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The Seminar Source Newsletter
for educators, coaches, & entrepreneurs
               
 
December 8, 2008
Issue #24



The Seminar Source Objectives:

 � To encourage readers to offer seminars as part of their businesses.

            � To increase awareness of ready-made seminars available..
            � To provide tips on how to earn money giving seminars.

            � To provide samples of available books and seminars you can use.
Month/Year
Greetings!
 
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. For our family, it is the the most fun holiday of the year, filled with laughter, stories--old and new, and lots of hugs. We did miss a couple of "main characters" who were unable to attend. But you can be sure, they have since heard the stories.

Yesterday I met with an extraordinary gentleman who has been working tirelessly on starting a Senior Citizen Center for the county. He formerly, as a volunteer, set up 14 Make-a-Wish Foundations in New Jersey after experiencing tremendous compassion for the first child who benefited from this organization. His compassion now is for active retirees who have lost their community of work associates. He wants to provide them with a different kind of community where they will have fun, be physically and mentally active, and have the opportunity to meet new people. (If anyone has any hints on how to obtain the money for a building--the plans and costs are already done, please let me know and I'll pass it along.)

I mention my new friend because he exemplifies four invaluable success factors.  First, he has a passion which is directed toward improving the lives of others, and second,  he has such incredible persistence. Third, he has a written plan, and fourth, he works very hard as evidenced by his well organized, well documented, well categorized piles of material. Passion, persistence, a well thought out business plan, and hard work combine to ensure success, even if the road is long, uncertain, and bumpy.  

In spite of employing the four success factors, a person still has to be aware of the mischievous, devious gremlin which lies beneath the surface in all of our minds and appears from time to time; namely, the defeating feeling of "sense of failure." 

This gremlin can appear to someone working on a major project such as my new friend, someone working on a doctoral thesis, or someone preparing for the holidays. We're all susceptible to this siren of doom and gloom, to the point where we almost feel we can justify "throwing in the towel."

Fortunately, "awareness" of the existence of the nasty gremlin and the fact that it awaits anyone who is diligently working on a project is enough to nullify its power of doom and gloom. I know, because I fight with it regularly--(notice "it" has no gender).

This ties in with today's article on purpose. Keeping our ultimate purpose at the forefront of our minds helps keep the gremlin at bay and motivates us to make a difference by helping other people in some way.

Happy, happy,
Gail


Feature Article:

DETERMINING THE PURPOSE OF YOUR PROGRAM


by Gail Cassidy

Today's discussion seems obvious--know the purpose of your talk. When you write your one sentence "purpose," you have an anchor that will pull you continuously in the one direction you intend to take. The "anchor" keeps you in line, no slack, no deviations from the true purpose of your talk.

A rambling, non-centered talk does more harm than good for you in the minds of your audience.

PURPOSE:  When addressing an audience either as a speaker or seminar or workshop presenter, your primary purpose could be either to inform, persuade, or solve a problem for your audience. 

The exception is the entertainer whose purpose is to entertain.

For example, if your purpose is to inform people about the current state of treasury bonds, that's what you talk about--the pros and cons backed up with statistics and perhaps illustrative stories. You don't try to persuade them to buy or sell, rather you tell them the facts as they currently are.

If, however, you want to persuade people to buy treasury bonds, you will take the same facts and build your talk using the information to convince your listeners.

Once you have your topic, you need to consider your audience.  You will want to know the age group you're speaking to, sex, career, income level, education, and location. 

You certainly wouldn't present material in the same way to an elementary class as you would to a group of clerks or executives or police or nonprofits or realtors. 

 My potential audiences for the programs I offer are any groups desiring to

� learn the Seminar Business, e.g., -entrepreneurs, coaches.
� learn how to speak better, e.g., students, teachers, administrators.
� improve their ability to get along better with others, e.g., office workers, managers, Chambers of Commerce. 
� enhance teamwork amongst their employees, e.g., corporations, managers.
� enhance their people skills, e.g., any of the above.
� their relationship with others, e.g., parents, educators.
� improve their customer relationships, e.g., Chambers of Commerce.

While, in the past, I've addressed all of these different groups, my concentration now is solely on educators, whether in schools, special programs, or even prisons. 

Ultimately, my programs emphasize the importance of finding what is special about everyone, then offering ways to enhance that person's natural abilities.


Who are your potential audiences? Make a list. The physical act of writing the groups you can address starts the ball rolling. If you look at your list daily, you will start seriously contemplating the how and when of your program, and most importantly, the purpose of your talk.

What can you do to benefit the people on your list, and how will that increase your business? Remember my number one principle, "See the invisible tattoo on everyone's forehead that reads 'PLEASE MAKE ME FEEL IMPORTANT!'"

People gravitate toward pleasure and avoid pain. How can what you do or offer to enable them to experience the pleasure of feeling important?


For more about discovering your passion, look at Discover Your Passion, or the updated version, Profit From Your Passion





Quote of the Day

"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."

-- Lao-Tzu
c.550BC; Chinese philosopher & presumed co-founder of Taoism



NEXT WEEK
 
SAMPLE THEMES

RECOMMENDATION:

Bob Proctor's Six Minutes to Success Program is brief, to-the-point, and makes me think. (Anything in my "recommendation" section will only be something I have been involved with and have been totally satisfied with.) The nice thing with this program is you get 7 days free. If you don't like it, cancel.

This program is about being just one step away from reaching your goal of flooding your life with success, either in the form of health, wealth, or happiness.


Read Bob Proctor's entire letter and see what you think.

http://store.sixminutestosuccess.com/?aid=581522


Gail Cassidy
http://www.Coachability.com
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