“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” – Woody Allen

How can it be that some have observed offline seminar attendance declining in recent times? Is it really possible that people in the Internet Marketing world have become even lazier?

This seems like a real stretch given the already impressive laziness attributed to the average person who claims to want an online business, but what else am I to think? Virtually every Internet Marketing professional offers the same universal advice:

1. Build a list of opt-in prospects.
2. Network via live marketing events.

Still, only a small fraction of individuals involved with Internet Marketing show up at live events. Offline seminars have a proven track record of creating successful marketers, yet most people just won’t get involved.

What are some possible reasons for this? Maybe with the economy in a downturn people have less to spend. As a product, seminar tickets don’t promise specific results, so it’s possible this route just doesn’t seem plausible to many new marketers at present. Another possibility is the fact that there are plenty of loudmouths online who tell anyone who’ll listen how worthless seminars are. “Nothing but a place for gurus to pitch their high-priced coaching” is the most popular complaint. Ironically few, if any, of these naysayers have ever been to an offline event! Unfortunately their sermons still have the desired effect, and many people close their minds to the possibility of hitting an event after hearing this kind of negativity.

Regardless of why people avoid offline conferences, the fact remains it’s the people who do attend that end up meeting their goals of success.

While there’s no solid data on the number of people currently interested in making money online, estimates range between 1.5 and 3 million Internet users, of which perhaps 10,000 have ever attended an offline marketing seminar. This group of attendees will collectively have more success than the rest put together.

What’s The Secret?
What is it that’s so great about these offline events? How can they take a total beginner and place him or her on the path to great success?

First of all there’s the obvious benefit of getting to learn in person. Sure, you can absorb a lot of knowledge through digital info-products or teleconferences, but there’s simply no substitute for personal, hands-on instruction. There’s a legitimate reason schools and universities teach people in a physical classroom – it works!

The people presenting the lectures at these events are all experts in their field. Despite what some of the more negative forum posters have to say on the matter, you don’t need to buy anything to tap into the knowledge of these speakers. It’s true that each presenter will offer an ongoing coaching program at the end of the lecture, but if you think it over you’ll realize that in order to sell a $ 3,000 program these people have to totally amaze you with their hour tutorial. They have to put their BEST information and strategies into the presentation every attendee gets to sit through. Imagine the kind of killer notes you could collect during a small event with five or six great speakers.

People can say these seminars are all pitch fests, but this is simply not the case. I’ve been to over fifty events and only ever purchased two courses. The packages offered by the speakers are nearly always worth the money but you don’t have to invest in them to benefit in a big way. You can get an amazing amount of value and knowledge by just showing up and paying attention.

Just Show Up
Beyond the information you’ll get access to, networking is another huge reason to get to an offline event as soon as possible. People are attracted to the idea of working from home because they think this means never having to deal with another human being but this just isn’t how business works. Even Internet Marketing is an industry built on personal contact and interaction. Shaking hands and meeting people who can help you build your business is one of the smartest things you can do to knock years off your learning curve.

Whether you’re already successful or not, just by showing up to a seminar you’ve pre-qualified yourself as a serious player. People who are making money will reach out and connect with you, and often be happy to give you advice. I’ve talked to people about their business for hours at these seminars, even if they’ve never made a dollar online before. Many of the people you meet at events will also be glad to stay in touch with you thereafter. If I get an email from someone who says they met me at a seminar I’m much more likely to support their product launch than if they were contacting me completely out of the blue.

If you’re nervous about attending, feel shy in crowds, etc. it doesn’t matter. You should know there will be many other people who feel exactly the same way. You could meet people who aren’t successful now but who end up wildly profitable a few years down the road. You’ll be in a great position because you met and befriended them at the start of their career.

Keith Wellman is a great example of this. Keith went to his first seminar after three years of trying unsuccessfully to earn money online. He couldn’t afford to stay in the hotel where the seminar was being held and he even brought his own food along in case he ran out of cash. Five years later he’s putting on events of his own and running a 7-figure business, and he’ll tell you point blank his success is a direct result of that first offline seminar.

The big question to ask yourself is why can’t you benefit in the same way from just showing up? The answer, of course, is that you can and you will if you’ll just commit to finding an event that feels good to you, buying your ticket, and showing up.

It sounds cliché but the reality is that it’s not what you know that puts money in the bank, it’s who you know. Offline marketing conferences are the way to meet professionals who can play a big part in helping you get your business off the ground. Don’t believe me? Put what I’ve said here to the test. Just show up at an event, walk up to any of the speakers or other attendees, and strike up a conversation. You’ll probably be blown away by what happens next.

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By Gary Ambrose
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This article was was originally featured in Mike Filsaime’s print newsletter, “MDC Monthly.” You can get a free trial copy shipped to your door by clicking <A HREF=”http://the7figuresecrets.com/” target=”_blank”>here</A>.

Gary Ambrose is a successful web designer, programmer, and Internet Marketer based in Orlando, Florida. To learn more from Gary and to obtain a FREE gift, please visit <A HREF=”http://www.garytheace.com/” target=”_blank”>www.garytheace.com/</A>

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