All You Need to Know to Conduct A Profitable Full Day Seminar

CONDUCTING A FULL DAY SEMINAR

One of the most financially profitable yet emotionally tiring
experiences is the full day seminar. It involves thorough
planning and preparation to make it a success.

HOW TO BEGIN:
 It all starts with a company or organization
approaching you with a request to conduct a full day seminar
on a topic outlined in your promotional material. When this
happens the first thing you do, after saying you would be
happy to accommodate them, is to ask the date of the proposed
event.  This might seem insignificant at first , but you don’t
want to spend a lot of time discussing details only to
discover that you are unavailable on the date in question. 
This has happened to me a number of times.

When you know that you are free on the desired date then discuss your fee. 
Again, you don’t want to go on discussing the structure and
content of the day to find that you can’t agree on a fee. I
usually work within a fee range of between $3000.00 to
$4000.00 for a full day seminar, plus expenses. I have a fee
range because I want to open doors of opportunity not close
them.  I don’t want to get the reputation of being rigid when
it comes to my fee. Flexibility is important to me.


Once you have the date established and have agreed on your fee
you can proceed with the following:
* Identify and clarify the topic. Make certain that you know
what the organization wants you to speak on and what they
would like stressed.
* Determine their outcomes and expectations. I usually ask the
planning committee to write down four or five major outcomes
they would like to see result from the seminar. This keeps
your planning on track.  There is a tendency for a speaker or
facilitator to plan according to his/her perceptions of the
needs of the group with whom they are working.  You want to
avoid this.
* Try to get a sense of the culture of the group you will be
working with. What are the strong and weak points of the
organization as perceived by the organizing committee? Is
morale high or low? What about worker satisfaction or
dissatisfaction? Are the people under a great deal of stress?
This input is helpful to you in the planning of the day.

 * I like to keep the planning committee informed and involved
about the structure, content and flow of the day. When I have
the day planned I meet with the organizers,  share what I have
done and ask for their critical response to my efforts. Their
suggestions will not hurt my feelings for I am there to meet
their needs. The final product must be  the result of co-
operative effort.

* Always provide handouts related to the content of each
session to those present . I usually make them available on
the table at the back of the room where I sell my books, tapes
and manuals. This way the people have to visit my product
table when they go to pick up their free handouts. The
organization hiring you will run off the numbers of copies
needed, at their expense.  Frequently the business or
organization will want to take the handouts you prepare and
put them into a folder or booklet for each participant. Just
make sure that your contact information is on each handout.
This way they become advertising for you wherever they happen
to be left.

*Prepare a discussion guide  for each small group as a follow-
up to your content sessions. Those in attendance should have
the opportunity to discuss with one another issues arising
from your session. By doing this they can make the content
their own or reject it, whatever the case may be.

* Always invite your audience to consider what you have to
say. Never come across as the expert who is going to offer
salvation to the multitudes. You are there to present material
related to the theme and ask them to consider what you have to
say. Let them decide the relevance of your content for
themselves as an organization.  By doing this you show that
you respect the audience and you eliminate the possibility of
any resistance that might have emerged.

* Have the room set up in workshop format with the
participants seated around tables. At each table have paper
and pens provided for people to use to take notes or jot ideas
during discussion.

* Double check that the audio visual equipment you require for
the day is on hand and in working order. Have a replacement
bulb available for the overhead projector. I have had the
frustrating experience of having the bulb in the overhead burn
out just as I turn the machine on. No one could find a
replacement bulb. When your presentation is built around the
overhead projector and it doesn’t work it is a pain, to put it
mildly.

* I suggest that you divide your session time this way:
Present for 45 minutes and have discussion for 15 to 20
minutes.. You will be able to determine how well the
discussion is going. If you sense that people are tired or
have completed the task, bring the discussion to an end.

* Let your audience have a stretch break when you feel they
need one.  Remember that the mind can absorb what the rump can
endure. A brief stretch can do wonders to restore energy.

* Try to involve your audience as much as possible when
conducting a full day seminar. People can only listen to a
speaker for so long without getting restless and when you are
with them for the entire day it is important to make them part
of the learning process. When I say to get them involved this
is what I mean. When I speak on the topic of how society forms
and fashions our thinking and our behaviour I use this little
exercise to make my point.

Ask the people to work in pairs. Let them choose the person they want to work with.
One member of the pair closes his/her fist tightly. The task is for the
other member of the pair to get the close-fisted person to
open the fist. Don’t tell them too much or answer any
questions. Just ask them to try to get the other member of the
pair to open the fist.   “On the count of three, begin.” Give
them one  minute to accomplish the task. Stand back and
observe.

When the time is up ask how many got the other to open
the fist. Ask how they managed to get the fist opened. 99% of
those involved will have relied on brute force.  Ask how many
got the person to open the fist by politely asking for it to
be done and then saying thank you when it was.  The audience
will quickly see that society conditions its members to use
force and competition rather than negotiation and co-operation
in human relationships.

This is a fun activity and it reveals something about
ourselves in the process. I recall doing this activity at one
of my presentations with a middle aged woman who was without a
partner. When the task began I looked at her and asked
politely, “ Would you be so kind as to open your fist for me,
please?”  She looked at me with intense competition burning in
her eyes and said, “ No way, Sweetie. If you want this sucker
opened you’ve got to do it.”  The battle was on.

* Here is a quick, easy and effective way to divide those
present into working groups.  Divide the number of people you
want to have in each working group into the number of people
present. If you have 48 people in your audience and you want
to have 6 people per group you divide 48 by 6 giving you 8
groups of 6. Now ask the audience to count off 1 to 8 out
loud. When 8 is reached the next person starts at 1 again.
When this process is complete you ask all the ones to stand,
and go to a certain table for discussion. Ask the twos to
stand and do likewise. Continue until you have all 8 groups
identified and situated at tables.  Ask each group to select a
leader and a recorder. Have each group leader come to you for
their task sheet.  Begin the discussion. Simple and effective.

                                                              
* In the first planning meeting with the organizing committee
suggest that they seriously consider taking their people off
the work site for the seminar. A country inn, retreat centre,
lodge or resort are much more effective settings for an in-
service than a room in the very building where the people work
every day. Keep in mind the saying “ A change is as good as a
rest.” There is something positively constructive about being
together in the quiet and solitude of the countryside.  Great
things can happen in a natural setting. I have done full day
seminars and workshops on site and off site and believe me I
much prefer the natural setting to any other. So if the budget
allows, go for the off site location.

* Give the people attending your seminar an extended
refreshment break. I suggest a 30 minute break rather the
usual 15 minutes. It’s important for people to mix, mingle and
laugh with one another. It builds a sense of community among
the participants.

* Never assume that the people in your seminar know one
another just because they happen to work for the same company
or in the same office. Since it is important that people feel
relaxed and comfortable with one another in order to discuss
issues and share thoughts and opinions, I begin each day with
an ice breaker. This is one I like very much called WHO’S IN
THE GROUP?  People enjoy this one because it’s fun and low
threat.

                    WHO’S IN THE GROUP?

Each person is given a sheet containing ten “ Find someone
who”... items.  For example, Find someone who loves Elvis------
-------------------------------. People begin to circulate
asking fellow participants if they like  like Elvis Presley.
When they find one who does they write his/her name in the
space provided.  And so it continues until all items have been
completed. There is no prize, just the fun of completing the
task and getting to know others.  I have provided a copy of
this ice breaker on the next page. You can use it as it is or
change it to suit your own situation.

     
                       WHO’S IN THE GROUP?
FIND SOMEONE WHO...............

1. speaks more than one language
fluently._________________________________.
2. plays a musical
instrument.____________________________________________
3. loves Italian
food.______________________________________________
4. will be travelling outside the country this
summer.______________________________
5. wears the same size shoe as you
do._________________________________________
6. Was born in the same month as you
were._____________________________________
7. loves camping.______________________________________________
8. prefers taking a bath to a
shower._______________________________________
9. seldom watches
television._____________________________________________
10. loves to read._____________________________________________

Here are a few extras for you to consider.
* someone who hates
shopping._____________________________________
* who is a real Mr/ Ms FIX-IT around the
house.________________________
* who is allergic to
cats.___________________________________________
* who has a short
temper.__________________________________________
* who tends to be impatient in
traffic.______________________________________


Here is an outline of the agenda for a day long seminar I give
frequently. I will also provide you with sample copies of some
of the handouts and task sheets I use in the sessions and in
the discussions.

AGENDA

TOPIC:    IT PAYS TO CARE ( the role of appreciation, praise
and humour in building a happy, productive workplace )
9:00 a.m.   Welcome/ opening remarks ( This usually done by a
supervisor, manager or department head)
9:15 a.m.   Ice breaker   Who’s in the Group?
9:30 -10:15 a.m. Session # 1    What Moves Us? ( a look at how
human beings are motivated)
10:15 - 10:30 a.m. Small group discussion
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.  Refreshment
11:00 - 11:45 a.m.  Session # 2    A New Look at Leadership
11:45a.m   Discussion
12:00 - 1:30 p.m  Lunch        ( Try to go out for a walk on
the grounds after lunch )
1:30 - 2:15 p.m. Session # 3   The Role of Appreciation and
Praise in the Workplace
2:15 - 2:30 p.m. Follow-up
2:30 - 2:45 p.m.  Refreshments
2:45 - 3:15 p.m.  Session # 4      Light up With Laughter (
humour in the workplace)
3:15 - 3:30 p.m.  Closure and dismissal
This is totally flexible and is subject to the wishes of the
planners.  It is a working agenda reflecting my own opinions.


Sample handouts related to this theme
TEN TERRIFIC  MOTIVATING TIPS    By Mike Moore        
 No one can motivate anyone to do anything.  All a
person can do for another is provide them with incentives to
motivate themselves.  Here are ten very effective strategies
to help you get up and get moving  toward actualizing your
enormous, untapped potential.
* Be willing to leave your comfort zone. The greatest barrier
to achieving your potential is your comfort zone. Great things
happen when you make friends with your discomfort zone.
* Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Wisdom helps us avoid
making mistakes and comes from making a million of them.
* Don’t indulge in self-limiting thinking. Think empowering,
expansive thoughts.
*Choose to be happy. Happy people are easily motivated.
Happiness is your birthright so don’t settle for anything else.
* Spend at least one hour a day in self-development. Read good
books or listen to inspiring tapes. Driving to and from work
provides  an excellent opportunity to listen to self-
improvement tapes.
* Train yourself to finish what you start.  So many of us
become scattered as we try to accomplish a task.  Finish one
task before you begin another.
* Live fully in the present moment. When you live in the past
or the future you aren’t able to make things happen in the
present.
* Commit yourself to joy. C.S. Lewis once said, “ Joy is the
serious business of heaven.”
* Never quit when you experience a setback or frustration. 
Success could be just around the corner.
* Dare to dream big dreams.  If there is anything to the law
of expectation then we are moving in the direction of our
dreams, goals and expectations.

     
               THE VALUE OF HUMOUR IN THE WORKPLACE
* Humour reduces stress levels.  It is impossible to feel
anxious and laugh at the same time.
* Laughter boosts morale. Stress erodes staff morale.
* Keeping things in perspective boosts morale and humour helps
us keep things in  perspective.
* Humour helps facilitate change.  Change is inevitable and
people who laugh heartily and often tend to be more flexible
and more adaptable.
* Communication improves when humour is used appropriately. 
The timely use of humour can get a point across effectively
and assist in the process of problem solving.
*Human beings are creatures of relationship.  Whether at home,
at work or at play, we interact with people.  Humour can do a
great deal to improve the quality of our existing 
relationships.  When we enjoy the people we relate to we tend
to laugh easily with them.  The quality of our relationships
is judged by the amount of laughter present.  If our
relationships are good we laugh a lot; if relationships are
bad laughter ceases.  When employees enjoy one another we
often see performance improve and when performance improves,
productivity and  profits increase.
*Laughter and humour relieve boredom and increase creative
energy.
*Humour builds confidence.  When we laugh at ourselves we are
less rigid and more spontaneous.  We tend to bounce back more
quickly when negative things happen.  Humour makes us less
fearful of making mistakes and more confident in overcoming
setbacks.
* Laughter is the natural result of doing work we love.
*Humour and laughter promote teamwork.  When laughter is
shared a natural bonding takes place.  You hear a funny story
and your first impulse is to find someone, tell them and share
the laughter.  People who laugh together usually like one
another, and people who like one another work well together.

*Humour helps us thrive, not just survive.
*Cultivate a climate of humour and laughter and watch great
things happen.
 The humour and laughter I speak of must never be based
on laughing at someone, racism, sexism, put downs, sarcasm or
ridicule.  These forms of humour are destructive attempts at
making one look good by making another look and feel badly.
This is counterproductive to what we want to accomplish. 
There is enough good humour to last a lifetime.  Just look for
it and share it when you find it.

Sample of focus questions used for group discussion
FOCUS QUESTIONS
1.  Do you agree that the enemy of progress is the human
comfort zone?
2.  What can we do to make friends with our discomfort zones?
3.  React to the statement made by the insurance C.E.O.  that
there is no place for laughter in the workplace. “If you want
to laugh, laugh on your own time.”
4.  What can you do to ensure that there is a greater degree
of appreciation, praise and humour in your workplace?
5.  What idea or suggestion from this session did you
specifically like?
6. Which idea or suggestion made you squirm a little?

FOCUS QUESTIONS-------------Session Two
1.Where do you stand on the issue of co-operation versus
competition?
2. It is easy to talk empowerment, co-operation and team but
it’s much more difficult to walk the talk.  Discuss.
3. What prevents us from affirming the work and the talents of
others?
4.Come up with two or three concrete suggestions on how we, as
an organization/workplace, can become more co-operative and
affirming.

Notice that I keep my handouts brief and concise. People today
seem to be too busy to handle lengthy articles so I keep mine
short and to the point.
EVALUATION
It is important to get a sense of just how well the day was
received. You only know how successful your efforts were by
asking those who were on the receiving end of them. So ask for
their opinions.
I usually prepare a simple evaluation questionnaire that looks
something like this:

SEMINAR EVALUATION
NAME:( optional) ___________________________________
1. Please list the things you found most helpful and enjoyable
about our seminar.
( Provide sufficient space for them to write their thoughts.)
 2.What did you find least helpful?
( sufficient space)
3. What constructive criticism can you offer to help us meet
your needs in the future?
( sufficient space)
4. What comment would you like to make about the location and
the food?
( space)
5. On a scale of 1 to 10 ( ten being perfect) how would you
rate the seminar?
( space)
6. Please use the space below to make additional comments.
( space)
** Give them time at the end of the day, just before closing
remarks, to complete the evaluation form.  If you let them
take it home to fill out and return it the next day you’ll
never see half of them.


When the day is over I want the members of the group to go
away feeling renewed, affirmed, challenged and determined to
grow as a caring, affirming community. I want them to have
laughed a lot and enjoyed one another.  These two alone will
go a long way to establish a harmonious, happy workplace.

The first time you are approached to conduct a full day
workshop just reach for this manual, turn to this section and
use it as a guide. I know you will find it helpful. Doing your
first full day seminar might seem like a huge task at first.
Just think one session at a time. If you can do one session
successfully then you will be able to do four successfully.
Think in small compartments as you plan the day with the
committee. If you have doubts about being able to do the day,
never let anyone know you have them.  Read the “ act as if ”
page again. ( Page 6 of Public Speaking for Profit and
Pleasure)

GOOD LUCK!!   YOU CAN DO IT!!

For more info on getting well paid to speak why not check out my private mentoring page. Personal and private mentoring from one who speaks for a living.
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?mentoring

Cartoons for Speakers

 

Learn the art of motivational speaking

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Public Speaking Coaching: A Speaker's Prayer

I  don't know where I saw this but I do like it a lot.
  

 

A Speaker's Prayer



Lord, fill my mind with worthwhile stuff,

and nudge me when I've said enough.

 

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The Art of Motivational Speaking:How to Write and Organize a Speech People Want to Hear

When planning your speech always begin with a clear concise statement of the topic selected, expressed in a unique way. When the topic of the speech is written in your promotional material you want it to have some appeal. For example, I have a speech called "Irritations Bug Me" and others called "Light up with Laughter" and "Leadership is a Laughing Matter" I hope you see what I mean about having a catchy title that makes the audience want to hear more.

Research the subject thoroughly. Use the public library or the internet, or both to get more background material than you will ever need. Background material helps give you the confidence required to stand up in front of a group and speak.

Once you have researched your subject thoroughly you begin the editing and organizing process. You now have to decide what content you are going to use and what content you are going to file away in the back of your mind to draw on if necessary.

Don't try to tell the audience too much. Research suggests that people listening to a speaker can only digest six or seven points at one sitting. This is the one item in planning and delivering a speech that requires the most discipline from me. I always want to tell my audience everything I know on any subject. Don't do it.

Once you have determined the six or seven key concepts you are going to present, you begin to focus on how you are going to put them across. Because I rely heavily on the captivating power of story to inform, entertain and challenge my audiences, my presentations are heavily laced with anecdotes and stories connected directly to my six or seven key points. If someone asked me to identify the most important element in giving a successful talk it would be, "Tell the audience stories related to your theme."

Humour adds a great deal to any talk only if you are good at it. If, in your private life, you can make people laugh easily then you will be able to do so in your speech. If you aren't good at humour when you're with your friends avoid using humour in your presentations. If you do decide to use humour, be careful that your don't overuse it, unless of course your talk is on humour therapy or humour in the workplace. We all have had the experience of hearing someone try to be funny while speaking only to bomb hopelessly. There is nothing worse. The audience starts to feel sorry for the speaker and pray that the speech will be over soon to save further embarrassment.

If you follow these tips you will end up with a speech that people want to hear and pay for and that's what it is all about.

In this article I have given you a few ideas on how to plan and organize an effective speech.

 Get your own Speaking for Profit and Pleasure System with 6 months FREE personal consultation with me via email.

 

Mike is committed to helping others get started in the fascinating and profitable business of public speaking. http://www.mikemoorespeaks.com

 

 

Public Speaking Coaching:The Awesome Power of Positive Thought

 

We all know that positive thoughts and visualization are really effective when it comes to re-educating our subconscious mind and changing our behavior. 

My interest in the life changing power of positive thought and visualization started in my mid-twenties (quite a few years ago) when I picked up a copy of Norman Vincent Peale’s best seller “ The Power of Positive Thinking”. 

 I didn’t just read this book with interest and enthusiasm, I devoured it and followed its suggestions to the letter.

I recall posting quotations and affirmations on my bathroom mirror so I could read and repeat them while I shaved each morning.  I memorized them and recited them while I drove to work. I pictured myself being what I envisioned.  The process soon became an enjoyable habit.

Slowly I, and my wife, began to notice changes appear in my attitudes and behavior. I emphasize the word slowly here because things just didn’t change overnight. But change they did.

Years of worry, fear, anxiety, negativity and impatience just don’t disappear with the reading of one book. But the journey to peace, calmness and joy had definitely begun and results were apparent quite quickly.

In the intervening years I have continued to learn a great deal more about the power of positive thought to transform individual lives and even the world in which we live.  

Great progress has been made  in the area of mind /body research by people like Wayne Dyer, Herbert Benson, Deepak Chopra,  Lynn McTaggart, Dr. Bernie Seigel, Carl Simonton MD just to name a few. 

Their findings reveal a dimension to living positively that includes healing the body with the mind that goes beyond mere positive thinking.

On Positive Thoughts

I am the product of the thoughts I think therefore I choose to think positive thoughts. 

A Positive Attitude attracts people to you, is a major factor in good health and is vital to the achievement of peace of mind.  I commit to a positive attitude 

Pain in life is inevitable- misery is optional.

A sour face is the result of sour thoughts.                                                                  

Thoughts rule the world. Let positive, happy thoughts rule yours. 

We are what we think.

      All that we are arises 

      With our thoughts.

      With our thoughts 

      We make our world.

                                           Buddha 

Wisdom keeps you from making mistakes and comes from having made plenty of them. 

Optimism is a lot like electricity... nothing much happens without it. 

In our eagerness to give our children what we didn’t have as children we run the risk of not giving them the wonderful things we did have. MM

 

This article is an excerpt from Mike’s special report “121 Thoughts of Hope, Joy and Inspiration for Daily Living” (Quotations, Affirmations and Cartoons)   If thoughts rule the world make sure positive thoughts rule yours.

 

For the complete report visit http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?121inspiresp  

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Public Speaking Career:Back of the Room Sales

Move over Shakespeare.

I recently wrote this limerick while having coffee at my local "office" coffee shop, Tim Horton's. I hope that you find it as moving and inspirational as I did. I think it really shows that I have too much time on my hands.


There once was a speaker of note
To his talks his books he would tote
Oh how he'd try
To get people to buy
Without feeling they were grabbed by the throat.


That was so touching that I moved myself to tears.

In my private mentoring group  I give you usable information about how you can enter the profitable world of paid public speaking. For dozens more tips, tools, techniques and personal mentoring check out  my Speaking for Profit and Pleasure Private Membership site   http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?mentoring

Public Speaking Coaching:Self Publish Your Writing

The Profitable World of Self Publishing
By Mike Moore

15 years ago I was a professional speaker desperately in need of my own book. After each presentation members of my audience would approach me and ask if had a book or a tape for sale. The need was obvious. The market existed. All I needed to do was write a book and bring it to my audiences. This is how my first book Embracing the Mystery was born.

I wrote nonstop for two months and finally had it written and illustrated with my own original cartoons. The question facing me now was who would be chosen from among thousands of publishers to bring my masterpiece to the waiting, eager multitudes. After many submissions to numerous publishing houses and many rejection slips, I finally found one who agreed to publish my book. The problem was that they couldn’t get around to it for about a year and a half. I would receive 20% of the retail cost of each copy sold and would have to do most of the promotion myself.

This arrangement just wasn’t satisfactory. I needed the book as soon as possible and I wanted to receive more than 20% of each copy sold. It was then that I decided to enter the world of self publishing and started Lifeline Publications.

Five hundred copies of Embracing the Mystery were printed as a test run and I sold them all within the year as “ back of the room” items at my speeches and seminars. Since I wasn’t on the road speaking 365 days of the year I wanted to have my book available for purchase seven days a week whether I was speaking or not. I had my webmaster create a store for me and connect it to my speaking website. I was in business.

With well chosen and well directed advertising online and off I began to receive orders in my mailbox and by email. As sales increased so did the number of published items in my store. At present I have a total of nine information products, manuals, books, tapes, and special reports available for purchase.

In my first year as a publishing tycoon I sold 300 copies of my products online alone and another 100 offline. Add these sales to those at my talks and you can see that I was off and running as a self publisher. The orders seem to increase in number each month.

Writers are no longer dependent on the acceptance and approval of editors and publishers. Using the internet as well as offline classified ads in popular magazines you can bring your writing directly to a wide and eager market. People are always seeking “ how to” information. In fact the most sought after items on the internet are information products. So if you research peoples’ needs, wants and interests then write to satisfy them you are going to sell effectively..

Self publishing is simple and cost effective especially if you print on demand. You don’t print a copy of your product until you get an order for that product. By doing this you avoid the cost of having 500 copies printed plus having to find storage space in your already cluttered basement.


If you have the writing bug and have received enough rejection slips to wallpaper a bedroom, try self publishing. When that first order comes in you will feel great satisfaction and a surge of self confidence which will, inevitably, result in more sales. You will be on your way to conquering the world of self publishing. GOOD LUCK!

Mike Moore is an international speaker and writer on humor and human potential. His most recent manual is How to Write and Publish Your Own Information Products.

For much more on getting paid to speak check out my  Speaking for Profit and Pleasure System with 6 months FREE personal consultation with me via email.  http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?completesystem