Is there anyone one who does not want to get what they pay for? Is there anyone who wants to be sold a bill of goods (that old expression for not getting what you pay for)? Although I doubt that anyone fits into these categories, I’ve seen hundreds of people show up at events that promise them the world and deliver a dump-truck-sized load of empty words. And it seems to be an epidemic. Not a month goes by that I do not receive an invitation for such an event. The speaker’s are sometimes regionally well known, and I would like to think that they are well meaning. However, often what they really sell for the price of admission is mostly cheerleading (“You go girl--you're a Rock Star!”) with a dose of nonsensical advice: “Tap into your ultimate essence and put it out to the universe.”—WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!!. Lest you think I’m out of line, here is a bit of content from an invitation I recently received (grammar/semantics altered to protect):
With an investment of just 45 minutes (and an undisclosed fee) attendees will be given the key to the mint that will give them what they need to obtain:
· A life of success
· A life of passion
· A life of purpose
· A larger home
· A family vacation
· A new car
· The freedom to do whatever you want
· The freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want.
Seriously?! In just 45 minutes?! I’m more than willing to be educated about the factual efficacy of these kinds of offerings—as long as I don’t have to pay for it.
As someone who has in the past attended a few of these seminars and who has even been on the speakers’ list at one, let me just offer a few words of advice for seminar goers. Check the credentials of the speakers before paying your entry fee. Has the person you are paying to hear actually accomplished the things they are purporting to offer you? Are their promises hard to believe? Do they use a list of buzz words or are they offering concrete solutions? If they have written a book, bear in mind that not all books are created equal. I applaud self-publishing and recognize that many self-published books are of great value, but bear in mind I could publish my grocery list if I wanted to spend the money to do it.
Posts
