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Do you ever wonder why you spend thousands of dollars on a seminar but feel like you return home empty handed?
Seminars, conventions, and other live events will tax your wallet, energy and resources. Here are several tips to help you create a positive return on your seminar investment.
First, come with questions and goals written down. Each year I attend several events and spend tens of thousands of dollars on my marketing education. For a few weeks before each event I keep a notebook at my computer to think of questions to ask or really specific things I want answered at the upcoming seminar. Perhaps you have a question about how to use Google’s Website Optimizer tool. Maybe there is a colleague you want to meet in person.
It is so easy to get distracted at a seminar and completely ignore the reasons you bought your ticket in the first place. That is why having the notebook handy will help remind you about your questions and goals.
The most important tip is to make sure you are assertive especially if you consider yourself to be a shy person. This may seem obvious yet so often seminar attendees fail to reach out and meet new business contacts. Resist the urge to hole up alone in your hotel room. Keep in mind that others also feel apprehensive about meeting new people and making conversion. I guarantee you will get infinitely more value from these rare networking opportunities than if you keep to yourself.
Remember also that these events are so rarely held and all the money you spent to get there. Often an event is only held once per year. When will you have personal access to these types of high level entrepreneurs outside of these events?
Even if it means you meet just one person of value. That just a single contact can help you add thousands of dollars in profits to your company’s bottom line.
Third, implement, implement, implement! It is tempting to form a habit of attending seminars because it makes you feel like you are working and adding value to your business. However, if you are only taking notes, but nothing more, you may as well stay at home! These same people often get home and immediately begin looking for the next event rather than execute the highly value creating techniques they discover at the last seminar.
“Seminar intoxication,” or the lack of execution is the enemy. While you are at the event you have grand ideas of executing all of the ideas you learned. However, once you get back home with all of the typical distractions and the seminar “buzz” has worn off, it is difficult to execute these same ideas.
The one way to combat this destructive cycle is to execute one simple idea at a time. Begin with just one idea, execute and then move on from there. Most of the marketing principles are time tested so they will be applicable even if not executed right away. You may also consider getting some inexpensive labor to help execute some of the techniques. This is especially true for highly technical type tasks or any activity you either dislike are are not proficient.
The idea is to be honest with yourself. If you know you are not ever going to teach yourself complicated java script coding, but need it to implement a new strategy, then find somebody who will do it for you. Consider posting the project on outsourcing boards like elance or hiremymom.com.
If you find yourself investing hundreds of dollars, plus time energy and resources to attend seminars but do not get your money’s worth, then apply these tips and you will certainly see a more profitable return on your seminar investment.
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