From Podcaster to Pro Speaker at PodcampToronto 2011

Tomorrow, Saturday Feb. 26, I’ll share tips with Toronto’s leading multi-media, audio podcasters, vloggers, web show hosts and online content creators at podcamptoronto 2011. If you are in town, it’s a great event and I highly recommend it. Chris Brogan was one of the original founders of the event, and it is a true un-conference and a great learning fest for all concerned. Plus, I hear pub night is awesome. Registration is free, and you will find the networking is world class.

Today, I’m putting the finishing touches on the notes that I’ll share at Podcamp. To be honest, the notes are as much for me as they are for the audience. Since this is a special event, I will use the slides as ‘triggers’ or ‘prompts’ so I can figure out what I need to say or ‘riff’ on a topice until the next point or slide.

It also helps me to have the slides so I know what I’ve already covered and won’t miss key points or information that I’d really like to share. What I want to use the slides for is to avoid repeating myself, droning on about something that people don’t or won’t want to hear about, or have a public peri-menopausal ‘duh’ moment.

The slides will also help me remember stories that I think will help folks know what it’s like to get front of an audience, the kind of things they can expect, how to create good relationships with meeting or event planners, or ideas about topics or things they can do to start or kick-start their own speaking careers.

None of my ‘stories’ are ‘rehearsed.’ So if you heard me talk, I’d welcome your comments to tell me if they ‘flowed’ well into and out of the rest of the content.

If you want any more information or insights, or have suggestions for topics, please let me know.

Hopefully my talk will go as I hope it will, and everyone there will learn more about the world of professional speaking. If more people can become actively involved in charity, cause, event, educational, public and professional speaking with new, fresh, solid, thoughtful ideas, then all of us benefit in the long run.

And if folks can leave with more useful info than before they first walked into auditorium, and they enjoyed the time I’m ‘on,’ then that just makes my day.

Hosting an Online Virtual Event

If you are looking to build your business and reputation, you may want to consider hosting an online virtual event.

This past February I hosted the Marketer’s Mojo Virtual Conference with 22 amazing speakers over five days.

It was a great way to build relationships with other speakers, to bring high value to my market and to gain new experience with event hosting without the risk involved in running a conference offline.

Paying attention to all the details to running an online event can be tricky. There is a lot of work involved and a lot of planning to do. So with that in mind I wanted to share with you some of the things I learned through hosting my own event. Here is my advice to you if you plan on hosting an online virtual event:

Don’t expect speakers to promote for you – I will admit at first I didn’t realize it was a faux-pas to ask speakers to promote the event. Speakers are bringing their talents and skills to the call so it’s up to the organizer to bring the people.

Get the speakers their call in info early and make sure they received it! I had one speaker end up being late because she couldn’t find the call in info and I thought she had it. Not good

Thank you speakers! Make sure you let the speakers know you appreciate their participation.

Don’t change up the game. Of course this is in reference to today’s post. Don’t change up what your speaker agreed to be part of without asking them if it is ok to do something different with their material.

Know how to pronounce your guests name. Yep this might be basic but when you have a guest just check, because sometimes a name just doesn’t get pronounced the way it’s spelt.

Be prepared with your guest’s bio. Make sure you read your guests bio before you get on the call and know it well enough that you don’t stumble over your words.

Thank your listeners.

So I’ve learned a few things along the way and I hope my post can help you avoid some little pitfalls you may run into while running your own virtual event.

Online Marketing Research For Speakers Using Keywords

by Angela Wills

Audio Version of Article

If you have a website, or even read any information on creating a website, you’ve most likely heard that you should use keywords on your site. Keywords are so much more than just words. Let me give you my definition:

- Keywords or keyword terms are specific terms or phrases that people use in the search engines to find what they are looking for online.

Most of the time people are looking for information. So they type in the keywords relating to what it is they want to find.

What does this mean to you?

It means keywords are a goldmine of information telling you exactly what people want when they are coming to the search engines. It means it’s just silly for you to pick out two or three keywords, slap them on your website and call it a day.
Read more

How to Use Social Networking For Business

Using Traditional, Internet and Social Networking for Business

by Angela Wills

Ready to improve your speaker business networking skills?

Networking is the lifeblood of any speaking business. You have to get out there, network and get known so when the time is right and the opportunity arises, you are the speaker they think of.

In any service-based business networking is an absolutely essential business practice. Many people won’t hire you simply by finding your website, they want to hear from someone they know and trust that you are a great speaker!

Just remember that networking is NOT about pushing your business on other people. You need to give and add value wherever you go. Think of it like this – give until it hurts, be different when possible, be interesting whenever you can and be find-able when people DO want to hire you. Don’t shove your business in their face but don’t make it hard to find you when they’re ready.

Here are some ways to network that I’ve personally found very effective:

Offline:
Conferences & Seminars- Of course the traditional networking through conferences and seminars is still very effect. The belly to belly connection of looking someone in the eyes just can’t be beat. When you can get to conferences and seminars don’t miss the opportunity to connect with people, collect their business cards and FOLLOW UP.

Family & Friends – We can’t forget our family and friends. They care about our success and want us to succeed (most of the time) so make sure your family understands what you do or at least knows a great tagline for you. For example – My aunt inspires people to greater business success as a motivational speaker.

Online:
Membership Site Forums – When someone is willing to pay to be part of a membership site then it really shows they are serious about their business. I’ve found it to be very effective to network on the forums that these membership sites offer. Remember, though, that networking is about giving just as much (or more) then you get so don’t expect to go in and get tons of business straight away.

Blogs – We already know that people who post comments on our blogs are already interested in what we have to say. Why not send them a personalized reply saying thank you for the comment? This may open up a conversation with them or it might just lay the foundation for later.

Online Networking - There are many sites out there that host webinars specifically for networking. These are great places to go to get to know other business owners. One I know of and attend fairly regularly is the Business and Learning Tuesday night networking. When you visit these type of rooms put your first and last name so that you will be recognized.

Social Networking - Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and many many more. These are Social Networks. Using social networks to build your business has been the source of many debates. Some say it’s a waste of time, some say it’s a serious marketing tool. How do you know if it works for you? Test it. Don’t spend tons of time and resources on social networking until you see if it’s a great fit for your target market and your business. If you’re not getting the results (ie. great business contacts) then it may not be the networking method for you.

Of course there are other ways to network online as well, you just need to be creative and always make sure you are bringing value to the table. The important thing is that you’re getting yourself and your business recognized and building a solid reputation.

Want to network? Meet me over at Twitter or Mom Masterminds – two places I spent a lot of time networking.

Trade Your Talents For a Free Cruise

~ By Daniel Hall It’s true!  You can trade your talents for free (or substantially discounted) luxury cruises. Cruise line management is very interested in keeping their passengers happy at all times.  This goal is a bit more challenging on days when the ship’s at sea.  To address this issue the cruise lines offer all manner of onboard activity.  Many of these activities are staffed by outside people who typically cruise free or at discounted fees paid to booking agencies.  One key advantage is the time commitment, which is generally minimal for those who are contracted (usually an hour per day on days when the ship’s at sea).

Also, most
outside contractors get to bring along a traveling companion who also cruises free.

You may consider whether you could trade your talents for free cruises.  To assist in your self-assessment here is a list of positions typically staffed by outside people:

Enrichment Lecturer:  Many cruise lines have formal enrichment programs that offer edutainment type programs in a variety of topics.  A majority of these programs use destination-driven lectures although many lines will also consider general interest topics.

Arts and Crafts Instructors: Craft classes are an onboard staple at sea.  Projects range from so called “high art” like watercolor classes to simple macramé projects.  Typically, the more popular classes are those that are also destination related, i.e. handicraft or folk art of one of the countries on the itinerary.

Dance Instructors: These classes too are often related to the destinations being visited, i.e., Line dances (Texas); Meringue (Dominican Republic); Salsa (Puerto Rico), Samba (Brazil), Tarantella (Italy) etc..  Obviously you must have happy feet and know your business, but there is much fun to be had.

Bridge Players: If you enjoy playing bridge and have a “knack” for it, you can spend a couple hours a day in the game room playing in exchange for your cruise.  Many times a requirement here is that your traveling companion must be ready, willing and able to sit in on a game should a pair need to be completed in order to play.

Gentleman Host: Single? Chatty? Happy feet? Impeccable manners? Gentleman will be expected to
appropriately entertain unescorted ladies on the cruise.   Dancing and polite company are the stock
in trade for this onboard position.

Computer Instructors: Many cruise lines are very interested in contracting with folks who can deliver a series of onboard computer classes.

The list does not end here.  Many cruise lines will consider any kind of tasteful and interesting activity.  In any event, trading your talents for free cruises is worth investigating further.

Daniel Hall, has cruised the world as an onboard speaker and is teaching others to do the same through his new program Speak on Cruise Ships: Eight Easy Steps to a Lifetime of Free Luxury Cruises

Get started cruising free at Speakers Cruise Free.

Speaker Branding Secrets and Ideas

Creating a new brand doesn’t have to be overly complicated or happen in a conference room full of people. Here are some secrets for creating a catching brand that people can really relate to.
4 Secrets to Building an Engaging Brand Experience

By Kristie Tamsevicius

When you think of creating a new brand, it’s easy to think about advertising managers sitting around a conference room tossing around ideas with caffeine fueled creativity. However, often times, the most powerful branding comes from adding a little “fun” to your brand experience.

Driven by the Burger King mentality, today’s customers want to do business their way on their time. They want to make their own choices. As business people, it’s our job to make sure then when customers are ready to make their choice, our product or service is their top choice.

Below are five secrets to put some spark and imagination into your brand and create an unforgettable brand experience.

Secret #1: Tell Your Company’s Unique Brand Story

Television shows have long been a part of our culture. When viewers watch television shows, they see stories about characters that we relate to. Remember the Brady Bunch theme song? It tells the story of a lovely lady… well, you know how it goes.

Now imagine harnessing the power of storytelling for your business! By sharing your brand story, you create a powerful connection to your customers. They feel as though they know you. This brand story paints a colorful vignette of who you are, what vision you hold, and what experiences made you the company you are today. While your brand story might not be as catchy as the Brady Bunch tune, raving fans love to share stories of their favorite brands with others.

PartyLite is a direct sales company that has done a phenomenal job of weaving their brand story into their marketing message. Listen to the story of how this company got started.

“Mabel K. Baker, a young housewife, provided holiday candles for her friends. She hand-dipped candles from the wax of bayberry plants, which were plentiful on Cape Cod. From these humble beginnings, Colonial Candle of Cape Cod was established. In 1973, PartyLite was established to satisfy the desire people have for home beautification, along with the ever-increasing need for additional family income.”

Now can’t you just imagine Mabel sitting outside and turning her gaze over to the bayberry plants in her backyard! Surely a light bulb went off in her head as she picked berries off the bush and harvested the wax to make gift candles for her dearest friends. A story like this makes you feel like when you get a PartyLite candle, that you are getting more than a factory made product. Rather, you are getting a lovely crafted handmade candle. Great story and great marketing!

What’s your brand story? Do you have a wonderful story to tell about how your business was started? Was there a turning point in your company that shaped you into the organization you are today?

Secret #2: Make Your Brand a Household Name by Coining the Term

Why define your brand experience in terms we already use? Kleenex, Xerox, and Fed X are companies whose brand names have set the standards for their industry by becoming the coined terms to describe a tissue, making a copy, and overnight deliveries.

So how do you go about making your brand a household name?

Marla Cilley, aka “The FLY Lady” is an organizing super hero for moms across the county. She has turned her passion for tidiness into a nationally known brand.

How did she do it? By adding an ounce of fun with her own unique terms and philosophies. For example, The FLY Lady stands for Finally Loving Yourself.

Fans of the FLY Lady know that she lives by three rules.

1) Don’t sweat the small stuff
2) Laugh everyday. Even if it is at yourself.
3) Love like there is no tomorrow.

If you visit her website at FlyLady.net, you’ll notice that her brand is even reflected in some of the names of the navigation links: Why FLY, FLYing Lessons, FLY Zone, Time FLYs when, FLY FAQ, FLY Library, Join FlyLady Now, Ask FlyLady, and The FlyShop.

Secret #3: Add Your Unique Brand of Humor

Humor has the power to transform an ordinary product into a fun experience for the whole audience. Recently I saw a commercial for Red Stripe “The Great Jamaican Beer” that delivers an unforgettable quirky message.

The Jamaican spokesperson is dressed in a black tuxedo and says, “Red Stripe – the beer in the short stubby ugly bottle. If ugly people stand next to a Red Stripe they look beautiful.”

He speaks to a man who is sitting next to him, “You sir, would you say that you are ugly?
(Pause) You are VERY ugly!”

The man who is sitting down replies a little confused, “Well I don’t know…”

The spokesperson hands him a beer and says, “Here hold this Red Stripe.”

The man says, “Okay.”

The spokesperson says, “Look, you are beautiful!” (Obviously implying that just by holding this beer this formerly “ugly” man is transformed into being beautiful.)

Spokesperson says enthusiastically, “Red Stripe, it’s beer. Hooraaaayy Beer!”

The man cheers, “Hooray Beer.”

The spokesperson adds at the end, “…says the beautiful man.”

The point is, that although you may have never heard of Red Stripe beer before, this funny commercial really sticks in your mind. Even though we are not beer drinkers, this commercial is surely creating living room conversations in homes across the country.

That’s how a funny campaign can instantly turn a new or unknown product into a national phenomenon.

You should check out this very funny commercial online at their website here:

http://us.redstripebeer.com/media

Secret #4: Create your own Catch Phrases and Own Quotes

If you type the words “inspirational quotes” into Google, you will see that there are 1,130,000 listings. Quotes are hot! So why not tap into the power of quotes and catch phrases for your business?

Go back in your mind to the “Where’s the Beef” commercials from Wendy’s. That was a fun series of engaging commercials that had the whole country asking themselves, “Where’s the Beef?”.

And think about Donald Trump’s “Your Fired!” I’m sure that he had no idea that his show, “The Apprentice” would take off the way it did and become the “in thing.”

When you create a hot catch phrase or quote, you’ll find your words popping up on websites, in blogs, talked about in elevators, written on bathroom walls, and in the most unexpected placed.

Take a moment to step back and really look at your company’s brand. With a little imagination, you can transform buying your product or service into a fun, one-of-a-kind brand experience that your customers will never forget.

If you’ve found these ten tips on branding useful, then make sure to put them to good use.

Tips on Marketing Your Seminar

Tips to Launch Seminar Promotion

By Jenny Hamby, the Seminar Marketing Pro™
Certified Guerrilla Marketer and Direct-Response Copywriter

One of the deadliest marketing mistakes you can make when trying to successfully promote your own seminars and workshop is launching your promotional schedule too late. Many new seminar promoters wait until four to six weeks before their events to start promotions (sometimes even less) … and then can’t understand why their registration numbers are low.

The simple fact is that most prospective seminar attendees need time to clear their schedules and make up their minds about whether to attend your event.

Perhaps they want to do some research about you, to check your credentials and verify the claims that you make. Maybe they need to get permission from their approving manager. They might even just need to take some time to think about whether your seminar or workshop is going to be worth the investment of their time and money. Although a handful of prospects will decide within minutes of hearing about your event that they want to attend – even if it’s just a few days away – most people will need time.

Here are three rules of thumb to follow when determining the timing of your promotions:

• The longer the event, the further in advance you want to market. Attendees need more lead time to clear their schedules for a 3-day boot camp than for a 2-hour evening seminar.
• Allow more marketing time for paid events than for free events. It’s easier to say “yesî to something that’s free. Ask people to fork over their money, and they’ll need time to “think about it, to ensure they have the funds, to get the powers-that-be to approve their attendance, etc.
• The closer the relationship you have with your prospective attendees, the less time you may need to market to them. If you have an inner circle group or clients that work with you closely, sometimes all you need to do is tell them “Here’s an event – show up please – and they’ll respond. If you’re marketing to people who don’t know you as well, you need more time and “touches’ to get them to trust you enough to attend.

This seminar promotions article by:

Jenny Hamby is a Certified Guerrilla Marketer and direct-response copywriter who helps speakers, coaches and consultants fill seminar seats and make more money from their own seminars and workshops. Her on- and offline direct marketing campaigns have netted response rates as high as 84 percent … on budgets as small as $125. For seven of her most powerful seminar marketing

Writing a Good Sales Letter

Writing a Good Sales Letter

Writing a good sales letter isn’t just a matter of throwing up your page in a couple of days. Take time to research and follow this list of seven steps and you’ll have copy that’s written like the professionals.

Copywriting Checklist: The 7 Critical Steps You Must Take Before Writing a Single Word of Copy!

by Lorrie Morgan Ferrero

Okay, you know you have your product (or service) in front of you. Now it’s time to get the word out with an attention-grabbing sales letter. But where do you begin? Whether you hire someone to write your copy, pass it off to a staff member or learn to write it yourself, you need this checklist.

What Steps to Take Before Writing Your Sales Letter

One of the biggest misconceptions new clients have when they come to me is I can whip out a sales letter in a few days. Wrong, wrong and wrong. A lot of preparation goes into writing copy. I spend on average 50% – 70% of my time PREPARING to write copy. If you don’t do your homework, the chances go up exponentially that your copy will fall flat on its face. Use this simple checklist to get you prepared for writing your own sales copy.

¨ Use the product or service yourself. I wouldn’t dream of writing copy about something I had never experienced. (If it’s your product, you may want to let someone else test it, then interview her about her experience). It’s one of the fastest ways to get a complete understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.

¨ Research your target market thoroughly. If you know anything about the way I help others write their own copy, you know about the “tarket” concept. Basically it goes like this. Segment your market down by age, income, marital status, etc. Then write out a detailed description of ONE PERSON in your target market – your “tarket”. When you write, speak only to that person.

¨ Spy on the competitors. Make yourself a customer to your competition. Then study how they handle marketing and customer service from A to Z. Sign up for their ezines, study their websites, collect their direct marketing campaigns. Learn to think like they do. Soon the differences between your company and theirs begin to reveal themselves. Your unique selling position pops its head out!

¨ Anticipate objections by writing out the FAQs ahead of time. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think like she does. What questions come up for her that would stop her from buying? Expect those frequently asked questions to come up and address them in your copy.

¨ Identify the features and benefits. We already know people buy more on emotion than logic. So have a list of what your product or service does (features) and how each feature makes your customer’s life better (benefits). The more you can stimulate an emotional response in your client with benefits, the deeper the connection goes.

¨ Collect compelling stories from the client. Nothing pulls us in psychologically more than a good story. Humans are a storytelling society. It’s in our genes. So give them what. Get the reader entrance by your copy with a hard hitting short story. Then connect it back to what you’re selling.

¨ Gather testimonials from happy customers. How often do you read a testimonial about how badly this product stunk? Not very often. Testimonials are designed to increase credibility. To put a face on people who have had success with your product. How it made them richer, happier, thinner. Let them speak for you. Your trust quotient goes way up!

If you follow each of these steps thoroughly BEFORE you sit down in front of a blank screen, you have all the elements you need for a successful sales letter. I know. I know. Putting the pieces to the puzzle together can be easier said than done. But no matter what your skill level is at today for writing copy, we all start from these same basic steps.

This article on writing a good sales letter is brought to you by:

Article by: World class copywriter, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero is the author of the highly acclaimed home study course, Red Hot Copy to Woo Your Target Market and founder of Copy Campus, a unique online copywriting school. Lorrie is also a direct descendent of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Learn more about her products and services at http://www.red-hot-copy.com/.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on sales letters and copywriting.

Other related Copywriting articles can be found here:

Copywriting

Tips for Doing Radio Interviews

Tips For Doing Radio Interviews

Doing radio interviews are a great way to get publicity if you are prepared. Here are ten great tips on doing radio interviews.

10 Tips for Doing Radio Interviews

By Kristie Tamsevicius

Are you an author looking for ways to promote your book? Radio publicity can get the word out to thousands of potential buyers. But doing a good interview can take some practice. Here are some tips to help you be a wow radio guest during your next interview!

1. Give the announcer a review copy of your book before the interview. If the announcer is familiar with your e-Book, he can refer to specific areas of the book during the interview. If your e-Book is lengthy, then point out specific chapters you would like for him to read. If the announcer really enjoys your e-Book, ask him for an endorsement you can use on your web site.

2. Get to know the interview style and personality of the radio host. Listen to previously recorded interviews by that announcer to get a feel for his style and the types of questions he will ask you. This will also give you a feel for their show as a whole.

3. Know your announcer. To personalize the interview, try to call the announcer by name. So you don’t forget, write the announcer’s name and radio program name and call letters on an index card. In the heat of the interview, nothing could be worse than having your mind go blank!

4. Warm up. Take time to talk to the announcer ahead of time. Start with the easy stuff. Warm up, by telling the host about yourself, your background, and your current projects. By knowing more about you, the announcer can ask more in depth questions that showcase your knowledge and abilities.

5. Relax, smile, and be yourself! Don’t try to put on some “cool-hip author facade”. Be honest and sincere. If you have the jitters, you might want to consider doing a practice interview with your friend or spouse. You might feel silly role-playing at first, but you’ll be surprised at how helpful it is. Standing up, walking around, and gesturing during a phone radio interview can add to the liveliness of your connection with the interviewer and audience. You may even want to do the interview in front of a mirror. Look to make sure you are smiling. The smile will come through in your voice.

6. Focus. Call from a quiet, comfortable place where you can focus. If you have children, take them to a babysitter. Call from a high quality telephone to improve the quality of the radio recording. A cordless phone or headset can cause static. Having a rich clear tone to your voice will paint a better visual image of you in the listener’s mind.

7. Be prepared. Get a set of the questions ahead of time. Write out your key points out on index cards and tape them to your desk. If the host asks you about something and your mind goes blank, you can refer to your notes without shuffling to find them. Keep your answers short and to the point. Longwinded answers will bore your audience. People LOVE stories. So try to tell stories related to your book – that will draw the audience into your conversation. Remember, if the radio host asks a question that you don’t want to answer or don’t know the answer to, then answer the question that they should have asked.

8. Tell them your story. Stories capture the emotions of the audience, are easy to relate to, and are very persuasive. Tell the story of what inspired you to write your book, how your book has helped people, what you did before you wrote your book, and how writing the book has brought you success.

9. Mention the title of your book and contact information. Never say, “In my book…” Always call your book by name. For instance, “In I Love My Life, there are ten keys to ….” Mention your name, the title of your book, your web site URL, and your newsletter during the interview. Ideal time to mention this is at the beginning and end of the interview.

10. Showcase your knowledge: It’s your time to shine! If you have specific questions for the announcer to ask, give them to him ahead of time. Try to stress the uniqueness of your book. The real power of a radio interview is that you can position yourself as an authority on your area of expertise. If he asks key questions on the subjects you know best, you’ll come off sounding like a star! Likewise, if there are questions you don’t want to talk about, let the announcer know that too.

If you have a radio interview coming up use these tips and you’ll be ready for great publicity.

Other related Publicity Articles:

How To Get Publicity

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