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Making The Best Out Of Non-Profit Speaking Engagements
I'm referring to the "free" talks we speakers do at non-profit organizations like the Kiwanis Clubs, the Rotary Clubs, Toastmasters and the Lions Clubs. We kick-start our speaking career by giving free talks to these organizations, hoping they lead to paid gigs. The idea is that after a certain amount of time on this free circuit, you'll start to be "in-demand" and paid for your speaking services. How can you ensure that this free circuit takes the path of the paid circuit? Here's how:
1. Deliver a powerful content and information rich presentation. Tell the audience something that they've never heard before, something that's different than what they can read in a book or get "free." Ironic, huh?
2. Go to the presentation with the thought in mind that you will leave there with a lead. Set a goal of at least 5 leads before you leave the presentation. Ask for the lead if you must. Make sure the listeners understand that your message is so unique that it must be heard by more people. Then, give them that unique message.
3. Network with the audience before the presentation begins. Pass out your business cards and talk up your talk. Answer questions and ask questions of those that you meet. Find out more from others about the industries they represent. See how your message fits into what their organizations represent.
4. End your speech by asking for the sale. You won't get it unless you ask. Don't be shy and don't be afriad of (possible) rejection. It's all natural and par for the course. Stay focused on your goal which is to grow your speaking business.
Branding Your Speaking Business - Tip#1
Finding Connections For Your Business
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Finding Speaking Gigs
Finding these gigs can be easy...or hard. Start by looking in your yellow pages and cold-calling the civic organizations that are in the book, according to the locations. Now chances are that you will secure a date, so be prepared to respond to and fulfill it immediately, as these organizations need speakers on a weekly basis.
What Do I Say Next?
What's up with that? That's all I'm beginning to hear from the speeches of the great Oback Barama. Lots and LOTS of uhm's and aah's.
In Toastmaster's, we're trained and admonished to reduce our use of "filler" words; you know those words you use when you don't know, uhm, quite what to say, you know? It's when you "fill in" the space with non-sensical words while your brain is searching for a word to use. However, per Toastmaster's (and per me as well), the practice is quite unprofessional and tends to make the listener feel as if they are not connected to the speaker. Almost makes the speaker appear to be a somewhat shady character. Not that I'm saying Obama is shady or anything...
As a professional speaker, you want to eliminate these fluff words at all costs. The best way to cut out these filler words is to PRACTICE and feel comfortable with your thoughts before you give a speech. Always know what you're going to say or even what your ideal response would be even before a Q&A session in any format. Listeners need to be able to receive your message with any open mind, but if you're shifty in your presentation, you could come off like a used car salesman. And no one likes those.
Call For Speakers - 4/14/08
Speaker for ASPA - retirement group.
Interested in speaking to Chambers of Commerce? They need speakers.
Portraying a Professional Image
A professional image is only achieved by mimicking the images of the successful people that you're around or that you see on television. Wearing a suit is professional. Not slacks and a pull-over shirt. Wearing hoisery (for women) is professional. Bare legs? Only appropriate for the beach or around the house. A professional image can only be achieved by...being...professional.
How do you portray your professional image to others?
Professional Speaking: Doing What I LOVE!
I love speaking, I love helping people speak well and I love researching and finding information about the world of professional speaking and personal development. The goal of this blog will be to bring information and resources to the professional (and the aspiring professional) speaking community. I feel that there is so much information available both online and offline regarding professional speaking, and my quest is to find that information and bring it to you, the readers. To be able to grow professionally, you must develop your personal self through goal-setting, discipline and focus. I will also be offering tips and advice on podium speaking, how to present, speaking etiquette, setting goals, developing your personal brand and a host of other topics.
Please feel free to comment and participate in the blog's community. Let's help each other with advice and input on professional speaking leads. This is going to be great and we're all going to have a ball.
Are you ready?
There is No Such Thing as Getting Rich Quick - Really!
In a quest to get money fast, people often fall victim to get-rich-quick scams and programs that promise to pay out large sums of money in a short amount of time with minimal work. Although there are warnings all over the Internet about such scams, it bears worth repeating - - there is no way to get rich quick overnight.
In my previous years as a budding entrepreneur, I too fell victim to a lot of programs that guaranteed a large return for a minimal investment. Some were gifting programs where you gave a certain amount of money into the program and the accumulated money circulated around to each member as a "gift." The only thing was is that my turn never came!
Then there programs where if you sold perhaps 1000 widgets and then signed someone into your downline, you could keep maybe 40% of the profits from the person(s) under you. Again, I just could not ever seem to sell 100 widgets (let alone one thousand) and the one person in my downline had just as much trouble as I did moving the widget products. So, nothing happened there.
There are online programs where you can invest in and make a lot of money, over time. Thes programs require hard work, determination, focus and passio for the product or service. The only way to make them profitable is to focus and concentrate on what you're doing and don't give up just because you don't make a million in your first month!
Educate yourself about your product and your industry. Talk to people who have been in that business before. People are more than willing to help you succeed. Prepare to spend a significant amount of time building the business up. Realize that a return on your investment could take weeks, or sometimes even years, to see. Being realistic about your expectations can help to overcome feelings of hopelessness and the getting-rich-quick illusion.
The Purpose of a Business Plan: Why Are You Writing One?
Many entrepreneurs and small-business owners write business plans in an effort to secure funding from lending institutions. They also write out business plans to present to requesting financial support for their ideas. But, should those be the only reasons that you write out a plan for your business? First, before writing a lengthy and involved business plan, determine what your business' goals are.
* Are you going to start the business and then sell it in five years?
* Are you going to keep the business as a family-based business then bequeath it to family members later?
* Does the product or service your business has demand a 20-page business plan?
When writing out a business plan, consider the following and determine the need for each one:
1. Identify the goals and objectives of the business. Know where you want your business to be in five or ten years. Articulate this through your business plan in ways that convey to the reader where your business is headed. For example:
The goal of The Daily Exhorter is to provide effective communication strategies for non-profit organizations in marketing their services. Through the use of workshops, seminars and classes, we will equip non-profit leaders with tools that are necessary to make an economic impact within their industries and align their organizations for future and focused growth.
2. Prove the viability of the business. Will your business be able to thrive during times of recession? Is it a product or service that people want, need or will buy? People tend to lean towards buying things that they need or that make their lives convenient. Lending institutions need to see a need for your idea. Use your business plan to outline statistical data and information on the need for your product or service in the economic community.
3. Business Marketability. Is your business idea marketable and how will you go about marketing it? Show readers in your business plan details on how you will market your business. Marketing your business ideas can be done effectively offline and online. The way to determine which is better is to perform a to find the best response.