Something by Perry Marshall...

Well, I just found out about this one last Friday and I can't tell if the Seminar part has title yet, other than "my Chicago Workshop in October." I'll figure it out and let you know...

On their site it is a little bit hard to tell the difference between the testimonials and the information about the membership/special offer/Seminar which they are talking about, from what I can tell.

I've noticed this strategy of having a membership with a Seminar - Perry Marshall has taken it to a new level with the special 12-week kick-off training with the membership and the Seminar all rolled together. The Membership/Seminar is a pretty good model I think.

Gladiator Gathering
October 6-7, 2007
Chicago, IL

OK, I just did some digging for you and on 'first blush' this looks totally confusing and like maybe it's all a testimonial-fest. I found some information about what is really going on and I'll see if I can put it into a nutshell for you...

Perry is an AdWords guy. I've actually known this for a long time as I've gotten emails from him since my early days of studying this whole online thing.

Perry ran one Seminar in April 2006. He hates the usual pitch-fest style of Seminar, wondering how to cater to the speakers and the audience who paid to be there. Another issue is all the attendees are coming from different places and with a different knowledge base. He really wants to open up to his participants and offer ways for them to continue what they are learning beyond the scope of the Seminar.

Perry wants everyone involved to build a community!

So he cooked up his Gladiator Club...

Gladiator Club is my solution to all of these problems.

Gladiator Club is for current and past students of personal AdWords
coaching, people who understand the Perry Marshall system for online success. It’s for people who are mastering or have already mastered the basics so that the real discovery and magic can begin. Gladiator Club meets for two days, three times per year in Chicago and the best and brightest minds in my sphere of influence sharpen each other. It’s not a seminar, it’s a high-level forum where we embrace the state-of-the-art not only in technology but in its application to the most challenging of problems and opportunities.

OK, it's not actually a 'Seminar,' rather a workshop for the members to meet-n-greet, make deals together and continue their learning.

Then there's something he calls the "Bobsled Run" - what the heck is that all about? I found a reference finally...

Gladiator Club membership is $774 per month and it’s free during the Bobsled Run. The first Gladiator Gathering is October 6-7 so you’ll meet your fellow students in person and we’ll greatly accelerate the pace of your discovery and progress. Then we will meet again JANUARY and JUNE. It kicks in automatically after the Bobsled Run is over and you can cancel at any time – but I’m betting you won’t want to.

Which also tells us that it runs in January and June as well. OK. What else? How do I find out what this is all about? I'm pieceing it all together eventually here...

I'm still digging and I'm getting a little frustrated. I think Armand Morin gets it right when he talks about 'obvious marketing' - DON'T HIDE THIS STUFF! Make it OBVIOUS what you are sharing.

Sometimes I think my blog is a little too obvious. When you get here, you know what it's about by reading the title. You know how it got started from the first paragraph (heck, you even know how long it's been online too from that paragraph!).

Some of the things I don't think I make very obvious are my links - you know, the ones I'd like you to click on? Does it help? Or should I make them more obvious??? :)

BTW...

If You Go, Let Me Know!

Pam Hoffman