Don’t Forget that Marketing Flip Flop!

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

Is Your Writing Aiming Right?

Who is your copy writing designed to capture?

During our coaching, a client and I will often spend time deciding WHO we want to speak to with our website or marketing materials.

Sometimes it can be difficult to pin down.

However, skipping this step will certainly lead to confusion when it comes to developing a strong promise statement and writing the copy for your site.

Many people target the audience, when they’d be better off targeting the decision maker.

For instance, a promise that says: “Have fun at work, get along well with others” (speaks directly to the employee)

While…. “Build strong teams who communicate effectively” (speaks more to the leader)

While…. “Building a cohesive workforce that delivers exemplary service” (speaks to the leader AND speaks more to outcome)

When you get a clear idea of who you want to attract to your website, it’s much easier to develop language for them.

See you soon Wealthy Speakers!

So, what’s a great website really look like?

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.

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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

Does Your Website Git-R-Done?

Larry the Cable Guy may not be the most profound person you know, but his catch phrase git-r-done is meaningful.

Translated…

You’ve got to take action.

I’m offering 2 THINGS this month that will help you take action on your website.  You’ll drive more prospects to it and close more business once the traffic arrives.

Read more