Credibility Killer Award

There I was, browsing the Web last night, when I came upon a post titled Top Business Opportunities for a Down Economy on Diva Mogul. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? It did to me. So I clicked. And I got this:

John Assaraf and Murray Smith, the founders of OneCoach in San Diego, offer their 2009 business advice. Here are a few industries, they say, will take off this year:

1. Business Coaching – Out go the jobs, enter unemployed entrepreneurial minded people.

The list goes on from there. Alternative fuels, health care, discount retailers … luxury products (say, what? “The rich are only getting richer!” say John and Murray, though I don’t think so … but that’s off point). IT services. Credit and debt management (no surprise with that one, number 10 on the list).

I have nothing against John or Murray. I don’t know them. I assume they’re good coaches.

Maybe they’re right. Maybe they are even generously inviting others to join them in a good business, sharing the supposed wealth. But even so, it’s a classic credibility killer. Don’t list your own business as the hottest there is. Make it number four or five maybe, in your list of 10. At least.