I made this video for you — but if you don’t have your headphones the transcript is below. You’ll also find the resource download link. AND a surprise mention of my work in another writer’s publication…
Truly, most coaching programs are scams.
I’ve spent close to $150K on coaches and programs in my life, many experiences were terrible and a waste, but some were incredible and life-altering.
Today we’re covering
How to spot the scammers
What to do if it’s too late and you’re already in too deep
And what I do to vet my advisors, because I’ve been burned before, so I’ll share what I wish I’d known earlier. I’ve also got a vetting list you can just download and use, scroll down for the button).
So, let me tell you a story about scammers.
I got into consulting because of previous business success. I was never formally trained in marketing, I just got real-world results and people wanted to know how I did it, so I helped them.
I realized how much fun it was working on other people's businesses and became kinda addicted and decided I wanted more clients.
So I started Googling.
And learning.
A week or two passes and one morning at 5:30 am or something I’m served an ad on Instagram from a marketing company with lots of promises.
I booked a call. It was expensive.
And I enrolled.
Now, I’m not saying that I didn’t learn stuff — I did, and it helped me with my consulting business back in those early days.
But MOST of the other people in the program didn’t.
They felt scammed.
And for good reason. Because most of them were scammed.
Most people didn’t get the results promised. And when they complained, they were told “It’s their fault” or “They weren’t trying hard enough” “They don’t want success enough” or “They’re not willing to do the work”.
Most of those people were sold into a program they should never have been in.
I’ve since distanced myself from that company as much as possible, and last I heard they were shut down by the FTC because of thousands of complaints from pissed-off people.
But companies just like this one exist still, right now.
So, it’s weird because I’m in an industry full of scammers, and I know this, and I guess for the last year or so I’ve been wrestling with how to get myself away from that stuff, trying to figure out how to market myself to the world WITHOUT looking like these ACTUAL scammers.
And it’s forced me to learn a few things.
Because I’m not some butt-hurt person with an axe to grind, not at all — mentorship is genuinely the fastest way to level up in life.
Ask anyone successful at anything and they’ll tell you that they had mentors, at different stages, for different reasons.
The problem is that people who don’t naturally have these mentors around them, they need to reach outside their circle for help.
And the few that are brave enough to reach out — these very people are often the most vulnerable.
And there are bad actors out there who will absolutely take advantage of that.
AND there are companies that started with the best intentions — but incentivised their sales teams to close everyone — even if they’re a bad fit.
I mean, there are a million stories about companies that started out good but then optimised for revenue so they turned into pieces of shit, right?
ONE: So how do we spot the scammers?
By the end of this article it will be kinda obvious to you how to spot the scammers.
But here are some giveaways, some caution signs…
They may have a lot of “lifestyle FOMO” in their marketing
They may have a cult-like following
They may monetize “proximity”
They may give off guru vibes
They may have copy on their website that reads like a motivational speech
The thing is, either of these things in isolation can be said about many good, ethical people. But it’s when they start to stack up that something starts to stink in the kitchen.
TWO: What to do if it’s too late and you’re already in too deep.
Now, there are a few things you can do, depending on what stage you’re at
If you’re about to sign up
Don’t worry, by the end of this video you’ll know exactly what to do
What about if you're part way through?
Let’s say you’re in a 6-month arrangement, and you’re 50% of the way through. Ask yourself, are you 50% towards the results you want?
If the answer is yes, happy days.
If the answer is no, then you need to reach out and shake some cages. The time to raise the flag for extra help is NOW, not later. Be tenacious, don’t take no for an answer, and keep shaking the cage until you either start getting results, or they get so sick of you bothering them, that they refund you.
Because you can be sure that as soon as your time is up in that program or with that coach, that’s it, you’re done. So your time to act is now.
Done but unhappy
What about if you’ve just finished some program or coaching, and you’re unhappy? Well this now falls into tricky territory, because the time to speak up has passed -- but there is still hope. If the advisor really is a scammer, you’ll be greeted with silence and locked doors. But if they are genuine, they’ll at least want to know why you’re not happy, and will gladly invite a conversation. They may even offer you further help. There are a lot of good advisors out there that genuinely want to help.
What about if it’s in the past now?
Now, look, when we get burned, it hurts. Sometimes, in surprising ways. If you are in this situation, it sucks. I’m sorry this has happened.
But you know what? You’ll be ok. You’ll learn from this.
But whatever you do, don’t allow them to stop you from growing in the future, because that’s probably the worst damage that these scammers can inflict. You don’t need to forgive scammers, you just gotta move on, figure out what you want next, and go for it.
Ok, so that’s what to do if you’re already in too deep. Hopefully, that’s not you, and you’re still bushy-tailed and bright-eyed — here’s how to avoid being in a situation with a scammer advisor, ever.
THREE: How I vet my advisors now
It’s easy, and I would have loved someone to tell me this years ago.
Think of it like going clothes shopping. If you just walk in and say “I’m here for clothes please” you’ll be a salespersons dream, and you’ll walk out with your arms stuffed with bags like a shopping spree scene in a 90’s movie, with more clothes than you’ll likely ever wear, and don’t need. But rest assured, they’ll have your money.
So here’s what that looks like when vetting an advisor.
So the first step is to Look inward. I ask myself, what do I actually want?
Until I can define it - I’m fresh meat for a scammer
If I’m chasing a lifestyle - I’m fresh meat for a scammer
If I’m looking for one single solution to fix all my problems - I’m fresh meat for a scammer
Let me give you an example…
This happens all the time in the life coaching business space because that niche is so easy picking. The unethical KNOW people want a better life, and that’s what they’re exploiting, and that’s what they’re selling — the better life. Their marketing is full of lifestyle FOMO. The details don’t matter, and people get wrapped up in the marketing of getting the dream lifestyle business that they’ve desired, without ACTUALLY defining what it is they want.
Once I feel I know what I’m looking for, I go shopping
I’m gonna start researching, and learning.
And maybe it turns out I don’t need an advisor, maybe I can figure this out myself?
But during this process, the way the internet works now, your searching and clicking will trigger a bunch of ads, and whether an ad or something else you’ve discovered — you’ll start seeing MAGICAL solutions to your problem.
Maybe they are legit, maybe they aren’t. But by this point, you’re smarter, you know what you want and you’re more easily able to see through marketing that’s promising lifestyle, or promises that look too good to be true.
Keep looking, until you find yourself consuming content realising you’re having some aha moments. That’s a good sign that the person knows what they are talking about, and not just blowing smoke up your ass trying to pull one over you.
See, the place you’re looking to arrive at, is being able to see the challenge you face, and see the divide between you and success because THEN you can find an advisor to help bridge the gap.
And the key word is HELP, because advisors HELP you do the work, it’s how this works. But in shoddy marketing, you’ll be able to spot messaging that makes it sound like magic, like it’s easy. Those too are alarm bells.
At this point, you’ve probably been researching, and actively shopping for a while, and have likely glossed over and avoided dozens of scammers. Well done.
Ok, so let’s say you land on someone and think “You know what, this guy/girl makes a lot of sense”
What do you do next?
Well, this part is easy.
If it’s under $1000 and you feel ok enough to take the risk aware that it could be absolute junk - just go ahead and buy it. You’re probably on the safe side by this point. And if it turns out not exactly what you’d hoped, you’re probably going to extract enough value from it anyway.
BUT if the investment is real money?
Then you book a call, and you talk to them.
If they’re a scammer, they’ll have a salesperson who will butter you up, and smooth talk you like silk.
If they’re a scammer, they’ll pressure you to buy today.
If they’re a scammer, they’ll get in your head, and get you to think that the ONLY way to get what you want is to go with them.
… and looking back at some of the stuff I’ve been sold into, these people practice true cult-like behaviour.
So to hedge against these scammers, you kind of need to be able to hold two ideas in the air at the same time, and be totally comfortable with it.
ONE - This person could be a scammer
TWO - This person could become a wonderful addition to this season of my life
SO come to the call prepared, with questions, all written down on a notepad spaced apart like this, so you can cross them off when answered and make your notes.
Because you’re going to need this for the final step…
And that is to…
Sell the Idea to your current advisor
That’s right, we all have someone who’s further ahead in whatever it is that you’re looking to do. Maybe a spouse, a parent, your boss, your successful friend in business, whoever the smartest person is in your world — reach out to them, I am sure they would love to help you.
Trust me, when someone says “Hey, you’re smart at stuff, what do you think of this idea?” you’ll be surprised at how many great people are more than happy to just give you their time, and wisdom.
So go to this person, and tell them what you’re thinking of doing.
Warts and all.
If you can sell them on the idea, great, you’re in.
If they have questions for you about it, that you can’t answer, awesome, now you can go back to this new potential advisor and ask them.
It’s really that simple.
When it’s not right, you’ll know, because it won’t be clear, and so you’ll be trying to go on ‘feelings’ instead… And feelings are just that, feelings. And a slick salesperson will know precisely how to give you the right feelings to take out that credit card against your best interests.
But when it’s right, you’ll also know. The path will be clear, and obvious. You’ll have a plan, accountability, and support. It will appear as if not moving forward is simply wasting time.
The majority of coaching programs are scams.
But now you know how to figure out who’s out to hurt you, and who is out to help you.
Wanna simplify your client acquisition? Use the calculator :)
In other news…
Another reminder to give your best stuff away.
referenced my work in her latest article. I gotta say, hearing your methods described by another (and better) writer is pretty cool. Here’s the article:Be sure to drop her some love if you swing by.
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Cheers,
Pat Sgro
PS: Hit the ❤️ button on your way (if you enjoyed it) so I know you made it this far.
Thanks ! I was on the fence just yesterday and feeling the pressure from the sales guy but your words about what a trusted advisor would say helped me see the situation better!