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."