Helping One Another Become The Best They Can Be

Due diligence comes first!!!!!!

by Cheryl Baumgartner Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Cheryl Baumgartner Professional Premium   Medical...
Alright folks, we've seen a bit of everything around here with all sorts of spam and guru's selling snake oil.  It's time to lay it on the line and do some educating.  Hopefully that will keep someone from becoming the next "Sucker"

First let me burst your bubble, there is no such thing as "something for nothing in the business world".  You will be investing something time, effort and money if you want to be successful.  So when you see this spam promising you wealth riches and success for no money, no time and no effort you'd better think first.

Now on to sucker number two who thinks every e-book, or marketing guru that comes along is going to make you rich.  What exactly is their interest in your success.  Are they telling you to ignore the successful people in your business?  Think about how much they really know.  Are they truly the second coming to be experts in every business imaginable?

Before you go off on the next tangent, follow a few common sense steps:

1. Jerry McGuire had it right, show me the money! 
They better be able to show you a good compensation plan and a good product to be compensated on. 

2. What exactly is the reputation of this business
Look for them being involved in scam or scandals.  Not hard to do.  Are they listed on any stock pages.  Has the BBB or any other consumer group received complaints on them and how many.  What kind of complaints.

3. Other than getting you to send them money, what is their interest?
If you are in a reputable company your up-line gets paid a portion of the proceeds on your sales.  You however should get the lion's share.   What this means is that when a guru tells you your up-line is lying to your or doesn't want you to know something, you'd better think long and hard on who is really lying to you.  The guru usually has only one interest, separating you from your money.  Your up-line on  the other hand, has a vested interest in seeing you succeed since they will share in the profits.  The more you make, the more they make.

4. How much does this guru really know?
There is no one who is an expert in every business.  each business is different and has different nuances and things that work.  If the business has been around for a while someone has already been through the "try this" phase.  They know what works for that business.  A guru who has never spent a moment involved in your business opportunity is no more knowledgeable about your business than you were in the beginning.  Listen to the people that know what is involved in your opportunity.

Now that being said do your due diligence before you get burnt!
Dec 12th 2007 17:30

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Comments

Jenny Stewart Professional   
Hi cheryl,

There are so many gurus around these days - it has become a new job description! the qualifying feaetures are, as you rightly point out - an ability to convince people to part with their money and sent it to line their own pockets.

Busines is business - on or offline. No product to wpeak of or a poor product that is not demanded with or without or bad management are not hte best ingredients for a successful and sustainable business - but we see thousands of these so called businesses on the internet.

Due diligence is most definately the key to decided whether or not the business that the gurus recommend is really viable.

In our Group How do you choose your Programme or Opportunity:-
( http://www.apsense.com/group/101268 )
there are many articles by members on how to avoid the pitfalls set up by the so called gurus - including Coach Steves topic "MLM Due Diligence-Benchmarks" which can help you with the HOW to find out what you need to know.

Great reminder Cheryl
Dec 12th 2007 17:42   
Cheryl Baumgartner Professional Premium   Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Unfortunately so many people start a business thinking they will have instant wealth. When it doesn't happen these gurus are just waiting to pounce and play on the insecurities of someone who is doing everything right and turn them onto a different path where they experience more an more failures.

Than when this person utterly fails the guru turns around and blames it on the original business opportunity which in a lot of cases was a good one. However instead of listening to the very ones who stood to gain by his success he he allowed these gurus to sell him a bill of goods. What you end up with is a disillusioned, ex-marketer carrying a load of sour grapes for the wrong reason.
Dec 12th 2007 17:55   
David Schupbach Senior   
I AM A GOOROO! LET ME SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE A MILLION DOLLARS A DAY!!!

(never trust anyone who claims to be a gooroo) :-) :-)

Good article Cheryl! I guess the difference between gooroo's and real business people, is that real BP want to develop a long-term working relationship with their clientele. Oh, and they are smart enough to know they will need to ensure your success in order to do that.
Dec 13th 2007 07:40   
Cheryl Baumgartner Professional Premium   Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
I just don't get the logic of listening to someone tell you that the very people who stand to gain by helping you succeed are lying but a guru who has no idea of what your business is and no interest in helping you succeed should be trusted.

And If I come across that e-book again I'm going to scream!
Dec 13th 2007 08:20   
Lee Poulson Advanced   Health Coach
When I first started trying to learn how to market on the internet I bought some books thinking why not learn from someone that already knows what to do.
What I bought was simply advertisements disguised as advice.
I never thought I would “get rich quick”.
I thought if I could be only one hundredth as successful as the gurus I would be doing good.
They say mistakes are the best teacher. Boy am I getting smart!
I don’t know who my sponsor is in Apsense. It may be one of those gurus.
If that is the case, I at least got something good out of it.

Dec 13th 2007 17:23   
Cheryl Baumgartner Professional Premium   Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
I was lucky, someone I trusted introduced me to APSense. I got to know him on another site and followed him here but alas he has left me. Too busy chasing down the next big thing I guess. That's the nice part about an off-line business. I'm not always chasing the next big internet thing.

But I have noticed that as soon as I started making my presence known on the internet I had more gurus than enough telling me my up-line is lying to me (which which be cutting their own throats since they get a little slice of what I get), That my marketing plan is wrong(there are people that have been with my company since the beginning 35 years ago, they've already been there done that) And that they know more than anyone else does about marketing every product created(Sounds like a jack of all trades and a master of none to me). It's irritating, annoying and just in case they haven't noticed, it make them look like a herd of braying jackasses!
Dec 13th 2007 17:51   
Gabriel C. Innovator  

Yeah You do make some good points. All the programs I joined were FREE, but they did cost a little time and effort. But not as much time or effort as a regular job, and they also made me much more money, which is a great thing.

One site that is free and great and will pay you, if you put some effort and some time into is the site in my signature. This is a legit program, and you have to make no money investment which is really nice.
Dec 13th 2007 20:01   
Cheryl Baumgartner Professional Premium   Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
I'm a member of Yuwie already and those earnings aren't going to make anyone rich. I made a grand total of $0.14 last month with almost 4000 views. Good thing I don't depend on Yuwie for survival. On APSense I earned $1.74. So please don't come here touting Yuwie as a way to get rich and make a living.

That is what leads to Yuwie members being so desperate to get referrals that they spam other sites like this one. We just had things die down around here with the Yuwie spammers spreading their desperation around. But then again, they are trying to make a living at it aren't they? Why because someone gave them the impression that Yuwie is going to provide them with a living. It's not.

So as far as a business opportunity, Yuwie still has to show me the money. It's a tool to meet people no more no less. Those few cents you make in a month are not enough to pay for a cup of coffee.
Dec 13th 2007 20:51   
Joseph Botelho Magnate I   Investing One Gram at a Time
Hi Cheryl,

Well said......................SHOW ME THE MONEY ...............loved it.......too many pit falls in life just have to watch where you take your steps...............and go with your gut........good job, well written and organized nicely done.......
Dec 13th 2007 21:55   
Jennifer Underwood Professional   Promoter
Well...all I have to say is I am VERY proud of where I am at in my business, and the company I represent.
I hate it for those that find out other wise for their company/s
There are really good ones out there....but trust me...
there are many many bad out there. Do your research.
Dec 13th 2007 22:04   
Cheryl Baumgartner Professional Premium   Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Joseph if one person gets it then I will have accomplished my purpose. Too many people see "Get paid" and leap. They don't know what how or when the get paid or even how to get paid. They just jump on what seems like an easy opportunity and end up on the short end of the stick.

I personally will write off anything that says I'm going to get paid but does not have their compensation plan available. People join expecting money to roll in and then wonder why it doesn't. Also not everyone is honest. Many people on the internet will willingly mislead you in an attempt to line their own pockets. We need to be aware and watch out for it.

A little research on the front side could have prevented a lot of heartache in the end.
Dec 13th 2007 22:34   
Jennifer Underwood Professional   Promoter
If everyone could become millionaires off of free..........
why isn't everyone millionaires???

That is just crazy


Dec 13th 2007 22:38   
Jennifer Underwood Professional   Promoter
And another thing that throws me for a loop is those that invest thousands to hundreds of thousands...
oh man
I don't care if I am a billionaire.....you better SHOW ME THE MONEY....FOR SURE!
Dec 13th 2007 22:46   
Lee Poulson Advanced   Health Coach
You know the saying “you get what you pay for”
People think that if they pay lots of money for something it MUST be worth while. Wrong!

On the other end is the saying “the best things in life are free”
Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s a good deal.

Dec 14th 2007 01:46   
David Schupbach Senior   
This might be a little off topic, but I was taking the time to go through different members signat ure links here, and just wanted to say;
Lee, you have a GREAT website!
I was watching the bar on the right side which shows the price of gasoline in different countries..... $7.52 in the Netherlands!!!!
No wonder I haven't seen anyone here from the Netherlands... they don't have money left for ISP!! Someone there didn't do their due dilligence!!

Experience teaches slowly and at the cost of mistakes.
~ James A. Froude (1818 - 1894)


Dec 14th 2007 06:13   
Cheryl Baumgartner Professional Premium   Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
I've gotten the invest thousands and you can make millions thing too Jenn. I actually had them call me on my business line and try it. I can't think of who made the quote "A sucker and his money are soon parted!"

But I don't give money to anyone who calls me out of the blue. I know "pretexting" when I see it.
Dec 14th 2007 07:56   
Thea Westra Professional   Adding Wings To Our Unique Life Journey!
Great post Cheryl.
I'm pleased to be a friend of yours at Apsense.
Thank you for all that you contribute.
Your heartfelt intent shines through.

Dec 14th 2007 08:07   
Kevin Gragg Freshman  Travel Professional
Great information from all of you. I've been a "sucker"...and it's not a nice feeling.

Remember...

You won't get rich by next Thursday.
(If someone tells you otherwise, they're lying.)

You can't double your money every week.
(If Warren Buffett and Bill Gates can't, neither can you!)

Nobody's going to flood your PayPal account with money while you sleep.
(You know that, right?)

The "gurus" don't care about you... they just want your money.
(Sorry, but it's true.)

"Get three who get three who get three" doesn't happen.
(They just tell you that because it sounds so easy.)

People will lie to you to get you to send them money.
(Not just some people... MOST people!)

When honest people deal with dishonest people, the dishonest people ALWAYS WIN!
(That's why you've been losing all this time!)

An eBook that deals with these types of issues is available. It is called "Stop Being A Victim".

In it you'll learn the TRUTH about...
- Pre-Launches
- The Straight-Line Matrix (Doublers)
- HYIP's (King of the Rip-Offs!)
- "Get-Three-Who-Get-Three"
- The "Multiple Streams of Income" Myth
- "Guaranteed Sign-Ups"
And MORE!

Basically it's everything the crooks don't want you to know.

If you are interested, contact me and I will forward you the details. (It's being sold in some places for $25...I have it for $5)

Dec 14th 2007 10:12   
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