For years I’ve been talking about how speaking is just one of the ways we distribute our knowledge.

We write books, consult, coach and a whole host of other things that help drive revenue. Since the economy keeps shifting, the days of the $15,000 speaker doing 50-70 gigs a year might be behind us.

We must distribute our knowledge in other ways.

For instance, the first time the economy dipped a few years back, it hit my coaching business pretty hard. That was when I developed the “club” idea. I thought “okay, if people can’t afford private coaching any more, then we’ll do it in groups”.

It was a big hit.

And for 2012, I’ve expanded on the idea even further with The Wealthy Speaker University.
http://wealthyspeakeru.com/

I tell you this for two reasons.

1) Of course, I want you to take a look at the University as a possible method for driving your business forward next year. Self serving, sure.

But 2. I wonder what your own version of The University might be? Think about what your clients want from you and work backwards from there. Do they want more time with you? Do they want training that you could provide in video?

There are many outlets for us to use to expand our empire.

See you soon Wealthy Speakers!

ps: The Wealthy Speaker University has programs for 3 different levels. Please give it a look as we’ve added a bunch of cool new features. The big benefit? Every month, for 12 months next year, you’ll be moving your business strategy forward! What’s that worth? http://wealthyspeakeru.com/

As time whips by, the gap between old school and new school is expanding.

If you haven’t quite cottoned on to technology, you could be old school.

If you use terms like “cottoned on”, you might be old school (that’s a joke ).

If your first instinct is to pick up the phone, rather than shoot off an e-mail or a text, you could be old school.

And, if you don’t have any systems in place to pull “fans” into your database, you may be old school. The old school method of call-send-call is not nearly as likely to happen these days. Call a prospect, find out there’s a need, send a packet of information, follow up with a call. At least part, if not all, of the sales process will now be done electronically.

Now some of you might say, but the phone is very effective for me! The key is to know how your prospects work best. Many people these days prefer quick and easy communication, especially since phone calls have the ability to drag on.

In my 2011 Update for The Wealthy Speaker, I said: “Where before you might have been building a relationship by phone, now your goal is to pull people into your fan base and keep them there long enough to impress them.”

To get your copy of the update, click here: http://speakerlauncher.com/2011update.html

Pulling people into your fan base (new school style) can mean using a name capture on your website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogging.  And, of course, if you can get some phone or Skype time with your client, take it!

If you’re new school, then you’re on the right track, woo hoo! And if you’re old school, let’s hope this prompts you to identify what’s not working and make some changes to the way you do business.

See you soon Wealthy Speakers!

ps: See some of our recordings on new school methodologies (like blogging, creating fame and social media). http://www.speakerlauncher.com/AudioTools.html

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

Years ago when I worked in the speakers bureau, we complained that speakers would call and keep us on the line for 30 minutes – whether we had interest or not.

We had a (somewhat vulgar) term for this. “Show up and throw up.”

That’s when someone tries to tell you their entire life story in a voice mail or in the first 3 minutes of a phone call.

Since we’re talking to clients all of the time, I thought we’d discuss 4 different communication styles to help you improve your client dealings:

Style #1, The Chatter Box:

This is the person I was just referring to. They talk far more than they listen. They are anxious for you to know everything about them and want to tell it all to you, whether you show interest or not.

If this is you…

Know when to shut your pie hole (that means mouth). Give information slowly and wait for signals to proceed. If people are interested, they will ask you questions. Learn to listen (this takes practice).

Style #2, Sales Shy

You have a difficult time articulating the value you bring to the table and are, therefore, reluctant to pick up the phone to call on prospect.

If this is you…

First, get clear on your value. You have to know this in order to get booked. Then, rather than thinking of it as “selling,” treat it as a fact-finding mission. You are there to determine whether or not there is a fit between what you offer and what the client is needing. Asking good questions should take you there.

Style #3, Bottom Liner

This person is very direct, sometimes to the point of being rude. (I know because I move into my Bottom Liner style when dealing with Chatter Boxes).

If this is you…

Consider whether or not you are providing enough information to book the engagement. Share stories that decision makers can connect to – perhaps about your audiences or clients. Ask good open ended questions and listen patiently.

Style #4, The Born Sales Person

Many professional speakers are blessed with the gift of being likeable. You can communicate easily with clients, which gives you an edge in bookings.

If this is you…

Use this to your advantage, but don’t overstep. Be aware of your client’s limitations on time. Build the relationship, ask good questions, but always be keep your eye on the clock. I hope these styles will give you some ideas on how to communicate more effectively with your clients.

See you soon Wealthy Speakers!

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

Letter from the Decision Maker

Dear Speaker,

When it comes to impressing me with your video, you have about 45 seconds.

When I have a list of possible speakers in front of me, I am swift with the “next” button. I don’t have time for things that don’t interest me or aren’t relevant to my work.

You might lose me if:

- In the first minute of your video you haven’t said anything. Bells and whistles don’t impress me.

- You say “hire me, I’m a speaker”. I’m looking for experts who want to help me solve a problem.

- You have distracting or poor quality footage.

- There’s no footage of you speaking live. I’m impressed by media footage, but if I’m hiring a speaker, I want to see you speaking on the stage. (And not in the 5th minute, I don’t have time!)

Sincerely, Decision Maker

The winners of the best speaking video will be announced next week.

See you soon Wealthy Speakers.

ps: Club Hybrid group coaching is just $79/month and starts this week! I have 3 spots left, check it out. http://www.speakerlauncher.com/ClubHybrid.html

Our industry lost a great speaker (and great person) this week.

Keith Harrell was a speaker who was admired and respected by many.

And his career was fascinating to watch.

Keith Harrell owned a word.

His word was Attitude.

About 15 years ago, I thought attitude was too soft of a topic to base an entire career on. You could say I had a bad attitude about “attitude”.

But Keith did exactly that. He built his entire career on one little 8 letter word. The Wall St. Journal was so intrigued that they wrote a full page about him. And because he combined that focus with his super fantastic talent, his fees went far beyond average.

Keith would want us to keep on learning, so….

Do you own a word? When people think about you, do they associate you with one thing?

A few more examples:

Vince Poscente: Speed
Mark Sanborn: Fred
Michael Gerber: eMyth
Mary Beth Kuzmeski: Red Zone

It’s not necessary for it to only be one word, but owning a word or words is definitely something for all of us to ponder.

Q. What do you want to be known for 5 years from now?

Want to share your word or words? Comment below

See you soon WEALTHY SPEAKERS (my words).

PS: And speaking of Wealthy Speakers. I have 5 spots left in my next group coaching club starting on November 4th. Check it out… http://www.speakerlauncher.com/ClubHybrid.html

I originally posted on this topic in 2008, but it appears it needs repeating!

In today’s competitive climate, it shocks me to see that many speakers still start out their home page saying things like “Hire John Doe for your next meeting”.

When the economy tightens, companies and associations have to prove to their stakeholders that their budgets are spent wisely.

The marketing flip flip is about putting the outcomes to the client first, and the speaker (as the solution to their problem) second. Unless you are an entertainer, celebrity or bestselling author, your website should probably not be about you. It should be about the service and solution that you offer.

Here are a few questions to help you evaluate your marketing:

1. When arriving at your website, does the client know what you will do for them (outcomes) within the first 30 seconds?

2. Is the first 1/3 of your home page about them and their needs rather than you?

3. Are you positioned as an expert and a problem solver? Or as a “speaker”?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions consider doing a marketing flip flop to switch the order of your home page copy to be more client and outcome oriented. It won’t take you too long to do this, and I believe it will have an impact.

Try it, and post a comment to let me know how it goes.

See you soon Wealthy Speakers!

ps: need help with your flip flop?

Check out our new Group Coaching program JUST ADDED!

Starts in November. http://www.speakerlauncher.com/ClubHybrid.html

I’ve been preaching the “expert first” idea for a long time, so excuse me if I’m repeating myself.

If a client’s first impression of you was:

a) reading your article in an industry mag
b) seeing a print ad for your business which do you think would have more impact?

I vote for “a”.

If a client’s first impression of you was:

a) seeing you speak at the convention or
b) meeting you at your trade show booth….

which do you think would have more impact?

I vote for “a”.

If a client receives a piece of mail from you:

a) an article that was written by you
b) a copy of your one sheet…

which do you think would have more impact?

Again, I vote “a”.

Whenever you have a choice to position as an expert, take it.

If they throw in a trade show booth as part of your payment, then be there for an “autograph session” after your speech. Be there as an expert, not a sales person.

Position, position, position.

Comments welcome below….

PS:  Club Update:  Club Quick Start for new speakers is now full.  However, I have added another cycle of Club Catapult for seasoned speakers, for details…  http://speakerlauncher.com/clubcatapult.html