Here’s a scene outside of the Wal Mart store in Ephrata, PA – my hometown. Notice the Amish buggy in the buggy barn.   This is in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.   This is a great way to adapt to the locals – making it easy to do business.  That’s what we need to do for our clients…. make it easy for them to do business with us….  flexibility is key!

Several of my dog training buddies attended a seminar given by one of the world’s top dog training gurus.  When they came home, I asked them how they liked the seminar.  The said that they felt “squashed like a bug.”  The seminar leader made them feel embarrassed and stupid – not a good way for a participant to leave a program.  There’s a lesson to be learned here for all trainers regardless of subject:  each and every participant should leave a session feeling motivated, inspired, and up-beat.  That’s the job of a great trainer – to tailor the message and …

This weekend I was attending a dog training workshop in a horse barn with a metal roof.  It was a stormy day and frequently rain pelted on the roof so hard that you could not hear the instructor.  This was one of the world’s gurus in her subject matter, but for several stretches of time, no one had a clue about what she was saying.  What would you do?
This sounds so very simple, but it happens all the time.  The instructor is so caught up in their own thing, that they fail to see the big picture.  Holy cow!  People …

 I’m always looking for spectacular and memorable ways to end my training sessions.  During the last SpeakersTrainingCamp Instructor Certification Program I ended by handing a packet of flower seeds to each graduate.  My message was:  continually plant seeds.  As a successful business professional, keep meeting people, networking, join organizations, pursue referrals.  Always plant seeds for future business, and then nurture your contacts by keeping in touch with them.  Seeds won’t grow without the proper conditions, and neither will a business.  I hope they’ve planted the seeds in their gardens, and I hope they have begun planting the seeds for their …