If It's Not In You, Don't Do It...

I was asked today, why I don't offer workshops, seminars, full-day or half-day sessions in addition to my 75 minute keynote presentation. Actually, come to think of it, I have been asked that question a lot recently. Trust the process. There's a reason I was asked again.

Let me back up a bit on the story. Before I was asked why I don't offer anything except a keynote, I was asked if I was aware how much money I am leaving on the table with my clients. You see, if I offered seminars, workshops, break-out sessions and the like as well as my keynote, I could be paid for each additional item I convinced my clients to buy.

But my thinking is this: if I have a really good presentation, and everything I have to say, every funny story, every touching moment, every point I want to make, can be made in 75 minutes, why would I not do it in 75 minutes?

I think that there a lot of speakers in the marketplace who are doing a huge disservice to their clients by offering a keynote, a break-out and a seminar over a couple of days, but actually have to spread out their points over three events, then the client isn't getting the very best of each of the three. That's dishonest on behalf of the speaker and totally and utterly unacceptable as a business practice.

There are too many speakers who have a half-dozen titles for their presentation and each one, remarkably, is just like the next: same ideas, same concepts, same presentation with a different title. That's just bad business. Not much wonder people make fun of motivational speakers.

I only have one presentation, it has one title, it has amazing results. It's not in me to deceive the client. It's not in me to do a seminar (Lord knows I hate being a seminar participant sitting in a room with complete strangers doing dumb little exercises just to eat up time because the seminar leader used up all his ideas in the keynote we just heard). That's not honest. That lacks integrity. I will not be a part of that.

If you're a meeting planner, do not hire the same speaker to do a bunch of things for you, unless you've seen every single presentation of his and know for a fact that each presentation is fresh, does not repeat itself and ideas won't be stolen from one to make the other go.

I don't care how much money I leave on the table. I just will not deceive my customers to get it. I will earn what I earn, and so long as the family is fed and there's a little left over, that's a good day.

Repackaging the same old stuff as new is not in me and I won't do it.

Can you ask yourself the same question when it comes to your business practices? Step up now and be accountable. Tell the truth. Do the right thing.

If you do the right thing, you'll be surprised at how much more rewarding your job becomes.