Moving Up

How to move Up, UP, Up in a down, down, down world.

This will be the subject of my next squidoo lens. I will start writing some of my ideas today. I thank God because I have a life to celebrate the things that I want to do. Inspiring people is one of them. I hope we can inspire all. I hope you can join me.

Jef

Note: Please refer my website http://jefmenguin.com to your friends.

See more progress on: Aspire and Inspire

Check out You Are Invited to TOPS Toastmasters Philippines – 1767573

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I want you to take a look at : You Are Invited to TOPS Toastmasters Philippines – 1767573

Most reliable training provider in Metro Manila

I did not notice it. I thought people can easily find me in Google search engine. My experience was that when people are looking for seminars and workshops in metro manila, or seminars and workshops in the Philippines, they always find my websites in the first pages. Sometimes, three of these pages appear in the top ten. Yahoo sometimes put me in the first page, but yahoo is unreliable since it places the older websites and older seminars in the front page. In effect, people are viewing seminars which were held two or three years ago. Sad.  That is why I encourage people to use Google more than fastbrowsesearch and yahoo.  Google shows the recently and most viewed websites. Google is for activity and yahoo is for brochure like websites created before the war (sorry I am exaggerating!) This is why my Sulit Ad Talks and Workshops in Metro Manila can easily appear in Google. Google loves Sulit.com.ph .Google loves active websites.

But yes, I did not notice it. I did not the most important keywords: Training Providers in Metro Manila, or simply Philippine Training Provider.  How important are these words? These words are the very words used by clients as they looked for my website. Words like seminars and workshops are effective only when people are looking for public seminars. But HR managers and company executives are not looking for seminars and workshops. They are looking for a training provider in Metro Manila, or a training provider in the Philippines. I was happy being number 1 or number two among those who conducts seminars and workshops in the Philippines. I admit, these words are really powerful. They bring me at least two inquiries everyday. However, for those who are looking for training providers in the Philippines, I was invisible. None of my website was in the front page (except now, http://jefmenguin.com  is already number one in Google for those keywords – see, Google is very quick!)

My point? We must understand the language of our readers/customers/audience. What is the use of a very powerful idea if it is not communicated. My previous clients must be so patient to find me after all. They looked for training providers and found the old ones. So they used other keywords.

Our next target: Be visible to our clients. Talk their language. Make it easy for them to talk to you. Make it easy for them to find you.

And you can surely help. Add me to your blogroll. You can place these blog and my official website. Simply copy and paste the following:

http://jefmenguin.wordpress.com

Description: Jef Menguin writes about the principles and techniques during his seminars and workshops. As one of the most reliable training providers in the Philippines, Jef shares with you his ideas in a language you can easily understand. This is because he writes about you, your needs, and the solutions to your problems.

http://jefmenguin.com

Description: Jef Menguin is a motivational speaker and a training consultant.  He travels around the Philippines and help individuals and organizations to increase productivity and improve performance. He inspires people to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more. Are you looking for a training provider in the Philippines who will tailor your training solutions to your needs? No need to wait, contact Jef Menguin today. You will find his contact information in his website.

It sounds like self-promoting. And it is. This is why you must be the one to post these in your websites. Change the descriptions, just don’t make it sound like a porno site. I admit porno’s get much traffic these days. But we are not really after the traffic. Traffic may be 9th or 10th among the many things that I want people to get from my website. So, yes, share these links to your readers. And don’t forget to share your thoughts every time you visit my website.

Thank you.

Jef Menguin

Let it be clear

Funny how it happened. I listened to an applicant for half an hour, then explained how my business works. Of course she was interested to know how she will work. And I am interested to show how my business works. I thought knowing how the business works can help her see how she can be successful when she works with me. But then, the magic word came. She said she was confused.

I stopped. I have wasted my time. All the time, she was concerned about the the details. She wants me to explain how she will spent her day working for me. I was showing her the big picture, because I like her to see the big picture.

We must be clear always. That way we don’t have to waste our time explaining what interest us to the uninterested.

See more progress on: To be always clear when I communicate with people

I am happy facilitating my workshops and seminars

Last Saturday I conducted a teambuilding workshop for the officials of a Barangay in Pasay. I have conducted workshops for government agencies, but never for barangay officials. One friend told me that the most difficult group to handle are barangay officials. He said that many are know-it-alls, people who seemed to know all the answers and reasons why answers cannot be done. That comment was of course not encouraging.

The teambuilding was scheduled to start by 8.30am but the only two participants arrived on time. I was informed that there are 25 expected participants. The rest, 17 more, arrived five before ten. Not an encouraging introduction. And some others came before lunch time.

Three minutes after I started my self-introduction (there was no program and no one to introduce me), I got interruptions after interruptions. But that was not a problem at all. Having handled children before, I know how to handle interruptions. Sometimes adults act like children too. And I do understand why people interrupt me.

Before I started the afternoon session, one participant approached me. This was after I showed them the video on Susan Boyle’s audition in Britain’s Got Talent. She said that some of them first thought there was nothing they can learned from me. I simply smiled. That was not new to me. I have heard the same comment for the last five years. And I know that it won’t take them half an hour to realize that they are going to experience something different, moving, and inspiring.

They are used to lecturers. They are used to being bored by people with great credentials on paper. They are used to someone being introduced as the best in his field.

My friends said that it is best to wow the audience with your credentials. It is best to wow them with your introductions. It is best to start with a bang. And end with a big bang.

I don’t do any of these.

Please don’t tell people about how great I am. Don’t lie to them or you will not get my trust. Two weeks ago, someone introduced me as a motivational speaker, sought after by companies, booked for the whole 2010, that we are friends, and that he has known me for a long time. I can accept that I am a motivational speaker, but not the rest. That guy has seen me only twice for the last 30 days, has not seen me in action, and has no idea on how I conduct my seminars in metro manila or anywhere in the Philippines. I don’t want to start my seminars with a lie. I don’t want to start the seminar with ego boosting. Or even self-affirmation just to get my participants to listen. He reminded me of that marketing manager of a five star hotel whom I met last month. He said that he heard so many good things about me. Having heard that line for a hundred times, I asked him to mention one good thing he heard about me. Of course, he was not able to give one. He cannot even pronounce my name correctly. These guys must have read Dale Carnegie but never truly understood him.

Back to the team building workshop. During my icebreaker activity, some of them commented that they were experiencing that activity for the first time. And they were immensely enjoying themselves. Fore every activity I heard some of them said that they were learning a lot. They showered me with praises. Yes, praises still make me feel good. But I want you to know that I am more concerned about what they feel about themselves. My goal is to be invisible during my sessions and focus the spotlight on my workshop participants. The workshops are not about me. It is about them. I still look for the spotlight; Slowly, I am learning to surrender the spotlight to my workshop participants. I have directed plays before. And making people shine has always been in my DNA. I was just mis-educated and I am unlearning many things I have learned from others. It is when we are invisible that people start to feel us.

Out there seminar participants are spectators. On Friday, the same participants attended a session on Good Governance facilitated by the DILG. The told me they were bored to death. I was not surprised. Everywhere you have seminars that kill your brains and enthusiasm slowly. Speakers present mind-boggling theories, but don’t care about you. I have also bored some participants (and many of my students) in the past. After all, I have learned teaching from many boring teachers. But I don’t blame anyone; my learning is my responsibility. During the past five years, I taught myself to change my way of thinking, to set a high standard for myself, and to do things differently everyday. One powerful principle (not technique) I have learned is to make the participants shine during my seminars and workshops. Breathe life into them. Turn your participants from spectators to stars of the show.

Again, I expect someone to say that my principles are wrong. I don’t debate with theories. Bring my seminars to your organization, or bring your employees to my public seminar.

I can speak only from experience.

Thinking about this makes me happy today. And I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share my life to the barangay officials.

See more progress on: find at least one thing each day that makes me happy and record it everyday for a year

more seminars and workshops, more friends, and more prayers

They said that they are going to refer me to various companies. They offered prayer for me and for the success of my training programs. They asked God to use me so that I can inspire more people every time I conduct seminars and workshops. WIN Atrium is truly a blessing. For four Wednesdays, they inspired me while facilitating the Speak with Confidence workshop. It was moving to see them stand and hear them speak. They did not have the skills of toastmasters. But they have shown the seeds of passion and purpose. So, being reminded of what they “learned from Jef Menguin”was not only flattering. It was inspiring. Yes, these and more made me happy.

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I wasn’t able to write about it yesterday. I went to a prospect to present my proposal for a teambuilding program. When the COO introduced himself and asked me how I plan to handle the teambuilding workshop, I knew I need not present. We talked about the venue, even went to the venue in Makati.  Don’t get me wrong, but so far my best clients are those who don’t waste my time.

Based on experience, it is quicker to close a deal when I am talking to the decision makers. The most difficult audience to please are those who are simply tasked to look for speakers. They asked a lot of questions, often they request to see me for an interview, but 90 percent of the time, these people  don’t get the approval of their bosses. I suspect that after asking me so many questions, they still can’t explain to their bosses the training programs that I design and facilitate. Of course, they don’t really know what I do. They based their answers on their experiences with other speakers. And they expect me to be like them. So yes, I was also happy yesterday because I talked to a decision maker. I win 90 percent with a decision maker, and less than 50 percent with the others. (Sometimes, they eliminate me at once because I am “very expensive”. So far, however, no boss had considered my professional fee expensive. Given the unique and results-oriented programs that I offer, they at once understand that I am offering an introductory price, a very small portion when compared to the benefits they are going to get.)

I hope that everyone who requests for a training proposal will help me make an appointment with the bosses. Leaders don’t like to waste time. They respect mine too.

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The fourth batch of business writing workshop for Iplus (epldt) ended today. And yes, this batch made me happy too. I met new friends and I believe more opportunities will come. My seminars with these people are always easy to handle. You simply need to give them more than what they expect. And I am very sure that they did not expect too much.

Just like what I said before, though I gave them many techniques, the best thing about this business writing workshop is its focused on fundamental principles in communication. These principles will serve as seeds. These seeds will grow in them. Please don’t expect them to submit a flawless written work. I don’t teach perfection. I do emphasize results.

A salesletter that does not sell is not effective. An application letter that does not get an interview is just a piece of paper. Business writing is about building connection, adding value, and making change. It is about creating business for yourself and for your company. Learn the fundamental principles in communication and you will see never see communication the same way again.

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A friend called me up this evening. She said that she was getting frustrated. Managers told her that their staff did not learn anything. One thing, the managers were not in the workshop. They don’t see the slightest difference. I thought she should invite them also in their workshops. I am confident about this: these managers also have problems, sometimes even bigger problems, than their subordinates. You will find phony letters in their closets.

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Basta masaya ako. I am happy because I have shared something of great value to the participants. They have always said that they learned many valuable lessons. And I believe them. So yes, knowing that people are learning from you should me you happy. I am happy.

Jef Menguin
http://jefmenguin.com
askjef@jefmenguin.com

See more progress on: find at least one thing each day that makes me happy and record it everyday for a year

About Jef Menguin: You can bring his seminars to your organization today. Jef Menguin is a motivated speaker. He provides tools and technology you can use to move your people to where they are at now to where you want them to go. He conducts seminars anywhere in the Philippines. Call him today or visit his website-  http://jefmenguin.com for seminars and workshops.