Gurus and Experts

With the growth of the Internet and desktop publishing it has become quite easy for someone with a small amount of experience to instantly become a self-professed expert. For a painting contractor searching for help with his business, it can be difficult to identify the true experts from the pretenders. How can a contractor determine whose advice will be helpful and whose will be a waste of money?

There are many factors that go into answering this question. But one thing rings clear—there are no magic bullets. Simply purchasing a book or manual will not improve your business. No matter how clearly stated, extensive, and helpful an idea may be, it will not magically inject itself into your business. You must exert the effort to implement any idea.

Over the years I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on books, tapes, memberships, and other types of training. While some have certainly been more beneficial than others, one thing has stood out—the quality of the material could usually be determined before I ever made a purchase.

Many “experts” are quick to claim their expertise, but offer little evidence. They tell you how their book or program will make you tons of money, but give you no ideas that you can test—until you buy their book. Trust me, they say, and I shall deliver you to the promised land.

These “experts” may have good intentions. They may offer some good ideas. But if I am going to spend my hard-earned money on business advice, I want some evidence that it is actually going to be worth it.

I’ve found that those with the best information readily share much of it for free. Richard Kaller of the Certified Contractors NetWork was the epitome of this approach. He was a prolific poster on various forums, and the information he offered was extremely beneficial. He had such a wealth of information, ideas, and advice that he could afford to give away more than most contractors know.

I have tried to take a similar approach, though I would not begin to consider myself in Richard’s league. Through this blog and numerous forums I have written tens of thousands of words, explaining in my own words, the ideas that have helped me in my business. In short, rather than simply assert my expertise, I have tried to demonstrate it.

This is not to say that I have all of the answers. I don’t. But I certainly have a lot of them. And while some may take exception to that claim, only you can make that judgment as it pertains to your business.