Herb Cannon

These tips can be useful to anyone attending a future seminar...have more ideas? Let us know!

10. Turn Off Your Cell Phone & Put Away Your Blackberry
What can I say? It is rude to everyone when you leave you cell phone turned on and rude to the speaker when you are tapping away on your Blackberry. If for some reason you absolutely must have your cell phone on, at least put it on vibrate. If the phone does vibrate, please get up and leave the room before answering it.

9. Don't Hold Side Conversations when the Speaker is Presenting
It is disruptive to the entire class. Don't put the speaker in the position of competing with your conversation or worse yet asking you to stop.

Please do ask questions and challenge the speaker to elaborate... -- Herb Cannon

8. If You Enjoyed the Seminar Please Let the Speaker Know
Speakers always appreciate the feedback either in person or via e-mail.

7. Share What You Know
Please share your knowledge and insights with the rest of the class. My seminar attendees always say this is one of the more enjoyable benefits of the attending.

6. Show Up on Time and Stay for the Entire Seminar
You never know what you might miss. Whenever you attend a seminar, there are usually one or two key insights that produce 80% of the benefit. If you aren't there when these key topics are covered, you will lose out on the benefit.

5. Don't Monopolize the Speakers Time During the Breaks
Break time is a great opportunity for seminar attendees to ask individual questions of the speaker. This is fine, but please be mindful of the 5 people in line behind you waiting for their turn

4. Don't Filibuster the Session
Ask questions, but please don't dominate the session. Give others their opportunity to participate. You don't want to be that obnoxious guy from high school who didn't know when to shut up.

3. Fill Out the Evaluation Form
Please take the time to fill out the evaluation form before leaving the session. The speaker depends on your feedback to adjust future presentations.

2. Ask Challenging Questions
Please do ask questions and challenge the speaker to elaborate or prove their point. However don't become argumentative, the attendees will always side with the speaker. Accept the fact that you and the seminar leader may disagree and arrange for an open exchange of ideas after the seminar.

1. Participate!
Don't sit there like a lump! Ask questions, share your ideas, make some new friends and have some fun!

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