Have you picked your low hanging fruit?

While talking to a client the other day, we were brainstorming on how to “shake the trees” and see what she has not already capitalized on with her current client base.

Funny, she had at least 3 ideas of people she could follow up with about her new keynote, a training opportunity and product sales.

Where are your low hanging fruit?

Are there clients that you should have re-connected with?

When entering into a relationship with a speaking client, do you have a long term goal in mind?

One client has this type of sales stream:

• Someone reads his book
• Calls to book a speech for their group
• Group purchases books for entire audience
• Engagement leads to consulting contracts
• Consulting contracts include training and coaching
• Training sessions result in more product purchased
• And the whole thing goes round for each new client

Look at what picking one piece of low hanging fruit might produce!

Are you making the most of each connection with a client? Or are you ending the relationship once you leave the stage.

See you soon Wealthy Speakers.

PS: Club Quick Start is beginning another cycle (Cycle V) in September. If you are a new speaker, interested in following a strategic path to launching your business, check this out http://www.speakerlauncher.com/quickstart.html

Seasoned speakers: Interested in seeing another Club Catapult? http://www.speakerlauncher.com/clubcatapult.html (add yourself to the wait list)

Good News on the Speaking Front

I just got back from speaking at the NSA (National Speakers Association) Northern California Chapter. Several speakers told me that they saw their business improve in the last quarter.

And I’ve been hearing some rumblings to that effect myself.

Are you experiencing a shift?

I asked Joe Calloway what was happening with his business, he said… “The phone started ringing off the hook in the last two weeks and we were able to turn keynotes into bigger projects that were more fun and more profitable. I’m finding that being a resource to help companies advance their strategies, rather than just speaking, is a huge advantage.”

I’d like to know what’s happening with you so if you have some news, please leave a comment at the end of this post. On Saturday, one speaker asked me ‘are you going to talk about a recession strategy’?

Although I can do little about whether or not clients are scheduling events with speakers, I can share with speakers how to position correctly so that when the market does shift, they are ready and waiting to capture the business. (For a step- by-step positioning strategy, read The Wealthy Speaker Chapters 3 & 4).

http://www.speakerlauncher.com/tools.html

And for those who are positioned correctly (as an expert with a clear promise), the following tips may help:

1. Add Value: Rather than negotiating your fee away, find a way to create more value for your client. Add an extra session, follow up with webinars or teleclasses, supply articles or learning materials that they can use post event. Sweeten the deal with books or other products. And as Joe said above ‘be a resource to your clients, rather than a speaker’. Solve problems for them.

2. Be Good: This applies in any economy but mostly now. There is no better strategy than to have kick butt content and presentation style.

3. Sharpen the Saw: And speaking of your content, now is the time to ensure that it’s fresh and cutting edge. If you haven’t updated recently, then be like Nike and just do it!

4. Develop new products and income streams. Why not write that next book or develop a new product? And consider expanding your income streams to include non-speaking profit centers.

My post awhile back called ‘Are you Stuck in Your Business Model’ covered some ideas on this. http://www.speakerlauncher.com/blog/298/are-you- stuck-in-your-business-model/

In this uncertain climate, we need to take action around the things we can control and (try) not to worry about the things we cannot.

All the best,

PS: Don’t miss our next teleclass on Thursday Sept. 24th at 1pm Eastern ‘Avoid the 3 Things that Will Stunt your Business (and Annoy Your Clients)’ with guest expert and bureau owner Brian Palmer. No one tells it like it is more than Brian and you’ll learn exactly what you need to do (and not do) to get booked more. http://www.speakerlauncher.com/teleclass.html

Are You Stuck in Your Business Model?

Back in 1992 when I entered the speaking business, things felt much less complicated.

I worked with a speaker who was a leadership expert.  We worked the ‘call-send-call’ process to book speeches and workshops.  And she had a book which we used to leverage her expertise.

We didn’t offer consulting, teleseminars, membership clubs, webinars or podcasts.  There was no such thing as Facebook, Twitter, Technorati, Digg or Flickr.  Yet, we doubled our business every year.

I was a bit surprised by the climate at the National Speakers Association conference this year. Several very successful speakers confided in me that they were in transition and were not entirely sure which way to turn.

Business has been down and they haven’t been on the road as much as usual.  That part isn’t a shocker, but they enjoyed being at home so much that they were questioning how much they wanted to speak in the future.

I can totally relate as my coaching has been down these first two quarters and I’m considering taking a sabbatical to see if I miss it.  I can find other ways to deliver my message, building a different and perhaps better business model.

If this sounds familiar to you, perhaps you are stuck in your old model.  So how do you get unstuck?

Let’s say you set out to make keynoting 70% of your revenue, products 20% and consulting 10%. With keynotes down right now, you might want to consider adding something that allows your audiences to hang out with you after the event.

Some will use podcasts, teleclasses or membership clubs to keep their message alive.  So now your model is more balanced and not nearly as dependent on keynotes for survival.

Or perhaps a new product becomes your focus.  In my mind, there is no better feeling than to have an income stream set up that requires 0% of your attention yet brings in a nice revenue.  (If you want to get inspired around this read ‘The 4 Hour Work Week’ by Tim Ferriss.

Ask yourself…. ‘how can I deliver my content in a way that no one has thought of yet?’

Speakers who are able to shift and deliver their message using different outlets will ultimately be able to bob and weave with the economy.  They’ll be able to shift their focus towards the new and different learning methods that future customers will demand.

ps:  Are you stuck in an old business model?  If you need help gaining focus, check out my ’40 minute focus’ coaching session at a special price.  http://www.speakerlauncher.com/coaching.html

Recession Means Getting Back to Basics

George C. Speaker has been in the business for 20 years and has thrived for most of them. But his calendar in the past 12 months has been hit hard. Business is down nearly 50%.

So what does George do?

Well, back when I first entered the business, there was a process that we followed…..’call-send-call’. Call a prospect, discover their needs, see if they’re a fit, send over some information, call and follow up.

(You can read more about call-send-call process in The Wealthy Speaker, Chapter 5). http://www.speakerlauncher.com/tools.html

George needs to get back to basics and start connecting with his clients and prospects in a meaningful way. So what might that look like?

Step 1. Identify your prospects. Pick a target market based on who needs the ideas that you provide. Develop a list of organizations to approach.

Step 2. Establish expertise. Consider writing an article for your target industry that discusses the problem and your ideas as the solution. The article may help you get a foot in the door.

Use your research to help build industry relationships. And, make sure you include a call to action at the end of the article that drives people to your website.

Step 3. Discover your prospect’s needs. Is there a problem that you can help them solve with some consulting or training? Is there an event that might require a pro with your message?

When it comes to finding events, searching associations is often easier and more productive than corporations. Association events are often held at the same times each year and are listed on their websites. This search engine on ASAE’s website can be useful.  http://www.asaecenter.org/Directories/AssociationSearch.cfm

Step 4. Be in the right place at the right time.

By planting seeds and continually fertilizing, we allow the prospect to get to know us. This is where our newsletters and blogs are helpful.

Build your list of prospects and regularly send them something that is helpful. When they have a need for your expertise, you’ll be in a great position to get the business.

Be sure to include a bit of promotion (perhaps a “ps”) with each tip so that your list is well aware of your offerings.

Step 5. Follow up. This is where many of us drop the ball. Staying in touch via newsletters is one thing, but picking up the phone or dropping a personal note or e-mail to see how they are doing, is another.

Getting back to the basics means reaching out and connecting rather than waiting for the phone to ring. We all (including George) need to ask ourselves every day ‘how am I moving my business forward?’ And, most importantly, we need to take action.

PS: There’s nothing like good press to help boost your career. We did an awesome teleclass with PR expert Marsha Friedman ‘Harness the Power of Publicity’ and it’s available now on MP3.

http://www.speakerlauncher.com/AudioTools.html

Give a gig, get a gig

Paying it forward is not a new concept.

Remember Haley Joel Osment’s character (Trevor) from the movie ‘Pay it Forward’ several years ago? The 11-year old boy inspired thousands with his concept of helping 3 people.

But we all need a reminder every now and again.

Sam Silverstein gave us one during a recent edition of NSA’s Voices of Experience when he talked about a colleague of his dropping a gig in his lap.  There was no arrangement between them, the friend just did him a “solid” by introducing him to a client, which turned into a booking.

So here’s what I’d ask you to do.

Think about a speaking colleague who could use a gift – someone whose talent you know and trust.

Then think about a client that you’ve worked with who might be a good fit for them.

Without any formal agreement with the other speaker, simply pick up the phone or drop the client a line to introduce your friend.  Word of mouth can be so much more powerful when coming from a trusted source.

The idea is that we give without thought of what might return.  That said, if you are a recipient of a gig, I hope you will in turn, give a gig.

If everyone on this list does it, that’s 5000 gigs, just imagine!

Give a gig, get a gig.  Got it?  Good.