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Few more Queries in Training

Q- I want experiences of trainers speakers on how they entered the training speaking industry. Is it better to work with a training company for a year to understand the industry better or is it better to launch yourself directly as a freelancer. My personal outlook (the Questioners') is that most successful trainers speakers today launched themselves directly into the industry.

First there is a difference between Trainers and Speakers. Few of our colleagues do both, but I don't think the "Trainer Speaker" terminology isn't appropriate.

Speakers who have directly launched themselves into this industry (I'm not sure whether they considered it an industry!) were experts in their field, either as Professionals OR have written books which have been successful. They were invited to speak at various Forums and they did an excellent job of the same. The audience loved them, learnt from them and understood their books better. More books got sold. Meeting organisers wanted these Speakers now at any cost and offered them fees. And thus this became an industry. This people are known as "Key Speakers" or "Motivational Speakers".

"Passionate Trainers" are different. They love standing in front of a group and creating a difference, they love being with others, for them the "high" is seeing that the learners change and implement the learning's. They keep up-to-date with knowledge, concepts and books and share this knowledge to the participants making it easier and simpler to understand so that the participant can implement the same in his workplace or personal life.

Today another category of Trainer has evolved and that is the "Job/Business Trainer". Training is either a Job or a Business proposition. This person gets into the field because when per day rates are quoted, he feels "wow" - he multiples it by the number of days in the month and says the earning is 'great' and a good business to get in without realising that a "Passionate Trainer" will not train for more than 10 days a month. The Job/Business Trainer is a person who has public speaking abilities, uses gimmicks in his training, creates a "high" but at times unable to influence the participant to change.

There could be inter-linking of all the three above.

Now you have to reflect, why are you here and why do you want to be here?

A Speaker, a Trainer or just someone who looks at this as a job or a business.

Remember for a drinker there is a difference between 'Well-brewed Coffee' or a 'Instant Coffee' similar like 'Wine' and 'Port Wine'. What do you choose to be????

My experience:
1992 onwards,
When I was first appointed a Faculty in Public Speaking, for a 10-session course of 2 hours each, I was paid Rs. 200/- for the whole course as honorarium.

For my first module on Personality Development, paid by kind "a wall-clock" of Rs.500/-; for my first Dramatics workshop of a month's duration, paid by kind "a wrist-watch" of Rs 450/-.

It's been a long journey and an enjoyable one.

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