$25- 92 pages Order now

Market Yourself as a Speaker Resource and Study Guide is a rich source of practical hands-on information for speakers, authors, entrepreneurs, business professionals, experts and coaches who are interested in growing their business and income through speaking.

Written and compiled by Susan Levin, Speaker Marketing Strategist and owner and founder of Speaker Services   since 1992.  Speaker Services is a Full-Service Coaching, Marketing & Training Company.  Susan has assisted thousands of professionals to catapult their businesses to six and seven figure incomes.

Susan believes that Speaking is a Business and like any business it needs to be nourished and marketed.

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Through Susan’s marketing guidance I learned new tools that can translate into immediate dollars. 

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Overview of the 92 page Resource and Study Guide:

- 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
- Gain New Clients with the Power of  Social Media

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Partial List of the Content:

Why Will You Speak?,  Speak Right from the Heart, Managing Your Speaker Business, Top Mistakes Speaker Make, Presentation Worksheet, Success Secrets of the Motivational Superstars, Items for Your Presentation Kit, Speaker Buttons for your Website & Content, Negotiating Fees, Fee Schedule, Presentation Agreement & Invoice, Pre-program Questionnaires, Creating & Marketing Speaker Products, Turn your Keynote into a Book, Media Speak & Tips, 30 Brilliant Social Media Marketing, Finding Speaking Opportunities

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$25  Order now

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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.

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Visit Speaker Services online store for other books, CD’s & MP3′s online store 

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Learn more about our Professional Promotional Materials http://bit.ly/zGDFm7

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Web Directory: Speaker Services:
http://speakerservices.com
We bring speakers/authors together with audiences

Get Listed in the Directory:
http://speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html

Speaker Marketing Consultations
http://www.speakerservices.com/marketing.html

Speakers’ Community –a membership club
http://www.speakerscommunity.com
60 days complimentary

Workshops/Teleclasses
http://www.speakerservices.com/services/la.html

Susan Levin, publisher/owner
Los Angeles, CA

susan@speakerservices.com
310-822-4922 PST

post by Daphne Bousquet

Drumroll, please……..

After looking at the top 5 things to sell in the back of the room at your workshops and seminars, we have finally come to number 1.  Many entrepreneurs have used this particular piece to turn their seminar into an event that made high 5-figures, 6-figures, multiple 6-figures and even 7-figures.

This is what secures your income for the rest of the year and isn’t that a nice feeling?

Let’s review the Top 5:

#5 – Your Next Event

#4 – Continuity Programs

#3 – Professional Services

#2 – Information Products

#1 Coaching

Coaching is a highly personal service and not many people hire a coach that they are not really familiar with.  Content marketing and especially workshops and seminars are very effective tools to fill your coaching programs.

Your audience gets to see you in action and you get to display your skills and your knowledge.  The nice thing is that your potential clients get a real feel for who you are, your style of interacting with others and if they would enjoy working with you.

In the back of the room, there are 3 kinds of coaching packages that you can sell:

One-on-one coaching

As a coach, you obviously know what this is.  You take a person and help them achieve their goals in your area of expertise by collaborating with them and holding them accountable for their actions. Yes, that is not the official definition.

According to the International Coach Federation, coaching is “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

What this means is that you can offer your attendees a 6-month long or year long coaching package that will help them achieve the goals they have set for themselves.

The disadvantage is that this is a time for dollars business model and you can only coach so many clients before you run out of time and hit the ceiling of your income potential.

Group Coaching

In this model you take a group of people on  a quest to achieve their dreams.  The nice thing about group coaching is that you can charge your clients less, but get paid more for your time.  It is all in the power of leveraging.

If you charge $250 per hour for one-on-one coaching that is all you get paid for that hour.  But if you have a group, you can charge 5 people (or more) $150 for per hour.  All of a sudden, you get paid $750 for that same hour.

By the way, this hourly rate is just an example.  I know you do not sell your coaching by the hour, but only in packages.  (And if you do sell coaching by the hour, STOP!)

Hybrid Coaching

The hybrid is the perfect package to sell in the back of the room.  You include a group component in your package, but also have some individual coaching in there as well.  You can design it any way that works best for you and your clients.  Your clients get the benefit of access to you, as well as a group dynamic that can turn it into a mastermind.

This works even better when your clients all come from the same event.  They already know each other and have gone through the same seminar and that creates an instant bond.

Of course selling coaching is only 1 way to make a profit from your workshops and seminars, albeit a powerful one.  To learn more about the other streams of revenue to tap, to make your event truly powerful and lucrative, check out the Event C.A.S.H. System.

Do you agree that coaching is the top item to sell in the back of the room?  What do you think of the list?  Do you think anything else should be in the top 5?

Speaker Services is coming to Atlanta,

September 30 and October 1, 2011

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

See a short video that  panelist Keith Ivey prepared and why he thinks you just might want to be at this event. http://youtu.be/8mrewimiuvk

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.

Speakers: Rick Frishman, Jack Barnard, Susan Levin, Daphne Bousquet and guest panelists.

DISCOVER 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

• LEVERAGE the profitable difference between branding and Command-Branding

• EXPLORE the top ways to make money by speaking

• LEARN marketing secrets and strategies that attract your ideal clients

• DISCOVER how to put butts in seats

Take advantage of the early bird rate. $147 after 8/30 $197

Check out vendor and sponsorship possibilites

Susan Levin and Jack Barnard are the Holy Grail for speakers, whether they are just beginning or already making good money. Great 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.
- Barbara Niven, Actress, Media Coach, Speaker
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The Summit brought together all the resources that a speaker needs to represent themselves and their products. The value was truly in the speakers and the quality of their information.
- Betty LaMarr, Executive Coach, Nadisa Associates

Go to the website:

http://www.speakerservices.com/talkupyourbiz

The following post is from my colleague Lisa Sassevich

I have the privilege of speaking at a lot of live events, and it always distresses me how often I see the host stepping over thousands of dollars because they haven’t built in really simple ways to monetize those events. And let’s face it, the host making money means participants are investing. And when participants invest in themselves, they are standing up and saying, “I’m ready to take my game to the next level!” And that’s what I live to see!

I’m not happy unless you’re making your contribution in the world AND being paid well for it.

So to help you strategize and enjoy a rich return on your investment, even if it’s your very first event, here are five of my favorite ways to monetize your events, big or small.

5 Ways to Increase Profits at Your Events

1. Make money on the front-end by charging for your event tickets rather than giving them away for free.

You may have heard that promoters are having a hard time getting people to come to events, but if you make the value of your event clear and promote it well to targeted lists, attendees will make the investment. The #1 reason you see people struggling to fill their rooms and eventually giving seats away free is because, somehow, the outcome or transformation that will happen for the participant as a result of attending that event is not crystal clear. So make sure that the event’s title says it all, such as…

Event Profit Secrets
How to create your own content-rich, highly profitable events and secure your ideal
clients and your income for the whole year in one weekend!

2. Sell your products in the back of the room at special rates with free shipping.

Who doesn’t love a bargain? We already know that people who attend your event are interested in learning what you have to teach. So give them an incentive to invest in your products while they are on-site with “Event Specials.” Be sure to highlight products, programs and services that are beyond the scope of what you are teaching at the event or that solve a next-level problem they may encounter. It truly is a service to do this.

3. Invite other speakers to contribute to the content of your event.

The standard split of those arrangements is 50% of the speaker’s sales going to you, so you definitely want someone who knows how to give amazing, relevant content, make an offer without being salesy and convert sales.

The most important thing is to make sure that any speaker you invite adds value to what you’re teaching. For instance, at my events, Michele DeKinder-Smith has presented her fascinating research about the five categories of female entrepreneurs — her five “Janes.” Let me tell you, my attendees were on the edge of their seats as they learned how that research could help their business, and many were thrilled when she offered them the chance to work with her more directly in the future.

4. Sell sponsorships so that people who want access to your audience can get exposure.

My events are full of surprises, some of which come from my wonderful sponsors. Not only do the sponsors get exposure and I receive revenue, but my audience gets valuable freebies, goodie bags and extra special surprises at events. Sponsors have given beautiful journals, useful product samples and helped fund the amazing Networking Galas that people talk about for months!

5. Offer a high-end mastermind, mentorship or coaching program.

You may already know that at my last live event, I sold out my mentorship program to the tune of 100 people! When those future Sassy Mastermind members first arrived, few of them had any idea they’d plop down tens of thousands of dollars to join a mentorship program.

But they saw me walk my talk for days, networked with the other mastermind members who are having breakthrough results and got in touch with that part of themselves that is ready for something much bigger. And nothing beats a live event for getting a real taste of what it would be like to be deeply supported over time in a coaching or mentorship program.

So, as you can see, your leaving money on the table at your live events directly equates to your leaving opportunities for transformation on the table. By including these ideas the outcome is you win, your speakers win, your sponsors win and most importantly, your clients win. Isn’t that why you’re doing all this in the first place

Heralded as “The Queen of Sales Conversion,” Lisa Sasevich has x-ray vision for seeing sales conversion opportunities and the creativity to convert them into gold! Lisa delivers high-impact, low-cost, customized sales-closing strategies for turbo-charging entrepreneurs and small business owners to great profits.

After 25 years of winning Top Sales Awards at Fortune 500 companies like Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and training top executives at companies like Hewlett Packard, she left corporate America and put her skills to the test as an entrepreneur.

In just 3 short years, Lisa created a multi-million dollar home-based business with two toddlers in tow and her husband in medical school. She is the undisputed expert on how to make BIG money doing what you love!

Lisa is the author of The Invisible Close, teaching experts who are making a difference how to get their message out and enjoy massive results, without being “salesy.”

To receive monthly Sales Nuggets and Lisa’s FREE 6-part series, ”Simple, Quick and Easy Ways to Boost Sales Without Spending a Dime,” subscribe today at www.lisasasevich.com

Posted by Michael Redbord @hubspot.com

If you don’t have any compelling offers on your site today, you’re ignoring a huge opportunity to grow the size of your email list. This is true whether you’re an ecommerce site or a B2B company – offers are one of the most effective ways to harvest email addresses and leads from your site traffic. Keep reading for enticing offers that deliver real value for your visitors and help grow your email reach when the offer is placed behind a landing page. You’ll want to note that your boring quarterly newsletter is NOT featured below

Below are 21 ideas for offers that can help dramatically increase the size of your email list and lead conversion volume.

Educational / Informational Offers

These types of offers tend to be a sweet spot for B2B businesses, because B2B sales tend to be highly considered purchases. However, educational offers can also be useful for high-ticket B2C or enthusiast markets like fly fishing, racing, or technology. In other words, if your consumers think before they buy, you should think about these types of offers.

1. eBooks – “Download our comprehensive guide to inbound marketing and ecommerce”
2. Whitepapers – “Understand how to nurture your email list”
3. Buyer’s Guides – “Which LED underbody kit is right for you?”
4. Fact Sheets – “10 facts you need to know before purchasing a used car”
5. Checklists – “The 5 key steps to preparing your IT department for the iPhone 4”

Free Stuff Offers

Everyone loves free stuff. If you sell products on your site, have excess books in a dusty office storeroom, or can purchase a new iPad to give away, “Free Stuff” offers can provide a time-efficient way to harvest emails from your site visitors. Remember the key with these offers: “many will enter, but few will win”.

1. Contests – “Send us your cutest dog picture; cutest picture wins free doggy day care!”
2. Sweepstakes – “Enter for a chance to win a free copy of the book!”
3. Giveaways – “Register for your free welcome gift of a free keychain!”
4. Quizzes –“Who was Warren G. Harding’s dog? Let us know and two lucky history buffs gets a free dog bowl!”
5. Surveys – “Take our survey and get $10 off your first order!”

Coupons and Deals

Like with the free stuff offers above, everyone likes to feel as though they are getting a good deal. Small incentives can create a large impression of value in your potential customers. Some of the below are more applicable to growing an email list for an ecommerce site, but could apply to consulting, software, or any sort of business with a touch of marketing creativity:

1. Coupons for dollars or percentage off – “Sign up for future offers and savings to receive 10% off your next order today!”
2. Free shipping – “Create an account today and get free 2-day shipping through March 1st!”
3. Time-sensitive discounts – “Save 20% on flower arrangements through February 14th – order soon, roses are going fast this year!”
4. Bundled deals – “Fill out the form to get a free iPad if you sign up for our service in the next 2 weeks!”

Events

Events can create huge engagement from your interested prospects and customers. Because events require your prospects to physically show up at a certain place at a certain time – even if that “place” is online – event registrations indicate serious fans of your brand, products, and services. Think creatively about what constitutes an “event” for you: consider sponsoring charity events, conducting in-house mini-events, and use your site to collect registrations with names, emails, and other pertinent information.

1. Webinars – “Power-user tips and tricks for eCommerce Inbound Marketing”
2. Off-site events – “Meet us at the museum of modern art for a charity event on Tuesday”
3. On-site / in-store events – “Come in every Friday for free drinks, snacks, and hubspot.tv!”

Programming Required

If you have the resources in-house or can work with a creative, marketing-oriented programmer who you can trust, the sky is the limit on your ability to haul in email addresses from your content. Mini-games, compelling tools (see HubSpot’s suite of free Grader tools), and value-added product configurators are excellent programmatic offers. Consider what would be most appealing to you customer and prospect base, too, before investing:

1. Calculators – “Calculate your retirement savings and plan for a bright future”
2. Product configurators – “Configure your custom-made wallet today, and send to a friend for review!”
3. Your own “Grader” app – “Learn your home’s energy efficiency grade before you install new windows!”
4. ??? – Wildly creative, value-delivering apps you dream up!

Use These Ideas to Start Getting More from your Site Traffic

Spin up a few new landing pages on your site and start experimenting. You will quickly find which have the best traction among your traffic and customer base if you keep an eye on your offer’s performance metrics. Encourage your new email signups to share your offers on social media, email the offer to a friend, and get the word out to exponentially increase your offer’s reach.

Which offers do you love for growing your leads and email list? Tell us about them, and let us know what we missed!

I want you all to know that I am adding many new event planners to our database. In addition to approx 5,000 meeting planners who are on our database at the moment I have identified about 800 more associations, companies and organizations, schools etc. who hire speakers.  I am researching them and contacting them as well to let them know about our speakers and authors plus our services.  I will be able to give you qualified leads in your target market if you are willing to go the extra mile to make contacts (especially if you are listed with Speaker Services.)  A speaker listing is helpful to promote yourself and it is a very good idea to have a one sheet overview and a video demo for you to get hired.  Not sure about the one-sheet?  We can help you out.

If you are in Los Angeles and have not taken the class Market Yourself as a Speaker I encourage you to attend on Saturday, 1/15 or 3/19, 10am-2pm.

This is about the business of speaking and essential to your success in securing gigs. . See what I cover in the workshop http://www.speakerservices.com/services/marketyourself.html .

With a lot of coaxing from my clients I am going to teach a workshop on Saturday,  February 12, Market Your Business with Social Networking Workshop, 11am-4pm, $99  there are several openings at the moment.

This interactive hands on workshop is 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.

Marketing is being completely transformed. The days of traditional advertising are numbered. Social media has profoundly altered the way we market and communicate.  Don’t get left behind.

I will show you step by step how I get 75% of my business via social networking. read more

Saturday, January 22, noon to 6pm, $99
Web Video & Marketing Workshop, You on Camera, Barbara Niven & Susan Levin
Psst this may be the last time we teach this class and there are 5 spaces open at this moment

In this interactive workshop we will show you how to create and market dynamic videos for your website, social media, video tips, video blogs, You Tube, info products, video email and more. Learn more/register  http://t.co/qltHtIH

NEW
March 5, 10am-5pm, $125

Low Cost Ways to Convert Your Expertise into Multiple Streams of Income, Susan Levin & guests

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.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one   – Mark Twain
Read more: http://t.co/2s0gGyv

One-on-one consultations http://t.co/adHPp5y

Susan Levin, publisher/owner
Los Angeles, CA
310-822-4922 PST
______

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/speakerservices
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susan.levin
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanlevin
SpeakerServices Utube Channel http://tinyurl.com/2e3dzjm
______

Web Directory: Speaker Services:
http://speakerservices.com
We bring speakers/authors together with audiences

Get Listed in the Directory:
http://speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html

Speaker Marketing Consultations
http://www.speakerservices.com/marketing.html

Speakers’ Community –a membership club
http://www.speakerscommunity.com
60 days complimentary

Workshops/Teleclasses
http://www.speakerservices.com/services/la.html

Using Your Kindle Book To Gain Market Reach
by Kathleen Gage, StreetSmarts Marketing

Looking for a new way to get in front of potential book buyers? Try your hand at publishing a Kindle book. It’s one of the easiest ways to get your material published…fast!

I couldn’t believe how simple the process was from the very first attempt. What’s great is you don’t need an ISBN to publish your Kindle version book. You can publish just about anything including:

•    eBooks
•    Reports
•    Articles
•    Blogs
•    Books
•    Transcripts

The fact is, if you can write it you can publish in Kindle.

There are a few reasons you would publish in Kindle. One, to be published. Two, to make money. Three, to build market reach and credibility. Four, to build your opt in list.

If you’ve been dreaming of being a published author and are not yet there, Kindle is a great first step. There is virtually nothing easier. You don’t have to publish a full length book. Nope. You can publish information you have on your computer. It’s really that simple. So no more excuses.

Although you can make money with Kindle you likely won’t get rich. If getting rich is your main motivator you may want to rethink why you are publishing with Kindle. However,  Kindle books can lead to other, more lucrative opportunities.

One of the best reasons to publish a Kindle book is for market reach and credibility. Yet, you can’t simply get your Kindle book up and expect sales to flood in. Any author who wants to get the most traction for your published works needs to be very proactive with marketing and promotions. There’s no way around this.

The more you market the more visibility you get. The more visibility the more sales. The more sales the more likely readers are to visit your blog and/or website. When you optimize your sites you are prepared for visitors with an opt-in opportunity.

Ignore setting your site up so visitors can opt-in for something and you miss lots of great opportunities. Make sure your site is ready for the traffic you generate.

As you can see Kindle books serve many purposes, the most important of which is to create high quality information for your readers. Create high quality information and you set yourself up for greater success.

Check out my  newest Kindle Book -
The fast and easy way to build your opt-in subscriber with Mini-Courses [Kindle Edition] Click Here

How to Sell Your Ebooks and Reports in Amazon’s Kindle Store by Denise Wakeman

How to Get Published on Amazon Kindle from Denise Wakeman on Vimeo.

Have you added your ebooks to the Kindle Store? Share your links here in the comments so we can check out what you’re doing!

How to Create an Ecourse That Will Triple Your Prospect Conversions by  Donna Gunter, OnlineBiz.com

For years, I’ve been giving away a PDF ebook as my client attraction device to entice prospects to sign up for my list.  This strategy has served me well as a way to grow my list. However, what I’ve discovered during that time is that many people download my ebook and then never open it. So, as you might imagine, my rate of converting a customer prospect to a buyer isn’t as high as I’d like.

Just like the people who join my list, I, too, often don’t open a PDF ebook when I download it. What I have noticed, however, is that when I subscribe to an ecourse that someone is giving away as a client attraction device, I’m much more likely to pay attention to it, since I’m getting emails every day with new information in them.  And, all indications are that the conversion rate of prospect to customer is higher, as well, for this same reason.  Your mini-course helps you automatically build a relationship with subscribers and drive sales of your products and services.

Here’s how you can create your own client attraction ecourse to help you triple your conversion rate:

1.  Buy autoresponder system.  In order to create your email mini-course, you need to purchase an email marketing system that has autoresponder capability, which is the ability to pre-set emails to go out at a periodic interval when someone opts into a list.  My recommendation is GetMoreClientsAutoresponder.com.

2.  Determine your theme and catchy name. Your ecourse needs to have a theme or subject.  What is it that you want to teach your prospects?  Once you determine the theme, your ecourse needs to have a catchy title.  Typically, you’ll want to focus on solving a problem or the result someone receives by enrolling in your mini-course.

3.  Create content.  Your ecourse should consist of 8-12 emails.  The bulk of these emails need to contain valuable, actionable content that will help your prospect solve her problems.  In a couple of the emails, you can break up the content delivery by introducing your prospect to other resources you offer that will help them, as well.  In my new mini-course, I simply repurposed a number of articles I had already written, paring them down to 400-600 words each, in most cases.

4.  Add your soft sell.  Rather than hammering a prospect over the head with sales hype, I did three things in each of the followup emails.  First, I included a resource box at the end of the email with a link to the call to action I want my prospect to take or a postscript (P.S.) that included a link to the call to action.  Secondly, in the body of the email, I made a natural transition based on the content of the email to ask people to buy the product I wanted them to buy. Thirdly, at the end of each lesson, I added, “In our next lesson, we’ll talk about…” to keep the reader engaged and anxiously awaiting the next email.

5.  Format and upload your ecourse.  In order to best track your open rates of each segment of the ecourse, you’ll want to format each email as HTML.  This means that you’ll want to have a header designed and template created so that you can simple copy and paste the content into a properly formatted HTML template.  To increase the likelihood that your ecourse will reach its destination, also format a plain text version of each segment of the course, as well. Next, create a catchy subject line to entice your reader to open that email. Lastly, copy your ecourse into your autoresponder system and create the followup sequence.  Ideally, you want your prospect to receive one email from you for a 8-12 days.

6.  Design your opt-in box.  Your email marketing program should provide instructions on how to create an opt-in box for prospects to join your list.  Typically, all that you want to request of your prospects is a first name, last name, and email address.  Once you have created the opt-in box, copy the code you’ll need to add the opt-in box to your web site.

7.  Create a graphic.  To make your email mini-course more appealing, have a graphic designed that visually represents the ecourse.  I simply had a spiral book cover designed that contained my name and the name of my ecourse.

8.  Create your landing page.  To entice prospects to sign up for your ecourse, you’ll want to create a landing page that “sells” the mini-course.  In today’s world, you have to “sell” free just like you do something for a fee, so create a short list of the benefits that someone will receive by signing up for your course, and add the code for your opt-in box.  Since anyone opting in for my ecourse is also added to my ezine list, I make sure that all prospects know this at the time they sign up.

9.  Copy the course content to your web site.  To prevent your prospects from emailing you that they are missing some number of lessons in the ecourse, copy the content to your web site.  Then, at the bottom of each email lesson, you can add a note that if they have missed any of the lessons, they can read them on your site.  You can create one page for each lesson, or a couple of pages containing a few lessons.

10.  Track and measure. The only way to realize the success of your mini-course is to track and measure.  Create a simple spreadsheet with the open rates of each email and the unsubscribe rates. If you notice over time that many prospects are unsubscribing from your list when they receive a certain lesson, you need to review the content of that lesson and change it until your unsubscribe rate diminishes.  And, of course, you need to track how many sales result from your ecourse.

Create an email mini-course to help you establish a relationship with your prospects and lead them to taking the action you desire.  You’ll discover that a mini-course is the most effective way to convert a prospect into a paying customer.

Post by Donna Gunter http://www.getmoreclientsonlineblog.com

Once you  have created an information product, you may think you’ve completed all of the hard work.  Unfortunately the most challenging piece of product creation is yet to come — the creation of the sales letter landing page where you talk about and sell your product.

Creating an effective sales letter is really all about following a formula.  If you look at enough sales letters, you realize that most of them follow the same template.  While there aren’t necessarily any hard-and-fast rules, here are 13 steps to help you create the perfect sales letter for your product or service:

1.  Headlines.  First create an intro headline, which appears in smaller font just before your primary headline and gets your reader warmed up for the headline to follow.  Then comes your primary headline, which is a large font in a different font color that must grab your reader’s attention.  The best way to get your reader’s attention in your headline is to tug at an emotion, like fear, insider secrets that no one else knows, or how to do something.

Then, you have mini-headlines that are scattered throughout your text.  Usually they contain a benefit and are meant to draw the reader’s eye to a certain section of text.  They are in a larger font although smaller than the primary headline and in a different color than the text of your letter.

2.  Greeting.  Start your letter with “Dear <target market name>, a date, and your geographic location.

3.  Introduction.  This is section where you reiterate the details of a particular problem suffered by your target market, empathize with those who have a similar problem, outline why it’s important to seek a solution, and begin to drop hints that you’ve got the solution to this problem.

4.  Your story and credentials.  Elaborate on your background and credentials that make you qualified to sell this product or service, as well as the story that led to the creation of this product.

5.  Product introduction.  Here’s where you talk more about your product and begin to list and explain the main benefits (not features), or what’s in it for your reader if your reader buys the product.

6.  Bullet points.  While this isn’t technically a part of the template, you’ll want to make full use of bullet points throughout your sales letter as a way of cleanly listing the many benefits and features of your product.  Bullet points make it very easy for a reader to scan your page and pick up the pertinent information she needs to make a decision to buy your product.

7.  Testimonials.  Testimonials serve as social proof that your product works. If others have purchased and used your product and gained the benefits that you promise, the reader feels more certain that they can purchase it, too, and receive similar benefits.  Make your testimonials believable by including a photo, web site URL, phone number, audio, or video of the person giving the testimonial.  The more that your visitor can identify with the person giving the testimonial, the more likely she is to purchase from you.

8.  Product details/benefits.  Here’s where you get to break everything down for your reader, with all of the details of all of the specific components of your product.

9.  Your offer and bonuses. Your offer can make or break the sale of your product. Make the offer so irresistible that your reader can’t help but think, “I’ve gotta get that!”  When you add bonuses to the mix, you increase the value of the offer immediately. Make sure that your bonuses are directly related to your main product so that your reader sees the enhanced value.

10. Guarantee.  Make your reader feel safe by offering an iron-clad guarantee that takes all the risk out of the purchase.

11.  Price justification. Compare your pricing to other products/services that you sell, or to items your reader might use regularly.  Your goal here is to make the price a non-issue for the reader by reminding her how much continuing to deal with this problem is costing her.

12.  Final call to action.  Again make your offer here, with clear, specific instructions on how your reader can purchase the product.  Remind her of your guarantee and any bonuses she receives for purchase.  Remind your reader why she should take action now, and include a sense of scarcity here, as in time limits, product limits, or limiting the bonuses to the few xx number of orders.

13.  Closing and postscripts (P.S.).  Sign off on your letter and include at least one post-script.  The post-script serves as a a powerful place where you give readers a reason to go back and consider the offer.  Believe it or not, the P.S. the third most-read section of your sales letter, so don’t forget to include at least one.  The P.S. is also the last place many of your readers will end up after reading your offer – just before they leave. Your P.S. needs to be the last persuasive offer to get them to stay and buy.

When you follow these 13 steps, you have now created a powerful sales letter. By following this 13-step formula, any online business owner can create an effective sales letter that sells her product or service.

Interview with Paulette Ensign

1) Why would someone want to turn their book into a booklet?

This gives readers a bite-sized palatable introduction to a new topic in their life rather than first delving into a 200-page book as their first experience with new information. The booklet can be an overview of the most important concepts in the book, taking something from each chapter. Once the reader digests those basic ideas, they will be eager and ready for more, which becomes the full-length book. It also gives the reader a choice of which publication is their starting point, rather than a yes/no about whether to buy the book or not. This all gives the author greater sales opportunities.

2) I already wrote a book or I’m thinking of writing a book. How can a booklet help me?

Instead of creating only one booklet from a book, an author may decide to divide the book into as many booklets as there are chapters. Having a series of booklets provides much more revenue than a single book is likely to do. It also lets the reader buy segments of the book that would be most appealing. For the author who has yet to write the book and intends to, doing a series of booklets can be a painless way to write an entire book, and have something to sell before the entire book is completed.

3) How would you use a booklet to market your book?

It’s typical for a booklet author to specifically invite the reader to seek out the book, by adding on the last page “For more in-depth information on this topic, you’ll want to add our book… to your library today.” This is only one of many ways the booklet markets the book. The booklet can also be an inexpensive value-added item that is physically bundled with the book to enhance and increase the value of the purchase.

4) Are there particular types of books that work better for this?

Non-fiction books are often the easiest starting point for tips booklets. However, it is completely possible to create a tips booklet for a fiction book, focusing on some theme in the story or travel to the location in which the story is set or any number of other elements within a fiction book.

5) Is there a formula for writing an effective tip?

Create a tip by writing one sentence starting with a positive verb, telling the reader what to do. Follow that with one or two sentences explaining “why” or “how.”

6) What is a good way to choose a topic for a booklet?

The best topic is the one you are most enthused about and, ideally, is also the focal point of your business or cause.

7) Won’t a booklet keep people from buying my book(s) and services?

The booklet actually encourages more sales of your products and/or services by establishing your credibility and introducing you as a valued resource for more relevant information and/or service.

Can I write one booklet or do I have to write a whole series for this to work well?

Your personality and your business requirements will best dictate whether one booklet is all you need and want to do, or if it makes better sense to develop an entire series. Either way can and has been effective.

9) How does a booklet actually market and promote a business I have?

A booklet defines you as a trusted adviser, expert, and resource. Each time a copy of your booklet lands in anyone’s hands, you are educating them on your expertise and informing them of where  they can get more from you that will benefit their life.

10) Can this booklet be leveraged in some ways, maybe even into other products?

Entire information product lines, both hard copy and digital online, can be developed from a single 3,000-5,000 word tips booklet document. It is highly effective as a business owner to create your booklet in other formats that appeal to different learning styles, life circumstances, convenience, price considerations, and “wow” factor.  It is fairly common for people to want multiple formats of the same information so, at any point, they can choose to read or listen, store on their computer or read at the beach, or share with others in some way. Some formats have no development cost at all. Others can be nominal. The return on your investment can be huge. This is especially true when you become aware of the many opportunities to sell your products in very, very large quantities to corporations for them to use to promote their own product, service, or cause.

(c) 2009, Paulette Ensign

Paulette Ensign is Founder and Chief Visionary of San Diego-based Tips Products International. She has personally sold well over a million copies of her tips booklet in several languages and formats without spending a penny on advertising. She will teach you how to surpass her results. You’re next, no matter where you are on your publishing journey.  Learn more about Paulette’s services.

by Paulette Ensign

“My topic doesn’t fit into a how-to tips format.” That comment shows up periodically, and did again this week. Even when a person has written a novel, there are ways to create a tips booklet that can help market that novel plus become its own new source of revenue. THOSE are the purposes of a booklet.

A booklet is a way for the reader to test out the information of the author, to see if it’s something that leads to wanting more of what the author’s got. It’s a way to gently approach a topic that may be otherwise overwhelming or brand new. It’s one format of the material, which can then be embellished, expanded, or otherwise modified by the author.

A booklet is NOT the consummate reference on a given topic. A tips booklet, in particular, is NOT a narrative philosophical statement or observation of something. It’s a tips booklet, with how-to’s in it.

Let’s say you wrote a novel, set on a rural farm in Midwest America, and you want to sell lots of copies of that novel, which common wisdom says is a challenge to do. One way to do it could be by writing a tips booklet about ways (tips!) to live a happy, fulfilling, and interesting life in rural America, or on a farm. That would certainly give the reader of your book more of a connection to what your book is about, wouldn’t it, especially when you include some specific invitation that looks something like “for more about living on a farm in Midwest America, you’ll enjoy reading our book, “Life in a Corn Field.”

Or you are interested in featuring the accomplishments of some notable people of current or historical times. Instead of a treatise about them, it could be very useful to create a tips booklet that includes guidance based on what those people did to accomplish what they accomplished, for others to mirror in their own lives.

Once in a rare while there is a topic that simply does not lend itself to a tips booklet. It’s usually something in science or math and focused on theory. It’s at that moment you’ll see a glaze come onto my face. Otherwise, let’s talk about what your tips booklet is and can be.

Paulette Ensign has sold well over a million copies of her own tips booklet, “110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life,” in four languages and various formats without spending a penny on advertising. From her San Diego, CA-based http://www.tipsbooklets.com, she assists individuals and groups transform their knowledge into tips booklets and other information products for marketing, motivating, and making money.

Meet Paulette June 15, 2009 as Susan interviews her in a teleclass. Check teleclass page for more info. 

Post by Helene Malmsio

It’s not true that everything that has been said has already been written.  Since that unfortunate axiom came into use, the whole universe has changed.

Technology has changed, ideas have changed, and the mindsets of entire nations have changed.

The fact is that this is the perfect time to write an ebook. What the publishing industry needs are people who can tap into the world as it is today – innovative thinkers who can make the leap into the new millennium and figure out how to solve old problems in a new way.

Ebooks are a new and powerful tool for original thinkers with fresh ideas to disseminate information to the millions of people who are struggling to figure out how to do a plethora of different things.

Let’s say you already have a brilliant idea, and the knowledge to back it up that will enable you to write an exceptional ebook. You may be sitting at your computer staring at a blank screen wondering, “Why?

Why should I go through all the trouble of writing my ebook when it’s so impossible to get anything published these days?

Well, let me assure you that publishing an ebook is entirely different than publishing a book in print.

Let’s look at the specifics of how the print and cyber publishing industry differ, and the many reasons why you should take the plunge and get your fingers tapping across those keyboards!

Submitting a print book to conventional publishing houses or to agents is similar to wearing a hair shirt 24/7.  No matter how good your book actually is, or how many critique services and mentor writers have told you that “you’ve got what it takes,” your submitted manuscript keeps coming back to you as if it is a boomerang instead of a valuable mine of information.

Perhaps, in desperation, you’ve checked out self-publishing and found out just how expensive a venture it can be. Most “vanity presses” require minimal print runs of at least 500 copies, and even that amount will cost you thousands of dollars. Some presses’ minimal run starts at 1,000 to 2,000 copies.

And that’s just for the printing and binding. Add in distribution, shipping, and promotional costs and – well, you do the math. Even if you wanted to go this route, you may not have that kind of money to risk.

Let’s say you already have an Internet business with a quality website and a quality product. An ebook is one of the most powerful ways to promote your business while educating people with the knowledge you already possess as a business owner of a specific product or service.

For example, let’s say that you’ve spent the last twenty-five years growing and training bonsai trees, and now you’re ready to share your knowledge and experience. An ebook is the perfect way to reach the largest audience of bonsai enthusiasts.

Ebooks will not only promote your business – they will help you make a name for yourself and your company, and establish you as an expert in your field. You may even find that you have enough to say to warrant a series of ebooks. Specific businesses are complicated and often require the different aspects to be divided in order for the reader to get the full story.

Perhaps your goals are more finely tuned in terms of the ebook scene. You may want to build a whole business around writing and publishing ebooks.

Essentially, you want to start an e-business. You are thinking of setting up a website to promote and market your ebooks. Maybe you’re even thinking of producing an ezine.

One of the most prevalent reasons people read ebooks is to find information about how to turn their Internet businesses into a profit-making machine. And these people are looking to the writers of ebooks to provide them with new ideas and strategies because writers of ebooks are usually people who understand the new cyberspace world we now live in.

Ebook writers are experts in Internet marketing campaigns and the strategies of promoting and distributing ebooks. The cyberspace community needs its ebooks to be successful so that more and more ebooks will be written.

You may want to create affiliate programs that will also market your ebook. Affiliates can be people or businesses worldwide that will all be working to sell your ebooks. Think about this? Do you see a formula for success here?

Figure out what your subject matter is, and then narrow it down. Your goal is to aim for specificity.

Research what’s out there already, and try to find a void that your ebook might fill.

What about an ebook about a wedding cake business? Or an ebook about caring for elderly pets? How about the fine points of collecting ancient pottery?

You don’t have to have three masters degrees to write about your subject. People need advice that is easy to read and easily understood. Parents need advice for dealing with their teenagers. College students need to learn good study skills – quickly. The possibilities are endless.

After you’ve written your ebook

Getting your ebook out is going to be your focus once you’ve finished writing it, just as it is with print books. People will hesitate to buy any book from an author they’ve never heard of. Wouldn’t you?

The answer is simple: give it away! You will see profits in the form of promoting your own business and getting your name out. You will find affiliates who will ask you to place their links within your ebook, and these affiliates will in turn go out and make your name known. Almost every single famous ebook author has started out this way.

Another powerful tool to attract people to your ebook is to make it interactive. Invent something for them to do within the book rather than just producing pages that contain static text. Let your readers fill out questionnaires, forms, even crossword puzzles geared to testing their knowledge on a particular subject.

Have your readers hit a link that will allow them to recommend your book to their friends and associates. Or include an actual order form so at the end of their reading journey, they can eagerly buy your product.

When people interact with books, they become a part of the world of that book. The fact is just as true for books in print as it is for ebooks.

That’s why ebooks are so essential. Not only do they provide a forum for people to learn and make sense of their own thoughts, but they can also serve to promote your business at the same time.

Article reprinted with permission from Strategic Services. All rights reserved.

Helene Malmsio has been a successful business entrepreneur for nearly 30 years and has been operating Strategic Services group of Companies since 1987.

For more information on how to write and publish your own ebook, and to get your own copy of our free self publishing ebook, go to http://www.buybooks-online.com

The following post is from Jeff Herring the Article Guy.

 Jeff Herring AKA The Internet Article Guy is an internet marketer specializing in article marketing, teaching nternet marketers, authors, speakers and self employed professionals to write and market articles for more prospects, publicity and profits, and to create multiple streams of income with their articles.

I will be interviewing him on October 15 in a teleclass where we will be talking about Article Marketing/Writing: Get More Prospects, Publicity & Profits.  Join us click here for more info.  Can’t make the teleclass?  The mp3 will be available for purchase see http://www.speakerservices.com/products

So what does it mean to extend the reach of your articles? Extending the reach of your articles simply means to get your articles in front of as many eyes as possible in as many consumable forms as possible.

Let’s take a closer look at three powerful strategies for doing just that:

1. EzineArticles + Twitter = More Exposure – If you are an information marketer who wants to extend the reach of your articles, then I strongly suggest you set-up your EzineArticles account to automatically post your approved and published articles to your Twitter profile.  You set this up by going into your Author’s Area at EzineArticles, then your Profile Manger, and then Edit Your Author Bio. In the fields provided enter your Twitter user name and pass word. Now each time one of your new articles is approved and published at EzineArticles, an announcement will automatically be posted to your Twitter profile. In this may you are automatically extending your reach and repurposing your articles.

2. Announce your own articles on Twitter – While the EzineArticles + Twitter automated strategy is very powerful, I recommend that you continue the process on your own. As you follow discussions on Twitter, I recommend that you refer people to your articles to make a point, educate, and to share your expertise. You can also simply announce that you have an interesting article you are inviting them to read and then supply the link to your article. In this way you can keep the traffic generated by the EzineArticle automatic post going for a much longer period of time.

3. Get your Articlesby(yourfirstname).com domain name – As an Article Marketer, are you unsure of what to say when someone ask you about what you do? Not sure how to get them to read your articles? Then I recommend you get a domain like Articleby(yourfirstname).com and have it forwarded to your Profile Page on EzineArticles. When I am at a social gathering, being interviewed on the radio or on a teleseminar, it is easy for me to say “Check out my articles at ArticlesbyJeff.com.” This gives them access to my profile, all my web site and blog links and all my social networking links, in addition to all my articles which contain more links to my web sites and blogs.

I suggest you jump on these three strategies now to extend the reach of your articles.

And I get my domain names at http://www.MustangMarketingDomains.com

And you can also get a boost for writing more articles in less time by claiming your free instant access to two of my Instant Article Templates when you visit http://www.TheArticleGuyBonus.com

From Jeff Herring – The Article Marketing Guy & The Great ArticleMarketing Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Herring

The other day one of my colleagues called me the Resource Queen and I thought that is so true. You know I am so much about service and just do it without a second thought. People are always amazed that I actually answer the phone and return e-mails and answer their questions-no charge. Isn’t that what we do for each other? Sometimes I hear that potential clients have called several experts or agencies and no one returns their calls more less speaks to them. What kind of customer service is that?

It pleases me that for the past 16 years that I have been able to support hundreds of professional folks and authors in their speaking practice. We have so many success stories.

Here is a great resource for you:

Have any of you seen my tip about the Ultra Flip Video Camera?

It so fun and only $119 if you order it from Amazon.

I have been using the camera for short testimonials as well as introductions to my products (mp3′s) from the Speakers’ Summit. Also to send out a video invites for an event that we are offering.

I can use these short snippets on the blog, my website and post on Facebook and the SpeakerServices Channel on YouTube.

Do you think it will bring me business? Indeed it does and also visibility.

See Speaker Services YouTube Channel there are about 50 videos there for your viewing pleasure.

Take a look too at the videos on the product page for the Speakers’ Summit

These videos were uploaded to audioacrobat. Do you know about audioacrobat?

AudioAcrobat – Powerful and Easy Online Radio and Audio Content Development Tool

AudioAcrobat is an audio recording, streaming and hosting service. All of your audio messages are automatically converted into a single of html code that can be uploaded to any Website.

AudioAcrobat is the easiest way to add great audio to your Web site and emails. Produce your own online radio show and broadcast to the world!

Record testimonials of your clients and customers! It is the simple way to create audio with your telephone, PC microphone or by uploading files. It is absolutely painless audio recording!

Use AudioAcrobat for:
* Advertising * Advice * Announcements * Classes * Coaching * Conference Calls * Demos * Events * Fun * Fund Raising * Greetings * How-to * Humor * Interviews * Introductions * Lectures * Music Clips * Opinions * Presentations * Product Descriptions * Radio Shows * Seminars * Statements * Support * Testimonials * Workshops
Learn more and try it out: 30 days complimentary

The following is from Get To the Point- MarketingProfs

In a video entitled Social Media in Plain English, Lee and Sachi LeFever of Common Craft introduce viewers to the fictional Scoopville, “a town famous for ice cream.” For a long time, one large company dominated Scoopville’s market with the three basic flavors: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.

One day, inexpensive ice cream makers appeared in Scoopville, and the population began to experiment on a small scale with flavors like pineapple and pecan. “Soon, every kind of ice cream imaginable was being made by Scoopville’s residents at very little cost,” says LeFever.

“Over time, people started to think differently about ice cream,” says LeFever. “It didn’t always come from a factory; it also came from friends and neighbors. It became something to share, something to bring people together, something to celebrate.”

Visitors poured into Scoopville, but were soon overwhelmed by the array of choices. “They needed ways to find the new, the popular, the flavors that were interesting to them.” So a resident set up a bulletin board in front of his house that allowed visitors to describe his ice cream, rate it and leave messages for others. “Over time, each resident had their own board.” The feedback enabled residents to improve and market their ice cream, and helped potential customers find exactly what they wanted.

The Common Craft video uses the story of Scoopville to explain social media in a way anyone can understand. What a cool summertime Marketing Inspiration treat.

Want to learn more? Social Networking-Social Media MP3 interview with Mari Smith, FaceBook expert is available for purchase.

Click here to order

Great suggestions in todays post by C J Hayden.  Article writing is a terrific lead generator and can bring tons of folks to your website.  BTW: did you know that some of books have been created from blogging and have become best sellers?  Also, consider offering a series of articles as a PDF Special Report which you can sell as one of your information products.Writing articles as an expert in your professional specialty can help you become more credible, as well as more visible. A well-written article on a subject of interest to your target market will get clients’ attention, demonstrate your expertise, and increase your name recognition. But if you’ve never written for publication before, the process of getting published may seem intimidating. Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing and publishing articles that will attract clients.

1. Find the Right Publication Venues

At the Speakers’ Summit08 I talked about Creating Info Products -take a look at this short video I created.

I will be using the video for selling the mp3 of the talk on the description page and I will make it available for folks who want to hire me for the presentation to their groups and I might put it in my e-zine as well as in the Speakers’ Summit08 description of my talk and I am sure that I will find other uses for it as well.

Here is a short list of info products that you could create which was part of my handout at the Summit.

TURN YOUR EXPERTISE INTO PROFITS

➢ Books
Published or Self-Published

➢ Mini-Books
Smaller versions of your book with cut-down content used as premiums

➢ E-Book- Compile related product information or instructions into an ebook. You could publish it in text, pdf, html format

➢ E-Book Of Reviews – Publish an ebook of stuff that’s related to your target audience that you could review like products, web sites, movies, etc

➢ Dictionary Of Terms-Publish a web directory or ebook dictionary of terms relating to your specific business industry or subject.

➢ Audio/MP3 Books

➢ Transcripts- Create an ebook of text transcripts of a related live event. It can be a seminar, speech, class, interview, etc.

➢ Article Compilation

➢ Blog Compilation

➢ Teleseminars – Expert Call Ins Set up a date and time when your customers can call up and talk directly with experts that are related to your industry

➢ Online Video-Allow customers to download or view a related how-to video or informative seminar right over the internet.

➢ Webinars over the internet

➢ Audio/MP3 Programs
Allow customers to download and listen to a recording of an expert that is being interviewed right over the internet

➢ Video Trainings- DVD’s/MP4’s

➢ Multi-Media Products
Combine Printed materials, video and CD’s

➢ Home-Study Courses
Multi-media product format designed to be a complete system in a box.

Today’s post is from The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week- Joan Stewart
http://www.PublicityHound.com

http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)

I totally agree with Joan and we have been encouraging our speakers and authors to create video.

At the end of this post you can see a few videos I shoot today at the Women’s Small Business Expo with my new baby – the ultra flip video camera.

Stop wasting time trading links with other websites, posting the same how-to article to a gazillion article directory sites, and doing sneaky little things at your own website to try to trick the search engines.

Those strategies can actually hurt you.

Spend your time instead creating video, one of the most powerful ways to pull traffic to your website or blog. It will boost your position in the search engine rankings and, in some cases, take tons of business away from your competitors. Do it right, and they’ll be so shell-shocked they’ll pack up and go home.

During my 70-minute teleseminar with video expert Mike Stewart earlier this month, the 400 people who were on the line listened as Mike outlined lots of creative, powerful ways to use video in your publicity campaign, or to sell products or services.

We’re not talking about full-length productions here. Just short clips of about two and a half minutes or less.

Here are our ideas on how to use video in a publicity or marketing campaign:

–Create short videos about your products and services, upload them to your website, and include video links in your press releases.

–Speakers, create short video snippets of your presentations and post them at your site.

–Use videos to demonstrate how to use your product.

–Authors, create short little videos that discuss portions of your books.

–Take visitors on a tour of your website using a screen-capture software program like Camtasia.

–Shoot your own video of events the media won’t cover, and submit the video to local newspapers and TV stations, many of which offer consumer-generated video at their websites.

–Use video on a one-page sales letter. If a picture is worth a thousand words, video can close the sale.

–Generate leads and pull traffic by creating videos and posting them to YouTube and other video-sharing sites.

–Use video at your blog, or create a video blog on a free WordPress platform like I’m doing. (I should be ready to introduce it to you next week.)

If you missed last week’s call, you can hear the replay and see the nifty video I shot myself at http://www.JoanandMikeStewart.com

Mike will show you the absolute easiest-to-use equipment you’ll need to start producing video that will turn you into the type of marketing warrior that will send your competitors running home to their mommies.

Susan’s Note:

If you find that you need professional help in creating your videos check out Speaker Services one and three camera video events. June 8- 3 camera video demo showcase, July 12 & 13, Biz Speak & Video Workshop (one camera shoot) . Authors’ SpeakEasy is in Sept 19-21.

These are the videos I did today and I will recycle them and use them in other formats too. I guess you could call this video blogging .

Linda Hollander – The Wealthy Bag Lady- owner of Women’s Small Business Expo

Heidi Parr Kerner, Speaker, Networking Queen

Desiree Doubrox – owner and founder of An Empowered Women’s Network

Susan’s note: As speakers and authors we have unlimited possibilities for creating products. Many speakers make more money from BOR back of the room sales then from their talks. Why? Because people want to take you home with them. For speakers products create passive income that can be repurposed and repackaged for various audiences on and off line. Take a look at some of the products I have created for speakers and authors. Click here to view.

It is really quite easy to create products with the advent of the latest technology.

For example if you are offering teleclasses you might consider using audioacrobat

AudioAcrobat is an audio recording, streaming and hosting service. All of your audio messages are automatically converted into a single of html code that can be uploaded to any Website. Which means you can convert the audio into various formats including mp3′s and you can upload video too. And you can try it out for 30 days for FREE.

Consider transcribing your teleclass and offering the mp3 or CD with the handout and call it a Special Report or sell them on their own. Need a transcription service? Call Patsy Bellah (310) 840-2957. Patsy can also create an e-book for you.

Need more resources? Take a look at Speaker Services Resources

I will be talking about How to Create Info Products Easily and Simply at the Speakers’ Summit on May 2 and the mp3′s and my 6 page handout will be available for purchase following the event. Check it out

Today’s post was written by Donna Gunter-12 Steps to Creating Your First Info Product. Donna offers a clear map on how to move forward. Go forth and multiple!

The creation of your first info product is a huge first step toward implementing multiple streams of income in your business. It means that you have something to sell prospective customers to “size you up” as they consider purchasing your services, that you can sell something 24-7 from your website that demonstrates your expertise, and that you’re well on your way to creating a passive revenue stream for your business.

Your process doesn’t have to be as detailed as I’ve outlined here, but if you want to do a thorough job in the creation process, I suggest that you embark on all the steps.

1. Solution to a Problem.

The best-selling information products provide a direct solution to a major problem of your target market. If you’re a professional organizer, the problem might be how to clean and store and organize holiday decorations so that they can be easily found and used from year to year. If you’re a weight loss coach, the problem might be how to stay motivated when you’ve hit a weight loss plateau. Jot down some of the primary problems of your target market and the process by which you help your clients resolve these issues.

2. Determine Your Offering.

Info products come in all types of formats, from ebooks to ecourses to recorded teleseminars to podcasts to special reports to CD and DVD sets. Take stock of your target market and determine what format would best fit their lifestyle. Are they virtual business owners who work from home at their computers for most of the day? Then an ebook or ecourse would probably work well for this group. Are they busy executives who travel frequently? Then you might consider a portable audio format. You can also combine formats to appeal to a variety of learning styles or lifestyles.

And, of course, cost is a major consideration. Do you want to create a physical product that has to be shipped, or would an electronic download work? There are much greater costs on your end to produce a physical product than an electronic one, and you also have to deal with product fulfillment as well if you choose to sell a physical product. I tell my clients to start with an electronic version and test it out, and if it’s successful, move to a physical product, which has greater perceived value in the eyes of consumers.

3. Pricing.

Pricing of info products is all over the map. Check out your competition (yes, there will be competing products on the same topic aimed at the same target market) and see what they’re charging. You also need to take a look at your contact database and make some assessments of the value of your information to them as well as what you think they will pay. You can survey your database to determine this info, or base it on comparable offerings in the marketplace. Many times my clients get hung up on the notion of comparing pricing for their info product to what they can find in the local bookstore. Generally, pricing for info products is higher than retail bookstores because the info being sold online is specialized for a target market and is delivered immediately upon order (if it’s an electronic download).

The pricing strategy that also seems to sell better online is ending your price with a 7, like in $17, $47, etc. If you offer a high-priced product, consider offering payment via an installment plan, where you charge a bit more each month for the product than if someone were to pay for the product in full at time of purchase.

4. Technology.

Do you have the technology in place to create and deliver your offering? If it’s an ebook, you’ll need either a PDF writer program or ebook compiler software. For an audio program you’ll need a microphone and audio recording and editing capabilities. For an ecourse you’ll need either autoresponder software or a direct to desktop solution. For delivery you’ll need a shopping cart that can deliver electronic products or take shipping info for physical products as well as some type of merchant account to take credit and process credit cards. You’ll also want a sequential autoresponder service to follow up with your buyers.

5. Create the Product.

This is typically the most labor intensive part of the process, as you’re actively recording or writing or videotaping your information for the product. Some products are easier to create than others, especially if you’re recycling other content that you have into a new product. If you’re starting from scratch, however, give yourself a full 3-6 weeks of steady work time for product creation. After creating the product you may want to have it proofread and/or edited in some fashion by a proofreader or an audio/video expert.

6. Graphics.

A picture tells a thousand words, and more importantly, info products sell better when the visitor has a graphic representation of this intangible info product item. If graphic design isn’t your specialty, find someone to design an ebook cover or podcast album art for you. You may want to have the designer also create a website header banner for the product that you can use on your sales page. You can generally have both of these done for around $200. The more professional your image, the better perceived value your product has.

7. Domain, Hosting, and Website.

I believe that each info product should have its own domain name and sales page to be most effective. Domain names are pretty inexpensive, so you could actually buy several for each product — one that reflects the product name, for example, and one that reflects the result someone will receive after using your product. You can use the various domain names and websites for a variety of testing purposes as you go to sell your product. If your plan to create multiple info products, you’ll probably want to obtain a website hosting account that will enable you to host multiple domains from the same account. Another option is to forward your product’s domain name to a “hidden” page of your primary site.

8. Copywriting.

There is a specific formula to copywriting for one-pages sales letter websites. The best way to get ideas for your sales letter is to create a Marketing Swipe file of other sales copy that you like. From your swipe file take a look at the headlines, the introduction, the subheadlines, the listing of benefits, the product description, the outline of the features, the call to action (request to buy), the closing, and the postscripts. You’ll begin to see a pattern emerge when you look at 4-5 sample sales pages.

9. Shopping Cart.

Once your product is complete, you need to upload the product into your shopping cart and set up the cart for purchases. This may mean that you also need to set up shipping and handling charges for physical products and integrate your shopping with your shipper of choice. If your state requires the collection of state sales taxes, you’ll need to integrate that as well.

10. Followup Autoresponders.

Creating a series of autoresponders to follow-up with a customer after purchase enables you to stay in front of the customer and reminder her about your other product/service offerings. Design a series of 3-5 autoresponders that will be sent out after a purchase to check in with your customer and tell her the next step she needs to take after her purchase. This might mean referring her to another info product, asking her to join some type of subscription service, or experiencing your service with a free trial.

11. Capturing Contact Info.

Sadly, not everyone who visits your website will buy what you’re selling. However, you can still capture their contact info by creating a free giveaway for those who may not be ready to buy. This might be a special report or free ecourse, and you follow the same steps outlined previously for creating this giveaway. You’ll also need to create 3-5 followup autoresponders here as well that will ultimately offer them your product once again.

12. Publish and Promote.

Now, you’re ready to sell. Publish your website and begin to promote your offering to your own database. You can create a buzz about your product by writing a press release, offering a free teleclass, buying ads on other websites or in other newsletters, publishing articles, creating podcasts, purchasing pay-per-click advertising, requesting colleagues to send out notices to their contact lists, and creating an affiliate program in which others can sell your product for a commission.

Creating your first info product can be a time-consuming process. However, once it’s created, you stand to earn income from it for years to come. Start to expand your business offerings today with information products.
Copyright (c) 2007 Donna Gunter

About this author

Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps self-employed service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To sign up for more FREE tips like these and claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at http://www.GetMoreClientsOnline.com

by Donna Gunter

You may have heard the saying that “the gold is in your list” for your online business. I’ve found that to be the case, despite any number of social marketing techniques like blogging, MySpace, etc. It’s always extremely helpful to have a list of people to whom you can market.

How do you develop that list and keep adding people to it? You create a client-capturing device. A client-capturing device is a free giveaway that is of value to your target market and serves as a solution to a big problem that challenges your target market.

Once upon a time, the offer for a free ezine was sufficient to capture a visitor’s contact info. Alas, that is no longer the case, so you have to up the ante and provide even greater value to your visitor. Your client capturing device can take any of several formats — an ebook, a recording of a teleclass, a 6- part ecourse, a short downloadable video.

Here is a list of 8 qualities that your free giveaway must contain in order to capture the most clients:

1. Compelling title. Make sure the title of your client-capturing contains a solution to a major problem with which your target market struggles. My title strategy is to use a number and a solution, like 5 Secrets to…. or 7 Mistakes Made By…. When your visitor sees the title, you want him to think, “I’ve got to get that!”

2. Benefit to visitor. In addition to your compelling title, create 3-4 sentences to describe the content of your client-capturing device. Making an offer is not enough — you need to convince your visitor that you have the perfect solution to his problem and that he can get that solution very quickly by providing his name and email address to you.

3. Graphic enhancement. A picture is worth a thousand words, and people like to “see” what they’re getting. Have a cover or graphic image of your giveaway created that matches the look and feel of your website or blog.

4. Format. You want your client-capturing device to be as easy to use as possible. Therefore, if you’re giving away an ebook or special report, create a PDF file that anyone can download and open. If it’s an audio file, save it in mp3 format, which can be opened by any audio player. If you want to share videos, embed them into your site using a player that is compatible across both the PC and Mac platforms.

5. Relevant and useful content. Don’t hold back in your giveaway. Provide a complete solution to your visitor that can be implemented immediately. Limit the amount of upselling that you do in the content, and save the bulk of that for any followup autoresponders that the visitor receives.

6. More information. Create a page with all the pertinent info about your giveaway. Some visitors will request their copy of your giveaway immediately when they see the offer on your opt-in form, while others will require a bit more convincing.

7. Testimonials. What have previous users said about your download? Add to the excitement and the desire of getting your giveaway by listing how beneficial others have found your information.

8. Put a price on it. To accentuate the value of your giveaway, put a price on it. Make it reasonable for your target market and not completely outrageous. If it sounds too good to be true, most visitors will believe just that and leave your site without requesting your giveaway.

In whatever form it might take, your client capturing device needs to provide some solid information to help your target market solve a pressing problem and not simply be a piece of fluff that advertises your business. If your giveaway is all fluff and no substance, you will have lost this prospective customer for good.

Copyright (c) 2007 Donna Gunter

Donna Gunter is an Online Business Resource Queen™ and Online Business Coach. Donna helps independent service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. http://www.OnlineBizU.com . Ask Donna an Internet Marketing question at http://www.AskDonnaGunter.com

Today’s post is from Marcia Yudkin

Terminology greatly affects how people perceive value. Call something a “brochure” and no one will want to pay for it. Call it a “booklet” and it sounds small and insignificant, perhaps worth up to four or five dollars. Call your digital document an “ebook” and people instinctively compare it to tangible books and will pay no more than what they’d pay for something they can pick up at the bookstore. Indeed, according to Angela Adair-Hoy, co-owner of Booklocker.com, the magical price point for ebooks is just $8.95.

Consider these alternatives.

“Special report.” In the business world, people will spend much more money for timely business information or instruction when it’s called a “special report” than for an “e-book.” A dollar per page is not unusual — $4.00 or $5.00 for four pages, $97 for 90 to 100 pages.

My research turned up many even higher priced special reports, where the author already had impressive credentials, such as $195 for a 114-page report from usability guru Jakob Nielsen’s firm and $945 for a 245-page report on Russia’s aerospace industry from Jane’s, a well-known U.K. security and international affairs information company.

“Manual.” Contrary to what you might expect, packaging material in an old-fashioned three-ring binder or a copy-shop coil binding, sent through the mail can also increase the perceived value of information, compared with “e-books.”

This can go for as much as several hundred dollars when it’s up-to-date, advanced professional knowledge not available in bookstores, libraries or on the Web. Fancy packaging may even lower a manual’s perceived value because it counteracts the implicit exclusivity of such a purchase.

“Course.” Instead of calling the sections “chapters,” try calling them “lessons.” Presenting information as instructional material also raises its perceived value, because people are accustomed to paying much more for seminars and classes than for books.

A writer I know sells 120 pages of printed material, divided into eight lessons, as a $295 course. The price includes feedback from the instructor on assignments, which most purchasers do not get around to submitting. Likewise, copywriter Joe Vitale has charged as much as $1,500 for a limited-enrollment seminar consisting mainly of five e-mailed lessons.

So before jumping on the “ebook” bandwagon, ponder the alternatives!

Marcia Yudkin is the author of 11 books, including Persuading on Paper and Web Site Marketing Makeover. The above is adapted from her popular report, “Profiting from Booklets & Special Reports,” available from http://www.1automationwiz.com/app/?af=744801

Yesterday, I spoke to a group of authors who are going through a year long program called Quantum Leap. The Harrison brothers owners of RTIR and producers of the Publicity Summit invited Jack Barnard and me to talk to the authors on how to grow their businesses and services through speaking.

I spoke to them about the marketing end of speaking and gave them an overview on how to create a winning strategy. We also know that authors have a tricky time speaking about their books and need a bit of help in the presentation department. Jack shared how to play the game of speaking and how to get the ticket. Several of the folks resonated with that and signed up for our 5 day Speakers’ Bootcamp at the end of March.

Today Wendi McNeil weighs in on Marketing Strategies and Tips that will help you to position yourself…

Becoming a professional full time speaker isn’t easy…everyone knows that, it takes a lot of dedication, determination and most important you have to have the passion, if the passion isn’t there then my suggestion would be, don’t even attempt it! I could spend days teaching you how to package yourself as a professional speaker and how to gain more exposure, but the following article as been bundled to give you just a few quick tips and ideas so you can start implementing them into your business.

1. Niche Yourself

Yes, I know you have heard this many times and it couldn’t be truer! One of the biggest mistakes a speaker can make is having too “general” of a topic. You want to narrow your expert niche as much as possible. Become the Speaker of Choice, research your topic industry so you know “what’s hot” and “what’s not”. Take that research and develop a niche around it, be sure it is something you have experience with and will be able to present it as a professional expert speaker in that field. Don’t waste your time, energy and money on developing a “niche” that just isn’t going to get any recognition because it isn’t something that planners will be looking for! Do your research and I do put emphasis on this tip! Once you have discovered your niche, you must continue to practice your speaking skills and update your material and presentations to keep-up with the trends and changing issues.

2. Build your credibility

There are many ways to build your credibility and become known as an expert, but this tip is about building your credibility by knowing your audience.

Your job as a presenter is to take the context you will present and put it into a form that your audience will understand and can relate to. You want them to really understand what you’re saying. Always remember your presentation is not about you, it’s about the audience, what they want to know, and what they want to know is what’s in it for me? How will you help their business grow?…How will you help them save time…save money…How will you make them feel!

Vision yourself sitting in the audience you will be presenting to and ask yourself, “What do I want to get out of this?”, “What do I want to learn?”, “What’s in it for me?” Once you can perceive yourself as a participant of the audience than you can start putting the pieces together in building a top notch presentation that your audience will remember and one that will have members coming to you and asking you to get your schedule out because they want to book you.

The more you relate to your audience, the more you know your audience, the better your chance of building your credibility…you have an audience that is happy, engaged and drawn to you and one that is saying…Hey, this speaker knows his stuff…he knows us!

3. Develop an eye-catching media kit

Planners get hundreds if not thousands of proposals and media kits every year. You have to “wow” them immediately to grab their attention, before they set it down and go to the next one!

Make sure that your media kit is up to date, precise and professionally put together. Nothing else turns away a meeting planner or organization more than an unattractive, boring, and unorganized media kit. They won’t even bother with it nor have the time of day to look over the remaining contents if they don’t like what they see at first glance and many times the hours, days and money you have spent in putting it together are now wasted as it sits on the planners’ shelf gathering dust. I know this seems a bit harsh, but being on the ‘inside’ I know this to be true, as I have seen it many times, so just spend some time on your kit when putting it together or possibly re-do the one you already have, remember you want to catch the eye of the reader to draw them into reading more.

4. Have an online presence

Develop a website with information on your experience, topics you cover, promotional material available and testimonials from previous clients. You don’t need a big, fancy, or expensive website to attract visitors and the attention of meeting planners, just make sure you are catering to the planners needs and have the information easily accessible and downloadable. If you’re an article writer make sure you add your articles to your own site.

If your budget doesn’t allow for your own web site, join speakers’ organizations and add your name to their online listings – The more exposure you get, the better your chances of being found by people seeking speakers.

5. Work with meeting planners

Very important: be willing to work with them. Don’t be so stubborn that you talked yourself right out of one of the most important speaking engagements of your career. Most planners are eager to work with the speaker, but you also have to be willing to “give a little to get a lot”. Remember you want to be a magnet to planners and the “hiring” company, not an itch under their skin. So be pleasant and be negotiable and give them the best performance possible and in return they will continue to book you and recommend you!

You want to position yourself within the meeting planner realm as being enjoyable to work with, fun, and easy-going! Trust me on this one, there is nothing worse then working with a stubborn, un-pleasant speaker who is unwilling to budge or negotiate, it doesn’t matter if they are well-known or have years of experience, planners don’t have the time for this nor want to deal with it. I also want to mention, don’t be too quick to pass on a free speaking engagement as this can bring you more opportunities (Many great enterprises were built from small opportunities).

6. Introduce yourself as a contingency speaker

This is one way to get your “foot” in the door. One of the biggest fears of a meeting planner is a “no-show” or cancellation of the scheduled speaker. You can send out a letter via email or regular mail to event planners, program managers, etc.

Your initial contact with the event planner should be on eliminating one of their largest fears. If you have a properly written letter and have done your research, you will more than likely make an immediate friend. This is where the business relationship begins and in most cases, the event planner or “hiring” authority will book you in because you have approached them this way.

7. Marketing yourself

Add this to your weekly business tasks, this is of course a must, if you don’t market you all know they won’t find you! You have to go to them…let them know you are unique, you are knowledgeable, you are the best and that you can knock the socks off their audience. Don’t be afraid to approach meeting planners, you want to keep your name fresh in their mind! Be PERSISTENT!

Standing out from the crowd is a major challenge for today’s professional speaker. Marketing yourself and your company, should be one of your major priorities, which requires to be done on a regular basis. Unless you have ample time on your hands and the expertise it takes to market yourself effectively, one of the best suggestions we can make is hire a professional marketing specialist or consultant/public relations company. Find someone that will work side by side with you in developing a marketing campaign that will benefit you and your speaking career.

If your budget does not have room for the expense of a professional PR agent then there are many ways you can gain exposure and become known as an expert in your field by doing some simple marketing techniques that are sure fire ways to get you the attention you need. Remember to be unique!

8. Interact with potential clients

It is very important to mingle and network! Get yourself noticed. Hand out business cards every where you go. Talk to everyone you meet. Go to seminars and meetings that are the same as your expertise. Watch and pay attention. Who are the attendees, what is their reaction to the speaker on the platform? Most importantly, be very personable and agreeable with every meeting planner you meet. You want to leave the impression that you are easy going and willing to make adjustments at the last minute. Meeting planners don’t like to work with difficult and irritating speakers, it doesn’t matter how well known you are in the speaking industry. They look for someone with humor, an abundance of energy, flexibility, and great content!

9. Write a book/ info products

This is a BIG credibility builder. I know it’s not as easy as it sounds, but if you are an expert in your field and you have information you want to share, I would suggest writing a book or some informational products. This is an excellent marketing tool and an addition to your income. We know you have the speaking ability and you know what you want to say, but some speakers just don’t know how or have the time to put it in book/product form. You do have the option of outsourcing that task. There are many companies who specialize in that field and can assist you with your project.

10. Article writing

Almost everyone knows about article marketing and submitting them online, but I just want to mention it again. I would have to say I bring up article marketing at least 5 times a day in many different conversations because that is how important I feel article marketing is. You are a speaker…you are an expert…so you shouldn’t have any trouble writing a simple article. Add article writing and submitting them online to your marketing plan and do it on a regular basis. This is one of the best and FREE ways of promoting yourself and your business, and also gaining more visitors to your website!

Many times I see an excellent article that was written with just the authors name, no contact information…nothing! Well, if you’re like me you don’t have the time to try and do a search on this author to find their site and learn more, you want instant contact information by just clicking your mouse so you can be taken directly to where you want to go. So, don’t forget to add an eye-catching bio at the end of your article so readers can find you and learn more. Be sure and include your contact information including website and email address.

Wendi McNeill is the owner of Charli Jane Speaker Management and while working closely with speakers for many years, she assists them in growing their business and shares her expertise, knowledge and passion that are needed to grow your speaking business. She knows what planners are looking for and how to make a good impression by using simple techniques that can cut off months of research, save you money, time, and energy by mentoring and guiding you in the right direction. You can also learn more about speaking leads, visit www.CharliJane.com to learn more about her services.

by Burt Dubin http://www.speakingbizsuccess.com

Here’s how to make every presentation lead to requests for you to speak again at other events. Make building your reputation and enhancing your perceived value the primary function of every presentation.

Here are seven tested, proven methods I’ve discovered from my study of the skills of the masters of the professional speaking business. Use this concentrated wisdom to improve your speaking business skills from booking to booking!

1. Satisfy the decision maker and the meeting planner

- With your skills, credentials, experience, books, articles, and media coverage.
- Make your program description show exactly what your presentation delivers.
- State your recommendations, guarantees, and endorsements.

2. Exploit your window of opportunity

With associations that have annual meetings, make your initial contact about one month after their last annual meeting. Ask when their planning starts for the next meeting. Ask when the theme is selected. The time window for booking your presentation opens at that point. This window to book more speeches lasts as little as one month.

Decisions on keynote speaker and other general session presentations are made first. This may be 3 months before Breakout Session presentations are selected.
Study your market and know that market intimately. Think like your market’s decision makers think. Get the right promotional materials before the right person at the right time. It is a critical to demonstrate your professional skills at this time.

3. Give decision makers and meeting planners the value they want

- Provide in-depth knowledge, wisdom, and strategies on a topic or issue that is hot at the time.

- Offer two, sometimes three programs. For example, offer a keynote speech for the major program followed by a breakout session addressing the “how-tos”.

- Offer also to speak on a panel or lead a presentation to senior executives. Use your skills and ingenuity. Deliver extra value. Offer pre-event presentations or training, too. Add value every way you can.

4. Generate areas of expertise

Topic expertise. Get known as the skilled specialist – the expert who speaks.
- Platform artistry. Showmanship skills are everything.
- Promotional expertise. Market yourself professionally.
- Negotiating skills. Make their booking you win-win.
- Credibility as an expert presenter in your topic. (See 5, below.)

5. Develop your credibility
- Become a celebrity.
- Publish articles and books.
- Document your skills and accomplishments; be recognized; earn academic degrees and industry certifications.
- Create a proven track record.
- Develop a client list. Big names are best.
- Earn magnificent evaluations.
- Keep your fees appropriate, even a bit less than you’re worth.
- Seek prestige engagements. Target well-known prospects.
- Answer your office phone professionally.
- Upgrade your promo kit and your brochure.
- Upgrade your demo tapes, both audio and video.

6. Make yourself worthy of higher fees

- Improve your topic expertise, presentation skills, negotiating skills.
- Ask for what you want. Be prepared to reject inappropriate offers.
- Relate any difference in fees to the total meeting budget, total head count at your session, cost of the luncheon or banquet per person.

7. Fit the Budget without altering your fee structure
- Offer multiple programs at the same engagement.
- Offer multiple engagements of the same presentation.
- Offer to split travel expenses between meetings of other organizations at the same time in the same city.
- Offer a flat fee; combine speaking fees and expenses into one quote.
- Offer a product sale arrangement. Sell product and reduce your speaking fee.
- Offer a separate presentation the next day at no extra charge.
- Find a sponsor. Have a profit-making organization or member sponsor or co-sponsor your presentation, paying all or part of your fee.
- Offer to barter for something they have that you want, for example a free booth at their trade show or a master videotape of your presentation.
- Offer to permit the association to market videos and recordings of your presentations as well as your products and you share the revenue with them.

You may be aware that I launched the Speakers’ Community a membership site in early November. I offered 60 days for free until the end of Dec ’07 to give folks an opportunity to experience the value of the Community and if satisfied then $49 a month would be debited automatically from their account.

I worked hard to offer instant valuable bonuses as well as a Community Listing in the directory which is open to the public and to the members to find one another.

I invited guest experts each month onto the monthly teleclass and recorded the conversation to add to the library. Additionally the Inner Marketing Circle once a month has been inspiring and with lots of coaching happening and the replay is archived.

I thought I was giving great value for $49 a month. Afterall, a teleclass call charge might be $49-$99 and one on one coaching could be $250 an hour plus a listing in the Community Directory. At least that was my thinking.

And yesterday I heard a voice saying add more value. So here’s what I did. I added 13-14 audio/mp3 recordings all of which I had created in the past year and began the Audio/MP3 Library page for the members.

Here’s a partial list of the recordings in the Library.

- SUPER STRUCTURE and BRANDING, Jack Barnard

- COMMUNION, COMFORT & CONNECTION, Jack Barnard

- THE BUSINESS OF SPEAKING: CREATE A WINNING MARKETING STRATEGY, Susan Levin

- RUN YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE HELP OF A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT, Terry Green

- MARKETING: WEB 2.0 STYLE: Turn Your Intellectual Assets Into Internet Profits, Michelle Price

- INCREASE YOUR INCOME BY CREATING AND SELLING INFORMATION PRODUCTS, Susan Levin & Patsy Bellah

- PLUG and PLAY PROFITS: Convert Your Passion into Blockbuster Audio CDs Rob Schultz

- GET YOUR BOOK WRITTEN and PUBLISHED, Jean-Noel Bassior

- PRODUCE & PUBLISH STREAMING AUDIO & VIDEO USING AUDIOACROBAT, Dave Barrett, Owner of AudioAcrobat

- GET BOOKED AT COLLEGES, James Malinchak

- ONE SHEETS, Sheryl Roush

- SPEAK ON CRUISE SHIPS, Daniel Hall and here is the recording for you to listen to.

What is the value now? Priceless!

Here’s the point of my sharing this with you. I had all of this information already created in various places ie: my file cabinet, on various web pages and you probably do too.

In thinking back to this past May when we did the Speakers’ Summit I visioned doing a blog and a membership site and a TeleSummit based on the Speakers’ Summit all realized now. However, I remember thinking how I could repurpose and reprogram much of the material and I did it yesterday.

Here’s the good news I still have lots more to repackage including videos mp4′s and I will be adding that to the Speakers’ Community Library.

After the New Year we are offering 30 days for free for the Speakers’ Community however, once you join you have access to the library, the live teleclasses and the Inner Marketing Circle with me and a guest each month plus you can post your own profile in the Community Directory.

BTW: In January TJ Walker will be my guest for the monthly teleclass interview and he will be talking about how content is the king/queen and how you can repackage and reprogram your content into books, tips for your blog and so much more.

You can be on the call if you sign up for the Speakers’ Community!

Hey and if you don’t get the added value you can cancel your subscription.

I would enjoy hearing your comments. Please offer them.

My colleague Fern Reiss sent me this article today and I could hardly wait to share it with you. She is so full of great info for authors.

Sell More Books to Libraries
by Fern Reiss, CEO, PublishingGame.com/Expertizing.com

You can sell lots of books to libraries—if you know how to approach the library market. Here are my top tips on breaking into this lucrative part of the book business; for more tips, see www.PublishingGame.com/libraryreport.htm.

Go for reviews
The way most libraries make their purchasing decisions is via the reviews in the major trade journals—Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Foreword Magazine. So it’s important to be sure your book is reviewed in those publications. If you’ve published traditionally, you can expect your publisher to handle this step (though it can’t hurt to ask the publicist or editor if this will happen automatically—and follow through to make sure it does.) If you’re self-publishing your book, be sure you send a bound galley(nota finished book) to these publications at least five months before your publication date that is, five months before the books become available to bookstores, Amazon, etc. A good review in one of these review journals (and for the purposes of publicity, usually even a bad review is a good review) can lead to several thousand library sales.

Take the back door into reviews
If you don’t get a review in one of the major publications, consider taking the back door approach if appropriate: Go for a review of the audio version of the book. (Hadn’t considered doing an audio book? Start thinking about it.) The audio review section of Library Journal, for example, is easier to get into than the print section, so in lieu of a review of your printed book, think about whether it might be worth producing an audio version if only to make librarians aware of your book title. If they review the audio of your book, be sure to make it clear that there’s also a printed version—in which case they’ll mention it in the context of the review.

Figure out how your book is unique
Libraries are always trying to fill gaps in their collections (as opposed, for example, to bookstores, which are only trying to fill collection gaps if they see a strong consumer demand for the niche). But for librarians, niche books are very desirable. So if you can position your book so that it’s a ‘the only’ title—the only book on cooking whole meals in a fondue pot, the only book on how to have a six figure career without ever leaving your house, the only book on how the world might have been different if JFK hadn’t been shot—you have a strong shot at library sales. I positioned my book, The Infertility Diet: Get Pregnant and Prevent Miscarriage as the only book on how to treat infertility and miscarriage nutritionally.

I positioned Terrorism and Kids: Comforting Your Child as the only book on how to talk to your kids about 9/11. (That’s not true anymore—but it was when the book first came out, shortly after September 11th.) With The Publishing Game books I had a problem, because they were not the only books on how to find a literary agent, how to self-publish, and how to successfully promote your book. So I figured out another tactic and positioned them as the only 30-day step-by-step roadmaps to these topics. Because I was able to position my books as ‘the only’ books in their category, they all enjoyed reasonable library sales.

Speak at libraries
The more speaking you can do at libraries, the better your library sales are likely to be. (Also, the more speaking you do at libraries, the better your bookstore sales will be, because at least some of the patrons who come hear about your book at your library talk will then go out and purchase the book at their local bookstore.

So how do you get library bookings?
First of all, libraries are often more likely to book programs than readings. So think about what sort of package you can put together that would interest a library audience. When I was promoting my Publishing Game series to libraries, I offered librarians a choice of several different length programs on finding an agent, self-publishing, and book promotion. Each was available with a question/answer session and an autographing session. Just a straight book reading or signing wouldn’t have been of much interest—but the more in-depth program appealed to authors, and the libraries were able to provide full-house audiences every time they ran the program.

Second, remember that libraries have budgets for programming. Although many authors do library talks at no charge, you can charge for library programs. I charged $500 per talk for my one to two hours at each library—and got it at libraries across the country. Not only that, but the publicity that the libraries did in advance to announce my talks contributed to book sales and buzz in every town to which I traveled.

Tailor your website to libraries

Most authors know they’re supposed to have a website. But the more you tailor your website towards library sales, the better those library sales are likely to be. So think about libraries when you’re putting together or updating your website. In addition to a section for the press, put up a section specifically for librarians. Include any special publicity aimed at libraries, any articles you’ve written for the library market, any ideas you’d like to see the libraries implement for your book. My website section for librarians includes a contest aimed specifically at libraries, my book’s reviews in the trade journals, ordering information, my terms for library book orders (though this is uncommon, as most libraries will order via wholesalers, not directly), my offer of a column for library newsletters, my offerings of programs and lectures to libraries (and the consequent booking information), and endorsements by librarians who’ve booked me as a speaker. For some more ideas on what you could put on a library section of your website, see www.publishinggame.com/booksellers_librarians.htm

So start thinking libraries. Because there are lots of libraries—and thus, lots of potential sales.

Interested in learning more about selling books to libraries? Find out more at www.PublishingGame.com/libraryreport.htm.

Fern Reiss is CEO of PublishingGame.com and Expertizing.com and the author of the books, The Publishing Game: Find an Agent in 30 Days, The Publishing Game: Bestseller in 30 Days, and The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days as well as several other award-winning books. She also runs The Expertizing® Publicity Forum where you can pitch your book or business directly to journalists; more information at www.Expertizing.com/forum.htm.

Sign up for her complimentary newsletter at www.PublishingGame.com/signup.htm

Susan Note: Check out the Authors Speak Easy Workshop that Speaker Services if offering Nov 9-11. It’s for authors and those who are writig their books. You even get to do a short video that you can place on your website right away.

I just got back from the National Speakers’ Association in San Diego.

It was great fun.

We found that many of the speakers were interested in the Video Demo-3 camera shoot coming up in November. I think we will be full. We only take 18 people. I was showing demo samples on my computer in our exhibit booth.

Also of great interest was the MediaSpeak Symposium, October 11-13. Several people signed up right away when they heard the early registration fee for 3 days was only $347. This is our third year offering the Symposium.

I need to send out the Speakers’ Guidelines to about 20 people so they can get listed in our Directory. Since 92 we have been bringing speakers and audiences together.

The Speakers’ Bootcamp is full for August and we have a wait list at this time.

BTW: My mentor for Web Marketing 2.0 and this blog Michelle Price tells me that she is taking on new clients to help them get their blogs plus also creating a marketing strategy for them so that it brings them mucho business. Take a look at her website AThirdMind.com

Here’s some photos I took at the conference of friends and colleagues.

Jovita Jenkins (r) and Terry Green (l)
Jovita is the author of Get Out of Your Own Way and Terry is a VA. Her business is Fastype and she helped me out during the conference.

This is Scott of Beyondee taking a photo of a client. Beyondee takes your photo and creates business cards for you- 1,000 cards for only $59.

I’m hoping he’ll be at the MediaSpeak Symposium so the attendees can take advantage of the great deal.

Jack Barnard relaxing -Jack is our master branding, media and presentation coach

Jack and Susan in the Speaker Services Booth

Jill Lublin (r) and me. Jill is one of the speakers at the MediaSpeak Symposium. Her company is Promising Promotions

Blanche Katz stopped in for a visit.
Blanche is an ElderCare Educator

Marilyn Snyder of Interactive Concepts
She is all about Power Point Design

Acutrack
On-Demand CD/DVD Services. Acutrack enables you to create, produce and deliver your content on CDs and DVDs.
Terry Green won their give-away of 100 CD’s and she gave it to me. Can’t wait as they will do all the work for me.

James Malinchak, The College Success Bootcamp King. He had a great booth and he offers an awesome College Bootcamp.

Here are several suggestions on mapping out a marketing plan for your speaking business.

Also an article on what meeting planners look for when hiring a speaker with tips on video demos too.

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.

- Design an irresistible presentation kit that makes meeting planners want to hire you.
In this kit would be your one-sheets for each topic you speak on

- Customize your talks with targeted pre-program questionnaires

- Launch new product ideas based on solid game-plans

- Produce powerful video demos

- Create powerful websites, blogs and e-zines

What Meeting Planners Look for When Working with Speakers

• Are you easy to work with? The desirable speaker or trainer is organized, professional in all communications, and is flexible as opposed to “whiney” and demanding. Make their job easier and they will use you again and recommend you to others.

• Are you an expert in your topic? They look for a presenter who can communicate effectively with impact, drawing in and captivating the audience.

• Do you take the time to learn about their organization and customize your presentations for their people? They want someone who will take the time to research, and then adapt your presentation so that it is relevant and appropriate to the culture and climate of their organization.

• Do you engage the audience? Decision makers want a presenter who will get the audience involved and invested. They look to see if your audience seems sincerely interested and responsive to you, as opposed to someone who is just tolerated.

• Will you help the company achieve its goals? If their goal is to create long-term change, they need to be convinced that you can accomplish this before they invest in you. If they are looking for entertainment, they want to know that what you do will achieve this for the majority of their people.

• Do you have a video demo? Is it streamed on your website?

A great video demo can be your ticket into places you could have never reached without it. It can increase the number and the caliber of your bookings. It can be sent through the mail, streamed on your website, and even sent by e-mail. For most serious speakers and trainers, it is an absolute necessity for success.

Many meeting planners and executives will not even consider a speaker or trainer without seeing them in action. So your video demo can get you in the door, but then you have one chance to impress your prospect quickly. There is a lot of competition out there, and most professionals have a demo video. To stand out from the pack it’s essential for your video be creatively and intelligently designed, with excellent quality. It can mean a significantly higher income.

It makes sense to invest in a demo, but to increase the return on your investment, you need to design your demo to target, reach and persuade those who have the power to say yes or no to you. With that type of planning, you’re shooting at your target with laser guided precision! Without great planning and execution, you are just shooting arrows with a blindfold on.

Of course every speaker and trainer is unique, so each video should be unique. The tone, pace and image of your video will differ from others because of who you are and what you do. However, there are some basic attributes that appeal to most decision makers. It is up to you and your video production company to communicate that you have those qualities.

Tips on Video Demos:
Your demo video is like a five to seven minute sales call. A quality three camera professionally produced demo video lets your client know that you are a professional, experienced and in-demand speaker. A poor quality video has the opposite effect, and will usually not be watched at all.

• Stream your video and post it on your website so that you can be seen right away.

• Make a CD or DVD of your demo to send out to the planners when it is requested.

A quality demo video can:
- Help you get in the door and past the “gatekeepers” to the decision makers.
- Make a quick and great impression.
- Show your unique style and how the audience responds to you.
- Entice potential clients. Grab their interest so they’ll want to hear more of your presentation.
- Give you a quality tool to reach thousands of potential clients by streaming on the web.
- Increase the caliber of your bookings.
- Get you hired and increase your income!

See streaming video samples of 3 camera video demos that Speaker Services produces for their clients at the Video Demo Showcase. Next showcase is November 4, 2007.

Turn Your Keynote into a Book
by Dawn Josephson

Many professional speakers want to turn their keynote speech into a book. This is a great way for you to leverage your content, but realize that you’ll often have to do more than simply type out your keynote and submit it for publication. Because speaking and writing are two completely different mediums, what works in your speech may not work in your book. Most speakers find they need to give their ideas much more development in written form. Some also find that they need to change their content’s tone so it has impact in print. The first step is to tape record your keynote speech and get it transcribed. Read your transcript and note the areas that need further development. Then, organize the raw material accordingly, and start adding. Another option is to have an objective outsider interview you about your topic. Be sure to tape record these sessions. Since the outsider does not know your topic as well as you, this approach helps you identify specifically which areas of your keynote may not transfer well into written form, or that may be confusing to readers. Usually the information the outsider helps you uncover are the true bits of wisdom that will make your book the best it can be, while still being true to your core message.

Dawn Josephson is a professional speaker, internationally acclaimed author, and the Master Writing Coach™. She is president of Cameo Publications, an editorial and publishing services firm, and is the creator of The Ground Rules™ book series.

Dawn empowers leaders to master the printed word for enhanced credibility, positioning, and profits. As the author of Putting It On Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces that Sell Books, she is the go-to person the media turns to when they want reliable writing-related information. Dawn believes that a person’s ability to write clearly and succinctly is the true reflection of their genius.

Dawn may be contacted at http://www.masterwritingcoach.com

Note: Teleclass CD available: WRITE TO SELL! CREATE PROMOTIONAL PIECES THAT SELL BOOKS . Learn more/order