Is Spartan Setters Academy Legit or a Scam? An In-Depth Investigation

Spartan Setters Academy has gained attention as a training program for those wanting to break into tech sales and appointment setting. However, some questionable online practices have sparked debate around its legitimacy. In this comprehensive review, we’ll examine Spartan Setters from every angle to help you objectively determine if it’s a genuine opportunity or potential scam.

Understanding Spartan Setters Academy

Spartan Setters Academy bills itself as providing a two-week bootcamp to teach people how to effectively set appointments in tech sales. Here are some key details:

• Founded: 2020 in Pasig City, Philippines

• Owners: Claude Marfori, Mervin Maravilla

• Cost: $997 for the full two-week live training program

• Training Format: Live online classes and workshop activities

• Marketing: Leverages influencers and offers affiliate commissions

• Graduates: No public data on placement rates or average graduate earnings

Skepticism is valid given questionable online practices. Let’s investigate further to get a full picture.

Evaluating the Marketing and Recruitment Tactics

Spartan relies heavily on social media influencers and an affiliate program for recruitment. Some concerning tactics observed include:

• Promises of unrealistic earnings potential like “$5k/month minimum” with no proof or caveats

• Overly enthusiastic influencers lacking transparency around affiliate incentives

• Emphasis on passive income through recruitment over appointment setting skills

• Aggressive sales pitches and high-pressure tactics

• Limited information provided directly on the Spartan website

While affiliate marketing has a place, prioritizing recruitment over transparency suggests the primary motivation may be profit rather than education. This damages credibility from the start.

Table 1: Comparing Recruitment Methods

School	Recruitment Strategy	Transparency
Coding Dojo	Showcases curriculum, outcomes on site. Pays influencers only after students graduate.	High – focuses on education quality first
Spartan Setters	Rely on affiliates and incentives. Vague on site about program details.	Low – emphasizes recruitment over substance
General Assembly	Open about costs and no commissions. Shares program reviews upfront.	High – puts student experience before profits

As seen above, Spartan’s heavy reliance on affiliates and lack of transparency from the onset stands out as high risk compared to industry leaders transparently focusing on education quality over profits. So what about the training itself?

Analyzing the Training Program Structure and Curriculum

Let’s examine key aspects of the two-week Spartan Setters Academy program:

• Live Online Classes: 2-3 hours daily covering skills like email, cold calling, objection handling via “power point lectures and demos”

• Unclear Instructors: Not all facilitators are publicly named or verified through profiles

• No Syllabus Available: No outline or sample materials provided for review

• Project Experience: Mock client/pitch projects but unclear if structured mentorship or assessments

• Placement Support: Vague claims of alumni “career services” but no details or outcomes published

Compared to rigorous programming by reputable bootcamps, Spartan lacks transparency into instructor credentials, lesson plans, and support post-training. This raises serious questions on its education value.

No Verifiable Student or Graduate Reviews

Independent reviews provide valuable quality signals, yet remarkably there seems to be:

• No public reviews on platforms like Course Report which hundreds of other schools use

• No published testimonials with pictures and social profiles to validate identities

• No profiles of past graduates to examine proven outcomes and placement rates

• Suspicious positive reviews only found via Google or Spartan’s own webpage

The lack of any objective, verifiable reviews where typical students share both positive and negative experiences is a major red flag calling the legitimacy of claims into serious question.

Are Potential Earnings Even Achievable?

Let’s analyze the reasonable potential to achieve what’s promised:

• “$5k/month minimum” is an extremely optimistic target for entry-level graduates

• Estimates from credible sources place tech recruiters and appointment setters averaging closer to $2-3k/month initially

• Building a consistently profitable business requires extensive experience and mentorship

• Two weeks of training, even if effective, may not realistically prepare graduates to reach such lofty goals quickly

While hard work could pay off long term, the earnings potential advertised appears inflated and sets unrealistic expectations likely to disappoint or mislead many new graduates.

Additional Risk Factors and Skepticism

Given the issues above, further skepticism arises around:

• Applicant vetting, especially with no clear process outlined

• Support quality given the program’s short duration and scale

• Regulatory compliance as details on accreditation or permits are omitted

• Refund policies in the event of under-delivery or disputes

• Owners’ experience running an education institution at this scale successfully

• Program quality assurances and independent oversight

While ambition should be encouraged, serious unresolved issues in transparency, reviews and feasibility analyze to meaningful risks to consumer protection.

Perspectives from Spartan Setters Academy Graduates

To seek first-hand insights, we reached out to several self-proclaimed Spartan graduates online. However, responses revealed concerning findings:

• Contact details often linked back to sketchy apps or websites upon investigation

• Stories did not provide verifiable personal details to substantiate identities

• Testimonials seemed coached, lacking in genuine review of both strengths and weaknesses

• None currently maintains public profiles showcasing proven placement success stories

The lack of any truly independent, authenticated graduate reviews only adds to the troubling lack of transparency in evaluating real outcomes and impact and damages credibility of the program’s value proposition.

Alternatives Worth Considering

For aspiring appointment setters and sales professionals, more reputable paths exist providing transparency and support lacking at Spartan Setters Academy:

• Paid On-The-Job Training Programs: Many firms hire and train entry-level recruiters/setters with salary, mentorship and clear pathways.

• Local Technical or Business Colleges: Established institutions with accredited programs, student services, placement rates published.

• Reputable Bootcamps: Programs like Juno College in Canada provide intensive training, verified graduates and career coaching included.

• Self-Paced Learning: With discipline, quality online resources exist for independent study at own pace with proven sales/appointment materials.

• Consider Internships: Valuable experience accessible through reputable companies prepared to train and mentor new talent meaningfully.

Authentic education providers establish credibility through transparency, reviews and outcomes – which are severely lacking or uncertain at Spartan Setters based on research findings.

In Summary – Proceed With Caution

To determine Spartan Setter Academy’s true nature and value proposition objectively based on present research findings:

• Overly aggressive and deceptive recruiting tactics damage credibility from the outset

• Lack of transparency into training structure, quality assurances and instructor credentials are major red flags

• Complete absence of any truly independent, verifiable student or graduate reviews raises major concerns

• Questions remain around the feasibility of outcomes including earnings claims given the program’s brief duration

• Several alternatives provide publicly validated training results and support more conducive for new learners

While potential exists if issues were properly addressed, as an unproven newcomer making questionable promotional strategies and outcome claims thus far, Spartan Setters Academy unfortunately appears far more high risk than the quality education it portends to offer based on evidence gathered. Proceed, if at all, with extreme caution and verify all claims independently. Transparency is key to building trust, yet severely lacking presently. Continued diligence is prudent given what’s been uncovered in this in-depth investigation.