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The Truth About Internet Marketing Conferences

I just came back from speaking at another Internet marketing conference, and I’m tired of it.

Here’s the pitch. You’re told about all the “insider secrets” you’ll learn at the upcoming event…and how you’ll be able to hit your feet running with all this new info. Usually the sales letter is full of bullets eluding to all types of information you know will just transform your business. Then you get to the event…and it begins.

I’m now referring to Internet marketing events as Sell-a-Thons. Most speakers don’t give you a systematic system for sucess online. They don’t even give you a lot of useful tips. They sell…and selll…and sell.

More than a dozen speakers are trotted up one after another to let you in on their “secrets.” Instead, most of them simply do a one hour sales presentation. Oh, it has the resemblance of having some content, but the whole purpose of the speech is to get you to buy…not to educate you in any way.

Am I speaking about any specific Internet marketing conference? Nope. I’m speaking about the majority of them. There are exceptions, but they’re rare. If you want to know how to spot a conference that’s not like this, look for one which DOESN’T have a large number of speakers. I’d recommend looking for one with no more than 2 main speakers per day. So a three day event could have 6 main speakers because they all get half a day…a lot of time to teach and give value.

There are 3 large “speaker training courses” on the market right now that are priced $997 to $3,000. I’ve been through two of them, and was absolutely sickened by what they taught (I know that the 3rd one is very similar from other sources).

What do they teach a speaker to do? They teach you to sell…and wind the sales presentation throughout your whole speech. They tell you to avoid giving any content or value. Simply do a sales letter in speech format without giving anything that will help your attendees…unless they buy your product.

So this trend isn’t changing. It’s becoming much worse, because most speakers are being trained to simply be sales people without value.

They even justify this 60 to 90 minute sales presentation by saying there is no way you can really help someone in that time frame. I disagree totally. You can change someone’s life in that time frame!

Kind of strange that one of the “teachers” of this sells products that are no longer than 90 minutes claiming how valuable they are, and then in his speaker training course says there is no way to put value in something that short. Hmmm…Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Of course I don’t feel there is anything wrong with selling a product from a platform. Don’t take what I’m saying in the wrong way. What I do have a problem with is the deception that says you’re giving value when you’re selling the whole time. I have a problem with a 90 minute sales presentation disguised and promoted as content.

I don’t have a problem with someone who gives great value and then taking 5 to 10 minutes to tell you about other resources you can buy from them to continue getting the SAME VALUE in a larger format.

I’m tired of it, and won’t be speaking at anymore Internet marketing meat markets.

I’m considering doing real workshops with a limited number of speakers, real value and education, and time all throughout the sessions to do actual WORK while at the event…where you leave not just with a head full of knowledge, but with improvements on your business already accomplished. If you’re interested in something like that, let me know.

Or if you’re a promoter who hosts something like that, I may be available to work with you. If you host Internet marketing sell-a-thons, don’t even waste my time or yours by contacting me anymore.

Written by Terry · Filed Under All 

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7 Responses to “The Truth About Internet Marketing Conferences”

  1. Franck Silvestre on June 19th, 2007 9:40 am

    Thank you for letting us know. Recently, while I was on a forum (part of my markting strategy), someone sent me a PM, asking me for myhelp.

    He told me that he just participed in a big name’s seminar (name kept secret), but that he couldn’t get started.

    I was hooked! I told him what can I do for you if this guy didn’t help you at his seminar (BTW, high priced).

    You are right, workshop are completely different.

  2. Scott Palat on June 19th, 2007 9:23 pm

    This was my first internet marketing seminar and was very disappointed with the education I received for $500 I paid. It was all sales pitch and the saddest part is that I didn’t expect this.

    I actually thought I was going for indepth training on different internet marketing strategies. This should have been a free event since it was all sales pitches. The fact that I paid $500 for sales pitch after sales pitch and virtually got no education was very disappointing.

    I give a special thanks to Mark Hendricks for giving the only real content of the seminar, even though it really wasn’t part of it. He stayed after the event on Saturday night till about 10pm. He gave a great presentation and taught a few of us how to really make money online.

    A special thanks to you too Terry! Thanks for giving me private consultations during lunch and during the seminar breaks.

  3. Terry on June 20th, 2007 9:39 am

    Hi Franck and Scott,

    I agree with both of you. It seems many big Internet seminars are simply sales pitches for more and more high priced products.

    The more I see this, the more I realize we need some good workshops that really take people by the hand and teach them. What’s stopped most marketers though is these sell-a-thons are so profitable.

    I know of several that have done more than one million in back of the room sales for the promoter. That’s pretty enticing for most business people. A workshop can earn a good income, but it’s back-of-the-room sales won’t be nearly as high.

  4. Fred Black on June 20th, 2007 10:48 am

    Hey Terry;
    It’s not just in Internet Marketing; I’ve had this frustration attending seminars, conferences, trade shows, etc. in other areas too. I used to want to go to them, but after attending a few and feeling like it was a waste of time, I stopped.

    The Internet business events that seem to be worthwhile are priced too high for a lot of people that may be just getting started. Given what you said about back of the room sales figures, it’s no wonder.

    I like your idea of doing real workshops. Why don’t you put on your own event? Hand pick a few presenters and limit the number of attendees so that it’s functional?

    Take care,
    Fred

  5. Terry on June 21st, 2007 6:46 am

    Hi Fred,

    I said “Internet marketing conferences” because this has been true at many of these I’ve been at. It wasn’t true at Fred Gleeck’s Book Publishing seminar or his Information Pubilshing seminar.

    For example, at the Book Publishing seminar I spoke at for Fred last month, he gave me 3 hours plus time to answer questions. I showed demos, takled with attendees, etc.

    Fred only had 4 speakers for 2 days (including himself). Several attendees said they left with dozens of pages of notes and exact systems to follow for their book promotion.

    Whenever he gets me over the audio from the event to me, I’ll do a quick 24 hour promotion here on the blog for them (they’re worth a lot to anyone who ever wants to promote a book or other info products).

  6. Mirageak on June 22nd, 2007 3:01 am

    Hi, Fred,

    Yes, I don’t really attend many internet marketing conference. But I have attended some. I am quite agree with you. Most of them are actually selling their provided system. It means, we can only do business with the system provided by them. It is very rarely of speakers really share how actually they become successful. I have a doubt they are successful online more or offline more? =)

    Thanks for your article!

    Regards
    Alan (Mirageak)
    new comer of mybloglog

  7. Dennis Schrader on October 31st, 2008 5:03 pm

    My father used to say that if you can’t do something well, teach it. If you can’t do something at all, then preach it.

    Question: The internet is absolutely littered with “gurus” who purport to teach/preach the idiosyncrasies of this internet marketing and how to make the most of Google Adwords. What then would be your opinion of Perry Marshall and John Carlton, two professed experts who seem to have a joined-at-the-hip symbiotic relationship?

    Thanks for any opinion or advice you might have,

    Dennis

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