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There's nothing Jim Mulvaney likes better than a room full of people who just can't wait to jump in and interrupt him when he's speaking.

This may sound strange, but to a workshop and seminar specialist like Mulvaney, it means he's getting through to people and they're excited about the material.

"There's nothing like being in a room full of people who are jumping in, expressing ideas and really learning. I find it exhilarating," says Mulvaney, who's been leading workshops and seminars for over 20 years.

As a graduate with a master's degree in engineering, you might think Mulvaney is an unlikely choice for a workshop leader. He says it was his experiences in engineering class that made him question how we learn things and eventually prompted him to get into public speaking.

"I was really dissatisfied with traditional types of learning -- with the expert at the front of the room just reading from notes," says Mulvaney, who felt he learned more in classes that allowed group participation.

But he's not the only one who sees how important it is to have group interaction in seminars and workshops. The field is growing.

"People are embracing it a lot more in business, universities and schools. They're starting to see how effective it is." Mulvaney is currently giving seminars and workshops on the Internet and how to make it work for business.

He says while there are tons of people out there who can show you how the Internet works, not many people are willing to show you how to put it to use for your business.

"It's a next-to-free, globally available technology. For businesspeople to grasp the significance of this technology isn't easy. They want to learn about the Internet from a 'What can it do for my business?' slant," says Mulvaney.

Mulvaney admits not everyone really knows exactly what a workshop is. There are people who show up expecting to be lectured to and who are surprised when they're asked to participate.

"A workshop involves more work and involvement on the part of the participants."

Mulvaney feels some of the people giving workshops are a little unclear on the concept, too.

"I've gone to a few gatherings that were supposed to be workshops, but were actually just lectures. I think that's really a rip-off. It gives workshops a bad name."

Mulvaney isn't the only one who thinks some speakers give the whole approach a bad name. Fiona Lo feels many people don't take workshops seriously.

"There are some workshops where people pay thousands of dollars to find out the color of the aura or their occupation in a past life. When people hear the word workshop, I think these images often come to mind," says Lo, who conducts seminars and workshops on assertiveness training.

Like Mulvaney, Lo believes workshops, when they're done right, offer people a chance to learn by being involved and by participating.

"I consider it a good workshop or seminar if the people do most of the talking. If I come home with a scratchy throat, I feel like I haven't done my job."

Lo doesn't see herself as a leader in her workshops and seminars. She says a good workshop leader acts as a spark to get conversations going and keep them going in a good direction.

"Anyone with a meeting space can technically hold a workshop, but it takes good listening skills, good speaking skills, lots of diplomacy and patience to lead a workshop well," says Lo.

Terry Paulson of the National Speakers Association agrees. "It takes a passion for speaking again and again on a topic you believe makes a difference for audiences. It takes marketing a strategy that capitalizes on referrals, active prospecting, Internet marketing and working with bureaus and agents to sell to and serve organizations. It takes being able to wrap a vital, practical message with an enticing array of stories, humor and inspiration.

"Many will be told that they are great speakers; the ones that survive in the speaking business are consistently effective and are asked to do it for money. You are a professional speaker when they pay you to do what you love to do anyway, but is that not the truth in any profession?"

Even with information becoming easier to get to all the time, Lo says the need for public speakers will always be there.

"More and more, people are warming to the idea of finding out what they want to know in an organized, personal way. The Internet offers limitless information in an impersonal setting, but workshops offer the chance to learn with and from others."

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