I got an email from someone the other day asking me which \”gurus\” they should listen to.
There are SO many people teaching how to make money online.
How DO you know who to trust?
Here\’s a checklist for you to help you determine the answer to this question:
1) Google the person in question.
Seek and ye shall find. The web provides information at your fingertips, so why not research a person or a product before choosing to purchase something or follow someone? It is best to type their name in quotes, like \”Joel Comm\”. Of course, if they have a common name like \”Jeff Walker\” it might be a bit more difficult to find what you are looking for. He\’s got \”Jerry Jeff Walker\” to compete with!
2) How long have they been online?
If the so-called \”expert\” registered their domain just a few months ago, that might raise a red flag. Of course, I register new domains on a regular basis, but I would check to see what other domains they may have registered. A search at whois.sc will provide you with registration dates and such.
3) Where are the testimonials?
It\’s easy to make up testimonials. I would not do that because we have plenty of real testimonials from real success stories. But people do it all the time. There\’s a reason people don\’t trust the smiling third party that says \”I\’d buy anything so-and-so would sell me!\” Audio and video testimonials are more convincing because you get to hear and see real people. Of course, those can be fabricated as well. Be wary.
4) Are they really an expert?
True experts have proof that what they do works. They don\’t learn it from someone else and then pass it off as their own teaching or method. I wrote my first book on AdSense because I learned how to make money with AdSense. Mike Filsaime can sell Butterfly Marketing because he has proven that the method works in his own marketing. There are plenty of people who create \”knock-off\” products and label themselves as an expert. Make sure they are practicing what they preach before trusting them.
5) Have you met them in person?
The Internet can be very impersonal, and people raised to the level of \”guru\” status can come off as distant or unreachable. That\’s one reason I speak at so many conferences. I want to make sure that anyone can meet me and have a discussion to see what kind of person I am. I have met a handful of \”gurus\” that truly were standoff-ish in my life. The truly big egos don\’t want to spend time with \”regular\” people. I truly enjoy just being myself in a group of others and sharing what I know. I also like to listen because I\’ve still so much to learn. Want to follow someone? Go to a conference or seminar where they are speaking and discover if they are worthy of being followed.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should help you cut through the clutter and noise of finding a reliable teacher who can really help you go where you want to go.