I hope everyone is doing well.
For the last week and a half, I have been away on a business trip which afforded me a great travel experience with my family. I spoke and traveled on a wonderful Caribbean cruise that couldn’t have been more rewarding (both personally and professionally) and more fun. In fact, I believe my kids and I set new records for going down the water slides the most number of times.
My time away from the office gave me an opportunity to kick back and reflect on the last year. On November 6, 2009, we delivered the Presuasion Seminar here in Chicago. On May 22, 2010, Mind Virus delivered the Fresh Start Seminar. In October, we delivered the Headspace Seminar. In between those Mind Virus events were over 100 presentations (of various sizes) under the S Group banner.
Those of you who attended my non-health care related presentations, were kind enough to spread the word and keep my company and I very busy. You did that without a continued relationship post-event, and you did it without us asking. For that, you have our deepest gratitude.
On the other hand, there are those of you in chiropractic – who have stated that you believe that my information should be in the hands of EVERY chiropractor, have done very little in the way of spreading the word. You’ve stated that you’ve “tried,” but as we all know, the only thing that matters are results, not actions.
I do KNOW that many of you who have been CONSISTENTLY attending my seminars over the years, have made an effort. If you’ve attended my events going back to 2006 (and earlier), then you are on my “A list”. Yet, there are some of you who have asked a great deal of me post-event, have received excellent follow-up, and have done nothing in the way of speaking out on my behalf on forums, chat rooms, and to your alma maters. This is perplexing, especially when you consider that you believe everyone should have this information, but you do little to nothing with regard to opening doors.
When I deliver information, I give you far more than what you paid for. You know it, I know it, my team knows it, and even your “higher power” knows it. When the seminar ends, and you return back home, you have already exceeded what you “deserve” in terms of value. In fact, you’ve quadrupled your investment. The only thing that might diminish that FACT is your lack of action. In other words, if you allow a diamond to be covered in mud, what you have on your hands (on your finger as the case may be) is what appears to be a worthless dirty piece of glass. Inaction and lack of attention ALWAYS decreases value. When you use that quote, DON’T FORGET who said it!
November is the time of year when I reflect on the previous year’s events. My reflection has less to do with the holidays and more to do with my review of the coming year (not planning – rather, A REVIEW). I’m not much of a holiday person. In fact, I think the holiday season is pure ridiculousness. People attempt to be nice for a few weeks as a means of making up for a year’s worth of being…not so nice. It’s the time of year that people eat like crap and find reasons to get fat, stupid, and sloppy drunk. Oh – and this is when people spend lots of money on family and friends, and then later call up our company and tell us that they can’t afford our services and/or products.
After a chiropractor hangs up from talking to me – or after sending me a fruit cake or a lousy box of candy, the doctor registers for a chiropractic technique seminar and/or the big chiropractic mega-event out in Las Vegas (so that they can get “pumped up”). Sadly, in 2011, one of their chiropractic heroes will not be in attendance. A chiropractic instrument manufacturer and its “guru” owner have filed for bankruptcy protection…err, after making millions from chiropractors, and after having their founder’s name put on a building. If I were the college that had the name of a person who has screwed over so many members of the profession, I would be removing that name faster than you can say supercalifragilistic. I believe that I sounded a RED ALERT back in 2005 with regard to a few chiropractic technique gurus who are nothing but scum bags standing behind a curtain of “great marketing,” but the only thing I got in return were remarks like “Dr. Pizzazz is such a great marketer!” And you wonder why your profession is turning into crap. Turds always float to the top of the punch bowl. It is my hope that more turds are on their way to the surface.
A great marketer is not someone who rips off his or her customers. A great marketer is someone who has a great service or product, and knows that great marketing is REQUIRED so that people are AWARE of what the great marketer has to offer. On the other hand, a piece of crap sleaze ball is someone who can sell lots of smoke and deliver only gristle. Many of you (chiropractors) respect gristle peddlers – only because you respect money more than you do the service or product that you have to offer.
I reflect on the past year during this period primarily because this is when my speaking and seminar business slows down due to – as you may have guessed, the dreaded holidays. Between November 2009 and November 2010, I delivered three awesome seminars to chiropractors. During that time, my company and I attempted to deliver a fourth seminar (NPA), but due to circumstances beyond our control, were not able to do so. What’s funny (but really not funny at all) is that some of the chiropractors who wanted that event (NPA)- but did not necessarily register, are the same folks who have said very little in the way of punching the chiropractic profession in the face with a wake-up call. What they say to me are things like, “What’s the point…they aren’t going to listen. It’s like talking to a brick wall.” That’s rather funny when you consider that many of these folks would go out of their way to call and then write complaint letters to a florist because the roses they purchased for their spouse only lasted six days instead of the seven days “promised” in their advertising.
Dr. Deane Moore – a world-class chiropractor in the Greater Boston area, was quoted as giving high marks to my Presuasion Seminar. Thanks again Deane! I realize that a number of other doctors also sent in their complimentary remarks, and for that, I am eternally grateful. But I am also aware that many of you contribute to forums and will have more to say about things that are silly, and less to say when it comes to waving a flag for someone (actually, for an entire team) who has given to YOU well beyond what you deserve.
Sooo…if you are a chiropractor and have decided that your payment to my company for the event you attended was all that we “deserve,” then from this point forward, the only thing you will get from me is silence. A few posts on forums and a few letters to your gurus will not be enough. The only thing that I will measure are long-term results.
My speaking event/cruise was a result of many individuals (not chiropractors mind you) spreading so much great word-of-mouth that the folks who booked me told me, “Marc, we got great reviews about your presentations from different resources – all from very different industries. You’re the guy we NEED for this event.”
As Katy and I sat out on our mammoth balcony, with the sun shining on our faces – looking out at the ocean, we couldn’t help but think about the state of affairs relative to one profession (chiropractic) that is littered – more so than any other profession, with con artists and scum bags. The exceptions are the folks who are doing it right, and as it turns out, are the same folks who have been by my side and at my seminars for many years. To those doctors, you have my THANKS and my RESPECT.
Have A Nice Day.
…Dr. Marc