How Strong is Your Carrot?

How many times have you gone onto a speaker’s website and read the words: SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER.

Yaaaaaaawn!

We need more enticing copy when asking people for their e-mail address.

With today’s spam, our “@” has become our most preciously guarded possession.

And some would say, there’s no reason to even have a website if you are not capturing names and addresses for follow up and “fan” development.

Chances are people may not purchase from you (or book you) on the first visit. So you have to keep in touch and continually show them WHY YOU ARE THE EXPERT OR THE BEST IN YOUR FIELD.

So where does the carrot come in?

In order to get people to give up their e-mail, you have to offer them something that they think they can’t live without. You have to dangle a great carrot.

For example, on my Wealthy Speaker System site, I offer a special report called “The Top 3 Mistakes Speakers Make and how to Avoid Them”. http://thewealthyspeaker.com/

As a speaker, wouldn’t you want to know what those mistakes are? Most people do, so they sign up.

So what do you have that people cannot live without? A special report? A white paper? An MP3? An eBook?

If you’ve had success using this method, I hope you’ll comment below to share what has worked (or what hasn’t) for you.

Get those carrots in place and I’ll….

See you soon Wealthy Speakers!

What’s the New Normal in Speaking?

While traveling to Kansas City this past week, I noticed a new normal in air travel.

We pay extra for checked bags, we pay extra for carry on, we pay extra for aisle seats, we pay extra for snacks.

The new normal in air travel is “we might give you a cheap ticket but we’ll squeeze you everywhere else”.

In hotels it’s the opposite. Before, some hotels were nice and modern. Now many, if not most, boast awesome beds and sheets, flat screen tv’s and upgraded rooms. More and more have free wireless.

The new normal in hotels is that you have to be updated just to be average.

So what’s the new normal in speaking?

Before: Standing on a stage with good presentation skills and an engaging style was enough.

Now: Today’s audiences demand fresh, relevant content and WIIFM. If you haven’t taken the time to make it about them, you’ll lose them.

Before: Fees were on the rise and client’s pockets were deep.

Now: Clients are nervous about spending. You must demonstrate return on investment and value. And even then, you might still need to negotiate to win the business. (see my article “The Fee Factor” in Speaker Magazine for more on this). http://speakerlauncher.com/about.html

Before: Being great was a bonus for the client.

Now: If you’re not great, your audience will Tweet their boredom while sitting right in front of you. You need to combine solid content with powerful, engaging stories.

The new normal in speaking is that we have to stay sharp, we have to be unique, and our content must be moulded to the needs of our audience.

How do you measure up to the new normal?

Feel free to comment below…..

See you soon Wealthy Speakers!

If Content is King, Are you Royalty?

Last week I tweeted this idea and it sparked a mild debate about which was more important – content or presentation style.

So let me preface this post by saying you MUST be good on stage.

Marcus Buckingham is a great example. He knew right out of the shoot how to be engaging and funny on top of great content. Because of that (a few bestsellers and being a hotty didn’t hurt) he rocketed up the fee ladder very quickly.

Like our marketing, our content also needs to be packaged in a clear, digestible format.

I don’t want to leave your session feeling overwhelmed or needing a nap. But I should be able to tell someone (in 20 seconds or less) what I learned.

Content is going to be what rockets you up the fee ladder as well. Here are some things to rate your content on:

1. Relevance

How relevant is your content to your audience? Can they use it? Apply it? Will it inspire?

2. Timely/up-to-date

Have I seen your content before? How long ago? How can you sharpen it or spin it?

3. Unique/creative approach How much time have you spent molding your content into something unique? Something that your audience has never seen before and reflects your personal style.

4. Demand

Is there high demand for your content? Who is going to pay to hear your message?

This post is meant to give you a kick in the butt to examine your content. Maybe you are in great shape, maybe you need work?

Feel free to share your ideas below with a comment.

See you soon Wealthy Speakers!

PS: Did you know that there is nearly 3 hours of powerful content in LIVE version of the Wealthy Speaker Seminar? It’s available now to download directly to your iPhone or computer. It comes with visuals and at just $47 (no shipping required) it’s a tremendous resource! http://speakerlauncher.com/tools.html