Get Your Message Heard

I've received hundreds of questions over the years from people who were looking to create a business similar to mine (using their own expertise, of course).

In today's episode, veteran radio broadcaster Bill Sammons joins me for a special Q&A episode of the Get Your Message Heard podcast.

Bill is a good friend and an expert interviewer, so he keeps us on track as we share answers to questions I've received from our podcast listeners.

Among the questions discussed in this episode are:

•    How do I know that my expertise is valuable and something others need?
•    What steps do I need to take to get started in the expert business?
•    Can I really build an expertise-based business as an introvert?
•    How do I find ideal clients? 

In each episode of the Get Your Message Heard podcast, I answer a question from a listener or blog reader. If you have a question, please send it to [email protected].

I will respond on a future episode and send you a copy of my book, Public Speaker Secrets.

Grow Your 6-Figure Business With The Vision Speaker Mastermind

If you are looking to grow your 6-figure speaking business, you need to know about the Vision Speaker Mastermind.

As entrepreneurs, we tend to work in isolation too much. One of the most underutilized secrets to growing your business is getting the advice and insight of others. 

We oftentimes find ourselves feeling unsure about the next step to take. 

But what if you had a group of people you could share your doubts, fears, hopes, and dreams with?

That is exactly what the Vision Speaker Mastermind program will do for your business.

Go to michaelhudson.com/vsmastermind to learn more. Spots are filling up quickly, so don't wait. It could be the next step you need to take to achieve your goals in 2017.

Your mindset, your message, and your method—all three must be in order for you to move away from pro-bono gigs to full-fee speaking engagements.

Whether you are just starting your speaking business or have been established for many years, you will undoubtedly be approached to give a no-fee presentation. Sometimes this is worth considering if (and only if) it serves both you and the client.

But don't be afraid to walk away if the engagement doesn't serve both the client and you. Keep in mind...you are not selling time. You are selling expertise and transformation. It took you months or years to craft and rehearse your audience-focused message.  

You deliver unique value, and you should be appropriately compensated for your expertise. The most important story you have to share is the one that lives inside of you...the one only you can share.

In today's episode, you'll learn about 3 points to help you turn free gigs into paid speaking engagements.  

Question Of The Week

This week's question comes from Tom Schwab from Interview Valet.

Many people struggle with valuing what they have to say. How do you get over this?

Listen to the podcast and learn about what I see as the path to recognizing your value and the power of what you know and can share with your audiences.

A reminder to Get Your Message Heard listeners: If you have a question, please send it to [email protected]. I will respond on a future episode and send you a copy of my book, Public Speaker Secrets.

Grow Your 6-Figure Business With The Vision Speaker Mastermind

If you are looking to grow your 6-figure speaking business, you need to know about the Vision Speaker Mastermind.

As entrepreneurs, we tend to work in isolation too much. One of the most underutilized secrets to growing your business is getting the advice and insight of others.

We oftentimes find ourselves feeling unsure about the next step to take.

But what if you had a group of people you could share your doubts, fears, hopes, and dreams with?

That is exactly what the Vision Speaker Mastermind program will do for your business.  

Go to michaelhudson.com/vsmastermind to learn more. Spots are filling up quickly, so don't wait. It could be the next step you need to take to achieve your goals in 2017.

It is always less expensive to generate repeat business than it is to find prospects and land new business.

That's why we should make cultivating positive relationships with the customers we have a top priority.

The path to repeat business begins with understanding the customer's pain and keeping your attention on relieving that pain through your services. When you show clients the way to success and help them overcome their pain, you'll be rewarded again and again.

Keep in mind...your success will come from making the customer a winner. So, find a way to give them a quick win that makes them look good.

In today's episode, you'll learn about 5 reasons people don't re-hire and how you can reverse this growth-stifling trend.

Question Of The Week

This week's two-part question comes from Dean Showalter from AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com.

Could you tell me about the first time you got paid to speak, and what would you do differently if you were in that situation again?

We all make "rookie" mistakes. Listen to the podcast and learn what I would have done differently when I started in the speaking business.

A reminder to Get Your Message Heard listeners: If you have a question, please send it to [email protected]. I will respond on a future episode and send you a copy of my book, Public Speaker Secrets.

Grow Your 6-Figure Business With The Vision Speaker Mastermind

If you are looking to grow your 6-figure speaking business, you need to know about the Vision Speaker Mastermind.  

As entrepreneurs, we tend to work in isolation too much. One of the most underutilized secrets to growing your business is getting the advice and insight of others.

We oftentimes find ourselves feeling unsure about the next step to take.

The opportunities you walk away from because they don't fit are going to be the ones that pay off as much, if not more for you, than the ones you accept. Trust me.

If you take every speaking engagement that comes your way, you might fill your bank account and improve your cash flow in the short term. But all you've really done is set yourself up for failure, or for a one-shot deal. It is no way to grow a sustainable 6-figure business.

You know by now I'm not a big fan of one-shot engagements. In fact, it'd be great if we could ban the word "gig" from the expert business...forever. You don't want gigs. You want to have a chance to go back after you've done a good job.

 In today's episode, you'll learn 6 ways to land the best opportunities by disqualifying yourself during the sales process.

 Question Of The Week

 This week's question comes from Jeff Meister from LifeUntucked.com.

I would welcome any speaking opportunity that presents itself, but I don't see myself speaking anytime soon. What would you recommend I do now to prepare myself for what may come down the road? My days are full with building my current business, so I can't really afford to add more training or practice. Knowing that these opportunities are often unexpected, I don't want to be caught flat-footed.

Listen to the podcast and learn what I think Jeff can do to prepare for future speaking engagements.

HINT: The answer has something to do with creating a "Sell Your Message" talk.

A reminder to Get Your Message Heard listeners: If you have a question, please send it to [email protected]. I will respond on a future episode and send you a copy of my book, Public Speaker Secrets.

Grow Your 6-Figure Business With The Vision Speaker Mastermind

 If you are looking to grow your 6-figure speaking business, you need to know about the Vision Speaker Mastermind.

 As entrepreneurs, we tend to work in isolation too much. One of the most underutilized secrets to growing your business is getting the advice and insight of others. 

We oftentimes find ourselves feeling unsure about the next step to take.

But what if you had a group of people you could share your doubts, fears, hopes, and dreams with?

That is exactly what the Vision Speaker Mastermind program will do for your business.

Go to michaelhudson.com/vsmastermind to learn more. Spots are filling up quickly, so don't wait. It could be the next step you need to take to achieve your goals in 2017.

What's the #1 mistake people make when it comes to referrals? 

They assume referrals will come because they show up and do what they said they would do.

Of course, it is important to deliver on your promises. But this alone is simply not enough to generate the constant stream of referrals you need to grow and sustain your business at the 6-figure level … and to get off the revenue roller coaster.

In today's episode, you'll learn 3 reasons you are not getting referrals and 7 ways to generate referrals while you sleep.

Question Of The Week

This week's question comes from Paul Johnson, host of the The God Zone Show.

What would be the best ways to use audience engagement features, such as show of hands, stand up, rhetorical questions, and Q&A segments?

Listen to the podcast and learn how I think Paul better engage his audience.

A reminder to Get Your Message Heard listeners: If you have a question, please send it to [email protected]. I will respond on a future episode and send you a copy of my book, Public Speaker Secrets.

Grow Your 6-Figure Business With The Vision Speaker Mastermind

If you are looking to grow your 6-figure speaking business, you need to know about the Vision Speaker Mastermind.

As entrepreneurs, we tend to work in isolation too much. One of the most underutilized secrets to growing your business is getting the advice and insight of others.

We oftentimes find ourselves feeling unsure about the next step to take.

But what if you had a group of people you could share your doubts, fears, hopes, and dreams with?

That is exactly what the Vision Speaker Mastermind program will do for your business.

Go to michaelhudson.com/vsmastermind to learn more. Spots are filling up quickly, so don't wait. It could be the next step you need to take to achieve your goals in 2017.

We live in a world of social proof, don't we? As you work to build your 6-figure speaking business, testimonials are a persuasive social-proof tool you can use to land new clients. Decision-makers want hard evidence that you can create the impact you say you can.

Testimonials can affirm their decision and lets them know they're not taking too big of a risk by having you deliver your presentation to their audience. That's why testimonials matter. However, there are there are a lot of myths about testimonials floating around out there.

In today's episode, you will learn the top 6 myths about testimonials. And I'll share with you the reality that dispels each myth.

You will also learn my recommended approach to securing testimonials that help you grow your business and expand your impact.

Hint: the "secret sauce" is found in the Ultimate Client Testimonial Form, created by my colleague Mike Kim.

You can download this effective tool at mikekim.com/014. Mike has masterfully written the questions, so you get exactly the kinds of things you want and need to create killer testimonials.

Question Of The Week

This week's question comes from Val Kleppen of Anchor Virtual Assistant Network.

How do I clearly target and market to my ideal clients without simultaneously excluding my fringe market of potential customers?

Listen to the podcast and learn how I think Val can succeed in her marketing efforts.

A reminder to Get Your Message Heard listeners: If you have a question, please send it to [email protected]. I will respond on a future episode and send you a copy of my book, Public Speaker Secrets.

Grow Your 6-Figure Business With The Vision Speaker Mastermind

If you are looking to grow your 6-figure speaking business, you need to know about the Vision Speaker Mastermind.

As entrepreneurs, we tend to work in isolation too much. One of the most underutilized secrets to growing your business is getting the advice and insight of others.

We oftentimes find ourselves feeling unsure about the next step to take.

But what if you had a group of people you could share your doubts, fears, hopes, and dreams with?

That is exactly what the Vision Speaker Mastermind program will do for your business. 

Go to michaelhudson.com/vsmastermind to learn more. Spots are filling up quickly, so don't wait. It could be the next step you need to take to achieve your goals in 2017.

A successful presentation requires you to devote much more time to preparing your presentation than you will spend in delivering it.

Even experienced speakers must prepare for a presentation; this includes rehearsal. Inadequate rehearsal is a "deadly presentation sin."

But what if you don't have a lot of time? Or perhaps you wish you could shave hours off your prep time and still have greater impact with your speech?

In this week's episode, you'll learn how to avoid six time-sucking traps that many speakers fall prey to.

 You'll also learn my 3D Presentations Framework. It will show you how to:

• Design the outcome
• Develop the path
• Deliver the message

When you follow this results-oriented path, you serve the audience well and grow your business exponentially.

Download the 3D Presentations Framework by visiting 3DPresentationsFramework.com today.

Question Of The Week

This week's question comes from Brian McRae, senior vice president of Central Bank and leader of Mastermind St. Louis.

How do you pull product ideas out of your head and put them in a format for your audience to purchase?

Listen to the podcast and learn how I think Brian should approach this question.

A reminder to Get Your Message Heard listeners: If you have a question, please send it to [email protected]. I will respond on a future episode and send you a copy of my book, Public Speaker Secrets.

Grow Your 6-Figure Business With The Vision Speaker Mastermind

If you are looking to grow your 6-figure speaking business, you need to know about the Vision Speaker Mastermind.

As entrepreneurs, we tend to work in isolation too much. One of the most underutilized secrets to growing your business is getting the advice and insight of others. 

We oftentimes find ourselves feeling unsure about the next step to take. 

But what if you had a group of people you could share your doubts, fears, hopes, and dreams with?

That is exactly what the Vision Speaker Mastermind program will do for your business. This new program will be launching soon.

Go to michaelhudson.com/vsmastermind and sign up to be the first to know. It could be the next step you need to take to achieve your goals in 2017.

Be you, everyone else is taken. When you embrace that simple concept of authenticity, you'll see your results soar. Being authentic is perhaps the most important aspect of delivering a great presentation. I've certainly seen it work during the course of 8,000 presentations over the past 35 years. The ones that work are the ones that are "me."

Authenticity matters because:

• We live in a world of openness and free sharing. Audiences expect to see the real you.
• When you step to the front of the room, you are the center of attention. But people are watching you when you're offstage, too. 
• Bad things happen when we are not being authentic.

Want to know three bad things that happen when you aren't authentic?

Click the player above to listen or, better yet, subscribe to the Get Your Message Heard podcast in iTunes or your favorite podcast app.

1. DECIDE who you are going to be and commit to be that person every day, every time, in every situation without fail, even when it is hard.
2. DEFINE what that means to you. How do you live your brand promise and deliver that experience to those you serve.
3. DESIGN your business around your expertise/experience. Map your experiences and mine the lessons, then seek audiences that need them.
4. DEVELOP your skills to be the best you possible. Learn what works for you and what doesn't. Experiment, get feedback, and adjust.
5. DELIVER the messages that only you can deliver. Craft your content based on you and your authentic journey. Be vulnerable and real to reach your audience.

Take 5 minutes today to reach out to someone who helped you somewhere along the line and say thanks! You can call, email, send a handwritten note, or even give them a shout-out on social media.

This week's question comes from podcast listener Amy Robles who asks:

I know speakers get more gigs as their reputation grows. So, how does someone just starting out get that very important first speaking gig?

Listen to the podcast to hear three great ideas for Amy...and one bonus tip.

A reminder to Get Your Message Heard listeners: If you have a question, please send it to [email protected]. I will respond on a future episode and send you a copy of my book, Public Speaker Secrets.

If you are looking to grow your 6-figure speaking business, you need to know about the Vision Speaker Mastermind.

As entrepreneurs, we tend to work in isolation too much. One of the most underutilized secrets to growing your business is getting the advice and insight of others.

We oftentimes find ourselves feeling unsure about the next step to take.

But what if you had a group of people you could share your doubts, fears, hopes, and dreams with?

That is exactly what the Vision Speaker Mastermind program will do for your business. This new program will be launching soon.

Go to michaelhudson.com/vsmastermind and sign up to be the first to know. It could be the next step you need to take to achieve your goals in 2017.

It is just reality. Everyone has struggled, at some point, to get their message heard.  

In today's episode, we explore 5 critics that exist for the sole purpose of crippling your success:

1. The Doubting Voice
2. The Vocal Critic
3. The Unfortunate Circumstance
4. The Bad Performance
5. The Abuse Survivor

Fair warning...this is not easy stuff to deal with. It may bring powerful emotions to the surface. But it is important to face the critics to move past them on your journey to success.

Click the player above to listen or, better yet, subscribe to the Get Your Message Heard podcast in iTunes or your favorite podcast app.

Resources From This EpisodeJason GothBrian Paul Buckley, The Energy Edge Podcast

Question Of The WeekThis week's question comes from Lisa, who recently attended one of my programs. She wants to build a business based on her expertise and asks:

Where do I find people I can learn from in building my expert business?

Listen to the podcast to hear three great ideas for Lisa...and one not so great idea.

Announcing the Vision Speaker MastermindAs entrepreneurs, we tend to work in isolation too much. One of the most underutilized secrets to growing your business is getting the advice and insight of others.

We oftentimes find ourselves feeling unsure about the next step to take.

But what if you had a group of people you could share your doubts, fears, hopes, and dreams with?

That is exactly what the Vision Speaker Mastermind program will do for your business. This new program will be launching soon.

Go to michaelhudson.com/vsmastermind and be the first to know!

If you're tired of chasing "gigs" like you're an ambulance-chasing lawyer, then today's podcast is for you.

We explore 3 things you can do to move from "next-gig chaser" to a real business-builder.

Being a great speaker isn't your entire value proposition. No matter how effective you are in front of a room, you must look higher to the transformations you're helping your audience create … which can lead to exponential business growth.

To save you hours of research, I'll share with you three things that helped me get off the revenue roller coaster and grow your 6-figure business:

1. Knowing when to say yes and when to walk away.
2. Revealing value in measureable ways.
3. Creating business from the stage without selling.

But before you build a great house, you must lay a strong foundation. You can do this by:

1. Being clear because focus drives success.
2. Developing your skills to master delivery.
3. Creating your core content.
4. Committing to delivering results.

Click the player above to listen or, better yet, subscribe to the Get Your Message Heard podcast in iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Let me know what you think about these ideas. Drop me an email at [email protected].

Jeff Brown, Read to Lead PodcastAmy RoblesMike Kim, Brand You PodcastJamie Jay, Stop Riding the Pine PodcastNational Speakers AssociationMichael Bungay Stanier, author of Do More Great Work

This week's question comes from many people, not just one individual. It is the question on every speaker's mind, all the time: How do I get more speaking gigs? My response will shock you, so listen to the podcast to hear the answer.

The mastermind concept leverages an idea taught by Napoleon Hill: bringing together a group of people to put focused energy on helping each other grow their businesses. I've been a part of several masterminds over the past 25 years. I've benefited from the power of the mastermind and seen how they have helped others. That's why I'm launching the Vision Speaker Mastermind. If you can create the vision of what you're trying to achieve and describe it in detail, you can achieve it. The Vision Speaker Mastermind will launch in the next 30 days. Go to michaelhudson.com/vsmastermind and be the first to know!