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21 Ways to Make Money Speaking

21ways_money_speaking

ARE YOU READY TO MAKE MONEY - WITH YOUR MOUTH? Inside these pages, discover: 21 specific descriptions that show you exactly how to make money, Exactly what you can expect to be paid as a professional speaker in various settings, The fastest, easiest way to be prepared to speak at a moment's notice, and more! These sometimes small, but impactful steps will bring you an inner peace and allow you to breathe this holiday season. Start your holidays off right and stress-free with the strategies in this book!
http://bit.ly/1ccxCk1

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Build your career by making strong, positive impressions on your audiences

Presentation skills 201

Presentation Skills 201:
How to Take it to the Next Level as a Confident, Engaging Presenter

William R Steele

Included with the tips are scores of real-life examples and stories from the author's over 16 years of helping highly-accomplished presenters find that one more thing that they can do to take it up notch and build their careers by making strong, positive impressions on their presentation audiences. => http://bit.ly/16hissB

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Million Dollar Speaking: The Professional's Guide to Building Your Platform

Million Dollar Speaking: The Professional's Guide to Building Your Platform

Alan Weiss

Million Dollar Speaking

Make your move into, or improve your position in, the powerful world of professional speaking
If you think you have what it takes to speak professionally, or you've already been doing so with insufficient reward, now is the time to make your move. => http://bit.ly/13QGLwa

 
 
 

3 Conversations You Must Have to Get Big-Fee Speaking Engagements

Many experts who want more big-fee speeches start off with all the right tools: great topics, fabulous speaking style, and a book with a lot of buzz. Unfortunately, many don't get past the free-speech circuit. Their book and publicity get people to take their call, but their conversations cause them to lose the speaking engagement.

Any expert who wants big speaking fees has to be adept at handling three conversations in the sales process. What you say in those situations is the difference between initial interest and getting the gig.

Conversation #1: Talking to the False Positive Buyer

What happens: You get an incoming call from someone who needs a speaker. You give them your spiel, and they are over-the-top enthusiastic about your topic and expertise. You just know that you're going to speak to this group. You can just see all the spin-off business - and then reality hits. Either the prospect goes silent or after chasing them for several weeks, you learn another speaker was chosen.

What's going on: The person you talked to was assigned to find a speaker but wasn't told the budget. They were assigned by the real buyer, who found someone themselves and told the false positive folks to shut down the process. It happens all the time.

What you must do: Trust, but verify. Answer questions but also probe. My favorite tactic is to give a hypothetical situation. Something like, "Let's pretend that I'm the one and you know it. What's our next step? Do I send you the contract?" A false positive buyer will say something like, "Well, no. If I think you're the one, I have to go sell you to Mr. Big Cheese." Now you have your answer. Give them enough information to pass along but not too much that they can make a decision by themselves. And whatever you do, give a range of fees, not a specific fee.

Conversation #2: Talking to the Real Buyer

What happens: You get a referral from one of your high-end clients who recommends you to their high-end colleague. After weeks of telephone tag (at least they're returning your calls) you finally connect and discuss your speaking. The buyer talks in more broad terms, such as what's going on with the audience and the role the meeting plays in an overall initiative. They begin the conversation with, "We are not looking for a speaker. We are looking for someone who can..." What you say next will seal the deal or toss you out of the running.

What's going on: These buyers have an idea of what they want but not a specific title or topic in mind. They probe for: 1) your ideas to see if they agree with you, and 2) to see if you can deliver. They are less concerned about how many times you've spoken in the past. They want to know if your content will help them do what they need. They are bold and decisive. If you hit a home run here, the close will be very casual. If not, they will decide you are not a good "fit." Once they decide, there's no going back. You have to get this right the first time.

What you must do: Talk about your approach to their situation and showcase your point of view. Then, prove what you know. Use the buyer as an example of what you would do. You have to show these skeptics they are getting a fresh and relevant perspective. And finally, have a killer title - something clear, concise, and compelling. This will focus their thinking and help them clarify what they will get from you. You want the buyer to think, "Hey, this stuff isn't out there already."

Conversation #3: Dealing with Last-Minute Negotiations

What happens: One of two scenarios is in play here. First, you're dealing with the buyer and they hand off your contract to the purchasing department or the department (such as meeting planning) whose budget is being used. They see your fee, and their brain explodes. Second, you send the contract to the executive you've talked with several times and don't get it back. You follow up several times and don't get an answer. Finally, they say something like, "Hey, this event budget just got cut in half. We need you to sharpen your pencil here."

What's going on: In the first scenario, the lower-level folks don't like your fee because they are not used to paying that amount. They think they can get another speaker for less. So, instead of going to the real buyer and raising Cain, they go to you and just say "no." This happens a lot for speeches under $15,000. Second, you're dealing with a buyer who needs to know that they got "a deal." They want to know that either so they can brag to colleagues or so they don't have to hassle with moving money around. They think that if you want to speak so bad, you'll reduce your fee.

What you must do: In the first scenario, explain that Mr. Big Cheese approved that amount. If they still say no, go back to your buyer. If they waffle, give them something extra, such as another session or more books for the audience. Say something like, "Hey, I didn't talk to XXX about this, but if you need it, I'm happy to help out."

In the second scenario, you have a delicate balance. If you play hardball, the buyer will tell others that "you weren't available after all," and no one will notice you're gone. Instead, offer to cut something out that they really want. When they balk, then come back with more stuff (again, an extra session or more books). If you give them a deal to brag about, most of the time they will relent.

The Higher the Fee, the Higher the Competition

Where there is money, there are more than two people trying to get it. And when it comes to speaking for big fees, a lot of folks are going after that invitation. Your compelling branding and marketing tools are great first steps. But your conversations seal the deal. Be ready for these interactions and you'll get your fair share of big-speaking engagements.

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Vickie K. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker Services, Inc., is internationally recognized as the top market strategist for experts who want strong brands with high-fee buyers. Since 1987, she has worked with thousands of experts in a wide variety of industries to launch their big-fee speaking, professional service, and book/product empires in highly lucrative markets. Vickie speaks and consults with clients throughout the world about selection trends in high-fee segments and strategies that position experts for those opportunities. Vickie's perspective has been published in USAToday magazine, Fortune.com, The New York Times, and Investor's Business Daily. Her market intelligence updates are distributed throughout the US as well as 17 other countries. Sign up to receive Vickie's market intelligence by visiting http://www.sullivanspeaker.com or contact Vickie by emailing info@sullivanspeaker.com.

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In Speaking, "Sell" Is a Four Letter Word

It's weird. Professional speakers, who are often paid thousands of dollars to give a one-hour talk, are expected to "sell from the platform" - that is, encourage audience members to go to their product table at the back of the room to buy their books, CDs, DVDs, notepads and promotional items using a short commercial at the end of their talk. The problem is that when the pitch goes on too long, it can backfire.

But as a free speaker who is typically compensated only with a free meal or a small gift, you are not supposed to sell at all. Why? Because you were invited to speak by a particular group; you were not hired by them. It is understood that you are there to educate, engage and entertain that group, not take the occasion to promote your own agenda.

The problem is that you ARE there to sell something, and you should expect the investment of your time, effort and money in securing and giving your presentation to pay off in terms of product sales, new clients, referrals, or some other form of financial return. Here are six ways you can encourage your audience to take action on your behalf without turning them off:

1) Change your thinking: Think of sales of your products as a way to nurture your relationship with your audience, rather than as change in your pocket. The only reason people will buy what you have to offer is because your talk touched them or taught them something, and they want to take you home with them. Buying your book, CD, etc., allows them to do that.

2) Remember that nobody likes to be sold, but everybody loves to buy: Pitching is offensive, but persuasion can be pleasant. Rather than trying to sell products, your mission should be to encourage people to want what you have. Since they came to hear you, they are already interested in your topic, and when you respect their intelligence and don't pitch or push, you'll find they will be interested in you and be more inclined to linger afterwards.

3) Have a drawing using a sign-up form: Pass out a sign-up form for your ezine (email newsletter) and draw for a copy of your book, CD, or a free consulting session. As you give it to the winner, tell them and the audience that you'll autograph their copy - and everyone else's - at your table after your talk.

4) Incorporate your product subtly into your talk: I recently heard an author who excerpted an exercise from her book and had the audience totally engaged by it. During her talk, she would occasionally refer to her book by saying, "This is on page ______" or "This is in the chapter titled ______." It was extremely effective and completely unobtrusive.

5) Be realistic: I wish I could tell you that you can expect X% of the audience to buy your products, but the fact is that each speaking engagement is unique, and so is each audience.

When I was doing a lot of speaking for my book Secrets of the Hidden Job Market: Change Your Thinking to Get the Job of Your Dreams, my experience ranged from making no sales to selling 44 books in 30 minutes. Same talk but different audiences.

6) Think relationships: Since people do business with people they like, your goal is to develop relationships with those who may have an interest in what you have to offer, and to encourage them to refer you to their friends. Your speaking success won't be measured in product sales, but rather in the business that comes later.

So the next time you get up in front of an audience, don't see them as prospects; think of them as people who are there to hear you share with them something they want to know. And very shortly you'll discover why speaking is the most cost-effective way to generate business for your business.

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Janet White is a 40-year veteran of business to business public relations, marketing and sales. Her diverse career includes being a reporter for Newsday, operations assistant at WABC-AM in New York when it was the # 1 radio station in America, 12 years as a commercial real estate writer and publicist in New York and Dallas, and 14 years as a sales rep for mobility, custom rehab, bariatric and patient handling medical equipment.

In 2010, Janet came back to her public relations and marketing roots and established The JW Speakers Agency, Dallas/Fort Worth's only booking agency for business owners who use free speaking as a way to increase their exposure, broaden their network and bring in new clients, and emerging speakers who need guidance on building their speaking business. http://www.jwspeakersagency.com

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The Six-Figure Speaker: Formula for a Six-Figure Income As a Professional Speaker

This book is not for beginners. It’s not filled with tips on how to be an effective speaker. It has nothing to do with how to project your voice, how to organize a speech, or how to overcome shyness. This book is for the public speaker ready to take it to the next level, the speaker who is ready to go out and speak professionally to organizations and make large sums of money, starting at $2,500. If you’re that person, read this book. If you’re shy, read another book first. If you’re still learning to be a public speaker, but you’re passionate about it, read this book so you can take your career to the next level. This is the book every public speaker should use as a roadmap toward career success.

=>  http://bit.ly/tTDP9Q


The Top 4 Tips for Promoting Yourself As a Professional Speaker

Promoting yourself as a professional speaker is not like promoting any other product because what you are really marketing is yourself. That fact alone should shift your perspective as you consider the best ways to market your business. The strategies you choose will have a huge impact on your career.

Here are some things to consider as you begin to promote yourself as a professional speaker.

#1 Who is Your Target Audience?

The first step in selecting your marketing strategies is to clearly define your target audience. Look closely at your niche market. What are the main concerns, pains, needs and issues within that niche? For example, if you are concentrating on being a motivational speaker for teenagers, you must know what makes them tick and what is relevant to them. Similarly, if you want to be a business speaker, it is critical that you have a solid understanding of the world of business. Once you have identified your target market, you will be able to tailor your promotional efforts to that specific group.

#2 Professionalism

To have a great career as a speaker, you must present yourself in a highly professional manner. This is of the utmost importance. In order to come off as a professional, you must handle all of your business with maturity and a high level of skill. Demonstrating your dependability and integrity are critical. It is through these traits that you will gain credibility as a speaker. Always deliver what you promise. Better still, deliver more than you promise. Respond promptly, and make yourself available, to your customers and potential clients. Speak from the heart to make genuine connections with your target audience. Don't be afraid to show them who you really are. These are the things that define a truly professional speaker.

#3 Who is Your Competition?

Know who your competition is, but just knowing who they are is not enough. Any winning sports team understands the value of studying their opponent, and so should you. Be on the lookout for what they are up to. What does their website look like? Is it optimized? What other products and services are they offering? How often do they speak and where? Once you have sized up your competition then you can develop your marketing strategies in new and inventive ways that will set you apart as the "go to guy" in your niche. Think about new and innovative products you can offer that will distinguish you from the rest. Try new ideas, and adapt to change as new competitors enter the market.

#4 Spending

Obviously promoting your speaking business will require that you spend some money. However, before you go out and invest in a lot of expensive marketing, take the time to learn all you can about alternative marketing strategies. Now that the Internet is the primary way most people gather information, there are many ways you can use it to your advantage.

Learn how to use your website and blog, the social networks, video sites like YouTube and pay-per-click advertising to your advantage. These are just a few of the many highly effective ways to market yourself at a fraction of the costs of old school marketing strategies. The time you invest in learning how to use Internet marketing strategies will pay off for you in a big way.

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For over 25 years Dr. Arnold has been CEO of Windhorse Corp., where he assists the nation's top speakers, coaches, authors, entertainers, business owners and sales executives.

His mission is single focused: to help his clients learn the insider secrets how the Top 1% of Speakers earn massive amounts of money with their speaking career in the most direct and easiest way possible.

To get more tips you can use immediately to improve monetizing your speaking, presentation, and coaching skills, sign up for Dr. Gary Arnold's monthly e-newsletter by visiting http://www.6figureSpeakers.com and entering your email address. http://www.windhorse.org

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Six Myths of Professional Speaking

Many of us either speak professionally as an added component of our value to clients, or speak because we must in order to market our services to wider audiences. Whether we mount the platform with relish to gain additional revenues, or ascend with trepidation to try to convert a few more hearts and souls, we should beware of the myths surrounding professional speaking. As someone with a foot in both consulting and professional speaking camps, I thought I'd provide this public service. => http://bit.ly/vtPQBZ

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How can you convert a seminar to a keynote?

In the speaking world, the media stars are the keynote speakers. A lot of seminar leaders and trainers ask me how they can adapt their material to this intense, high-profile, and often lucrative specialty.
 
 * "The keynote speech comes from the discipline of show business. The seminar comes from the discipline of teaching." Bill Gove, first president of the National Speakers Association.
 
 * "With a keynote speech, the presenter is the star. With seminars, the leader needs to make the audience members the star." Don Thoren, past president National Speakers Association and long-time seminar leader.
 
 To understand the big difference between keynotes and seminars, start by appreciating the unique characteristics of each.

... read more => http://bit.ly/rpSMIw

6 Effective Ways to Make Money As a Professional Speaker

In reality only a small percentage of people earn a living as a professional speaker. Generally, these are individuals who enjoy being in front of an audience, are experts in their niche and have highly developed speaking skills. If you believe you have what it takes to among that elite group then get ready to make money as professional speaker by using the six strategies described below:

1. Make money as a professional speaker by hosting teleseminars.

Until recently many people thought of a teleconference as just a means to have a phone conversation between multiple people. It can do much more for you than that. It can be an outstanding format for a teleseminar. With new digital teleconference services available on the Internet you have many options. You can create a presentation that is presented to a large number of people at one time. You can record your presentation and offer it as many times as you like. You simply set a time for the call, get the word out and you're in business.

2. Make money as a professional speaker by using the Internet.

Using the Internet can be similar to hosting a teleseminar, but rather than phone lines take advantage of free chat through Yahoo messenger, Gmail and Skype conference features. It is a great place to start, especially if you're just beginning to venture into this field.

3. Make money as a professional speaker by seeking speaking opportunities within your current job.

If you are already part of an organization or a company, then consider applying for positions such as public relations officer. The company may also make use of your speaking skills to promote their products and services to clients. Not only will they benefit from your talent but you will have the opportunity to practice and enhance your skills. As your hone your skills, you can consider converting this part-time activity into your main source of income.

4. Make money as a professional speaker by approaching private companies.

Private companies often hold regular business and leadership seminars. Contact the public relations officer and provide them a copy of your brochure and portfolio. Prepare a well thought out program that will convince them that you are a valuable resource when they are looking for a skilled public speaker.

5. Make money as a professional speaker through a Speakers Bureau.

Affiliation with a Speakers Bureau will greatly increase your visibility and your chances of landing speaking engagements. However, be aware that the organization will take approximately 15-30% of your fees in service charges for promoting you on their webpage and for including you in their other marketing materials and strategies. Even so, this is often money well spent and should be seen as an investment for increasing the chances you will land high paying public speaking jobs.

6. Direct Hire Engagements to make money as a professional speaker.

For this strategy to work you must have established a reputation in the industry. Companies and organizations may contact you directly to lead their seminars. If you have created an interesting portfolio and have credibility in the industry, then you will be able to secure speaking engagements this way. However, if you are a newcomer then you need to work extra hard to establish yourself as an expert and make a name for yourself.

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Dr. Gary Arnold, CEO of Windhorse Corp., is the author of 13 books, over 100 audio books and 12 DVD movies. He is an international coach for the Speaking Elite with over 25 years of coaching experience working with the top 1% of speakers in the nation. Dr. Gary Arnold is an expert at helping professional speakers monetize their speaking career using his cutting edge on-line and off-line marketing tactics. Gary has sold over 10 million dollars of products on-line in the last 4 years. He uses his 25 years of Professional Speaking and Marketing experience to show speakers how to drive highly targeted traffic to their websites. (Gary has traveled the world the equivalent of 22 times delivering over 1200 paid public talks). He has personally taught several thousand speakers his cutting edge marketing methods and techniques. Gary is available to professional speakers on a limited basis for private strategy coaching. (To read more about Dr. Gary Arnold and how to become a 6 Figure Speaker, check out his blog post - http://InspiringSpeakers.blogspot.com ). http://www.windhorse.org
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