Success Coaching Tips to Banish Seminar Overwhelm

Does this sound like you? You sign up for a seminar or purchase an information product. You're excited about what you're about to learn. Your expectations are high and you feel powerful because you've just made a positive decision.

And then...

Nothing.

A couple of months go by, the seminar CDs are stacked in your office next to empty printer cartridges, and the workbook from which you so excitedly tore off the shrink-wrap is there too, gathering as much dust as guilt.

What went wrong?

We women entrepreneurs are "lifetime learners", but without strategies for how to take in all the information available, it's too easy to spin our wheels and waste money on programs and information products we'll never put to use.

Now, as a small business consultant, I love purchasing information products. (Way back when, I was a die-hard catalogue shopper. So when the Internet came along, I was a natural for taking advantage of its shopping convenience.)

I now have two coaches and I'm a Platinum member of a year-long coaching program. So you can see that learning rates high up on my priority list!

But ... I do not purchase any information product, join a program, or attend a seminar without first being clear on how I am going to put the information to use.

Here are five favorite tips for getting the most from information products and programs, so that they put money into your pockets:

Success Coaching Tip #1: Ask yourself this pivotal question: "What is the one thing I want the product or program to deliver?"

When you're clear on your outcome, the likelihood of achievement more than doubles. In addition, when you're specific about the expectations for your purchase, you're more likely to dive in and put the information to use.

Success Coaching Tip #2: Get into action.
No product or program will help you if you don't take action! When I purchase information products, I listen to the CDs the moment they arrive. In fact, I keep a special case in my car with the information programs I've purchased lined up in the order I plan to listen to them.

Success Coaching Tip #3: Don't expect one product or program to give you everything you need.
When I make a purchase or join a program, I'm looking for one great idea that will make the time I spend worthwhile. When I find it, I'm thrilled! Do I care that the other portions of the product or program were just so-so? Not really.

Here's why: it only takes one great idea (put into action) to change your business—dramatically!

For example: Last year, I purchased a very expensive program, filled with incredible content. I listened to all sixteen CDs over the entire summer. There were easily ten different ideas for women entrepreneurs that were worth pursuing. I chose one idea for my small business consultant organization, put it into action and now have an additional $130,000 worth of annual revenue.

Success Coaching Tip #4: Chose components of the program in which you want to participate and ignore the rest.
Just because a product comes with CDs, a workbook and other goodies does not mean you must use them all! If you prefer to listen, then use the CDs and ignore the workbook. Prefer to read? Great! Curl up with the workbook and put the CDs on your learning library shelf.

Here's another example: I've been part of a high-end marketing program. It includes the usual CDs, transcripts, monthly calls (which I can't attend, due to scheduling conflicts), a members' forum, etc.

I knew that as a small business consultant, I would never use half of the program's components. But I make use of the other half each and every month. I read the transcript the moment it is available and listen to the CDs in my car. That's it. Has the program been worthwhile? Absolutely!

Success Coaching Tip #5: Talk about what you're learning.
I tell everyone I know what I am learning. Talking about new material helps clarify your thoughts, integrate what you are learning, plus sparks additional questions to ask. I find this tip priceless when it comes to getting more than my money's worth from any product, program or seminar!

Banish seminar overload by putting these five tips into action. You'll learn more—faster—and feel that delicious sense of power and accomplishment long after the shrink wrap is gone!