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Local Marketing Vault Review

12 things to know about James Bonadies’ lead generation agency training

Local Marketing Vault
4.0/5 4.02
Validated ReviewerLee SummerfieldTerri SassoneSanjay Nayee4 Reviews | Rate This Course

Welcome to our definitive Local Marketing Vault review.

This course was created by James Bonadies and Jason McKim. My team and I have looked through the training materials and researched it thoroughly.

(Have you taken this course? Add your rating!)

If you’re eager to learn…

  • What exactly Local Marketing Vault teaches
  • How it compares to other lead generation courses
  • The pros and cons
  • If James Bonadies and Jason McKim are legit
  • If real students are actually getting results

Then definitely keep reading.

Local Marketing Vault – Key Points
  About

James Bonadies and Jason McKim’s training on starting a lead generation agency.

💰  Price

$2,994 one-time (more info, watch free training)

😍  Pros

Comprehensive training, weekly live group calls, lots of bonuses, active community, experienced teachers.

😩  Cons

Short money-back guarantee, full cost of implementing the training undisclosed when joining.

  Verdict

Costly but worthwhile lead generation training.

Overall Rating
4.0/5 4.03

Jump to…

About the Author

Niall Doherty

Hey, I’m Niall Doherty.

I quit my last 9-to-5 job back in 2010.

Since then, I’ve earned my living online in various ways. Over the last 4 years (through 2023) I’ve earned $842,000 from my laptop.

I’m on a mission to accurately rate and review all the best online business courses. My team and I are spending many hours investigating these courses and getting feedback from real students.

All that to say: we know a thing or two about such courses and making money online.

How does Local Marketing Vault help you make money?

Local Marketing Vault aims to teach you how to sell lead generation services to local business owners.

Lead generation is typically when you find potential customers – or “leads” – online, then sell these leads to a related local business for a fee. 

However, the LMV approach is to find businesses and then sell your services to generate these leads for them. Some common services you can sell to clients are SEO and paid ads.

Your task is to sell a service and then hand the fulfillment to a white label partner.

This partner will complete the work using your brand. You’d make money by pocketing the difference between what your clients pay you and what you pay your service provider.

Official overview from the Two Page Sites sales video…

local marketing vault review our business summarized

Who is Local Marketing Vault for?

Local Marketing Vault sells itself as a platform for people from all walks of life…

Scavenging the internet stops TODAY! Watch us prove why we chose [the lead generation] business model over all the others (Amazon FBA, Affiliate Marketing, House Flipping etc…) and how you can do this exact same business even if you are short on time, cash and not very good at technology!

I’d agree that most people can succeed with lead gen if they put in the work but wouldn’t say they can do so if they’re short on cash.

The training is quite expensive. On top of that, there are ongoing costs for several tools recommended by James and Jason. This includes their rebranded version of GoHighLevel, known as Agency Toolbox.

For reference, GHL is a powerful marketing agency CRM. You can use it for your own agency and offer it to clients.

Some capabilities of the software include:

  • Deal pipelines
  • Email and SMS marketing
  • Lead gen landing pages
  • Marketing followup and automation
  • Unified messaging inbox
  • Numerous other marketing tools

Agency Toolbox comes with its own ready-to-use proven templates and marketing automations. These are the essential resources that increase the likelihood of GoHighLevel working for you.

Finally, I think it’s worth noting that you’ll have better chances at lead gen if you are good at sales. LMV does cover sales, but I’d hoped to see this emphasized more on the marketing materials for the training.

Do James Bonadies and Jason McKim have a good reputation?

I believe so.

It looks like both James and Jason have had significant success with the lead generation business model.

In a free sales video for LMV, James claims he’s made $75,000 from a single client as a bonus, more than he used to make as a teacher per year…

local marketing vault review webinar sales video
Source: Local Marketing Vault webinar

Both James and Jason reportedly earn $40,000 per month through lead generation. James also mentioned on his YouTube channel that his business is worth over $30 million…

Another big achievement from the free sales video is making $250,000 in 9 months and $60,000 in 6 months with only two two-page websites.

However, except for the above screenshot, I haven’t found any proof of these achievements.

I did not find much info about Jason, either. My guess is that’s because James has a bigger role in promoting LMV, while Jason teaches the course materials.

local marketing vault review featured
Source: LocalMarketingVault.com/articles

Even though the LMV website mentions sites like NBC and The US News, I’ve only been able to find a podcast with James on Entrepreneur. However, LMV also appeared in Yahoo Money.

And finally, according to Ippei Kanehara of Ippei Lead Generation, James and Jason both used to be under Dan Klein’s wing. Dan, who is Ippei’s mentor and business partner, helped them set up Local Marketing Vault after having taken his training.

Given that I believe that Ippei and Dan are legit, chances are that the same could be said for James and Jason.

All in all, I get the impression that both James and Jason still make a lot of money running their lead gen business.

I just wish there was more proof available to fact-check elements of their stories.

Are Local Marketing Vault students getting results?

It’s easy enough to find people praising Local Marketing Vault, as they share plenty of testimonials on LMV sales pages, as well as Trustpilot.

For example…

local marketing vault review kenny berwager student result
local marketing vault review emily gregg trustpilot review
local marketing vault review todd taylor student result

The LMV sales page also displays testimonials where students share specific results…

local marketing vault review first 10k student testimonial
local marketing vault review 8925 3 months sales student testimonial
local marketing vault review 15k project student testimonial

Testimonials like these are great, though I would have loved to see many more of them for Local Marketing Vault.

As it is, it seems many students love the training, but it’s not entirely clear what kind of results some of them have achieved.

How much does Local Marketing Vault cost?

Local Marketing Vault costs $2994 for lifetime access.

There is an option to pay in multiple installments – monthly and custom payment plans are available – but you’ll pay a bit more this way.

James and Jason also recommend…

  • Agency Toolbox – 30 day free trial, then $97/month for personal use and 1 client.

Agency Toolbox (ATB) will host your website, funnels, backend sales pipelines, communication with contacts, and marketing automation. It will also allow you to run agency services for 1 client, like reputation management, 2 way SMS marketing, website design, etc.

James and Jason claim that ATB isn’t necessary to succeed, but I did not see any alternatives for these tools mentioned within LMV.

Also worth noting that paid ads are a thing in a lead generation business, but James told me via email that you wouldn’t be paying for such ads yourself…

We NEVER recommend spending money on paid ads. These services (FB and PPC) are always taught to be paid by the client, never the agency.

Local Marketing Vault Discount?

We searched thoroughly but haven’t found any legit discounts for Local Marketing Vault.

But given that you have to get on a call with a sales rep to join the training, you could always try to negotiate the price with them 😉

Refund Policy

There is a 72-hour money-back guarantee per NJ law, confirmed by James via direct message.

How is Local Marketing Vault structured?

Here’s what the training looks like once you log in and open one of the lessons…

local marketing vault review course page

The core LMV training consists of a main course called Genesis and ~10 courses that follow up upon its topics in more detail. The courses have video lessons that usually last 10 to 20 minutes. They cover lots of ground with topics such as marketing, SEO, prospecting, and sales.

Some of the other courses…

local marketing vault review other courses

Even though there are screencasts, some videos only have slides or whiteboard lessons. Still, I found the courses thorough and straight to the point without filler.

Navigating the course is easy. Whatever lesson you open, you’ll be able to see the exact course and module it belongs to, making it simple to go back at any time. 

There is also a search function in LMV, but it only works while you have a module open, and it only lets you search the module you’re in.

Local Marketing Vault offers many extras. These include bonus courses, recordings from live events, weekly Q&A calls, and even templates for their campaigns and funnels.

Finally, there is an active Facebook group for LMV members with more than 6,500 members.

local marketing vault review facebook group

Green Lights 🟢 

Here are a few things to like about Local Marketing Vault…

  • Many student results.
  • Active private community.
  • Comprehensive core training.
  • James Bonadies and Jason McKim walk their talk.
  • Weekly live group calls.
  • Lots of bonuses.

Red Flags 🚩 

A few things about Local Marketing Vault that might give you pause…

  • Only a 3-day money back guarantee.
  • You need to hop on a sales call with the team to join.
  • Full cost of implementing the training undisclosed when joining.

Other things you should know

  • You will likely learn a lot about lead generation. James and Jason teach about both paid and free methods. Paid ads make quicker results and don’t require any prior experience with SEO, but SEO does not require nearly as much money. LMV strongly recommends that you outsource people for SEO so you can focus on leading your business.
  • Although James doesn’t overhype the course, lead generation is not as simple as he tends to present it, IMO. While it is possible to attain passive income with this business model, getting there takes lots of time and effort. You’ll also need to learn how to sell.

Should you join Local Marketing Vault?

If you’re committed to building your own lead generation business – and are fine with investing a nice chunk of change to do so – you’ll likely find LMV worthwhile.

The training was comprehensive, easy to navigate, and full of handy bonuses.

But if you want to learn about lead generation and don’t have enough money for the course, I suggest first trying a cheaper course or one with a longer refund policy. Then you can decide if this type of business suits you.

Local Marketing Vault – Key Points
  About

James Bonadies and Jason McKim’s training on starting a lead generation agency.

💰  Price

$2,994 one-time (more info, watch free training)

😍  Pros

Comprehensive training, weekly live group calls, lots of bonuses, active community, experienced teachers.

😩  Cons

Short money-back guarantee, full cost of implementing the training undisclosed when joining.

  Verdict

Costly but worthwhile lead generation training.

Overall Rating
4.0/5 4.04

Local Marketing Vault Alternatives

We’re on a mission to find the best “make money online” course, based on real student feedback and our extensive research.

Here’s our top 5…

🏆 Best Courses to Make Money Online 🏆

1.Virtual Excellence Academy (review)
4.6/5
2.The Savvy System (review)
4.6/5
3.Proven Amazon Course (review)
4.6/5
4.Scale Your Travel Blog (review)
4.6/5
5.Laptop Lifestyle Master Program (review)
4.6/5

Your Thoughts on Local Marketing Vault

  • Have you taken this course yourself?
    Add your rating so others can see if it’s worthwhile.
  • Do you have a question about this course?
    Let us know below and we’ll try find the answer.

Student Reviews of Local Marketing Vault

Rate This Course
Validated Reviewer
  • Validated Reviewer 10
  • Verified Student 11
  • Review Info 12
1.0/5
August 28, 2024
Earnings 2
none, still new to the course
Following Training 3
for 1 to 6 months

Don't Buy This Before You Read - Crucial Details Were Left Out!

I joined Local Marketing Vault on July 1, 2024. It seemed a reasonable, quick method to learn money online.

James Bonadies’ ad intro pulled me in and I was interested after watching. Who doesn’t want to make money working from a beach with a laptop working only 1-2 hours a day, right?

I clicked the button to get more info. After receiving a text that someone would be calling me, I scheduled the call. After talking to this person named Nick, he made it sound easy and quick.

Anyone without technical skills could learn how to do digital ads. So I purchased the program for $5,000.

What James or Nick did not say is the following.

You have to come up with a name for your business. You have to get an LLC.

You have to get an email to do your business. You may need a website. You will have to sell and this may take months to find paying customers.

The customers you find will have to pay for these ads. When those customers stop their ads, you have to find another customer willing to pay you for doing the ads.

To do all of the above, you have to PURCHASE more tools such as an agency tool CRM to do your work which will cost about $1000.

Lots of selling is involved, not just sitting on a beach. So I wished that I had read more reviews before I purchased.

Don’t just read the reviews they give you, go find reviews and you will hear more testimonies than the ones they want you to hear.

Pros and Cons

  • Organized boxes with training modules.
  • Facebook Community.
  • Coaches to help answer questions.
  • I was misled about the cancellation fee.
  • It is way more involved than I was told during the sales conversation.
  • Tools I will need that will be extra costs to me to an already expensive 5K program.
more ratings
Implementation 4
harder than expected
Presentation 5
4.0/5
Usefulness 6

n/a

Community 7
3.0/5
Support 8

haven't experienced it yet

Value For Money 9
2.0/5
Lee Summerfield
  • Validated Reviewer 21
  • Verified Student 22
  • Review Info 23
5.0/5
June 5, 2024
Earnings 13
more than expected
Following Training 14
for 1 to 2 years

A great online business model part or full-time

It has been great for me. I joined about 18 months ago and it took me a little time to get my head around it but the course is set up to be getting customers in your first month.

For some people, it happens more quickly. It took me 4 weeks to get my first client and then I got 1 or 2 a month over the first year.

I wanted to get a semi-passive, extra income going and it has delivered that for me. There is some work to do with existing clients each month but not much, a couple of hours a month each.

The training is step-by-step, so you just have to follow it and there is loads of support from the community and lots of live calls, so I always got my questions answered.

Don’t go into this looking to get rich quick, but if you want to build a real business, then having tried several online programs before, there is nothing better in my opinion.

It paid back quickly for a business opportunity (with a bit of effort).

Pros and Cons

  • Heavy support.
  • Clear step-by-step training.
  • Growth market.
  • I didn't know anything about lead generation before.
  • Time zone to UK of live calls (but some early enough).
  • Took some effort (but it's flexible).
more ratings
Implementation 15
about what I expected
Presentation 16
5.0/5
Usefulness 17
5.0/5
Community 18
5.0/5
Support 19
4.0/5
Value For Money 20
5.0/5
Terri Sassone
  • Validated Reviewer 32
  • Verified Student 33
  • Review Info 34
5.0/5
June 7, 2023
Earnings 24
way more than expected
Following Training 25
for more than 2 years

Local Marketing Vault Changed My Life

I purchased the course in late 2018. I was in a miserable work situation. I had a small business fail in 2009 and always wondered if my outcome would have been different if I had known more about marketing.

I took December 2018 to watch the videos and started actively prospecting for clients in January 2019. I landed five yoga studios. I followed the Facebook ads training and implemented the lead generation campaigns. They did ok. But then I jumped on one of the ad review calls, and Jason (the co-founder) gave me tips that made the campaigns get fantastic results.

I have been earning a full-time income since May 2019 and have been building my business ever since. I live and run my agency full-time in my RV, traveling across the U.S. That would not be possible without Local Marketing Vault, Jason & James, and the incredible community they built.

I am so gracious for everything this program has blessed me with. I am a top contributor to the group. I participate in all of the live Q&As (there are 6). I am constantly learning and improving by participating, and my clients benefit from my training and expertise. In the end, it’s all about providing exceptional service to the businesses you serve.

Pros and Cons

  • They constantly update the training to make it better and relevant when platforms change stuff around.
  • The tools, scripts, and support they provide.
  • The Facebook community. It is the best Facebook group I've ever been a part of.
  • There's a lot of information and it can be overwhelming at first. I just went slow, at my own pace.
more ratings
Implementation 26
easier than expected
Presentation 27
5.0/5
Usefulness 28
5.0/5
Community 29
5.0/5
Support 30
5.0/5
Value For Money 31
5.0/5
Sanjay Nayee
  • Validated Reviewer 43
  • Review Info 44
5.0/5
April 11, 2022
Earnings 35
way more than expected
Following Training 36
for 1 to 2 years

A great course with great support and help

The course itself has a good delivery with training videos covering each topic.

It is also very worthwhile being a part of the group’s community.

I would say this course has helped me reach my yearly goals consistently.

The Facebook group is a big plus to the training as it provides another channel to learn things from other members.

Pros and Cons

  • Up to date strategies and training.
  • Easy to follow.
  • Great support along the way.
  • n/a
more ratings
Implementation 37
about what I expected
Presentation 38
5.0/5
Usefulness 39
5.0/5
Community 40
5.0/5
Support 41
5.0/5
Value For Money 42
5.0/5
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