Getting Started

Fresh – and Effective – Strategies for Today’s Speakers: David Newman of Do It! Marketing Interviews Shawn Ellis

by Shawn · 0 comments

Looking for some fresh ideas on how to get “in” with speakers bureaus? Trying to figure out what meeting planners really value in their speakers these days? (And speaking of meeting planners, are they really your target audience?)

These are just a few of the questions and topics that David Newman, founder of Do It! Marketing, and Shawn Ellis, founder of The Speakers Group and creator of Succeed Speaking, address during this 68-minute interview.

Head over to the Do It! Marketing blog to download the full interview and get some rock solid ideas to help you take your speaking business to the next level.

Are you the steward or the star?

by Shawn · 6 comments

2011 08 Michael Buble 23
Creative Commons License photo credit: marbla123

Just a simple question for you this week, and I’d love to hear your feedback:

Do you see yourself as the steward or the star in your speaking business?

One definition of steward, according to Merriam-Webster, is “one appointed to supervise the provision and distribution of food and drink in an institution.”

I like that, but it’s not food and drink you’re distributing, obviously. It’s your message. So…

What if, for speakers, we change the definition to “one appointed to supervise the provision and distribution of an inspiring, empowering message among the people”?

With this definition, the attention shifts from you to your content, or your message — a message that, while not quite as essential as food and drink :) , you believe people need… right?

Your job, then, is not to position yourself prominently in the marketplace… not to make sure you look good on stage… not to make sure you get all the praise…

Instead, your job is simply to propagate your message and make sure it is consumable by as many people as possible (within your target audience).

You are an essential piece of this puzzle — don’t get me wrong. You are the one who has been inspired with your message and you have unique gifts and talents for delivering the message.

But does this slight shift in thinking change anything?

Now what is your objective when you market to prospective clients? Not just to get a booking and collect a paycheck, but to “distribute provisions” to a hungry, thirsty audience.

What is your objective when you write articles? Not just to add another credit to your list or get exposure, but to help even more people.

What is your objective when you create products to sell? Not just to diversify revenue and create “passive income,” but to make your content consumable for more people, and to make sure there are funds to support the further spread of your content.

Am I being too idealistic? Too dramatic?

Or, is it possible that seeing yourself as a steward could transform your business? (And is it possible that it could, coincidentally, result in you becoming a star?)

Comment below and tell me what you think!

Speaking of Speaker Fees…
Are You Worth It?

by Shawn · 9 comments

 

A well-established speaker wrote to me a few weeks ago to share his thoughts about speakers raising their fees “beyond what they are worth” — before they have “earned” their fee level.

Since setting fees is one of the topics I’m asked about most frequently by speakers, I thought I’d give my two cents on this particular issue here…

First of all, I do understand where he’s coming from. As an agent and manager for speakers for over a decade now, I’ve seen $5,000 speakers turn into $25,000 speakers; $35,000 speakers turn into $95,000 speakers; and $100,000 speakers turn into $200,000 speakers.

Short of a few zeroes, the fee increases have often reminded me of what we’ve seen in the sports and entertainment industries. (Remember when Jim Carrey’s $20 million payday was big news? Or when Brett Favre become the National Football League’s first $100 million man?)

As someone paid on commission, increasing fees would seem to be good news for me. But they’re bad news if my clients’ budgets don’t support them.

Anyway, the question we’re focusing on today is, how do you determine what a speaker is worth? And do they have to earn their fee? If so, how?

When you really think about it, one could ask if any speaker is worth $95,000 or $200,000. (The median household income in the U.S. in 2009 was just over $50k, by the way.) I don’t ask that question, though, and here’s why:

Any speaker is worth what the market says s/he’s worth.

It doesn’t matter what I think. It doesn’t matter what you think.

If clients in the market pay a speaker’s stated fee and are consistently pleased with the outcome from the engagements, then the speaker is worth that fee.

And that goes for “young” speakers as well as the “elite” speakers. You can set your fee at any level you want — that’s the beauty of a free market!

Just make sure you can consistently deliver the return on investment your clients are looking for.

If you can, then you’re worth your fee. If you can’t, you’re not… and that will work itself out one way or another.

That’s my two cents. What’s your take?

Want To Be A Better Public Speaker?
Take a Lesson from the Navy SEALs

by Shawn · 2 comments

Navy SEALs Photo

It was just reported that members of the U.S. Navy SEAL team involved in the raid on bin Laden’s compound were wearing helmet-mounted digital cameras that recorded the mission. Sounds like a slow news day to me, because why wouldn’t the SEALs have helmet cams on such an important mission? Here’s a better question, though:

Do you record your missions (your speeches)?

You should be doing exactly what the SEALs did, whether you’re well established or just getting started. And you don’t just record them for sake of recording them. Do you know what the military is doing with the footage from this mission right now?

They’re doing what’s called a post-mission analysis. By reviewing this video footage, they can see what went right and wrong during the raid. It helps them “remember what went on in the heat of the moment,” a military source told CNN. It’s what they call a “look and learn.”

Could you benefit from doing a “look and learn” on your presentation footage? Of course you could — we all can. You’ll see things that you would have never noticed while your adrenaline is flowing on stage — maybe that point could be made clearer, maybe that gesture wasn’t big enough, maybe you spent too much time on the left side of the stage — so you can be even better next time.

How do you do this, by the way? Easy.

Option 1: Equip one of your audience members in the front row with a helmet cam so you can see exactly what they see. (not recommended)

Option 2: Set up a Kodak Zi8 or other mini-camera on a tripod in an inconspicuous location.

Now on your flight back home, you can watch yourself (as painful as it is, I know). Make notes about what you really like and what you’d like to improve upon. Between now and your next engagement, rehearse what you want to change the next time you take the stage… And then repeat. Time after time after time.

Thankfully you don’t have to go through the “toughest military training the world” (as the SEALs do) to become one of the world’s best and most successful speakers. But you do have to commit to doing some “little things” that others don’t — like “post-mission analysis” — along the way.

Want more ideas to build a more successful speaking business?

 

photo credit: Rennett Stowe

“But I Want To Be A Speaker”:
You Can Start Today

by Shawn · 0 comments

Do you frequently find yourself saying, “I’m a ______, but I want to be a professional speaker/author/guru”? If so, this blog post is for you!

Quitter by Jon AcuffI recently spoke with “serial quitter” Jon Acuff about his new book, Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job, and asked him to share some tips on how you can get started now — even if you’re not ready to submit your resignation letter. (As a matter of fact, you might be surprised to learn that the first chapter of Quitter is actually titled “Don’t Quit Your Day Job.”)

Listen to our conversation below and you’ll learn:

  • How you can start building your speaking business while you’re still working full-time
  • Why quitting today can actually prevent you from pursuing your dream
  • Why money must not be your driving passion… but what will fuel your success for life
  • Is it okay to use notes when you speak?
  • Who is the “surprise boss” you’ll meet the second after you quit your day job?

Jon has been right where you are… and it wasn’t all that long ago! He was working a 40-hour-a-week job he didn’t like so he could pursue his dream job on the weekends. Now, he’s a published author and member of the esteemed Dave Ramsey Speakers Group. Listen now and he’ll tell you how he made the transition (so you can, too!):

Next steps:

The Millionaire Messenger by Brendon Burchard – Get Your Copy Now (while it’s free!)

by Shawn · 0 comments

If you’ve followed me and Succeed Speaking for any length of time, you know I’m a big believer in Brendon Burchard. I was first introduced to him by Jack Canfield’s team, and wow, this guy knows his stuff.

Brendon started out as a simple guy with a great message, and he turned his advice and life experience into a brand that changes millions of people’s lives. Because of his success, he created Experts Academy, which is a comprehensive program that trains other authors, speakers, seminar leaders and online marketers how they can follow his same model.

The only problem with Experts Academy is that it costs $2,000-5,000 to enroll. That’s not a problem in terms of value, but obviously it’s a significant investment and an obstacle for a lot of people. So… Brendon wrote The Millionaire Messenger, taking many of his best lessons from Experts Academy, as well as his own multi-million dollar strategies for sharing his message — all in one affordable book.

The book isn’t just affordable, though… it’s FREE for a limited time! Grab your copy here (you just have to pay shipping).

Why is Brendon giving the book away for free? Simple. To get some early reviews on Amazon.com, build buzz, and if all goes well, have a New York Times Bestseller right out of the gate. Pretty smart, huh? Win-win for everyone.

Even if you don’t buy the book, there are plenty of lessons to be learned just by studying how Brendon has set up his launch strategy. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: The book is free (except shipping and handling) and I make nothing from it, but I am an affiliate for Brendon’s other materials, so if you end up buying something from him in the future, I may be paid a commission. Just want to be fully transparent about that.

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