SPEAKER SERVICES Issue # 8-June 1999 For best reading print this newsletter out and read it at your leisure CONTENTS 1 New Speakers 2 A Word from the Publisher 3 Tips, advise and resources for speakers and meeting planners Article: 4 How To Leave Voice Mail Messages That Get Returned (And Get Results!) ___________________________________________ Welcome to our New Speakers Rob Targos: Disability speaker reveals limitless human potential and self acceptance of self and others Kate Adamson: One in-a-million stroke survivor inspires audiences with grace, courage and determination Bill McLauglin: There's "something funny" about this organizational speaker ___________________________________________ A Word from the Publisher....Susan Levin Sorry I'm a bit late with the June issue. Family business had me on the East Coast. In this issue I've compiled tips and advice and lots of great resources for you from various newsletters and an interesting article by Susan Berkley on How To Leave Voice Mail Messages That Get Returned (And Get Results!). Our audio tape series continues to grow. Now available is How to Mesmerize Your Audience-openings and closings and humor with Jack Barnard and Market Yourself as a Speaker with Susan Levin. Both are 2-1 hour tapes and are $23 which includes shipping and handling. Soul of Speaking and Storytelling sold out in three weeks. No worries, I have them in stock again. Our newest addition to our website edition: http://speakerservices.com is a Resource Directory. This section is for merchants who have a service or product that enhances and supports speakers, authors, consultants, entertainers and trainers for growing and running their businesses. It will be up and running by the end of June. If you know anyone in this arena please pass on the information as I'm looking for services like: gift baskets, wireless microphones, website design, graphics artists, book editing, ghostwriting, presentation skills coach, photographers, video demos, media trainers, printers in all parts of the country. Here's the deal-introductory offer 6 months for $199 includes: 25 word listing on the website http://speakerservices.com includes link to website and contact information, listed by category and a listing in the print edition of Speakers for Free & Fee Directory and telephone referral to our office. Best wishes, Susan Levin _____________________ Tips from SpeakerNet News SpeakerNet@aol.com to subscribe Many ways to be successful in speaking -- Scott McKain (ProTalk@aol.com) It's important that relatively new speakers understand that there are many, many ways to be successful in this business. The reason I want to emphasize this is because of the comment in the last issue from one speaker who would not spend the money on a video demo. This individual states she works in the corporate market and they "don't require one or care about one to hire you." While I am certain that is relevant to that speaker's experience, mine is very different. The reason I have been booked by major corporations is, in great part, because of my video demo. The companies I have worked for have selected me because they saw my work through my video and felt that there was a fit between my message and their mission. These companies care about...and required...a video demo in my case. I would imagine that would be the case for many speakers -- and many corporations. I do not want a beginning speaker to get the idea that they will be able to make it without a video. Yes, there are many exceptions -- but I believe they are far from being the rule. ______________ Don't throw it away yet -- Dennis Diede (dennis@diede.com) I always like to save interesting articles, newsletters, etc. -- just in case I might need them. But I don't want to bother filing them. Solution -- I created an "I don't want to ever see this again" box beside my desk, for things with suspect value. Every two months, I take the bottom half out, review it and then throw it away. No guilt, no filing! ______________ Book marketing book recommendation -- Charlotte Libov (75260.2606@compuserve.com) If you're "pregnant" with a book and wondering about media reviews, run, don't walk, and get a copy of John Kremer's book "1,001 Ways To Market Your Book." It has invaluable information about how to get your book reviewed. John's a wizard at self-promotion as well, and you can visit his Web page at http://www.bookmarket.com . http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0912411481/speakernetnews _______________ Women's quote book -- Alan Parisse (AParisse@aol.com) A decade ago I tried finding sources for substantive quotes by women. Most of the books I found focused on quotes by actresses and other celebrities. I found a few I could use in my talks and gave up the hunt. I happened upon the "New Beacon Book of Quotations by Women" edited by Rosalie Maggio -- 800+ pages of intelligence and perspective. ______________ Organizing a book -- Wendy Keller (LiteraryAg@AOL.com) Need to organize your book so you can begin writing your proposal? Take a stack of new manila folders. On each tab, write major subjects relevant to your topic. Stuff everything you have -- every news article, bit of research, scrap of writing -- into the relevant folder. For instance, if you are writing on success, in one folder stick all your collected material regarding mental focus, and in another, everything on goal setting. Voila! Suddenly, your folders become chapters and you can organize the book cogently. ______________ Tips for writing a column -- Gordon Burgett (sops@fix.net) Do you want to write a column? First, read the magazine to see that somebody isn't already writing that column -- and, if not, if it is needed. Second, prepare six sample columns the length of other columns in the publication (or 300-500 words, if there is no example). These must be the best you can do and correct in every sense. Third, send the columns with a friendly cover letter explaining why the topic might interest their readers, why you could write authoritatively and regularly about that topic for them, and other writing you have done. Don't discuss details: money, rights, etc. Those will be worked out later. Finally, the best way is to query and write an article, or many, for that editor before broaching the idea of a column, though still sending the six samples when you do. That way s/he knows you can write, are diligent, and s/he is comfortable (or at least accepting) of you. The best reason for writing a column: to anchor your name as an expert in a niche field. The worst: quick cash -- it's never quick and there's not much of it, usually. But the spinoffs from niche recognition can be huge, like speaking gigs, book sales, and having niche children named for you! ______________ Record all presentations -- Fire "Captain Bob" Smith (captbob@verio.com) You have a great tool to review your work if you record all presentations. Especially when you're booked to do a talk you normally don't give. A quick review of the tape will refresh your presentation and remind you of the great ad libs you used. You never know when the magic is going to take place in a presentation. If you record everything, you have it to review and use for demo or audio tapes. ______________ Tips for a great introduction -- Larry Mersereau (Larry@success-strategist.com) Your speaker introduction is the attendees' first impression of you -- you can't afford to let the introducer wing it. Write the intro a few days before you speak, so you can include current information about the "state of the industry." (I fax it to the introducer, and ask them to read it to me over the phone -- I want them understand this is to be read WORD-FOR-WORD, and with feeling!) When writing your intro, remember -- it's about THEM. Start with a short "state of the industry" statement -- this tells the audience you know what's going on in their industry right now. Next, remind them that this conference/meeting is an opportunity to change/learn/grow, to find out how they can overcome or take advantage of the current situation. Next, address "Why this speaker is qualified." Write in terms of the benefits to the attendee. Don't bore them with degrees and accomplishments that have nothing to do with this presentation. If you've accomplished something in their industry say so. If not, tell them what you have done/studied/experienced to deserve your place on the platform. Keep it specific to this group, today. Next, briefly state what you're about to share as it applies to this meeting: "In keeping with our theme 'New Tools For The New Millennium,' he's here to help us ..." If you used a news story at the start of your intro, do a call-back: "...to help us prove the Fortune magazine wrong!" Finally, end with your presentation title and introduction of you: "His talk today is ... Please help me welcome ..." Your name isn't mentioned until the very end. By the time they hear it, they're dying to find out who this guy is! I used to let the introducer "wing it" and quickly learned that they can, and often do, start you in a deep hole. I don't like to spend the first ten minutes undoing the damage! A great introduction fires up the troops - an enthusiastic audience can absolutely kick-start your presentation. ______________ What organization (other than National Speakers Association) do you belong to or publication do you subscribe to that has benefited you the most as a speaker and why? -- Gordon Burgett (DCU@sops.com) The most helpful newsletters to me, with a publishing bent, are the PMA (Publishers Marketing Assn.) Newsletter (http://www.pma-online.org, $80 for annual membership), and the ASJA Newsletter (http://www.asja.org), which you must qualify for admission -- see requirements at site). The information shared in the PMA Newsletter is current, well-researched and written, and both puts small publishers on the marketing edge and helps them sell, through co-op library programs, effectively and inexpensively. It continually reminds me that PMA membership for anybody with one book plus is the best deal around. ______________ -- Susan RoAne (SROANE2224@aol.com) I belong to Author's Guild (http://www.authorsguild.org/) and get Publishers Weekly (http://www.bookwire.com/pw/pw.html). I learn a great deal about the industry and what is fodder for the "pop cultha". I also read Fast Company (http://www.fastcompany.com/) as well as the New York Observer (http://www.observer.com/) (it is one of the most literate and irreverent publications). ______________ -- Patti Hathaway (Patti@thechangeagent.com) The best non-speaking organization I belong to is the World Future Society (http://www.wfs.org). Cost per year: $35. Best value is their monthly magazine "The Futurist" - great quotable source for future trends. Thought-provoking articles. Overview of recently released future-related books. ______________ Thanks to Linda Brakeall (LBrakeall@Compuserve.com) who poses this question: In your pre-event client questionnaires, what questions are you asking besides the usual: "What are the top 3 issues your company is dealing with today?" _______________ Jeanette Cates (cates@techtamers.com) I offer to take ANY and ALL questions via email prior to the program. That opens it up to more issues than the top 3. If it's a tech-savvy company or organization, I'll set up a discussion group online, as well. When I interview on the phone, I'll ask other questions like: If you were CEO, would the organization look different? Knowing what you know now, would you go to work for the organization today? _______________ Philippa Gamse (pgamse@totalnetval.com) 1. Does your business/association currently have a Web site? If so, what is the URL? 2. How is the Web site currently working for you? 3. What are your greatest concerns around doing business on the 'Net? 4. What is the most important answer you need from this program? I get screeds of stuff that pretty much writes the program for me! Note: in showing specific Web site examples, I always try to use out-of-state sites, or I run through my potential list with the meeting planner so as not to cause embarrassment, or single out any participants. I get big brownie points from meeting planners when I offer to do this. _______________ Jim Jacobus (CHAMPJJ@aol.com) We're happy to email our "Pre-program Questionnaire" to anyone requesting it. Each question has a valuable purpose, some in preparing for the engagement, some that assist us in connecting with the audience, some for logistics and some are even about our ongoing marketing efforts to that company and that industry or vertical market. Here are a few that I've found yield the best results for me: 1) Do you have a Web site? DUH! A new question we ask and it gets us a ton of info both to prepare and for the meeting and for further marketing efforts. 2) Who will be doing the introduction and how may we get in touch with them? Why this question? I have grown weary of poor intros and decided that they were my fault. We are now getting in touch with whoever is doing the intro and sending it to them in advance along with a coaching sheet. I contact them personally and see how I may be of service in preparing ... not a 100% hit on great intros but about a 700% increase over not doing it! ______________ Thanks to Sheryl Nicholson who poses this question: If I knew then what I know now, what would I have done differently in investing $3000 in my business? (Be specific about how you would spend it.) ______________ Patti Hathaway (Patti@thechangeagent.com) I'd use the $3000 earlier in my career to hire a coach to figure out what is unique about my angle on my topic. One of the results would be my developing my own unique personal (signature) stories and a program that no one else could do. The depth of my content and uniqueness of my presentation style would be difficult to compare to another speaker who is less memorable. The results have been much less fee resistance as well as fewer comparisons to my competitors. Wish I had done this sooner. ______________ Nanette Miner (nanette@trainingdr.com) I would not have had a brochure printed; instead I would have invested in direct mail and consistently hit a small, targeted group. ______________ Jim Waszak (successjw@aol.com) I'd say that before any money is spent, (or alternatively, as the first money spent) there should be an adequate amount of market research done to make sure there is a market for what you want to offer. I, like many others, have fallen into the trap of believing that just because I liked doing something, there'd be a market for it. Depending on an individual's skill sets and interests, this research could be done yourself or you could hire someone, which would be the best use of the money. ______________ Michael J. Herman (TAUNTRA@aol.com) I would have invested in product development much sooner. Not only for credibility, but for revenue. In the months when I am not booked as heavily to speak, or at all, I can still make my revenue by selling books, tapes, CDs, posters, mugs, products, etc. ______________ Tom Antion (tomantion@aol.com) I would have learned the proper way to promote a Web site two years earlier. My first site got 400 visitors in two years. Spending the time and money to learn how to promote my new site properly now gets me that many visitors a day. ______________ Tim Richardson (TimRichCSP@aol.com) I would have invested that money in the following ways: 1) Hiring someone to help me get better at delivering my message 2) Thoroughly researching my target market to determine their specific needs 3) Getting quality video footage for a no-frills demo video We all get calls from prospects who can't pay our full fee, but for whom we'd like to work (perhaps they are a key player in an industry we want to enter). "When asked to negotiate your fee, what do you ask for in return?" ______________ Larry Chase's Web Digest For Marketers: larry@wdfm.com Best of Larry Chase's Web Digest For Marketers HUMAN RESOURCES WageWeb http://www.wageweb.com The depth and quality of free information on this site impressed us.WageWeb provides 160 benchmark positions with compensation data free to the public. It's enough information to learn how to price yourself in the job market, or to determine what kind of compensation to offer for a specific position. The service is also a great marketing lead for the site's subscription offering. ______________ DIRECT MARKETING MyProspects.com http://www.myprospects.com Every direct marketing effort starts with a list. MyProspects is a slick service that allows customers to create very specific lists from well-known databases. The site enables fine-tuned customization through a series of point-and-click options, the prices are competitive, and your list can be downloaded as soon as it is created. ______________ ONLINE PRODUCTIVITY Day-Timer Digital http://digital.daytimer.com In the now saturated category of online calendars and organizers, Day-Timer Digital really stands out. This smart service offers all the usual planning, scheduling and to-do list functionality. Plus, Day-Timer Digital lets you keep up with local and national events the easy way -- they're sent right to your calendar. ______________ RETAIL Buy.com http://www.buy.com Buy.com's superstore network strategy puts it ahead of the curve when it comes to moving retail operations onto the Web. Customer-friendly features we like include the ability to set up one account to use across the five stores (so you don't have to repeatedly fill out order forms and payment information), a "specials" page that lists daily promotions and intuitive navigation between stores and product offerings. ______________ INTERNET WebCriteria http://www.webcriteria.com This newcomer caught our eye with some serious site performance benchmarking. As anyone who has compiled competitive analysis reports for websites knows, it's a tedious process. That's why the free industry benchmark reports available from WebCriteria are so valuable. Each report offers analysis of load time, freshness, composition and ease of navigation for the top 10 sites in 12 different industry groups -- computers, e-commerce apparel, e-commerce brokerage, e-commerce gifts, education US, entertainment, games, health care, hospitality, portals/hubs, software and travel. ______________ DATABASE United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) http://www.uspto.gov It may not be the prettiest site on the Web, but when it comes to pure database functionality, we turn to the US Patent & Trademark Office. USPTO has done an excellent job of providing Web access to the volumes of information lurking in its patent and trademark databases. We also like the fact that we are searching current information, as the database search is indexed on a weekly basis. ______________ CATALOG Office Depot http://www.officedepot.com Custom shopping lists, automated cross-selling, and a host of other special features combine to put the Office Depot online catalog at the top in its class. Using stored, custom-created shopping lists, you can cut down on the time it takes to order those supplies you need to stock regularly. As you shop, you can add items to your list so that the next time around you simply view, edit and submit your pre-compiled order. The other slick feature we like is Office Depot's active cross-selling. We purchase a stapler and receive a message asking if e need staples... very nice. ______________ TRAVEL Thomas Cook International Money Services http://www.us.thomascook.com/ In a world of "been there done that" travel sites, the Thomas Cook International Money Services site provides a real convenience. The last thing one wants to do is leave for a foreign destination sans local currency in hand. From this site, you can buy the local currency of your destination and have it delivered to you before you leave home. ______________ SMART USE OF THE INTERNET Portico http://www.genmagic.com/portico/ Portico delivers organization through consolidation. This virtual assistant service lets users access their email, calendar, address book, news and stock quote information via any telephone (in conversational English) or -- more importantly for the WDFM wired audience -- through a Web browser. In addition to synchronizing schedules and address books, while online you can also manage your voicemail and email. Expect to see more of these universal messaging services as we move into the new millennium. ______________ TREND Priceline http://www.priceline.com Priceline wins the award for turning traditional business models on their ears by putting the consumer in charge. For anyone not familiar with Priceline, it is the online market-place that allows consumers to name their price for air travel, hotels and other services. It's a win-win situation and a harbinger of e-commerce models to come. ______________ LEGAL FPLC Intellectual Property Mall http://www.ipmall.fplc.edu/ Of all the law sites we visited over the last 12 months, this one stands out for depth and breadth of content as well as for addressing a topic of vital interest to doing business on the Internet -- intellectual property. ______________ REFERENCE Funk & Wagnalls Knowledge Center http://www.vcot.com/pavilion/fw/ Research has never been so fun. Funk & Wagnalls has built an incredible set of virtual communities around topical areas.The communities are stocked with information from the encyclopedias as well as from current news articles and other sources than results in research liberally laced with multimedia, creativity and interaction. ______________ BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS SurplusFoods.com http://www.surplusfoods.com The trading community of the future is going to look a little like this site, where restaurateurs, manufacturers and distributors buy and sell excess inventory online. In addition to all those pounds of fish and gallons of milk changing hands, the site also contributes to the feeling of community with industry news feeds and shop talk sections. ______________ VIRAL MARKETING Recommend-It.Com http://www.recommendit.com If word of mouth is the best form of advertising, email is the second best. Recommend-It is a free service that helps you help your site visitors tell their friends about your site. To use the service, you add a special button and "spread the word" functionality to your site to encourage visitors to tell others about your home on the Web. ______________ PERSONAL BRANDING Dr. Tony Alessandra http://www.alessandra.com Dr. Tony Alessandra is our pick for this year's lesson on personal branding. A marketing strategist and applied behavioral scientist, Dr. Tony Alessandra is a leading authority on bottom-line marketing tactics and on building business relationships for life. This personal site is an adjunct to his motivational offerings and an example of personal branding at its most robust. ______________ MEETING PLANNING TixToGo http://www.tixtogo.com If your company holds meetings, collects memberships, produces conferences, or plans trips -- or if you perform such services for others -- TixToGo offers a complete range of Web-based booking and registration services. List your- self and your events on the website before May 1st and set-up is free (there is a transaction fee charge per ticket sale). If you don't have a website to specifically promote your ticket functions, TixToGo will provide a URL for you. If you do have a website, simply add your event(s) into the database, then add a link from your site to their secure engine to perform your e-commerce transactions. Great idea. ______________ PUBLISHING netLibrary http://www.netlibrary.com Welcome to the library of the future. A marvel of information management, netLibrary is based on a traditional library metaphor. Patrons visiting the netLibrary site can view books online, borrow eBooks, queue for eBooks that are checked out, place eBooks on virtual bookshelves or go to the help desk for assistance. However, netLibrary does much more. Here you can scan thousands of volumes simultaneously, search by subject, author, or title, download eBooks to your computer, make notes and bookmarks, search every word in every book, highlight text and print selected information. Currently membership is free, as is a public eBook "reading room." eBooks are also available for sale so that you can begin building your own library on the Net. ______________ Susan Berkley SPEAK TO INFLUENCE susan@greatvoice.com http://www.greatvoice.com How To Leave Voice Mail Messages That Get Returned (And Get Results!) Funny thing about voicemail. We love it when it's our own - we hate it when it belongs to someone else. I don't know about you, but when someone doesn't return my messages, I imagine they are gloating behind my back, laughing demonically as they push the delete button to send me to into oblivion. Actually, I doubt if most people are this cold. But what's so frustrating about voicemail is it gives the decision-maker the opportunity to reject you before you even get a chance to talk to them! If you're starting to feel like a failure because people won't return your messages, here's what to do. I believe most messages do not get returned because people are overwhelmed. Many of us move through our workday in a state that ranges from mild panic to deep despair. To get returned, a message must be so compelling that it wins out over the 23 other urgent things vying for the recipient's attention. Yet, many messages do not even come close to addressing the specific needs, desires, wants, and concerns of the person being called. There's the sales rep who leaves a message saying she would like to stop by and talk with you about advertising in her paper. Yeah right. Like you've got nothing better to do. The copier company calling to sell you toner. Toner? There are six boxes stacked in the closet. Or the person you've never heard of asking you to call him back. You don't mean to be rude but apparently these people assume you're just sitting around with nothing else to do! On a busy day, something's got to give and lame, ineffective messages are the first to go. To help solve this problem, I asked successful friends and sales people to share their best voice-mail techniques. I cannot guarantee that any of these methods will give you a 100% call back ratio, but they will definitely help improve your odds. Test them out and you'll quickly discover the ones that work best for you. 1. Leave 'em guessing Try leaving messages with nothing more than your name and number. Do not say why you are calling. Curiosity is a powerful motivator. My sales staff found that this one simple technique increased their call back ratio by 40%! Busy people calling in for messages from the road will also appreciate the fact that your message is brief. 2. The "pains" technique This is an excellent technique to use as a follow up to a sales presentation. In your initial meeting with the prospect ask probing questions to determine where it "hurts". Make a list of these "pains" and how your product or service can provide specific relief for each concern. Each time you leave a follow up message, mention one of your prospect's "pains" and hint at how you can provide relief. Refer to a different problem each time you call. For example: a) Message #1: "Ms. Jones, this is Susan Berkley from Berkley Productions at 201-541-8595. I'm calling to offer some solutions as to how our voice recording services can give you a more professional sounding voice mail system and get rid of that annoying recorded voice that was bothering the company president. My number again isŠ." b) Message #2: "Ms. Jones, this is Susan Berkley from Berkley Productions at 201-541-8595. I'm calling with a few solutions to help you reduce those customer complaints about getting lost in your voice mail system that you spoke about in our last meeting. My number again isŠ" c) Message #3: "Ms. Jones, this is Susan Berkley from Berkley Productions at 201-541-8595. I'm calling with an easy, cost effective way to help you provide information to your Spanish and Vietnamese speaking customers. You seemed concerned about this in our last meeting and I wanted to discuss some of the ways we help our customers meet this challenge. My number again isŠ" 3. Tell them you are calling from corporate headquarters It adds credibility, especially if you are a small or home based business! "Hello, this is Susan Berkley with Berkley Productions corporate headquarters. The reason for the call is..." 4. Leave your first and last name Using only your first name creates confusion- "Steve who? I know five guys named Steve!" It also brings to mind service and repair people, delivery drivers, and heavy breathing obscene phone callers. 5. Eliminate the word "just" or other minimizers from your speech. Examples: a) "I'm just calling to follow up on yesterdays meeting." b) "Nothing important. Just a follow up call to yesterday's meeting." c) "Just a little reminder about how our widget can help build your business." These minimizers immediately negate your message. 6. Don't sell anything in the message Because we are constantly bombarded with advertising, most people have developed a strong sales resistance. The people you are calling will reject you unless you happen to catch them at a moment when they have a passionate desire or need for your product. 7. Make the benefits contingent on speaking with you "This is Susan Berkley from XYZ distributors. We have just purchased a number of widgets from a company that went out of business and have priced the stock at a deep discount for fast liquidation. To determine if they are the right size and color for your needs, we need to talk. Call me atŠ" 8. Speak more slowly and clearly than normal Don't slur or run your words together. The person you are calling is not as familiar with the material as you are and will quickly become annoyed if you make them replay the message because they did not understand it. 9. Spell your name if it is difficult, unusual or of foreign origin Sometimes unusual names are easier to remember than names that are more common. The listener has to work harder to understand it and is more likely to remember you because he made that extra effort. Reinforce this phenomenon by saying your name clearly and spelling it slowly when you leave your first message. An unusual name can make you stand out from the crowd and invites ice-breaking chit chat about the name's origin. 10. Sound like a winner by speaking with energy, enthusiasm and confidence Sit up straight or stand when you leave the message. Smile as you speak. Visualize yourself as confident and strong. Use hand gestures and powerful body language. If possible, check your energy level by listening back to your message before sending it. 11. Leave your phone number twice: once at the beginning of your message and once at the end If the person you are calling missed your number at the beginning they will not have to listen through to the entire message again to get it. 12. Call again and offer some useful information: "I've been thinking about you situation and have a solution that might work. I'd like to share it with you. Please call me at ..." Do not leave the solution in the message. Use it as bait to get them to call you back. Caution: do not use this technique unless you actually have something useful to share with the prospect when they call! 13. Fax your prospect a giant message slip Take a standard "While you were out" phone message slip, fill it out with your message, enlarge it on the copier and fax it to your prospect. "While You Were Out ... Melissa Smith called Re: A few ideas to help you save big on your taxes." 14. When all else fails, politely threaten to "close their file" Making sure there is nothing hostile or impatient in your tone of voice, leave a polite message that goes something like this: "Mr. Smith, I've been attempting to reach you for several weeks now regarding the proposal you asked us to send on January 24th. but I have not received a call back. I don't want to bug you or clog your voice mail with unwanted messages, so would you please call me back and let me know if you would like me to close your file?". It is almost humorous how quickly this message has gotten people to call us back. People like to leave their options open and nobody likes to be "terminated". 15. Make sure YOUR outgoing voicemail message sounds as professional as possible When people call your voicemail do you sound welcoming, honest, energetic and sincere or do you sound angry, bored or half asleep? Here are several steps to follow to put your "best voice" forward. a) Script your message. Writing it out will help you say exactly what you need to say: nothing more, nothing less. You'll also be less likely to flub when reading from a script. And you'll find it easier to control your pacing and tone when you've got something written to practice. b) Practice your message before you record it. Say it over and over again out loud to make yourself familiar with the words. c) Stand while recording your message. This will add energy and vitality to your voice. d) Smile while recording your message. A smile makes your voice sound warm and friendly. e) Get feedback from at least 3 friends or colleagues. Does your message sound as good as it could? If not, re-record! f) Don't leave flubs on your outgoing message. I am amazed at how many people leave flubs and stumbles on their outgoing message, especially when re-recording is so easy to do! g) Customize your message daily. If possible, let people know if you are in or out of the office and when you will be likely to call them back. h) Include your USP in your message. Your USP is your unique selling proposition, a phrase that articulates a key benefit to your customer. Boil it down to a brief phrase and use it in your outgoing message. For example: i) "Thank you for calling XYZ language school. We guarantee that you'll start speaking the language of your choice in 30 days or less or your money back. Leave your name and number at the tone and we'll get back to you as soon as we get your messageŠ" Does your voice seduce or sedate? Get personal coaching on your vocal image from Susan Berkley, author of "SPEAK to Influence". 800.333.8108 susan@greatvoice.com ---_____________________ SPONSOR THIS NEWSLETTER! Get your message out to speakers and meeting planners in this fast growing newsletter. $25 a month, limit to 6 lines of text, 60 characters per line issues $125 paid in advance. E-mail susan@speakerservices.com for number of subscribers, payment information etc. Previous issues are available at http://speakerservices.com/nl/index.html To contribute information to this newsletter send via e-mail to: susan@speakerservices.com. Letters and comments are happily accepted. To remove yourself from this newsletter send an e-mail message to susan@speakerservices.com with remove in subject. ************************ Meeting planners looking for speakers for free and fee or entertainers for your programs check out our Internet Edition of Speaker Services: http://speakerservices.com. Speakers and entertainers great rates for photo listings for the Internet Edition of Speaker Services: http://speakerservices.com. Presentation skills and marketing workshops offered in the Los Angeles area. Teleclasses , Customized trainings , Online Bookstore Audio Tapes Grow Your Business Through Speaking Soul of Speaking, Jack Barnard Storytelling, Jack Barnard Mesmerize Your Audience, Jack Barnard Market Yourself as a Speaker , Susan Levin Books: Market Yourself as A Speakers Resource and Study Guide, Susan Levin ************************ Speaker Services Susan Levin 4023 Meier Street La, CA 90066 310-822-4922 FAX: 310-822-9025 Toll free- 877-773-2800 e-mail: susan@speakerservices.com website: http://speakerservices.com