112 Fall 2010 - Behind the Podium

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Build a speaking business!

Great tips for going beyond traditional speaking fees.

PODIUM

News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch

Building Your Consulting and Speaking Business:

A Consultant’s Consultant Shares His Seasoned Advice

By Patricia Fripp

A great way to build your business is to collaborate with other speakers and consultants. Yes, you can combine your communities and mailing lists, however, what you learn from smart partners is invaluable. In this article, you get to benefit from the advice of the consultant’s consultant. Alan Weiss, Ph.D., CPAE, CMC is the author of “Million Dollar Consulting” and is also my partner in The Odd Couple® Seminar for Professional Speakers, Consultants, and Coaches.

At the opening of one of our seminars, Alan Weiss gave these pieces of advice in an evening Q & A ...

Q: How do I build my business?

Alan: There has to be a market need for what you do; you have to have the competency to meet the need; and you have to have the passion to want to fulfill it. When those three things converge, you have a brilliant career.

Tip of the Month Spend More On Less Instead of spending $1 each for 1000 bulk mail postcards, occasionally spend $10 to send 4 really nice marketing packages to 25 very qualified prospects.

You’ll really stand out from the competition.

News

Vol. 1, Issue 12 • Fall 2010 • $24.95

It doesn’t matter what the economy is like; it doesn’t matter what the competition is like; it doesn’t matter what government regulation is like. The great thing about what we do is that we control our own destiny.

Q: How do I stand out in the crowd of other consultants and professional speakers?

Alan: When I started my career, quality circles were very big. I wrote an article titled, “Why Quality Circles Make No Sense.” Completely contrary, and it was published in an instant.

You don’t want to be the 457th person talking about where leaders have high integrity and where they’re ethical. You want to talk about the fact, for example, that right now you have two kinds of people in leadership.

You have people who are in their 50s and 60s near the top of organizations continued on page 12

You Should Know

Cancelled Contracts Are Becoming More Prevalent We’ve received several reports from the SpeakerMatch community about contracts being cancelled by meeting planners. Whether the conference itself gets cancelled or the speaker budget gets cut, it’s often the speaker who gets a raw deal. Be sure you have a contract which addresses this possibility!

Make sure that you have a solid, signed contract backing up the deal before you agree to firmly hold a date. A 50% deposit up front is customary. Be sure you have a standard contract ready which considers any penalties and other considerations that go into your cancellation policy.

Today, many airline tickets are nonrefundable and NON-CHANGEABLE, so also consider that when creating your cancellation policy. Travel insurance may make a lot of sense in the current environment. ~ BC

What’s Inside Letter from the Editor.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Why Everything You Do Each Day Matters.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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The One Simple Thing that Can Make or Break You in the World of Social Media.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Get More Bookings by Getting into the Mind of the Decision Makers.. . .

The Essential Aspect of Selling that Children Know.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Learn How to Maintain Your BusinessBuilding Momentum with These Four Compelling Pointers.. . . . . . . . .

Learn the Secret to Filling Up Your Speaking Engagement Calendar.. . . . .

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2 Upcoming Teleseminars.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

www.speakermatch.com

8 LinkedIn Forum.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 11

Letter from the Editor

Bryan Caplovitz

Strengthen Your Credibility by Sharpening Your Consulting Skills

Consulting is a natural by-product of the speaking business. With most speakers claiming a particular area of expertise, sharing that knowledge in other formats and venues is vital in adding credibility to your name and brand.

In this quarter’s issue of Behind the Podium, we’ll hear from the “consultant’s consultant” Alan Weiss on how to distinguish yourself from the droves of other professional speakers and consultants in the business. Shared by Patricia Fripp from one of their Odd Couple® Seminars, Weiss provides some candid answers to some of the most common questions regarding crafting your reputation as a credible speaker and consultant.

Next in the line-up is an insightful article from Annie Jennings on how to best approach the world of social media.

In Good Manners Make for a Good Social Media Strategy, Annie provides some golden reminders about the importance of building strong relationships.

In Changing Your Mindset About Selling Will Change Your Future, Tony Rubleski shares his perspective on the art of selling along with excerpts from his book “Mind Capture: How You Can Stand Out In the Age of Advertising Deficit Disorder.” Tony makes a great case for learning how to sell from a seemingly unlikely source — kids.

Also, be sure to check out this quarter’s LinkedIn discussion that features more on one of the liveliest topics we’ve had so far — tips for working with meeting planners.

Enjoy the fall,

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Good Manners Make for a Good Social Media Strategy

By National Media Strategist Annie Jennings

The growth of social media is happening so fast that it’s attracting just about everyone. You might be wondering if your company should have a social media presence and what it should it look like.

Don’t have a social media presence?

No problem! For your competitors that is, because your competitors are perfectly happy to take up your space. They are happy to dominate. If you are not there, this means more for them.

There are a few rules of the road in social media, so let’s cover what we know about what’s working and what’s absolutely not working. First impressions can turn people off forever, so let’s find out how to make a good lasting impression. And yes, in case you are wondering, you will make more sales.

The path to get there will be different than what you might be used to.

Social media is not your space — it is the people’s space: You are just invited to the party. For now. So the first rule of social media is that it’s not all about business.

In fact, keeping the party idea in mind, if you think of social media as a party you can apply the rules of etiquette to your social media presence and you won’t go wrong. You would not show up to a party dressed in flashing lights with a “hurry, big sale happening right now, buy me” sign on your head, now would you? Of course not, and just like a party, you don’t just crash onto the scene. You respect the venue, the mood, the other guests … or you can get thrown out.

Who is ruining social media: Everyone with the “e-mail spam” attitude.

Everyone who holds events that are just a prelude to an upsell. Everyone in it only for himself or herself is quickly coming on the scene. The amateurs are spamming social media and the community does not have to take it anymore. They can remove

themselves from your group; they can decide they don’t like you. You cannot talk at social media; you can only talk with them. Or you get un-invited to the social media party.

It’s about getting involved: Social media’s relaxed environment gives you the platform to reveal many facets of your company over time. It’s about who you are as a business. It’s time to get involved with causes or concerns that make a difference in the lives of people and in the world, and do something about it.

When you do something about it, you get to share your actions with your community.

Whereas in advertising you have 30 seconds to get your message across, in social media you have a lot more time.

You can’t change the world, but you sure can try: It’s about living your mission in motion. Your company’s mission statement, that’s etched on a plaque on the wall, is given the chance to come alive, get out into the world and take some action. Choose your passions as they naturally align with your product offerings. Why not? If you sell workout gear and sneakers, why not get more involved in the experience of those without sneakers, without access to exercise and who would welcome your product or service into their lives. Your social media community will love this. Plus, you get to share all about what you are doing to help without a lot of grandiosity. You are doing it because it needs to be done. You can share something like this later with your social media community: “Our ‘Get Fit and Have Fun’ bus took 20 needy teens to Six Flags Amusement Park today, and they all got a new pair of sneakers — loved the look on Jimmy’s face when he saw his brand new pair, he was all lit up, had so much fun, we all did!”

The unspoken benefit is that you add more substance to your company by

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continued on page 3

Good Manners Make for a Good Social Media Strategy continued from page 2

rounding out your social media presence.

You don’t have to go global to be known for doing good things; you can just stay home and do good things. And your actions don’t have to cost a fortune; you can donate tickets for a group of kids to go see a motivational speaker or fill up a food bank with lots of healthy food.

Whatever you do, no matter how small, your social media community will notice and appreciate you.

Yes, you can … sell: But the way you sell is very different from traditional marketing and advertising. Social media is a different forum and the flashy, “buy me” marketing does not work and actually looks more like an intrusive billboard that ruins the view. The “I am only in here because I can get more customers” attitude will only hurt you as your market can form opinions.

If you are a contributing member of the community and you follow the unwritten rules, you can include a sales and marketing strategy; you can create special offers and you can include a call to action.

You are only a visitor here: The culture of social media is more like that of an engaged community. Members are there to help others. They share their lives, interests and time. They don’t want anything from anyone else except to get to know them, reveal their own personalities and see what’s happening. Social media is entertainment and fun. But now, with social media being viewed by many who seek profit and profit only, it is being overrun with the old-fashioned marketing strategy of “in your face” tactics. But the community does not have to listen to or engage with you. In fact, they can make fun of you and LOL to your misguidance.

They can make a mental note to boycott your products and services.

It’s about showing your personality: Hire people to create and expand your social media presence who understand the social media environment.

Hire people who know the rules of marketing and publicity, how to communicate, and also when, where and how to break the rules for the social media arena.

If you engage in social media, sales will come: Of course. The more you engage others and are just one of the gang without pretense or hunting for your next sale, the more your community and those you are a part of, will get to know the heart behind your company. As we know, one of the fundamental premises of business success is that people will do business with those they know, love and trust, so why not you? Will they think of you as a “their space” spammer or as of a valued and respectful member of the social media community that they have grown to know, love and trust? Who would you buy from?

Have you ever thought that if more people got to know you; they would do business with you: Throughout this article, if you noticed, we talked about people, not target market.

Now, that’s a good starting point!

It’s time to end this article, but in social media strategy, there is no “the end.”

Your story unfolds every day. Welcome to social media. Our firm, Annie Jennings PR, is here to help. Please contact us at www.anniejenningspr.com ANNIE JENNINGS PR: Annie Jennings PR (www.anniejenningspr.com) is a Strategic Marketing & Publicity firm that offers publicity, social media creation and integration, social media optimization, book promotion and book publicity.

Behind the Podium (ISSN 1949-5544) is published 4 times a year as a resource for emerging professional speakers, business leaders, technical gurus, educators, and other subject-matter experts.

Editor Bryan Caplovitz welcomes your input.

Please e-mail any comments or suggestions to Bryan at editor@speakermatch.com.

Panel of Experts Patricia Fripp, Executive Speech Coach, Sales Trainer and Professional Speaker Annie Jennings, M edia Strategist and National Publicist Dan Kennedy, Professional Speaker, Consultant, and Coach Mary McKay, Speaker Marketing Specialist Tony Rubleski, A uthor, President of Mind Capture Group Dave Sheffield, Author and Professional Speaker Vickie Sullivan, Market and Brand Strategist for Experts Behind the Podium publishes the opinions of experts and authorities from many fields; however, the use of those opinions is no substitute for accounting, legal, investment, or other professional services. Material may not be reproduced in part or in whole in any form whatsoever without the written permission of SpeakerMatch. SpeakerMatch is the world’s largest source for speaking opportunities.

Behind the Podium is published quarterly, by SpeakerMatch, 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Building 1, Suite 1120, Austin, TX 78759-7944. $149/yr, $24.95/issue (US funds). Periodicals postage pending at Austin, TX and additional mailing offices. Behind the Podium is a trademark of Simply Speaking, Inc. Copyright © 2010 by Simply Speaking, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SpeakerMatch Subscription Department, 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Building 1, Suite 1120, Austin, TX 78759-7944.

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SpeakerMatch Teleseminar Agenda October 7

December 16

Title: 19 Innovative Ways To Build Your Business With A Self-Published Book

Title: Speakers Cruise Free

Thursday, 12 p.m. CST GUEST: Daniel Hall

Thursday, 12 p.m. CST GUEST: Daniel Hall

Visit speakermatch.com/radio

to view the most current information.

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Changing Your Mindset About Selling Will Change Your Future

By Tony Rubleski

A foolish belief by many speakers is that someone else will do their heavy lifting for them in the form of marketing their talents and services. After five full-time years in the speaking business trenches, it’s my strong belief that a speaker must be able to continually sell multiple products and service offerings within their business or face serious challenges when the market changes or a client “decides to go another direction.”

Trust me, even after you’ve done a great speaking program, training or a series of profitable consulting sessions for clients, they can quickly forget, get distracted, or leave you with little advance warning or rationale as to why they no longer need you or your company.

Don’t be discouraged by the last statement. The better question to be asking is: How do you proactively combat the multiple challenges of building a successful speaking business for the long haul? This is not a simple answer to give in the short confines of a magazine article, but let me give you one possible answer to guide you since I’ve ‘captured’ your attention and time.

The Thinning of the Speaker Herd For insights on how to guide you on the path to profits and increased sales during a time of great change and turbulence, I went back to my bestselling second book, “Mind Capture: How You Can Stand Out In the Age of Advertising Deficit Disorder,” to Chapter 5 titled, We’re All In Sales.

Change is afoot in this business for the good, if you look at what you do as a business and treat it as such. On the other hand, change can be trouble if you can’t market and sell yourself with confidence, focus, and a wellthought-out marketing plan.

Yes, the thinning of the herd in the speaking ranks has accelerated, but after reading this article I hope you choose to

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get busy and look at yourself and what you do in a much different light. Here’s a partial excerpt below that I suggest you read closely and from the perspective of how it relates to your speaking business.

About 10 percent of the business landscape is made up of what is technically classified as sales professionals. Ninety percent of the population would never consider sales as a full-time career for a variety of reasons including lack of self-confidence, negative perceptions in the media, portrayed in the entertainment business and with most academic ranks that somehow sales is “dirty,” crooked, or below their standards for a full-time career option.

The Hard Reality is that society is built on those who can market, educate and sell the best — period! Case closed.

Match over.

In the age of advertising deficit disorder, the great communicators in all industries who can bottom line sell their ideas the best will carry the day and succeed. I know some of you reading this may look at the title on your business card and think you only fall under marketing, management or operations duties. You’re wrong. You must sell others on assisting and helping you achieve your goals.

Ask any CEO or business owner to rank the #1 group of employees who are the most important to current and future growth and they’ll 99 times out of 100 tell you it’s the sales division.

Who Are The BEST Salespeople In The World? Politicians? Doctors?

Lobbyists? Ministers? Lawyers? CEOs? You’re not even close. Here’s a hint: They’re under the age of 10 and many of you have them. Ah, the light bulb went off in your head.

Children!

I know countless books have been

written on this topic ranging from how to close, how to make better cold calls, selling on the phone, selling on the Internet, and I bet I’ve read just about every one of them or seen the other gurus who teach it live or in a seminar room. I won’t reinvent the wheel here or bore you with a long drawn out Sales 101 session, but I’ll share with you a few quick reasons why children can teach us several sales lessons in the age of advertising overload.

One, they ask a ton of questions. How many? Check this out: • The average 5-year-old asks 200 questions a day.

• The average 20-year-old asks 20-30 questions a day.

Think about how many questions the average 40-year-old asks in a given day.

If I asked you for the “Top 5” questions you ask key prospects would they generate curiosity and Mind Capture or would I walk away with little or no interest in what you’re offering?

Two, they’re creative. Children can whip out 10, 15, 20 or more reasons why they want you to buy something for them or have you buy from them. I’ve witnessed my own three kids battle it out with my wife Kim and I on numerous occasions when they want something, and I’m always amazed at what new scheme or objection-slaying comment their fantastic minds come up with. If you think your sales team’s good, sit

News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch

continued on page 6

Fill Up Your Speaking Engagement Calendar

by Using Your Industry–Specific Expertise to Create a Clearly Defined Target Market

By Mary McKay

It appears that one of the greatest challenges for emerging and under-booked professional speakers is selecting a target market. I have never seen such a rush to become a generalist. There must be consultants out there coaching speakers to try to be all things to all people.

Most experts who speak have a proficiency at doing something — sales performance, productivity, leadership, change management, diversity or some specialty in a specific industry.

first to the world of boating and everything related such as boat manufacturers, yacht brokers, surveyors, boat dealers, marine lenders, marine insurance companies, marine suppliers, maritime publications and boating associations?

You know this audience profile, demographics, and their pain points. And you also know what keeps them awake at 3 a.m. So, why are you out there calling

And yet many speakers are continually frustrated with their marketing efforts (when they actually do them) because they don’t result in any bookings. And when they do get booked as a generalist, it’s much harder to get a referral or an endorsement because they aren’t that familiar with industry-specific issues.

When these speakers do get booked, it’s because they are known, liked and trusted to deliver relevant and timely info, and if not industry-specific, certainly high-content information.

So, securing paid engagements, what target market is better than the one in which you excel?

There are two factors I’d like for you to consider: 1. Industry-specific copy gets attention. When your marketing activities are focused on one particular type of organization, your copy will reflect your familiarity with specific industry problems, updates relevant to the particular challenges associated with the industry, and cutting-edge industry-specific solutions.

For instance, if you have won national or regional awards for record yacht sales, why on earth wouldn’t you market your expertise

on HR associations, school administrators, college campuses and pharmacies?

2. Too many topic choices confuse the meeting professional. Devote one website to your target market. If you insist on being a generalist and crossing over from your specific industry to a broader market, commit at least the majority of your marketing efforts to your primary target market. You can create another totally separate website that addresses your general audiences, but don’t try to combine your secondary markets — you’ll compromise your copy and dilute your brand.

Unless you’ve penetrated your target market and have been working in it for a minimum of three to five years, you’re missing tons of paid speaking engagements and your efforts are going to be so watered down that you’ll end up blaming others or the economy for your lack of bookings.

I advise all of my clients to review a menu of 15 marketing activities, select eight of them and then concentrate your marketing campaigns on one or two at a time. Focus on specific marketing campaigns. If your outreach is too broad, you weaken your focus and delay your outcomes. Reach out to organizations that know about your expertise and are certain that you are the answer to their challenges. Become the go-to expert in your field!

For help positioning your expertise, articulating your value to your target audience, and more, sign up for a get acquainted session at http://www.turnkey speaker.com/coaching-for-professionalspeakers.html. I’d love nothing better than to help you reach your goals.

Mary McKay is a speaker marketing specialist for emerging and under-booked professional speakers who want to secure more paid speaking engagements. With her Turnkey Speaker Booking System™, she systematizes the booking process to uniquely position the speaker’s expertise, optimize the appearance, generate referrals and enable more revenue potential through product sales.

When a country-western singer crosses over, it’s usually after reaching and sustaining fame for a period of time, being at the top of the charts in the country-western genre.

Become the go-to expert in your field! www.speakermatch.com

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Changing Your Mindset About Selling Will Change Your Future continued from page 4

down for dinner at my house and watch a sales clinic right before your eyes! Sadly, the average adult has no clue how to use creativity to make the case for their ideas, product or service.

Three, they’re not afraid of rejection.

They fully expect that they’ll get what they want and carry this “can-do” attitude with them. As we grow older, we’re often told by people around us and by the talking heads in print, radio, online and TV to play it safe and not rock the boat.

Our risk tolerance diminishes and we become more conservative. While this is OK for certain areas within our lives, it’s a dangerous mindset to have when your livelihood depends on spreading your message to others.

Building The Bridge Between Marketing And Sales I do a seminar program every couple of years titled “Break The Rules — Close More Sales” with a fellow speaker and sales trainer named Randy Sherwood from Sandler Sales Institute®. While I do sales training for select clients, Randy’s techniques and sales training skills are incredible and I’d recommend him to anyone. Like me, he’s studied just about every type of sales system in the market, and I still marvel at his knowledge and insights.

Through my combined years of study, application and up-close observation with hundreds of companies and thousands of sales professionals of all shapes and sizes, we’ve noticed a major disconnect between the importance of getting good at both marketing and sales, but more importantly understanding how interconnected they are. We both advocate that the better you get at both disciplines the stronger your sales and marketing success will be.

disqualifying the true prospects versus suspects as quickly as possible. The best prospects offer four major benefits:

I can rattle off countless true stories in relation to organizations where the sales team and marketing department or ad agency are at complete odds. Little, if any, communication occurs between both groups and often there’s an invisible wall of mistrust put up between both camps.

This is a huge mistake! It’s not uncommon to hear the marketing department grumbling about “those damned sales people,” while at the same time hear the sales staff lament that “the marketing department has no clue of what’s going on with our clients and prospects; this marketing campaign is ridiculous.”

It’s a tragedy how much money is wasted day in and day out because the communication bridge between marketing and sales is either nonexistent or blocked by the invisible wall of mistrust, stereotypes and misunderstanding. Building the bridge is also of major importance because it helps you get a better pulse on why current customers do business with you and how you can take proactive steps to lower the chance they’ll leave you.

By being able to generate Mind Capture via a variety of media tools within your marketing mix, you generate leads and prospects that become aware and interested in what you offer. At this point you must master qualifying and

Red Cross Storage

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Answer on page 12

• They save you time.

• They leverage your marketing investment.

• They often spend more and place greater value on what you provide.

• They are more likely to refer you to others.

Tony Rubleski is a bestselling author and currently the president of Mind Capture Group. His third book titled, “Mind Capture: How to Awaken Your Entrepreneurial Genius in a Time of Great Economic Change!” was released in August 2010.

For more information including articles, updated weekly blog posts, world-class content, and additional resources visit www.MindCaptureGroup.com.

Across

Down

1. English TV station 4. __ Full o’ Nuts 9. Is that ___?

10. Great Lake 11. Bronx cheer 12. Very fat 13. Soak up 15. Chemical symbol for balloon gas 16. Eventuallybecome 18. From 20. Legendary 23. Implied 25. Did lunch 26. Accustom 27. ___ and outs 28. Daughter of Saturn 29. N. or S. __, state

1. Ali ___ and the 40 Thieves 2. Amorphous mass 3. Intimate 4. Vertebrates 5. Uproar 6. Bonanza find 7. Bludgeon 8. Trick joint 14. Hot 17. Tartan 18. Ear-related 19. Temple: Arch.

21. 11,000-foot Italian peak 22. Secretary, e.g.

24. Blackguard

The title is a clue to the shaded diagonal word.

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Accounting for Your Success

by Understanding Your Daily Deposits and Withdrawals I’m an ex-boozer. For a while, after quitting, I had to decide not to have a drink every day. Now it’s on rare occasions that I consciously decide not to. I became a nondrinker. I’m also a diabetic, and every meal I must decide not to eat something toxic to me, or to eat a little of it, or to say the hell with it. Every doughnut shop I drive past is a decision. Every milkshake I don’t swing into a drive-through for, a decision. Most days I work in complete isolation — no one sees me at all, so I must decide whether to work on the planned project, welcome a distraction, or be derailed by a new urgent endeavor.

had the guts to go pitch it; and Burnett had the polished presentation skills to make an effective pitch.

We are the sum total of all the “to” and “not to” decisions we make, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, situation by situation. Most successful achievers can point to a handful or two of Events Of Monumental Importance in their lives, and too often they or their observers credit these events for everything. But it’s rarely the case.

But some are “withdrawals” that drain your capital reserves so that when opportunities arise, you are too weak to take advantage of them. Maybe much of what you waste time on is mental junk food that you consume — lack of serious study and skill development, and poor associations.

Every Decision Makes a Difference Each of these events was capitalized on only because of countless, smaller decisions and choices. Mark Burnett met Donald Trump essentially by chance, thus ‘The Apprentice’ born. No, that’s not how it happened. Burnett had built a track record; Burnett recognized the opportunity; Burnett had the idea; Burnett

Many of our daily decisions contribute to or take away from growing our preparation for opportunities. What you read, what and who you study, the breadth and depth of knowledge you develop, the portfolio of skills you expand and polish, the people you link yourself to and associate with — these are all “deposits” to a growing reservoir of “capital” that, when the right opportunity presents itself, you have ready to invest.

Everything is either a deposit or withdrawal. Every item of food consumed, every minute given to choices of books, newsletters, TV programs, movies, dinner companions and conversations. When you see somebody in very good health at age 80, or in surprisingly poor health at 45, don’t be so foolish or generous as to chalk it up to good or bad genes — it’s as much or more about deposits and withdrawals.

When you see somebody living in a paid-for million dollar home and captaining a thriving business, and see someone else losing his home to foreclosure and boarding up a failed business, do not be so naïve or liberal as to chalk it up to luck, upbringing, or the ever-popular circumstances beyond one’s control. It’s as much or more about deposits and withdrawals.

There was a very popular bestseller titled “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff.” Popular because the masses do not want to sweat anything. At all. Period. But successful achievers know how necessary sweat is.

And they know there are no decisions so small you need not sweat ‘em. Every one counts because they all add up.

The WHY PEOPLE FAIL articles are provided by Dan S. Kennedy, serial entrepreneur, from-scratch multimillionaire, speaker, consultant, coach, author of 13 books including the No B.S. series (www.NoBSBooks.com), and editor of The No B.S. Marketing Letter.

Articles © 2010/Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle LLC. All rights reserved.

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Competing in Crowded Markets: Turn Turmoil into Opportunity

by Understanding the 3 Criteria All Busy Buyers Use

By Vickie Sullivan, Brand and Marketing Strategist for Experts

I get too many calls from professional service experts who are brilliant, talented, do good work, but who are also stuck.

They are restless with the projects they have, or they want more clients at higher price points. They feel that there is something “bigger” out there. They want to get to the “next level,” but everything they try doesn’t seem to work.

There are bigger opportunities out there for us if we are willing to do one thing — reach out to buyers who don’t see us as the only option — yet. And this is much easier said than done.

Decision-makers with many options are a very different animal. They don’t assume our value. They are hard to pin down. Crowded markets are chaotic, and can be daunting. It’s like walking into a crowded room without knowing a soul.

You need to be there — business growth depends on it. But because these buyers have so many other options, it feels like you don’t have an advantage. It can feel vulnerable, and for those of us who like to be in control, that rarely feels good.

When buyers have lots of choices, they behave in very illogical, but predictable, ways. When we get a bead on how they decide, we can turn turmoil into opportunity.

Control the Criteria and You’ll Control the Competition Competition is another one of those big words that can mean anything we want. My definition is: Competition is all about comparisons. Competition is a situation in which a decision-maker chooses to consider a variety of options.

There is not a sole source provider. The buyer sees many alternatives and weighs those options to make the best choice.

Whoever controls the criteria controls the comparisons. Whoever controls the comparisons controls the competition.

The key words here are “chooses to consider.” Not every buyer looks at all

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of the available options. Sometimes, a buyer will take the path of least resistance for several reasons, such as political expediency. We all have situations in which we’re the sole source provider. We’ve become known in a few companies, and get hired time and time again. Especially in the beginning, we build our business with what I call “here’s my check” situations. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s our reward for doing good work. It’s just not competition.

But taking those assignments will grow our business only so far. When that’s not enough, we have to compete in a completely different environment — one in which the sale isn’t a given, one in which buyers are overwhelmed with choices, and one in which we are being compared to criteria we don’t control.

Deciphering the Decision Making Process

When faced with options from all directions, buyers feel under siege. To manage the situation and make the best choice, many decision-makers base their criteria on three things, their need for control, their past experiences, and their current situation.

Here’s how it works:

1. The first thing buyers do when they

have a lot of options is to simplify the decision. The more options they have, the easier it is to become overwhelmed. The choices have to be cut down to a more manageable level — quickly and easily.

I’ll never forget the years I chaired the program committee for an international conference. I was the point person for speaker selection and it felt like standing in front of a tidal wave. Ideas and suggestions coming fast, furious and from all sides.

Board members were making requests, sponsors were demanding speaking slots, speaking proposals were flooding in. It was overwhelming! The first thing I did was to list very simple standards in the RFP (request for presentations). I was shocked by how many

suggestions and proposals didn’t fit. But that made it easy to quickly “thin the herd.”

2. The second thing buyers do when faced with a lot of alternatives is they trust their instinct. They have strong opinions about what they need and what they don’t.

The latter is usually the result of lessons learned the hard way. I call these “deals with the Almighty.” You’ve made these before. When something goes horribly wrong, you look up to the sky and say, “If you just let me get through this I will never do (fill in the blank) again.” And it goes beyond bad habits like smoking and drinking. It’s promises like, “I’ll be far more careful before I hire anyone again.”

Saying these decision-makers are jaded is an understatement. They have their guard up. They trust their past experiences more than they trust what we tell them.

The result is that we can’t assume our message will be heard. Our credibility does not precede our conversations.

3. The third thing buyers do is go micro.

Because in the final round of consideration, there’s not that much difference between the options. Any difference is so small that it’s basically a coin toss. Therefore, the smallest criteria will tip the scale. You can win or lose the deal based on the tiniest, most illogical thing.

So don’t try to figure out why. You rarely get an answer that will satisfy you. Trust me,

News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch

continued on page 11

Linked in Forum This issue features a newer discussion on working with meeting planners and was initiated by event planner Marie Herman.

I thought I would share a few tips about the selection process I go through in finding a speaker in the hopes that it will help some of you.

I had only recently discovered SpeakerMatch, so I decided to test the service out with a small speaking engagement I was coordinating (audience of approximately 70 administrative professionals, budget of $250-500, 90 minute presentation, no travel expenses authorized). I filled out the SpeakerMatch form (I will acknowledge I was undecided as to our topic choice, so I checked a lot of boxes for interests, but they were pretty much all business/motivational related topics).

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a good 40 or so speakers submitting their information for me and my committee to review. That was a great start, considering how small our budget was. But then, as I began to sift through the responses, there were a number that I passed over immediately. I thought I would share why: 1) Your background is not relevant to my group: I received many speakers who wrote something along the lines of “my background as a recovering drug user and alcoholic / son of a poor sharecropper / experience as a millionaire / etc. makes me perfect for your group.” Really? You think my group of middle-aged, middle class, primarily females will identify with you? I’m not connecting the dots here, and it’s up to you to explain how “it may seem like my background is completely foreign to your group, but here’s how I make it relevant …”

2) No topics listed: I am looking for programs! If I go to your website and I get descriptions like “I tell stories about me.” That gives me no idea of potential programs that you offer and even less idea of why my attendees would want to listen to you. My committee wants to see a list of your programs (preferably with catchy titles) and a description that allows me to see how it is relevant to my audience (or could be made relevant).

3) Poor grammar, sentence structure, etc.: I’m undoubtedly more particular in this area than others, due to my background in administration. I can overlook an error or two (especially

the kind the spell checker would have missed), but if I receive a communication that is filled with typos, such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, I can’t take you seriously as a professional, and it’s not likely that I will be bringing you to my group. Proofread every document that you send out!

4) Make sure your links work! I was surprised at how many website links didn’t work — either to connect me to your website or to navigate through your website once I got there. While I understand errors, again — proofread your documents!

5) Don’t try to BS me! As a meeting planner, I am well aware of the flexibility in many speakers’ fees. Don’t make it sound like you normally charge $10,000 an hour, but that just because I am special, you’ll let me have you for $100 an hour (unless I really am a personal friend or have some other valid reason that makes sense for the speaker fee reduction). ~ Marie Herman Wow — what a great thread of information. I really appreciate you posting and being so honest. I know there are some things I can work on, but this also makes me realize I am doing many things right.

Thanks again for the honesty and specifics.

So many people aren’t willing to share details — this was very helpful. ~ Stacey Anderson Great tips and thanks for your candid feedback. As you are well aware, straight shooting from an active user is priceless.

One thought — I have several videos embedded on my website discussing my services. I recently asked a prospect for feedback on my site and what they thought could be improved. Their response was that it would be a whole lot better if there were some videos.

I asked what was wrong with the videos she watched. She replied, “What videos?”

After some more dialog, I came to find out that their corporate firewall wouldn’t permit the links to my site videos, so their browser didn’t even display an empty box.

Going back to your valid concerns about sites not working properly when you www.speakermatch.com

In the December 2009 issue of Behind the Podium we featured a LinkedIn discussion titled “Meeting Planners: What’s the #1 thing speakers do that anger, annoy or frustrate you?”

With 76 comments, it’s been one of the most popular discussions we’ve had to date.

reviewed them (and drew conclusions of poor upkeep or oversight), my first-hand experience is that broken features may actually be the fault of what the IT group has done to the incoming firewall, rather than the site itself.

The conversation happened after the decision had been made. So, I was actually passed over because of their firewall. Food for thought. ~ Dan Elder I thought I was so cool with my video on my youth speaker site, only to find out that probably most schools/colleges can’t even see the video. From now on I’ll make sure to ask if they were able to see the video (maybe I’ll get back to mailing a DVD). ~ E.G. Sebastian Dan — after your insight, I will be changing my website to include a text box (that obviously won’t be filtered) which will say, “If for some reason, you are unable to see the embedded videos, you may either check your firewall settings or find duplicates on YouTube at this link: xyz.” ~ Shelley Dudley As a former actor who went into casting, I learned what it was like to be on the other side. I wish I had had that valuable information years ago. Thanks for showing us “the other side.” ~ Julie Austin

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Keep Your Speaking Career Moving Along at a Quick Pace and You’ll Leave the Little Annoyances Behind 4 Pointers for Maintaining Your Momentum

M

By Dave Sheffield

y home in Iowa is located very near a beautiful park. The park is made up of nearly 1,300 acres of beautiful woodlands, prairies, and small creeks. I really enjoy running the trails within the park to break up the monotony of my physical training.

Regardless of whether or not you enjoy running, there are several points that the above story brings to light:

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One recent evening, I arrived at the park around 7:30 p.m. and pulled my car into the parking area near the entrance of my favorite trail. With my iPod fully loaded, I began a great run on the trails. After about three miles, I found myself near the creeks that weave through the park.

This time of day is beautiful in the woods, as you can frequently see deer coming down to the water for a refreshing drink, and you can also witness the nocturnal creatures beginning their evening rituals. I slowed to a walking pace and immediately was surrounded by a large swarm of gnats. For those of you who don’t know what gnats are, they are miniscule biting bugs that just love to burrow into your skin. And they are not exactly the most welcome creatures to see while you are on a walk in the woods.

I resumed my running pace very quickly and left the gnats behind. As I crested a hill and was away from the water, I slowed again to a walking pace and was greeted by yet another swarm of nasty gnats. The sun was starting to set, and I knew that I needed to get back to my car. Every time I tried to slow my pace, the gnats were there to greet me. After checking a few landmarks within the park and plotting my path back to the car, I finally slowed to a walk 200 yards from my car and was grateful for a fastpaced five mile run.

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1. Moving towards your goals at a rapid pace keeps you from noticing the gnats or other little annoyances. Just like the gnats that would greet me every time I slowed my pace, when you slow your pursuit of your core goals within your business, the little annoyances creep out of the woodwork. I am not implying that people shouldn’t evaluate where they are going, but once you decide on a direction just move, and move quickly.

¨

3. Understanding the difference between activity and productivity. Believe me, trail running is not the same as running on flat ground. It requires much more energy. I really wanted to quit at times. The price to pay for quitting (or slowing to a walk) was getting stung by those nasty bugs. I was not willing to pay that price.

I will often consult with speakers and authors regarding growing their revenue. I have yet to see any problem in a speaker’s world that cannot be made better by making another sale.

There are cases in which people tell me that they need to “step back” on their efforts and change their focus. What is interesting is that most of the time those people who need to “step back” never really “stepped up” to even a full-time commitment. I have yet to discover any problem that is made better by being broke.

2. Doing the right things in the right order. If I were to start running then put my shorts on after three miles, I would imagine that gnats would be the least of my worries. There is a ton of information out there on how to be successful in the speaking business. It is very easy to get confused and “try” everything at once. The result is often an overwhelmed gnat (nat) speaker who does not have noun any bookings. If you would like 1. Any of various small insects, esp. a quick guide certain dipterous flies, which on what to do to best grow your often bite

speaking business, just e-mail my office at dave@theshef.com. Ask for the report titled: “Right Place, Right Time” It’s my gift to you.

h

Some speakers tell me that they are afraid to ask repeatedly for a booking or a referral because they may offend someone. The prospect has not booked you yet and if you ask for the deal you may hear “No.” This is the same place you are right now.

People often blur the lines of activity vs. productivity. Filing of papers, filling out reports, and other busy work is a ferocious time killer.

Here is a real simple tool that will assist you in deciding whether you are active or productive: Is the person you are talking to going to purchase something from you, book you, or introduce you to someone who will?

That’s it. If the answer is “No,” you are padding your psyche by pretending to be busy. Note: Talking to someone who is performing at a higher level than you and can improve your effectiveness, such as a coach or mentor, is a great investment of your time.

4. Sometimes you need to stop and get your bearings. One of the reasons why I get such a great workout when trail running is that at times I have no clue where my car is. I run onto new trails, discover new places, revisit old places, and

News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch

continued on page 11

Competing in Crowded Markets: Turn Turmoil into Opportunity by Understanding the 3 Criteria All Busy Buyers Use continued from page 8 their explanation just won’t make sense. Expect something nebulous such as, “Well, this person had blue eyes and yours are brown.” And you’ll think to yourself, “Hey! You knew my eyes were brown when we started this.” Yes, it will be that silly.

You Can’t Win if You Aren’t in the Game

No matter what field you are in, or how good you are, there will come a time that you will have to compete for buyers who have alternatives. Being able to show up and compete in a

crowded environment is a skill that will break you out of any kind of rut. It will help you withstand any economy and market dynamic. Your business can not get to the next level until we can get the speaking invitation, the consulting assignment, the coaching contract in the face of other choices.

Since 1987, Vickie K. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker Services, has generated millions of dollars in speaking fees, book advances and ancillary income for her clients. Sign up for her free market intelligence at http://www.SullivanSpeaker.com

sudoku

How to solve sudoku puzzles To solve a sudoku, you only need logic and patience. No math is required.

Simply make sure that each 3x3 square region has a number 1 through 9 with only one occurrence of each number.

Each column and row of the large grid must have only one instance of the numbers 1 through 9. answers on page 12

Keep Your Speaking Career Moving Along at a Quick Pace and You’ll Leave the Little Annoyances Behind 4 Pointers for Maintaining Your Momentum eventually get back to my vehicle.

Let’s keep in mind that this park is only 1,300 acres. I would not recommend this tactic if you are in the Rocky Mountain National Forest.

I will often stop and notice landmarks that help remind me whether I am moving closer to my car or further away. The same can be true for your business. One of the common threads among companies who tumble is that they try to diversify into multiple ventures that are away from their core focus.

continued from page 10

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Most men are a collection of great beginnings.” The take away from that is that it is easy to begin something and get excited about it. It is much more difficult to finish something.

Become a great finisher.

Most of us either use or have used a “To Do” list. What we also need to utilize is a “Not To Do” list. This list is made up of activities that detract from our core focus. It is really hard to move quickly when you are dragging 35 other distractions with you.

www.speakermatch.com

My hope is that this article inspires you to take action, build momentum, and enjoy the path of your success journey in the lucrative world of speaking. I also recommend bringing bug spray.

Dave “The Shef” Sheffield is a best-selling author and successful speaker. He has helped over 400,000 people through his speaking and books. He also is an expert at helping speakers grow their speaking business very quickly. You can contact his offices through his website at www. theshef.com.

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Coming Soon in

to add one more dimension to your expert status? Watch for the Winter 2011 issue that begins a R eady two-part series titled, “Adding ‘Author’ to Your Bio.”

Building Your Consulting and Speaking Business: A Consultant’s Consultant Shares His Seasoned Advice continued from page 1

who didn’t grow up with diversity, hightech and instantaneous communications, and who know nothing about it.

You have a second era of leadership — people in their 30s and 40s who have never led in down times — they’ve only led in boom economies. Now, given that juxtaposition of these senior people who aren’t used to some conditions and the next level people, you have a leadership crisis.

So, if you want to enter a field, whether it’s teambuilding, or leadership, priority setting, diversity, or whatever it is, present your own viewpoint. Read what people have said and then decide how you’ll be slightly different.

Puzzle on page 6

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Q: How do I build credibility with future clients when I am still fairly young and inexperienced?

Alan: I worked with a woman in my mentor program who said to me, “My problems are: I don’t have a college degree, I’m younger than I look, and I have no experience in any of these industries. How do I overcome all of this?”

I said, “How does the prospect know all this?” And she said, “I tell them.”

I said, “Stop doing that. So, what you do in your case is publish. You start with position papers that you publish and put in your own press kit on your philosophy of leadership. You publish in the local newspapers. You speak somewhere on leadership, for free, if you have to and you have it taped, and you create a CD and

white paper. This is what you do to create an aura of authority and accountability around yourself about whatever topic you like.”

Never feel you’re going to walk in and sell to GE. That’s not what you do. What you want is GE to come to you and say, “I’ve read something you’ve written.”

For more great business-building strategies from Alan Weiss, come to The Odd Couple® Seminar for Professional Speakers, Consultants, and Coaches. For more information visit http://www.fripp. com/oddcouple.html.

Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is an in-demand executive speech coach and keynote speaker.

Alan Weiss, Ph.D. is a consultant, speaker, and author. His prolific publishing includes over 500 articles and 32 books, including his bestseller Million Dollar Consulting.

Puzzle on page 11

News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch