Advantage Magazine - Summer 2014

Th e M a r k e t i n g M a g a z i n e f o r E n t r e p r e n e u r s , Bu s i n e s s L e a d e r s a n d I d e a - M a k e r s

M

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summer 2014

$4.99

D I SCOVE R I N G Y O U R

How to Gain Differentiation and Maintain Client Value in a Crowded Marketplace | P. 8

Don't be the bargain brand; be the unique option.

Featuring guest columnist Devin Herz. | P. 6

Spring sprung at Advantage, and the team stayed busy at home and abroad. | P. 12

HOW SUCCESSFUL AND

ARE JOCKEYING WITH INDUSTRY GIANTS BY CLOSING QUESTIONS | AUTHOR AND SPEAKER MARIA FERRANTE-SCHEPIS OFFERS CREATIVE TIPS FOR

GATHERING BOOK CONTENT AND EXPLAINS HOW PUBLISHING GUIDED HER MESSAGE IN A PRACTICAL WAY. | P. 14

ADVANTAGE MEDIA GROUP AdvantageGROUP Media Group is an international publisher dedicated to entrepreneurs, ADVANTAGE MEDIA business leaders, and professional speakers. We help clients Write, Publish, Monetize, and Market their books and content to grow their businesses. Advantage has one mission: to help our clients and their constituencies Learn & Grow™.

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A turnkey, done-for-you branding, positioning, and marketing system for authors and experts

TELL US HOW WE CAN HELP YOU BEST 843.414.5600 advantagefamily.com

In this issue...

8 | Differentiation Is Key

Even the most powerful voice could go unheard if the audience doesn't know it is supposed to listen. A message must be fine-tuned and targeted if you're going to get a leg up on the competition. By Christina Wells

4 | Adam’s Advantage

Continual professional development is an essential ingredient to growing a strong team. By Adam Witty

DEPARTMENTS

6 | Publicity Speaks

Why being the unique option is always better than being the cheap one. By Devin Herz, guest columnist

14 | Closing Questions

Advantage Activity 5 New releases from the second quarter; print and eBook best seller lists

Noise Makers 7 A look at recent print, radio and digital media hits for Advantage clients

Advantage Team 7 Meet Advantage's new web designer/developer

Maria Ferrante-Schepis is Managing Principal of Insurance and Financial Services at Maddock Douglas, Inc., an agency of innovation focused on helping large brands bring new ideas to

Event Calendar 10 Dates of note and client anniversaries in the upcoming months

market. She explains how publishing has helped her message

Advantage People 12

reach her audience in a practical way.

Spring sprung at Advantage, and the team stayed busy home and abroad.

Authors on Books | Regal advice...

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things: read a lot and write a lot.” — Stephen King

OpeningNumber: Like it or not...

$147

The average value of a Facebook "Like" http://www.slideshare.net/alfonsogadea/value-of-a-facebook-fan-2013

843.414.5600 advantagefamily.com ADVANTAGE MEDIA GROUP

Publisher of Business, Self-Improvement, and Professional Development Books and Online Courses

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/advantagemediagroup /advantagefamily /company/advantage-media-group

CEO

Director of Publi shi ng

Publicity Edi tor

E di t ori a l Di rec t or

Editor & Art Di rector

Marketi ng Edi tor

Marketi ng Assi stant

Guest C ont ri but or

Adam Witty George Stevens

Advantage Magazine Issue 27 Summer 2014 © Advantage Media Group. All rights reserved. Trademarks used by permission.

Patti Boysen

Christina Wells

Jenn Ash

Katie Biondo

Denis Boyles Devin Herz

S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 3

Adam’sadvantage

What are you doing in your organization to commit to lifelong learning?

K a r s o n P h oto g r a ph y

Learn long and prosper

L

ast week I traveled to MIT for year one of the EO Entrepreneurial Masters Program. The three-year executive education program is a partnership between Entrepreneurs’ Organization and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

ment, not just for themselves but also for everyone on their team? I recently finished the book What’s The Secret? by customer experience guru John DiJulius. In the book, John points out that the companies that create great customer experiences invest 10 times more in training and professional development around soft skills than their closest competitor.

At Advantage, one of our core values is “commit to life long learning.”

To say the classes, content, and instructors blew my hair back…well…

As publishers of business, self-improvement, and professional develop-

that would be an understatement! The class consists of 65 passionate en-

ments books, you might be disappointed if that was not a value of ours!

trepreneurs from 20 countries that are committed to making their busi-

We currently require each team member to complete 56 hours of pro-

nesses better. The industries and sectors represented are wide. We spent

fessional development annually. We provide each team member with a

five straight days tucked into a classroom, learning from 9 a.m. until 9

$1,000 in continuing education reimbursement. We recently established

p.m. each day. It was a whirlwind.

a monthly book club for our Leadership Team and will roll it out to the

At the end of those five days, you would expect to be tired, exhausted, and spent. After all, you just drank from a firehose for 120 straight hours.

Interestingly for me, and I suspect of most others, I finished that 5-day jaunt invigorated, excited, and ready to go, go, go.

Each speaker echoed a similar theme that consisted of two parts. The first was people, people, and people. The second was training, training,

entire company next year. And, despite all of this, we can and should be doing so much more. More training, more role playing, more job shadowing, more cross training, more soft skills training, more leadership development.

So fellow entrepreneurs, business leaders, and authors, I put it to you…what are you doing in your organization to commit to life long learning? I am

and training. Geoff Smart, New York Times Best Selling author of Who,

eager to hear your ideas. Drop me a line at awitty@advantageww.com.

commented that you can have piles of money, a great product, and a

Keep Learning. Keep Growing!

terrific strategy…but if you don’t have the right people on your team, you will still fail. Verne Harnish, CEO of Gazelles, and the leader of the FORTUNE Leadership Summit and FORTUNE Growth Summit said, “organizations that out-learn their competition beat their competition.”

As I was flying home from Boston, I wondered how many entrepreneurs and business leaders engage in rigorous, ongoing professional develop4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M

Adam D. Witty, Founder & Chief Executive Officer awitty@advantageww.com

Advantage activity n e w r efrom l Advantage e a s Authors es

How to Grow Your Dental Practice in the New Economy 5 Key Strategies to Predictable, Significant and Sustainable Results

PEOPLEMATTER

Uncommon Candor

Driving Productivity, Efficiency and Profits through Happier Team Members

A Leader's Guide to Straight Talk

N ate D a P ore

154 pp.; paperback; $14.99

Get Your Financial Ducks in a Row G regory G entry

N ancy K. E berhardt

122 pp.; paperback; $13.99

136 pp.; hardcover; $14.99

J ohn C otton 128 pp.; paperback; $12.99

Learn How the Top 20 Alternative Doctors in America Can Improve Your Health

Why Physician Home Loans Fail

Who Are You When You Are Big?

The Gift of a Life Smile

How to Avoid the Land Mines for a Flawless Home Purchase

A llan M ilham K imberly R oush

E dward C. K ondrot

J osh M ettle

Your Guide to Uncovering Your White Smile and Hidden Happiness

250 pp.; paperback, $34.95

188 pp.; paperback; $15.95

R andy M itchmore

134 pp.; paperback; $14.99

152 pp.; paperback; $14.99

Forty Years of Investor Mistakes

The Global Journey of an Asian

A Financial Advisor's Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls

The Entrepreneurial Journey of a Complete Outsider

B ill R iley

R. P alan

160 pp.; paperback; $14.99

236 pp.; paperback; $14.99

Grow Younger Like Me

Social Media Sucks!

(If you don't know what you're doing)

Feel 29 Again and Again: How to Look, Feel, and Function Younger, Without Stress

S ebastian R usk 136 pp.; paperback; $14.99

V ernon F. W illiams 198 pp.; hardcover; $26.99

Advantage Best Seller List: June 2014 Title

Advantage eBook Best Seller List: June 2014

Author

Title

Author

1 Making a Difference

Steve Gilliland

1

Hyper Sales Growth

Jack Daly

2 Who Are You...When You Are BIG?

Allan Milham Kimberly Roush

2

Happy Belly

Nadya Andreeva

3 Uncommon Candor

Nancy Eberhardt

3

Hypothyroidism, Health & Happiness

Steven F. Hotze

4 Imaging Living Without Type 2 Diabetes

Murray Hockings

4

Flirting with the Uninterested

Maria Ferrante-Schepis G. Michael Maddock

5 Iron Tribe

Forrest Walden

5

Safe & Sound

T.S. Krupa

6 Managing the Moment

Lisa Parker

6

Fitness Model Diet

Jennifer Nicole Lee

7 Happiness: The Riddle of Illness Revealed

Steven F. Hotze

7

Book the Business

Adam Witty, Dan Kennedy

8 Bear Bryant on Leadership

Pat Williams

8

Life...Don't Miss It

Gary Kunath

9 Not by Chance

Tim Thayne

9

Wading Into Chaos

Bob Holdsworth

Jack Daly

10

Investing for Retirement

Robert Harwood

10 Hyper Sales Growth

S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 5

publicityspeaks | Devin Herz, A unique perspective

D

How memorable marketing and clever followup can bring in more clients at better value oes this series of events sound familiar to you?

left slumped over your desk with one painful

their money with “discounters.” This angle

thought echoing in your mind:

is surprisingly unique and will resonate with

Day 1: Great sales call! You developed an amazing rapport, crushed every objection, you even made a witty joke or two, but your prospect needs “time to think about it.” Sure, that’s usually the kiss of death when it comes to making a sale, but this time feels different!

“Why does it always go like this? Why does this

Day 2: You e-mail your prospect and no response. Yeah, prior to your meeting they were answering e-mails immediately, but they probably just had a busy day today.

incredibly forgettable. I know it’s tough to

Day 3: You phone your prospect only to get their assistant. Before you were getting right through to them, but now she has to check their availability. Uh-oh, they aren’t available.

Well, surely they must just be slammed, you just know this time is different and they are bound to bite!

Day after day passes. Like a true warrior you don’t give up the fight, but with each day you lose more and more hope until…

Day 68: After 38 e-mails, 23 calls, and a vain attempt at sending smoke signals you finally receive that dreaded e-mail. “I’m sorry, we won’t be moving forward at this time, we will revisit this at a later date.”

“You have got to be kidding me!” you think to yourself. You were courteous, professional, developed a rapport, and all they could muster was a one-line e-mail that basically told you to buzz off. The nerve of some people right?

After smashing your keyboard, pounding your desk, and screaming enough expletives to make Andrew Dice Clay blush, your body is 6 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M

always happen to me?!”

your ideal prospect.

It ends with how you follow up. Using some-

I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news.

Bad news first, right?

thing like a video, book or even a thank you card, you are able to cement a fantastic impression and increase close rates dramatically.

You’re blending in with everyone else. You have all the knowledge in the world and you are still hear, but the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one.

No matter what it is you are doing with your marketing, make sure you are as unique as is humanly possible. This is the only proven way to succeed in business and, in my opinion, life.

But here’s the good news: it’s a very solvable

Founder and Creative Head of DMC design, Devin overseas all opera-

problem.

tions and has twenty years of experience as a marketing professional.

It starts with how you wow the prospect in the first place: unique and memorable marketing.

Don’t look like your competition; be differ-

His vision for DMC is and has always been to make clients’ profits soar through truly different marketing approaches. Devin’s focus on “catchy” design is what has enabled him to execute thousands of successful campaigns throughout North America, the UK and Australia

ent! Stop discounting like your competition,

for an extensive client base that comprises a vast spectrum of industries.

convince your prospect they would be wasting

To find out more about Devin and DMC visit www.yourdmc.com

NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE DOING WITH YOUR MARKETING, MAKE IT

AS UNIQUE AS IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

noisemakers | Advantage clients in the headlines Kimberly Roush & Allan Milham

Randy Mitchmore Threw a book launch event with more than 200 attendees. The Mayor of Houston proclaimed it Dr. Randy Mitchmore Day.

Their book, Who Are You When You're Big achieved Amazon Bestseller status.

They used e-mail, social channels and strong partners to land the top spot.

Milo Hamilton Earned $50K in new business from his book in the first few weeks after launch.

Jack Daly Launched an international Amazon bestseller and an online university called Jack Daly's Sales U.

Misty Young Appeared on The Money Pillow podcast, which features entrepreneurs who have built businesses that operate without them having to be present.

advantageteam |

Have you been making noise in local, regional or national media? Let us know and we’ll feature you in next issue’s Noise Makers!

E-mail: jash@advantageww.com

Advantage Team Member Profile As

Web

Designer/Content

Manager,

Jonathon Jacobs lends his personal love and expertise with the web as the newest addition to Advantage's Online Learning and Book the Business teams. Jonathon is vital to the consistent enhancement and development of Advantage's Knowledgepress learning management system, as well as managing Advantage's corporate web assets. Aside from his web based duties, Jonathon has also taken on the role of Advantage's own personal I.T. guru and snuffs out any and all tech-related fires.

Jonathon Jacobs Web Designer & Content Manager

Learn more about the various products and services that our team can suggest for your business. | p. 2 S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 7

V I T I T E P COM GAIN YOUR

Unlock THREE STRATEGIES to Own Your Market and Surpass Your Competition

In today’s crowded marketplace, it’s hard enough to stay afloat, let alone lead the fleet. As entrepreneurs, authors, and speakers, you are constantly at battle to win the attention of your target audience and outshine your competition. Ultimately, you’re fighting to show why you are the obvious choice.

But how do you stake a claim to your niche and become the leader of the pack?

The obvious answer is to make a lot of noise directly in front of the people that matter to you, wow at every impression, and deliver what you say you will. But that alone doesn’t quite get the job done. There are specific, strategic efforts you can make in your business to prime yourself for exposure, lead generation and continued growth amongst 8 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M

your closest competition. If you believe you are already an industry leader or the obvious choice for your target audience, consider these strategies a refresher. It’s never a bad idea to audit your positioning and efforts and to make sure you’re staying ahead of the curve.

If you’re wondering what the key factors are in identifying your Ideal Client Profile, use the following questions to guide you in your discovery:

* Who are your ideal clients/what’s their story?

3 STRATEGIES TO CREATE ULTIMATE DIFFERENTIATION IN YOUR MARKET

* What is your ideal client looking for/what

1. Identify your market and cater to them.

* When is your ideal client in the market/

Simply put, this is the number one item on your list of evaluating your current efforts and for making sure you are targeting those who fit your Ideal Client Profile. You may be the best at what you do, but if you try to be everything to everyone, the only guarantee is that you’ll spread yourself thin, which will make it nearly impossible to own your market and surpass your competition.

problem can you solve? how urgent is their need?

* Where do your ideal clients find you/how can they connect with you?

* Why

will your ideal client engage you/ what are their driving motivators to do business with you?

* How will you work with your ideal client/ what services will you provide them?

E G D E VE 2. Build thought leadership.

For example, you may be a speaker whose motivational keynote is best suited for boosting company morale. Your target is likely the HR department of a large corporation, or HR associations. The reason why they want to work with you is because you provide a motivational, uplifting session about loving what you do and doing what you love. Their need for hiring you is based on the event date. They likely find out about you through your personal website, a speakers bureau website, a speakers association or through a direct referral. Whatever your market, in all your communication and collateral you have to speak specifically to them. Make them feel that you are the only choice through personalized, targeted messaging.

No one knows your content better than you.

Share your thought leadership through articles in industry magazines, blogs, videos, tip sheets, white papers, infographics, webinars, conferences—you name it. And what about a book, the ultimate example of thought leadership? The content you have compiled over the span of your career can be transitioned into a variety of info-products, free seminars, ebooks, and e-mail series.

You may have honed in on your audience, but it’s unlikely every one of your ideal clients consumes information and media in the same way. Meeting your audience where they are is critical. By offering your strategy and insight through a variety of media, you open yourself up to reaching your audience more regularly and driving home the all-important message that you are the go-to resource in your market.

3. Show and prove.

Social proof, in the form of a testimonial, case study, video or letter, can be the difference between you landing that new client and coming up empty. As a speaker, if you are in consideration for a presentation, the meeting planner is going to want proof from previous attendees that your content is impactful enough to get

the audience energized. If you’re a financial advisor looking to provide your services to a couple closing in on retirement, providing references to previous clients will bolster confidence in your abilities.

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome here is designing and implementing a process to collect such proof. There’s a well-known formula regarding referrals that translates well here. Twenty percent of your clients will organically offer a referral or, in this case, a testimonial. Another 20% won’t ever refer or provide a testimonial. The remaining 60% likely will, but only when asked. You have to ask your clients to provide case studies, quotes and testimonials that will help you help others like them, achieve their goals. Create a standard rule that every client is asked to provide a testimonial a set number of days after they sign a contract with you or after the event at which they hired you to speak. However this fits into your business, make sure it is always included as part of your client outreach. A testimonial is evergreen and will not only help you showcase your ability, but convey to potential clients why you are the better choice.

Everyone wants to be different. Everyone wants to be a leader. But it’s those that consciously continue to improve their targeting, messaging and content while maintaining a high standard for delivery of services that truly own their market and gain a distinct competitive edge.

Christina Wells is Corporate Marketing Manager at Advantage Media Group, leading the company’s efforts in both branding and lead generation. If you would like to connect with Christina, you may reach her at cwells@advantageww.com or 843.518.6788

Make potential clients feel that you are the only choice through personalized, targeted messaging.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | 9

Event Calendar SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

2

NSA Convention San Diego, CA

Advantage Anniversary: Steven Adams Bill Riley

6

13

7

Advantage Anniversary: Pete Turpel

8

Advantage Anniversary: Tom McCawley

Happy Birthday to 15 AMG’s Charles Pollak

14

Advantage Anniversary: Rick Eddins

20

Advantage Anniversary: Bette Tomaszewicz, John Goodman, Rob Berkley, Thomas Helbig, William Seidman

27

21

28

29

Advantage Anniversary: Curtis Greco

4

5

11

18

Advantage Anniversary: Michael Fling Raju Mohan Rod Stuckey

31

16

Advantage Anniversary: Gene Kelly Lee Milteer Tammy Stokes

19

25

26

Advantage Anniversary: Jeannette Bajalia Michael Broome Labor Day

Advantage Anniversary: James Holloway

2

Advantage Anniversary: Jim Black

8

23

30

Anniversary: 15 Advantage Andre Palko, Chris

NSA Convention, San Diego, CA

Advantage Anniversary: Rocio Martinez Catrise Austine

24

Advantagestock 2014

Advantage Anniversary: Adrienne Stahl

6

S AT U R D AY

PILMMA Super Summit Chicago, IL

Author Success University Teleseminar–4 PM ET

22/39

Happy Birthday to AMG's Pat Hanlon

20

Advantage Anniversary: Bob Phelan Ron Brown

1 0 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M

Advantage Anniversary: Jimmy Bailey Julianne Steinbacher Steve Gavatorta

PILMMA Super Summit Chicago, IL

25

Concierge Practice Management Marketing Event Costa Mesa, CA

27

Advantage Anniversary: Al Katz Jofi Baldrich

3

10

17

24

28

Advantage Anniversary: Bob Crumley Stewart Blume

4

11

Advantage Anniversary: George Turner

Advantage Anniversary: Bill Glass Chris Hobart

23

Advantage Anniversary: Tim Walker

29

Advantage Anniversary: Donald Moore

30

Advantage Anniversary: Jim Trunick

5

Advantage Anniversary: Robert Lemon

Concierge Practice Management Marketing Event Costa Mesa, CA

16

22

Author Success University Teleseminar–4 PM ET

26

9

15

21

PILMMA Super Summit Chicago, IL

2

Advantage Anniversary: Mark Platt Robert Harwood

14

19

Advantage Anniversary: Mitch Gooze

8

7

Advantage Anniversary: Burrow Hill Leslie Van Romer Nasiek Dariusz

Advantage Anniversary: Anne Newell Rick Sessinghaus

1

Advantage Anniversary: Cathy Newton, Dorothy Erlanger, Frank Mears, Andrew Gonzalez

Advantage Anniversary: Dianne Gubin

Advantage Anniversary: Allan Milham Kimberly Roush

23/30

18

Advantage Anniversary: John Winthrop

Advantage Anniversary: Bryon Spicer

16

12

Advantage Anniversary: Ann Vanderslice Carol Schmidlin Gregory Ricks

31

5

Advantage Anniversary: Sue Meitner

11

Advantage Anniversary: Andrew Sherman Dr. Michael Pincus Steve Sax

13

Independence Day

Advantage Anniversary: Robert Russell

17

Happy Birthday to AMG's Alix Bongalis

9

Advantage Anniversary: Dan Lok Michael Canet

Mullins, Chris Scalese, David Dubeau, David Fagan, David Wong, Diane Conklin, Ed Clay, Jon Keel, Kevin Connell, Mark Jackson, Marlene Green, Michael Gravette, Mike Root, Paul Champaneria, Ron Rosenberg, Suzanne Keyes, Yar Zuk

21/28

10

Advantage Anniversary: Eamon Walsh

Sep.

to AMG's 7 Happy Birthday Jenn Ash

14

Advantage Anniversary: Dr. Namrita Singh

Advantage Anniversary: Christos Effisiou

1

Advantage Anniversary: Michael Swanson

9

Advantage Anniversary: Pat Williams Teri Johnson

Advantage Anniversary: Elizabeth Lyster

24

Advantage Anniversary: Tom Watson

12

Advantage Anniversary: Kathy Murphy

17

FRIDAY

4

Advantage Anniversary: David Glisczynski

Advantage Anniversary: Katherine Miracle

10

3

Advantage Anniversary: Dr. Steven Hotze

Advantage Anniversary: Steve Gilliland Peter Gilfillan

22

Advantage Anniversary: Ron Vierling

3

THURSDAY

July Aug. 1

NSA Convention San Diego, CA

Advantage Anniversary: Allen Bohl Eric Pennington

6

Advantage Anniversary: Forrest Walden

Advantage Anniversary: Jill Koenig

12

13

19

20

Advantage Anniversary: Jared Balmer

18 Advantage Anniversary: Mark Richardson

25

Author Success University Teleseminar–4 PM ET

Advantage Anniversary: Neal Petersen Nate DaPore

26

Happy Birthday to AMG's Alison Morse Happy AMG Anniversary Pat Hanlon

Advantage Anniversary: Peggie O'Neill, Doug Pfeiffer, Michael McFarlane

Advantage Anniversary: Andrew Bachman David Lucca

27 Advantage Anniversary: Barry Wells, Dennis Hursh, Misty Young, Todd Garrett

From the Authors of More Than 30 Best Selling, Money Making, Business Building Books CLAIM YOUR COMPLIMENTARY COPY TODAY!

Adam Witty

&

Dan Kennedy

Inside these pages, you'll discover NINE exciting, different ways to make money for your career, business or cause by being the author of a book.

If you know you have a book or books inside you, here you will learn not only how to get that message and those ideas into the right book and get it published, but more importantly how to leverage that book for all it's worth.

If, on the other hand, you question what you have to contribute to a book and find the idea of writing one daunting, this book will replace your doubts and questions with practical advice and motivation.

INSIDE: • WHY a book is better than any other marketing tool. • HOW to build authority and expert status with a book. • Your book as The Ultimate Lead Generation Tool. • Your book as The Ultimate Referral Generation Tool. • Use your book to get interesting and profitable Speaking Engagements. • Your book as the key to the vault of Free Publicity. • A Proven Plan for Being a Published Author.

FAX ATTN: Christina 843-414-5610

MAIL Advantage Media Group 65 Gadsden St • Charleston SC 29401

EMAIL Christina at cwells@advantageww.com

Advantagepeople

1

2

4 SPEAKING OUT:

5

1: Co-founder of Speaker U, Steve Gilliland, moderates a panel

discussion of industry experts during the first annual Speaker U Convocation hosted in Charleston, SC. 2. Founder and CEO Adam Witty enjoys dinner with Advantage author Rodger Friedman while in Dallas for the GKIC Superconference. 3: Advantage author Adam Cufr spots his book on the shelf of a national chain bookstore. 4. VP of Business Development Keith Kopcsak and Adam Witty congratulate Advantage author Nancy Eberhardt on her newly published book at the FORTUNE Leadership Summit in Orlando. 5. Former Lieutenant Governor of Florida and Advantage author Jennifer Carroll poses with the Advantage team at the end of her Author Immersion Workday™. 6: Adam Witty makes a special appearance at the FORTUNE Leadership Summit. 7. The Corporate Marketing department participated in a day of service with Sea Island Habitat for Humanity. 8. Advantage team members represent the company in the Digathalon Sponsor Competition as part of the DIGSOUTH conference. 9. As Easter

3 1 2 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M

tradition at Advantage dictates, team members participated in the annual Peeps contest. The winning diorama was modeled after Advantage author Val Gokenbach's book, Tap Dancing Through Life.

6 7

8

9

closing

questions

Maria Ferrante-Schepis is Managing Principal of Insurance and Financial Services at Maddock Douglas, Inc., an agency of innovation focused on helping large brands bring new ideas to market. She talks about how publishing has helped her message reach her audience in a practical way.

Why did you write a book?

My company, Maddock Douglas, had written two books previously. One book was a step-by-step textbook on the innovation process (Brand New: Solving the Innovation Paradox) and the other book was an entertaining story about the two most powerful forces/mindsets necessary for building a culture of innovation (Free the Idea Monkey...to focus on what matters most!). I thought it was important to show how companies in one particular industry—the industry I love, Financial Services and Insurance—are applying the tools and lessons from both of those previous books to successfully transform their business.

1 4 | A D VA N TA G E M A G A Z I N E | A D V A N T A G E F A M I L Y . C O M

How has your book, Flirting with the Uninterested, helped your speaking career?

Speaking engagements have nearly tripled since publishing the book. I am an innovation practitioner, so my speaking, writing and media work are all part of a very purposeful platform to inspire and empower other leaders that are trying to bring about more positive change in the Financial Services & Insurance category.

I like to think of my book as a great preread or post-keynote souvenir. Before I had the book, it was harder to share a comprehensive and in-depth bundle with my audience. Now I can do that at a much greater scale and dimension, because my audience gets to pick and choose which chapters are most relevant to them at any given moment.

speakers, but I know when I get "the call" that the audience is right for me and for my book.

What tips do you have for other authors looking to advance their speaking career with a book?

The best advice I got was to practice and prepare for a book by starting with writing articles, blogs, guest posts, etc. as a way to continuously share with my audience and see what works in terms of connecting with people via the chosen content, context and my authentic voice.

What is the best advice you have for someone who is new to publishing a book?

If you have a lot of keynote content, get

What are the advantages of being a member of the Advantage Speaker Network?

it out in paragraph form onto the web or

It’s more efficient and effective for all of the stakeholders involved. I think ASN's focus on the matchmaking experience and quality of the match (e.g., "the ideal speaker for an unforgettable event") is the important business need being met.

Obviously I'm only one of the potential

times and learn from them. At Maddock

on paper to tangibly see what you have.

Work with someone who has done it a few Douglas, we worked with an experienced author and publishing consultant named Paul Brown to guided us through the process. After all, we are innovation experts, not book writers.

PeopleMatter Now, More Than Ever!

THE SERVICE INDUSTRY—including restaurants, convenience stores, and other retail companies— has seen a tremendous amount of change in recent years and not all for the better. These businesses are facing some major challenges, from slim margins and high turnover rates to ever-changing workforce management issues influenced by politics, generational trends, and the new post-downturn economy.

PeopleMatter puts forth the simple yet powerful idea that the key to overcoming these challenges lies with your people. You can’t accomplish any of your goals without them, and if you can better understand who they are, what they want, and how to engage and motivate them, you can unlock a world of potential that will make a positive difference in more ways than one.

The payoff can be huge, not just in terms of bettering your bottom line, but also in the lives of everyone involved—including you. Your people are the most valuable asset you’ve got, and helping them find real meaning and purpose in their lives is both good for business and good for them.

Plus, being able to do that for someone else is a pretty powerful and inspiring thing.

Because real change is about more than just theory, PeopleMatter also provides action items that employers and managers can use right now to make their workplaces better, with the end result being happier employees and happier customers, which in turn leads to higher sales and better margins—and who wouldn’t want all that?

The new book by

NATE DAPORE

Founder, President and CEO of PeopleMatter

®

What does a professional speaker who speaks at full fee over 120 times a year know about getting booked that you don't?

Steve Gilliland, CSP, CPAE

Steve Gilliland, CSP, CPAE Provides step-by-step blueprints on how to build a substantial speaking business. In the last five years, Steve has delivered 584 paid speaking engagements and generated more than $7 million of revenue from speaking.

The Speaker U™ curriculum includes 10 courses with 40 lessons.

Hundreds of marketing pieces including e-mails, letters and templates are included in this comprehensive university and are all downloadable.

TM

Apply for enrollment in Speaker UTM today to begin your journey towards building a substantial, sustainable and profitable speaking business. speakeru.com/apply

Everything you need to build a substantial speaking business.SM

SpeakerU.com