Trump THINK BIG Expo

Hopefully, people walk out motivated... But a motivational talk is only as good as the person receiving the talk. It can only stimulate what is within someone.

Michael Coles, CEO Caribou Coffee
Minneapolis, Minnesota; June 15, 2006

Robert Kiyosaki's advice, in his Rich Dad books, that urged the reader to learn how to sell has brought me here to promote the Donald Trump Think Big Expo. I read about half of the books he recommends on the back flap of Rich Dad Poor Dad, and the selling lesson is the most powerful. I have been selling products and services for most of my late-teenage and adult life, and I had to read that advice about three times for it to really sink in. I sold because selling was all I could do fairly well for money, not because I wanted or had to do it to build wealth. I thought that when the time came, I could hire somebody to do it for me. But how could I persuade someone to sell for me if I can't prospect an effective salesperson - because I was never one myself - and convince the sales person to buy the idea of selling for me with their time?

Here in New York, a basketball tournament is held at Rutger's Park where professionals like Allen Iverson play with mortal street basketball players. Some street basketball players outplay professionals in these tournaments. The only difference between them is that the professionals sold themselves. Professionals go to school and get good grades to qualify for scholarships where they are better recognized by the NBA. Most pros know how to communicate professionaly. I know would-be pros that still street ball that would cut class, smoke weed and probably still hold their own in Madison Sqaure Garden. They didn't sell themselves though. Earl "the Goat" Manigault was recognized by HBO and millions of New York basketball players to be the best basketball player of all time holding court against the likes of Kareem Abdul Jabar. But kids want be like Mike. Globally, who do you think would be better recognized as the greatest: Michael Jordan or Earl "the Goat" Manigault?

I took Jeffrey Gitomer's advice, and I tried anything but cold-calling - web marketing. With little effort I was able to sell the most tickets on my team. This feat doesn't translate into million dollar success yet, but it proves that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

One man I spoke with while I was promoting the expo told me he never read anything on financial self-help, nor attended a success or financial seminar. I told him the Think Big Expo would not make him a millionaire only he could. He had to take the initiative, attend the expo, learn whatever he can by watching what Donald Trump and company was doing and execute it his way - in the way that worked for him because he LOVED it! Then his job would be to keep learning what worked from other successful people through books, seminars, the web, or other information channels and apply it HIS way!

According to the Star Tribune, real estate investing expert, James Walsh, took the stage after George Foreman during the Donald Trump Think Big Expo when hundreds of people started to leave. "The thing that's funny about all of you leaving is that I'm actually going to show you how to make money," Smith shouted. "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Some of you may not be ready because you need to go get a wiener in the back of the room. Beware: you are what you eat."

Reportedly, most of the people leaving returned to their seats after Walsh's statement. I learned from a sales book that this is a sales technique that is referred to something along the lines of a reverse qualification; you incite a person to listen to you by implying that they may not qualify - you challenge them. In a Learning Annex course on sales the instructor illustrated this by telling the prospect, "I don't know if it (your product or service) will work for you."

Did James Walsh teach this technique by telling the audience how it's done? Walsh did it and people returned to their seats. Believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear. Can this be one of James Walsh's real key to success?

What has got this headliner on my TV, my newspaper, my computer telling me he is the man and will help me be like him? As you listen, read, and watch don't take anything for face value. Become Colombo and question like a 4 year old. Everything that person tells you he or she did is not everything. Take the information, try it, modify it to what works for you and use it - if it works. Otherwise try something else. It's like having a meeting with your marketing team and collaborating with different ideas until you perfect your plan soundly.

I can't just read million-dollar books. I have got to want it, and show that I want it using the lessons that work and trashing what doesn't work for me. Donald Trump made $1.5 million just by speaking at the Think Big Expo. Would that strategy work for me right now? Absolutely not. I have to got to make my mark and move the world such as he has to put myself in that $1.5 million position. There is no way I could do that just by attending the Donald Trump Think Big Expo, but I could just do what I love, as Donald Trump stresses, and market myself on the web until that $1.5 million check is pay to the order of Neal Rodriguez.

The Jeffrey Gitomer Think Big Interview Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 was a direct account of the sales training Jeffrey Gitomer will provide at the expo and a complimentary sales training short wrapped into one. Jeffrey Gitomer revealed his most powerful sales approach and what Gitomer has done to execute it effectively. Jeffrey Gitomer punctuated that attendees of the Think Big Expo would "learn to earn" by receiving sales training that helps tackle real world problems with effective solutions.

My favorite part was when Jeffrey Gitomer illustrated how I could approach my toughest sales lead promoting expo event tickets, and what he thought was the least effective sales approach. The Jeffrey Gitomer Think Big Interview Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 gave me more questions I should ask sales leads to better position them to buy. Jeffrey Gitomer's examples goes along the lines of sales training expert opinion I've learned before, but he showed me how I should exactly ask these questions to sales leads; I'm going to try some of Jeffrey Gitomer's sales training, and I'll post on how it turns out. Listen to the Jeffrey Gitomer Think Big Interview Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 and comment on what you think.

Harry Javer, Chief Operations Officer, made an announcement the day before yesterday on the Donald Trump Think Big Expo next week: "We're expecting 10,000 people. We have more than that registered already."

At the time of this post, there are over 11,000 attendees registered. There is still almost a week left, so there are thousands of registrations to come. The day before the seminar there is a big rush of last minute attendees placing orders too. In Atlanta, it was too late to place orders through the office on the weekend of the event. People were calling on Saturday and Sunday, on their way to the event, expecting to register with us and gain admittance once they arrived. Tickets were already sold out on our part, and the only chance they had was purchasing tickets outside or at the door, if possible.

I can clearly see that my plans involve small goals in mind because, I haven't structured my mind to see billion dollar opportunities. I'm researching information to be able to see large-scale opportunities in my mind just like I could clearly see myself registering 275 people in an office and planning for it; I want to see more than that. I'm researching on how to structure strategic plans to be able to plan and execute multi-million dollar marketing projects. Which is why I try to be around as many successful people I can, attending Learning Annex courses, even if I have to pay for it. I delve into their minds by asking them questions and notice what they say in common has helped them succeed; that's where the keys to success lie; I know it because its working. Which doesn't mean that it's so easy for me; my first week here, I only got one sale - now I'm getting about a sale a day. Read what Donald Trump says on how to Think Big.

I could definitely reflect on what Donald Trump says that 99% of your day is repetitive work and that 1% reveals opportunity. I have seen this opportunity when you notice where you see your company not doing something that customers are dying for. I have seen where a large number of customers are requesting something at a high volume but their requests fall on deaf ears and thats when a new company fills that need and makes headlines. Identify and correct that failure in your organization's system, and you will see what I'm writing about.

Correction. The 1,000 attendee registration was how many people are attending that have offices that are bringing more than 275 employees. This is not counting 300 employees that I heard signed up from one office before I made the original post on 6/5/6. I still think that if I was sitting at the top of a large-scale corporation it would be an excellent idea to get more than 275 people over there. They will probably get press as former numerous participants have in our other Donald Trump wealth building venues and more clients. You could read about what some participants said here. Well that still hikes our 10 to 20 employee per office average up to over 100! You learn something new everyday.

As Bill Zanker was washing his hands in the restroom, he said, "If you bring 275 people you get to meet Donald Trump backstage." I don't know how many people'll bite, because the offices I've signed up bring an average of 10 people. But its official; if you got 275 employees that want to come with you, claim your 3 platinum VIP passes to meet Donald live by registering calling me at the office. I could register you for this deal if you call me Monday 12 pm to 7:30 pm, est - 11 am - 6:30 pm, Minneapolis time; Tuesday through Thursday 12 pm to 6:00 pm, est - 11 am - 5 pm, Minneapolis time; and Friday 12 pm to 7:30 pm, est - 11 am - 6:30 pm, Minneapolis time. Feel free to email me at anytime first with your phone number in the message for more information nealr@learningannex.com.

Today, June 2, 2006. Tickets are being mailed out. Everyone who has already secured seating will be receiving their tickets by next week. Any questions feel free to refer them to 1 800 872 6639. If you still need to register click here.

I took a Learning Annex course on interviewing two days ago, and the speaker said that he will be teaching things that have worked for him and his partner, sitting on the edge of his desk. With his raspy voice, he added that similar tactics in landing a job may not work for us (the students). I have taken about a month's worth of Learning Annex courses on marketing, communication, personal development, and I have come to find out that I can't just use one "guru's" way and use it successfully. I have to use what is right for me from different sources. If one way doesn't work I must try another. Thomas Edison conducted 10,000 experiments until he finally invented the incandescent light bulb successfully.

I have had the bad habit of sitting at a desk, cold calling hundreds of times using the same old script to get a 1-2% conversion rate; or sitting at a computer trying to sell items through a pay-per click model using the same message in an ad over and over again. I have taken one book of cold calling and copied its methods to the letter to find no result; or taken one book on web marketing, followed its methods exactly to produce minimal results. I have failed to seek alternatives thinking the guru is the end all know all on the subject in question.

For instance, Robert Kiyosaki writes that if one is to own a business one should know how to sell. Kiyosaki advises to go door to door, or engage in something that has me calling businesses to sell a product needed. It's true that I do need to know how to sell to build a business, but does this selling have to be door-to-door or cold calling? Emphatically not! You've got to do what works for you.

I haven't had the opportunity to attend any Donald Trump Expos, but I intend to once it comes back to New York in the fall. I believe the teaching model will be effective because you will get different perspectives on what it takes to make it. None will tell you every detail that amounted to their success, but I am sure you will get some information that has been instrumental to their renowned successes. I read once that you make the same amount of money as the people you hang out with; so I figure that if I keep taking these classes with proven successful people, a part of each of their successful qualities will rub off on me.