Well it’s true. Why do I know this? Because I run my own real estate club where we bring investors quality education and networking at an affordable price without all the hype. What this means is that my meetings and events stay away from the “pitch fest” that one might experience at other events. Sounds like a great plan right?
BUT – here’s the bad news.
Even while we remain a pitch free zone, we still have valuable information that is for sale at times. For instance, in the past 4-5 months I have promoted speakers with affordable education for sale. All of whom are my mentors and coaches and that I spend my own money on. One had a $395 product to teach due diligence with out of state investing and also had some great out of state deals available, one had an all day class for $249 to learn “creative real estate investing 101″, and one offered a free weekend of learning – which remained sales free, until the very end and even then it was such a “soft pitch” that I barely even knew he had something for sale. Does it sound like I need to hard sell these great classes? Everyone asks for affordable quality education. But when it comes down to it, it seems we are all so conditioned to go to those “pitch fest” seminars and buy buy buy, that we don’t seem to recognize or trust that we will get more value out of these affordable learning opportunities than from any sales fest weekend.
I’ve heard so many horror stories from investors about how much they’ve spent on terrible guru product and mentoring and say they “didn’t get anything out of it”. It breaks my heart! I ask you… why on earth would someone rather go to a pitch fest and drop several thousand dollars or more, than go to a low key pay-up front $300 class to learn directly from the teacher? Really. I’m asking you.
Well, I presented that question to at least 50 investors this weekend and their answers were as sad as I thought: “I got caught up in the frenzy”, “It sounded good at the time”, “Pressure to buy it then” and the best answer was “I don’t know”. All of them said they hated these kind of pitch fests seminars.
I asked a speakers coach WHY oh WHY do speakers keep having these pitch fests if the attendees hate the way the speakers sell like this? His very SAD but TRUE answer was…. because people keep buying! Ah duhhh… it’s not brain surgery. People keep buying, so why change what IS STILL WORKING. One of the most horrific answers that was heard from another speakers trainer was “watch what people do – not what they say”. Which - in a nut shell, means “so what if investors hate these pitch fests – they still buy… so why fix it if it ain’t broken?
So folks…in order for people like me who want and deeply desire to stop the madness, YOU must stop the madness first.
Don’t buy from these pitch fest weekends. Stop buying junk product that you don’t need. Stop signing up for junk $15,20,30K mentoring that never delivers. If you don’t know what is junk and what is good- WAIT to purchase, come to a site like biggerpockets, go to the forum about Guru Product and ask your peers what they think. Always! If you don’t know for sure about something -get feedback and get recommendations first. We get recommendations for small things like restaurants, a manicurist, a car wash, a dry cleaner – but we don’t stop to get recommendations for expensive guru product and mentoring? Whass up with that?
Don’t get caught up in the Feeding Frenzy!
You don’t need to be afraid if you don’t buy the product right then and there that you will miss the “special price” they are offering! Believe me – you can get that same price the next day, the following week, or just wait until the next pitch fest and you can get it then! That “special price only NOW” is the biggest scam of them all. Well that one and the “we only have 10 left!” or “For the first 10 people only”… LOL. Scams - all of ’em! No need to run to the back of the room. You will still get that product for that price even if you ordered it next month.
Just slow your role, think about the anarchy that you might be contributing to and step away from the table…
Help me, help you! Help me, Help you! - Jerry McGuire
Article Author:
Rosie NietoRosie has written 15 articles for us.
Visit Rosie's Website: http://www.nakedladyrealestate.com
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
You are so right about the pitch fest seminars! I tend to think of them being a Hot Shower. It only feels really good while you are in them, but as soon as you step out, the cold breeze ensues.
Creating and delivering value 24/7 is a way of life.
Rosie,
You hit the nail on the head once again. At my real estate club we always have one presenter pitching something. We do offer education, but these “guru”s pay to pitch their products and people line up to buy. The sad thing is that several of us put together an educational seminar to teach what it’s like in the real world. We priced it to cover the cost of the room yet only a handful of people were interested. Instead of paying $75 for a day of education from people who have really done it, they pay thousands to these snake-oil salesmen. As they say, “you sell the sizzle, not the steak.”
The few times I’ve attended these types of events, I’ve paid special attention to the average attendees . . . most are like deer in headlights. The people are enchanted by the sell and flock to the limited time only offer being pitched.
Sadly, hours or days later, they stop and ask themselves “what the hell did I do”?
I know! It’s so crazy I tell you. It’s quite a quandary. To tell you the truth – I am stumped at what to do about it all.
Today, I actually had an up and coming guru (like we need another one!), tell me that [I might as well accept it], that I’m not going to change the [guru pitch fest] world. And he wasn’t being nice to me when he said it. He was being more like “accept it kid – we’re bigger than you” kind of tone.
Hey… why don’t we have a big seminar that is called “Insider Secrets of the Guru Pitch Fests… What the gurus don’t want you to know about the seminar world…!”
Hhhhmmm… maybe I’m onto something here….
Hey Guys,
I’m with Rosie, I’ve been mentored by (in my opinion) the best in the business. I’m blown away by the absolute lack of knowledge 85% of the “guru’s” have. What I have come to realize is that they are not the best at real estate at all (not a guru by definition), but what they are the best at is marketing. I think the solution to our problem here is to learn their marketing styles and techniques, combine them with our real estate experience and true knowledge and bring real products to the market that actually change people’s lives.
The other problem people like us have, is we can’t FORCE people to take action. Many of the “guru” products do have good information (some of which has been “rewritten” from other good material), however, the average person at a pitch fest wants to be spoon fed how to make a million dollars by next Tuesday while they sit at home in their PJ’s. The deal is, it takes real commitment, real education, and REAL HARD WORK, to get rich. That’s not a sexy message, but the end result is, when you put it all together over a period of time, you get RICH. That’s the beauty of America!
Rosie, good luck in your pursuit. We have the same passion about this subject. Here’s how my friend and I are trying to tackle it… http://www.PitchFreeRealEstate.com. We’ve actually had very good success so far.
Thanks for doing what you do. Please let me know if I can be of any help to you in any way.
Sincerely,
Corey Donahue
Rosie,
It’s so funny, I was just looking at your blog and saw that you heard from Mike about Jack Miller… he’s one of my mentors. I go to his home on Fridays and hang out with a ton of other successful people and learn all I can from them. GO TO EVERYTHING YOU CAN of his!! Pete Fortuanto is another that is UNBELIEVABLE… http://www.peterforutnato.com. Don’t miss any class they give, they won’t be here forever, and Pete doesn’t sell anything but classes so once he’s gone, so is his material.
Happy New Year,
Corey
sorry, it’s Pete Fortunato…. typo!
Hi Corey!
Yes all of these guys are amazing. I will be getting to a Jack Miller and Peter Foruntnto workshop this year for sure! I tried to get Jack to speak at my club but he no longer speaks at clubs
I think I am still trying to get Peter. I can’t remember where I am in those inquiries. I checked out your website – it looks like your workshops are in Tampa ey? Too bad. If they were in L.A. – I would promote it for you!
THanks for your commments Corey!
Rosie