# "Get Motivated" seminar--what's the catch?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-motivated-seminar-whats-the-catch/553508>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 12, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-motivated-seminar-whats-the-catch/553508 "2010-09-12T14:53:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-motivated-seminar-whats-the-catch/553508/1 "2010-09-12T14:53:45Z")

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This week in the Washington Post, there have been full-page ads for a [motivational seminar](https://www.getmotivated.com/city.aspx?a=5242) at Verizon Center (big downtown venue, where the Wizards and Capitals play). There are some big-name speakers (Dan Rather, Colin Powell, et al) that I imagine would command well into the tens of thousands of dollars for an appearance. Yet the ticket price is only $1.95 (“Send your whole office for $9.95!”). Even if they sell out, that’s $40K at most. Certainly not enough to pay for the facility, the speakers, etc., with any profit left over.

So what am I missing here?

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-motivated-seminar-whats-the-catch/553508/2 "2010-09-12T15:10:56Z")

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maybe it’s a infomercial for media sales, which brings in a few tons of money for all.

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**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-motivated-seminar-whats-the-catch/553508/3 "2010-09-12T15:15:31Z")

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We had one here this week. Other than a few big name speakers like Powell and Rather the rest of the day is a giant high pressure sales pitch for other business classes. The other classes are supposed to cost $1000 and up but if you sign up today it’s only $100! (I was not there but I heard this from a few people who were there)