People familiar with the Star TrekTM TV shows or movies knows about first contact situations -- the first time the Federation interacts with some alien culture there are certain practices that have to be followed. Without these practices, the Federation's representatives might not survive the first contact and the alien culture's people might be harmed. These "First Contact" messages have a close marketing counterpart, The Ten Must Marketing Messages. First Contact situations occur when you meet someone for the first time, when someone reads your brochure, watches your video or visits your website. Like Star TrekTM's Kirk or Picard, you, your website, your video or brochure must communicate trust, recognition, friendship, identity and leadership as quickly as possible. These messages -- trust, recognition, friendship, identity and leadership -- must be communicated in each marketing encounter. Every time someone comes to your website, reads your collateral, listens to your podcast or watches your video you're in a first contact situation all over again. Unless your audience is extremely well branded, you have to get their minds off your competition and onto you as quickly and effortlessly as possible. You can get a taste of this training by reading Reading Virtual Minds Volume I: Science and History.

Currently scheduled for Friday-Sunday, 17-19 Feb 2012

Overview: In this weekend long training participants will learn to: Learn the 10 Must Marketing Messages, Recognize When You Are and Aren't Using Them and Put them into Practice

Location: NH The training takes place in a warm, airy and safe class setting. Cellphones, pagers, etc., must be turned off during the class. Emergency messages will be given to the instructors to pass to the students once the specific student is eased from the class environment. It is strongly recommended that participants wear loose fitting clothing.

Class Size: 20-30 students (20 students minimum)

Certification: This training is given without grading of any kind, including Pass/Fail. While this training is a prerequisite to further NextStage trainings, participants will be given a Certification of Training (time in class) only, not a certification of ability.

Training Materials: NextStage provides the training materials for all of its classes, trainings and trainings. These materials may include books, notebooks and handouts.

Training Goals: Learn the 10 "First Contact" Marketing Messages Understand their meaning Understand their usage When to communicate them Why to communicate them How to communicate them Recognizing the 10 "First Contact" Messages When communicated by others When you communicate them to others When others aren't communicating them and why When you're not communicting them and why Learning to communicate them when you don't want to Helping others to communicate them when they're unsure Practice, Practice, Practice first in self then in one's work (because you can't extend what you haven't got to give)

Training Outline: Friday Evening Greeting Discussions Q&A Saturday Greeting and open discussion of training goals Team building exercises Break The 10 Messages Examples Practicing Discussions Lunch Break Team building exercise Exercises Example of each message Practice Design Element Practice Sunday Team building exercise Design Element Practice Break Cross Platform Practice -- Placing the Messages in All Your Communications Lunch Break Real-time Evaluations of Existing and Proposed Material Discussion Closing

Instructors: All NextStage trainings are conducted by NextStage Certified Instructors. Instructor biographies are listed on our Instructor Biographies page.

Fee: US$1,395/person (participants cover their own travel&expenses to the training site) Note to PayPal users: When you get to remember to click on

Group Discount: Groups of three (3) or more can sign up and receive a 15% discount per person. This discount is only available to groups of three (3) or more and can not be included with other discounts. Hosted Training: This and all NextStage trainings are available at your site. Call 603 791 4925 for details. It is strongly suggested (although not required) that students take NextStage's Know How Someone Is Thinking in 10 Seconds or Less Training. Students can sign up for both classes for US$1,990/person, a US$400/person savings. Pparticipants cover their own travel&expenses to the training site.