Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

5 Ways to Spot Fake Online Coaches (So You Can Find the Great Ones) Investing in yourself is a smart decision. Make sure you get what you're paying for.

By Lesya Liu Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Hero Images | Getty Images

The online-learning industry is one of today's most glamorous -- and booming -- fields. Perform a quick Google search, and you'll find hundreds (if not thousands) of coaches who specialize in everything from health and business to love and mindset.

The internet enables us to share a variety of valuable knowledge, and information is the new currency. It's no surprise, then, that so many people want to share their insights and experiences. Unfortunately, this situation also presents an amazing opportunity for all kinds of get-rich-quick schemes and self-proclaimed gurus. Both leave people feeling tricked instead of empowered.

Related: Why Real Leaders Don't Pay Attention to Phony Leadership 'Experts'

Still, that's no reason not to make an investment in yourself. Plenty of brilliant coaches have your best interests at heart. Here are a few tips to help you differentiate between the imposters and the real deals.

Pay attention to the language.

Laws regulating media (and the internet, in particular) gradually are improving, but it never ceases to amaze me how many "gurus" exaggerate their outcomes and make claims that are too good to be true.

Is someone promising to teach you how to make $100,000 overnight? Lose 25 pounds in the first week? Change your mindset so you, too, can buy a yacht and cruise the Caribbean while your $1,000 investment makes you millions? Come on. You're a big boy or a girl. You should know better. You're better off hiring a coach who cuts through the flashy language and guarantees results only if you put in the work yourself.

Related: Why It's Important to Have a Coach in Business and Life

Ensure your coach walks the walk.

This is one of the first items to vet when evaluating coaches. If a coach promises to teach you how to make seven figures a year but can't make it him- or herself, keep looking. To use another metric: Your health coach shouldn't be sipping on a soda every time you meet.

Do your research. Make sure this person achieved what he or she claims to have accomplished. Then dig a bit more. Apply your critical-thinking skills to determine if his or her starting point was much more favorable than your own. In other words, are the coach's accomplishments likely a result of personal work or some other set of fortunate circumstances you can't replicate?

Related: Nurturing and Educating the Leaders of Tomorrow

Watch out for sales tricks.

Aside from inflated claims, pay attention to shady sales tactics. For example, a coach might "throw in" 10 bonuses to justify the program's high cost or keep a strict no-refund policy. A website with an annoying countdown clock is a red flag you're being pressured to make a decision -- especially if you're considering a four- to five-digit investment. These tricks reveal the coach is unsure of the program's value. Even worse, such questionable behavior also hints at the kind of relationship you'd be getting yourself into.

Choose a coach who understands your current situation or life stage. At minimum, a great coach is a decent human being who realizes you need some time to consider a hefty purchase. Instead of applying pressure, a solid coach will show the program's true value before you sign up. That makes your decision easier and saves you buyer's remorse later.

Related: Career Coach vs. Mentor: Which Can Help You the Most?

Analyze the free content.

Coaches, like many enterprising business owners, often offer free content to entice potential clients to pay for a full program. To be worth your money, the service must provide some sort of insight you can't find elsewhere for free. You can use these samples to evaluate the value of any given coach. Peruse his or her free content. If a few blog entries on "the best strategies to do X, Y and Z" leave you thinking, "Well, obviously," you haven't found your coach. She or he isn't necessarily out to get you and your money. After all, the advice could be useful to people in earlier stages of their journeys.

The quality of free content directly correlates to the level of expertise you'll receive in paid courses. I've found that most coaches will state all their core strategies in free blog posts or videos. But you'll pay for the deep dive to guide you through each of the "how-to" steps. Look for content that blows your socks off with at least one of the following: wealth of experience, depth of information or originality of strategies. If you're not impressed with the information a coach provides for free, you shouldn't expect to see a higher caliber of insight from his or her paid program.

Related: Why the Key to Self-Improvement Is Not Complicated

Go with your gut.

If something seems off, it probably is. It could be an inconsistent story, a host of pressure tactics or simply a combination of attitude and behavior. A brilliant athlete or entrepreneur with a nasty personality can't possibly be a good coach. When you decide to invest in your growth and knowledge, you deserve a good experience. Great coaches -- just like great people -- don't brag about themselves or put you down because you're not at their level (or might never reach such a lofty plateau).

Investing in yourself can be the ultimate use of your resources. Just make sure you're getting everything you're paying for.

Related: 8 Essential Qualities Necessary to Be Great in Relationships

Lesya Liu

Social Media Strategist at The Social Media Current

Lesya Liu helps entrepreneurs create a meaningful and profitable Instagram presence that feels right for their creative businesses. Born and raised in Ukraine, she is a social media strategist and a photographer. Her passion lies in combining art and marketing to create compelling storytelling, both visually and textually. Most days she roams the Interwebs, looking for fresh, inspirational ideas or testing things out on her own social channels.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

She Started a Business With $300 After Getting Laid Off. It Made $300,000 in Year 1 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Company.

Bobbie Racette wanted to revamp the virtual assistance space — and provide job opportunities for underrepresented communities at the same time.

Business News

Can Anyone Beat Microsoft at AI? The CEO of Salesforce Thinks His Company Can.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff calls Copilot "the new Microsoft Clippy."

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

Franchise

McDonald's Launched a Happy Meal for the 30th Anniversary of a Classic '90s Sitcom — But There's a Catch

The promotion is only available in one country, so fans elsewhere are turning to resale platforms like eBay to buy the collectible toys.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'Not Yet Fully Autonomous': Tesla's Optimus Robots Stole the Show — But Were They Actually Controlled By Humans?

Musk said the $20,000 to $30,000 robot could perform household tasks like mowing lawns and putting away groceries.