I think I would probably die of embarrassment if ‘property guru’, ‘internet marketing expert’ and spruiker Dean Letfus endorsed me as a ‘kindred spirit’ like this:

Leave aside the Freudian slip of ‘In a pool of sharks I found Steve to be the “real deal” ‘ … (erm, you mean a REAL SHARK?)

Dean’s humble self-assessment: ‘I am arguably the most high profile educator in New Zealand’ and his description of his fellow property spruiker and business partner thus: ‘Steve is the most experienced investor I know in NZ’ strike me as being in the same class as those T shirts you see emblazoned with ‘WORLD’S GREATEST LOVER‘.

Surely these statements are not intended to be taken as anything but shallow puffery … or a JOKE?

If Steve Goodey is really the ‘most experienced investor’ Dean Letfus knows, then he probably needs to get out and meet more investors. Or perhaps start telling the truth?

Likewise Steve Goodey’s description of himself as “a NZ property investing icon who has established a proven track record of local success” is, well, a tad overblown, in my opinion. (An icon, Steve? You? Oh, please!)

At some point, people writing this sort of sugary, grandiose, hyperbolic sales-speak and BS should take a step back, examine the words they’re using and ask themselves: Is that actually true? Really? Am I ‘one of NZ’s most successful property investing experts’? Truly? Or am I just a glib low-rent huckster trying to make a buck?

The embedded weasel words and modifiers (‘arguably’) don’t work to counteract the (in my view) misleading impression these marketing materials convey. But the smoke and mirrors, flashy talk and exaggeration must be working for them, I guess. Some people seem drawn to it.

What Does it Mean to be Gullible?:

Gullibility is an affliction which is no respecter of class, religion, gender, or race. Gullibility is a widespread product of people’s failure to properly apply reason, logic, and skepticism to a claim or idea. Unfortunately, the worse a person is at doing this, the less likely they are to realize it; indeed, they can be among those who think they do the best. As a consequence, gullibility festers and encourages the development of false, irrational, and even dangerous beliefs. — About.com

But then, who the hell am I to question the enormity of these salesmen’s claims? Nobody. That’s right.

And of course, no doubt, someone will be able to find something I’ve written somewhere which may contain an element of exaggeration or an over-enthusiastic claim. But not as bad as this example, I hope. – P

PS: Sure, I’ll get accused of ‘bashing the competition’ (again, diddums) as we discussed here: A gushing review from Steve Goodey. Too bad. We’ve already seen demonstrated what these two roosters mean by the term ‘education‘.