your real life experience, most importantly you take initiative and action according to what you have learn.

In most of the preview courses that i’ve joined, one statement that’ve never changed from all the speakers, “Always invest 20% (or certain amount) in yourself (referring to education), failed to do so, you will failed in your life.” Another statement you would’ve heard, “a CEO read x number of books per year”. By just reading books doesn’t make you become a successful CEO, remember.

Don’t get me wrong that education isn’t good for you, in fact learning is life long process. But what’s make you success isn’t only the education, the true  success  comes with action. Without reading 52 books in a year you still can be a successful CEO, by the way.

Learn on which suits you

Take an example for those business related courses, they are the advocate to encourages all the business owners to implement SOP, to systemise the operation etc. Well i do agree to have the SOP, but is always depends on which stage you are in your business. Don’t expects your mentors or the courses will change your life. One single teachers, one single mentors, and few commons strategies doesn’t apply the same to everyone. Take it as an advise, use it on the right time and right place. I’ve see people who signed up for tons of classes that is not necessary for them. It is not the classes weren’t good enough, it’s the person who sign up get impulsed by the speaker.

  1. Don’t get emotionally affected by  the salesperson when coming to purchase decision.
  2. An aggressive person will always find its way out. If you really keen to learn something, take the initiate start with Google it. If you keep rely on your “teacher” or those “course”, meaning to say you don’t push much effort to your own action, instead prefer spoon feeding.
  3. There are stages in your business, sign up only for the right courses at the right stages.

Last piece of advise

I’m not against education, in fact i’m too keep learning from others and keep improving. My source of learning? Mostly from the people i met daily. There are too much of so call “guru” try to start selling, instead having sincere objective to help its students, it turn out be greed and oversell. Buy the courses that is suitable for you and don’t depends solely on what you’ve learn from it. Be the initiator in your life to take solid action to be success and the changes that you want. The path shaped by your attitude not the courses that you’ve attended.