There’s a new show on Oprah’s network called “Kidnapped by the Kids”.

The show selects parents who are so engrossed in their work that their kids have to kidnap them to get their attention. Wow, how would you like to have that wake up call?

Even though I don’t have kids at home (I’m a proud step Mom and G-ma), I tried a little experiment this year where from December 15th to January 3rd, I did not check my work e-mail or any social media.

I spent some of my free time working at the 10,000 foot level of my business. i.e.: Working “on” my business (big picture), rather than “in” my business.

And I spent some of the time writing. (Stay tuned on the new book details). I also took a good, healthy break.

You would be surprised at how few issues came up in nearly 3 weeks. (I know speakers have to be responsive to clients, so I’m not recommending this for everyone).

The technology pendulum has swung all the way in one direction towards our being “connected” to everything and everyone.

I believe that people are going to start questioning how much of their day gets eaten up with time-consuming (but not urgent) tasks.

I suspect the pendulum will swing all the way back to “no connection” and then will settle somewhere in the middle.

Here’s your 2011 Technology Check-in:

1. What’s the optimum amount of time for you to spend on e-mail each day? What needs to change to accommodate your goals?

2. Same question for social media?

3. What other time wasters need to be removed or scaled back on your daily to do list?

If you’d like to share your list or predictions for the future, please post a comment below….

See you soon Wealthy Speakers!

PS: Would you like to start 2011 with a strong strategy?

Check out our two new group coaching clubs starting in March.

New Speakers click here: http://www.speakerlauncher.com/quickstart.html

Seasoned speakers click here: http://www.speakerlauncher.com/clubcatapult.html

A powerful performance is your #1 form of marketing. 

Capturing that on video will allow your clients to see your talent and the value of the content that you provide.

We had 59 entries for this contest!  It takes a certain amount of bravery just to post your video, so kudos to all the entrants!

To review the contest entries and criteria again, click here.  http://ow.ly/36ds6

THE WINNER OF THE BEST SPEAKER VIDEO CONTEST IS:

JOHN YOUNG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfbDgKHFfs0

What the judges appreciated about John’s video:  great energy, solid content, unique, relevant, high production quality, positions as an expert.

Congratulations John!

RUNNERS UP ARE:

Simon Bailey (commands the stage brilliantly)
http://www.youtube.com/brilliance777#p/a/u/0/veREsqHhUHg

Bill Stainton (Fun, unique, great energy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdUdKjzX2NY

Steve Shapiro (pulls us in)
http://www.vimeo.com/15265556

Michelle Ray (energy, audience engagement)
http://www.michelleray.com/demo.html

Kris Belcher (great funny stories, she’s real)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7UqrBYt4QY

Congratulations Runner’s Up!

And special thanks goes out to the panel, Joe Calloway and Robin Creasman, for their wisdom and expertise!

And, if you wonder why your video wasn’t selected, this post called “Video: You Might Lose Me If” might help. http://ow.ly/36WMI

With over 80 entries for the best speaking-expert website contest, the panel and I had our work cut out for us!

And it was a very tough decision!

Drum roll please……..

THE WINNING WEBSITE IS: www.toninewman.com

Here’s what the panel saw in Toni’s website which made it stand out:

1. A clear promise and expertise. The minute you come to this website, you understand that it’s about innovation. And, Toni positions as an expert who happens to speak.

2. A topic that is needed and bookable. Innovation is something that corporate and association audiences need consistently.

3. A unique and innovative site. Toni’s site smacks of originality. You don’t see alot of the “same old – same old” speaker look or lingo.

4. Solid video.  The demo video on this site is well done and the speaking clips within are a solid representation of Toni’s platform talent.

5. Website has what a decision maker needs This site provides the decision maker with the tools they need to make their selection. She appears client friendly and easy to work with.

CONGRATULATIONS, TONI NEWMAN

Toni wins a one hour coaching session with Jane.

And congratulations Richard Tremblay for nominating this site Richard wins a one hour marketing makeover or 5 copies of The Wealthy Speaker.

RUNNERS UP

There were about 10 really great sites.  We thought that these two runners up deserved honorable mention.

http://www.laughyourway.com/

Mark Gungor’s website is very topic specific (Laugh Your Way to a Good Marriage) but the panelists agreed that it was unique and authentic. And the communication piece could work for corporate audiences. More importantly it was written with the audience in mind (rather than the, ‘book me I’m a speaker’ approach).

www.danthurman.com

We all agreed that Dan’s website is really nice looking, and has a great feel to it. The video is high energy and solid and Dan’s home page is very effective with many effective features. Great job!

***

Let’s not forget that websites are very subjective. Some of these you’ll love, some you won’t. I hope you will look at the criteria of this contest and measure it against your own website. There is much to learn here!

PS:  Wondering why your website didn’t win?  Consider a Focus 40 session with Jane to work on tweaking or making over your site.  Here’s the link http://www.speakerlauncher.com/coaching.html

Recently, I decided to take most of the social media logos off of my website.

You see, I don’t want to drive people away from my site (over to Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) I want to keep them with me until they take the desired action.

In an effort to be deemed current, I think we all jumped on the social media bandwagon. But did we do it with strategy?

Remember that old saying a confused buyer never buys? Well, a distracted buyer won’t buy either. He or she will hop on that social media train and will be off your site faster than you can say ‘YouTube’.

So we have to work hard to keep people engaged with our website from whatever page they come in on, right through to the desire outcome.

Now the argument could be made that if they are linked to you on a social site that they may find there way back to your site again, perhaps.

Or maybe we lead them to our social sites through other means?

How about through our eTips or our blog for example?  I’m not saying which way is right for you, just to give your social media strategy some thought before placing those live links on your site. And keep your prospects around until they take the action that you desire.

PS: I can’t miss this opportunity to get to know you better. If you’d like to connect with me, here are some options:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/speakerlauncher
LinkedIn: http://tiny.cc/linkedin992
Twitter: http://twitter.com/janeatkinson

After launching The Best Speaking-Expert Website Contest last week, I was thrilled with the response – more than 65 entries and counting!

After reviewing some sites, I realized something…. Some people are confused about what makes a great website.

I’m not saying there weren’t a few good ones, and you’ll see them in the finals. But several led me to think….

“Really? This is THE BEST speaker website you’ve seen?”

Here are some of the criteria that were outlined by myself and the expert judging panel. For the sake of this tip, I’ll give you the expanded version of a few:

1. PROMISE: First and foremost, the website must demonstrate a clear promise for your customer. If your web visitors come and have to dig around to find out how you can help them, you’ve missed the boat.

If you are a musician or entertainer, you might have a challenge putting ROI (return on investment) to your work. Many speakers struggle to come up with a promise that really works, so don’t think you are alone. It’s a process.

For more on Promise Statements, refer to Chapter 4 of The Wealthy Speaker.

2. OUTCOME: The website speaks to the outcome for the buyer – rather than focusing on you! There are some really beautiful submissions that are cool to look at but are focused solely on the speaker rather than the client. These would need what I call a “Marketing Flip Flop” to highlight client outcomes first, speaker second.

Here’s a tip I wrote awhile back on Flip Flops. http://tiny.cc/flip489

3, EXPERT FIRST: Position as an expert first and a speaker second. This is really an add on to #2. For most of you, speaking is just one way of distributing your knowledge. You may also write books, consult, etc.

Brian Palmer of National Speakers Bureau says “clients no longer want to hire speakers, they want to hire smart people who happen to speak”.

When a website says “book me, I’m a speaker”, clients may not view you as the expert that they are seeking and may go on to find someone else.

***

Now there are some other important criteria like: having a topic that is desirable, decision maker friendly and has great video. But if you are missing the mark on your positioning, then chances are you do not have the best speaking-expert website.

To view the criteria again, here’s the link to the post.

ps: Feel free to e-mail me directly if you’d like to change your submission. And if you need a step-by-step on creating a great website, check out the Wealthy Speaker http://www.speakerlauncher.com/tools.html

People are always asking me to show them examples of great websites.  Today, I’m announcing the best speaking-expert website contest!

See below to nominate your favorite website or your own site.

PRIZES

1.  First prize wins the title of Best Speaking-Expert Website which includes announcement to Jane’s list of 5000+ speakers and bureau agents (ie:  exposure).

2.  Best website will be promoted on Jane’s blog for up to 6 months.

3.  The person who nominates the winning website (even if it’s their own) will receive either a one hour marketing makeover coaching call with Jane Atkinson OR 5 copies of  The Wealthy Speaker to “pay it forward” to other speakers.

REVIEW CRITERIA AND THEN COMMENT BELOW IN THE “SPEAK YOUR MIND” SECTION
TO SUBMIT A WEBSITE FOR REVIEW.  DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE THE WEBSITE URL!
(Comments make take a day to be posted).

Contest closes  October 30th, 2009.

The winning website will be revealed by November 15th based on the criteria set out by Jane and her expert panel.

CONTEST CRITERIA:  The winning website will demonstrate the following:

1.  “Bookability” is the topic/expertise in demand?
2.  A clear and distinct promise (outcome for client)
3.  Unique positioning or brand
4.  Innovative site
5.  Video that sells
6.  Easy to navigate
7.  Evident credibility – ”expert first” positioning
8.  Decision maker friendly (has what they need)

PANEL MEMBERS:

Jane Atkinson – Author of The Wealthy Speaker, Coach
Joe Calloway – Author of Becoming a Category of One
Marsha Friedman – PR Expert, Owner of EMSE, a public relations firm.
Brian Palmer, Owner, National Speakers Bureau
Kris Young, VP of Martin Bastion Productions Speakers Bureau

NOTE:  IF YOU ARE REVIEWING THE WEBSITES BELOW, AND DON’T SEE A LIVE LINK IN THE BODY OF THE COMMENT, YOU CAN CLICK ON THE AUTHOR’S NAME TO SEE THEIR SITE.

About a year ago, I set up a Google Alert system to let me know whenever anyone on the internet mentioned my name or the name of my book, The Wealthy Speaker.

It’s been a great education on how my name is being used, when someone recommends my book, etc. I also keep close tabs on Twitter.

By knowing how people are talking about you, and who is using your blog for content, you are never caught by surprise.

Also, a quick search on Amazon alerted me to the fact that someone had totally ‘dissed’ my book. This person had said that they did not believe that you could make a good living through speaking.

I was immediately able to take action.

I sent out a note to my book fan club on Facebook and told them about the bad review. They all responded quickly and came to my defense thus balancing off (and burying) the negative review.

Of course we can’t control everything that everyone says about us. But what a powerful tool just knowing what is said!

When you are scheduled to deliver a speech and the group advertises it, you should check out what they are saying and ensure that you are being positioned correctly. Clients can often get it wrong.

By setting up some quick alert systems, you have a better shot at continuing to keep a positive image on that crazy thing we call the world wide web.

Happy googling!

PS: I recently added an iPhone MP4 option to my new Wealthy Speaker Seminar LIVE audio. You can listen to the seminar and see the visuals (PPT). Nearly 3 hours of my best stuff available for immediate download. Check it… http://www.speakerlauncher.com/WealthyLive.html

Recently I was working with a
speaker whose website was about 6
years old. It had evolved and
changed over the years and had a
ton of information and many
options for the visitor.

But even though he was getting
huge amounts of traffic, the
website wasn’t working. He wasn’t
getting booked for speeches or
selling product.

Why? His buyers were getting
confused. There were too many
options and as I once heard it said
‘a confused buyer never buys’.

Many of us have arrived at this
same place, myself included.
My old site wasn’t as streamlined
as I wanted so I started from
scratch and it seems to be working.

Is your site working the way you
want it to? Is it getting you booked?

If not, you might be confusing your
buyers and you should map out the
exact process and outcomes that you
desire.

Here are 3 quick checks for your
website:

1. Is it focused? Can your buyers
tell within 15 seconds what it is
you do? If you list more than 3
topics, I suspect they are confused.

2. Your ‘promise’ should be clear
letting your buyers know the value
and outcomes right up front.

3. Are you positioning as an
expert or a speaker? Remember
Brian Palmer’s quote from my book
‘The Wealthy Speaker’ he said
‘clients no longer want to hire
speakers, they want to hire smart
people who happen to speak’,

4. There should be a call to
action – what steps do you want
them to take?

As technology becomes more complex,
every once in a while, we need to
stop and regroup to ensure that
we’re not confusing our customers.

Happy booking!

ps: Watch for my brand new
product ‘Diary of a Killer Keynote:
How to Develop and Deliver a
Keynote that Blows Them Away’ with
Joe Calloway.

I believe this DVD will be one of
most helpful tools that I ever produced
and I can’t wait.

It seemed appropriate to do a tip about blogging
while launching The Speaker Launcher blog.

Many speakers are jumping on the blogging
bandwagon without giving their own marketing
strategy much thought.

You might have heard someone mention blogging
during a workshop or teleclass, does that mean you
should jump right in?

Before you spend the time, energy and money going
down the blog path, here are 6 key ideas that you
absolutely must consider:

Idea #1. Is your website working? One of the main
reasons for having a blog is to drive traffic to
your website and to ultimately book speeches. If
your website is NOT converting visitors into
speech or (at least) product buyers, then it’s not
working.

When your website is not working, more
traffic won’t help! Fix your problem first,
and then start the traffic flow.

Idea #2. Consider the purpose for your blog. Is it
going to be for sharing ideas, or will it be
promotional? The reason why blogs have become
popular is because they are effective marketing
tools (the search engines love them.) But guess
what? That only works if you know what you are
doing and how the technology works!

For instance, one big thing that I learned from my
techno guru was that I should take my keywords
into account when setting up all of my article
categories. (You’ll see what I mean when you
look to the right at the categories of this blog).

Idea #3. What is the content of your blog going to be?
Are you going to provide solid tips and ideas? If
not, I’d question whether or not it’s relevant.

I’ve seen blogs where people are talking about
what they had for lunch and quite frankly, who
cares? Test your blog for the ‘who cares’ factor
and make sure that your content is solid.

Ask yourself the question ‘is this content going
to position me as an expert and get me booked
into more speeches?’

Idea #4. Do you like to write? I have found that
writing keeps me plugged in to my business – the
more I write, the more business comes my way
despite the fact that I’m not an eloquent writer.

However, if you hate to write, then consider
keeping in touch with your clients in ways other
than a blog. Otherwise, it is going to become one
more thing that you procrastinate and beat
yourself up for not doing.

Idea #5. Are you technology challenged? If so,
blogging may be a hassle that you don’t want to
delve into. When you have to rely on other people
for everything you do, you might try to keep it
simple and focus your energy on booking speeches
instead. Not everyone is going to be successful
at every type of business strategy. Some speakers
will use technology to gain more hits on their
websites and book speeches while others will take
other paths like building relationships, giving
great speeches and making phone calls.

Idea #6. All roads should lead to action. Does every
tip or blog entry have a ‘call to action’? If
you want your clients to purchase your products,
then have some of your tips lead to a product. If
you want clients to book you for speeches, then
some tips should lead to a topic or program
outline. Mix it up and make sure that everything
you do has a purpose and a strategy.

Happy Blogging!

ps: What I’m giving you is very basic strategy. For
the technology side of things Tom Antion has a
good CD called How to Start a Blog (Weblog) to
Promote Your Business and Your Agenda, I recommend
that you bone up on blogging BEFORE delving in.
Link to Tom