WHAT are YOUR credientials to be a GURU?

Did you ever wonder who credentials the so-called "teachers"? These internet personalities who set themselves up as experts? I vote "NO ONE"!

People run off at the mouth all the time (I'm doing it here for heaven's sake!) about things that annoy them, fascinate them or confound them. In today's internet world, with blogs, and video sites like YouTube and Flickr, it's real easy (come on! I figured it out, can't be too hard, right?)

Then someone decides that "that person" has good info, good ideas or good points. And follows them. Someone else piles on and so on ...next thing you know, you have a "guru".

PULEASSSSSSSSSSSSE~! Stop! Hit the brakes!

Go to the User's Manual and engage "CRITICAL THINKING" mode. (look for it in the area of THE BRAIN!)

Ok, now, consider this...

WHO IS THAT PERSON? WHAT ARE THEIR QUALIFICATIONS?? WHY are you even listening to them?

Think on that..............

Most of the people we follow (we, the ROYAL we meaning you, me and everybody else) get their "critical mass" from friends following them and recommending them and then other friends of the friends recommending them..... see? NO QUALIFICATIONS.

I'm going to give you an example:

I'm an eBay seller (or was) since it's inception.
So I could call myself "Powerselling Suburban Diva" and write a blog telling you how to do it and charge you for those lessons. Does that mean I know what I'm talking about? I could tell you that you don't need a website or you don't need a Facebook Fanpage or you do need a white pickup truck. WHAT are my credentials?

There are numerous "personalities" on the web and I'm just one of them. WHAT are my credenitals?

Am I interesting? (sure, I'm fascinating, take my word for it.) Am I qualified? I think so. I'm sure at least one of my friends would "fan" me. But am I? IT DEPENDS.

Try to be choosier in who we follow and fan and friend.

I got on this rant because I listened to a webinar yesterday, was deeply interested in the subject but frankly, went to sleep during it because the people running it were BORING. I never bothered to research their credentials because I don't want to find out that I'm really wanting to follow their advice or listen to more of it. SO?? Who told them they could "teach"? I suspect they are life-long teachers because I have a bunch of those in my immediate family and I recgonise the speech patterns, the cadences of the sentences and the MONOTONe and the dumbing down of material for the least experienced portion of the group.

So the moral of the blog today is that just like you'd "qualify" a client for a mortgage or a franchise or to take care of your most precious child, "qualify" the people you follow. JUST because corporate management somewhere gave them a job as a marketer, does not make them a GOOD marketer. Just because they got a degree in "Education" does not make them a good educator/teacher/trainer. Don't even get me started on that one, I don't need to alienate all the family teachers yet again.

If they are teaching "eBay", do they sell on eBay? NO? WHY NOT? Cavemen do it.... so?

If they are teaching marketing, WHO do they market?? How's that working out for the clients? Who's fired them lately? Why do you want marketing info from someone who obviously doesn't do it well enough to keep a job?

If they are teaching blogging? Read their blog? All of them. (no not the archives to perpetuity - all their various blogs. Blogs are like good potato chips, you can't have just one), WHAT? You say they have only one blog? and they don't post regularly?? Don't FOLLOW them to learn how to blog.

Are they teaching sewing, or woodworking? WHAT have they made lately? would you give it to your mom for Mother's Day or could you sell it in an art gallery? If not, don't follow them.

And don't follow anyone who only wants you to send them money. If they don't want to engage in conversation with you either via their blog or via Facebook/Twitter/Myspace or email, then they are using you. Leave. Simple really. It involves valuing ourselves and what we know and involves respecting yourself enough to "hire' the best teachers, the best employees, the best professional services.

Oh and if you decide to ignore my advice, follow these people and waste time, ?? don't whine about the time suck

If you are one of those people trying to be a "techer" or a "guru" and wanting to build your following? For Heaven's use some inflection in your voice, that or wake me up when you're done.