Have you recently attended a growth conference?
If the answer is yes, there's a high likelihood that you've unknowingly become part of a sophisticated manipulation strategy. In this eye-opening exploration, Stephanie Scheller, founder and CEO of Grow Disrupt, pulls back the curtain on the behind-the-scenes of many educational events in the personal growth/self-help space. She sheds light on common tactics employed by event planners to encourage attendees to spend more money, even after they've already invested in the event.
Stephanie began our interview by emphasizing that not all events adopt these practices for manipulation purposes, and there are events that don’t use these practices at all. At the end of the day, she reiterated multiple times, there is still value to be had on the stages at events that use the tactics below. She hopes that, by sharing what she was told to do early in her event-production career to trigger more onsite sales, event attendees can be more informed about how they are being influenced at these events.
By doing so, she believes they can make better-fit decisions regarding additional purchases, and be better poised to implement the information they learn!
Let's dissect the common scenarios that may be indicating attempts at manipulation.
The Overwhelming Onslaught: A Recipe for Exhaustion
1. Overstimulating Environments: Did your conference greet you with deafening and high-energy music, incessant guilt trips to engage in high-energy activities, or perhaps an irresistible FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) event scheduled at 7 AM? These are common tactics used to push physical capacity before the conference even begins.
2. Agendas in Hiding: Did you find yourself in a situation where the conference organizers didn't release the event agenda in advance? This often compels attendees to remain glued to their seats throughout the day, fearing they might miss an important session. Alternatively, some conferences run so off-track that the agenda becomes unreliable, producing the same effect.
3. The Emotional Manipulation: One prominent manipulation tactic is undermining your self-confidence. Attendees are bombarded with extensive knowledge only to be told they are incapable of implementing it independently. The 'solution'? A miraculous offer at the back of the room, available at an exclusive, limited-time discount.
4. The Sardine Effect: Conferences, despite having ample space, often cram attendees shoulder to shoulder, inducing claustrophobia and sensory overload. This keeps your brain engaged in processing the crowd around you, making it difficult to concentrate on the content.
5. Leading Homework: One conference Stephanie attended years ago assigned attendees to call their credit card company and request a limit increase during the first morning. It was touted as a “get confident!” assignment. It was later referenced during the sales pitch as “You should use that new-found credit limit!” This subtle tactic also depletes cognitive resources before the big pitch, making you less capable of making a rational decision.
6. Delayed Information: Some conferences delay sharing crucial information until the very last moment. Like when doors open, venue access info, when capstone speakers take the stage, etc. This creates unnecessary mental stress as attendees rush to accommodate new details into their plans.
7. Starving and Wallet-Ready: Few conferences offer meals. This can be a financial decision. It can also be a way of forcing attendees to make a slew of decisions, inducing decision fatigue, as well as primes the attendees for spontaneous spending throughout the event.
These manipulative techniques collectively aim to induce mental, emotional and physical fatigue, leaving brains foggy and vulnerable to making impulsive decisions when presented with the 'perfect deal' at the event.
The Dark Side of Conferences: Unveiling the Reality
While some conference producers argue that “Breakdown is to key to breakthrough” is the key (i.e. breaking attendees down emotionally is necessary to facilitate breakthroughs), Stephanie contests this approach. She believes it leaves attendees overwhelmed, incapable of comprehending, and ultimately unable to implement the knowledge they've gained. Conference-goers often leave with pages of notes but manage to execute only a fraction of what they've learned.
Stephanie refuses to accept that if attendees grasp just one or two things, the entire event was worthwhile. She believes that events should be more than just a few takeaways; they should be transformative experiences.
Grow Disrupt: A Beacon of Quality in the Conference World
Grow Disrupt aims to stand as a better standard for the event world. Our events follow a different philosophy. Stephanie's mission is to ensure that attendees receive true value for their investment. These events are meticulously designed to empower attendees rather than exploit them.
1. Education with Integrity: At Grow Disrupt events, you'll find top-notch education presented with transparency on application. There's no need for psychological manipulation tactics; the content speaks for itself. And there are no sales pitches.
2. Practical Implementations: Rather than overwhelming attendees with an abundance of information, Grow Disrupt focuses on curated content to provide a handful of takeaways along with implementation best-practices.
3. Comfort and Quality: You won't be subjected to the 'sardine effect' here. These events prioritize attendee comfort and quality learning experiences. You'll find plenty of space to breathe and engage without feeling cramped.
4. Early and Complete Information: Grow Disrupt believes in providing information in advance, respecting attendees' schedules, and allowing them to plan their conference experience efficiently.
5. No Decision Fatigue: Homework is not assigned to wear you down; it's given with the intent of helping you apply what you've learned, ensuring a more enriching experience. And it doesn’t trap you into feeling like you have to take action on a sales pitch.
6. A Nourishing Experience: Unlike many conferences, Grow Disrupt events include meals designed to support brain function. You can comfortably enjoy your food and focus on learning without worrying about finding the next meal.
Choose Quality Over Manipulation
In summary, it's essential to be discerning when selecting conferences to attend. While some may employ manipulative strategies, Grow Disrupt stands as a beacon of quality in the conference world. If you're looking for an event that prioritizes your growth, provides practical knowledge, and respects your intellect, Grow Disrupt is the answer.
Don't compromise your learning experience by falling prey to manipulative tactics.
Explore events like Grow Disrupt, where transparency, integrity, and genuine growth are the cornerstones of the conference experience. Visit the Grow Disrupt website to learn more about their events and embark on a journey of true self-improvement.
Choose quality over manipulation; it's time to attend conferences that truly empower you.
Disclaimer:
The information in this article was pulled from a variety of interviews and conversations that Stephanie had with other event producers and potential mentors both early in her career and over the past few years. The majority of these tactics were directly recommended to Stephanie in order to increase onsite sales. Others are industry norms that take on a devious undertone when viewed through the lens of psychological impact.
It’s important to note that not every event that uses these tactics does so specifically to increase onsite sales and you should make your own decisions about what kinds of events to attend, and what buying decisions to make onsite when you do.