Thoughts On Bar Camps

Thoughts On Bar Camps I went to my second Bar camp ten days ago in Austin. It was a good time and I got to take Brenda along! But, I'd like to share some my Thoughts On Bar Camps.

Venue is critical to getting maximum value! You must be able to hear yourself think and be able to hear the various speakers. If you can't split into separate rooms consider only holding one session at a time. Competing with an unrelated commercial trade is impossible.

There are four reasons to go to Bar camp: Education, Networking, Networking, and Networking! If you can't hear your not going to learn. If you can't hear you can't network!

Bar camp brings together the novice and the journeymen, the guy at the next desk and the guys across town all ready to freely share knowledge and experience, questions and answers. Bar camp only ask a comment to sincerity, nothing more and nothing less! The only prerequisite being a genuine interest in real estate and the afore mentioned sincerity. But, you need to be able to hear!

Speakers need to be prepared! Power Point is great! But, only if the audience can see it! At the very least the speaker should work from prepared notes, even key-words written on the palm of your hand is better than speaking off the top of your head.

I've produced more educational programs for REALTORS than most will ever attend so I have some strong options. Most educational programs should be totally scripted! Your script should be word for word just as you intend to present the lesson! The script should be printed and provided to the participants.

Printed scrips should be given out at check in, then even if you don't end up speaking everyone will get the benefit of your work, your knowledge and your wisdom. This would solve the problems caused by time constraints, time conflicts, and even allow the totally shy non-speakers to share.

I said scripts, not the useless outlines provided by so many charlatans! I find it nothing short of folly that some Gurus provide outline excepting the audience to take notes. No one gets anything out of all that useless paper! Students should take notes but not copy down what the speaker is saying, but rather their thoughts on implementation! Such as: "Try this with the Johnson listing!" "That could work in my office!" "Wow! Call him Monday FHA 203k could help..." We're dealing with working professionals not children!

To that end, let's talk about how you present this printed scrip. My class "Flipping For Fun And Profit" and my book of the same name, are the same. The book is the scrip for the class, it's presented with out being divide into chapters. I speak in mostly complete sentences and paragraphs in one continuos flow. The book is the script. Presentations never go quite as planed and hopefully they'll stimulate profitable ideas among the students, so there is a great need for personal notes! To that end I suggest that you present the script in what I call "Student Friendly" I use a 14 point type with 1.5 line spacing so it is easy to read! I print only on one side of the page, on the left for right handers leaving the right side free for profitable notes! When the revised version comes out it will also be available in a lefthand version. Today this is really simple, compared to when I first used it to teach real estate math, thirty years ago. Except for a bit of extra paper there is no down side. After all what are we doing? Teaching real estate or college prep? If you took the time to prepare the material send them home with something they can use and reuse! It would be a great place to included an index of the atendees and their contact information.

Personally, I'll get allot more from a book of ideas than a t-shirt! Regarding the t-shirts, there aren't that many places to where one why not consider a good looking and unusual lapel pin that we could wear on our work close something that would start a conversation with potential clients! Print the sponsors names and phone numbers all over the books!

Personally I wouldn't miss such a gathering with in a reasonable distance, but you do get more out of some than others.

Lastly. Take plenty of business cards, I met several people who didn't bring any, I couldn't send them business, because I've no way of reaching them before next years Bar camp, what a waste!

Just a few of my Thoughts On Bar Camps.

Bill

William J Archambault Jr

The Real Estate Investment Institute

wja@reii.org  832-259-7078 or 702-516-1569

             

From my past: GRI 1975, FLI 1974, Catalyst from a client 1974 an agent that makes things happen, REII, The Real Estate Investment Institute 1995.

©William J Archambault Jr ©The Real Estate Investment Institute ©REII