Those Who Can't Do... Teach!

**TakeMeNational.com** · 10-30-2010 07:00 AM

BOY IS THAT EVER THE TRUTH…

Now I suspect that I have my share of qualified competitors out there, but it bothers me to no end how many CONSULTANTS, COACHES, ADVISORS, and best of all MARKETING GURU’s there are… who are selling their “expert support and guidance” in areas that they themselves have really NEVER excelled.

They say that talk is cheap… but you’d never know it from these guys!

Shouldn’t there be a rule that says…. “If you have never actually “walked the walk” and successfully taken new products or services to market, you can NOT charge others to lead them down a path that you yourself have never even traveled? That’s fair…isn’t it?

Have we gotten so caught up with the marketing spin & hype that’s continually put out there, that we’ve now forgotten that we still need to look behind the curtain? Wouldn’t you like to know that the person and/or company you are stroking that check too, has actually faced the marketing fog of war and successfully come out on the other side.

My question is… How many people hire professional consultants & coaches, only to receive a bunch of meaningless words and useless information?

TakeMeNational.com

**akula** · 10-30-2010 08:53 AM

ummm...no not really
consultants, coaches, teachers etc are hired to do certain jobs and achieve certain outcomes
if what they delivered was a bunch of useless information, they wouldn't get paid

...the distinction you're concerned about is the sale of non specific information..
like a book about finance written by someone who has never worked on wall street
...i do think that in these instances there is a lot of garbage being sold out there...but really it's the buyers who have to be mindful about this sort of thing, not the authors
that said, i do think you have a good point
i see quite often hapless consumers being sold misleading, incomplete or deceptive information...sometimes intentionally, other times, simply because the publisher doesn't know any better

overall, i think that people who sit and think about an industry have as much authority to reflect on the industry as the actual industry participants
..everyone has their own role to play in the bigger scheme of things

**TakeMeNational.com** · 10-30-2010 10:36 AM

YOU WROTE: "consultants, coaches, teachers etc are hired to do certain jobs and achieve certain outcomes
if what they delivered was a bunch of useless information, they wouldn't get paid"

First of all they get paid in advance, and secondly it happens everyday. As a young entrepreneur, you will soon learn that most of the consultants who will offer to sell you their expert opinions... are really not experts at all. If they have any expertise at all, it is more about talking themselves up, and less about delivering insightful advice.

Do you know what it takes to start a coaching or consultanting firm. NOTHING...no license, no testing, no regulations. Just the say so of the one selling the service.

**The Stealthy One** · 10-30-2010 05:51 PM

OP, sounds like you made a bad decision and are bitter about it. We can't help it if you got shammed by a "consultant." Choose better next time. Peace, brother.

**akula** · 10-31-2010 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by TakeMeNational.com

YOU WROTE: "consultants, coaches, teachers etc are hired to do certain jobs and achieve certain outcomes
if what they delivered was a bunch of useless information, they wouldn't get paid"

First of all they get paid in advance, and secondly it happens everyday. As a young entrepreneur, you will soon learn that most of the consultants who will offer to sell you their expert opinions... are really not experts at all. If they have any expertise at all, it is more about talking themselves up, and less about delivering insightful advice.

Do you know what it takes to start a coaching or consultanting firm. NOTHING...no license, no testing, no regulations. Just the say so of the one selling the service.

if i didn't know any better i'd think you were trying to teach me something
maybe you should go into..consulting

**paul2145r** · 11-21-2010 12:18 PM

Lol. I've heard this and similar comments time and time again.

If you are paying a consultant, do your due diligence in making sure that they are qualified. Don't just look at education and credentials - ask them for specific clients and/or referrals. It is up to them to convince you that they can help you with a specific area of your business, not the other way around.

I did some paid consulting, and didn't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Some clients have unrealistic expectations about what a consultant does. Don't assume that a consultant can work miracles if you are trying to sell an inferior product for double what the competition would charge. If you don't take criticism well, don't hire consultants that are known for shaking things up.

On the same hand, a word of caution: A good consultant will be able to take a step back and give you a fresh perspective. Be ready to acknowledge their view, but don't take it as gospel. Work with them on achieving a positive change in your company, but don't hand over the keys to the company. Even the best consultant is still (at least initially) an outsider. They may not be familiar with all of the intricacies of your specific industry, and will not be able to navigate through some of the finer issues that you've already managed to overcome. They are neither an employee nor your boss - treat your consultant as an adviser and things should work out to your (and your business') advantage.

An online program, video, or tutorial will never, I repeat NEVER match up to a one-on-one consultation with a qualified consultant. Most of these things are written based on a cookie-cutter template, and compiled from the same blogs and online articles that are freely available. Some of them are good to have around for a reference, but there are no $99 PDF's that will perfectly match up with your business. There are, of course exceptions. If you are wanting to set up a cookie-cutter business that is just like thousands of other businesses, then you can probably subscribe to one of these programs and not bother looking elsewhere or thinking outside of the box. Those of us preferring ingenuity to franchising have to work a little harder to make our businesses successful.