Well, I realized that I've interviewed several of the instructors that will be teaching at NAMS, so this is a great opportunity for you to get to know the quality, warmth, and integrity of the people who teach there.

Now, I'm not sure if there have been any last minute cancellations, but I believe all of the following will be at NAMS this time (or have been or will be if they're missing this one for some reason).

Teaching will Be…

The Amazing Lynn Terry:

Learn more about Lynn Terry in this Interview

The Cool and Confident Connie Green:

Learn more about Connie Green in this Interview

Click here to learn more about NAMS.

The Awesome Jeff Herring:

Learn more about Jeff Herring in this Interview

The Super Duper Bob “the Teacher” Jenkins:

Learn more about Bob Jenkins in this Interview

The Guru to the Gurus Willie Crawford:

Learn more about Willie Crawford in this Interview

Click here to learn more about NAMS.

The Outstanding Paul Evans:

Learn more about Paul Evans in this Interview

My Dear Dear Friend & Brilliant Marketer Susanne Myers.
Learn more about Susanne Myers in this Interview

So, load up your iPod and get to know these amazing people before you show up at NAMS.

If you haven't checked out NAMS yet – do so soon. You're missing out.

Click here to learn more about NAMS.

I'm working on getting more of the amazing folks at NAMS interviewed so you'll get to know even more wonderful successful marketers soon.

Have a wonderful day!
Nicole

PS. You may also like these related blog posts:

• What to Wear at NAMS Conference
• What to Pack for the NAMS Conference

Don't miss the fun! Be sure to join us at the next NAMS Conference

So, let's jump in. Today's topic is all about live events. Why on earth do people go? Are internet marketing conferences honestly worth the price of admission and travel or not?

Beginner Marketers:  Why not just just learn from webinars and teleseminars instead of paying the higher cost for live events?

Advanced Marketers: Why would I personally pay to travel to internet marketing conferences (live ones) when I'm already successful online?

On that note, the question I asked our experts today is:

“Do you attend live events (actually traveling to seminars and conferences)?
Why? What specific benefits have you gotten from attending?”

I only asked people who I know are attending events so that you could get a feel for why they'd spend money on travel to attend them, even when they aren't attending as speakers.

Connie Ragen Green of ConnieGreen.com says:

Attending live events has been the best way for me to connect with new prospects and continue my education. Last year I attended 13 conferences and seminars, and my business took off like gangbusters. I believe you must think about your strategy for doing this before you sign up to attend a live event, in order to make the most of it in the months to come.

My mentor, Armand Morin, puts on at least seven events each year. I usually attend most of these, depending on my schedule. I always go to his Big Seminar, and this year will be the last one. I get a lot out of learning from the different speakers and connecting with the people in the audience. Last year I won 25K in his ‘Better Your Best’ contest, and this year I get to crown the next winner.

I also attend several events each year that are held by people outside of my marketing circle. This enables me to meet people I would otherwise not have connected with, and to learn other perspectives on building my own business on the Internet. That’s how I was finally able to meet Nicole in person! (Note from Nicole: Yay!!! And, I hope to see you soon.)

Even though you must travel to these events and it may seem expensive or inconvenient, I believe it will play a major role in your online success.

Jeff Herring of TheArticleGuyBonus.com (Get 2 free article templates.) says:

Attending live events has been the best way for me to connect.

I regularly attend and invest in seminars for 2 main reasons: learning and meeting.

1) Learning – Four of the deadliest words that block growth are “I already know that.” If out of an entire conference I can get just one gem I can use and implement, then it was more than worth it to me. Be careful that you never allow yourself to believe you are past learning anything.

2) Meeting – The people I have met at conferences and the relationships we have formed have led to life-long friendships and partnerships. Though we had communicated by email before, I first actually met Nicole at a NAMS conference (<-click to learn more) and here we are… (Note from Nicole: Jeff ROCKS! I'm so thankful to call him a friend.)

Susanne Myers of EasyLinkLove.com says:

Yes, I do attend a few live events per year. I don't do a lot of traveling since I have a young child at home, but every time I do I see some immediate progress in my online business. There are a couple of reasons for that.

1) Being at a live events allows me to focus just on my business without the everyday distractions like family, friends and the ever growing laundry pile. I can concentrate 24/7 on learning something new and will often implement new ideas and strategies while I am at the event. In other words, I can learn and implement things in 2 or 3 days that would otherwise take me weeks to get through.

2) Over the years I have made some great friends who are in the industry. Live events give us a chance to meet in person. There's usually a lot of brainstorming and collaborating going on over breakfast, lunch and of course after hours. I often learn the most impact-full things outside the official sessions and there are no formal courses, ebooks or recordings of seminars that will teach you those things.

3) Events are also the perfect place to meet other big players in your market (or in related markets). I spend some time at each event making new connections. There's always someone you may want to JV with or just brainstorm with down the road. I've found guest bloggers at events and have written guest blog posts and articles for big names in my markets that have brought quite a bit of traffic and sales.

I would encourage anyone to attend at least one good event this year. One of my personal favorite is NAMS. Make sure you stay at the hotel where the event is hosted. Not only is it convenient to be able to run up to the room during breaks, but most of the networking will take place at the hotel as well and you want to be able to be there as much as possible.

Doug Champigny a.k.a. Captain Affiliate of Captain-Affiliate.com says:

I have attended numerous live events now, and am always amazed by the number of people I meet, the friends I only see at these events even though we do business together year-round, and the new developments I learn so much more about during the sessions.

While I, too, am one of the speakers at NAMS this August, I'd want to be there even if I wasn't speaking – the quality of speakers and materials to be presented is awe-inspiring, and the networking opportunities will be unrivaled!

See you at NAMS… (Note from Nicole: I'm looking forward to it!)

And, here's my 2 cents. I wrote this before reading the others just to make sure I wouldn't let their ideas sway mine.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

I love live events. Well, *some* live events. (You'll want to be picky about which ones you attend.)

I’m not even talking about speaking at them, I’m talking about just showing up.

I wish that I had gone to more events over the years, because every single time I go to an event, a seminar or conference that’s related to internet marketing, it drastically increases my income.

I'll say that again in case you missed it.

Attending – Live – Events – Drastically – Increases – My – Income.

(Every single conference that I've gone to has in some way – yes, even the “bad” ones have simply due to the people I got to meet.)

It's funny, because I may leave the event thinking that I didn't really learn anything earth-shattering. But, when all of the pieces have fallen – I realize the true value of the trip. It may take a few weeks or a few months, but it always happens. The money is there and it demonstrates that the trip was MORE than worthwhile.

I know. You want some real life examples of the benefits of attending. No problemo. Here you go…

1) I have found awesome podcast guests. Where do you think I meet most of my guests? I've met most of them at live events. (There are only 6 who I haven't met of the 24 interviews so far.)

2) I've been interviewed by several amazing people – several who've met me at live events – or have heard of me through others who've met me in person.

3) These Expert Briefs. Who do you think I'm asking? People I've personally met. At live events.

4) I've uncovered phenomenal JV Partners and Affiliates.

• Example: My #1 affiliates for my last product launch were Connie Ragen Green (see above) and Bob “The Teacher” Jenkins. When? After I met them at live events.  Most of my top affiliates for my Blog Tour Guide were also people who know me personally. I'm saying. It helps. They got to meet me, speak with me, realize I know a thing or two and work hard to provide value – and they grew to like me. That's much easier to accomplish in person over a meal or drinks than it is in email.

5) I've benefited from incredible Social Proof.

• Example: Because I now have relationships with high level marketers such as Willie Crawford, Jeff Herring, Kathleen Gage, and Lynn Terry – we chat back and forth on Twitter.  I don't have to beg and plead to get Retweeted. They know me. They like me.  They trust me. And, vice versa, of course. I respect them immensely. Other people see that communicated on Twitter. Like I say, “Expertise is like cooties. You catch it by close proximity.” So, it's good to be close to people who are considered experts – even before adding in the obvious benefits of being friends with warm, smart, cool people.

6) I've also hired highly skilled people that I've met at live events.

• Examples: I met both my transcriptionist, Loretta Oliver, and my Squidoo lense creator, Lisa Roberson, at a live event.

7) I’ve also met lots of people who’ve ended up as customers. We got a chance to meet face-to-face, and they realized that I was the “real deal” (their words) so they are now loyal customers. That’s a lot harder to accomplish in writing.

8 ) Some of my best friendships were formed and deepened at live events in the chatting after hours and between classes.

9) PLUS, I’ve met brilliant people who I can mastermind with. Once you reach a certain level in your business, it becomes next to impossible to find a coach, since you’re ahead of most people. So, instead, connecting on a mastermind level is sometimes the next best option. I’ve met tons of REALLY smart people who I can brainstorm with whenever I get stuck. (Yes, it happens to ALL of us!)

10)  AND I get out of my regular daily routine which helps me to get ideas upon ideas, so it’s fantastic.

So, Which Internet Marketing Conference Should You Attend?

If you've never been to one before (or if you just like to hang with cool people) – then I'd recommend The NAMS event, David attracts fantastic, positive, wonderful people, and that’s why that event is so highly regarded. I’m absolutely thrilled that I get to be a speaker there. I don’t get paid to attend, heck I have to pay to get there, but I am absolutely honored and excited to stand alongside amazing people like Willie Crawford, Lynn Terry, Kathleen Gage, and the rest. It's a pretty amazing event. Go if you can swing it.

Official NAMS Sales Page and Speaker Lineup

The sales page which includes the list of speakers.  Check out the NAMS Info Page. I'm not sure how many seats are left but last time I checked there were less than 20, so don't put it off if you're thinking of attending. Hope to see you there!

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Please post your reasons for attending (or NOT attending) events below. Thank you!

This week, I have the amazing Jeff Herring, with me.

The audio recording of our interview is at the end of this blog post. Just look for the “play” button and listen. It’s free! Also, be sure to check out all of the resources listed below.

If you're not familiar with Jeff yet, here's more about him, but first one word of warning —

Important! When reading Jeff's bio…

Don't think Jeff is “just” an article-marketing guy and that you won't learn anything new. You'd be mistaken and would miss out on something really special.

I scribbled notes like crazy during our call. Jeff is an excellent teacher and I'll be listening to this interview again to grab nuggets that were flying by.

ok. Back to Jeff…

Jeff Herring

Discover how to create a prospect-pulling article, repurpose it into multiple marketing messages and multiple information products in the least amount of time.

No matter what niche you're in, to be wildly successful on the Internet you need five things:

• content
• traffic
• list building
• marketing messages
• products

Article Marketing provides the answer to all five needs, faster, easier and with less overall human effort.

Jeff Herring AKA The Internet Article Guy is an internet marketer specializing in article marketing, teaching Internet marketers, authors, speakers and self employed professionals to write and market articles for more prospects, publicity and profits, and to create multiple streams of income with their articles.

Jeff's students and clients discover how to write more articles in less time, get their information in front of more eyes in as many consumable forms as possible, create a massive web presence, build a highly qualified and highly responsive list, and create multiple information products to build their information empire with their articles.

When Jeff turned his article marketing expertise on the internet, he created a flood of traffic to his web sites that he could not stop if he wanted to, and he has assured me he doesn’t want to.

Here's a picture of me and Jeff together that was taken at the NAMS: Niche Affiliate Marketing System Conference in Atlanta .

Jeff and I need a new pic, but that's us chatting over breakfast and me drinking my coffee – YUM.

Be sure to listen to the entire interview. It's another great one. Yes, I feel very blessed.

Online Business Tools Recommended by Jeff (all links will open in a new window and not interfere if you're listening to the audio):

• EzineArticles.com – To get your articles in front of millions.
• Password Program – To keep track of your passwords.
• WordPress.org – For content management that you can access from anywhere.
• Phone with headset – For keeping in touch and recording teleseminars. This is the one I use: Plantronics .Audio 995 Wireless Stereo Headset
• Instant Teleseminar – To record interviews and teaching.
• A computer — or THREE!
• People in your Web World – including your list community, your social community, and everyone who you interact with.

Quotable moments:

• Articles are simply samples of your expertise.
• Jeff loves to teach “easy, simple, do-able stuff” – There's no need to overcomplicate things. But, don't make the mistake of underestimating simple. It's the best stuff.
• Make sure anything you say “Yes” to is scalable.
• Choose a niche and then go an inch wide and a mile deep before you even think about expanding.
• Your niche needs to meet the following three criteria:
  • 1. Something you're passionate and knowledgable about.
  • 2. Something that can make a difference in people's lives.
  • 3. Something that people are willing to pay for.
• GUTS – Go Use This Stuff.

Great Resources from Jeff Herring to Check out:

LEARN MORE FROM JEFF HERE: Click here to check it out.

Be sure to post your comments below. I'd love to hear what you learned and will apply from this interview.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. If you can make a phone call, you can have a podcast like mine: Click to learn  How to Record a Telephone Interview like I do.

The focus of NAMS is all about building your online business, growing it, and experiencing the kind of lifestyle you're working towards.

Guess what? I'll be leading some of the workshops next year. (Yay me!)

If you're interested, be sure to grab your spot now for the January 31st event.  There's a huge discount that you can save a ton of money on the ticket. (Plus, it's 100% fully refundable if something comes up and you can't attend.)

Click here to learn more about NAMS.

Here are some pics from the event:

That's me and Lynn Terry. Don't you just love her shirt?!
You can order that shirt “I’m Blogging This” at Think Geek.

That's Susanne (The Hillbilly Housewife), Tracy Roberts (Love Impossible), and me.

ok. The full scoop.

What I really liked about NAMS:

1. One of the things that I really loved about the event was the fact that it was a workshop, not just lectures. I saw a lot of attendees actually making progress and trying new things while they were at the event. Usually at these types of events, people take a bunch of notes, go home and then do nothing because they either forget the details or they get overwhelmed. So, this type of setting really pushes you to make progress.

2. Another aspect that I liked was that the workshops were broken down by skill level. After our big pep talk in the morning, we broke into smaller rooms of beginners, intermediate, and advanced. I was in the advanced room, which was a pretty intense, serious business masterminding experience. Intense but with serious results. I popped into the intermediate room to hear one of Willie Crawford's talks (about arranging JV partners) – and those were a lot more relaxed. The beginner room was a lot of fun.

3. I also enjoyed the fact that we ended each day in the same big room again as a group. It allowed David Perdew to wrap up the day, give away some goodies, and let us know what we were in for the next day. Then, we all left the room together and headed out to dinner and drinks and discussion. It kept us from becoming too segmented and made sure that the beginners and intermediates walked out of the room with the people who could help them.

4. Good people. I was thrilled at the level of helpfulness and overall goodwill at the event. Some events feel “closed” and this was like family. In fact, David's lovely bride (an Opera singer) sang “Amazing Grace” on Sunday morning and brought tears to the eyes of many of the people in the room.

5. Mostly Pitch-free Weekend. At many seminars you feel slimy at the end of every presentation because it's nothing but a sales pitch – no real value. This was not that way at all. The entire weekend was packed with actionable content and only one or two product/coaching suggestions tossed in, which I didn't mind one bit.

What could be improved for next time?

I've already said all of this to David, and he's really receptive to feedback so I'm happy to share my thoughts in public here.

1. The theme of the weekend got a bit confusing. Although the event was called “Niche Affiliate Marketing” the lectures/workshops included all kinds of info-product creation, too. While this was fine for the advanced group, I think it confused some of the newer marketers.

2. I would have liked to see the beginners & intermediates have more list-marketing workshops. My lists are my livelihood and I think that really should have been included.

3. The hotel had WONDERFUL staff and they went above and beyond on every front except for one minor thing. The internet was not reliable, which becomes a big thing when you've got 100 plus people all trying to be online at the same time. Not good. I understand that the event will be at a different location in January, which is unfortunate, since the staff was fabulous. However, an internet marketing workshop really needs internet access.

4. I wasn't crazy that the beginner group started off with Ning and Cagora. I felt that they should have addressed getting their first WordPress blog up and running first. However, I did discuss this with Lynn Terry on Friday night of the workshop and she made a point to find the attendees that had zero internet real estate of their own and get them started with a blog during the weekend.

Wrap up.

I can't even begin to tell you how cool it is to sit and talk with Willie Crawford, Jeff Herring, Kathleen Gage, and the rest of the brilliant people that were there. And, leaving was like the end of summer camp. I had tears when I hugged people good-bye. But, don't let that worry you. It wasn't cliquish at all. It was my first time attending, so it's not like being the new kid trying to get in with the others at all.

But – there are only a few days left to grab the hugely discounted NAMS tickets. If you even  *think* you might like to hang out with me, Willie Crawford, Bob the Teacher, and Lynn Terry in person and share a meal, a drink, and a conversation – then grab a 100% fully refundable spot (Three day workshop).

Here's the scoop: Click here to learn more about NAMS.

It's a fantastic event with wonderful people who truly care. If  you can swing it, I highly recommend attending.

Thanks so much for putting your trust in me. I appreciate it greatly!

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Granted, I'm  speaking so I don't have to pay for this one other than my airplane ticket and hotel expenses, but I DID pay to attend earlier this month and I would again if I wasn't a speaker. So, I put my money where my mouth is.

And, just for fun, some more pics:

Loretta Oliver, me, Mary Blackburn, Gail Richardson.

Click here if you'd like to join us at NAMS.

Me having breakfast between Jeff Herring and Lynn Terry. Guess whose head is on the left side? Willie Crawford.

Me and a bunch of great people from this Masterminding Group.

Thanks for reading. I can't wait to hear your comments. And, I'd love to chat with you in person at NAMS.