Make Marketing Suck Less for Expertise-Driven Solo Businesses

I have that little ’80s ditty “I Wanna be Rich” from one-hit-wonder Calloway playing in my head, “I want money; lots and lots of money,” because today we’re talking about money—one of my all-time favorite topics. If you want to make money by being a speaker, you will have to talk about it sooner or later even though most people would rather have a root canal. Before getting caught off guard by the question, “What is your fee,” you need to learn how to set your speaking fee, when to consider speaking for free and how to avoid common scams.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why you must determine a fee in your mind, even though it is always negotiable, before someone asks you what your speaking fee is
• How you should negotiate your fee including the questions you should ask and the research you should do
• When to determine that it makes sense for you to speak for free
• Why you should never pay to speak

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.    The Unfair Speaking Advantage
2.    Rebel Speaker Facebook group
3.    Episode 13:Two Paths to Revenue in your Speaking Business
4.    Turn your Audience into Clients with a Client Attracting Speech (Selling from the Stage not Included)

Believe me. A speaker who has great delivery on stage can be mesmerizing (just ask me about my days in grad school judging debate tournaments). But if you rely on just your delivery as a speaker, you will fall flat on your face. Content and delivery are both important. If you want to get paid to speak, the first step is to develop a solid message to share with your audience.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why I believe content counts just as much as your delivery
• How content never has a bad day on stage if your presentation’s big idea, the central message of your speech, has the audience at its center and is very clear about the result that you’re going to get
• Why having a remarkable message is the key to getting people to pay to hear you speak

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.     The Unfair Speaking Advantage

Believe me. A speaker who has great delivery on stage can be mesmerizing (just ask me about my days in grad school judging debate tournaments). But if you rely on just your delivery as a speaker, you will fall flat on your face. Content and delivery are both important. If you want to get paid to speak, the first step is to develop a solid message to share with your audience.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why I believe content counts just as much as your delivery
• How content never has a bad day on stage if your presentation’s big idea, the central message of your speech, has the audience at its center and is very clear about the result that you’re going to get
• Why having a remarkable message is the key to getting people to pay to hear you speak

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.     The Unfair Speaking Advantage

Do you ever get déjà vu when listening to a presentation? When that happens, it’s because you’re listening to a me-too speaker who never heard the advice of Sally Hogshead when she says, “Stand out or don’t bother.” The speaker is only regurgitating thoughts shared by others previously without adding any original substance or spin. Being a me-too speaker is a public speaking pet peeve of mine. I implore you: Do not become a me-too speaker! Stand out from other speakers by sharing your original thoughts.

In today’s Rebel Speaker podcast, we explore:

• Why you lose your audience and opportunity for paid speaking gigs if you don’t add your own ideas to the conversation
• What we can learn from the improve how-to manual, and how adding “yes and” to the ideas of the great thinkers who came before you can set you apart
• While there are no entirely original thoughts, there are ways to create different connections and combinations from the information that has been shared before

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.    The Unfair Speaking Advantage
2.    Starfish Story

Do you ever get déjà vu when listening to a presentation? When that happens, it’s because you’re listening to a me-too speaker who never heard the advice of Sally Hogshead when she says, “Stand out or don’t bother.” The speaker is only regurgitating thoughts shared by others previously without adding any original substance or spin. Being a me-too speaker is a public speaking pet peeve of mine. I implore you: Do not become a me-too speaker! Stand out from other speakers by sharing your original thoughts.

In today’s Rebel Speaker podcast, we explore:

• Why you lose your audience and opportunity for paid speaking gigs if you don’t add your own ideas to the conversation
• What we can learn from the improve how-to manual, and how adding “yes and” to the ideas of the great thinkers who came before you can set you apart
• While there are no entirely original thoughts, there are ways to create different connections and combinations from the information that has been shared before

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.    The Unfair Speaking Advantage
2.    Starfish Story

Have you ever noticed how many people talk about the finale of a television series, but rarely give two hoots about the pilot episode? The Sopranos. Six Feet Under. Mad Men. People are still talking about these series finales even years after they aired. Just like on television, how you end your speech matters. Don't let the final thought of your speech by an afterthought.

Today is all about how to create a conclusion for your speech that your audience will remember. We discuss:

• How The Recency Theory from social psychology supports the rationale to craft the end of your speech with care.
• The key to turn your audience members into advocates of your message by finding the battle cry of your speech.
• How to tap your power to create a powerful last thought that is well-crafted and tweetable.

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.    The Unfair Speaking Advantage
2.    The Audience Journey

Have you ever noticed how many people talk about the finale of a television series, but rarely give two hoots about the pilot episode? The Sopranos. Six Feet Under. Mad Men. People are still talking about these series finales even years after they aired. Just like on television, how you end your speech matters. Don't let the final thought of your speech by an afterthought.

Today is all about how to create a conclusion for your speech that your audience will remember. We discuss:

• How The Recency Theory from social psychology supports the rationale to craft the end of your speech with care.
• The key to turn your audience members into advocates of your message by finding the battle cry of your speech.
• How to tap your power to create a powerful last thought that is well-crafted and tweetable.

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.    The Unfair Speaking Advantage
2.    The Audience Journey

Want to know how to make your audience hang on your every word? You must capture their attention immediately with a powerful introduction. And nope, telling them your name or what you did last night is not powerful. Thanks to the 30-second Head and Shoulders commercial from the 80s, I know you never get a second chance to make a first impression, but as a professional speech coach, I see far too many people blowing it. As Sally Hogshead states in her book, How the World Sees You, you only have 9 seconds (NINE SECONDS) to fascinate your audience. I beg you: Don’t waste ’em. 

Our episode today explores:

• The variety of ways speakers waste their precious few moments after walking on stage with meaningless conversation that doesn’t tie into their speech.
• The brain science that guarantees you audience will tune you out if you waste your intro.
• How to craft a powerful first line and a wow-worthy opening.

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.    The Unfair Speaking Advantage
2.    Speak for Impact Program
3.     Rebel Speaker Facebook group

Want to know how to make your audience hang on your every word? You must capture their attention immediately with a powerful introduction. And nope, telling them your name or what you did last night is not powerful. Thanks to the 30-second Head and Shoulders commercial from the 80s, I know you never get a second chance to make a first impression, but as a professional speech coach, I see far too many people blowing it. As Sally Hogshead states in her book, How the World Sees You, you only have 9 seconds (NINE SECONDS) to fascinate your audience. I beg you: Don’t waste ’em. 

Our episode today explores:

• The variety of ways speakers waste their precious few moments after walking on stage with meaningless conversation that doesn’t tie into their speech.
• The brain science that guarantees you audience will tune you out if you waste your intro.
• How to craft a powerful first line and a wow-worthy opening.

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.    The Unfair Speaking Advantage
2.    Speak for Impact Program
3.     Rebel Speaker Facebook group

Since coaches can help with your fitness goals, your golf swing and your kid’s baseball team, doesn’t it make sense to hire a speech coach to help you achieve the next level of speaking success? Yes, of course, but before you let your fingers Google “speech coach,” you need to get clarity on few things to know for sure if hiring a speech coach is the right thing for you and your business. The first step is to determine your ultimate speaking stage and then how you wish to make money from your speaking. Do you plan to attract new clients from your speaking or get paid to deliver a speech? Once you have a solid goal and a plan for how you will get a return on the investment of hiring a speech coach, the next step is find the right one for you.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The different versions of speech coach—content, delivery and speaker marketing coaches—and who should hire which one.
• How you determine who you will work including the questions you should be prepared to ask prospective coaches
• Why your success in working with the coach depends on your dedication and commitment to the systems the coach has set up

Mentioned in this Episode:

1.    The Unfair Speaking Advantage
2.    How to Get Paid to Speak by Writing a Remarkable Speech
3.    Michael Port, Steal the Show
4.    Lois Creamer
5.    Speak for Impact Program