10 Tricks Fake Gurus Use To Draw You Into Buying Online Courses

They look like they have it all: wealth, financial freedom, success, a whole bunch of people who seem like total believers and followers… and you want to be them. And we get it, because who doesn’t want to be rich and successful without any apparent worries? These people know it, and therefore they come up with books and courses to share their success stories with you. Or so it seems. Plenty of people buy and buy their online courses, but they’re still getting nowhere. That’s because oftentimes these courses don’t teach you anything, and they’re created by fake gurus. To protect yourself, read up on these tricks fake gurus use to lure you into buying their courses!


1) There’s Always A “Secret”

And another. And another. These fake gurus always have a “secret” they use to attain their success, and they will tell you their secret, for the right price. After you uncover the first “secret”, there’s always the next, which could be revealed for a higher price. And a higher price. In the end, you just always want to know the next “secret”, and end up paying a huge sum for it.

2) Prey On Your Emotions & Insecurities

It’s not so much about teaching you the ways of success; it’s more of triggering your emotions. There are a lot of us who may feel vulnerable, insecure and unsure of what we’re doing in life, or if we’re ever going to make it. Fake gurus know this very well, and therefore they capitalise on feelings like greed or fear of failure, telling you that you’ll definitely make it with their online course. They also seem very relatable to you, telling you that they’ve been in the same exact position you are in right now.

Man in suit feeling sad; possible failure

3) Have A Niche

With a niche, fake gurus seem more convincing. But usually, these niches are fads, like cryptocurrency. They narrow their topic down into a specific one, and talk about it. Some of them may not even know real knowledge on what they’re talking about, because remember, their main point isn’t to actually teach you something. It’s to sell your their courses and products. The whole thing could be completely faked by hiring a professional to write a script for them, and they read it out to the camera.

4) “You Don’t Need A Job”

Let’s face it, if we could quit our jobs yet have some sort of stable income, probably 99% of the population would do it. Fake gurus know that, and they tell you if you learn from them, you don’t even need a job. You don’t need to work hard. They sell you a dream by painting a pretty picture of an extravagant lifestyle, all completely accessible by following their online courses. Especially for those who are deeply dissatisfied with their jobs, they usually get caught with this hook, line and sinker.

Quit your job

5) Brag About Money/Financial Freedom

Honestly, personally I’m not even sure what “financial freedom” means. But maybe it’s just me. Fake gurus will always tell you that their online courses can guarantee financial freedom, and the money is always there, out there. You just have to generate it, but it’s definitely there and could be yours. Without a second thought, you drop a couple hundreds or thousands on a course, hoping to bring in double or triple that amount. The thing is, it never usually works. They’re that rich because of all the course “fees” you’re paying.

6) Spend Lots Of Time With You

The first thing they do is draw you in with an ad, or by asking you to click on a link, or join their free training. Whichever it is, once you’re in, for example a webinar, they tend to make it as lengthy as possible. This ensures they spend lots of time with you, projecting trust. Then, they also always emphasise that you are responsible for your own actions. In fact, they ingrain this in you so much you don’t question or blame them when things go wrong. So the courses may not work, but have you noticed hardly anyone speaks up about it? That’s because the fake gurus always tell you you’re responsible, not them.

Cash; money

7) Have A Backstory

Better yet, a sob story. We’re not saying it can’t be true, but this is another from of preying on your emotions. You may feel like you’ve always had it tough, and you’re stuck in a rut, knowing there’s something more out there. What? Them too? That’s how they make it seem like they became somebody from nobody, and you can too, by buying their online courses!

8) Testimonials

Oh yeah. They whip out these babies so often to paint you a very convincing picture. There are screenshots, and descriptions of how their students have made big bucks in a short period of time… and you can’t help but want it and believe it. Again, it could be true, but take it with a pinch of salt.

Success story

9) Create A Scarcity

This is the game of FOMO. Once you’re in, they tell use terms like “limited time”, “additional bonuses” and “extra features”, which apparently are just for you, who has just taken the first step with them. You think you’ll miss out on what looks like a good deal, so you hurriedly sign up. More money goes into the fake guru’s pocket.

10) Exclusivity

Last but not least, they make the whole course, or their following, an exclusive thing. They upsell you live events, and make the event look glamourous and hard-to-be-there. Basically, they’re offering you access to them in increasingly large payments, and you’re lapping it all up. There’s a rapport they aim to build with you, and that makes you feel special.

Exclusive

In the end, you’re caught up with the endless hours of online courses and events, and you don’t do any real work. Having some tips, techniques and skills to help and motivate you is all good, but if you don’t work, nothing will, actually. Put in some real, honest work — be smart about it — and see the results that way! And we’re not saying online courses are bad; you just have to be smart and weed out what isn’t true education! To find out more, check out the video below!