Do you follow a business guru?

[tsgstl]

The people that "thought" they were my gurus laid of 50-75% of their work force in the last 5 years. No thanks

Spending all profits on equipment and employees is always what they preached to me. Success is not always determined by how big your business appears or even the bottom line. Don't get me wrong we felt the pinch of the down economy the last few years too. But now that things (for us at least) have made a complete 180 it will take us months not years to fully recover.

 

[James Burke]

Scott Adams (cartoonist for Dilbert) is my new business guru. JB

 

[goforit14]

bryan tracy, is been tons of help, some people just need to be helped a bit as it takes ages to figure things out for your self why not take a short cut by learning from those who have done it before, confidence and people skill are universally significant for any industry, in the end we are just serving people

 

[bob]

...If it was all BS then the multi billion dollar consultant and seminar world would not exist...

Really? How about the no doubt equally lucrative astrology industry? Astrology being mnemonic for any and all manner of fringe fruitcakery. By you're usually reliable logical abilities none of those dubious endeavors could be BS as well.

It's been my experience that lots of people have good ideas. Small ideas, there's precious few valid large ideas, but workable nonetheless. Unfortunately what invariably happens is that this or that small idea is expanded, actually beaten to death, into entire books, series of books, seminars, and tent meetings. When a simple paragraph or two would have been more than adequate. No one buys paragraphs so the small and even potentially useful idea gets expanded into hundreds of boring pages that essentially say nothing at all.

Most everything and anything can and should be expressed in no more that a couple of paragraphs. Preferably a single paragraph.Up to and including quantum physics. If you can't do that then you probably don't know as much about your subject as you might think you do.

Then there's a special hell for those that both produce and consume motivational nonsense. In fact, here's a usable small idea: Quiet competence trumps motivation bull$hit every time. Always.

 

[John Butto]

Really? How about the no doubt equally lucrative astrology industry? Astrology being mnemonic for any and all manner of fringe fruitcakery. By you're usually reliable logical abilities none of those dubious endeavors could be BS as well.

It's been my experience that lots of people have good ideas. Small ideas, there's precious few valid large ideas, but workable nonetheless. Unfortunately what invariably happens is that this or that small idea is expanded, actually beaten to death, into entire books, series of books, seminars, and tent meetings. When a simple paragraph or two would have been more than adequate. No one buys paragraphs so the small and even potentially useful idea gets expanded into hundreds of boring pages that essentially say nothing at all.

Most everything and anything can and should be expressed in no more that a couple of paragraphs. Preferably a single paragraph.Up to and including quantum physics. If you can't do that then you probably don't know as much about your subject as you might think you do.

Then there's a special hell for those that both produce and consume motivational nonsense. In fact, here's a usable small idea: Quiet competence trumps motivation bull$hit every time. Always.

I agree with Bob on the idea of learning or believing something through snake oil salesmanship. But it did take Bob four paragraphs for him to express it, instead of a couple of paragraphs as he had mentioned.

 

[bob]

I agree with Bob on the idea of learning or believing something through snake oil salesmanship. But it did take Bob four paragraphs for him to express it, instead of a couple of paragraphs as he had mentioned.

There are three separate notions expressed in four paragraphs. One, the first, is stand-alone. The next two represent a complete exposition. The last is only tangentially related to the middle pair.

Your move...

 

[Billct2]

If it was all BS then the multi billion dollar consultant and seminar world would not exist

That is not proof of the effectiveness of the advice, just of the insecurity of the business world. Substitute "weight loss" for "consultant and seminar" world and we should be a country of healthy & fit people.
That doesn't mean that I don't think there are consultants that are worth their cost, hence the OPs question, name names if you have had a good experience with a consultant. I also think Fred has it right when he says there is a big differenec between motivational speakers and actual hands on business coaches.

 

[Techman]

That is not proof of the effectiveness of the advice, just of the insecurity of the business world.

This answer is not directed at any one person.

No it is not proof of the effectiveness. It is proof that too many will attempt to get the knowledge yet fail anyway. Either they merely want to feel important and do anything to look like they are being successful. But they are actually uncoachable. That is what shows that too many should not be in business in the first place..

The only reliable proof is the clients who gained comfortable increases of success and income by developing certain skills they never had before via the consultation of a compatible mentor.. Some of which have a huge following and some are mere also rans. The sign world is full of rebels who operate with sheer willpower and 80 hours a week. A few pointers on how to increase efficiency from a good consultant could reduce those hours worked and increase income.

Ever been to a dentist lately and got sticker shock at the prices they charge? Ever notice they work few weekend any more and they are gone on most holiday weeks? These professionals go to seminars to develop their business models. Those models are not whipped together by some person who just spent 8 years in medical school walking around with 100 grand in student loans. Those models were assembled via a marketing guru.

Ever been to a Chiropractor and paid 200 for a visit? The days of a 30 dollar visit are long gone. They attend guru seminars practicing and roll playing business models until they have a plan that fits their personality.

A good book to read is the Color Code by Hartman. It will guide us on how to profile a potential client and develop skills on how to deal with the different personalities we encounter every day. A very revealing read for a few of us.

Ever been ticketed by a motor cop? Yes you are up against Olympic competition in trying to deal with that. He follows a model developed and taught to him by some guru. He gives you a break because he wants to. Not because of some slick story we whipped up. Google the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid_technique and see for yourself.

Some have no use for any outside guidance. That is fine.
On the other hand most of us have gaps in our business skills. Fill those gaps and we grow. Fill those gaps over a weekend seminar with a competent and compatible guru and we grow much faster.

 

[Gino]

[h=1]All I Really Need to Know...... I Learned in Kindergarten !![/h]

Look both ways before crossing the street.
Play fair.
Don't play in wet sand.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Flush.
It doesn’t matter what you say you believe - it only matters what you do.
Pick a good neighborhood to live in.
Every person passing through this life will unknowingly leave something and take something away.

Without realizing it, we fill important places in each other’s lives. It’s that way with the guy at the corner grocery, the mechanic at the local garage, the family doctor, teachers, neighbors, coworkers. Good people who are always “there,” who can be relied upon in small, important ways. People who teach us, bless us, encourage us, support us, uplift us in the dailiness of life. We never tell them. I don’t know why, but we don’t.
And, of course, we fill that role ourselves. There are those who depend in us, watch us, learn from us, take from us. And we never know.
You may never have proof of your importance, but you are more important than you think. There are always those who couldn’t do without you.

Wanna make someone else rich ?? Keep going to seminars which teach you the basics of life by substituting words, until you find a set you like or make fit.
​

There are some really good teachers out there, but finding them isn't easy. Besides, most people don't know it anyway, because they're too busy looking for that one easy pill to make everything better. No one wants to work or do for themselves. It's a pitiful society in which we live these days, but keep looking..... someday you magic prince/princess will knock at your door and say...... I'm he-re.

 

[Techman]

The lets quit going to school right after kindergarten..

 

[Gino]

The lets quit going to school right after kindergarten..

Remember, it's a saying. I didn't mention high math or the color wheel, either.

We all really need to go back to the basics and stop all the BS about non-affecting things. Who cares if you learn the fundamentals at a seminar, school, on the street or in another country from some guy on top of a mountain ?? We all need the same teaching. We need to know right from wrong and obey the laws. Constant telling people how much better this guy is than that guy or where I went to school or what someone else's background is..... is just words which mean nothing. It's what you do with your knowledge and how you apply it. Whether or not you want to share might make you a likeable person, but it isn't necessary. However, all these people selling books, DVD's, holding seminars and infomercials are all just trying to make a buck on you.... by selling you stuff you already know, but are just changing the cover/packaging. They are still selling the same stuff you should've learned, but were always too busy to listen to, until they changed up some key words or visuals. Then.... they got your attention because of some key/buzz words.

Like I said, stick to the basics and you can't go wrong. Not that the basics can't be big, but just honest.
​

 

[Techman]

by selling you stuff you already know, but are just changing the cover/packaging. They are still selling the same stuff you should've learned, but were always too busy to listen to, until they changed up some key words or visuals. Then.... they got your attention because of some key/buzz words

Ya, Right... The basics.. It's all just a bunch of unremembered techniques we never saw before, or a bunch of ideas we never had but forgot, or a dozen words of terminology we never heard before. There is no motivation involved, no tweaking of a concept to make it fit our needs. Nope, non of it matters if we just stick to basics. Right. Stick to basics and never learn anything new.

Lets try an idea.. How about figuring our a way to never pay inventory/personal property tax or whatever they call it.. tax again legally just like the big corporations are able to avoid paying. Will a back to basics technique get you there? Nope it won't.

 

[John Butto]

"Lets try an idea.. How about figuring our a way to never pay inventory/personal property tax or whatever they call it.. tax again legally just like the big corporations are able to avoid paying. Will a back to basics technique get you there? Nope it won't."

I think that 47% of the people in the US have been doing that out without even reading a book. I know that their "there" is not the same as your "there", but everyone has different goals in life.

 

[Hicalibersigns]

This perfectly sums up this entire thread. "Jibber Jabber about Jibber Jabber!

[video=youtube;eOXkI92lDmw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOXkI92lDmw[/video]

 

[Techman]

ITs all good.
There are members here who are guru's some use/used the services of guru's. All the users I know getting info from guru's are very successful.

 

[Skye]

So

Lots of people chimed in with there opionon of a guru. Well that was interesting. So....I guess back to the real topic of this thread. Yes I read lots of books and lots on this Site. but I am partial to Michel Gerber of emyth.

 

[John Butto]

Techman and Skye are such followers. Now Bob is their guru. If you notice they just now respond in one paragraph because Bob said that is what smart people do.

My 2nd paragraph is a quote. "You know what God thinks about money, just look at the people he gave it to".