Subject: Sex, Lies and Seminars…

Hey There,

After two weeks of back to back strategic consulting days, my brain is fried! I always enjoy the challenge of finding the big idea and putting a structure in place to build a business or create an opportunity that defies industry norms. While many people search for the “thing” or “magic pill”, the reality is that nothing beats good ole fashion hard work. And if you listen to Gary Vaynerchuk, the social media king (who is coming to Australia by the way), don’t be afraid to “work hard” because you are setting yourself for great things.

While I enjoy the consulting days and working one on one with clients, I also know that many people have the goods but lack the opportunity and “fresh eyes” to give them clarity and direction. I remember when I use to be part of a business coaching group and would give away free advice during these mastermind meetings. My wife, my friends and advisers all told me off for giving away so much for nothing. But what they all forget about is the gift of building a relationship. Where are you building your relationships?

I find it no mistake that the current clients who have booked in are past clients who I have assisted previously. When you give people great content, advice and are genuinely interested in their success, they will invest time, energy and money with you. Remember, when it comes to pricing your services, it’s about the value you deliver and not the time you spend with your clients. If you are in the commodity business, where clients buy on price alone, consider ways you can create packages that defy comparison. For example, the last three letters I got from Fortune magazine to re-subscribe failed, however, the new offer with a “free book” got me to write a cheque and renew my subscription. Finding an angle to deliver your offer is one of the best skills that allows you to increase your income.

After the response from last week, I have been asked to continue peeling back the layers from the seminar game. I have been trusted as an innovator and adviser with great success. In fact, one promoter who lost a lot of money during his events said recently, “I wish I had your experience…” while another was able to fill 40% of their room from one strategy I shared with them. While there is a science to making money at an event, there is also an art in delivering an experience that values participants and makes them feel part of the community.

Another issue I’m also asked is why is the seminar industry generally frowned upon by the mainstream. This is generally caused by a small handful of people who come into the market, rape it and leave their trail of destruction where customers lose their money. Make no mistake, it only takes one person to destroy a whole industry and I’ve witnessed 3-4 occasions now where the media storm hits and dramatically reduces seminar attendances. This occurs because there is no leadership in the seminar community. Too many promoters and speakers are so busy and so scarcity minded that they miss out on the greater opportunity to transform the “new education” landscape that benefits society long term. It’s quite ironic that we teach success and abundance, yet we can’t share the fruits of success with our fellow colleagues. We see them as competitors instead of collaborators and miss out on great opportunities to create new experiences for a seminar market that will be flat this year.

If you speak to leading speakers in the industry, you will discover they are constantly battling the negative stigma associated with their “get rich quick” business. While many speakers who have been around a long time, have established a “real” business, too many “opportunist” have focused on the short-term money gains and are prepared to lie and use hard sell tactics to extract money from people are just starting out. While there is no way to stop the sharks circling around the “weak minds”, I believe that with the power of social media, more people will be protected and have the opportunity to join communities that support their vision, values and goals.

I remember Dan Kennedy said that seminar promoters are a city away from bankruptcy because most people don’t realise the enormous costs of putting these large events on. Some events can cost over $150,000 before you even put one person in the room. My predication is that there will be at least two promoters who will be bankrupt this year as they fail to innovate their business and take advantage of the emerging trends appearing in the marketplace. People don’t just want to hear speakers anymore, they want to belong to a progressive community. You can’t keep teaching the same old material, you need to reinvent your message and stories to keep them engaged. (And doing the same presentation but changing the title doesn’t count)

In the last month of phone consultations and discussions with some key players, it’s become obvious that the seminar industry is full of lies. It’s difficult to believe testimonials unless you know the person. I’ve even heard of cases where promoters have written their own testimonials on their sales page without permission. These behaviours are very dangerous in a market where the law of attachment can make careers and can also destroy careers. Who you align yourself with determines how much you learn and grow.

And I’ve noticed a massive shift in the marketplace where “intuitive” and switched on business owners can actually see through a speaker before they even start speaking. So if you are a speaker, especially starting out, you need to make sure you are congruent with your message because your audience can google you while you speak these days. So don’t focus on creating that fake millionaire lifestyle, focus more on delivering a service and providing value and build your way up. (And if you want more speaking strategies and tips, join my six figure speakers group on facebook)

So if you are a speaker who is incongruent with your message, you can’t hide any more. If you are full of drama and desperate to make money, your crowd will not support you. If you run over time and disrespect your fellow speakers, they will not buy. And if you fail to deliver content or an engaging experience, they will simply switch off and walk out during your presentation. Times have changed and people are not only after a real solution, but they are building their “team of advisers” to help them achieve their goals. The best speakers who have the best support team will outlast the constantly changing market.

I hope you can see why I’m hesitant to release a large scale coaching or mentoring program because I don’t want to disappoint and promise things I can’t deliver on. I don’t want to be another person who offers a high priced program that fails to deliver and leaves people with the scars of massive financial trauma. Seriously, many of these over-priced programs are fuelled by egos and “fabricated” lifestyles that promote no work and all play. If that’s an illusion that you desire, I suggest you unsubscribe from this list because you will be getting real doses of reality and clarity with proven principles and passion.

I take those calls when people have gone through the gurus and still have nothing to show for it because no one ever took the time to sit them down and connect with them. It’s amazing to help someone discover their core gifts, their passion, their niche market, their hook, craft their message, create their systems and build their products that allows them to build a community of followers who subscribe to their big ideas. As Noah St John says, the first step of success is to have someone who believes in you, more than you believe in yourself. I tell all my clients that they will give up before I do because failure is not an option.

I have invested in certain upcoming people who I believe will deliver integrity, value and service to seminar students who are ready to join our expanding community. I also have the ears of some promoters who are looking to “blood” new stars so I find myself in a great space at the moment, being able to express my core gift as a connector. I’ve always wanted to contribute to the seminar community and love it. It has given me an amazing life…one that I could never dream of as a refugee coming to Australia in 1980 aged 2. So if you are in the seminar community, all I can do is ask you to step up and continue to provide incredible value to the marketplace and leave it a better place. We all have something we can contribute and when you discover your core gift and deliver it with passion and purpose, you leave your legacy!

Nothing is missing…

Simplify,

CHEN

P.S Thank you for all those comments about my Yoda profile pic. I enjoyed the feedback and seriously contemplated changing this weeks issue to “Conversations with Choda” (Thanks Jen)

P.P.S “You can’t build congruency when you divide yourself” – Remember, you are living two lives: the one that everyone expects you to live and the unlived life. If you want an opportunity to explore where you are and where you want to go, I encourage you to book a strategic day or strategic phone consultation to discover and accelerate your results. Please contact me through facebook and i have instructed my PA to give priority to CWC members this month.