Here's How To Get Free Content From Guru Seminars

How many times have you sat through a guru pitch and didn't glean anything from it because you knew they wanted you to open up your wallet at the end? Hopefully just once. But how about looking at these seminars from a different perspective?

I normally do not agree with gurus on what has to be done in order to be a successful investor, but I must admit, some of the information that's given is useful and valuable. Here are a few things that you can take from free guru seminars that I find helpful.

Remember, this is pitch season; the Spring is when all the gurus like to ramp up on their sales pitch to get wannabe investors interested in real estate. First off, creating the buzz for the free seminar is done in the spring because during the spring is when nature is regenerating itself. What the heck am I talking about? During the Winter, things die or lay dormant and during the warmer months, things spring back to life. It is no different with us. It is human nature for us to want to do something constructive and creative during the Spring.

For example, the majority of the time, when you want to purchase a new house, it's in the Spring; when you want to buy a new car, it's in the Spring; and when you want look for a new job, the majority of job fairs are during the Spring, too. So it's human nature to look for change in the Spring, and expert marketers use your own creativity to get you to buy in. There are always new products launched in the Spring, and the gurus use this time of the year for that exact reason.

So you ask: Now, what can I get out of all this? A lot. I frequent the guru seminars just to observe and see who is attending the seminars. Phoenix is on the normal circuit route for gurus so I get a chance to see them all, not for entertainment but for edu-tainment.

I would like to give you a few reasons to attend, and this is not just from a newbie perspective, either. It is beneficial for seasoned investors to frequent these seminars for a few reasons as well.

Network With Those in Attendance

The participants in attendance are either those looking to get into real estate or seasoned investors looking to enhance what they have done already.

This is a great opportunity for an existing investor to find birddogs that are hungry and willing to literally do anything to learn the tricks of the trade. I understand that some investors feel they do not have the time to invest in a birddog, but if you find the right one who is driven and coachable, it can create a lot of value.

For the newbie looking to break into investing, this is a great opportunity to become familiar and possibly affiliated with some of the major players in the market. Not often does a guru just decide to randomly do a trade show in a city; normally someone has invited them to pitch their product. This may be a real estate club that has invited them, an investment club, or a local meetup. Use this time to network with the major players and see if there is anything you can do to assist them. Make sure you collect tons of cards, and follow up on those contacts periodically.

Learn New Technology

I want to be honest here -- I thought real estate investing was basically marketing, negotiating, networking, and learning property valuations. I quickly understood that there are numerous technological tools that you have to be aware of and utilize in order to build a sustainable business. If you are not comfortable with technology, then you will have a difficult time investing, especially if you are interested in wholesaling.

The gurus always have the latest technology, and although they may try to sell you on some of it, there are many free technological tidbits you can learn about during the presentation. This is how I found sites like Redfin, Vumber, and even BiggerPockets. In a recent article, "8 Killer Resources for Savvy Low-Budget Wholesalers!"  the majority of the tools I discussed were tools that were pitched by gurus. The great thing about it is many of the tools are free.

Strategic Planning

Of all the resources the gurus have, the most important to me are the highly powerful systems in place. There is a wealth of knowledge in just listening to what they have already developed and taking notes to implementing those systems into your processes. Even if you have done tons of deals or are in the infancy stage of your business, it's always good to have systems and processes in place. This is great for replication.

I haven't met a business owner who wanted to stay a one man/woman shop. True entrepreneurs are always looking to scale their business to eventually work on their business and not in their business. By learning to implement some of the processes the gurus use, you can minimize some of your functions and have those functions documented when it is time to scale.

Actionable Steps to Implement

Finally, have an open mind and know there is a lot of truth behind the fluff and rhetoric gurus are trying to sell you on. They've been in the real estate industry for years. They know what works and what doesn't, and they use this information as a platform to springboard you forward. This can only be done by taking action. Take concise notes, network, and be ready to present yourself to others. There is no better environment to get and give what you need.

I speak from experience; I was able to start my birddogging experience because I met a wonderful investor who needed help with acquisitions, and this drove me to take action.

Take advantage of the free opportunity. You will need to listen attentively and as my pastor would say, eat the fish and spit out the bones.

Let me hear from you! If you've learned something from a guru that you found useful, please share your free tidbit.