One of my loyal blog readers connected over the weekend to ask me if I had any insider information about the value of a top blogger’s training course to pass along to help guide her decision. That got me thinking about the difference between free courses and those with fees attached in my own experience.
Like many business owners, I spend my money carefully. I have a strong do-it-yourself bias, so if there is a way for me to learn how to do what needs to be done without paying the big bucks, I am usually first in line to take that route. There is plenty of false economy in this approach, and I am first to admit it.
However, there have been a number of times over the last eight years that I have struggled to solve important problems in my business and made the decision to invest in quality coaching, support, or tools to help me reason through the difficulties and come out rosier on the other side. In every case, I had “skin in the game.” I invested hard-earned dollars with exceptional professionals and their programming. I did the hard work required to make the dollars pay off. In every case, I earned a new colleague and advocate of my work in the process. My business was ultimately better for every dollar I invested.
Every one of the people I hired is someone whose work I followed through an ezine, a blog, a free seminar, or some other convenient way to gain access to their expertise without breaking the bank. As I learned more about each and gained value from the quality information they generously provided for free, my confidence grew in how they could customize their solutions to ease the specific problems in my business for a fee. When people I liked, trusted, and respected added that these same individuals added value to their business, my own decision to “get to YES” was a lot easier. Here are three examples:
Henry DeVries – New Client Marketing Institute — Henry’s coaching helped me double my business in six months and attract more perfect clients to my door. Enough said.
Paulette Ensign – Tips Booklets Coaching and Tips Booklets Information Products. I am preparing for a third printing of my popular and well-reviewed Authentic Visibility Publicity Tips Booklets as I type this message. Thousands of people are benefiting from useful tips that have helped them get on the front page of their hometown newspaper all the way to the pages of USA Today in exchange for their $10 investment. Hiring Paulette was a very good decision.
Patricia Fripp – Patricia Fripp Speaking School – The single best investment I’ve made to improve my skills and presentation as a professional speaker. People who have known me for years and saw me in action “before” and “after” taking Patricia Fripp’s course have seen a positive difference in powerful action.
If you believe the truism that the rising tide lifts all boats, you are wise to invest in training courses with exceptional professionals who can smartly guide your business to achieve a more rapid growth trajectory to the success you seek.
Many professionals offer free ezines, frequent, free and insightful blog posts, and free or low fee e-books to guide your journey. Many of them are of very high quality. If folks are willing to give away or sell for a modest fee remarkable and useful information, just what bounty might be waiting when you elect to invest in services that are customized specifically to address your needs?
When you INVEST in very specific programming that solves a real problem that is standing in the way of your success, you INVEST the time and effort to make certain the problem gets solved. Having “skin in the game” makes a huge difference in the actions you decide to take every day.
So, loyal blog reader who wants to know if I have any insider information about whether Yaro Starak’s blog course is a good investment, I have this to say about that. His free “Blog Mastermind Blueprint” manifesto is among the best, highest value free resources I have ever read on the topic of monetizing your blog. I’ve read it from cover to cover several times and recommend it frequently to others who are serious about creating a sustainable business out of blogging.
Given the quality of the information he shares for free, I have no doubt that his paid course is well worth whatever fee he is charging. If monetizing your blog is a priority, you’ll make every moment of time and money you put forth in this course to deliver value where you need it most because you have “skin in the game.”
So go forth and invest in the products, coaching, tools, and resources you need to most to get your business where you know it can go. And don’t be afraid to put some “skin in the game” because the rewards you reap will likely be well worth the time, money, and investment you make to benefit. Your business will be better for it.
