For $1.95 per ticket, the star-studded Get Motivated! seminars are a bargain.
That is, if you only spent that much. Against a backdrop of inspiring speeches by mega-leaders such as Gen. Colin Powell, former football coach Lou Holtz and business leader Steve Forbes, it's tempting to pull out a checkbook and buy everything from a $20 workbook to $99 investment training courses.
The Get Motivated! seminar came to Atlanta on Monday and people from the region filled nearly half of the Georgia Dome to listen to an impressive lineup that also included Zig Ziglar, Bill Cosby, Rudy Giuliani, Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Goldie Hawn.
The all-day event is held 25 to 30 times a year across the country, founder Peter Lowe said. Get Motivated! is known for its publicity campaigns on billboards and in full-page newspaper ads, promising life-changing lessons for fewer than two bucks per person, or just under $10 for an entire office. The event was full of big names, enthusiastic messages, song-and-dance interludes, and a healthy dose of Christian fervor.
Hollie Alvarez of Atlanta attended the seminar with co-workers from Cobb and Douglas Public Health. They had free tickets and were curious whether the famous people would appear.
"I thought if they were going to advertise that big, they better come through," said Alvarez, 31.
Midway through the morning session, Alvarez thought the information sounded timely, especially given the recession.
"A lot of people have lost hope in the U.S.," she said. "It was really motivating to hear Gen. Powell say America is still a place of opportunity."
Johnnie Barnes of Stone Mountain roared his approval from his seat as Holtz shared humorous stories from the football field.
"I'm a toastmaster and I know the value of communicating a message clearly and effectively," said Barnes, who, in his mid-50s, works in telecommunications. "They certainly have done that."
Debbie Hurst, a jewelry saleswoman, came to the event because this is the time of year when a salesperson must become his or her own biggest motivator. She requested 50 tickets at the $9.95 rate, and was sent 100, which only added to the mystery behind the seminar: Just how do they make their money?
A couple of well-placed sales pitches for outside products offered at steep discounts was one indicator. Get Motivated! also featured live infomercials for financial planning, investment and real estate courses held in Atlanta at a future date. The courses typically cost in the thousands of dollars, according to the pitchmen, but were offered for fewer than $100 apiece if people signed up now.
"I think we found where the money is," Alvarez said, watching hundreds, if not thousands, of people sign up for an investment product and two-day course.
Drew Geoghagan, of Woodstock, was skeptical with this offer.
"If it's worth $2,000, then why are they doing it for $99?" said Geoghagan, 33, who works in industrial supply sales.
Hurst, the jewelry saleswoman, was among those who purchased the $99 investment course. She maintains an investment portfolio for her special-needs daughter. In the past few years, the account lost $45,000. Hurst hopes the motivational course will help her better understand the market and better communicate with her financial advisor.
"We have to have the money there to take care of [our daughter]," she said. "Even if I'm not managing it, I want to have input."
Brent Mansour, a Buford man who works in industrial supply sales, said he enjoyed the seminar, even with the long sessions that led up to the sales pitches. Mansour, 32, has attended similar events by competing seminar groups. He finds value in these meetings.
"I enjoy them," Mansour said. "They're good for team-building. It's what you get out of it -- I came knowing I'm not going to buy anything."
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