Re Carlton Sheets - in John T. Reed's Guru Evaluator

[Expat]

Tim F mentions that he admired Carlton Sheets with one of the most successful direct marketing business of all time, at I believe, $65m.

Oh, the memories, the memories.

Carlton Sheets. Patrician, trustworthy, distinguished. Great hair.

John T. Reed has an excellent guru evaluator page, mostly for real estate, but also some infomercial types.

http://www.johntreed.com/rateseminars.html

Mr. Reed seems to have been fighting a one man war with certain infomercial types for twenty years.

Remember Tommy Vu and the babes on the motor yacht somewhere in Florida. "You too can be rich like me. I came to this country with nothing. Now here I am surrounded by many beautiful young women wearing dental floss bikinis. Buy my course." Etc.

He doesn't like Robert Kiyosaki much either.

Infomercials are like walking over dodgy ice. Not good for long term health. John Reed's sceptical view is like a strong rope and a stout partner on the other end.


As a digression, Reed gives terrific reviews to two real estate investors - Bill Nickerson and Al Lowry.

Personally I liked Mary Weir's How We Made a Million Dollars Recycling Great Old Houses book and the later House Recycling book.

Unfortunately I don't have an answer on whether house recycling or direct marketing will be better in the 21st century but I sure agree with Tim F's calculation on relative earnings. Getting to four hours a week would be a noble goal. Rather than sixty, particularly if they are to be spent covered in plaster dust and grime. ;-).

If only I can a) find a market, b) find the product to fill it and c) create the handling mechanisms to fulfill the demand, all without losing my shirt. ;-) A noble challenge.

[Vince]

Yes, there are very few "gurus" that Reed likes, but he's serious about his research and honest about his limits. Reed actually saved me from signing up with a guy I heard speak at a RE seminar, who turned out to be ethically challenged.:eek:

Reed is a dinosaur when it comes to the Internet and outsourcing, however. He's not a role model, but as a resource, excellent!

[T.A.]

I think the thing to remember is that Tim admires his direct marketing skills/business not the advice itself that he is selling.
John T. Reed may be correct in his evaluation of the material but that doesn't make Carlton Sheets a bad direct marketing salesman.

[dixonge]

Here's the painful lesson from almost all guru-type informercial peddling real estate wealth products......

When someone is peddling a seminar where they are willing to teach you, for a hefty fee, how to become their competitor you can rest assured that they are not, and possibly never were, actively involved in said industry. If you are making millions in real estate there is no reason nor motivation to make thousands doing a seminar tour. Just think about it.

[jafine21]

I had a lawsuit once where I rep'd a company that got caught between John T. Reed and a guru he didn't like.

Reed definitely has strong opinions! I liked him a lot. The other company had a battery of lawyers like Mr. Burns on the Simpsons, and Reed pretty much kicked their ass (I did too, but I at least went to law school).

[dixonge]

I'll never forget when one Ron LeGrand, who had been sucking thousands of dollars out of my wife and I for real estate seminars, sent me a flyer in the mail. I was, after all, on his mailing list. It was a pitch for another seminar. But this one didn't involve making money by buying and selling houses, this one was all about how to make money by................

putting on real estate seminars!

Bottom line, I could expect six figures PROFIT minimum from a decently marketed seminar. That's when I knew that the real estate seminar market must be tailing off....