Motivation and education are not the same thing.  To get the most out of our educators, mentors, and financial gurus, we have to know what they are trying to teach us.  Are they trying to motivate us, or educate us?  Does the financial guru sell their information, or are they selling themselves?  Are they getting rich by teaching people how they got rich, or getting rich by selling the IDEA of being rich?

Sometimes a motivator sells themselves as a financial expert, or a real estate guru, but in the end all they really deliver is a motivational message – a feel-good “you can make money”.   Now, “You can make money” is a great message, but it doesn’t really help if you are wanting to find real information on “how to make money”.  To be sure, there are some great gurus out there.  Some of these financial experts can teach us exactly what to do.  However, sometimes a financial “guru” is only interested in selling very general information with no real value. And sometimes, they have no real intention of providing any real value at all, just selling some platitudes and ideas.

It can be hard to distinguish between somebody that is a real guru and somebody that is just trying to cash in on the big business of self help and financial advice.  So here’s some of the tricks they do to trick their customers into parting with their money, and some of the traits that the “no help gurus” have in common.  If these traits apply to the book or mentor you’ve been listening to, beware. You are likely listening to somebody that is selling you advice on motivation or sales, on concepts and ideals – and with little to no good advice – and in some cases a lot of really BAD advice. 

1)  They frequently describe their financial success.  They keep your attention on the lifestyle of “being rich” instead of keeping you realistic about the hard work and learning that needs to be done, and keeping you focused on the information and their advice. 

2) They put a lot of attention to “low down” to “nothing down” techniques.  When you’re trying to sell salvation and hope, there are a lot of people that are potential customers.  Then it’s just a two-part process – promise them that the hope and salvation comes for no money, and then charge them money for the information.

3) The book has no index in it.  Want a quick way to find out if it’s a good informational resource?  When you’re browsing the bookstore shelves, don’t just look for the book with the prettiest, most eye-catching illustrated cover.  Get to the index and find something that you want to know about.  Check out the pages it references and see if you can find useful information from the index.

4) They use testimonials that could never be confirmed.  With glowing recommendations from “Mark” and “Alice K.” they hope it’s hard to dispute their methods will help you achieve your goals and become financially independent.  While we all know better, this should serve as a reminder next time you see that “John” thinks a new real estate system is foolproof – there’s nothing honest about a testimonial that can’t be confirmed.

5) No recording allowed during free seminars.  If they are legitimate, and offering information and a proposal that is legal and valuable, there would be NO problem with you taking a video of their sales pitch and showing it to your friends to get them involved.  What they worry about is you showing it to your family and friend, your lawyer and accountant, and getting REAL advice.  This is different than not allowing recordings during training seminars that you pay for.  There, you receive the training in exchange for the money, and they have a right to not let you then take their material and redistribute it.

6) They keep reminding you that the price of the information is going up.  A high pressure sales technique that plays on your fear of loss.  Nobody wants to be left out of a good deal.  But remember – if it’s a good deal today, it’s a good deal next week, too. If they don’t want to let you out of the room without you signing something, it’s likely that they are not in it for the right reasons.

7) They denounce traditional education.  When you’re playing to a room of uneducated, it’s easier to pull the wool over their eyes.  The uneducated – typically – have less money, and more financial problems, and a greater “need” for the quick-fix.  They are the most likely to be in need, and they are the most likely to be willing to believe that an education is not required.  And there’s no better way to

Whether it’s pitching products with higher and constantly escalating price tags, using “bait and switch” tactics, false names, or promising deals that are “too good to be true”, the motivations of the charlatans do not lie with your best interest. 

You might be free to get rich, but getting rich isn’t free.  It takes time, work, and dedication.  It takes real mentors, and it takes real education.   Providing the mentorship and the education, and passing on everything we know without charging for the information that has always been free, is the founding philosophy of freetogetrich.com