Behind THE
SPECIAL ALERT!
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PODIUM
Vol. 1, Issue 1 • July 2009 • $24.95
News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch
Lesson of the Month
Understanding the Differences Between Speakers, Motivators, and Trainers
Too Memorable to Forget By Ashley Cope
By Ishwari Gonnot
H
ave you ever dreamed of standing in front of thousands of people and with just your presence and words have the power to change their lives? Or have you ever dreamed about having your message create such an impact on people that tears come to their eyes each time they mention your name? By understanding the subtle differences between speaker, motivator and trainer, and incorporating the fundamental attributes of each in your speeches, you will have the ability to increase your popularity and raise your effectiveness to new heights.
Being “Just a Speaker” Isn’t Enough Speakers are skilled at delivering content. They present valuable information, are good communicators, and also have a charisma that captivates the audience. However, speakers are content deliverers. They may have a few tricks to hold the audience’s attention, such as a joke or short story, but they don’t fully engage the audience. The people listening are actually using only a very small part of their brain, and frequently the percentage
of information retained is less than 20 percent. In the worst case, they may not even remember the title of the lecture.
Motivators Create Change By Creating Believers Motivators are powerful crowd movers. They use their charisma to take people from where they are now to where they could be. They know how to communicate in a way that inspires and calls the audience to action. One of the best motivators of all time is Martin Luther King. In his famous speech “I Have a Dream,” he introduced a possibility that changed the world. Do you remember the way he spoke? “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be selfevident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. continued on page 7
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Wpresentation or sermon I attended,
hen I try to remember the last speech,
very few surface to the top of my memory. I do recall sitting through hundreds of boring hours of PowerPoint presentations given by various people — professors, classmates, and business colleagues. And while PowerPoint can be a nifty tool, the lecturers whose lessons stuck with me and whom I admired the most, were those that told the best stories, both personal and workrelated, that I could connect with as a student and a person. For instance, in my sophomore year I took Business Law taught by Professor Bredeson, one of the wittiest, most dynamic lecturers at the school I attended. He shared with us his embarrassing moments in law school, his continued on page 6
“The secret to making your points memorable is to wrap them in stories, anecdotes and word pictures.”
What’s Inside
2 Action Steps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Public Relations for Authors.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Business Owner Know How’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Time Management .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Resources.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 LinkedIn Forum.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Letter from the Editor.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience. – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. The Professor of the Breakfast Table, 1860
Letter from the Editor
Welcome to the premier issue of Behind the Podium, SpeakerMatch’s new monthly Bryan Caplovitz publication designed to help you grow your speaking business.
F
ocusing on a different theme each month, the 12-page newsletter contains a variety of information that can lead to your success not only as a speaker, but also as a business owner. Behind the Podium addresses some common problems and offers fresh approaches in overcoming them. The publication is conveniently three-hole punched so that you can place them in a binder and use them as reference material. Expect to see standard newsletter sections such as Speaker Autopsy: Lesson of the Month, Time Management, Business Owner Know-Hows, and Increase Your Speaker Success Rate. The articles are written by others in the speaking business who understand the issues and challenges speakers routinely face. The first issue lays the foundation for your speaking business by supplying you with some basics. This month’s Increase Your Speaker Success Rate provides a solid starting point by defining the three distinct speaking styles — speakers, motivators and trainers. The subtle differences of each that are highlighted in the article give a whole new perspective on increasing your effectiveness as a speaker. In addition to useful information, enjoy some of the lighter aspects of the publication, such as the insightful quotes, cartoons and jokes — all of which enhance the learning experience. You are encouraged to share your expertise through article submissions to help make the speaking business more rewarding and lucrative for us all. Sincerely,
Action Steps
The Platinum Rule® Gives You the Power to Convert More Leads Into More Sales By Ron Finklestein
IThe Golden Rule is lackluster in n this two-part series, learn why
comparison to The Platinum Rule® when it comes to gaining more speaking business. Your pipeline is filling up but you are not closing as much business as you expected. How do you convert the leads from your marketing actions into revenue? Develop a better understanding of the sales process and how to quickly qualify and disqualify potential customers by incorporating The Platinum Rule® into your sales process. The Platinum Rule® allows you to “treat others the way they want to be treated” by identifying their behavioral style, thereby increasing your personal sales effectiveness and closing more business.
A Three-Step Process Lays the Foundation for Applying The Platinum Rule® What tactics — if any — do you currently use in your current sales process and how do you implement them to create and fill your pipeline? Once you understand this, you have solved half the challenge. When
you find what works, create measurable, repeatable, and predictable processes so you do not have to go through this process every year. Find what works for you and stick with it. Your goal is to develop a sales process that gets you to “Yes” much more often and to “No” much more quickly. How do you do that? You’ll accomplish this through this three-step process: 1. Gain agreement on the agenda. You are there to help the potential client make a buying decision and both of you must understand and agree that you are there for that purpose. If this obstacle is not addressed, anything after this point is going to be a problem. This can be accomplished during the opening of the sales call, by saying, “We are here today to … and at the end of our discussion, together we will determine if there is a next step and what that next step is. Are you okay with that?” This sets the tone and texture of the meeting as requiring some form of action at the end. This action can be “No, I am not interested” or, “Yes, let’s move forward.” 2. You and your prospect must agree on how the product or service will solve the need. Agreeing there is a need addresses the intellectual side of the sales presentation. The emotional side investigates the impact of the need (or what I refer to as pain). Let’s use insurance as an example. Your prospect is looking to buy insurance for a specific reason; maybe lower premiums, or to gain initial or better protection. Those are intellectual reasons. To better continued on page 3
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News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch
The Platinum Rule® Gives You the Power to Convert More Leads Into More Sales continued from page 2
understand the pain (prospect reasons for making a change) you might ask second-level questions such as, “What would happen if you did not find a better price?” or, “Why is it important to have this protection now?” or, “What would happen if you continue without protection?” These questions get the prospect emotionally involved in the buying process. You are helping the potential client understand the impact of not making a decision—the real reasons for buying. Once you understand the real reasons for buying, you tailor the rest of your presentation to address these needs. “If I can give you the same protection for a lower price, what would you do with the extra money?” We help prospects understand what would happen with the money that is saved. 3. The third aspect of the sales process is the decision-making process. After you and the prospect have gained agreement on the purpose of the meeting and the pain has been identified and investigated, you are now in the position to do what any good sales representative does — help the prospect make a buying decision. The decision process is a natural byproduct of creating a good selling
Behind the Podium is published 12 times a year as a resource for emerging professional speakers, business leaders, technical gurus, educators, and other subject-matter experts. Editor Bryan Caplovitz welcomes your input. Please e-mail any comments or suggestions to Bryan at editor@ speakermatch.com.
Panel of Experts
process. Many times during the decision process, the prospect will put obstacles or objections in front of you. Objections are questions or concerns that have not been answered during the sales presentation. Objections are a very good thing because this is the prospect giving you permission to ask further questions to gain clarity to move the buying process forward. Many times there is no asking for the order. If done right, the prospect will ask you for the next step. Naturally the next step is to sign the order. And by utilizing The Platinum Rule as part of your sales process, you’ll better position yourself for more signed orders. In next month’s issue, learn the philosophy behind The Platinum Rule® and why it’s so effective in pleasing clients. Ronald Finklestein is a business coach, consultant, speaker, trainer and author of two published books. For more information call 330.990.0788.
Ishwari Gonnot, Founder of Yogabhava Ashley Cope, Speaker Ron Finklestein, Business Master Advisory Board George J. Sierchio, Author Internet Platinum Donald E. Wetmore, The Productivity Institute Jan McInnis, Comedian Behind the Podium publishes the opinions of experts and authorities from many fields; however, the use of those opinions is no substitute for accounting, legal, investment, or other professional services. Material may not be reproduced in part or in whole in any form whatsoever without the written permission of SpeakerMatch. SpeakerMatch is the world’s largest source for speaking opportunities. Copyright©2009 by SpeakerMatch. Behind the Podium Vol. 1, Issue 1, July 2009 is published twelve times a year for $24.95 per issue or $149/year by SpeakerMatch, 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Building 2, Suite 118, Austin, TX 78759-8444. Periodicals postage pending at Austin, TX and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Behind the Podium, 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Building 2, Suite 118, Austin, TX 787598444. Subscription information: Direct subscription inquires, payments and address changes to SpeakerMatch Subscription Department, Behind the Podium, 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Building 2, Suite 118, Austin, TX 78759-8444. Call us toll-free at: 1.866.372.8768 Outside the United States: +1.512.372.8768
And by utilizing The Platinum Rule as part of your sales process, you’ll better position yourself for more signed orders. SpeakerMatch Teleseminar Agenda July
August
September
Branding Yourself in Today’s Industry Annie Jennings, 7/14 Dave Sheffield: Branding Yourself as a Speaker
What you Need to Know about Getting Published Annie Jennings, 8/11
Speaking in the College Market Teleseminars: Annie Jennings, 9/8
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Public Relations for Authors
I’ve Got Leads
NOW WHAT!?
Getting Prospects to Know You By George J. Sierchio
W
hy does it take so long to close a sale with a new customer? The primary answer is usually because they don’t know you or your company. However, there are two key components in turning this recurring challenge around so that clients come to you as if they already have an established relationship with you.
Targeting a Specific Group through Various Forms of Media The first component is to consistently target the same group of people with a system of follow-up marketing. The second component is to use a combination of media to keep your business in front of your prospects. Since people react differently to various forms of media, it’s important that you expose your target group to a variety of marketing formats. Some of the media available are highly effective, but are also prohibitive due to high costs, such as radio, billboards, and cable TV ads. Most businesses don’t make money on these media formats, but they use them on captive audiences to familiarize them with their company name and the look and feel of their business.
Finding Affordable Ways to Market Your Company If your marketing budget is especially limited there are still a number of ways to get the word out. Some media formats that your small business utilize with minimal expenditure and maximum results include: • Logos, color schemes, etc. that can be included on all of your advertising, letterhead, business cards, uniforms, and signage; • A highly representative slogan; • Signage on all company vehicles and job sites; • Event sponsorship or volunteering on a local, regional or national level. An effective marketing system that hits prospects in waves, getting them to recognize that they are in need of your products or services, is crucial for growing your small business. Adding other sources of “recognition media” to get them to say to themselves “Hey, I know these guys,” is the true icing on the marketing cake. For more information please visit www.ActionBusinessPartners.com.
The Official SpeakerMatch Guide to Crafting a Winning Proposal By Denise Tucker with contributions by Bryan Caplovitz A SpeakerMatch exclusive, I’ve Got Leads ... Now What?! is going to become your new best friend! Drawing from seven years of first-hand experience, Denise Tucker has outlined an easy-to-use resource guide of tips and tricks to write successful and profitable business proposals! This practical guide will provide information on introduction to introductions, conducting a needs assessment, scope of services, timelines and delivery, budgets, formatting, and conclusions.
Only $20! Order today by visiting www. speakermatch. com/proposals/!
It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions. – Jim Rohn
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News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch
Business Owner Know How’s
Create a Business Mastery Advisory Board to Help with Your Daily Business Challenges By Ron Finklestein
O
ver 100 years ago Jules Vern wrote three books: “Around the World in Eighty Days,” “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” and “Journey to the Moon.” When those books were written Vern was called crazy, ignorant, and a dreamer — yet the concepts in each book became a reality and are taken for granted today. Why do you care? Because you are a business owner with your own dreams, goals, and desires that you want to accomplish. You, like Jules Vern, have others who second-guess your vision, your direction, and sometimes think you’re crazy too!
Utilizing the Expertise of Fellow Business Owners Through a BMAB
experience and implement include:
The good news is you’re not alone. There are people you can trust. To find them, consider creating a Business Mastery Advisory Board (BMAB). A BMAB is a group of friends, associates, and selected customers who are dedicated to providing feedback, advice, suggestions, accountability, and marketing best practices that allow the members to grow, flourish, and get results. After all, multiple brains and experiences are far smarter and efficient that any single brain or experience.
• Exploring marketing problems and opportunities in a safe, secure, and friendly environment.
In order to succeed, you need to create a measurable, repeatable, and predictable marketing process
You know the old saying: It’s lonely at the top? When you’re a small business owner, you have no one to turn to but yourself. You are expected to make decisions that affect your employees and their families, vendors, customer, clients, and your family. It’s nearly impossible to keep thinking straight when you have people coming at you from all directions: bills, payroll, client obligations, vendor problems, and production issues. That’s where the BMAB can benefit you. Marketing can be complex and difficult. There are so many choices, options, and opportunities. How do you know what works?
Addressing Common Issues In order to succeed as a business owner, there are five marketing problems you’ll want to address in your business: 1. Identifying your ideal customer 2. Getting in front of the right people 3. Keeping your marketing pipeline full of prospects 4. Maintaining contact with prospects, suspects, and clients 5. Having a marketing plan that works Like Jules Vern, you may feel as though no one understands you or the challenges you face, the pressure you are under, or the opportunities that are available. It can get lonely. You don’t know whom to trust to help you solve your problems. But you know others did it and you know that you can do it, too. You also know that in order to succeed, you need to create a measurable, repeatable, and predictable marketing process that anyone in your business can use.
When you create or find a BMAB to participate in, you can put more money in your pocket! The BMAB will help you develop new business and increase your success. This advisory board can provide constructive feedback and great ideas that you can use to grow your business. This group can help you define and refine your marketing approach and message.
A Safe and Objective Venue for Problem Solving The best decisions are often made in a safe environment, with a group of people you trust, who can be objective and are willing to share what they know. Some of the things the BMAB will allow you to
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• Brainstorming and perfecting ideas to grow your business.
• Masterminding solutions to your marketing problems. • Creating a marketing team of objective, interested, concerned, and fearless advisors. • Sharing your marketing knowledge to help others grow and prosper.
This advisory board can provide constructive feedback and great ideas that you can use to grow your business. • Holding you accountable for taking the actions necessary to achieve your goals. The process is very simple, but it is not for everyone. If you are not willing to play it out, the concept may not be right for you. The BMAB should be designed to help you create (or keep) the right attitude, provide the best marketing advice available, and hold you accountable for the results you want to achieve, but only if you’re serious about growing your business.
Tips for Starting a BMAB: Define the purpose of the group: Make sure it is marketing-based and that everyone is in agreement. Finding the right members: You want to look for people who are willing to share what they know and are not afraid to provide constructive feedback. Meet at least once a month: All members must treat this meeting time as sacred. continued on page 8
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Time Management
Conquer Telephone Tag By Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
W
ith almost all new technological breakthroughs there is a period when the new device is heralded as the answer to all our problems, followed quickly by a learning period during which we figure out how to best capitalize on the new approach to working. Voice-mail fits this paradigm and is the culprit that heightens “telephone tag” to an art form. Voice-mail also creates a new opportunity for people to duck your calls, as many people rarely answer a phone when it
rings. Instead, you have to slog through the voice-mail menu and leave a message so that the person can decide whether or not to call you back. Of course when your call is returned, the person gets your voice-mail and then you have to listen to that message and decide whether or not to return that call. Fortunately, there are several ways to combat telephone tag and get your work accomplished.
Use an Alternative to the Telephone Fax or e-mail your message, or even use a first class letter. Some of those ‘old’ methods are better than the new technology.
Leave an Intriguing Message Want someone to call you back? Use a little intrigue by not giving the entire spiel in your voice-mail. Less is more, such as “Debbie, please give me a call to talk about how to make your job easier, ” instead of “Debbie, I found a new online course for only $259 that will show us how to get a lot more done in less time with a lot less stress. The problem is I can’t afford to buy it on my own. Would you be willing to kick in half of this and we could share the program? Let me know if you want to do this.”
Set a Time for Your Return Call If you want a return call, be specific with the time you would like to have the call returned. Don’t end with “Call me as soon as possible” or “Call me when you can.” These vague requests wind up in the “as soon as possible” pile of things that rarely get done. Instead, give a specific date and time to call back such as “Joe, this is Don. I need to speak to you about how to make the Anderson research run more smoothly. Give me a call back on Tuesday, the fifth at 9 a.m. I blocked that time for you. If this doesn’t work for you, please give me a call to reschedule and leave a message on my voice-mail with at least two alternate dates and times for us to talk.” Most of the time you will not hear back from the person to change the date and time you have selected. Incorporating these few tips will go along way in reducing or eliminating phone tag, making for a much more productive workday. For more information on time management, contact Dr. Wetmore by phone at 203.386.8062 or by e-mail at ctsem@ msn.com. Also visit www.balancetime.com.
Too Memorable to Forget continued from page 1
insatiable geek-like thirst for knowledge, and his passion and idealism for law. We respected him for sharing the person within. We liked him for being a nerdy bookworm. We admired him for his courageous decisions. He used vivid word pictures and funny voices to impersonate characters in
Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What’s in it for me?” – Brian Tracy
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his stories. He even performed the entire text of Edgar Allen Poe’s, “The Raven” from memory as a reward because the entire class scored 80 or above on the final. Jim Comer, a celebrated writer, speech coach and consultant for Fortune 500 Companies said about story telling, “The secret to making your points memorable is to wrap them in stories, anecdotes and word pictures.” Instead of telling our own stories and sharing our ups and downs, too many of us rely on mind-numbing PowerPoints, canned jokes or hand-me-down examples that will never help us bond with our audience.
Audiences connect with us when we reveal ourselves. They want to know how we handle our difficulties and how we work to overcome them. They are more interested in our struggles than our triumphs. And they love it when we kid ourselves and share our own shortcomings. In telling stories, tell the truth. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. And never be afraid to kid yourself.” If you would like more information on effective storytelling techniques visit www. comercommunications.com.
News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch
Understanding the Differences Between Speakers, Motivators, and Trainers continued from page 1
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
Suggestology, the art of speaking in a question form, is another powerful tool that maintains the audience’s attention.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
pause say now firmly and slowly NOW.” Do you feel the difference?
I have a dream today. The effective techniques he used are characteristic of motivational speaking and contain the following elements: Key message: Much like the refrain in a song, it’s a powerful short statement that recurs throughout the speech. The concept of a dream forces people to move into the right brain, the part that contains inspiration and intuition. The left brain contains the intellect. It is also where people are bogged down with their preconceived ideas. This part of the brain is concerned with safety and survival, and when keeping their awareness at this level, people are usually functioning based on fear. The term dream introduces the concept of possibilities. The key message can change someone’s course of action completely. Well-chosen words can be quite powerful. Pauses: MLK used pauses to place emphasis on certain parts of his speech. It is necessary to pause in order for the audience to assimilate. Speakers are often afraid of silence. However, sometimes there is more information in silence than in the words. For example, read the following sentence without pausing: “We must come together, and we must do this now.” Now read the same phrase with a firm voice and pause where indicated: “We must come together… pause, pause, pause, and we must do it…
Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world. It beats money and power and influence. – Henry Chester
Phrasing: You may have noticed that MLK’s speech as a rhythm. Sometime it is fast and sometimes slow. This is also a valuable technique to bring the audience’s attention to certain aspect of the speech. You might also talk in a moderated pace and then slow down to emphasize an important point. Tone: Tone is an essential part of a powerful speech. Imagine if you delivered your entire content with the same tone of voice throughout your presentation. You would probably get a prize for putting people into a state of meditation! Your voice must have a wide range of tones to express the various moods based on your information. Excitement is delivered at a faster pace and lower voice. However, if you are excited, but your tone doesn’t reflect your excitement, you would soon loose your audience. People need a variety of moods to relate to what is being said. In life we are always changing. When we watch a movie, the energy always changes. This helps the audience to maintain their attention. Tapping into your feelings and passion is a crucial aspect of finding just the right tone for your speech.
Energy Manager. They manage people’s moods, thoughts, and direct them in ways that creates a certain ”wholeness” through audio, visual, and kinesthetic means. Through the trainers’ experiential exercises and games, people begin to learn from a whole new part of the brain that is never used in a conventional presentation. In applying what they learned through games, group exercises and fun, the audience retains up to 90% of the information effortlessly. Isn’t this what we wish to accomplish when we are on the stage? Suggestology, the art of speaking in a question form, is another powerful tool that maintains the audience’s attention. People are naturally inclined to pay attention when asked a question. Engaging your audience in this way will make a huge difference in managing the energy of the room.
Blending the Styles to Enhance Your Message The most important aspect of all three speaking styles is not the content; it’s the context. The information delivered becomes particularly meaningful when presenters allow the audience to have a direct experience with them. continued on page 8
Trainers Manage the Energy of the Audience Trainers are speakers because they have important content to deliver. They are also motivators because they know how to inspire and call people to action. So what makes a trainer different from a speaker or a motivator? The key is the ability to cause the audience to use their brains at full capacity and provide the greatest information retention. Trainers also have charisma, however, they don’t need to use this to move their audience. They understand that everything is energy therefore their job title is really
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Understanding the Differences Between Speakers, Motivators, and Trainers continued from page 7
Finally, it’s important to set the energy in the beginning. The key is to be 10 times bigger than you think is necessary. Be bigger than the crowd. Everything matters — posture, movements, voice, words, and authenticity. The source of all these ingredients is your passion. The energy will remain high if this is set as a “rule” in the beginning of the presentation. The audience will keep up the momentum with the trainer simply providing a few reminders if needed. And you can ask people to do anything as long as you answer the magic question, “what in it for them.” What it is in it for
them to participate with a high level of energy, giving100 percent of themselves? Well, they learn faster, retain more, and enjoy their time with you.
Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby. – Ruth E. Renkel
Being a speaker, motivator and trainer is really about making your presentations more about the audience and not about “dumping information.” Remember — less is more. A little less content and a little more context and you’ll find that your audience is having a great time while you are increasing your reputation as one of the finest keynote speakers.
Create a Business Mastery Advisory Board to Help with Your Daily Business Challenges continued from page 5
Keep it short and to the point: Each meeting should be no more that three to four hours in length. By keeping everyone focused and on-topic you will get more done and will make members believe in the integrity of the group. Respect the voice and needs of everyone: Give each member of the group 30 minutes to put their marketing issues in front of the group to request feedback. Define action items that you will accomplish before the next meeting: This is vital in order to hold yourself and every other member accountable. It will also ensure that the ideas of the group come to fruition and build each member’s business. So what’s the next step? There are two things you can do: find a group or start one. Whatever you do, do it now. Be like Jules Vern and dare to dream what your future can be like.
Action Items for Finding or Starting a Group: 1. Find other business owner who are experiencing your same problem. 2. Create a structure for the meeting so everyone knows what to expect. 3. Give everyone an opportunity every month to share their challenges with the group. 4. Make sure there is no competition between members in the groups. 5. Implement a rule in the group—no selling! 6. The best marketing ideas come from different industries that are applied to your industry, so be sure to invite a variety of different individuals from various industries.
Remember, multiple minds and multiple experiences are far more effective and efficient that one mind and one experience.
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7. Limit the group to 10 to 12 members. This will allow for enough people to meet each month and forgive the absentees that inevitably happen. 8. Create an agenda that is always followed. Remember, multiple minds and multiple experiences are far more effective and efficient that one mind and one experience. Ronald Finklestein is a business coach, consultant, speaker, trainer and author of two published books. For more information call 330.990.0788.
Looking up from the poker table in a Las Vegas casino, she saw a sign that said “If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.” She dialed the number and said, “I have an ace and a six. The dealer has an ace and a seven. What should I do?”
News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch
Resources
Learn How to Boost Your Speaking Business with the Help of These “Free Article” Web Sites
T help grow your speaking business. Check out these articles and
here is a whole speaker’s world of free information out there to
Web sites for helpful information:
Even more article resources: Amazines.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.amazines.com Articles Factory.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.articlesfactory.com
www.articlecity.com/articles/marketing/ article_2330.shtml (Create Your Marketing Machine to Plan for Marketing Success)
Business Know-How.. . . . . . . . . . . www.businessknowhow.com BusinessToolchest.com.. . . . . . . . . . www.businesstoolchest.com Buzzle.com.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.buzzle.com Digital Women.com.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.digital-women.com
www.articlecity.com/articles/marketing/article_200. shtml (How to Write a Newsletter Without Being a Writer) (For SpeakerMatch newsletter contributions) www.articlecity.com/articles/marketing/article_159. shtml (Successfully Selling Your Professional Services) www.articlecity.com/articles/marketing/article_158. shtml (11 MONSTROUS Small Business Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them)
Ezine Articles.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ezinearticles.com FreeTrafficTip.com.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.freetraffictip.com GoArticles.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.goarticles.com HowToAdvice.com.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.howtoadvice.com IdeaMarketers.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ideamarketers.com Each month we’ll share some of our favorite articles and Web sites. We’re open to other suggestions, too. Just let us know! E-mail us at editor@speakermatch.com.
www.articlecity.com/articles/marketing/ article_1328.shtml (Short vs. Long Term Marketing Efforts) http://www.articleworld.net/articles/3193/1 (Use the Power of Words to Get What You Want)
SpeakerMatch Program Archives
W
e regularly host teleseminars where we interview experts in the speaking industry, and others who have tips and ideas for helping speakers to grow their businesses.
Building a Sustainable Speaking Business
How Much Publicity Do You Need To Catapult Your Speaking Career? GUEST: Annie Jennings Check out these teleseminars and more at www.speakermatch.com/radio/archive.asp
GUEST: The League The faculty members for the SpeakerMatch Boot Camp continue our discussion of ways you can build a sustainable speaking business. The main topic in this call is responding to meeting planners.
www.speakermatch.com/radio/archive.asp
www.speakermatch.com
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Linked in Forum How do you market your speaking services and find audiences who want to hear your message?
Y and you would do that by asking
ou would want to know your audience
yourself, what is my message? Once you know your message, “which I would assume you do”, then you could tailor your message to fit the markets needs. Your market audience would determine how you might begin your marketing campaign. What is you market audience? – Darek If you don’t yet know your marketing audience, you can start by giving free talks at Rotary, Kiwanis and other service club luncheons. Leave time in your presentation for plenty of Q&A, and ask your audience who found your information useful and how. This could serve as a focus group (since people from different businesses attend the meetings) at no cost to you but your time. Best, Bruce Hale Here are some things I do: 1. Write a book and promote it on the Web. 2. Write articles and publish them on Web sites. 3. Register with some good speaker bureaus. 4. Ask for referrals from satisfied customers? Who else do you know who might need me? 5. Buy Google Adwords that define your speaking niche. 6. Build a great Web site and help the search engines find you. 7. Build a mailing list and e-mail them with interesting information. Picking your topic is critical. It has be something that’s in demand and for which you’re not competing against established big names. In order to get on a program with a big name you have to be complementary somehow to what the big name is there for. This may sound like mission impossible but there is one potential niche we all might have and that is to join networking groups who’s activities and needs (challenges) are relevant to the
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topic on which you write and speak, and promote yourself to speak for them. Many networking groups have chapters and so you might be able to get referred from one chapter to another. The best advice I can offer is to SPEAK! Seventy-five percent of my business is a lead from a previous speech. Even free speeches have given me great leads into groups I could have never reached. The other thing I do that has worked twice is promote myself when I am on the phone with a customer service person. In one situation I was calling Quickbooks for support and before you know it I was speaking to the Quickbooks team! – Curt Below are a few questions to ask yourself. 1. Who is my audience? Your information may be valuable to everyone but who would be most receptive to your offering? 2. Who will pay my fee without blinking an eye? 3. What is this audience looking for? 4. What problems or challenges is this audience facing? 5. What subject am I an expert in? - [Read one book per month on a given subject for 1 year. You will have read 12 books on that subject. At this point you will know more than eighty-two percent of the ‘experts’ in the field. Once you have determined your target market, write value statements that will solicit the response “How do you do that?” — For instance, at Pici & Pici Inc. “We help you accomplish more with the staff you have in place.” This makes people curious about HOW we do that and WHAT might be in it for them. Now that you have something to say that will attract them and you know specifically who they are you can go after them. You know the periodicals, clubs, organizations that they frequent. You can make the most of your efforts and advertising dollars. Paul has great info on how to do this.
Building your own event is the way to the gorilla money of the speaking business and will get your name out into your market. I would say to ask people what they want and value and then just tailor your information around that. This effectively gives people what they want without you having to have the perfect answer The easiest way for me to market to people and have them find out what I do is to tell them! Whenever I am doing a live event, I always say something like — “I would love to do a program for any group you may know of. Actually, let’s have some fun. Everyone write down a name of someone you know of who may enjoy bringing me in!” For more information visit www.theshef. com. When you speak at an event, be sure to ask for referrals and then follow up! If you have delivered quality content, been able to “engage” your audience physically and emotionally, you will have created some “fans” who will be happy to give you referrals! My favorite way to do this is to have a survey sheet for each person in the room. At the end, I leave a couple of minutes to ask for their opinions, give me a written testimonial, (have them print their name with the testimonial for use in marketing) and there is a place for them to list potential referrals. When asking your audience for referrals, be specific in the subject matter you want the referrals for - especially if it’s different than the workshop subject you just gave. When asking for referrals, I like to include the “pain” or “hot button” that my subject addresses. This helps the attendees to focus more specifically on what I’m looking for. Does every person give a referral? No. But enough do that makes it worth the effort!
In addition, we focus on telephone contacting and face-to-face meetings.
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High Finance Crossword 2
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1. “Welcome” site 4. ___ Today 7. “___ la la!” 8. Heirloom location 10. Bruin legend Bobby 11. Bridget Fonda, to Jane 12. Colossus 14. Highest points 17. A pen for livestock in southern Africa 18. Norse goddess of love 21. Kind of feeling 23. Billiards bounce 24. “Fantasy Island” prop 25. Number cruncher, for short 26. Feminine suffix
1. Jersey call 2. Blood carrier 3. Thunderflies 4. Colorado Indian 5. As written 6. Trick taker, often 8. Type of word play 9. Skin problem 13. ___ Rose 15. American symbol 16. Veers 18. TV monitor? 19. Bad-mouth 20. Baseball stat 22. “___ the season ...”
The title is a clue to the shaded diagonal word. Key on page 12.
Following Susan Boyle By Comedian Jan McInnis
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o like the rest of the planet, I am a huge, huge fan of Susan Boyle – the unassuming woman who took to the stage on Britain’s Got Talent the other week and literally blew away the judges, the audience, and now the Internet community. In fact, the only person who was probably not thrilled with her performance had to be the guy or gal who followed her. While she was knocking ‘em dead onstage, I’m guessing that person was getting nauseous backstage. As a comedian who cut her teeth in comedy clubs before moving into the corporate and association arena, I’ve had to follow a few Susan Boyle-ish acts in my time. It’s scary. But we figure out how to follow crowd-pleasers because it’s a
… Well, that’s nice, but that was the song I was going to sing… part of the gig. And the techniques we use to switch the audience over from THAT show to OUR show can be used by anyone else who finds themselves walking up to a microphone right behind a show-stopper. Whether you’re a speaker, a sales person or a CEO, you WILL find yourself having to follow a great act some day, so here’s some ammunition!
Make a reference between you and her. Some people will tell you NOT to mention the person before you, because you’re figuratively bringing that person back “on stage with you.” Maybe. But my experience has been that if the person is so awesome, they’re probably still on stage with you, anyway. Considering that, you need to segue from them to you by finding a way to reference them and include yourself. If I was following Ms. Boyle, I would’ve made a quick list of what the audience liked about her. … her voice, her attitude, her song, her wowing the crowd. And then I’d look at what she and I do and don’t have in common. This would give me a great line to bridge to my act ... ” Well, that’s nice, but that was the song I was going to sing … Now what?!” or, “I’m no longer concerned about winning this contest, I just want to be her opening act!” Say something that acknowledges her talent but also brings you into the equation. Simply saying “let’s have a hand for So and So” is not a good reference because it doesn’t involve you. I’ve had to follow many big name acts, most notably Michael Richards, Kramer from Seinfeld (pre-meltdown days). At that time, he was walking onstage to standing ovations before he even opened his mouth. When I came out, it was sort of like “who
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the heck is Jan McInnis?” Attentionwise, they were still back at Richards. So I had some fun with his character by complimenting it and making a connection to me. “Didn’t you all love him as Kramer
put yourself in your audience’s shoes and say what they are probably thinking. on Seinfeld? He was so goofy. He reminded me of every blind date I’ve ever had.” It got a good laugh and offered the audience a way to focus on my act. Say what the audience is thinking. In my upcoming book, Finding the Funny Fast, one of my tips to develop quick humor is to put yourself in your audience’s shoes and say what they are probably thinking. It’ll release tension and give you a nice transition. So what is one of the biggest things people were probably thinking when Susan Boyle’s follow-up act came out? If I were following Susan, I might’ve kicked off with ”I’m guessing right now, NOBODY on the planet wants to be me!” Aside from laughs, that line would probably get a little empathy, and more importantly, bring the audience on my side (they certainly didn’t continued on page 12
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In our AUGUST issue, find out how to become a more effective speaker by Understanding Your Audience. Following Susan Boyle
continued from page 11
want to follow her either!) … of course, then it’s up to me to shine. So make a quick quip about the audience’s thoughts, again, adding yourself in, and you’ll give yourself a leg up. Run your own race … Be yourself. Don’t change your style to try to match the energy or the humor of whatever went before you. You have to be YOU. That’s why we like Susan … she is the real deal.
Focus on what you do best; that, in turn, will allow you do well. You can bet she would have had that same performance regardless of what the act ahead of her did. I once followed a guy for a week at a comedy club who told me that he wanted my headlining job … and then he proceeded to get the audience riled up into a frenzy with dirty jokes and high-energy humor; in other words, pretty much everything I am not. At the end of the week, he came up to me very frustrated and said “I’ve thrown everything I have at them and you’re still able to follow me … HOW???” I said “why don’t you just do your own thing and forget about ‘getting’ me.” And that’s my advice to you. Focus on what you do best; that, in turn, will allow you do well. If you’re good at what you do, the audience will like you and key in to what you’re doing. When I was featuring in clubs, I hardly ever blew the headliner
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away, but I still became a headliner myself because I did my thing and offered a great show; soon enough, the club owners saw it. I tried not to pay attention to how good or bad the other acts did. Remember you’re there for a reason, so take the pressure off yourself and just have fun. At the Punchline Comedy Club in Atlanta, over the doorway that leads from the green room to the stage, some comic has carved the words “make them come to you,” and that’s exactly what you need to do. Be Nice. And as always, when making a comment about your predecessor, be nice. That sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many times people say something about the person they’re worried about and have it come out bitter. My joke about Michael Richards focused on his goofy character, not Richards. If I’d said Richards was goofy, I probably would’ve lost the crowd. If you don’t want to be funny, be SINCERELY flattering, or at least make a sincere comment, like the one I offered about wanting to be Susan’s opening act. Trying to get ahead by making others look bad almost always blows up in your face. And don’t put yourself down, either. Self-deprecating humor is a good way to make a quick joke, but not in this instance, since you’re already starting from a disadvantage. There are, of course, many other techniques you can use to win the audience over and get them into you, but these will get you started. Use them well
enough, and some day you’ll be so good you can pass along some advice to the poor guy following YOU. Jan McInnis is a comedian and professional speaker specializing in comedy shows and humor programs for corporations and associations, and she is the author of the upcoming book “Finding the Funny FAST.” She has performed for hundreds of organizations and has also sold material to radio and TV, including The Tonight Show monologue. Jan was featured in the Wall Street Journal as a popular convention speaker. She can be reached at Jan@TheWorkLady.com or 1.800.492.9394.
Work is not the curse, but drudgery is. – Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit, 1877
Crossword Key
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