Professional Speaking Expert

Speaking Assistants: Do You Need One?

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:01:15 +0000

To make money as a speaker, you need to make sure that you keep your expenses under control. A lot of speakers are psyched to hire an assistant. For many speakers, this is a very bad idea! You should ONLY hire an assistant when you can afford it.

That being said, when you CAN afford it, it may be the BEST decision you can make. You as a speaker should be spending your time trying to find speaking gigs, developing content and practicing your craft. After you have money coming in, any activity other than those three things should be done by someone else.

Remember, you don’t have to have a FULL time assistant. There are many virtual assistants who will be willing to work for you 10 or 20 hours a week. This is a good place to start. You can then start to figure out how much work you actually have for the assistant and how much money you can afford.

Many speakers make the decision to hire a speaker based on ego. This is a foolish way to make this decision. The real way to decide is to see whether or not it’s worth it.

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

Want to attend one of my Speaking Schools? This is my Improv based speaking school that will show you how to be a NATURAL speaker. You’ll also learn how to use humor effectively and properly structure your speeches.

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

Want to learn how to create more products as a speaker? Successful speakers often make more money selling their products than they do in speaking fees. Learn how to create and market your own products and make money without even having to speak!

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com

Speaking Giveaways at Your Speech

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:01:13 +0000

Lots of speakers have clever (and NOT so clever) things that they give away at their speeches. The major reason they do this is to be memorable. They hope that people will take the keepsake home and then share it with people at the office and talk about how great the speaker was at a recent meeting or convention.

This CAN be a good idea. I’ve seen some very GOOD examples of this and some very BAD examples as well.

First off, don’t break the bank on these items. They need not be expensive to be memorable and server their purpose. I remember one speaker who used a silver bullet as their giveaway. I’m not sure how much it cost them, but it was very memorable and served the purpose very well.

I’ve also seen some ridiculously STUPID things given out. I can’t remember any of them at this point, but they were so stupid as to be laughable.

If you’re considering one yourself, the way to determine where or not you should do one is based on two things: cost and relevance. If it’s cheap and doesn’t’ make sense. That’s no good. If it’s very relevant but costs you a dollar a piece, it will probably NOT make financial sense for you.

The more notoriety you get as a speaker, the more you will be able to pay for your giveaway. A speaker who gets paid $10,000 for a speech may be willing and able to spend 50¢ per item. Those who can only command $2,000 for a speech, need to may much less per item to make the numbers work.

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com

Speaking Stories: How to Craft Them

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:01:53 +0000

Great speakers tell great stories. For many speakers, they think this is ALL there is to speaking. That would be UNTRUE. Yet, you can’t underestimate the importance of storytelling for a speaker. It is critical to be being viewed and perceived as a good speaker.

What goes into a great story? There are a number of elements.

1. It has to come from the heart. I’ve seen speakers who tell other people’s stories. It just doesn’t work. The beginning of a good story is that it’s YOURS and you believe it 100%.

2. It has to appear to be unrehearsed. When you hear a speaker tell a story where it’s obvious he or she has told it 100 times before, it just doesn’t work. The key is to know the story cold, but make it sound fresh every time. This is why Broadway actors get paid the big bucks.

3. The wording must be carefully selected. When you practice a story, you’ll need to try out different words to see what works best. Don’t think you can figure this out in one afternoon. It will take time and the story will EVOLVE as you tell it to different groups.

4. It should be practiced. If this seems to conflict with point #2, in actuality it doesn’t. The more you practice a story, the more unrehearsed it can appear. That’s IF you have the right person coaching and critiquing you. Take a look at www.TheSpeakingSchool.com. You can learn exactly how to do things there.

5. Pauses and inflection make a story. As you rehearse the story, see what happens when you pause here. Go up in your voice there. These two items will make a great story.

6. An experienced speaker who understands good storytelling should critique you and give you feedback to make it as PERFECT as you can make it.

Do all of those and you’re on your way!

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com

Speaking Events You Need to Know About

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 04:01:50 +0000

Each year different events are held for speakers. Many of them are worthless. I don’t want you spending your hard earned money on things that aren’t worth your time or cash. The first event you must know about is my own. It’s called THE SPEAKING SCHOOL. Yes, it’s mine (with a partner), so I’m obviously biased. This event is based on improv comedy techniques which are essential to making a great speech.

I used to be a member of the National Speakers Association. I still have some good friends there. I would no longer be able to recommend them for most speakers. The problem is that there is a lot of hype that goes on at their events, but I’ve seen very few speakers make more money or get better in their speaking skills as a result of attending one of their events.

Once you get on the NSA list, you’ll have people hounding you to attend a lot of different events. Be careful. Be very careful. The majority of the offerings you will see will be a waste of your time. They might appear to the untrained
speaker to be worth it, but most, sadly, are not.

If you have any questions on what to attend, send me an email. I’ll be happy to give you and HONEST answer. Do NOT contact me if you want to hear what YOU want to hear. Contact me for an HONEST response!

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com

Speaking Travel Benefits: How to Maximize them

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 04:01:48 +0000

As a speaker, you’re going to have to spend a lot of time on the road. That being the case you need to do everything you can to maximize the benefits that you receive. I do 99% of all of my travel on American Airlines. I then also try and stay at hotels and use rental cars that will give me POINTS with American. Not doing this would be dumb.

In my contract, it says that I will be booked on an American flight unless it is more than 20% more expensive and that I will be rental cars from Avis and stay at a list of hotels that are American airline partners. Every meeting planner knows this game. Unless you are BIG star, you will not be flow first class. However, if they fly me coach, I can usually get upgraded for free on American.

You nee to pick an airline based on the city you live in. If you live in Atlanta, Delta should be your airline. If you’re in Charlotte, then USAIR will be your choice. Choose an airline that has the greatest presence in the city you are based in. When you have to fly another airline, try and make it one that is a partner of the MAIN one you use.

Also, make sure you know all of the partners for your airline. Maximize your points and you’ll NEVER have to PAY for a vacation again. It’s the SMART thing to do as a speaker.

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com

Speech Specific Products

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:01:06 +0000

A number of years back I spoke to a group of image consultants. After accepting the invitation to speak, I had good intentions to create some products specifically for their group. Having products that are specific to the group will make it easier for you to sell MORE products.

All my good intentions did not help me to create the products. I ended up sitting up late the night before the event realizing I had nothing specific to sell to this group. This was NOT a good idea on my part.

I got a brainstorm which I have now used repeatedly with excellent results. I decided to make two offers to the group. The higher priced offer was restricted to just 8 people. For the price I came up with I would do 90 minutes of one on one consulting regarding their marketing efforts. In exchange for a reduced fee on my marketing consultant, I was entitled to
record the call and sell it to the second group.

This second group was offered the audio recordings of my 90 minute consulting sessions with the 8 people mentioned above. Those who purchased this option realized that they had to wait to receive the recordings. I promised them they would be ready in 90 days. All of my coaching sessions would be done by that time.

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com

How Speakers Should Do Client Interviews

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:01:03 +0000

Whenever you are asked to speak, you should do some interviews with people who will be in your audience WHEN you speak. This will give you a chance to more fully understand how your audience members think and feel about things. When you get this information it will help you to put together a speech that is more targeted to them as a group. You will have INSIDE
knowledge. That will help you do the best speech possible.

I encourage you to ask to speak to a number of people, no more than 3 or 4 at different levels of the organization. This will give you some insight into the particular issues each group has. Be careful not to comment, but strictly ask
questions. I ended up having a big problem with a client when I shared my thoughts about what to DO in a particular situation when I had done the interviews. This is not your role. Stay out of it.

Interviewing these folks will give you a feel for what their challenges are and you want to make sure and make references to as many pertinent elements as you can when speaking. The client likes to think and feel that you are customizing your speech to them. And you should. It will help you get repeat bookings from this client.

Don’t take more than 20-30 minutes doing these interviews. You want to get a feel for your group without delving too deep and taking too much time.

Do it this way and you’ll be the STAR at the event!

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com

Speaking Expenses: How to Handle Them

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 04:01:01 +0000

Speaking around the county and around the world will put some “hurt” on your Amex or Visa card. You’ll end up spending a bunch of money on 4 primary things: Airfare, hotels, rental cars and meals. In order to make sure you don’t LOSE money, you need to keep good track of these expenses.

For me that means using ONE card exclusively for business. I use a card that sends me a summary at the end of the year so it makes it easy for my accountant to do my taxes and thus costs me less money. I suggest you do the same.

At every speaking gig you do, you will either be submitting the expenses to your client, OR paying for them yourself. I always PREFER to have my clients pay for the big expenses so I don’t have to act as their bankers and wait to get paid. In recent time, I’ve made it a mandatory item. Depending on how “in demand” you are as a speaker, you may or may NOT be able to do this.

If you can’t get the client to pay for the airfare, hotel and rental car with THEIR credit card, your next best option is to charge them a flat rate (in ADVANCE) for these items. I always liked doing this because I am really good at finding the best fares and I consider it a challenge. If I get the client to pay a flat $1000 on expenses for a speech, I can often CLEAR an additional $300 by booking smart.

Take my advice on expenses, you’ll be happy you did!

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com

Speakers and Powerpoint or Keynote

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:01:07 +0000

A lot of speakers are powerpoint-dependent. This is a “syndrome” that occurs when a speaker relies on their computer and either powerpoint or keynote software. I once saw a speaker who started to SWEAT profusely when their computer crashed. They had no back up and no hard copy to use on an overhead projector as back up.

I use presentation software infrequently. I would make sure it is not a crutch. Your presentation should be great even if you don’t use your presentation software.

Make sure that your speech or presentation CAN be done without a computer and software of any kind. Also, make sure you have back up for your presentation in the event that something happens. I’m not saying you shouldn’t USE software and a computer when you speak, but I do think that MOST speakers are overly dependent on these items.

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com

Speakers Microphones: What are Your Options

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:01:05 +0000

Most speakers don’t give too much thought to microphones. They simply allow the audio/video folks at the venue to mic them up and forget about it.

Bad idea.

There are now three primary options a speaker is presented with in this area. There is the hand held mic. This is the traditional microphone that everyone has been used to. It is a tube with a bulb on the top. It can either be corded or wireless. I have always preferred using one of these myself.

It allows you, as a speaker to create vocal inflection. You can move the mic closer or farther from your mouth to create a variety of dramatic effects. This is crucial to making your speech as interesting as possible. In my case, I like to use a microphone that is both hand held and wireless. I even travel with my own micas because I KNOW them and how they work. You may want to do the same in time.

Most speakers go with a lavalier mic. These are the ones that they attach to your lapel to shirt so you don’t have to hold anything while you’re speaking. For people who do a lot of work with visuals, they tend to like these better. Again, NOT me. I just don’t think the trade off is worth it. Yes, it’s a bit of a pain in the butt to be both holding a mic and working the visuals with some device, but to me, it’s worth it.

The last option is what you see a lot of singers using these days. It’s one of those headset devices. It goes around your head like a set of headphones but has a very small and thin microphone that stays positioned in one place in front of your mouth. Many people like these. Again, I don’t think they give you what I want most when I speak.

The ability to create that vocal variety by MOVING the mic. The handheld mic is the ONLY option that allows you to do this. Try it an see if it works for you.

Want to get some One-On-One help for your speaking Business? I’ll be happy to help you. Just click on the link below and we can be chatting by phone in less than 24 hours, if my schedule permits.

http://www.ConsultWithFred.com

http://www.TheSpeakingSchool.com

http://www.FredInfoBootcamp.com