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Get Listed in the Directory:
http://speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html
CONTENT:
1. New & Renewing Speakers
2. Promotions/Advertising
3. A Note from the Publisher, Susan Levin
4. Tips and Advice
5. Article: MARKET YOUR SERVICES WITHOUT FEELING LIKE A SLIMEBALL
_______________________________
New & Renewing Speakers for Free & Fee
Entire List of Speakers
http://speakerservices.com/categories/allspeak.html
Sally Boehm & Amber Sullivan: Fashion consultants transform
employee images and enhance performance
Loch David Crane: Former English professor plays dual roles
as stage magician and business-writing teacher
Emerson Fersch: Certified Financial Planner demystifies finance
and investing
Patrick Henry: "Fishing Coach" teaches all your employees to
locate and land world-class clients.
Mike Lattimore: Technologist reveals fight-back strategies for
stopping computer hackers, crackers and criminals
Martha Lambert: A whole team of experts rolled into one dynamic
speaker--with a message that will jump-start your creativity and problem-solving
abilities!
Ron Mann: Author-psychologist-consultant mines ancient wisdom
for answers to contemporary life problems
____________________________________
A Note From the Publisher, Susan Levin
As you plan your speaking goals for the coming year consider joining us in Los Angeles for the following activities which have been created to enhance your speaking .
2002 Saturday Series with Jack Barnard
Please e-mail me for further descriptions of each workshop
All workshops Saturdays, 10-5pm, $129, Westside of Los Angeles
January 19: Once Upon A Time: Storytelling: Spice up your presentations through storytelling
January 26: Improv, Creativity & Spontaneity for Speakers & Presenters
February 16: Branding Blitz
March 23: Mesmerize Your Audience
Additional Seminars
Market Yourself as a Speaker, Susan Levin, 7-10pm, $69, Jan
29 or Feb 27
Details: http://speakerservices.com/services/la.html
Video Demo Showcase, Feb 2
Details: http://speakerservices.com/services/la.html
To resgister: 310-822-4922 or 877-773-2800
We wish you a happy holiday season and a most joyous New Year.
Susan Levin
Speaker Services
___________________________________________
You talk. I'll type. Specializing in Transcription for Speakers. Contact
Adele (Ask for NSA references.) "Adele is fast, efficient, reliable and affordable.
Who could ask for more!" Dan Janal, author of "Dan Janal's Guide to Marketing
on the Internet." Toll-free: 877-Type-4-You (877/897-3496).
http://www.type4you.com
___________________
Improve your historical, telecommunications, multi-media, and/or
platform presentations. Diane Howard, Ph.D., is a performance studies/communication
artist, professor, and presenter and an expert in distance communication
and historical presentations. Available for onsite or distance coaching/consulting.
Be enhanced by communication/media technology, not diminished by it. Resumes/Vitae/Videostreaming:
http://www.dianehoward.com, email:
dhoward@vvm.com, (254) 939-6082.
___________________
Laughter=Longevity. In work and in life. FunnyWorks creates "productive
humor" for businesses and individuals. FunnyWorks founder Claire Berger has
20 years of motivational speaking, stand-up comedy and improvisational experience
and she's waiting to hear from you! FunnyWorks is YOUR department of humor resources
for comedy customized for YOUR presentations. www.FunnyWorks.com
FunnyWorks toll-free number is 877-50FUNNY. E-mail:
FUNNY1234@aol.com
___________________
Want to stay in touch with clients and prospects more regularly? Send
a professionally written and designed newsletter like John Alston, CSP, CPAE,
Kevin Davis and Lynne Tully. Theirs bring them increased visibility and more
business. My services include writing, editing, typesetting, design, printing
and mailing. Call/e-mail for great samples. Jeff Rubin 877/588-1212;
jeff@put-it-in-writing.com -- http://www.put-it-in-writing.com
___________________
Join Author, Speaker Ron Mann for an evening of Sacred Healing: Activate
the Ancient Wisdom & Clarity of Your Soul at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore
in West Hollywood, December 12, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm, $15.00. Learn to access
your higher mind for greater wisdom. Deepen your capacity to open your
heart and heal others. Strengthen your capacity to manifest your dreams.
Deepen your relationship with God.
___________________
#2 Trade and Professional Associations with Conferences and Meetings Vol 1 & 2. Over 450 contacts, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and websites $59 each, via e mail each, $100 for both. Associations from education, health, nursing, libraries, human resources, business and more plus a list of industry magazines
To order: e-mail or call 310-822-4922.
#3. Storytelling Report. 57 pages, articles, worksheet, 53 copyright free stories that illustrate Relationships, Choice, Creativity, Making a Difference, Celebration compiled by Jack Barnard and Susan Levin, $39 sent as a PDF file
To order special reports online: http://speakerservices.com/products/index.html
________________________________________________________
Research your market before you write your program -- Adrian Pearson (adrian@PearsonResearch.com)
Invest front-end time in choosing a marketable topic. Why develop a topic that will be difficult to sell? For the same time and energy you could be selecting and developing a topic that sells.
How do you determine how marketable a topic might be? And how do you make your program as relevant as possible for your audience? The answer is: You ask! And, you ask the right people!
Who is your target audience? (Hint: "everyone" is the wrong answer.) Be as specific as possible. Describe the ideal audience for your proposed topic. (At this point, accuracy doesn't even matter, as you will see later.)
Now, find some of these people. Start with your circle of acquaintances. For more reliability, include people you don't know. Conduct telephone research.
What do you ask? First, test the topic. Read your proposed title or a brief topic description to the respondent. Rate interest on scale of 1 to 9 (1 is not at all interested, 9 is extremely interested).
Then, for topics of interest, ask what they would like to know about the topic. Write answers verbatim. (These are your audience-defined hot buttons.) They may tell you stories about the subject area. Take notes. (This is rich material for developing your program.) IMPORTANT: NEVER use their name or company affiliation in your program. This is a violation of research confidentiality ethics.
What if the topic does not score high in interest? There are 2 strategies
you can follow:
1) choose new topics to test with this target market, or
2) choose a new target market and test the topic(s) again.
The rewards of your efforts: a marketable program that practically sells
itself.
___________________
Edit your own audio -- Jim Canterucci (jcan@corpchange.com)
We have eliminated the costly and inconvenient studio visits for editing
audio. Technology has caught up to bring this capability to your PC (should
be there for MAC as well). How? Record your work digitally. I use a digital
recorder from Sharper Image that records 4.5 hours digitally and weighs
a couple ounces ($149) or a DAT recorder. With a cable you then record
the digital audio into the software Sound Forge (around $49). We then do
simple editing (cut and paste) to remove the um's and add licensed music
and transitions. The file can then be written to an audio CD with a Read/Write
CD drive or converted to Real Audio for the Web site. Benefit: we can introduce
a product quickly. If only a couple sell we only have to produce a couple
CDs rather than fret over the garage full of product.
___________________
Daypop: http://www.daypop.com
Search 5500 news sites and Weblogs for current events and breaking news
stories, including the latest developments over the past three hours. Put
in "security" and 9168 pages are returned, with breaking news from the
BBC, the Washington Post, The Nation, etc. Check out theDaypop Top 40 for
a list of the top links that are currently popular with Webloggers from
around the world. A good source for quick, current searches.
___________________
SurveyMonkey: http://www.surveymonkey.com
This tool allows you to create surveys with minimal effort. Select from dozens of types of questions and give the survey your own choice of look and feel. Then cut and paste a link to it that you can post or print. View the results as they are collected in real-time and filter out the results you're not interested in displaying.
There's also a list management tool, where you import your email list
and click "Send Message" to send a customized survey invitation to your
list. Try it out with a free Basic Subscription that allows 10 questions
and 100 responses per survey. The Professional costs $19.95(US) per month
and allows unlimited surveys and up to 1000 responses per month. Responses
over 1000 are billed at $.05 each.
___________________
They Rule: http://www.theyrule.net
Arm yourself with Flash 5 and get ready to delve into the boards of corporate
America. This site explores the connections between America's most powerful
companies, many of which are found in shared board members. These interlocking
directories are user-supported; if you have information to share you can add
the URL. Any research that you do can be saved as a "map of connections," complete
with your annotations.
___________________
MARKET YOUR SERVICES WITHOUT FEELING LIKE A SLIMEBALL
By Robert Middleton
When it comes to marketing and promoting your services as an independent professional, you may wonder how you can manage it with authenticity and integrity. After all, to market and sell yourself you need to stretch the truth a bit; you have to promise a little more than you can deliver; you need to present a face that isn't really you. Well, don't you? No you don't! It can be confusing, however, because most of us are culturally conditioned to see marketing and selling as necessary evils, something we just have to accept as borderline "sleazy" if our businesses are going to succeed. But "authentic marketing" is not an oxymoron. It starts with unlearning many of the misconceptions we have about marketing and then learning to simply share the value of what we have to offer.
What You Need to Know
When I give workshops, I often poll audiences with this question: "What
product does the stereotypical salesperson sell?" Nearly 100% of the time,
the answer is "used cars" -- not the most positive stereotype in the world.
Most of us associate selling used cars with exaggeration, dishonesty, lack
of knowledge, not caring about the customer, and general sleaziness. Rest
assured, it doesn't have to be that way.
Do Nothing, or Become a Sleaze?
If you think that selling your professional services is all about emulating
a used car salesperson, chances are you'll handle marketing in one of two
ways: not promoting yourself at all, or being sleazy.
Commonly, freelancers simply avoid marketing and selling altogether. "After all, I'm a professional, aren't I? And since marketing and selling are sleazy activities, I don't want to have anything to do with them. I'll just do the best work I possibly can and hope I get enough business from word of mouth."
The other method works something like this: "Since I have to do marketing and selling to attract more clients and survive in my business, I'll just hold my nose and do what I have to do, no matter how distasteful it is. Sometimes I may have to bend the truth and make promises I can't keep, but I guess that's just the price of success."
Lots of people have come to me with this problem. My clients are management consultants, writers, and business coaches who are caught in the trap of doing projects they're not excited about. The challenge is gone. Their learning has plateaued. And often, the money isn't so great. The heart of the problem is that these consultants stopped doing marketing a long time ago. Instead, they let their clients define who they were and what they did, instead of focusing their services in a way that served both their own interests and those of their clients.
Independent professionals who take the path of reluctantly jumping into marketing with the mindset of a used car salesman don't fare much better. Ultimately, they don't feel good about those kinds of marketing techniques. One of the phrases I often hear them use is, "I do it, but I hate it." Well, when you do something you hate, you never really get very good at it. They never seriously entertained the idea that they could actually love marketing -- that it could actually be fun and rewarding. But if you market with authenticity and integrity, it will be.
Clear, Concise, Complete, and Cut the Crap
The foundations of authentic marketing are caring and respect. And
caring and respect start with good communication. Whether you're answering
an everyday question -- "So, what do you do?" -- or creating content for
your website, your communication style should always be clear, concise,
and complete. Your language should be straightforward and easy to understand,
and it should speak directly to the client's needs. Communicate in a way
that is to-the-point without going on and on, and provide all the information
a client might need to take the next step: calling you.
The Web is a place where inauthentic, uncaring marketing abounds. Imagine going to a website to learn about a product or service you're interested in buying. On the homepage is fancy Flash animation that takes a long time to load. It's cute, but it really doesn't say much. Next, you're bombarded by hackneyed industry jargon, hard-to-understand service descriptions, and vague information. You get annoyed. You feel that they don't care enough to communicate clearly. You're outta there.
"But wait," you might say, "when I talk to prospective clients on the phone, they'll see that I am caring and authentic! Just give me a chance!" Fact is, you may not get that chance. If your marketing is such a turn-off, you'll never get that call.
Make Less into More
The first step in communicating effectively about your services is
to pretend you're sitting across from a valuable potential client who is
asking you questions about what you do. You're giving them the vital information
they need to make a smart decision. They sense you care. They feel you're
authentic. Before you know it, you have a new client! Now take everything
you'd say in such a meeting and put it in your printed and Web materials.
Build your case from every possible angle -- case studies, testimonials,
details about how your service works, background material on you, and so
on. Use straightforward, everyday language. Strive for clarity and simplicity.
Be well prepared. Making stuff up as you go along isn't convincing, authentic communication. If your presentation is wandering and disorganized, you're doing a disservice to your clients and yourself. Authentic marketers take the time to polish their marketing materials until every page, every paragraph, and every word communicates precisely and with impact. You don't need hyperbole and exaggeration. Simply focus on caring about your clients and the quality of your service, and the words will come.
What You Need to Do
The attitudes of caring and respect come pretty naturally for most
freelancers. But when it comes to promoting themselves, caring and respect
are often tossed out the window. Remember: You're not marketing to make
a one-time sale. You're trying to develop long-term clients who will come
to you again and again. If people feel tricked into working with you, your
business isn't going to grow.
Make a Name for Yourself
Once you have great marketing materials, you have the foundation to
promote yourself. Your object is to become visible and known, to build
trust and credibility. Throw out all your preconceived notions of marketing
image, style, and flash. At the heart of it, authentic marketing is about
getting to know people -- and letting them get to know you. There are three
primary techniques that you can use to accomplish this: networking, public
speaking, and writing. These tools enable you to build meaningful, substantive
relationships and connections with the people who most need your services.
Network Naturally
Don't sit at home, hiding behind your computer and email. Get out there
and meet people one-on-one! This is especially important when you are first
starting your business. Group networking opportunities, like chamber mixers
and professional associations, are a start, but it's up to you to make
the extra effort to sit down with your contacts face-to-face. Tell them
what you're doing. Be enthusiastic about it. Then find out what they're
doing. Listen very carefully, and try to connect the dots: "Susan Ford
seems to know a lot about this industry. Can you introduce us? I'd love
to meet her."
One-on-one meetings naturally lead to more contacts, which ultimately lead to new business. I once met with a friend who told me about the results that her business had produced. I'd known about her work for a long time, but our personal connection made me finally see the value of her services. She left the meeting with three leads, all of which later became new clients.
Speak Out
As a professional service provider, you know a lot about what you do.
You've developed models, strategies, techniques, and approaches that others
would like to know about. There are plenty of professional groups and conferences
that are looking for speakers on your topic. Isn't it about time that you
put together a presentation, approached some of these groups, and gave
talks about your area of expertise?
I've never met a professional service business owner who couldn't take advantage of this promotional tool. And what better way to demonstrate your authenticity? There you are, in front of an interested group, enthusiastically sharing ideas that can help them. Nothing builds trust and credibility more than speaking. Public speaking has been the foundation of my own promotional strategy since day one, and I still talk to at least one group a month. Sound intimidating? It isn't. Read Robert Dickman's Guru Guide on effective public speaking, Stage Might, for more detailed advice.
Tell Your Story
The corollary to speaking out is to take that same information and
put it into an article, newsletter article, or e-zine. Start simply, by
writing an article that explains the core solution your business service
provides: "10 Strategies for Improving Retention in Hi-Tech Startups."
Remember the principles of clear, concise, and complete communication.
With a four-page article in hand, you have some leverage. Give it to the
people you meet with, use it as the outline for a talk, post it on your
website, send it out in an email newsletter. Ten years ago, I wrote my
first article on marketing and sent it out in a printed newsletter. Four
years later, I started an email newsletter with about 50 subscribers. Today
it goes out to almost 4,000 people monthly. For more information, read
Alexandria Brown's Guru Guide about creating email newsletters, Shameless
Self-Promotion, and Steven Van Yoder's Guide on publishing professional
articles, Get Slightly Famous.
Branch out with speaking and writing one step at a time. Soon you'll find that authentic marketing is not only fun, it really works. And it sure beats selling used cars!
Action Plan Marketing. 650-321-4449. robmid@actionplan.com
***********************************************
PROMOTIONS/ADVERTISING
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$50 a month, 25-50 words of text and a link to your website,
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Book Speakers:
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