OK, so maybe you CAN teach an old dog new tricks…

The other day, I attended The Social Media Marketing Conference put on in Omaha Nebraska by SkillPath Seminars. Having done some of what I’ll naively call “considerable work” in the area of social media, I’ll admit I was somewhat skeptical about what I might learn at this conference. On top of that, my previous exposure to Skillpath Seminars had been only that I kept seeing their direct mail pieces that seemed to inundate my mailbox about seminars on just about every possible topic. How could they possibly have all that expertise? Won’t they just make a big push for me to purchase additional books on the topic at inflated prices? Isn’t this just an easy way for this company to make some money off unsuspecting people like me who manage to get our employers to foot the bill?

OK, I confess…I WAS WRONG. It was definitely worth the money and the drive to Omaha for the seminar.

I had investigated SkillPath Seminars a little to find out how they get their presenters/trainers. According to their website, the company provides all the content and the trainers just present the material. Plus, you get a “generous commission” on the sale of books, CD’s, and annual “seminar memberships.” Ah-ha! Maybe I was right? This whole seminar was just a front for selling more books and “stuff.”

Once again…I WAS WRONG. Yes, the trainers once mentioned books that were available, but never in a pushy way, and there was only one casual mention of their “total access” membership program.

And the trainers were good! Both of them, Kristy Vetter and Caryn Colgan, had considerable personal experience with social media, and did much more than just present prepackaged content…although there certainly was a good amount of that, also.

Of course, the quality of any seminar is going to be directly proportional to the presenter/trainer. If you happen to get Kristy and/or Caryn, you’ll be in luck!