A bit disappointed with Jan's seminar..

Hi,
I went to a seminar in Melbourne a few nights ago organised by WISE Investment Support & Education Pty Ltd (http://www.wiseinvestment.com.au)
Jan Somers was the guest speaker and we paid $50 per ticket.

The presentation was essentially based on the contents of the most recent book (More wealth from residential property).

I was disappointed because:
*There was no Questions/Answers from the Audience.
*There was nothing in the presentation I have not read in her books-It was basically the usual investment property explaination which is available for free through any number of 'investment' companies.

Make no mistake it was still a good presentation and obviously one has to expect to pay to see a big name speaker but it was not worth $50. Save your money and buy her books instead!
Cheers.
Anonymous
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PS I will be disappointed even more if this post is censored. There is nothing that is untrue, unfair, misleading, slanderous or libellous about what I have said.
 
Hi Lurker,

You were disappointed because you went to the seminar expecting new info. If you had of made enquiries beforehand regarding the contents of the seminar perhaps you wouldn't have gone. I've never been disappointed with a seminar because I do some due diligence beforehand and find out what exactly is covered in the seminar.

Did you ask WISE Investment Support & Education Pty Ltd for a list of topics to be covered? If not, why not?

Did you go to the seminar with specific questions you wanted answered?

Could you make a decision whether to go to this seminar?

* How property investing can make you millions over time
* Buying off plan, gifted deposits, early-birding, negotiating with builders and developers
* Stacking the deal, financially, non-financially
* Analysis growth trends in Aust-determining where to buy
* Foreign markets
* No Money Down, how it can be achieved and the truth about its application to the Aust market
* Vendor Financing
* Mortgage company myths, and the IP mortgage market uncovered
* Overcoming the obstacles of finding funding
* Tax free gains through property
* Building a successfull team (accountant, solicitor, master mortgage broker,estate agents)
* Making money in any type of property market (moving against the herd)
* Tips and tricks for getting ahead as a Real Estate Investor, that have made people millions
* Live property dealing while on the workshop
* Goal setting and action planning

How much would you be happy to pay if you went? If it was priced above your expectations would you still go?

Mike
 
Hi Mike,
What you said is quite true, I did not look into what would be covered beforehand and I was expecting that the seminar would mostly be a standard IP seminar. It was the first(?) time Jan spoke in Melbourne thus I wanted to see her as she comes across in her books as a genuine, beleivable person without any hidden agendas unlike many of the sharks in the industry.

The main reason I went was I thought there would be question time - even if only for a few minutes. I had a few general questions that I could have asked but I was mostly wanting to hear what other people had to say, the same reason most of us use this forum.

I have been to several free seminars with only 20-30 people and this one had 2-300 so I suspect that a large propotion came specifically to see Jan-a fair few people left the room when she had finished.

For sure there are a lot more expensive seminars/courses out there and they would justify finding out in advance exactly what would be covered.

So to sum up I was glad I went but it was worth maybe $20. If there was a freebie like a book or an audioCD/software demo thrown in it would have been worth $50.
Cheers,
Lurker..
 
Hi Lurker,

It is strange that Jan didn't offer a Q&A session at the end. Most seminars I have attended the presenters usually offer a Q&A during the presentation after each major topic and then a final Q&A at the end. Is it possible that Jan had a plane to catch and had no extra time to give? In any case, the fact that other people didn't seem interested in asking further questions shouldn't have stopped you going up to Jan afterwards and asking your questions. As far as I'm concerned, any presenter should be prepared to answer questions no matter how much the seminar cost. As I said before, and this advice applies to everyone, find out the list of topics of any seminar before you attend; research the topics as best you can, perhaps ask this forum to clarify a topic for you which might generate further questions you hadn't previously thought of; then go to the seminar and don't leave until all your questions have been satisfactorily answered. If you do that you should never leave a seminar feeling disappointed or that you didn't get your money's worth.

Research every seminar with as much due diligence as you would if you are planning an overseas trip. You wouldn't just jump on a plane to the U.S. without creating an itinerary or organising transport and accomodation etc beforehand just because you heard it's a great place to visit. When it comes to seminars, I balance the need for information against the need to save deposits for purchasing IP's. If I went to every seminar on offer I would never have enough money to buy IP's. The only way to choose which seminars I might be interested in going to is to do some homework on them beforehand. Just think what books you could have bought for $50. I've got stacks of books. I've spent more money on books than seminars so a seminar really has to offer something that can't be found in books before I attend.

One last point about books and seminars that I have gleaned over the years is that some books and seminars are general in nature and some are very detailed. When you buy a book I'm sure you at least read the back cover and then the contents. I also like to scan the index, if it has got one. An index of words and phrases will usually indicate how detailed or comprehensive a book is. Then I pick out a few words, topics etc from the index and go to the page and read a bit. You quickly pick up how much or how little detail the book covers. If you are a newbie you may be satisfied with a general book. If you already have Jan's books then I doubt that you will want more of the same by other authors unless you are buying the book for one or two tit-bits that Jan didn't cover.

A seminar should be approached no less, particularly as it is so much more expensive than a book. A two hour seminar on "Property Investing" is going to be far more general than a two hour seminar on "Ways to structure your property investments tax effectively". A two hour seminar on "Off-shore structures" is going to be more specific, still. So the title will give some clues. The length of the seminar will also give some clues how much detail will be provided, but a word of warning, many two day seminar workshops fill the time with a lot of general stuff so you need to research this carefully before handing over thousands of dollars.

Regards, Mike
 
Lurker
If you already knew all the information I am interested why you thought the seminar was worth $20 and not $50.
Was it $20 worth of entertainment value?
Even if you already knew or had read the information - how much of it are you implementing?
Sometimes hearing it again or hearing it said in a different way may make all the difference
 
Hi again,
This was intended to be a summary of what the seminar entailled such that others may consider it if booking a similar event.

It wasn't intended to be a critisism of the seminar or saying that it was a woftam, merely that the content was nearly exactly the same as the contents of the books and that there was nothing of significance gained from the seminar, although it did give some insights into Jan's investment style.

Despite having read maybe a dozen books I have no property investments as I have not been confident in my understanding of how it all works - and difficulty finding impartial advice about which way I should channel my savings (currently in shares).

fwiw, I went with two other people - one has actually left work in his late 20s, living off his property investments and the other is in a similar boat to myself (assets in shares). Both of them were less impressed by the seminar than I was.
Cheers.
 
G'day,
Shame about your seminar disappointment, I saw Jan Somer's
one week after been to a Henry Kaye seminar. Jan's meeting
was the meeting I would send my kids to.They would learn
the way it is, and the way to invest in property, the safe way. Henry Kaye you keep a tight hold of your wallet or purse. The bloke talks under water with a mouth full of marbles.Trust me I'm a used car salesman!
Of all the seminars I've been to Jan Somers would be the most
honest without some having their hand in your pocket.
Bruce G.(Sydney):D
 
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