Sunday, January 12, 2014

To Shine or Not to Shine - Who is the true celebrity?

Throughout my training profession, I have encountered many “trainers” that demonstrate an attitude of being the Stars in the classroom.  I have always grinned and internally thought of how much the audience must be bored with a person trying to impress rather than provoke thought.

My latest encounter of a similar kind happened while I was browsing for NLP training providers.  I came across one such trainer, and what captured my attention was the testimonial section of his website, interestingly entitled “Praise for X” where X was the name of the trainer (I could have used a name like Steve or Bob, but I truly fear there might actually be a real Steve who has a “Praise for Steve” Section LOL!  This NLP Trainer is convinced that the true celebrity is him rather than his trainees.  While I completely agree with a testimonials section as an effective marketing tool, I hardly see the benefit of a “Praise for Me” section where the main focus is how fabulous the trainer was, rather than how much learning his attendees have gained.


Hanan Nagi, Founder and CEO of HNI Training and Consulting, a business partner, mentor, and friend of mine, was always keen on making sure the trainers she deals with completely understand the importance of not trying to be the celebrities on a stage towards fame, but rather pass on the honor to their audience, allowing them to shine.  That’s where the real magic happens.

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