If there's one thing I keep saying time and time again, it's that anyone who wants to make lots of money online needs to go to conferences.
And every time I say it, I see some people looking back at me with blank faces.
I understand. Conferences cost money. If you're just starting out, it can feel like they cost a lot of money. And if you've never been to a business conference before, it can feel like they cost a lot money to learn the sort of thing you can pick up in a good book.
Wrong.
Sure, at a conference, you'll learn lots of useful stuff. But it will be stuff that you wouldn't learn from a book because if you hadn't been at the conference, you wouldn't have been aware you needed to know it. You would have been left stumbling around, recognizing that you weren't getting the results you wanted -- whether that was in traffic generation, content creation or anything else -- but having no idea why.
Those lessons alone would justify the fee. But the real value in conferences doesn't lie in the lecture halls. It lies in the bars and the restaurants and the lounges.
That's what you're really paying for...
... the networking.
The reason that I tell people that they have to go to conferences is that there is no better place to make deals, pick up new ideas and form joint ventures. Everybody is looking to do just that, and those deals can result in huge profits.
They should certainly cover the cost of the trip and the entrance to the conference.
But you have to be determined. You have to promise yourself that you're going to leave that conference with more than a pile of books and kits. You have to tell yourself that you're going to come back with at least one deal that will pay for your ticket.
It means you'll have to be active. You won't just be able to sit at the back of the room and make notes. You'll have to come out of your shell and talk to people. You'll have to pass out your business card to everyone who has a pocket to put it in. And you'll have to come up with ideas for deals and put them to use.
It's not difficult. Once you've done one, you'll see how easy it can be. But it should do a lot more than pay your way; it should make you want to do it again.
I will be attending Armand Morin's Big Seminar X in Atlanta October 5, 6 and 7. I hope to see you there!
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Joel, can you recommend a few conferences. My husband and I would love to attend, especially if you will be there. thank you.