The $995 Marshmallow
You are in row five; seat twelve stuffed right in between the lady with the giant purse and the guy that keeps hogging the armrest. The AC is working; but hasn’t kicked in enough to cool off the newly formed audience of over 800 executives, experts and entrepreneurs. But you don’t mind; after all you paid $995 for some great information that will transform your business!... At least that is what the brochure said.
The moderator makes her way to center stage and begins with the account of prior seminar history and their success, what you will be doing today, and what to expect from this fantastic two day seminar. After her 20 minute dissertation of inconsequential information; the speaker that you traveled half-way across the country to see is introduced.
His genius in the marketing and consulting field has been noted as the “Corporate Game Changer”; all of his books are on your book shelf. But, today will be different. Those books described “THE WHAT”; what you should do like “Get more Facebook followers; create a compelling campaign; engage your audience”. But today, you are here to learn “THE HOW”; how to “get those FaceBook followers; create a compelling campaign; and engage your audience”.
As you ready your notepad and pen for the game changing golden nuggets that will drop from his lips and into your bank account; you ignore the lady bumping you with her elbow as she struggles to find a pen in the abyss of her purse; you ignore the arm-rest hogger that is now sharing your seat with you. Instead you focus.
For 45 minutes you listen intently taking in every syllable; laughing at every joke; feverishly holding your pen to paper. After 46 minutes; you realize that you have written down nothing.
WHAT HAPPENED? YOU LISTENED! YOU LAUGHED! YOU FOCUSED! HE WAS A GOOD SPEAKER! WHERE IS “THE HOW”!
You fell into a strategically placed trap. The CORPORATE GAME CHANGER fed you MARSHMALLOWS… and for 45 minutes you ate them!
Think about it. Marshmallows taste good as you eat them; they may even give you good little endorphin rush; but after about 45 minutes you don’t feel so good about consuming the whole bag. It was just FLUFF and FILLER; no real nutritional value… in fact…. right now… you might feel a little sick.
This is becoming the BANE of the speaking and seminar world. They talk about “THE WHAT”. And what is “THE WHAT”? “THE WHAT” ends up being the cover of their latest book, or the results of their latest product endorsement, or the subject of their upcoming seminar; all that are available for purchase at the back of the room for $995; Major Credit Cards are accepted.
You deserve and need “THE HOW”! And… ITS YOUR FAULT FOR NOT GETTING “THE HOW”!
How do you get “THE HOW”? Well, by getting your $2 Million worth.
