NSA St. Louis Chapter

Attendees show their appreciation of Jim by displaying bags o' Switzers Green Apple Licorice. Why? Because licorice is delicious. (And it's an old Irish tradition from County Clare.)

"Oh, Jim. Please don't go. We'll name a stretch of Hwy 70 after you if you'll stay." (Assuming he's not using performance enhancing drugs.)

The Canterucci Crew soaks up some juicy knowledge.

Jim describes a really big idea. (Apparently it's the size of a $5 footlong from Subway.)

Keep those cards and letters coming.

See y’all next time…April 10th to be exact.

Happy speaking,

Steve

Jim Canterucci gave us a tons of nuggets (dare I say Buckeyes) that can really help us get more out of every client relationship.  For many of us who were fortunate enough to be there, our #1 takeaway was to shift our perspective from doing “one-off gigs” to becoming a “trusted advisor” for our clients and going deeper.

Here are the learning nuggets:

• Who decides what your positioning is?  The customer does.
• If you lose your positioning with the client, then you lose your job.
• We have to keep pressing those validation buttons with our client.
• You’re not their pool boy – you’re a hired expert; so act accordingly.
• Be willing to serve, but don’t be subservient.
• Jim says, “I never sell my clients, I let them sell me.” – Bring so much value that THEY sell you internally to other people.  Create evangelists.
• Do you want to be a speaker or an advisor?  It’s the difference between a one-off speech and an ongoing contract (more speeches, consulting, training, facilitating, etc.).  Not having to constantly chase new clients.
• Become a dandelion across your client’s organization – be so good, so valuable, so practical that people will willingly blow the parachute seed pods throughout the entire organization.
• Get THEM to sell you!
• Send an article to a client/prospect that you didn’t write as value add…write your name and number ON the article (not a yellow Post-It) because they’ll make photocopies
• Charge by the value of what you create, not by the number of hours you work.
• If you charge by value, you send a signal to your client that you’re not a vendor; you’re a valued partner.
• The Five Magical Marketing Words: “What we typically do is…” – gives comfort; it’s proven, low-risk.

Jim’s Levels of Interaction with Clients (he adds value at each level without being pigeon-holed or type cast at any of them)

1. Executive Leadership Circle – C-suite executives; 6 days of “retreats” and consulting throughout the year; annual renewal
2. Change Leadership Circle – next level down; people on the cusp of becoming
3. Emerging Leadership Circle – supervisor and above;
4. Personal Brilliance Circle – for the rank and file; e-learning system

How to Rock the House with Social Media (as a Speaker)

• Share good ideas, articles, blog posts, links
• Promote others
• Be nice
• Reinforces your positioning as an advisor/expert
• Great to get the word out to other people

Other juicy nuggets:

• How can you be all things to all people? Bring value to the CEO, to mid-level managers, and frontline employees.
• Essence Feedback – this is what I felt when I was there.
• People can’t really multi-task: neuro-surgeon says you can only focus on one thing at at time; younger tech-savvy folks are just better at switching back and forth
• Twitter will help spread the reach while you are speaking
• Culture comes from repetitive action
• “I listened to the conversations you were having with people online”
• “Is he the guy who works with the CEO?”
• “How did you feel about what we did?”
• Talk about your advisory positions with other clients
• Tell the stories of success, challenges, problems, cause others will want to know.
• Find the unique twist in the business consulting model that is different from everyone else.

Getting Support – Working with an Assistant (here’s how Jim divides his responsibilities with his one office assistant)

Speaker/Consultant (Jim) – Strategic Responsibilities

• Client management
• Presenting
• Writing
• Podcast
• Development
• Delivery
• Interviews
• Sales
• Marketing

Virtual Assistant (Holly) – Tactical Responsibilities

• Marketing
• Sales
• PR
• Logistics
• Scheduling
• Accounting
• Editing
• Vendor relations
• Subcontractor management – wants it off her plate
• Client contracts first draft
• Phones

Again, it was another great meeting.  We’ll see you on April 10th for how to use online strategies (Google Adwords, SEO, etc.) to skyrocket your business.

Giddy up!

Steve Hughes

President, NSA St. Louis Chapter 2010-11

Wow!  What a program.  I haven’t said this all year, but unless you had a really good reason for not being there Saturday (like a paid speaking gig or a kidney transplant), you missed an AMAZING program.

Dan Poynter, author of 126 books including the industry bible The Self-Publishing Manual, gave us four solid hours of ideas, insights, and actionable strategies to get your book out of your head and into print.  It was like a Bruce Springsteen concert.

For those of you who missed it, my notes in this post are shorter than usual because Dan has graciously posted his entire slide deck on his site.  Just follow this link.  So the stuff below are what I considered to be the highlights of Dan’s program.

Writing a book…

• Is like giving yourself an advanced degree in your subject
• Makes you an authority
• Gives you exposure and notoriety
• Becomes a profit center – it’s passive income
• Plus, it’s fun to wake up in the morning and see how much money you made while you were sleeping [great movie tie in idea]
• Allows you to charge higher fees

People buy non-fiction for one of two reasons:

1. To learn something
2. To solve a [specific] problem

Selling books

• Sell your books in the front of the room – let people stare at them the entire time you’re speaking, plus people tend to rush the stage and you want your books to be where you are
• After a speech, let people buy with a self-service form; go by the honor system
• You don’t have to run a store, instead spend time talking to people and answering their questions

General thoughts on book writing

• Do research at a big bookstore; check out your category; find a book you like (design, layout, page color, type size, etc.), buy it, and use it as your model
• eBooks are the future of publishing – do them IN COLOR, because it doesn’t cost you anything to print them
• Packaging matters!  Rainbow book = 25,000 copies; Free Stuff for Kids = 500,000 copies and #6 on NYT Bestseller list
• Do an “Afterword” at the end of your book – an encouragement to readers

Getting started – use the Binder System

• Get a 3-ring binder!
• One that has a clear plastic sleeve on the outside to put your cover art and back cover,
• Make sure it has a pocket on the inside for pieces of information, articles, clippings, printouts of research, and things you collect
• Carry it with you EVERYWHERE you go to take advantage of those little bits of time you find in your everyday life to work on your book
• Plus, you never know where that next really great idea for your book is going to come from.  Be ready to capture it in your binder.

Dan’s final charge to us was this: “Next year, when I see you at the NSA Convention, will your book still be in your head or under your arm?”

Thank you, Dan!

Happy speaking (and writing),

Steve Hughes

President, NSA St. Louis 2010-11

Lois wows the crowd with insight after insight. You go, girl!

Lois strikes a pose as she unleashes her powerful positioning statement.

A rather subdued family photo. We call it "14 Incredibly Good Looking Speakers."

Instead of saying "cheese" the photographer asked us to say "Book More Business!" And then we went all crazy.

It was an awesome meeting!  See you on February 20th for Dan Poynter’s “Self-Publishing Safari.”

Steve Hughes

Lois Creamer wowed us with her “fast forward” selling techniques and gave us gobs of great content. We all walked away with a bunch of ideas we can apply right away. Here are some of the highlights.

Positioning

• I work with organizations (just like yours) that want to ____________________ so that they can _________________.
• All you have to do is fill in the blanks.
• It must be clear, use conversational language, not be lost in business/corporate speak
• Above all, it needs to be benefit oriented

Testimonials

• Testimonial phone script/wording from Lois: “Thanks again for bringing me in, I really enjoyed be there, want to be sure the feedback continues to be strong, if you would please put that feedback in writing on your letterhead so that I can use it with other companies like yours.”
• Put testimonials ALL throughout my website – put product testimonials on my product page, etc.

Creating Products

• Make an audio recording of EVERYTHING program you do – you can use any variety of digital audio recorders on the market
• Take one or more of your favorite programs to a local recording studio, get it cleaned up, then go to Sam Silverstein for duplication, then…start making $$$
• Consider hiring a local audio/visual expert to record you if you want mic the audience and take it up a notch
• Audio CD – it should start with a voiceover (V/O) like “This is a [name of your company] audio product, this is “Title,” in it you’ll learn A,B,C, here’s Lois…”

Preview (or Demo) Video – what you should post on your site and send to meeting planners
Great preview video:

• 5-7 minutes in length
• At the end of the 5-7 minutes, you can feature your full-length signature story or a complete program; but this should be a stand-alone piece
• Visit www.FastForwardSelling.com for an example of a good preview video
• Open up with your logo, then your own V/O of you saying “I’m Lois Creamer and I work with organizations…[say your positioning statement], here are some examples of my speaking style…
• Finish with: “I hope you enjoyed watching this video, if you’d like to learn more or hire me, please contact me at…”
• Post it on YouTube – create your own YouTube channel if you have enough other videos
• Put it in DVD format to send to meeting planners

Fee Integrity (when and how to negotiate)
Negotiables – things you can “give” in lieu of fee (when an organization can’t afford you)

• Time – I’ll stay and do an extra breakout session
• Product/Trade – Let’s assume your fee is $5,000. “I can’t accept $3,000, that isn’t my fee, is there something you can do to add value to the program? Could you videotape me and give me the master? Could you buy my products?” (Sometimes organizations have separate budgets for materials.) “What if I threw in a book? Could you then come up with the $5,000?”
• Expenses – “What if I paid my own expenses on this?” Then use frequent flyer miles and hotel points to fund your trip.
• Other verbiage: “I’m sorry I cannot speak for $3,000, that is not my fee. You see I have bureaus and agents all over the country who book me at $5,000. It would be unethical for me to undercut my fee for you at their expense.”
• Added value: send a testimonial letter to three business associates you know who could book me at full fee; if you would contact them on my behalf
• If someone ever asks you to give on something, they need to be willing to give something, too.

You must always state your fee:

• Confidently
• Expectantly
• Joyfully
• “My fee is $5,000 plus travel expenses. Does that sound like a fit?” (and then shut up)

The Association Market

Send them a packet that contains:

• Folder – a nice, clean folder you can buy at OfficeMax – just put a nice sticker on it
• One-sheet – put key ideas, thoughts, philosophy on the back of your one-sheet
• Proprogram questionnaire
• Article (if it makes sense)
• Your preview video on DVD
• A promotional postcard or the like if you have it

Put your one-sheets on product tables, too

Random Thoughts

• If you ever quote someone, be sure to your quote yourself afterwards OR be sure to bring the expertise back to you. Sure, that quote by Mark Twain was nice, but what do I say/think about it?
• “I’m a high-content speaker who is motivational in style/tone.” ~ Lois Creamer
• Offer a free teleseminar 30 days after the program so that you can answer additional questions and be sure that the training has taken hold.
• The person who is asking the questions in a conversation is in control of the conversation.
• Expertsdelivered.com – special service that will announce your presence to the press in markets where you’ll be speaking; Shep Hyken gets lots of newspaper and radio interviews through expertsdelivered.com
• The best way to get listed/accepted by a speakers bureau is to get a friend who is already working with that bureau to recommend you
• Do you think my program would make sense? Lois loves the “make sense” wording and uses it often
• Do you have any meetings coming up that would make sense for me?

Thanks for everything, Lois!

Happy speaking,

Steve Hughes, el Presidente

Jim, a true Georgia Peach, gave us TONS of great insights about “making your speaking career happen” vs. waiting for it to happen.  In addition to his fill-in-the-blank handout, here are some juicy notes from the meeting.

First, Jim suggested we invest in the following directories.  (But don’t waste money on the latest version, buy last year’s or one that’s a couple of years old because all you really want from them are the telephone number and website of the association.)

1. National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States
2. State & Regional Associations of United States (a gold mine) – because these groups have more events and need more speakers; think about it, there are 50 state associations and only one national association for each group
3. Corporate Meetings and Event Planners Guide
4. Directory of Canadian Associations
   1. When calling Canadian organizations, don’t refer to their meeting as the annual conference or meeting or convention, call it the “Annual General Meeting” or “AGM”
   2. Use their terms – provinces vs. states; use their city names as well as cultural references like Tim Horton’s (Canada’s Dunkin’ Donuts)
   3. Fun Trivia – Current Canadian Prime Minister…Stephen Harper

• Don’t be thrown by the published “budget number” in the directories – many times the real budget and the printed budget are different because the printed budget number is based on a survey often times filled out by an underling who doesn’t know all the facts

Jim’s Telephone Script – what he says when he calls them out of the blue

• Opening lines
  • “Hi, I’m Jim Mathis, can you help me please?”  (and don’t refer to yourself as Jim Mathis unless that’s what you normally call yourself)
  • “Could you connect me to the meeting planner for _____________________?  (And then say “the association” or “the bankers” or “the nurses” or some part, but not all of the association name)?”  You sound more like an insider, not a sales person, you could even be a member.  90% of the time they’ll put you straight through
  • If they tell you “no,” say, I have a question about the annual meeting.”
  • I really need to talk to this point because it’s really important
  • On call backs – ask for the person only using their first name, i.e. “Is Judy there?”  Not, is Judy Williams there?
  • Voicemail
    • “Hi this is Jim Mathis, I have a question about the meeting for 2010 (next year), can you please call me, my number is…”  Be intentionally nebulous.  (They’ll think you’re a member.)
    • Building a Relationship Over the Phone
      • When they call back, say, “Hi, my name is Jim Mathis, I’m a professional speaker and I work with organizations like yours that hire speakers for their meetings and I was just calling to see if you fall in that category?”  (It’s the only yes/no question he asks them during the entire conversation.)
        • “like yours” – Jim shrugs his shoulders and almost chuckles as he says this
• If no, “Well, I appreciate your time today, I offer a free kit/newsletter that contains articles and ideas about how to thrive in a down economy…”  Most people say, “Yes, please send it to me.”  Jim has gotten gigs years later because he put people like this on his mailing list and faithfully sent them valuable info.
• If yes, “Great, that’s wonderful!  When you’re bringing in people like me, what are you looking for because I’m not sure if I’m a good fit for your organization or not.”
• If yes/still interested, “When will you be making the decision about speakers for your event?”  Or, “When will you be closer to making a decision?”
• Jim NEVER discusses fee on the initial call.  “You know I’m not the money guy, my assistant handles all that.  You’re welcome to call her to go through my fees, etc.”
  • I have a kit/newsletter that I can send. (Most organizations now ONLY want things electronically.)
  • I’d also love to send you a copy of my ezine, too.  Just to give you a sense of what I’m all about/give you a flavor of my  thinking and programs.
  • When would be a good time to call you back?

Closing – getting hired over the phone

• “When we were talking back in ______, you asked me to call you back around now and I’m just being faithful.”  (Usually gets a laugh.)
• Be ready to play back to them what we talked about in the previous phone conversation.
• “Is this a good time to talk?”  Respectful.  Honors their time.
• (This is the hard part because sometimes it takes 15-30 calls in this stage.)
• Sometimes they’ll say, “We can’t afford you.”  He replies, “You never know.  You might be surprised.”
• Jim’s assistant always quotes a price range – “We’re between X and Y…depending on what you need Jim to do.”

Miscellaneous:

• Jim makes 30 calls/day and his assistant makes 15-20 calls/day.  He has a third person do follow-up on leads and he pays her only a commission on the gigs she actively closes.
• Jim has a 12-page color magalog he sends out – looks like a real magazine; has a $7.95 price on it, a UPC bar code, articles, lists of his programs, products he sells, etc.  It makes him look BIG TIME!
• He’s cnstantly tinkering with his website to make it more benefit-oriented and less about his features
• FU with corporate people – “Can you help me, I was told you that you were the only person who can help me?”
• Focus more on all the things that can go right, not the things that can go wrong
• Great Pre-Program Questionnaire Question: “What are your people doing that you want them to quit doing when I’m done speaking?”
• Nobody ever grew when they cut back.
• If you ever get into a debate on price, you’ve lost,

The biggest takeaway for me.

• Jim asked everyone what their dream speaking destination was, i.e., where in the world would you just LOVE to give a speech and get paid for it?
  • I said “Maui.”  Other answers were Jackson Hole, Bermuda, and Key West.
  • Then Jim asked us, “In the last 30 days, what specific steps have you taken to speak in that destination?”  Wow.
  • He continued, “It’s not just going to happen on its own.”  So true.

See you on November 10 when we’re going to learn how be our own business coach.

Giddy up!

Steve

El Presidente

Speaker Types,

If you couldn’t be at our September meeting on the 19^th, you missed a good one.  Folks who attended learned all about how to use internet video to grow their business, some had HUGE breakthroughs, others lost weight, and Steve Hughes started to re-grow his hair.  And that was just during the pre-meeting networking.

Here are my notes and key takeaways from our first meeting of the year.

Harlan told us that Google searches for videos FIRST and now lists up to two videos in its searches before it lists websites.  Whoa.  In other words, you can be listed on the top spot of your key words if you get the right video out there in internet-ville.  (By the way, don’t go looking for internet-ville.  It’s not a real place, it’s just a figure of speech.)

For internet video to work, Harlan said you must come across as:

1. Genuine
2. Honest
3. Real
4. What this means is that your production values need to be professional, but not too slick.

Why use internet video marketing to promote your business?

1. Strategic use of video is a great way to create “fans”
2. It’s the second best way to meet you.  (Meeting face-to-face is best in case you were wondering.)
3. It’s FREE!  (Once you create the video and post it, 6.6 billion people can view it.)

What do you need to create dynamite internet videos?

1. Start with written material and then convert it to video.  (It’s hard to create something out of nothing so get writting!)
2. A process you can follow.  To save time and maximize your resources.
3. Someone to help you (either to shoot videos for you or to show you how to set up your own home studio).

Branding your video.  Take active steps to make your videos uniquely yours.  Uncopyable.  Here are some ways to do just that:

1. Your set or background – use your logo or some other unique image to brand it
2. Use sound – some people like to use a soft music bed in that background; your call
3. Your unique style – we strive to be unique on the platform; do the same on your videos

Lighting suggestions:

• Your goal is to recreate the sun with your lighting
• Make it as natural looking as possible
• Use diffusers (look it up), umbrellas, and lighting angles to look like a star
• No shadows on your background

Harlan recommends that you script out your video, but don’t sound scripted.  How do you do this?

• Read it at least 10 times before you begin shooting
• Practice it out loud over and over
• Some people like to use a teleprompter, others prefer to record without.  Just find the right system that works for you.
• Free teleprompter – freeteleprompter.com – as the name implies, it’s a FREE teleprompter.  How ’bout that?
• Videocue.com – another teleprompter option
• Prompt for Mac – teleprompter software that costs about $30

Some other great sites to check out:

• Viddler.com
• Tubemogul.com
• Vimeo.com
• YouTube.com (duh, but I had to mention it)
• ImageVideos.net (Harlan’s site–check it out, he’s got some great things to offer)

For good royalty free music, try these sites:

• istockaudio.com
• musicbakery.com

That’s all the news that fit to blog.

Don’t miss our next amazing meeting on October 10^th.  Atlanta’s own Jim Mathis will dazzle you as he shows us how to make money in a down economy.

For more details and how to register, click here: http://www.nsastlouis.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=25

May all your ovations be standing,

Steve Hughes

El Presidente, NSA St. Louis

The National Speakers Association St. Louis Chapter now has a blog that will provide communication for both members and guests with resources about the speaking business.   This blog is organized into categories and pages.  Please click on each one to learn more about our organization.