of getting a single dime back from your investment. In my experience, a salesperson’s top priority is never your best financial interest, and you need to realize this no matter how friendly they are or how polished their sales pitch appears.When you make an investment – from a simple bank certificate of deposit to a large shopping mall – you are going to be buying from someone whose greatest skill is employing sales closing techniques. Their skill in closing a sale will not include safeguarding your money or earning you any profit. And their number one priority is to make their sales quota to keep their job. It is only your personal education, experience and due diligence that can protect your money from the numerous people on the other side of the table.

It is a dilemma that in order to invest, you’ll be face to face with professionals who do not have your financial interest at stake – but they will all appear to be. Sales people will appear to be on your side right up until the moment you write a check or sign a commitment. Then any problems are yours alone, their verbal promises go up in smoke, they stop returning your phone calls and the fine print suddenly negates the possibility of getting a single dime back from your investment. In my experience, a salesperson’s top priority is never your best financial interest, and you need to realize this no matter how friendly they are or how polished their sales pitch appears.

ude safeguarding your money or earning you any profit. And their number one priority is to make their sales quota to keep their job. It is only your personal education, experience and due diligence that can protect your money from the numerous people on the other side of the table.

It is a dilemma that in order to invest, you’ll be face to face with professionals who do not have your financial interest at stake – but they will all appear to be. Sales people will appear to be on your side right up until the moment you write a check or sign a commitment. Then any problems are yours alone, their verbal promises go up in smoke, they stop returning your phone calls and the fine print suddenly negates the possibility of getting a single dime back from your investment. In my experience, a salesperson’s top priority is never your best financial interest, and you need to realize this no matter how friendly they are or how polished their sales pitch appears.

s people on the other side of the table.

It is a dilemma that in order to invest, you’ll be face to face with professionals who do not have your financial interest at stake – but they will all appear to be. Sales people will appear to be on your side right up until the moment you write a check or sign a commitment. Then any problems are yours alone, their verbal promises go up in smoke, they stop returning your phone calls and the fine print suddenly negates the possibility of getting a single dime back from your investment. In my experience, a salesperson’s top priority is never your best financial interest, and you need to realize this no matter how friendly they are or how polished their sales pitch appears.

e on your side right up until the moment you write a check or sign a commitment. Then any problems are yours alone, their verbal promises go up in smoke, they stop returning your phone calls and the fine print suddenly negates the possibility of getting a single dime back from your investment. In my experience, a salesperson’s top priority is never your best financial interest, and you need to realize this no matter how friendly they are or how polished their sales pitch appears. of getting a single dime back from your investment. In my experience, a salesperson’s top priority is never your best financial interest, and you need to realize this no matter how friendly they are or how polished their sales pitch appears. As you walk into a bank or brokerage office, or call a broker, you need to keep in mind that their personal goal is not in alignment with yours. To see past their sales routine, you need specific education, experience with the industry, and, hopefully, a knowledgeable mentor.

For example, I once received a solicitation from a loan broker who wanted to get me into a triple-net lease commercial building with a million-dollar loan. After a few questions it was clear that he was acquainted with lending, but not very experienced. But continued questioning revealed that his knowledge of commercial real estate would barely fill a thimble. And he was the principal agent trying to slam me into a million-dollar loan so he could collect a commission check and move on to the next deal. Although he sounded quite confident on the phone, his responses destroyed my trust in his ability to maneuver through the numerous issues and problems in my best interest. By st