Better banter. Newbies only. February 6, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Dating coach , add a commentThis Friday, get rid of routines, relax, flow naturally and in the moment. Discover how much fun flirting can be.
I’ll be covering banter. It’s not cocky funny, it’s not sarcasm, and it’s not insulting. Banter is about verbally playing with someone, making them feel good about themselves, and making them feel good about being with you.
I’ve got some new ideas and am looking forward to trying them out. Don’t miss this.
If you’ve attended before, we’re switching rooms. We will be in the smaller room, which doesn’t have a window, so it will be a little harder to get someone’s attention to let you in. Good luck.
I’ve rented a room again at Solid Ground (formerly the Fremont Public Association) where we can have some privacy. Plus, the money is going to a good cause. Come around to the back and knock on the back door.
1501 N 45th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
As before, the evening is “pay-what-you-can-afford”. Hopefully I’ll remain motivated to keep doing this, no one will be excluded because they can’t afford it, and we’ll all live happily ever after. This is your only chance to work with me for much less than my usual $200/hr. Also, bathrooms are out of order, so take care of that before you come.
See you this Friday, Feb 8, 7-9pm! If you haven’t attended before, RSVP to me by email.
-Niels
P.S. Newbies only, as always.
Your thoughts?Maybe I’m a salesman February 3, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Work , 2 commentsEvery so often, I take stock of my various skills and brainstorm what could possibly be turned into a career. Somehow I’ve always managed to forget about my sales experience. Leading workshops for Pickup 101, I was responsible for not only being a great instructor, but upselling the students and also performing a platform (mass room) sales pitch to a room of potential customers. With a product that I believe in, I really enjoy selling. I’m intrigued by the idea of discovering a foreign product I could import and sell, or simply finding a local company that needs a salesman. So I’m adding sales to my list of options to pursue, leaving me with, in order: public speaking, sales, Facebook app, internet marketing. If I keep myself disciplined enough to maintain forward progress on something at all times, I have no doubt that something will happen in the next few months.
Your thoughts?Pickup 101’s dirty laundry February 2, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Dating coach, Personal , 2 commentsAll the hurt feelings are finally coming to light. Walter has signed on with Sean Messenger’s new company, LVO3. And on his new messageboard, Sean’s saying all the things we only used to say in private.
There’s always been frustration inherent in being a Pickup 101 instructor. That said, I look back and feel fully satisfied with my experience. A lot of people are still really angry about they way they were treated, and I can understand why. At the same time, it’s hard for me to fully sympathize with anyone who hates their job. If it makes you that upset, why are you still doing it?
Some businesses are based on friendships, but most businesses are just business. For someone I know will be there for me when I need him, I’ll bend over backwards to help him out as well. On the other hand, when if I feel like I’m viewed as a replaceable business commodity, the question is just whether I’m being adequately compensated or not. It’s my responsibility to recognize what kind of situation I’m in.
I believe I had a better experience because, from the start, I never believed that anyone but Lance would make a living from Pickup 101. But that was ok with me, since thousands of dollars of free workshops and world travel made my time worthwhile. Nowadays, though, I would need a few thousand dollars to sacrifice 40 hours of my life, which is why I haven’t taught a workshop in five months.
All of the PU101 instructors taught because we genuinely believed we were helping people and were making the world a better place. And because we believed so strongly, we were willing to teach for free. Of course, the obvious question is, if everyone is willing to teach for free, why didn’t we just do so and save the students the hassle of paying thousands of dollars?
Good question. I’m trying.
Your thoughts?Routine-free rapport. Newbies only. January 31, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Dating coach , add a commentTired of meaningless interactions and phone calls that go straight to voicemail? Ready to build an emotional connection that actually means something? Do you want to keep conversation flowing easily and naturally without resorting to gimmicks, games, and routines?
This Friday I’ll be doing a big picture overview with an emphasis on rapport. You’ll learn to eliminate awkward pauses keep a conversation going as long as you want. You’ll understand how to keep a conversation on a casual surface level vs. going deeper and building a powerful connection. And you’ll be doing exercises to ensure that everything sticks.
Some of you have already experienced some of the exercises last time I talked about rapport. Bring any questions you have so I can tweak things to help you out. If it’s your first time, just bring an open mind.
I’ve rented a room again at Solid Ground (formerly the Fremont Public Association) where we can have some privacy. Plus, the money is going to a good cause. Come around to the back and knock on the back window or the back door.
1501 N 45th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
As before, the evening is “pay-what-you-can-afford”. Hopefully I’ll remain motivated to keep doing this, no one will be excluded because they can’t afford it, and we’ll all live happily ever after. This is your only chance to work with me for much less than my usual $200/hr. Also, bathrooms are out of order, so take care of that before you come.
See you this Friday, Feb 1, 7-9pm! If you haven’t attended before, please RSVP through email.
-Niels
P.S. Newbies only, as always.
Your thoughts?Self-employment fears January 30, 2008
Posted by Niels in : Work , 3 commentsCraig just finished reading Steve Jobs’ biography, in which Jobs fails spectacularly to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars before striking it huge and becoming a billionaire. It does make me feel a lot better about failure and pursuing my own career - what I can’t figure out is financially how to stay afloat in the meantime.
I have a number of ideas that could potentially turn into a profitable career, but they all have a fairly long time horizon. In the meantime, I’ve got about 10 weeks before I’m going to have to tap into my investment accounts, which is not something I want to do with the stock market currently plunging. I’m getting really worried.
In the meantime, every dollar I make keeps me solvent a little longer. I think the solution is to focus hard on my best opportunity for short-term profit, i.e. public speaking. I’m speaking at Gonzaga in a week and half and it’s essential that I parlay the event into more gigs.
That, or fail spectacularly. Hey, it worked for Steve Jobs.
Your thoughts?