Beware the Expert Impostors

Just who is hiding behind that computer anyway?

Tell me this; are you like me? Do you have a passion for life-long learning to the point that your email inbox is filled with people offering you free mini-courses and webinars? Can you not stop yourself from signing up for the aforementioned freebies no matter what the actual subject matter? If that’s you, then you’re in fine company. My name is Lisa and I am an addict.

My inbox is inundated with requests from people to sign up for a seven day challenge here or download a free e-book or join a free (often pre-recorded) webinar there. Writing and photography courses are obviously the most frequent to appear but I’m also getting marketing courses, coaching courses, ‘manifesting’ courses, career change courses, book editing courses and psychic mediumship courses (yeah, really) turning up. Of course this must be all my fault. I have to have clicked somewhere on something, right? Most of my facebook feed is full of adverts for enticing courses that are going to transform me into a successful creative with online entrepreneurship smarts who is reaching my ideal client and making enough money to live well. I guess it is tempting to just click that little button to sign up.

So what’s the problem?

Well, first of all, let me explain that I have attended a LOT of free webinars and turned down a lot of opportunities to accept a limited place on a really expensive course at the end of it. I have resisted those pesky time limits that put you under pressure to buy (my personal favourite is the massive clock ticking down on the web page in front of you) and I have added my name to ‘waiting lists’ for course to open again.

I have found that, more often than not, people are charging a huge amount of money for an online course. It may be a wonderful course, that’s true, but I feel like I have to retain a certain amount of cynicism about these things. On many of the occasions the coach/teacher/tutor has just pre-recorded a load of videos or pre-written content that you then get access to and although they might offer you membership of a special facebook group,they may not actually be in attendance to support you in the education that you are paying for.

I used to be a teacher and I value the input that teachers have in helping to support people in their training. I happen to think that when someone pays for a course that you wrote, it’s an ongoing project for you. It’s your job to support them. Otherwise you’re just selling a really really expensive book or DVD.

Wait, where did all these experts come from anyway?

Ah, of course. It’s the internet. Anybody can set up a web page these days and call themselves an expert in skill A or B. Personally, I get suspicious of anyone who writes the word ‘expert’ when describing themselves on their profile, especially when it’s in the third person. I know a lot of the online ‘experts’ may actually be really really good at what they do, but I also think there are people out there who have been doing it for a week and are taking ‘fake it ’til you make it’ to a whole new level.

But this is all doom and gloom. I happen to love online courses!

Hey, don’t worry. There are good people out there too. It’s not all doom and gloom, I promise, it just means you might have to do a little research before signing away the last of your hard earned wonga (and I know you may be down to the last pennies by now).

So, if you’re going to sign up on a writing course, do it with someone who has actually been published. If you are going to do a course in wedding photography, learn from someone whose high quality wedding portfolio you can easily find online. If you want support through a longer term learning experience, make sure that your expert is there to give advice along the way. (There’s nothing worse than an expert educator who has no time for educating.) Make sure you know what you’re getting for your money and talk to others who have taken the course or read reviews.

Don’t fall for all the cheap marketing and sales tricks that individuals may throw at you. Don’t feel pressured to buy a course that may just be the answer to your prayers. Buy it when you know it’s good value for money and right for you.

Beware the expert impostors.

Lisa is a writer and photographer who lives with her son, five pets and occasional husband in Northern Ireland. If you want to get more news from Lisa click here.