Planning Successful Motivation Seminars
Any sales office or company of any type will benefit greatly by having regular “get motivated” seminars for the staff. Especially when the company is facing difficult times or when there’s a downturn in your market or industry will your employees need to rediscover some motivation and enthusiasm. It may seem strange that when you’re experiencing some difficult financial times should you invest money in “get motivated” seminars, but typically this is when the company needs it most, and they are more affordable and easier to arrange than you might expect.
Counting Attendees
The first step in planning “get motivated” seminars is to figure out who exactly needs to attend. It may not be necessary to have everyone on your staff invited, and you can keep costs down if you are selective. Of course, remember that along with your sales staff or other key personnel, you’ll need some help with many of the arrangements once you’re there, so be sure to invite an assistant or two. Even the easiest and smallest “get motivated” seminars will mean many details, so don’t think you’ll be able to handle it alone.
Planning an Agenda
What speakers will you include as part of your agenda? The best “get motivated” seminars will include some great “get motivated” speeches and presentations. It’s easy to think that you or the boss will handle everything alone, but having a professional speaker can go a long way toward really motivating your staff and keeping them motivated long after the seminar is over. If anyone from your company does decide to give a presentation, remember that the whole point of a “get motivated” seminar is to encourage everyone and to stress the positive. It means making them feel good about going back to work once the seminar is over. Resist the urge to use this time to chastise the team, point out all the flaws in the company or their shortcomings, or anything else negative.
Making the Actual Plan
If you’re planning a “get motivated” seminar that will last all day or more than one day, you need to sit down and write out everything that’s needed, from an off-site venue, hotel rooms, food, travel arrangements, and everything else. Think about where to hold the workshop, possibly using electronic technology such as online video chat, or holding it in an office. Consider the pros and cons. You can of course keep it simple and get great results; there are many “get motivated” seminars that last just an afternoon or day and that do great things in getting a staff motivated and enthused to come back to the office afterward.
If this is your first time planning a “get motivated” seminar, you may want to keep it small and simple; even a few hours in the conference room with a buffet lunch can yield great results. As you get more experienced with it, your “get motivated” seminars can grow and expand, and soon you’ll find you’ll plan these with ease, and your entire staff will benefit.