The advertising slogan "Geiz ist geil!" was created over 12 years ago and used for nine years. During this time, it has burned itself into many people's memories ... and at least as many people are now annoyed by it! I, too, keep coming across discussions about the level of seminar fees, daily rates, coaching fees and so on. I am increasingly irritated by the extent to which many people have adopted a "greed-is-cool" mentality.
But perhaps my irritation is also due to the fact that I have been living abroad for a long time. For example, when the room is full at a seminar in the USA, I hardly ever see anyone calculating how much the speaker or trainer earns that day ... except to emphasize how well they do their business! In Germany, on the other hand, some people like to count up the income, only to be outraged by what "that guy up there" earns! (And then they see the income as a profit, which can hardly be far removed from reality). Many Germans would rather choose an insurance agent who sells something with hidden commissions than a fee-based advisor! Competence? That is hardly ever checked.
Is fear or envy the background in Germany or is it simply the fundamentally wrong thinking of "greed is cool?" Or is it even worse ... is it stupidity?
The decisive question is: Is it really so important how high the daily rates are, what the speaker ultimately earns or what others do? No, it is not! It doesn't matter what he earns! When I decide to attend a seminar, it's about whether I can make more profit with the know-how I buy there than the entrance fee I paid. What the trainer "earns" from me is completely irrelevant - the important thing is what benefit I get as a participant!
For a long time, I took part in coaching sessions in Chicago four times a year. Only participants who could prove an annual income of at least one million US dollars were admitted. The group consisted of 50 participants and each paid $2,000 for the day. So the speaker took in $100,000. Envy? Never! For us, only one question was important: Is it worth investing two to three days, the fee and the costs for the flight there and back, hotel, etc.? Each of the participants only asked themselves this one question: Can I get more out of what I have learned than the $10,000 I put in? Who goes to a (hype) seminar just to be entertained? Some people pay $2,600,000 for a dinner with Waren Buffett and benefit!
Prosperity is cool!
Stop booking consultants because they "live around the corner" or just because they are cheaper than others, and stop booking a seminar with a low entrance fee in order to be psychologically clever enough to be paid horrendous sums for products or further workshops.
It doesn't matter what the consultant earns! The only important thing is: Will you reach your goal faster with the new knowledge? Can you achieve more success, more income than without the effort?
Lose your fear and trust everyone more. Allow others much higher fees, otherwise you will keep yourself far too small! May everyone in this country have more confidence in themselves! Prosperity, not avarice, is cool!