The Learning Annex Real Estate Wealth Expo

THE LEARNING ANNEX
I just attended this past weekend's Learning Annex Real Estate Wealth Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It was my first time to the Learning Annex's gig, and boy do they MAKE SOME SERIOUS MONEY OFF THAT EVENT!!

VOTED #1 SPEAKER
I also had the opportunity to hear our Voted #1 and endorsed by the president of the Learning Annex as the best speaker... James Smith! Since the last time I heard him about two years ago, he has nicely improved his presentation! His style is still effective with the crowds (if not more so now). Unlike like last time, he did start off by saying that he wasn't going to "pimp books or tapes" to the audience (to which the crowd CHEERED). so, in the end he (technically and literally) really did not sell any books or tapes, BUT he did manage to sell $6,000.00 seminars to the crowd! :)

When I look back on the event, there were only two people on stage who literally and technically did not try to sell ANYTHING - suze orman and donald trump! if anything, maybe they were just selling themselves, BUT the crowd didn't have to go to the tables to buy anything from orman or trump.

JAMES SMITH PRESENTATION
Getting back to "James Smith Fulltime Real Estate Investor," as he described himself in the presentation, did very well to connect with the audience by these factors:

sense of humor;
casual style of how he presented himself (using a stool really helped convey the image);
his borderline topics and comments - careful not to insult anyone, yet making sure to make up for it by making fun of himself (w/calling himself a cracker, redneck, or dumb);
pumping up people's esteem (there's no one better than you!);
good use of casual slang;
covering poignant topics of giving back to the community

THE SAME 'OLE, SAME 'OLE...
he did a FANTASTIC job moving the crowd. and then he gave the good 'ol funny timeless examples in the context that sounded like they happened the other nite or very recently:

1. the lady who started a nonprofit and buys homes for children who need shelter;
2. the old cranky denny waitress who rents;
3. the doing a deal in his underwear at the hotel he stayed at;
4. the advice he gave his mom about what to do w/her retirement package;
5. the three sons stories, the helping the garbage man out and being invited to the garbage man's family bbq... he even addressed someone's comment from OUR FORUM :) (but of course didn't specify where the criticism came from) about how stupid someone was for criticizing him about doing physical labor by working in his garden - and how gardening was what he enjoyed and not regarded as "physical labor... duhhhh."

great stories!

NEW AND IMPROVED!
What was new to his presentation was the indian reservations and encouraging native american indians in buying back "what's theirs"; the 1033 transfer to 503c (nonprofit) strategy - maybe he mentioned it in his speech back in 2004, but i don't recall... after all, we only use 8% of our brains as he also mentioned in his pitch.

at the end of his presentation he spoke of taking action... "getting in the game" and i can COMPLETELY AGREE with that. We need to take consistent action in getting ourselves educated in how to become financially independent. He definitely did a good job of selling himself. and of course, when he sells himself effectively, everyone who buys into him will be compelled to buy into what's associated with him... a 3day "bootcamp" seminar!

...to be continued..