Speaker Services E-Zine, February 2012

http://www.speakerservices.com

Serving the community since 1992

Full-Service Coaching, Marketing & Training for Speakers, Authors, Experts, Entrepreneurs & Business Professionals

Content:

- Note from Susan Levin

- Tips and Advice

- Tweets & Blog Posts of Interest

Greetings,

We have been enjoying beautiful warm weather in Los Angeles and I have been out walking in the hood. This photo was taken as I walked along the canals in Marina del Rey.  I love the reflection in the water.

I hear this comment often from potential clients,  I can’t do this or that until every thing in perfect.  I say start with one step at a time and just do it!  My colleague Mark Victor Hansen said,  Do not  wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions.  So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.  So what are you waiting for?

We have a busy weekend coming up. On Saturday I will be teaching Market Yourself as a Speaker Workshop at the Speaker Services studio in Marina del Rey.  This workshop is  rich source of practical hands-on information for speakers, authors, entrepreneurs and coaches. Here are some of the items I will be sharing with the group:  Position, Present and Package your Message, Prospect, Market and Land Speaking Gigs, Profit from your Expertise – Create Multiple Streams of income, Craft a Presentation Package that Attracts Meeting Planners and how to Gain New Clients with the Power of  Social Media.  I have three slots open for February 4  Check it out http://t.co/vG1xhVJk 

Not in Los Angeles?  I work one on one with folks to build a customized package based on their needs. See http://www.speakerservices.com/marketing.html or  another small step would be to  purchase the workbook Market Yourself as a Speaker at the following link http://www.speakerservices.com/products/detail/94

Here’s another suggestion for folks who are on a limited budget and are taking baby steps.  Join our membership club the Speakers Community. You get 6o days for free to check out the value and benefits.  We interview two experts each month and have archived over 100 mp3′s in the library.  After 60 days it is a mere $19.95 a month.  I always say where can you get training for $10 an hour? Below you can see who the experts are that I am interviewing in February  Join now

Sunday we will be offering Video Works workshop preparing folks to create their message and feel comfortable in front of the audience plus marketing ideas.  Jack Barnard is the facilitator and he tells me he can take one more person. Sign up now

Here’s some exciting news. We have collaborated with Cindy Greenway of Hot Skills Training to offer a teleclass training for Virtual Assistants and Speakers to  learn how to find and land speaking opportunities. There is a preview call on Monday, February 6 and to our delight over 200 people have register for this call.  We think we hit a nerve! Learn more and Register here

There is a five part hands on training following the preview call in mid February and you can check it out and sign up now if you choose too.  It is very reasonable and a worthwhile investment.

Ursula Mentjes Speaker and Author of Sales Coach Now shared the following with me, Wow, everyone is so nice at the Starbucks in Culver City this morning (someone held the door open, someone else told me my hair looked nice! LOL-WOW)! Grabbing a cup of coffee before I share Selling with Intention with a new sales team. Thank you, Susan Levin, for this connection.

This could happen for you too if you are listed in Speaker Services Directory.  Ask me how.

In this e-zine Vickie Sullivan shares  the buzzword you will  hear more of:  meeting architecture. Dan Poynter talks about Apple Unveils iBooks Author and Kindle Publisher Tools and  an interesting post from Forbes Magazine about Three trends that change business: Mobile, Social and Cloud by Maribel Lopez.

Let me know how I can help you Speak Your Way to More Business.

Susan Levin, Speaker Services, susan@speakerservices.com

310-822-4922 PT

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Introducing  Speaker & Author

Julie Orlov

Psychotherapist and author of The Pathway to Love shows how to navigate relationships to true intimacy and power, and how they can reveal the perfect conditions you need to heal, grow and transform your life.

Communication, Empowerment, Personal Development, Relationships, Womens Issues  See speaker listing 

See all of our Speakers and Authors

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In the Speakers Community for February

Join us for 60 days for free.  We interview two experts each month in a teleclass format and have archived over 100 mp3′s in the library.  After 60 days it is $19.95 a month.  I always say where can you get training for $10 an hour?  Join now

February 15, Get Paid for Every Speaking Event You Do, Shannon Cherry

Whether you get paid to speak or not, you could make more money for every presentation – and not with back of room sales but with sponsorships.


Corporate sponsors are looking for speakers to connect with audience and help promote their brands. As a matter of fact, sponsorship is a $17 Billion per year business, even though sponsorship marketing is in its infancy. Learn more/register

Feb 29, Making Mobile Marketing Work: Best Practices, Mary Barnett 

Are you ready for Mobile Marketing?


Mary Barnett will share key strategies and the information you need for get started with mobile marketing.

Designing a mobile marketing strategy is not simply a collection of isolated mobile campaigns. It involves the integration of mobile into all your digital and traditional marketing channels.  Learn more/register

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TIPS/ADVICE/RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATION:

Clifton Andersons book:  A Year Wiser: 365 days of inspiration to Create a Phenomenal Year 

Excerpt: Inspiration 91

Laughter is power.  When you laugh, you show that you are above your circumstances.  When you laugh, you disarm tension and sneer at stress.  When you laugh, you nourish your soul with natural medicine.  When you laugh, you are choosing to be happy.  When you laugh, you are saying that you know you will look back on this one day and laugh, so why wait?  The book can be purchased at http://clifton-anderson.com/products/

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Check out Mark Mikelats, Speakers’ Lounge, mark@buildingaspirations.com 

Get his free newsletter weekly with leads. Recent leads.

Canada. The Professional Development Summit needs speakers for their event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on April 18, 2012.  For more information see: http://www.pdsummit.ca/

and

The Special Libraries Association needs expert speakers in the area of Mobile Apps for government.  This event is in Chicago, IL July 18, 2012.  Your proposal is due by February 20, 2012.  For more information see: http://tinyurl.com/7afqsbb

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Ideas for building a platform — Alyson Stanfield

Chris Brogans recent article, 97 Ideas for Building a Valuable Platform should be consumed and dissected by anyone trying to find an audience these days.

Among my favorites of the 97 ideas:

9. It is hard to create consistently without inspiration.

26. AUDIO is the secret to better video.

31. If you are the same as everyone else, how will we notice you?

56. The more you care about the success of others, the more you will be successful.

76. There are very few successes in the world that happened as solo acts.

These, and the other 92 ideas, are expanded upon in this post: chrisbrogan.com/97

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Three trends that change business: Mobile, Social and Cloud

Post in Forbes by Maribel Lopez

Businesses faces a dynamic landscape where both customer and employee demands are changing.  The world is changing, and there are three market shifts that are driving this change  mobile social and cloud. These trends change what we connect, how we connect and how we transact.

Obviously mobile is changing what is connected. We are moving beyond laptops and smartphones. It is moving to billions of connected devices as we connect tablets, cars, machinery and medical equipment. Ericcson and Cisco estimates there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020 as we look to add sensors in just about everything. These devices can be as sophisticated as a tablet or as simple as a sensor that monitors humidity. Read on http://onforb.es/yfoxdn

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APPLE UNVEILS iBOOKS AUTHOR, Dan Poynter

TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER F-R-E-E, sign up at

http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

iBooks Author is a tool for building interactive textbooks, although it can be used to create other ebooks as well. Download free at http://bit.ly/AcvI9G

iBooks Author includes templates for ebook layout, offers a WYSIWYG-style editor, supports adding multimedia content and interactive features, and Imports from Word and Pages.

Books can be previewed in iBooks on the iPad, exported directly to Apples iBookstore, saved in iBooks format for sharing, or exported to PDF. Apple is restricting sales of books created with its app to the iBookstore.

iBook Author is available as a free download at Apples Mac App Store.

http://bit.ly/xZiqco

http://bit.ly/wESv9M

http://bit.ly/wnIGm2

http://bit.ly/AjN0r3

One more tip from Dan Poynter

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KINDLE PUBLISHER TOOLS WITH KF8 AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD NOW

Kindle Publisher Tools – KindleGen and Kindle Previewer with Kindle Format 8 (KF8) support are now available for download. Kindle Format 8 is Amazons next generation file format offering a wide range of new features and enhancements  including HTML5 and CSS3 support that publishers can use to create all types of books. KF8 adds over 150 new formatting capabilities, including drop caps, numbered lists, fixed layouts, nested tables, call outs, sidebars and Scalable Vector Graphics – opening up more opportunities to create Kindle books that readers will love. Kindle Fire is the first Kindle device to support KF8 – in the coming months KF8 will be rolled out to the latest generation Kindle e-ink devices as well as the free Kindle reading apps. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000729511

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MEETING OVERALLS ARE COMING,  Vickie Sullivan www.sullivanspeaker.com

Source: http://www.meetings-conventions.com/career-development/articles/reinventing-meetings/a44670.aspx

Like everything else, the structure of meetings and conferences are being overhauled.  And that is  a good thing.  In the good old days, structure stayed the same, then content was plugged in.  What is happening now and in the future: the structure will be designed around learning and experience.  The buzzword you will  hear more of:  meeting architecture.

Yes, the economy is driving these shifts.  But so is a belief we all need to be aware of:  buyers believe that everything they need to know is online.  Yep, our content is not ours anymore.  It is out there and anyone can take it.  So the emphasis now is on interaction and learning.  And we are not talking about using Twitter and text to ask questions.  Think: 30-minute presentations followed by 30-minute breaks.

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TWEETS OF INTEREST

- indle ebooks, copyrights, and your rights as an author when someone steals your work – http://t.co/PSphlHwn

- 2 Critical Elements Every Homepage Must Have [Infographic] http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31097/12-Critical-Elements-Every-Homepage-Must-Have-Infographic.aspx via @HubSpot

- Are you passionate about what you speak about? Short video http://bit.ly/zQG1Wf Customized marketing packets & 1 hour strategy sessions too.

- New Apps to Manage Your Social Networks | Social Media Examiner http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/3-new-apps-to-manage-your-social-networks/ via @smexaminer

- Are you a storyteller? Good stories allow audiences 2 add visual & emotional components 2 their assimilation http://bit.ly/wgJj9U #speaking

- The 50 Best Bookstores in the United Kingdom  really neat list http://askthebooksellers.com/united-kingdom-independent-booksellers Collaboration & will let our peeps know abt it soon.

- 3 Ways to Promote a Spiritual Book – good stuff here http://askthepublicist.com/3-ways-to-promote-a-spiritual-book

1. Does your company used paid, professional speakers? I say paid because many use speakers, not all pay.

2. How is the decision made regarding speakers? I’m asking the person I’m speaking to to confirm he/she is the sole decision maker.

3. Who have you used in the past? This may give you an idea of what topics they have historically used and how much they have paid for this information.

4. Do you have a specific meeting date set? Pretty obvious what we want here.

5. When do you begin to plan your meeting? Great to know when the meeting is, but important to know when plans are made so we can make sure we are talking to them at the optimum time for getting the booking.

6. Where will the meeting be held? Here I’m looking to see if I may create some kind of competitive advantage for myself. For example, I live in St. Louis. If the meeting is going to be in Chicago my expenses would be very reasonable. If they are deciding between me and a speaker in LA, I may get the job based on travel.

7. Is there as theme or focus to this meeting? Again, pretty obvious.

8. Is there a budget I should be aware of? Here is the money question! We need to bring up fee! Remember to talk about your fee as if it were a commodity. See previous post on fees.

9. What type of meeting is this? Is it quarterly, annual, semi­annual? We want to find out how many opportunities a year this prospect may have to hire us.

10. Is there anything that I haven’t asked you that you would like me to know about your meeting? This is really a closure question. They will bring up any other questions they may have.

If you have the answer to these questions you should be able to quantify how likely it is that you two will be working together or not.

That’s it! 10 little questions that will move you from prospect to client! Now go do some prospecting!

Copyright 2011, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes! She can be reached in the following ways:

Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com

Post by Steve Markman

Marketing mix: Your marketing and PR efforts should be in the forefront of your organization, given today’s competitive climate and the uncertain economy. Standing out from the crowd, regardless of your organization’s industry, is a huge challenge. How can you meet this challenge?

Many organizations have recognized the value of holding seminars at which their executives make presentations. The problem with these seminars is that, more often than not, the attendees are existing customers, clients or individuals who are already familiar with the firm.

Companies need to expose their expertise to prospective customers and clients. What is a proven method of accomplishing this objective? By speaking at public forums – at conferences, seminars and forums held by independent event organizations, associations, professional and industry trade groups, and academic institutions and think tanks – enormous exposure is created.

There is much evidence in the field of professional services marketing that speaking in public forums often results in new business, by providing increased awareness of your company in general and specific subject areas in particular, to an audience of your potential customers or clients. Presentations about industry trends or “how-to” talks can make a large impact on your audience.

Speaking opportunities for consulting firm principals, corporate executives and entrepreneurs represent a strong marketing, public relations, and business development tool for the following reasons:

    1.    Attendees get to learn about your firm’s expertise firsthand and can interact directly with your speaker immediately before or after the presentation. An attendee asking for a business card can be the first step to obtaining a new client. The press in attendance also present opportunities for added exposure.

    2.    Gaining increased visibility in vertical/industry sectors or broad-based areas that your firm has determined is in need of greater exposure. This can be an established line of business where your firm speaks from a position of strength and is known as a “go-to” firm for a particular area. Conversely, presentations can cover an area that is just getting off the ground or at an early stage in its development and needs some fast exposure to let your potential customers know about your newly offered products or services.

    3.    Your company gains “advertising” by having its name and your executive speaker’s name published in the agenda of thousands of brochures and promotional announcements mailed or e-mailed by event organizers.

What should your professional services firm be doing to get your executives and managers out on the speaking circuit? Take the following eight steps:

    1.    Decide which product or service area(s) your firm should be targeting for increased visibility. Make sure that you have executives in those areas committed to the idea of making public presentations. Some will resist the idea of taking time away from other business activities so make sure that you have their full support.

    2.    Get the right speaker on board. Proposed speakers should be experienced executives and, preferably, experienced speakers. Small-to medium-sized organizations should nominate their CEO or other senior executive. Large organizations can also nominate staff at the director or manager level, depending on the criteria of the speaking opportunity.

    3.    Speak to the right audience. Thoroughly research the events for which representatives of your firm can be proposed as speakers, as solo presenters or as panelists. There are so many events taking place on so many topics, frequently simultaneously, that you’ll need to choose diligently in order to maximize the time and expense associated with speaking. Identify speaking engagements whose audience represents the customers and industries your organization wants to reach.

    4.    Develop a proactive speaker placement program. It’s fine to evaluate unsolicited speaking opportunities. However, having someone dedicated to the task who will aggressively identify opportunities, develop relationships with event organizers and write and submit speaker proposals, should lead to an increase in the frequency of speaking engagements and thus increased visibility for the executives participating and the firm as a whole.

    5.    Decide on the geographic area to target for speaking engagements – locally, regionally, nationally or even internationally. There are thousands of speaking opportunities held worldwide every year.

    6.    Create high-impact presentations. Audiences want to get actionable information they can take back to their organizations. They don’t want to hear that your firm is the leading firm in this or that subject area. A solid, informative presentation that covers applications or technologies and is not product or company specific will create instant credibility and obviate the need for a “sales pitch.” A presentation that turns out to be a sales pitch will ensure low evaluations by the audience and a one-way ticket home from the conference organizer. The speaker who gives a sales pitch is duly noted and rarely invited back, oftentimes tainting the entire company in the eyes of the event organizer.

    7.    Learn the process for submitting a speaker proposal to the event organizer – follow the format established by the organizer for writing a presentation abstract, submitting bios and speaker expertise, previous speaking experience information, and, of course, meeting the proposal deadline date. Make sure you tailor the abstract and the bio to each speaking opportunity so that they fit the objectives of the audience.

    8.    Follow up continuously and persistently with the event organizer to help your company stay above the noise, since you will often be competing with several other companies for the same speaking slot.

By developing an effective speaker placement program for your organization, you will have taken a big step in meeting your marketing, PR, and business development objectives.

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Steve Markman is President of Markman Speaker Management (MSM) a Needham, Mass.- based speaker placement and conference development firm established in 1994.

This is a post from my colleague Lois Creamer Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com

My next two blog posts are going to address some questions  I’ve been asked constantly ever since I started my consulting practice for speakers. They are:

• How can I get a bureau to book me?
• I’d like to hire someone to get me bookings and give them a percentage of my fee. Is this a good plan?
• I receive solicitation emails from companies offering me leads if I pay them a monthly fee. Is this a good deal?

I’m going to talk about bureaus exclusively in this post, and the next two questions on part two of my post. If I had a buck or two every time I’m asked one of these questions, I’d be enjoying an umbrella drink on a beach somewhere.

How can I get a bureau to book me? My short answer is .. you can’t. Don’t waste your energy. Use your energy towards getting your own bookings. Bureaus are interested in working with “working” speakers. Speakers who are in demand. Those who are getting great reviews out in the industry for delivering great information in a compelling way.

If you don’t work with a bureau, you may want to see if one of your colleagues would offer an introduction for you. Your colleague will want to have seen you and really believe that what you have to offer is a fit for a particular bureau. Your friend may contact the bureau and ask his or her bureau representative to take a look at your material and see if he thinks your information would be a fit for their clients.

All bureaus don’t work with all types of businesses. This is an epiphany to some some. There are bureaus that work primarily with corporations, associations, health-care, agriculture, financial services and more. Your program must match the bureaus emphasis and their clientele.

Some bureaus host “Speaker Showcases”. They invite speakers to do 15-20 minutes of their best stuff in front of bureau clients and reps. Some charge for this, some do not. It is a great way to get in relationship with a bureau. It is only effective, however, if bureaus reps show up at the showcase.

Also, be aware that bureaus will expect you to provide what they call “bureau friendly” marketing materials for them. This simply means that your contact information should not appear on the material. The bureau wants the client to contact them, not you. You will want to have printed and PDF’s bureaus friendly.

Bureaus ask for a percentage of your speaking fee as payment for getting you the engagement. Current average is 25-30%. Some speakers think this is too high, and that bureaus are greedy. I don’t. If a bureau brings business to your door, handles all of the details for you, I think it’s worth every penny. Whenever I hear a speaker begrudging paying the percentage I always say, “Don’t work with them!” Bureaus can open doors that many would not be able to open themselves. If you work with a bureau for pete’s sake don’t whine about what you are paying them!

Besides paying the bureau a percentage, you are expected to promote the bureau during your visit and encourage the client to return to the bureau for future meetings. Also, audience members who enjoy the speaker and may want to use him/her are to book through the bureau. This is considered “spin-off” business. If not for the bureau, you would not have gotten the opportunity.. You are expected to contact the bureau and let them do the paperwork,contact the client and take care of the details.

Some bureaus even have “exclusive rights” or an “exclusives” with the speaker. This is the same as having an agent. It means all business goes through the bureau or agent and they take their percentage. Even if they didn’t get the business, if you have an exclusive arrangement, you must run it through them. I suggest to my clients that they never agree to an exclusive arrangement. It will actually cause other bureaus to lose interest in you. They will be expected to split their percentage with the other bureau, and many don’t think it’s worth it. Ultimately it may cause other bureaus to stay away from you.

Because bureaus get paid by percentage of fee they aren’t interested in working with speakers who are real beginners. It only makes sense! They have to make money too.

I always encourage my clients to work with a bureau if a situation presents itself. It’s a great addition to your own efforts to grow your business. You can learn a lot from bureaus about the business of speaking. I have. Some of my clients have been bureaus who hired me to work with their reps to sell speaking services more effectively.

All in all, working with bureaus can help you cast a wider net and that’s what it’s all about!

Copyright 2011, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes! She can be reached in the following ways:

Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
Twitter: @loiscreamer

Marketing & Training Services since’92

http://www.speakerservices.com

November 3, 2011

CONTENT:

- Update from Susan Levin

- Tips and Advice from experts

- Teleclasses for November

- Tweets & Blog Posts

I have been busy working with clients on speaker marketing and coaching folks on how to Position, Prospect & Land Gigs Now in collaboration with our team member Jean-Noel Bassior. This four step process seems to have hit a nerve as it is a huge issue for folks. We are sharing the strategies for you or your staff to help identify target markets and decision makers. The end result is that you learn how to leave voice message and or e mails that get call-backs. Not only that you get to practice as I prepare leads for you in your target audience.  Want some of that?

I am heading down to Orange County to teach Speak Your Way to More Clients on Monday, 11/7 for the third time with Ursula Mentjes. Carleen Paul, Skills for Success Reading Center shared.  Speak Your Way to More Clients was packed with tricks of the speaking trade!  Following the examples provided during the workshop will be vital to making my next speaking engagement a great success!  There is still time to register

On Wednesday, November 9 in Los Angeles I am speaking with Linda Hollander the Wealthy Bag Lady at Fill Your Purse Event: Get All the Clients and Sponsors You Want join us http://t.co/ah4kHHQj

I just got off the phone with one of my clients who spoke at a Womens Conference recently and received great reviews and several requests to speak at different chapters around the country.  She was thrilled with the invites and even though there was no pay she decided to go.  Unfortunately she had not taken my class Market Yourself as a Speaker and ran into several dicey situations on her travels.  Had she consulted with me she would have had a link on her website for meeting planners for her AV requirements so that the producer of the event would have all of her needs met before she arrived.

She also had booked another gig and it got cancelled which she did not find out until she arrived at her destination.  I said,  No contract agreement with a cancellation clause and a deposit a head of time to hold the date.  Big lessons learned and money spent that did not need to be spent.  She will be at my next workshop in Los Angeles on December 3, Market Yourself as a Speaker. Speaking is a business. You need to be armed with all the collateral find out more.  Not in Los Angeles?  No worries customized telephone coaching is available.

Greg Montana warmed my heart as he shared his accomplishments with me.  Because of www.speakerservices.com and your coaching I’ve shared the stage with Richard Branson, The Dalai Lama, Mark Victor Hansen, Harv Eker and have had some amazing partnerships. Thanks for the boost! Glad to see you are still incubating us speakers!  Congrats Greg.

To your speaking and marketing success,

Susan Levin

Speaker Services, susan@speakerservices.com

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TIPS and ADVICE



DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS IS TRUE?  Daphne Bousquet, CMP” daphne@eventsandprofits.com



One of my favorite things to do is busts myths.  And there are a few when it comes to workshops and seminars.  Often times, these myths can stop you in your tracks and prevent you from achieving your potential. Here is one that I hear all the time and perhaps you may even think it is true.

Ready? 

 You need a big event in order to make a lot of money.  
Nothing is farther from the truth. 

While large events have more potential for making more money, that does not mean that small events can not be very lucrative.

Sometimes smaller events do even better. 

When you have a smaller event, chances are you have a highly targeted audience.  Your ideal audience, if you will.
 The people that are at your event are there for a specific reason: to learn from you. Since the event is smaller, you have fewer demands on your time.  

That gives you more opportunities to really connect with your audience.  You can answer more questions and establish genuine relationships with people who will gladly sign up for your high end offer. (You do make an offer, right?)

After all, they know, like and trust you and the value you can bring to them and their businesses.
 
Now that you know you do not need hundreds of people (or even a hundred) in your event room to make a difference and a profit, does that take some of the pressure off?

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7 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING IN 60 SECONDS OF LESS by Sarah Goliger @hubspot.com

We all know it is not always easy being an inbound marketer especially a good inbound marketer. The things we do to optimize our landing pages, create killer content, keep track of all our analytics they take time! Therefore, to be both a successful inbound marketer, we must be able to use our time efficiently http://www.hubspot.com/social-media-monitoring-in-10-minutes-ebook  to drive the best results in the fastest way possible.

The good news is, even when you do not have a lot of time on your hands, there are lots of little things you can do to dramatically improve your marketing . Here are 7 things you can do in 60 seconds or less to drive more traffic to your site, convert visitors into leads at a higher rate, and increase your ROI.

Tip 1. Respond to a comment, post, or tweet.  A big part of inbound marketing is engaging with your fans, followers, and customers, especially through social media. Take a minute to reply to a tweet or a post on your Facebook page, even if just to say, Thanks for the feedback! or Glad you liked our ebook! Following up with your fans  will show them that you value their comments and will help keep them engaged with your business, making them more likely to convert into leads.

Read more
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Top four book promotion activities you can engage in to sell more books in today’s world 
 @John Kremer


, www.bookmarket.com

1. Speak. Speaking builds a word-of-mouth army better than anything else. Speak locally – at garden clubs, libraries, bookstores, Rotary clubs, JCs, poetry nights, story swaps, book club meetings, etc. Then expand out to a wider area, to nearby cities, to nearby states. Eventually, expand out to an even wider audience.

When someone hears you speak, they become a bigger fan than if they had just read your book. If they like you when they hear you speak, they will tell ten times more people than by just reading your book.

2. Book yourself on national TV. TV is still the largest mass market media. It still reaches more people than any other media – and with more impact. It is worth spending the time contacting the ten or twenty news and talk shows that reach your audience. For most national TV shows, you can get the contact information in one of two ways: 1. from their websites, and 2. via your network of friends and fellow authors.

Your appearance on one major TV show will not only expose you to millions of viewers, but it also opens the door to dozens and sometimes hundreds of other media: newspapers, magazines, radio, more TV shows, etc.

3. Create relationships with high-traffic websites. How many major high-traffic websites that attract your target reader have you created relationships with? Are these real relationships where you contribute content to them on a regular basis?  In today’s world, Internet relationships are the key to marketing success.

Uncover five to ten top websites that already reach the audience you want to reach. Look over their sites until you find a way to contact someone behind the site – a webmaster, an editor, the founder. Then email them with an offer of free content for their readers: an interview with you, a review copy of your book, a free article (that is really good), some tips for their readers, a Q&A column on your specialty, etc. Their obligation, in return, is to link to your website or sales page.

4. Do a Superstar Blog Tour. Or a Mega Blog Tour. Or a Blogpalooza. I’m not talking about the old-style humdrum virtual book tour of 15 or 20 blogs. I’m talking about an event blog tour that creates Internet buzz on a major scale. Event blog tours can build brands, create incredible website traffic, and sell tons of books.

The neat thing is that effective event blog tours take less time to carry out than the traditional Amazon Bestseller Campaign – and are almost always more effective in selling books, building a brand, and driving traffic.

If you want to know more about event blog tours, check out this recording of me speaking about the value and method of carrying out an effective impact blog tour: http://www.bookmarket.com/blog-tour-palooza.htm.

These four book marketing techniques work for almost any kind of book: fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, children’s books, how-to, spiritual, business, even cookbooks. You don’t have to do all four. Start with one and work it hard – you’ll get better results than doing Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, EzineArticles, or other Internet marketing flavors of the week.

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Everyone is always looking for the best deal.  Do I have one for you.

Do you know Speakers Community Membership Club ? Over 100 mp3s 60 days free JOIN NOW http://bit.ly/rUSbGI

UPCOMING TELECLASSES

11/16 -  Organize & Optimize Your Social Media Efforts interview with Kim Beasley
- Have you ever felt overwhelmed while trying to figure out how to use social media to get your message out?

- Do you feel stuck in a rut when it comes to connecting with your target customers on social media?

- Are you trying to figure out how to use Google + to develop your business brand and your personal
identity?
Read/register

11/30/11 -  Amazon Bestsellers with Denise Cassino

Discover an affordable way to launch your e-book to #1 Bestseller on Amazon!

All programs apply to both print books and ebooks!

- The steps and strategies of a bestseller campaign?

- How to reach a large targeted audience without the expense of advertising.

- Why it is a win-win situation for the author, the partners and the book buyer.
- The value of joint ventures

 Read/register

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Tweets and blog posts you might be interested in

:

- Top searches on my blog how to market yourself speakers,  speakers schedule of fees, membership site,  making money as a speaker I can help

- Blog Post 10 Social Media Tips for Professional Speakers.  Use Each Form Of Social Media To Strengthen the Others.  http://bit.ly/sK5HeJ

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Professional Marketing Materials see list of services http://t.co/5PkGA894 new coaching program Position, Prospect, Land Gigs. Can we help you?

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2011 and 2012 Marketing Trends – Be On The Cutting-Edge, Not The Bleeding-Edge! http://steveslightbulbmoments.com/?p=521  via @StevesMoments

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Mary Cimiluca I am so proud of you landing several fantastic and high paying speaking engagements. Happy to have you in my corner and that you followed my advise to ask for more and they said YES!

- Grab Your Audiences Attention Right off the Bat http://t.co/fXCnPrBs The opening statement is important do not blow it.

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Prospecting: It is All in the Process @wendyweiss The Queen of Cold Calling™ Tips to ensure maximum results http://bit.ly/tejApu

Everyone knows that times have changed. This includes prospecting. They used to say, “It’s a numbers game.” Not any more…

Prospecting: It’s All in the Process…
By Wendy Weiss, The Queen of Cold Calling™

Most companies have processes in place for everything… except for prospecting. Managers tell representatives to “go make calls.” And if the representatives are not getting results, well then, make more calls.

Unfortunately in 2011 going into 2012 sheer volume of calls alone is simply not enough to successfully build a sales pipeline. In 2011 going into 2012 it’s imperative to have a process in place to develop and then manage the pipeline.

Here are the elements to have in place to ensure maximum results:

Definitions and parameters of what makes a qualified prospect. Too many representatives waste too much time calling inappropriate prospects.

How many times will a representative reach out to any individual prospect? Most representatives decide after the fact whether or not they’ll call any particular prospect again. They look at the lead and the history and decide, “I’ve called this one enough.” Deciding after the fact makes it impossible to have a good prospecting strategy.

Voice mail. Are representatives leaving messages? If so, how many and what is the frequency? What are they saying? Too many representatives make these decisions on the fly and so if they do leave messages, the messages are not powerful enough to entice the prospect to return a call.

Email. Is the representative going to approach the prospect via email? If so, how many emails will that representative send and what is the frequency? What do the emails say? Too many representatives make these decisions on the fly and so do not send powerful prospecting emails. Prospects then don’t respond, or if they do it’s a negative response.

Complete scripting for introductions, voice mail messages and templates for all emails. This is too important to leave to chance.

Metrics. Most companies measure revenue but not the activity that leads to revenue. For any prospecting campaign measurements must include, Dials, Conversations and Appointments (or Dials, Conversations and New Opportunities.) Software is the only way to track this. If you don’t have metrics you don’t actually know what works. If you’re a manager, you also don’t know what your team is doing.

In order to succeed in 2011 going into 2012… it’s all about the process.

Note: Prospect & Land Gigs Now  taught by Susan Levin & Jean-Noel Bassior (one-on-one or group sessions)

Success strategies for you and your staff. Identify target markets and decision makers. Learn how to leave voice messages that get call-backs.

B2B Cold Calling Best Practices

By Maria Pergolino Marketo blog

This is a great post as it provides six steps to getting the sale and getting past the gatekeeper. How a business can realize tangible results from this marketing method?

Is cold calling dead? Patrick Donnelly said cold calling was in a blog post recently, but only if it has not evolved from the smile and dial of years past.   Even as social media and web applications become mainstream B2B marketing platforms, cold calling remains one of the most effective ways to make contact with decision makers, but only if done right. Cold calling can increase the number of prospects, appointments and sales. So how can a business realize tangible results from this marketing method?

There are some smart tips and techniques to fulfilling a successful cold call campaign:

1.    Target. Aim for the right industries. Seek out contacts at the right level. Get the direct line of someone that can make decisions on what you have to offer.

2.    Research. Can’t make the connection? Use online resources. Information sources like LinkedIn, Data.com and ZoomInfo can be indispensible for making contact. This may also help you understand more about their business.

3.    Strategize. Sometimes it takes some prospecting to find and talk to the right person. Once the right person is found, gatekeeper administrators can keep you away. Some great times to call in order to reach the right person are midweek and early in the morning, just before the top of every business hour or between 5:00 and 6:00 PM.

4.    Include. Cold calling shouldn’t stand alone. It should be fully integrated into your marketing campaign, as it is often most effective when accompanied by email and direct mail communications.

5.    Propose. Once contact is made, make an offer that is compelling. Address one of the major challenges your prospect is likely facing. Being capable of solving a problem can bring you half-way to a sale.

6.    Relent. There is a fine line between persistence and annoyance. Once the line is crossed, it can be hard to get the prospect back. Before making another call or sending one more e-mail, put yourself in the prospect’s shoes. What actions would make you turn away from a deal?

Cold calling is an invaluable B2B marketing technique for businesses. Even if a prospect isn’t ready to buy, the phone offers a great opportunity to personally introduce your brand. By leaving a positive image, cold calling encourages and nurtures the possibility of a future sale.

Need some help putting your message together to leave a voice mail that gets you a call back?  Speaker Services offers coaching.  E-mail susan@speakerservices.com for a complimentary appointment.

September 21,  2011 Update

Marketing & Training Services since 1992

Speaker Services http://www.speakerservices.com

In this issue
- Note from Susan Levin
- Tweets & Blog Posts of interest

Greetings,

I want to personally invite all of our Los Angeles business folks, speakers, authors, coaches and entrepreneurs to join us on Monday October 17 for a one day event Talk Up Your Business, Master the Message, Master the Marketing .  Only attend though if you are interested to Gain Credibility, Boost Your Visibility and Get More Clients By Talking Up Your Business.

Here are a few of the items that Susan Levin, Jack Barnard, Jean-Noel Bassior and Ursula Mentjes will be sharing with you.

- LEARN marketing secrets and strategies to show you how to attract and reach your ideal clients

- DESIGN an effective website that helps your clients hire you on the spot for their event

-  IMPLEMENT the latest technologies: social media, blogging, mobile marketing, video, YouTube to boost your visibility

-  COMMUNICATE your key message to the news media and learn how to get publicity that increases your credibility and lead generation

-  EXPAND your short talk into any length presentation, for any audience, for any purpose

My promise to you is – tons of content, interaction and no hard sell.  Your investment is only $99 with a money back guarantee

Jump right onto the website now and  read the program and sigh up at the incredible reasonable investment of $99.

Our team has been training Virtual Assistants for speakers and authors this past month. The question that we always get asked is, “How do I prospect for speaking gigs and then how do I get past the gatekeeper to the decision maker and what kind of message can I leave to get a call back?” My answer is,  :It all has to do with your website and your marketing materials. No one can book you if we do not have a clear idea of the problem you solve for your target industry.”  Do you need help?

Say you have landed a speaking gig.  Do you know how to ask the event coordinator the proper questions to customize for their audience?  Do you have a  pre program questionnaire? Hint it resides under the link For Meeting Planners. Joyce Newman shares in a blog post, It is always amazing when speakers do not ask the meeting organizer questions about the audience in advance of writing their presentations. Lets start with the most obvious one: – Who are they and how were they selected to be participants? – How many are attending?   Read the rest of the post.

Need help? Since 1992 Speaker Services has been supporting professional folks in growing their business and income through speaking.  Speaking is a business.

Speaker Services team can support you in several ways.

Meet Speaker Services team

- Join the Speakers’ Community Membership Club, Audio/MP3 library of experts. 60 days complimentary.

- Workshops: Los Angeles & Orange County

- Get a speaker listing in our paid listing service since 1992.  We bring speakers and experts together with audiences. Read more

-  We can write your promotional materials which include: a speaker listing, call for proposals, speaker/author one-sheets, media profile, your bio and introduction with team members. See list and descriptions

-  Branding, Presentation, Media Training with team members.

- Private One on One Marketing Consultations with Susan Levin.

For a complimentary 20 minute conversation & or review e mail Susan Levin at susan@speakerservices.com  for an appointment.  Allow me to put together a customized program just for you.

TWEETS & BLOG POSTS OF INTEREST

- Amazon Continues to Disintermediate Publishers – BusinessWeek http://buswk.co/o5uRd0 via @BW

- Join us for Websites that Sell 4 Experts, Authors, Speakers teleclass interview w Kriste Rimmele 9/26, http://t.co/olPwK2b2

- Google+ Now Available to Everyone, Adds Search Functionality more via @HubSpot

- @donnagunter Article Marketing: 7 Steps to a Great Author Resource Box That Drives Targeted Tra.. t.co/T1QghDxe always great info

- “Everything in your life is there as a vehicle ⁰for your transformation. Use it!” – Ram Dass

- Blog post: The Point of Humor http://bit.ly/plvEMX Humor relaxes the audience, breaks the tension& creates an opening.

Susan Levin, Speaker Services, 310-822-4922

Speakers, Authors, Consultants, Coaches,
Experts, Entrepreneurs, CEO’s

Gain Credibility, Boost Your Visibility And
Get More Clients By Talking Up Your Business

These days, if you’re a would-be speaker, a business hotshot, an entrepreneur or a network marketer; if you have a product, service or about-to-be-realized dream; you absolutely need to be speaking about it, do seminars & workshops about… you need a kick-butt website, you need to blog about, to social network about, to get great publicity about — and you definitely need to know all the up-to-the-minute marketing tricks!

In short: to truly make a lasting impact, you need to be a media maven: a compelling presenter…a website wizard…a publicity hound…a master marketer.

• FIND the niche that suits your passion and skills — and what’s uniquely marketable about your mission
• PRODUCE presentations that captivate and attract attention…motivate action and get results
• LEARN marketing secrets and strategies to show you how to attract and reach your ideal clients
• IMPLEMENT the latest technologies: social media, blogging, mobile marketing, video, YouTube to boost your visibility
• MASTER the art of speaking and selling with intention

Talk Up Your Business brings together four state of the art experts in their respective fields:

Susan Levin, Jack Barnard, Ursula Mentjes, Jean-Noel Bassior

Date:  Monday, October 17, 9am-6pm, Venice, CA
Investment $99, Seating Limited

See program and registration at
http://www.speakerservices.com/talkupyourbizla

A Speaker Services Production

September 2011 E-Zine

Marketing & Training Services since 1992

Speaker Services http://www.speakerservices.com

In this issue
- Note from Susan Levin
- Meet our featured speakers & authors
- Tips and Advice
- Teleclasses & Workshops
- Tweets & Blog Posts of interest

Today I am sharing with you new reports about the meeting attendees that several of my colleagues posted in their blog or e-zine.  Also be sure to read tweets and blogs of interest as there are many interesting items ie: 17 Things Marketers Should Delete From Their Facebook Strategy NOW.

I am wondering Are you talking up your business?   Speaking is the fastest path to more clients, more credibility and more business.  As an author, consultant, coach, service professional or entrepreneur, speaking establishes your expertise, while marketing you at the same time.

But how do you get those speaking gigs? What do you need to have in place to get meeting planners to book you? How do you create a compelling message that you can adapt to any audience, lengthen or shorten at will and create a huge impact? How do you create massive visibility from your speaking gigs and leverage this publicity into more leads and more clients?

Whether you are new to speaking or are an expert with multiple speaking engagements under your belt, there are ways to profit from speaking that you probably have not even considered.

There are so many moving parts and angles that you have to master.

You can find the answers at the Los Angeles Talk Up Your Business, Master the Message, Master the Marketing on Monday, October 17

See the website and the program and sign up now as the seating is limited and it is only $99. http://www.speakerservices.com/talkupyourbizla

The Improv group led by jack Barnard finished their class with a performance.  Friends and family members had a great time.  In this photo is Ryan Jackson, Norah Edelstein and Raj Sharma doing a scene.

Enjoy the holiday weekend.  I hope you have some fun activities planned.

Speak your Way to More Business.

Susan Levin
Speaker Services
susan@speakerservices.com
310-822-4922 PT

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FEATURED SPEAKERS & AUTHORS FOR SEPTEMBER 2011

Click on name for full description and contact information.

	Michael Hingson — San Francisco, Nationwide, International Blind sales executive and Guide-dog user who survived 9-11 reflects on trust, teamwork, ethics, diversity, animal-human bonds, and human values. Topics: 9-11, Diversity, Motivational, Team Building
	Devin C. Hughes — San Diego, CA Coach, trainer and former athlete shows how to conquer the sense of alienation called “The Isolation Syndrome” and get your life back. Topics: Bullying, Cultural Diversity, Learning Disorders, Motivational, Parenting and Children
	Brenda Lane-Oliver — Maryland, Nationwide Performance coach/author reveals how to bring out the best in teams, managers and employees and shows women how to move up the career ladder with passion, dignity and determination. Topics: Leadership, Marketing, Success, Women’s Issues
	Susan Levin — Los Angeles Susan Levin specializes in helping business people attract a steady stream of ideal clients by marketing their business and income through speaking. Topics: Business Building, Business Opportunities, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Speaker Marketing
	Ursula Mentjes — Anaheim, S. CA Certified NLP Coach, author and sales expert Ursula Mentjes offers mindset shifts and strategies to make selling easy and significantly increase sales. Topics: Business Building, Entrepreneurship, Goal Setting, Sales
	Lawrence Polsky — New Jersey, Nationwide Executive coach reveals practical ways to energize you and your team as you face new challenges filled with conflict and change. Topics: Change, Conflict Resolution, Leadership, Team Building
	Jothy Rosenberg — New England, Nationwide Author, extreme athlete, entrepreneur and two-time cancer survivor empowers others to say “I CAN” in the face of major challenges. Topics: Disabilities, Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Inspirational, Motivational, Success
	Kathryn Tull, MFT — Los Angeles Relationship specialist, therapist and trainer offers powerful techniques that help you feel heard and appreciated as you boost self-worth, honor your past, and reclaim your power in the present. Topics: Abuse, Family, Motivational, Personal Development, Relationships
	Christy Waters, RN, BSN, MA, CLNC — Los Angeles Registered Nurse and Certified Legal Nurse Consultant (CLNC) with pharmaceutical background shows legal professionals how to review medical data so you can decide if a case is worth your time and effort. Topics: Health Care Business, Legal, Medical & Nursing Malpractice

SEE ALL SPEAKERS

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TIPS AND ADVICE

- New Report About Meeting Attendees

Vickie Sullivan  www.sullivanspeaker.com

Do you think virtual attendees  those who attend conferences from the comfort of their cubicle multi-task more than the audience you speak to right in front of you? Nope everyone (over 80%) is checking their email during your presentation, according to this fascinating study about meeting attendees both virtually and face-to-face.

Conducted in May by PCMA (Professional Conference Management Association), so this data is pretty fresh.  Most interesting finding:  the different motivations between virtual and physical attendees.  The former signs on for the value of the content (97%) and ease of use (90%).  The latter gets on a plane to meet with the speakers and colleagues (68%) and to meet more customers and prospects (56%).  And everyone (over 80%) seems very comfortable networking with strangers both online and off.  (Thank you, social media!)

Pay attention to this finding content marketing and distribution needs are not being met.  Distribution on all devices yes, that means smart phones is now expected. Getting information before, during, and after the event is important to both types of attendees.  Content is still king; the demands for searchability and availability are a given.  And we are not just talking white papers either.  Videos and other interactive formats make a difference.

As experts who speak, we always want to know more about our audiences.  This report is a treasure trove of cool information.  Click here to get the report (sign in is required).

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Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy Convention Industry Council

- Mary McKay, turnkeyspeaker.com

You will be interested to know that the Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy Convention Industry Council 2011 just reported last week that 205 million people attend 1.8 million meetings a year in the U.S.  And as Meetings & Conventions reported last year, planners say that motivational messages are among the most appropriate keynote categories: of the 116 meeting planners who responded, 69 % say that an uplifting speech is highly appropriate followed by the second highest category, industry related topics at 62%.  They also reported that while 15% of respondents do not pay their keynote speakers, 28% budget less than $5,000 and at the high end of the spectrum, 3% can pay more than $50,000 for a top name.

They also reported that word of mouth if the prevailing method of finding speakers.  There is only one way that you can become word of mouth.  And that is if someone hears you and recommends you.  So those free gigs you are doing right now can make a big difference.

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- Approaching prospects — Ron Katz

I have been doing a consulting gig on the other side of the desk for the past couple of months and amazed at how many bad pitches I have received from speakers, trainers, and other assorted presenters. Most of the worst ones are all about the wonderful things the presenter can do with little or no effort made to find out what the organization I am working with needs. In other words, it is all about them. Remember to do your homework, find out what your target might need, and then sell them on the benefit of hiring you. No one is going to hire you because it is good for you. One person actually had the nerve to tell me he had  work for less than his usual fee because he really needs the work right now. You will only get the work if the target organization can see how it will benefit them

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- Authors Who Visit Book Clubs

Bill Harrison  Reporter Connection  http://www.reporterconnection.com

GalleyCat has created a new way to connect book clubs with authors who want to visit them in-person, by phone or via Skype video. It’s called, quite simply, “Authors Who Visit Book Clubs.” The directory already has more than 300 authors and can be found here. Want to add your name? Go to GalleyCat’s Facebook page to sign up for free.

You’ll probably find the real payoff from such appearances won’t be in the number of books you sell, but rather the chance to connect with your fans and get valuable feedback. For instance, Jim Collins decided to write Good to Great, a business bestseller which has sold over 4 million copies, after dinner with a reader of his previous bestseller Built to Last.
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-  7 Things Marketers Should Delete From Their Facebook Strategy NOW from HubSpot Blog

What to Axe From Your Facebook Marketing Strategy

1. A Business “Profile,” Not a Page: First things first. Before you even think about anything else, know this: businesses have Pages, people have Profiles. If you haven’t already, create a Facebook Page for your business immediately. If you’ve already set up a Profile, Facebook enables you to convert it into a Page. Pages are specifically built for companies, brands, and organizations, and they provide all the right functionality (e.g. generating fans) for your business’ Facebook presence.

2. A Lengthy Page URL: So now you have a Page. What comes with it is this really long, unidentifiable, impossible-to-remember URL. Make it easy to communicate your Facebook presence to others by creating a vanity URL and username that’s easy to remember and share. For example, HubSpot’s Facebook Page URL is http://www.facebook.com/hubspot. (Note: Once your vanity URL is set, Facebook doesn’t let you change it, so make it count!) Read more

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- The Ultimate Google+ Cheat Sheet
hubspot.com

Google+ is growing like crazy. In fact, it is the fastest growing social network ever. Just as with any other social network, marketers have a lot to learn and do. So we thought we would invest some time into making your life easier. In this post, we’ve compiled the best content about Google+ from all across the web. Use it to learn how to leverage Google+ for both business and personal uses.

Google+ Vocabulary: Quick Reference Glossary

Stream:  the list of messages that is displayed on the Google+ home screen and for each Circle of contacts

Hangout:  a platform for group video chatting and collaboration that is used by Google+ members

Circle:  the method of organizing connections into groups for more targeted sharing and better privacy

Google Profile:  your personal home on Google+, which allows you to share interesting, work experiences, personal information, and much more

Sparks:  the magazine of Google+, which bring together information on a topic for easy viewing. Enter a keyword, and see public Google+ posts on that topic.
Read more:

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SEPTEMBER  TELELCLASSES
SPEAKERS COMMUNITY

Teleclasses FREE for Speakers Community Members. Join now and get  2 months complimentary
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September 15,  3 Steps to Success: Niche Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Speaking Business Profitably, Susan Friedman, CSP

In this dynamic and high-content session, you will learn a unique 3-Step Riches in Niches Success Formula to build your speaking business faster and with less frustration. This practical framework of powerful, proven, and simple-to-use success strategies, makes it easier for you to find and cash in the right niche market for your business.

Join Susan Friedmann, The NichePreneur Coach, to discover simple steps to success to grow your speaking business profitably.  Read more/register

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September 26, Websites that Sell for Experts, Authors, Speakers, Kriste Rimmele

Learn proven strategies to help you effortlessly attract customers, get more leads, and command higher fees.

Discover:

-  5 tips to help you skyrocket the profits on your website

-   How to build an effective speaker website that gets you booked

-   How to build a personal brand that makes you unforgettable.

Kristie Rimmele knows first-hand how to build massive publicity and sales online.  She is the found of Webmomz.com, a community for work at home moms, president of Branding on the Net, and author of several books including I Love My Life: A Moms Guide to Working from Home. Read more/register

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WORKSHOPS IN LA & ORANGE COUNTY

Monday, October 17, Talk Up Your Business, Master the Message, Master the Marketing Workshop, Los Angeles

Jack Barnard, Susan Levin, Ursula Mentjes, Jean-Noel Bassior

SPEAKERS, AUTHORS, EXPERTS, COACHES, CONSULTANTS

Gain Credibility, Boost Your Visibility & Get More Clients by Talking Up Your Business

If you are a would-be speaker, a business hotshot, an entrepreneur or a network marketer; if you have a product, service or about-to-be-realized dream; you absolutely need to be speaking about it, do seminars & workshops about  you need a kick-butt website, you need to blog about, to social network about, to get great publicity about — and you definitely need to know all the up-to-the-minute marketing tricks!

In short: to truly make a lasting impact, you need to be a media maven: a compelling presenter…a website wizard…a publicity hound…a master marketer.

GREAT, practical advice and training, energizing and inspirational presenters from whom I learned a great deal.  Strategies I know I’ll use over and over.  Thanks to Susan and Jack for a weekend that left me confident and prepared!
- Melinda Bates, Author, Clintonista, A White House Memoir

See the program and register

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Saturday, October 29,  Market Yourself as a Speaker, Susan Levin

Are you a seasoned expert with years of advice and experience to pass along? Whether you are an executive, educator or salesperson you could be missing out on an important source of your income: THE SPEAKING CIRCUIT.

The information, techniques and tools that you’ll receive from attending Market Yourself as a Speaker are essential to building your speaking business.

Market Yourself as a Speaker workshop is the dash track to making the changes necessary to reach your target market.
- Suzanne Takowsky, Beverly Hills Times Magazine

Learn more and register

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Monday, November 7,  Speak Your Way to More Clients, Capistrano Beach, Ursula Mentjes and Susan Levin

Speak Your Way to More Clients was packed with tricks of the speaking trade.  Following the examples provided during the workshop will be vital to making my next speaking engagement a great success!,  Carleen Paul, Skills for Success Reading Center

Establish yourself as an Expert through speaking  a powerful marketing tool that lifts your business or service to the next level. Begin now to build a profitable speaking business that gets your message out to the world!

- The Tools to Establish Yourself as the Expert in your Industry
- Generate List Building Systems to stay in front of your Prospects and Clients
- Proven Strategies to Land more Speaking Engagements
- Discover the Problem that you Solve for your Clients and the best way to Communicate it to the Decision Maker
- Create your Top 25 Target Client List and more
Read more/register

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Tweets of interest

- 10 Reasons Why an Online Speaker Kit Gets Meeting Planners to Book You! http://bit.ly/r5AU40 so what do you speak about?

- I luv my AudioAcrobat http://bit.ly/pDSQ6J do you use it? If not check it out. My favorite resource.

- Resources 4 speakers, experts & authors Blog: hundreds of posts http://speakerscommunity.com/blog & videos Utube Channel http://tinyurl.com/2e3dzjm Rock on!

- Get Booked on Radio Talk Shows http://bit.ly/p0oRIv Alex Carroll shows you how to Get Rich & Become Famous Being A Guest on Big Radio Shows

- Do you have an mp3 library? Favorite resource for speakers/authors. Hundreds of interviews, 60 days free. Join now http://www.speakerscommunity.com

- 17 Things Marketers Should Delete From Their Facebook Strategy NOW http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23603/17-Things-Marketers-Should-Delete-From-Their-Facebook-Strategy-NOW.aspx via @HubSpot

-ASU LEARNING: University bringing more speakers to campus and community http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/aug/29/asu-bringing-more-speakers-to-campus-and/

-The Ultimate Google+ Cheat Sheet http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23765/The-Ultimate-Google-Cheat-Sheet.aspx via @HubSpot

- Interesting article about Groupon http://www.smallbusinessnewz.com/topnews/2011/08/29/daily-deals-groupon-down-livingsocial-up-facebook-out

August 2011 E-Zine

Marketing & Training Services since 1992

Speaker Services: http://www.speakerservices.com

In this issue:

- A note from Susan Levin

- News from our speakers and colleagues

- Teleclasses & Workshops

- Tweets and Blog Post of Interest

This past week I had the pleasure of teaching Speak Your Way to More Clients with my colleague Ursula Menjtes.  We also had the pleasure of coaching a client from Colorado for three days in person who you will be hearing about in a few months as soon as we complete his branding and speaker listing.  As a marketing consultant for speakers, authors and experts I am always talking about the need to have promotional marketing materials.  I am sure you have heard me say speaking is a business and it is essential to have well written materials. So if you are not getting the media attention you deserve or attracting new clients or not getting speaking gigs it could be your promo materials.

Speaker Services team can assist you with speaker proposals, one sheets, bio’s, interview questions, press releases and more.  I have posted the services on our blog along with a description of each item see http://bit.ly/qIRbHL We are offering complimentary intakes with a suggested plans of action.  E-mail me susan@speakerservices.com if you would like a session.  You may also be interested in reading 10 Reasons Why an Online Speaker Kit Gets Meeting Planners to Book You! http://bit.ly/nfNRqf

If you are in Los Angeles you could attend Market Yourself as a Speaker Workshop on 8/13 where you will learn about professional promotional materials from me.  See details

Are you doing anything for fun this summer?  Jack Barnard, our master branding. media & presentation coach along with 15 folks are.  What exactly are they doing you ask?  They are in a 5 part Inspired Improvisation class learning how to get out of their head and into their bodies and to think on their feet.  Lots of belly laughter the first evening. The last evening 8/29 is a performance and you are invited to attend complimentary.  It is in Venice, CA.  E-mail me for the information and if you are interested in attending or for the next series.

As you may know we are going to Atlanta on Sept 30 and Oct 1 for Talk Up Your Business Workshop.  On August 11, I am offering a free teleclass preview with our speakers on Talk Up Your Business.  You can meet Daphne Bousquet, Rick Frishman, Jack Barnard & Susan Levin, register here

In Atlanta see workshop info http://www.speakerservices.com/talkupyourbiz . Psst there is an early registration fee by 8/30 of $147.  We have had many requests from out West Coast peeps to offer a similar workshop in Los Angeles and I am working on it as I write and will be announcing the date soon.

Speak Your Way to More Business

Susan Levin

Speaker Services, susan@speakerservices.com

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Welcome to our new speaker for August 2011

Devin C. Hughes is a Coach, trainer and former athlete shows how to conquer the sense of alienation called “The Isolation Syndrome” and get your life back.
Bullying, Cultural Diversity, Learning Disorders, Motivational, Parenting and Children

See all speakers and authors

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Speakers’ Community Membership Club

Teleclasses are complimentary for members of the Speakers Community  join now 60 days free

Wednesday, August 24

Heartfelt Marketing: Allowing the Universe to Be Your Business Partner interview with Jacquie Jordan teleclass

Once again Jacquie Jordan does an excellent job of telling how it is. Anyone who is interested in the marketing field no longer has to experience sleepless nights, fear and anxiety. What you need is here in “Heartfelt Marketing”. Jacquie knows what she’s talking about.   Learn more and register.
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WORKSHOPS in LA & Atlanta

Friday & Saturday, September 30 and October 1

ATLANTA-  Talk Up Your Business, Master the Message, Master the Marketing

Speakers, Authors, Consultants, Coaches, Experts, Entrepreneurs, CEO’s

If you’re a would-be speaker, a business hotshot, an entrepreneur or a network marketer; if you have a product, service or about-to-be-realized dream; you absolutely need to be speaking about it, do seminars & workshops about… you need a kick-butt website, you need to blog about, to social network about, to get great publicity about — and you definitely need to know all the up-to-the-minute marketing tricks!

In short: to truly make a lasting impact, you need to be a media maven: a compelling presenter…a website wizard…a publicity hound…a master marketer.

See the program and register.  Early registration ends 8/30. $147 for 2 days.

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New workshop:  Monday, October 17 in Venice, CA

Charisma: Great Leaders Have It Workshop

For Executives, Coaches, Entrepreneurs, Speakers

Led  by Jack Barnard, Susan Levin and Tony Perez

Charisma: a strong personal quality that makes other people like you and be attracted to you.  Macmillan Dictionary

Charisma: a personal magic of leadership arousing special loyalty or enthusiasm. Merriam-Webster

Read more

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NEWS From OUR SPEAKERS & COLLEAGUES

See Jean-Noel Bassior’s video and write up in Day In The Life: Executive Chef at Westwood’s W Hotel – Westwood-Century City, http://t.co/XzdZcO9

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Story On Biking: the amazing story of Jothy Rosenberg http://t.co/ANRSk0p
Jothy is an author, speaker and extreme athlete, entrepreneur and two-time cancer survivor empowers others to say “I CAN” in the face of major challenges. He speaks about Disabilities, Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Inspirational, Motivational, Success see his speaker listing http://bit.ly/nphM9F

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Speaker and author Helaine Harris shares:
I am thrilled to invite you to register for a FREE Teleseminar series specifically designed for folks who want more love and abundance in their lives. It’s called the Activate Amazing Prosperity with Heart Energy! You will hear from 13 experts, authors and speakers in activating your heart and power centers to attract amazing abundance. Do you feel like you’re doing something WRONG?  No matter how hard you try and or whatever new thing you do, you don’t have enough money?  That is all about to change http://www.hzharris.com/telesummit

Helaine is a leading-edge coach and therapist reveals deep connection between love and abundance, shows how to attract clients and customers who appreciate you, and how to access your inner wisdom to fulfill your life purpose.  See Helaine’s speaker listing http://bit.ly/p7KCtT

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Bill Harrison wrote, Simon & Schuster reports that, in its first week, Jaycee Dugards’s memoir, A Stolen Life, sold approximately 700,000 copies. On the very first day it was published, Jaycee’s book sold 175,000 copies – & almost 100,000 were e-books. That’s an e-book record. What are you doing to tap the e-reader market?

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Lessons, Tips, Laughs and Gasps from ‘Shedding the Corporate Bitch’ by Bernadette Boas

Bernadette Boas Author, Speaker, Radio Personality, Change Agent, Brand Maker – Shedding the Bitch, Raising Capital – ASK ME

Have you encountered a bully or nasty boss, or an aggressive team member in the office… even at home? Have you ever wondered what motivates them to be who they are? 

For twenty-five years, I was that corporate bully, and now am thrilled to announce that my first book, Shedding the Corporate Bitch, has just been published on August 1. 

It’s my apology to all of the road kill that I left behind, while it also educates those afflicted by those nasty people about what causes them to lash out and create a challenging work environment. 

Now available everywhere, my personal story provides insights into the successes, failures, lessons learned, influences, and overall impact that my professional persona (Corporate Bitch) had on my career. 

 

Available now at your local bookstore, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, and online at www.sheddingthecorporatebitch.com where you can also get a free autographed copy!!

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Who says complimentary speaking does not turn into paid gigs?

“I got a free gig from Speaker Services for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and after the presentation last week in Palm Springs, they contracted me to do four 50 min. tele-coaching sessions as a follow up. I didn’t have to submit a proposal or even negotiate—and I’m getting $2500! Also, they are interested in me for several other training/facilitating opportunities—woohoo!.” – Nan Vaughn, Speaker/ Author. See Nan’s Speaker listing

Want what Nan has? Our service has been connecting speakers, coaches, experts and authors together with audiences since 1992. http://www.speakerservices.com

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Pat Mussieux writes Any opportunity to speak is a gift, as far as I am concerned. It’s a chance to get your message out, to transform lives, to practice your presentation/skills, etc. – the critical piece is to ensure it is your ideal audience! And the critical piece is definitely ‘seeding’ throughout your presentation – and follow-up! Follow-up! Follow-up!

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Dr. Carole Lieberman weighs in on KTLA TV on Casey Anthony case http://t.co/W98oGHT .

Dr. Carole is the go-to guest for Oprah, Larry King, Katie Couric, Bill O’Reilly, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, CNN, Fox News, BBC, and other major media outlets when they need expert insight into the top news stories of the day or how to deal with life’s ups and downs. See Carole’s speaker listing

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SEE WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR SERVICES

Susan Levin is a great mentor with great experience to share 
and a great heart to match! – Melissa Evans, Guru of Implementation

Susan provides a toolbox of services and experts for the business person or author who wants to develop a revenue stream from speaking engagements. I used both her training and directory and more than doubled my speaking revenue in less than 90 days.”
- Betty LaMarr, Executive Coach, Speaker

I really appreciate Susan Levin, she is intelligent, practical & a very nice person & offers solid advice about the speaking industry. She has great information on her website and is very professional. She really has a passion for the speaking industry & is not just in business for the money. I do not hesitate to recommend her. – Tiffany Bradshaw, Bradshaw & Co. Business Consulting

Get a speaker listing with Speaker Services and connect with audiences who want to hear your message: Learn more.
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TWEETS AND BLOG POSTS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN:

- Learn marketing secrets & strategies that attract your ideal clients speakerservices.com/talkupyourbiz/ Atlanta 9/30 & 10/1 get your seat now

- Blog Discover how to secure your income for the rest of the year.The Top Item To Sell At Your Workshop @daphnebousquet http://t.co/lBAdvmA

- Check this video out — Susan Levin, What Meeting Planners are looking for in speakers http://t.co/YfDoEew Various formats for presenting.

- 15 Tips to Conquer Fear of Public Speaking: http://t.co/20D0Hx0 @dianediresta

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Follow us on

Twitter: http://twitter.com/speakerservices
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susan.levin
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanlevin
Read the Blog http://speakerscommunity.com/blog
SpeakerServices Utube Channel http://tinyurl.com/2e3dzjm

Sat, April 9

Market Your Business with Social Networking Workshop, Susan Levin, $99

Interactive hands on workshop designed for busy, smart people who feel they “should” be active in the social media marketing revolution, but they also feel like they’ve missed the boat.

Well, it’s not too late, you can catch up. Learn the basics you need in just a few short hours.

Don’t get left behind.

LEARN MORE: http://t.co/b4WMNt2
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Sat, April 16

Prospecting, Marketing & Landing Speaking Engagements, Susan Levin also offered as a 4 part Teleclass/Webinar series 4/14-5/5. $197
Getting speaking gigs can be a mysterious and frustrating process, particularly if you don’t have much experience.

Decision-makers today are busier than ever and difficult to find. Gatekeepers screen calls, spam filters trap emails and voice mail blocks access.

LEARN MORE: http://t.co/e2Zjti6

Sat, April 30

Market Yourself as a Speaker, Susan Levin, $125

Are you a seasoned expert with years of advice and experience to pass along? Whether you are an executive, educator or salesperson you could be missing out on an important source of your income: THE SPEAKING CIRCUIT.

The information, techniques and tools that you’ll receive from attending Market Yourself as a Speaker are essential to building your speaking business.

LEARN MORE: http://t.co/bj7FMCb
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Sat, May 7

Low Cost Ways to Convert Your Expertise into Creative, Easily Implemented Information Products & Services Workshop, Susan Levin & Guests  $125

Got content?  Want to earn more from your expertise?  You will walk out of the workshop with a product in place and ideas on how to create at least 20 more products from just one product.

LEARN MORE: http://t.co/2s0gGyv
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Upcoming Save the Dates:

May 20

Speak your Way to More Clients, Susan Levin & Ursula Mentjes

Capistrano Beach, CA

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June 11

Speakers Summit in Atlanta

SPEAKER SERVICES
Susan Levin, 310-822-4922, susan@speakerservices.com

One of the biggest questions I get asked is:  How do I find paid speaking engagements?

SPEAKING IS A BUSINESS and there are many moving parts to the business and there is no short answer to the question.

If you are committed and passionate about your area of expertise and want to earn money as a speaker I will teach you.

Teleclass Series, 4 Thursdays, April 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2011 or One day Workshop in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 16, 2011 I am passionate about sharing my knowledge. My hourly rate is $250 an hour and I am offering you the information for only $197.

Okay here’s the information see for yourself if it resonates with you.

Getting speaking gigs can be a mysterious and frustrating process, particularly if you don’t have much experience. Decision-makers today are busier than ever and difficult to find. Gatekeepers screen calls, spam filters trap emails and voice mail blocks access.

Here is what I will be covering how to:

- Identify your target market

- Discover the problem that you solve for your clients and the best way to communicate it to the decision maker

There’s no point in being a fine marketer until you have expertise to offer. And your expertise has gotta be in a specific niche. A niche where folks with cash in their jeans recognize your value and are willing to invest in what you alone know. Here’s how to select your niche: identify the topic or issue in which you’re willing to do endless and ongoing research for a market with the means to pay you. – Burt Dubin

- Prepare a speaker/author presentation package which includes a one sheet overview that shares the benefits of hiring you and gets you booked

- Design an effective speaker website that gives a meeting planner everything they need to decide that you are the perfect speaker for their event

- Understand how decision makers decide who gets onstage

- Tips and strategies to show you how to attract and reach prospects

- Develop a voice mail message that gets your call returned

- Generate questions that will sustain the interest of the decision maker and move them to action to hire you - , organizations colleges and meetings and key contact people that work with your specific area of expertise.

- Learn to respond an effective response for a call for speaking proposals

- Top ways to make money public speaking

- Set fees and write contracts

- Explore directories that are published with lists of all the paying markets within a niche

-  Implement social media marketing concepts and establish relationships that boosts your visibility

- Understand how publicity and media can lead to speaking engagements Critical Elements of producing a speakers’ video demo

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REGISTER FOR 4 PART TELECLASS SERIES beginning 4/14-5/5 http://t.co/e2Zjti6

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REGISTER FOR 1 DAY WORKSHOP IN LA 4/16

http://t.co/e2Zjti6 _

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ABOUT SUSAN LEVIN Susan Levin is the owner of Speaker Services. Her company markets, trains and connects professionals with audiences through the online directory www.speakerservices.com. She is a speaker, workshop leader and a marketing strategist.  Her expertise includes: speaker marketing materials, lead generation, building and boosting an online and social media presence, creating speaker products and creating multiple streams of income.

Susan has worked with hundreds of business folks, entrepreneurs, experts, speakers, authors and coaches since 1992. Her advice and marketing strategies are guaranteed to dramatically increase your income and success in speaking and marketing.

What Clients are Saying:

Susan Levin is an expert in the field of Speaking and Training and has truly helped me launch my speaking career. In addition, she has connected me with phenomenal speaking opportunities and wants to see all of her clients and business associates succeed. I highly recommend Susan and her company,  Speaker Services!                                                                                                                        – Ursula Mentjes,  Author, Speaker

Susan Levin is the Holy Grail for speakers, whether they are just beginning or already making good money. She offers training in everything you need to know: putting your presentation together, writing a book, getting speaking leads and especially how to market yourself in the most current ways, including video and social media. She’s made a huge difference in my speaking career and in the fees I make from speaking, and I can’t recommend her highly enough. – Barbara Niven , Actress, Speaker and Presentation Coach

See short video marketing tip on how PR can land you speaking engagements

Invite from Susan Levin

COMPLIMENTARY

YOU…THE STAR!!! SPEAK-WRITE-MARKET MINI SUMMIT & VIDEO DEMO SHOWCASE In Los Angeles

Sunday, Sept.26, 9:30am-5pm   $FREE  Register Now

In this day and age, to truly make a lasting impact, you need to be a media conglomerate: a compelling speaker…a credible author…a believable video performer…a master marketer.

In “YOU…THE STAR!!!” you will learn — from acknowledged experts in their respective fields — the ins and outs, the secrets and strategies for being a multi-faceted media personality.

Regardless of profession, everyone is an expert in their field and this event is a perfect opportunity to turn your expertise into a successful business; to master the game of speaking, to navigate the latest technology, and learn exciting new strategies for producing active and passive income.

THE PROMISE OF “YOU…THE STAR!!!”

- EARN why the magic of speaking is invisible

- POLISH your performance, presentation and communication skills, no matter what field you are in

- TRICKS to sharing your passion & excitement that translate into action and sales

- WITNESS a live video demo shoot

- DISCOVER why a speaker video demo is the ultimate calling card

- GET the #1 secret so you can “play” on camera – it’s the magic secret sauce that brings you $$S!

- LEVERAGE videos into your marketing campaign and convert visitors into customers

- EXPLORE self-publishing vs mainstream publishing

- CREATE time to write your book

- TURN your content into cash

- FIND out how event producers decide who gets booked

- UNCOVER what’s uniquely marketable about you and your mission

- MASTER Social Media, Blogs, Article Writing, Teleseminars, UTube

PRESENTERS:
Jack Barnard is a master presentation & branding coach, a media trainer & writer: a true maverick in the business. He works with speakers, authors & entrepreneurs, both one-on-one and in groups. His original method emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual, focusing on the permission to bring forth one’s distinctive style.

Susan Levin is owner & founder of Speaker Services. Susan is an International Marketing Consultant for speakers & authors. Her company offers marketing & training services & video production service.

Jean-Noel Bassior is a book coach & journalist who specializes in celebrity interviews. She is the author of Space Patrol: Missions of Daring in the Name of Early Television published by McFarland.

Barbara Niven is an Actress, Speaker and Performance Coach.  Barbara is in demand as a Performance Coach for actors, hosts, speakers & executives. In her studio she videotapes sessions for instant replay & feedback.

Location:  Marina del Rey, 9:30am-5pm

When you register you will receive the address and location.

REGISTER NOW

Post by Vickie Sullivan contributing editor of Rain Today

In these days of free webinars, free speaking, even free projects to “build the relationship,” buyers have plenty of opportunities to discover your value. They take that content and either 1) file you under “not a good fit” and move on, 2) keep in touch to pick up more free stuff, or 3) pick up the phone and call you with their latest challenge.

How do they decide who is a “go-to” person and who has nice ideas but aren’t worth paying for? One word: relevance. Let’s explore these three comparisons buyers use to separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves. Buyers use these filters to decide who is relevant now and who can wait for next year’s budget.

Your Priority

Most of you are pretty good about being clear on what you do. Once buyers know your offer, two questions determine if they need to act now. The first question they ask themselves: will your expertise help them with something they know they need right now? Will you help them get something they already covet? You must be a conduit for something they already want badly.

How to Beat the Competition Changing Your Position to Beat the Competition Tap into Buyers’ Emotions and You’ll Win More Clients Selling Ideas: How Ideas Can Transform Non-Buyers into Clients

Here’s an example: one of my Turbo Charge clients is a best-selling author who wanted to expand his brand into a new area. He wrote another book that publishers wanted so badly that they started a bidding war. Why did the winning publisher fight for that book? Because they wanted to expand into business books and they saw my client’s project as the conduit to make that happen. Yes, they liked the author’s brand, but they also saw what the book could do for the CEO’s top priority. So before writing that article, ask yourself this: what do the decision makers already covet and how can your expertise help them get that?

The second question buyers ask themselves: is solving the problem worth this price point? Here’s where your fee strategy really plays a role. Your investment forces buyers to explore what the solution is worth to them. And they compare your fee with what else they can do with the money. Even in this recovery, there’s a lot of competition for the same pot of dollars.

I’ll use myself as an example. I just heard from a prospective client that she’s weighing two options: working with me or hiring staff. Isn’t that interesting? My competition isn’t other brand consultants—it’s administrative help. In the got-to-have space, your competition is not only other experts; it’s also other priorities. Everyone has more things to do than money to spend. This is why the got-to-have experts position their focus as a conduit for something bigger than themselves.

Your Scarcity

The second thing buyers do to determine whether they must have your services is compare your expertise with theirs. There are two assessments buyers make that can put you into nice-to-have status. First comparison: our insights vs. what they already know. I call this the invisible Vulcan mind meld. Decision makers invest in what they don’t already have. So the question buyers ask themselves is do you know something they don’t?

Must-have experts show the market that they have something not readily available. Many talented, nice-to-have folks focus on the clever title or analogy. Buyers see right through that. They are looking at the insight, the point you are making. The analogy, the story, and the cleverness make your point come alive. If your writing is better than your insights, you are a nice read but not worth reaching out to. If you give a speech and hear, “Hey, nice reminder of what I already knew,” you failed the invisible Vulcan mind meld and are in the nice-to-have category.

After passing that test, buyers make a second comparison: your high-end services vs. information they don’t have but can easily get from you. The second bias—all things being “good enough,” the low-cost or free route will prevail. Notice what I didn’t say: equal. Even if you are better than the free resources you provide, even when prospects have a budget, buyers want to make sure they are getting the best option for their money. So another question they ask is can they get your insights from other free sources such as your book or white papers on your website? Is that “good enough” help for them?

This economy has created a lot of free and low-cost education. And it’s good stuff. A must-have expert provides high-quality content but always leaves the impression that “there’s more where that came from.” My favorite example of this strategy is Steven Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics. His way of thinking appeals to so many situations that folks can’t get enough of him. And yet everyone knows that if they want their situation examined, they have to pay him his fees.

Your Approach

The third thing buyers look for is agreement. Before hiring you, even before talking to you, buyers want to get a sense of your approach and the way you think. The question they ask themselves: do they agree with your world view? They want to know this because they plan to implement your recommendations.

Think about it: we facilitate change, and change is confronting at the very least. Clients are willing to go on that journey with us as long as we don’t throw them under the bus. And that’s what buyers are really afraid of. They want to make sure your solutions won’t create too much brain damage. Your approach is their early-warning system.

And just saying your solutions are easy won’t cut it. Buyers are now in what I call “discovery” mode. They credit you with any discoveries they make about themselves while reading your material or hearing you speak. They believe their opinions about you more than they believe what you say.

No More Spaghetti on the Wall

The days of just getting your insights or story out there and hoping for the best are over. In this noisy marketplace, either you are relevant or you are ignored. When we tap into the three things that buyers look for—priority, comparisons, and agreement in approach—not only will we get attention, but we will get the incoming emails and calls, too. And isn’t that the whole point of getting our message out there?

Wendy Weiss, The Queen of Cold Calling

The first rule in “Naming Your Prospect” is to ask for a title not an activity. Do not ask for “the person who makes the decision to purchase….” Making the “decision to purchase…” is an activity and may get you a name, however, it will most likely be the name of someone who is involved but not in a decision-making capacity.

A better approach is to figure out what department the decision is likely made in and then find out who is the head of that department. If, for example, you know that the decision to purchase whatever you are selling is made in the Marketing Department ask for the head of the Marketing Department. This could be the senior vice president, or vice president or director. If you are calling small companies the person you want to reach is most likely the Owner

Once you have identified the appropriate title or titles(there may be variations from company to company):
1. Check the prospect company’s web site. This is the easiest way to find your prospect’s name.Thanks to the Internet, many companies today list executive and/or senior management on their web sites.

2. Ask the receptionist. Dial the company’s main number and ask the front line person who answers the line for the name of the person who has the appropriate title. Be prepared to throw out variations of that title as different companies may use different titles for the same type of position. When you are calling large companies receptionist s do not screen calls. That question, “What is this in reference to?” is actually a request for information. Keep suggesting titles until one sounds familiar to that receptionist.

3. Call the Chief Executive Officer. The theory here is that Executive Assistants know everything.Call the CEO’s office and ask the Executive Assistant for some help, “I’m wondering if you can help me.” Tell the Executive Assistant exactly what you need and she will more than likely point you in the right direction.

4. Randomly change the general switchboard number extensions. If the switchboard number is 5000, call 5001, 5002… until you reach a human being. It won’t be the right human being, but that’s ok. Once you reach a human being ask that person to help you, “I’m wondering if you can help me.” Ask, “Do you have a company directory?” When asked, most people are very happy to help.

5. The made-up name. Sometimes companies will not give out information unless you have a name. In this case, make up a name and then ask for that person. The switchboard operator will tell you there is no one there by that name. You then say, “Oh, (Made up Name) used to be the (Title). Who has taken over for her?”Many times this will work to get you the right name.

6. Ask a sales person. Call the sales department and speak with a sales person.Say, “I’m wondering if you can help me.” Sales people will understand and if they can they will help you. Tell the sales person exactly who you are trying to reach. If they do not know the correct name ask, “Do you have a directory handy?Could you look that up for me?”

7. Ask Customer Service. Customer Service is there to help. Call them and ask for help, “I’m wondering if you can help me.” Many times Customer Service can give you the information that you require. Again, if the Customer Service representative does not know the correct name ask, “Do you have a directory handy? Could you look that up for me?”

With these seven ways of naming your prospect, finding the decision-maker should never again be an issue.

Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. She is recognized as one of the leading authorities on lead generation, cold calling and new business development and she helps clients speed up their sales cycle, reach more prospects directly and generate more sales revenue. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy’s free Special Report, Getting in the Door: How to Write an Effective Cold Calling Script, at http://www.wendyweiss.com.
© 2010 Wendy Weiss

 Looking for speaking engagements? 

Speaker Services Directory brings Speakers & Authors together with audiences since 1992.
WHO QUALIFIES?

Speakers for Free: Any business person or professional practitioner who wants to increase their business base.

Speakers for Fee:  We prefer that you have a 3 camera video demo, professional photos, a press kit and a fee schedule and letters of recommendation.

Authors’ Speak: Qualified authors only. Included with your speaker listing.

Now you can reach a worldwide audience of decision makers who hire speakers and authors!

Let 6,000 meeting planners and other decision makers who hire speakers and authors know about you!

GET LISTED ONLINE NOW!

Your listing includes:  500-600 word description, photo, telephone and fax number + e-mail address + website address with link + website video demo address with link.

Listed by 3-4 categories.

Call Susan Levin to discuss your speaker/marketing needs and to get listed in Speaker Services Directory 310-822-4922 PST.

Payment Plan Available

Speakers for Free
6 months $750
12 months $1,050
Buy 6 or 12 months, get 2 months free

Speaker for Fee
6 months $900
12 months $1,250
Buy 6 or 12 months, get 2 months free

Authors’ Speak
Included with Speakers for Free or Fee listing

See what our clients are saying about our services http://www.speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html
Read the entire advertising info http://www.speakerservices.com/adv_pkt_info.html

Included with your Speaker Listing:

• Market Yourself as a Speaker Workshop in LA with Susan Levin or 1 hour private consult on phone

• Complimentary membership to the Speakers’ Community Membership Club www.speakerscommunity.com for the length of your contract

• We edit your copy for you and or write it for you for a fee

• Two slots for your videos

• Short audio recording

• Link to your Blog

E-mail as doc or pdf
• Your One Sheet

• Your pitch letter or link to Media Press Room

• Bio

Call Susan Levin to discuss your speaker/marketing needs and to get listed in Speaker Services Directory 310-822-4922 PST.  E-Mail susan@speakerservices.com for listing guidelines.

I am working on a redesign of my website.  Often people ask me, so what do you do?  So I created a short welcome video for my new home page that I am going to use.  Here’s a sneak preview.  Do you get what we offer at Speaker Services?

I believe that video is a great way to let people know who you are and that it builds trust.

Also it could become viral that is if people like it and pass it forward.

In this Issue
- Note from Susan Levin
- New & Renewing Speakers & Authors
- Tips & Advice & Resources

Subscribe to e-zine http://www.speakerservices.com/nl

Greetings,

Happy New Year. May 2010 be the best ever for you.

I had a great holiday season, lots of movies and an open open house New Years Day gathering at my home.  The photo is me on the left and my friend Paula at my party.

Welcome to our new subscribers and speakers.

Potential clients often ask me, “so what do you do”? So to be clear. Speaker Services offers marketing and training services. On the marketing side we have the online directory www.speakerservices.com that brings speakers and audiences together since 1992. We work with professional people and authors who are interested in growing their business and income through speaking. Additionally I teach speaker marketing consulting through workshops and privates sessions.

Jack Barnard is our master branding, media and presentation coach and works with our clients privately. Please feel free to call me at 310-822-4922 PT or e mail me at susan@speakerservices.com to see if I can assist you in any of your marketing and speaking needs.

You will find many tips and resources in this issue including a great post from Seth Godin talking about Is there a fear shortage? If so, I’m not seeing it.

Check out our new speakers/authors and see what they are talking about. Also see several calls for speaker proposals that I gathered for you.

Speakers’ Summit ’10 our annual event is ready for you to view. Take a look at the program. http://www.speakerservices.com/speakerssummit10/program.html

The theme is Position, Prospect, Prosper- The Road Ahead. March 12-14 in Los Angeles. We’ll be delving into Corporate Sponsorship, Getting Booked at High Schools and Colleges, Online Video Strategies, Social Media and Prospecting for Gigs plus Adam Urbanski will share how speakers can make $250,000 to $1,000,000 a year with coaching programs.

SPEAKERS/PANELISTS include: Jack Barnard, Brent Scarpo, Sabrina Gibson, Adam Urbanski, Ursula Mentjes, Susan Levin, Mitch Mortimer, Barbara Niven, Nancy Solari, Naz Keynejad, Michael McFarlane, Mark Mikelat, Deborah Deras, Keith Ivey and more.

You can listen to a 30 minute conversation with Adam and me where we are talking about how coaching can being you mucho $$. Click here to listen. While you are there you can sign up for free for the following teleclasses 1/25 Get Booked in High Schools and Colleges teleclass and 2/8 Online Video Strategies & Corporate Sponsorship

If you would like to be listed in our online directory that brings speakers and authors together with audiences since 1992. Please drop me an e mail susan@speakerservices.com or call me for the listing guidelines. See rates and perks http://www.speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html

Susan Levin
Speaker Services
310-822-4922 PT
susan@speakerservices.com

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NEW AND RENEWING SPEAKERS/AUTHORS

See all Featured Speakers for January 2010

Lisa Brisse – S. California
Exercise Physiologist/Fitness Coach inspire and empower you to make healthy lifestyle choices and reach your health and fitness goals – once and for all!
Fitness, Health, Wellness, Work/Life Balance

Dr. Cindy Brown, Author, S. California
Behavior Specialist, Executive Coach, Author shows you how to finally master your behavior, communication and relationships for personal and professional success utilizing her powerful breakthrough techniques and E.M.T.™ process.
Business Solutions, Communication, Personal Development, Relationships

Margaret Futerer Author — S. California
Survivor of polygamist upbringing shares 6-step process that helps women “get past the past,” connect with their personal power, and find their life’s purpose.
Abuse, Inspirational, Polygamy, Self Empowerment, Women’s Issues

Greta Hassel — S. California
Marriage and Family Therapist combines her specialization in couples with ancient teachings of sacred sexuality, showing how to shift from Disillusioned to Delighted!
Addiction/Recovery, Relationships, Sacred Sexuality

Jane Honeck — Portland, Maine, New England
CPA and Personal Financial Specialist reveals the real problem behind all money problems and offers tools for living an empowered, financially conscious life.
Empowerment, Financial Consciousness, Financial Planning, Money Matters

Adekemi “Kemi” Oguntala, M.D. — San Mateo, Northern, CA
“The Teen Doc” helps parents, teachers and health professionals understand the world of teens better in an effort to improve communication on difficult teen topics such as eating disorders, depression, substance use and sexuality.
Family, Parenting and Children, Teens, Tweens

Neil Peterson,  Author, California, New York, Seattle, Washington D.C
Entrepreneur, businessman, public servant, author and adventurer inspires you to “embrace the edge” and say “yes” to the life-challenging opportunities put in front of you every day.
ADHD, Inspirational, Leadership, Motivational

See all speakers/authors

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Call for Proposals

NHPCO’s 11th Clinical Team Conference, Scientific Symposium and Pediatric Intensive: Performing in the Key of E: Excellence in Interdisciplinary Care Gaylord Opryland Nashville Resort and Convention Center, Nashville, TN
September 13 – 15, 2010: Clinical Team Conference,

Presentation/Paper Proposal Deadline: January 22, 2010
http://www.nhpco.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=5669

CiTE 2010 :: Call for Presentations
CiTE 2010 Call for Speakers. Pearson eCollege and Pearson Learning Solutions invite faculty. Submit your presentation ideas and descriptions today! CiTE 2010 :
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Call for Presentations http://cite2010.com/cfs.html
Pearson eCollege and Pearson Learning Solutions invite faculty, administrators, program directors, instructional deans, librarians and other education professionals who use our solutions to submit proposals for general sessions at CiTE 2010.

This year’s users conference will feature a variety of thought-provoking sessions led by innovative educators and other thought leaders in online education. Submit your presentation ideas and descriptions today!
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International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
http://www.iaapa.org/education/CFP/2010CFP.asp

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TIPS AND ADVICE

Listen to the teleclass on Speaker Marketing, 12/30/09 with Susan Levin and special guest Reno Lovinson.

http://speakerservices.audioacrobat.com/download/SpeakerMarketing.mp3

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Speak at Libraries — Rita Emmett

If you are a new or low-fee speaker, consider giving a talk at your local library. Some do not pay, but many pay fees ranging from $50 to $250. Ask for the person in charge of programming, and realize they may book you for a year from now.

Advantages:

- It’s great place to practice.
- They do the marketing and you can gain ideas for your own marketing.
- They often have the ability to audio or video record you. A Chicago suburban library videotapes speakers and puts them on a local cable channel, showing it over and over and over. This gives you great credibility and exposure locally.
- They usually give (or sell at a very low fee) to you the recording and rights to use it.
- You can ask for a testimonial on their letterhead and permission to use it in your marketing. That opens the door to other libraries.
- Patrons of libraries are book people so they are big on buying books. If you do not have one of your own, consider asking another speaker if you can purchase their books at a discount so you can make a profit for yourself selling them. For example, people buy my books at half price and sell at retail, so they make 50% profit on each book.
- You can invite local potential clients to attend.
- You or the library can submit a press release and you can use reprints of that in your promotional material.
- Once you give your first talk at a library, mentioning it to other libraries helps to open doors.
- Occasionally, if you do a great job, the library might hire you to speak to staff, and they usually pay very well.

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Online schedule manager — Donna Gunter, OnlineBizU.com

Tungle (tungle.com) is an online schedule manager that couldn’t be easier to use. With Tungle you send dynamic meeting invitations through the online Tungle interface that are synced with your existing e-calendar and make meetings happen efficiently, with no email ping-pong or phone tag. You can propose multiple times to one or many people for them to choose from. People you invite don’t have to sign up for the service to reply to your invitations. All they need is an email address and a browser.

My two favorite features are the following:

Tungle automatically manages time zones. Invitees see proposed times in their own time zone.
Tungle will dynamically update your pending meeting invitations if you add new events to your calendar that overlap proposed times.

Once the meeting has been booked, everyone gets a confirmation and their calendars are updated. You can synchronize your Tungle calendar with Outlook, Google calendar, iCal/Entourage, or Lotus Notes.

You can make meetings much easier to schedule with the Tungle Me feature. Create your personal link to display your availability and let others schedule meetings with you without their having to sign up. When synced with your calendar, your link always shows your most up-to-date availability (free/busy only, not your calendar details). And you can place a Tungle Me button on your social networking profiles, as well as your Web site and blog. A Tungle app for the iPhone has just been added as well. Visitors to your link don’t have to sign up, but they will have to confirm who they are by verifying their email address. You get the final say over if and when you meet.

If you’re on a team and have to manage a meeting, you can connect to your network with cross-calendar sharing. Easily share your free/busy or details calendar with anyone, inside or outside your company, independent of their platform. You choose, on a person-by-person basis, whether you want to share your full details or free/busy calendar. Start or stop sharing with anyone, at any time. See your sharing buddies’ schedules overlaid on yours.

It’s very easy to use, and best of all, it’s a no-cost tool! Get affiliate link
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Amazon.com Marketing: How to Get Your Blog Published on Amazon’s Kindle, Donna Gunter

Amazon’s Kindle is a electronic book-reading device that allows people to purchase and download electronic versions of books, newspapers, and magazines. Now, you can have your blog available to Kindle readers, as well. Best of all, you can get paid for this strategy. However, you don’t get to pick the price Kindle owners pay to subscribe to your blog. Amazon chooses the price, based on what it believes is fair. This means $0.99 or $1.99 per month for most blogs. There is no way to distribute your blog for free.

The downside? You get only 30% of the subscription revenue. For example, if your blog sells for $0.99 cents and 1000 people subscribe to it via the Kindle, you’ll receive $297 per month rather than the full $990 per month paid to Amazon. International publishers must receive their funds via a U.S. check, which comes with a hefty international transaction charge.

All Kindle Blog subscriptions start with a 14-day free trial. Subscribers can cancel at any time during the free trial period. If they wish to continue their subscription, they do nothing and it will automatically continue at the regular monthly price.

How can you get your blog distributed on the Kindle? Here are the 6 easy steps to Kindle publication:

1. Sign up. Go to https://kindlepublishing.amazon.com to sign up.

2. Create new account. Your existing Amazon.com account information will not work here. You’ll need to create a new account. Because you are eligible to receive payments for subscriptions, you’ll also need to provide some banking information and a tax ID number. Unfortunately, they don’t pay commissions via Paypal.

3. Add your blog. You’ll need the following information to complete your submission.

–RSS/Atom feed for your blog (be sure that your posts appear as full posts rather than excerpts or your blog will fail validation)
–blog description
–blog screenshot
–blog masthead/banner
–blog keywords

4. Review your entries. Double-check your entries before publishing the results.

5. Publish your blog to Kindle. Once you hit the “Publish to Kindle” button, it will take 48-72 hours to appear in Amazon.

6. Promote your Amazon status. Once your blog is published, you can ask your blog readers to go to Amazon and rate your blog as well as review it.

In all honesty, you’re not going to make much money from Kindle for the moment. Even though images are black and white and video won’t play on the Kindle, it’s a convenient way to read blogs on the go. However, I believe that the more methods of distribution you provide for your content, the better. Follow these 6 steps and become a published blogger on Amazon today!
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Resource for Video Trailers, AuthorsBroadCast.com
Reno Lovison Marketing, (773) 989-1960
http://www.authorsbroadcast.com

We produce and display book videos trailers intended to help authors and publishers promote their books.

Like movie trailers – - book video trailers are intended to quickly acquaint readers with an author and/or the content of a book they might like to purchase and read.

Most of our videos are produced for printed books but we produce videos for e-books and audio books as well.

Readers and book lovers are invited to view book video trailers here. Then click through to the author’s or publisher’s website to learn more or make a purchase

Authors and publishers are invited to post your trailer here or have us produce a video trailer for your book.

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Seth Godin Blog
Is there a fear shortage? If so, I’m not seeing it.

When something is scarce, it’s valuable and smart people try to make more of it. So, should we be trying to make more fear?

Looking around, it appears as though the government, various media players and lots of well-meaning people have come to a conclusion that there’s a shortage of fear. So they’re busy making more of it. Making more when we already have a surplus…

We’re inundated about ways to avoid this pitfall or that risk.

If you see something, say something. Hmmm. Has that actually worked? Or x-raying shoes? When was the last time a bad guy was foiled because he couldn’t use a good camera to take a picture of a tourist attraction? Why do the authorities at Grand Central Station in New York wear desert camouflage?

Not just fear of terror (which is another word for fear). Fear of failure. Reminding people that an idea will never work, that the market is in failure, that all hope is lost–does that work very often?

Fear mongering is a lousy profession, one that ought to be regulated, if not banned. I’m more in favor of hope mongering. 2010 is the year that the world will change. In fact, every year is that year, but this is the only time we’ll get to change the world this time

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Speakers Community
UPCOMING TELECLASSES

Teleclasses FREE 4 Speakers Community Members 2 months complimentary Join now

Jan 14 – Every Word has Power, Yvonne Oswald

Why are the words you use when you speak so important? Because using low energy words such as hard, worry, difficult or problem, stimulates negative emotions in the middle or limbic brain, slowing down or diminishing your intent, while high energy, powerful impactful words like excitement, joy, fun, laughter, harmony or success get the imagination flowing by stimulating the cerebral cortex, the initiator of great results. Learn more

Jan 28 – Publicity Tactics: Get PR with Mainstream & Social Media Networks, Dan Janal

Do you scream when you pick up a newspaper and see someone quoted when you know that you are the authority in that field?

Ever wonder why your competitors get quoted and you don’t?

Wonder no longer. You are about to learn how to get the publicity you need to get the visibility and credibility you need to sell more speaking engagements and consulting services – so you get more clients and charge higher fees. Learn more.

Complimentary Preview teleclass for Speakers’ Summit ’10

Monday, Jan 25, 4-5pm PT or 7-8pm ET

Get Booked to Speak at Colleges and Presentation Skills-Speakers’ Summit Preview
Brent Scarpo and Jack Barnard Register

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Subscribe to e-zine http://www.speakerservices.com/nl

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And in the Blog

Gifts ad ReGifting

Online Video Advertising Opportunities are Limitless

Today’s post Leanne Hoagland Smith shares how speaking can boost your business.

Sometimes being somewhat old and of a strong Swedish heritage which means stubborn in my family, I fail to truly listen to the good advice that I have received along the way as I have grown my business. Recently, I just began to take some of that advice to heart specific to my marketing plan by growing my speaking business.

At a speaking engagement that came from a referral, I concluded the presentation with a funny line, “If you know of anyone who needs a speaker, please let me know as I speak for food.” This simple request brought several chuckles along with five requests to speak at local service organizations.

After speaking at each of these 5 new opportunities, I once again concluded that “If you know of any other local organizations who would enjoy hearing me speak, remember I speak for food.” New requests came across my desk including a couple of paid engagements. I never realized that growing my business through marketing my speaking services could be as simple as just asking for it.

By not charging for local speaking engagements, I have been able to begin to market myself as well as my message that personal improvement or business improvement must come from within each individual. Using humor, an extensive work history, a self-directed learning attitude and a lot of personal experiences, I am able to speak from the heart and bring value to those in the audience.

Speaking engagements are a small business help strategy that may become a primary source of income or continue to be marketing vehicle that allows others to begin to know you as a:

• Business speaker
• Change management speaker
• Educational speaker
• Inspirational speaker
• Motivational speaker
• Paradigm speaker
• Spiritual speaker

Whatever the reason or reasons that you are speaking, just remember this simple suggestion to secure more opportunities: Just ask and if possible, sprinkle a little humor and see your engagements quickly multiply along with your business results.

One quick question,if you could secure one new client or breakthrough that one road block holding you back from success, what would that mean to you?

Visit http://www.processspecialist.com and explore everything from free articles to connecting with Leanne.

P.S. If you are seeking an affordable speaker, Leanne may be just the person to meet your need. Give a call and experience someone who speaks from the heart with purpose and passion to increase performance.

Article Source

Great advice.  Please note that since 1992 Speaker Services www.speakerservices.com brings speakers/authors together with audiences and offers training and marketing services. 

post by Susan Levin, owner of Speaker Services

My clients always ask me how can I be pro active and find speaking gigs. There are bureaus, paid listing services (that’s us) www.speakerservices.com, there are directories that come out once a year, there are Business Journals with leads and then there are organizations that simply post a call for proposals on their website or blog site.

Here is how that works and I have included some leads for you too.

You can find many of these events in your specific arena by going to google or bing and here is what you do…

Search for call for speaker presentations or proposals (your industry) 2010 or 2011 and you will be really surprised as to how many conferences are looking for speakers.

May 4-7  2010, Chicago (Schaumburg Hotel)  Deadline to submit speaking proposal: Nov. 14
Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology
Contact: 847-981-0100 or iest@iest.org
http://www.iest.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3340
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June 8 – 9, 2010, 2010 Annual Conference
Iowa Alliance in Home Care
The Meadows Events and Conference Center, Altoona, IA
http://www.iowahomecare.org/Events/2010AnnualConference/index.htm

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August 5-7, 2010 Omaha Nebraska – Deadline, December 18

National Association of Local Boards of Health
Journey to the Future: Facing Public Health Challenges Today for a Healthier Tomorrow

2nd Annual Health Care New Media Marketing Conference: Call for Speakers

http://www.nalboh.org/NALBOH_Conference.htm

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Oct. 24-27, 2010- MGMA 2010 Annual Conference
New Orleans
Reflect, Retool, Rebuild

MGMA’s Annual Conference is the premier professional development and networking conference for medical practice administrators. This event brings together thousands of attendees — including administrators from various specialties, physicians, medical vendors and high-profile keynote speakers. The MGMA 2010 Annual Conference will be held in the historic and culturally colorful city of New Orleans, a city famous for its rich, resilient and diverse heritage.

http://www.softconference.com/subs/MGMA/2010/cfa/

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SHRM 2010 Diversity Conference, October 10 – 12, 2010, deadline February 15, 2010
Society for Human  Resources, New Orleans, Louisiana

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.

 post by Anders Eriksson

You’ve got your engine running and you’re ready to get out there and find some professional speaking engagements. The only problem is that you haven’t got a clue as to where you can find jobs!

One of the first steps as you launch your professional speaking career is to get good at what you do. You’ll find that you’ll need to speak for free. Gain experience and build your client database. In doing so, you’ll be able to go after higher paying jobs as you can demonstrate your professionalism, credibility as a speaker and your ability to draw large crowds.

- There are a number of places that hire professional speakers and many of them are in your neighborhoods. Places like universities, colleges, your local Toastmasters organization, speaker bureaus, non-profit organizations, businesses, and libraries are just a few of the places that have a need for professional speakers. Make contacts with people in these organizations and offer your services.

- You can also do an online search for the keyword term “calls for speakers” or “speakers wanted”. You’ll obtain a listing of organizations and meetings that are requesting professional speakers.

- Search speaker’s forums for paid jobs. While this place does not have a lot of paid jobs, you might be able to find one that suits your niche.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Professional Speaking, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

- Review conference schedules of various associations related to your topic. Many associations hold annual conferences and they will post a call for speakers. This call will be placed about 6 – 8 months in advance of the speaking engagement.

- Work as a trainer with training companies. Places like Fred Pryor hires contract speakers for many different topics. This is a paid job that requires travel and often times, a hectic schedule, but the flip side is that paid speakers can make over $75,000 annually.

- Research the NTPA (National Trade and Professional Associations) Directory. You can purchase it for about $150. Issued in February each year, it gives you the information you’ll need to begin making contacts in the association market.

- Research the meeting planner’s directory. The Directory of Association Meeting Planners costs $550 and is available every March in a CD format. There is another directory called the Directory of Corporate Meeting Planners. This second directory costs approximately $450 and is available every March in a hard copy format.

- Network with peers and potential clients in your industry. Word of mouth referrals are by far the most popular way that meeting planners find speakers for their events. With that in mind, it’ll definitely be worth your time to network!

These are places where you can find jobs, however, you will need to also put together a promotional kit. Start with a simple letter and build your promotional kit up. You’ll also have to develop a marketing strategy to build and maintain a potential client listing. Using this listing, you can use direct mail or make phone calls to promote yourself as a professional speaker for hire. Now that you know where to look, you’ll be able to start going after speaking engagements and gaining experience!

Post from the Jamaica Observer

We have all been there – you and I. Every strand of hair in place, dressed to the nines and new shoes squeezing like the dickens but we have nevertheless rolled up to the function. We are here to give our full support and to hear the pearls of wisdom drop like gentle rain on us by the guest speaker. But oh, what a disappointment it was for us.

We expected to be inspired, to be enthralled, to laugh, maybe to roll in the aisle – but instead we find ourselves crying all the way home. And this is especially so if we had paid more than recession prices to attend the event. On reflection we think that perhaps Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy (in combination) or Elmo might have kept the listeners more awake and entertained than the sad sack who wreaked havoc on the audience’s consciousness for a full ninety minutes. Good Grief. It is definitely time for the speaker to call it quits when the low hum you hear is not the build-up of thunderous applause but the not-too-gentle snores of those persons in the front row.

The choice of a guest speaker is one of the most powerful weapons in the arsenal of any event planner. An occasion’s success or failure hinges on this seemingly minor detail. I am writing as one who has often been on the receiving end of having to listen to really badly selected speakers as well as someone who has had to make suggestions about persons who could possibly be chosen as a speaker for an event for which working people will fork over their hard-earned cash.

Don’t get me wrong. The case of an inappropriate guest speaker is, more often than not, not the fault of the speaker himself. Surface investigation will often reveal a lack of professional advice in choosing a speaker or that the speaker was selected by someone who s/he was interested in hearing said speaker for purely personal reasons which had nothing to do with the audience nor the event itself. The other harried members of that planning team (busy with their tasks) just let it ride without too many questions.

A good place to start in choosing a really good speaker is via experience. It is usually not a good idea to take any reference from ‘Frighten Friday Flo’ who thinks everyone in a suit with the gumption to step to a podium is a good speaker. It may make better sense to have actually heard the person speak at an event yourself. After listening to more than a few dozen speakers over the years you will find that you will have developed a well-attuned ear for who is good and who is not. You get to see for yourself who is at ease in front of an audience and who is not, despite the wealth of knowledge s/he may possess. Because, let us face it there are some persons who are the fount of all knowledge in their chosen field but they just are not comfortable imparting that knowledge in front of a large roomful of strangers.

More than all, in choosing a speaker it is important to ensure that the presenter and the presentation ‘fit’ the audience and the occasion. A speaker who is serving up meat to a vegetarian audience will not go down well and may very well cause a stampede out the doors. If the audience consists of policy-makers, CEOs and decision-makers it might not be such a wonderful idea to invite a little-known operations executive who might not be able to add much to the audience’s storehouse of knowledge.

There are several types of speakers and each has a different purpose. For example, the celebrity speaker is well known and his presence will definitely attract a large audience if that is the main goal of your event. Here’s the thing about some celebrities: they might be good at whatever it is that made them famous but they might not be good speakers. Hence it is a good idea to have ‘experienced’ them first or get a really good reference from someone else who has heard them speak.

Choosing a speaker to impart educational information, to instruct or to teach might be a trifle troublesome. This type of speaker has to have a sense of humour, many relevant stories, and must be able to interact easily with the audience. Lectures can be dull and boring. The best teachers are the ones who do not overwhelm you with too much information, they keep you awake and interested and wanting to learn more. Not everyone has that gift even if they have twenty degrees in the subject areas and the full knowledge at their fingertips. If they do not have the right words on their lips – no one will be the wiser. I have found that even while we openly say we want to learn, audiences more than all, want to be entertained – all the time.

Motivational speakers are supposed to, at the end of their presentation, make us feel good about ourselves and spur us to change things in our lives. They should, at the end of the event, make us feel inspired. You do not want a motivational speaker who makes your listeners depressed by keeping it ‘too real’.

Persons whom we invite to entertain us should not suddenly launch into a twenty-minute dramatic monologue about how they got into the music biz and what a cutthroat world it has been. If the audience has been prepped for musical entertainment – this is all we require – thank you very much. And unless it is a Passa Passa session, it is not a good idea to ‘dedicate’ songs to that special ‘someone’ in the audience. The rest of us will feel left out.

Yvonne Grinam-Nicholson MBA, ABC, is a Business Communications Consultant with RO Communications Jamaica, specialising in business communication, employee communications and financial publications. Contact: yvonne@rocommunications.com; Website: www.rocommunications.com and post your comments.

 Susan’s note:  The worst nightmare for a speaker or meeting planner is putting your audience to sleep.

Need speaker/marketing assistance? Give me a call 310-822-4922 PST.  Speaker Services might be just right for you.

One inexpensive but effective marketing tactic that many consultants and service providers use is speaking in front of target audiences. They find that speaking engagements help them to build awareness of their business.  Speaking has a lot of benefits:

-  Opportunity to talk to a group of potential referrals and future clients

- Helps to establish you as an expert for your topic or field of interest

- More effective than just attending a meeting and networking

How do you get those speaking engagements?  One way is by using a speaker sheet, which can be compared to a sell sheet or spec sheet for a product.  A speaker sheet is also called a Speaker Fact Sheet or “One-Sheet“.

They are designed for meeting planners to quickly review information needed for booking the speaker. The speaker sheet should show how you are an expert in a certain area. It’s a sales tool to aid in getting speaking engagements.

Speaker One Sheet: Preliminary Planning

The goal of your one sheet (also known as a a onesheet, onepage, one page, one pager, promotional sheet, etc) is to present a visual representation of you, your topic(s) and what you will deliver to an audience—in a condensed, easy to disseminate format. Your one page is about YOU the speaker and your presentation, not your company or a sales piece on the services your company offers.

A one sheet should be:

- Be visually appealing and professional

- Give the reader an impression of what the audience will “feel” when you speak

- Generate interest in you, your topic and what is unique and special about your presentation

-  Show value and results

-  Provide credibility

-  Provide a way to contact you or your bureau for additional information

-  Be only one page. (one or two sided)

- Be printed professionally on high quality paper and you need to have an online PDF version. The online version is becoming the most important these days. But some people still request hard copies.

Tip:  5-7 bullet points of the benefits of your presentation.  What’s in it for the audience.

ie: Design an electronic presentation package that attracts meeting planners to hire you

Use action words-verbs that paint a picture.  For example:abolish, accelerate, achieve, adopt, align, assess, avoid, capture, choose, connect, create, define, deliver, develop, discover, eliminate…

Speaker Services is offering a one day workshop in Los Angeles on July 11, 2009 with Sheryl Roush Solid Gold One Sheets and guest writer Jean-Noel Bassior 

Sheryl Roush, Marketing Design Expert, Int’l Speaker & Trainer, 12-time Author, Sparkle Presentations, Inc. www.SparklePresentations.com

The fee is $325 through July 1 thereafter $425 (includes 30 minute consultation with Sheryl).

Learn more/register

Listen to a teleclass with Sheryl talking about Solid Gold One Sheets.  Click here to listen

“I’ve done everything I can think of to get clients,” a desperate self-employed professional wrote me. “I launched a website, I had a brochure designed, I’ve been sending out mailings, and I’ve placed all sorts of ads in print and on the web. But no one is hiring me. What am I doing wrong?”

This unhappy professional has made a common mistake. He has fallen into the trap of believing that spending money on marketing materials, mailings, and ads will somehow produce clients without the direct involvement of the business owner. And he truly believes that this is “everything” he can do.

Corporate Marketing vs. Small Firm Marketing

Perhaps professionals who make this mistake are trying to follow the model of big business. They hide behind a company name, expensive marketing literature, and a website. They spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on ads, directory listings, and tradeshow booths. Far too many self-employed professionals don’t even disclose their own name in their marketing, even when they are operating a one-person company!

But people don’t buy professional services from an anonymous company whose name they don’t even recognize. They either buy them from nationally recognized firms that have spent millions to gain name recognition, or from individual people they have come to know, like, and trust. The more personal—or the more expensive—the service you offer is, the more likely this is to be true.

If you are a financial advisor, career counselor, or life coach, you are asking people to trust you with the most intimate areas of their lives. If you are a web designer, IT consultant, or corporate trainer, you are asking your clients to trust you enough to spend thousands of dollars with you. You don’t earn people’s trust by placing an ad or sending them a brochure.

Independent professionals and small professional services firms simply don’t have the resources to build name recognition and trust by way of high-priced, anonymous approaches like advertising and mass mailings. In fact, the approaches that work best for most professionals to get clients are less expensive—and more personal.

Here are the five best ways for professionals to get clients:

1. Meet prospects or referral sources in person, at events, or by appointment
2. Talk with prospects or referral sources on the phone
3. Send personal emails to prospects who already know you (or mail a personal letter for 42 cents)
4. Follow up personally with prospects over time
5. Speak to groups likely to contain prospects at meetings and conferences

And here are the five things self-employed professionals most often try that don’t result in clients:

1. Placing ads in the Yellow Pages, trade publications, or pay-per-click ads on the web
2. Distributing or posting brochures or flyers around their community
3. Mailing mass-produced letters or brochures to strangers
4. Sending their newsletter or ezine to people who haven’t asked for it
5. Building a website consisting of nothing but promotional copy for people to read

The main difference between these two lists is that the first group of approaches require you to talk to people. The second list consists of anonymous activities that allow you to hide out and never meet the people you are in business to serve.

Sharing Yourself

If you want people to become your clients, they need to get to know you, learn to like you, and believe they can trust you. And for that, they really do need to meet you.

It is understandable why so many business owners gravitate to the least effective marketing tactics—they are so much easier to accomplish! To buy an ad, all you have to do is put up the money. To send a mailing, all you need is a mailing list and postage. It’s much more challenging to go out and meet strangers, or to call people on the phone, or to speak in public.

But the reality is that this is what it takes to get clients. Even if you have the world’s most compelling copy on your website, it’s a rare client who finds their way to your site, reads it, and decides then and there to work with you. The same is true for an ad or a brochure. All these marketing tools are simply that—tools. Just like a pair of pliers, they need a person holding them in order for them to work.

What clients want is to get a sense of who you are as a person. They want to see your face or hear your voice, to get to know you over time. If you don’t have enough confidence in your business to speak to people in person about it, how will they ever have enough confidence in you to hire you?

What you’ll discover if you begin to meet prospects in person, talk to them on the phone, and speak with them directly about how you can help them, is that it gets easier the more you do it. It will build your confidence in yourself—and the confidence your prospective clients have in you—at the same time.

If you’re in the business of serving people, your best marketing tool can be your own voice. So put it to work and start talking to them.

The following post is written by Barry Friedman. Barry is one-half of the Raspyni Brothers a four-time World Juggling Champion who works exclusively in the corporate market.

Timeline:

1978: Learned to juggle.
1982: Hooked up with my juggling partner and formed the Raspyni Brothers
1986: First of many Tonight Show appearances
1988: First corporate show – and I never looked back!

 Here’s Barry…

Yep, I’m still enjoying this market after 20 years and today I’d like to pull back a bit of the curtain on this active and lucrative market. I want to share with you the common threads I have seen in professional speakers, and how they land the corporate gigs.

While most of my work over the last 20-years has been in the role of ‘entertainer’, I have worked with dozens of professional speakers.  As emcee for a 4-hour general session, I not only perform my act, but will introduce a variety of speakers, along with corporate big-wigs.
The most successful speakers on the corporate market have narrowed the scope of their talk down to an edge that is sharp enough to cut.  They take a broad topic and eliminate all the ideas and sections that don’t fit into the title of the talk they were hired to present.  Filler is unacceptable in the big leagues of corporate speaking.

The top pros are accessible and easy on the ears.  Even the most serious speakers I’ve seen tend to open with a very funny story that breaks down the walls, connects the dots, and shows their humanity.  This opening story is specific to the industry of the audience – even if it means just changing one part of the same story they open with every time.

I’ve had the pleasure of introducing Michael Abrashoff http://www.grassrootsleadership.com several times at high-profile corporate events.  His talks on leadership are legendary.  Each time he has opened his talk with a story that ties into the introduction my partner and I just gave him.  He says that last year he was at a conference and gave a talk that went over very well.  His agent called him a few days later and said she had good news, and bad news.  He asked for the good news and the agent said that his evaluation scores were higher than Norman Schwarzkopf’s.  Then he asked for the bad news and she told him that he scored lower than the Raspyni Brothers.

It gets a huge laugh and the audience is ready to absorb every word he has to offer.
Meet and Greets are standard with corporate speakers and audiences eat this up.  Sometimes it coincides with a book signing, but it can also happen in the form of a Q&A with a select group or the entire audience. This time gives speakers a perfect opportunity for brand building and plugging their programs.  If you find yourself in this situation, don’t take it lightly.  People are hanging around because they want more of you – give it to them!

More and more speakers offer (and almost push) a continuity program as part of their speech.  It’s usually a website, training, or personal coaching that promises to take the topic of interest to the next level.  The idea behind this type of offering is that if the audience is enjoying the flavor of the appetizer, they might want the whole meal.

So how does a professional speaker break into the corporate circuit and become a top-shelf choice for meeting planners?  The quick answer is to do all the things I listed above!

Breaking into the corporate market as a speaker means being an authority.  Not a want-to-be authority, but a verifiable, been-there-done-that expert on a very specific topic.  While sales, teamwork, diversity, management, and leadership are some of the most common topics at corporate events, there is always a call for other subjects.

When shopping your talk to meeting planners and speaking bureaus, deliver promotional materials that drive the benefits the audience will take away from the talk.  Pack your demo with the best stuff up front and provide letters of recommendation from people who have benefited from your talk.

I offer a free 7-day training course TrainingCourse which not only shows you how to best present yourself to this market, but helps you stay there once you’re in.  Each daily short video (MP3 & PDF, too!) focuses on a primary element necessary to get you on the radar screens of this market’s top producers. 

And, so to speak, inside the belly of the corporate beast.
———————-
Barry Friedman is one-half of the Raspyni Brothers . They appear annually at over 100 corporate events in the USA and internationally.  His site Get More Corporate Gigs  helps speakers, entertainers, and bands to, well, get more corporate gigs!

This post is so perfect for today. Why?

I have several events coming up and they are filling slowly and I too need to be reminded about what to do if no one signs up.  I never want to see myself as a failure or taking it personally and the tips that C J Hayden suggests make it much easier to swallow.  Oh right and the other deal is that 1 Shopping Cart is down.  Not just me but everyone who takes orders through 1 Shopping Cart and uses the auto responders.

Okay next I am going to send an e mail out to my list of folks just in case they are trying to sign up and can’t.  Guess I have to go back to being non automated for awhile?

It is the nightmare of every professional who offers group programs. You design a powerful workshop, schedule a date, broadcast your marketing message… and no one registers. Then what?

Let’s assume you have the basics down. You’ve chosen a compelling topic, identified a likely audience, and clearly described the benefits of participating in your program. Even the price is right. You’ve already sent information about your program to a list of strong prospects. What else can you do?

-Preventive Measures-

First, let’s back up a step. There are several measures you can take early on in your promotion that will improve your chances of full enrollment:

1. Offer your program in house instead of to the general public.  Selling your program to a company, association, or learning center with an established base of employees, members, or students can be much easier than trying to sell each seat yourself. You could also partner with an existing organization with a track record of filling programs, and share the profits in return for a full house.

2. Build your prospect list to equal 20-100 times the number of people you want to attend. A typical response rate from a postal mailing is 1-2%. Response to opt-in email is often even lower. (Don’t even consider using unsolicited email.) In general, expect no more than 1% to respond if they don’t know your work and rarely more than 5% even when they know you well. Make it a habit to capture the name and address of every prospect and get their permission to mail or email.

3. Plan to promote on multiple channels. Your promotion plan should include announcements in your ezine or newsletter, a description on your web site, postal mail, a brochure or flyer to distribute, calendar listings, and personal invitations. Don’t rely on just one or two avenues — students are much more likely to enroll when they see your program mentioned in many different places.

-Emergency Enrollment-

If your program has low or no registrations as the date approaches, here’s what you can do to increase enrollment:

1. Call everyone on your prospect list and invite them personally. Don’t count on mail and email to do the job. Place a phone call to each person you have a phone number for, give a brief description of the program, and invite them to attend. You’ll be amazed how many people will say, “Thank you for calling — I’ve been meaning to sign up.”

2. Ask clients and colleagues to make referrals. Just mailing an announcement to potential referral sources isn’t the same as asking for their help. Call or email people who respect your work, and ask them to suggest two or three others who could benefit. If they have suggestions for you, ask if they will also contact those people themselves to endorse your program.

3. Make a special offer. Tell the people who are already registered they can bring a friend for half-price. You’re not losing any revenue that way if the space would otherwise be standing empty. Offer a bonus gift with minimal cost to those who enroll — 30 minutes of your professional time, or an ebook, audio, or report you’ve produced. To encourage people to spread the word, offer the same gift to people who refer students to you.

-If All Else Fails-

In the last few days before your program, if you still have only a handful pre-registered:

1. Hold your program anyway. Invite people to attend for free if necessary to have good participation. Your clients will enjoy the chance to spend more quality time with you; colleagues will benefit from the opportunity to see you work and meet other attendees. Ask people who attend at no charge to write you glowing testimonials and refer paying participants for the next time.

2. If you can’t fix it, feature it. The meaning of this classic sales maxim is that if your product has an obvious flaw, make it a positive selling point. When only six people enroll in your big seminar, convert it to an intimate group experience. If you have only two people for a group, turn it into a success team. Your participants will be thrilled to have more individual attention. Never apologize for a smaller-than-expected turnout.

3. Plan ahead to do better next time. Analyze what went wrong with your marketing and strategize how to do it differently the next time around. Should you have allowed more lead time? Does your mailing list need to be larger? Do you need to factor in more promotion channels instead of relying on mailings or email alone? Make a list of all the key elements you think are necessary to successfully promote your next program.

Filling group programs becomes easier when you offer them regularly. When students see the same program advertised two or three times, they are much more likely to enroll. Think of all your marketing efforts as part of a long-term plan to make more people aware of your business. If the outreach for your workshop introduces your business to many new people, you may ultimately find that much more valuable than just filling one program.

Article Source: http://www.articleset.com

About the Author

C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients NOW! Since 1992, C.J. has been teaching business owners and salespeople to make more money with less effort. She is a Master Certified Coach and leads workshops internationally. Read more of her articles at http://www.getclientsnow.com

The following post is written by my colleague James Malinchak

James and Susan at the NSA Convention

I want to help you start your motivational speaking business and train you to make more and more money in your motivational speaking career. One question I get all the time is, “James, how do I get paid public speaking jobs?” These jobs are out there but you need to know where to look in order to find them. Here are just a few ideas.

1) Look for organizations that work with your specific area of expertise. Taking a look at DECA marketing organizations like FCCLA would be an example for the niche I’m in. Another example: if I was in the real estate industry I’d take a look at the national board of realtors, investor associations or even the local community associations.

2) Research public speaking jobs in related associations within your niche. Don’t be afraid to network yourself and get the contact information of the conference coordinator even if you weren’t hired as their keynote speaker.

3) Increase your professional speaking success by creating a database of potential clients who may be hiring conference speakers in the future. Contact universities, colleges and professors. You can also try contacting your local speaker bureaus, non-profit organizations, corporations and even libraries.

4) When starting a motivational speaking business, you may want to check the speaker forums for jobs. You’ll find that many jobs aren’t paid ones, but they may help you build your credibility in your niche. The key thing to remember is to eventually go after higher and higher paying jobs instead of working for free.

5) As you start getting the hang of getting books for public speaking, you’ll begin to develop a system to keep track of all the places you’ll market yourself to. A helpful tool in providing contact information for organizations and conferences that are hiring motivational speakers is the internet. Search for “speakers wanted” or “calls for speakers” and you’ll have a hefty listing to work through.

6) You can even find directories that are published with lists of all the paying markets within a niche. It will provide you with enough content to keep your business going, however keep in mind that no directory is ever complete. The National Trade and Professional Associations Directory, The Directory of Association Meeting Planners and the Directory of Corporate Meeting Planners are the three main directories that can be helpful with research. While these directories cost quite a bit they will make researching your niche that much easier!

7) Referrals are the last source of potential paid public speaking jobs. Building up a network of peers and clients in your area of expertise can create referrals, helping to bring your name to the attention of event coordinators looking to hire. The person who markets first to event coordinator is the one who will get the job when they are ready to hire. Make sure you are the one there first!

One last thing I’ve got to share with you. Be sure to remember that you can always find the people who have the money you need to pay to hear you speak. With these resources you can get started on researching your particular area of expertise. And once you done a number of gigs, get out there and go after the big money!

James offers a College Speaking Success Bootcamp- December 4-7, 2008
check it out at…
Website: http://mach1.infusionsoft.com/go/csslanding/slevin/

By Thom Lisk founder of Professional Speakers Bureau International

Corporations and Associations all over the world hire professional speakers. A few people take speaking to the professional level so that their income is totally dependent on speeches or seminar revenues. Can you become a professional speaker?

You must have something of value and benefit to convey to others and you must present your material very effectively. You must know how to package and market yourself. The overall market for paid professional speakers is increasing. The number of people wanting to speak professionally has increased at a faster pace than the openings. So, regardless of your program benefits, you must know how to obtain your clients.

Speakers have one area of expertise. They brand themselves as a topic expert in that area. Becoming an expert in a market niche is the fastest way to increased income as a speaker if you create enough demand for your services.

Fees range from a few hundred dollars per engagement to many thousands of dollars, depending on the client as much (or more) than the capabilities (or credentials) of the speaker. Through my company, Professional Speakers Bureau International, I have come into contact with many aspiring speakers who have no idea how to proceed in formulating fees. How do you set fees? Carefully! Sometimes speakers are eliminated from consideration for fees that are too low just as often as too high. Good advice is for you to acquire fee schedules of speakers in various stages of their career development. If you know what these speakers offer and how they offer it, you have a good basis of comparison and a method of establishing your fee parameters.

The greatest challenge is to locate the people who make the final decision to book speakers, and then to contact them at exactly the right time. Some organizations only purchase outside paid speakers (or trainers) once a year for an annual meeting. As an example, Kronos Inc., of Boston, booked Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul, from our bureau for $17,500 for their annual meeting. When I first met Mark in 1977, he would have been happy with $500 to speak anywhere at anytime. What happened?

Mark and his co-author hit upon something that the masses want and need. Inspirational stories! The research indicates that the number one topic requested from speakers’ bureaus is for motivational keynote speakers. Who are some other speakers that fit this category? (Ask, yourself, who will be my competition?) The list is almost endless! Some motivational speakers command as much as $50,000 per booking. However most are more in the $1-10,000 range. All people need inspiration! How many need your talk?

Some speakers become professionals through a carefully developed conscious plan of action, which includes knowing the possibilities and the steps needed to reach your goals. Some speakers join associations or bureaus to find out how to succeed. The 4000 member National Speakers Association is one choice. They have chapters in many states. Daniel Webster established the oldest speakers association (International Platform Association) in the 1830′s. Many people are more familiar with Toastmasters. This association has local chapters, as many as thirty in a city the size of Columbus. You can develop the skills of speaking in public through their weekly meetings. Memberships in these groups can be a part of your plan.

Develop a plan to acquire each of all the competencies needed. The most difficult competency for most speakers seems to be marketing and selling your services. You must think of yourself as the product and look objectively at yourself and the market for your programs. You must believe deeply in yourself and what you offer. Each week set specific written goals to contact people who have the authority to hire you to speak.

Many speakers turn an avocation for speaking into a profession; however, few sustain themselves long term due to a lack of quality marketing. You must make an effort to market yourself daily by being willing to invest money in marketing. Look at the best-known products. Products like Coca-Cola reinvest a large percentage of each dollar into marketing. Speakers fail because they do not become skilled at marketing themselves and their services. Please remember, you may be the best person and the best at presenting a certain speech topic or seminar, however if you fail to market yourself faithfully, you will eventually fail (or fall far short of your potential). This is why some speakers contract with seminar companies and bureaus. These organizations do the marketing.

Speakers who make it long term have a passion for their message and a love for their audiences. They are familiar with the adrenaline rush received from the applause of the audience; however, this is not what drives them. What propels the best speakers is the feeling and the assurance that they are making a difference with their lives and their messages. They are energized to stay focused on their mission or “calling.”

Cultivate the belief, if you do not have it, that you are “called” to make a difference through your life and your messages. Develop a commitment to constant improvement in spite of all obstacles. (Identify the obstacles in advance—anticipate them–so you can develop a plan to overcome them!) Let the money you earn be a by-product of a job very well done, the end, not the means or purpose. As Winston Churchill said to England’s weary troops during the darkest days of WWII, make sure you…”Never, never, never…give up!” Believe, as the Rotarians proclaim, in “Service above Self.” Make sure you and your messages are getting better, even if you are the only person who recognizes this fact.

One of the top paid professional speakers in America, Dr. Dennis Waitly, best selling author of The Psychology of Winning, says, ” Expect to win and you will!” Work hard to have a positive expectation (and attitude) and, more importantly, help others to be their best, and you will reap what you sow. Becoming a top professional speaker is a process or journey, not something that happens quickly. So be patient as you perfect your programs, your marketing, and more importantly, yourself. Make sure you have a plan!

Thom Lisk, BA, LHD, CSE is the Founder, President and CEO of Professional Speakers Bureau International. Learn more about his services.

Susan’s note: Need training, video demos? Check out www.speakerservics.com