Real Estate Thought Leaders

I got the chance to chat with Lacy at the BEATS conference and wanted to have a deeper conversation on what she’s seeing from running her speaker bureau, Elevated Events & Education.

Let’s start with a couple bits of insider info.

Lacy spends her days working with the Education Directors and committee members putting together events. Here’s what she’s picking up…

* Event organizers are being influenced or overruled by volunteer committee members with strong opinions on speakers and topics

* A speaker bureau’s most powerful move for its speakers isn’t pushing one speaker at a time…it’s being brought in to help plan the event

That’s where Lacy loves to get involved, structuring the flow of an event, plugging in her roster of speakers. She’s able to fill in a piece many speakers miss… ensuring their style, tone and content fits the timeslot. Making their speaking session more effective for both speaker and audience.

Now let’s get into the non-obvious insights…

Agents SAY They Want More Tactical Content…The Reality is More Complicated

“We’re in a big shift [where] the challenges are agents not having clarity of where they’re going with their business, how to move forward. How do they overcome the barrage of industry news that’s out there? So [the challenge is] getting agents to be really clear.” - Lacy Schuldt

I take this as a symptom of the uncertainty we all feel. Lacy gave some more context on the topics that Ed Directors ask her for:

* The role of the agent

* How to better articulate agents’ value to consumers

* Business development (sales and marketing)

“Some of the hot ticket items we’re hearing about still is AI, but I’ll tell you that there’s a shift away from that…Another big one is like they want tangible takeaways, no more fluff. What do [agents] do? What do they go home and implement? Those are the things that I’m asked for the most.”

Lacy pointed out that while agents always say they want tactical content, it often falls flat because…

Many Speakers Are Missing the Bigger Picture

“When [agents] have a scarcity mindset, they don’t know how to take those tactical things cause they’re going to take them like a fire hose and [think they’re] going to implement everything.”

Lacy pointed out that as an industry, we need to take mental health a lot more seriously. Here’s one way she’s addressing it in her work with event organizers:

“The first question I always ask is, ‘Tell me about your members and what they’re feeling right now’ ... People are going to remember a small amount of the information they’re told or they’re taught, but what they aren’t going to forget is how they felt.”

If your session isn’t ‘in tune’ with the emotional state of that group of agents, your session will fall flat. You might even tick them off. (Just look at the recent commencement speeches where any mention of AI drew rounds of ‘Boos’).

The same insight applies at a bigger level, to all the content you create…videos, podcasts, email newsletters, social posts, etc.

If you want better results from ALL the content you create, start by understanding how agents are feeling right now.

Want support to create your best content…consistently?

Check out our Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy. From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

Visit GetMicroFamous.com to learn more and schedule your Free Brainstorm Call.

The Speaker Slot That Gets the Least Attention Might Be the Most Important

“I talk about this with my speakers…that last 10 minutes, you have the opportunity to leave them in a very positive place. Give them a sense of hope because without hope we have nothing….People are going to remember a small amount of the information that they’re told or they’re taught, but what they aren’t going to forget is how they felt.”

This is well-established science called the Peak-End Rule.

We don’t judge experiences on the average or total sum of every moment. We remember how we felt at two points…

* the most intense moment (the Peak)

* The End

(check out Daniel Kahneman and Barbara Fredrickson’s work for more on this).

So the last speaker slot of an event rarely gets the attention it deserves, as does the actual closing minutes of the event. While you can’t control the closing minutes of the event, you can certainly control the closing minutes of your own session.

Leaving agents in a positive emotional state at the end of your session will massively impact your speaker ratings and feedback. Considering how many bookings come from word-of-mouth among event organizers, a tweak to your session endings might generate several new opportunities a year.

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Lacy also shared more nuts-and-bolts advice for:

* building relationships with event organizers

* how to better package your sessions to get more bookings

* what needs to be built before working with a speaker bureau

Ask This:

Are you giving agents a firehose of tactical content, trying to stuff as much ‘value’ as possible into your sessions or content?

I’ve done it myself, and I see others making the same mistake early in their thought leadership journey. The sooner you focus on emotional impact, the better.

You’ll start looking for stories, examples, exercises, games and themes. Elements that create emotional impact beyond the information you share. And that’s what the audience will remember.

Quick Links & Resources

Lacy’s speaker bureau - Elevated Events & Education

About Lacy

Lacy’s Speaker Roster

I had a blast chatting with Lacy at the BEATS event and in this conversation, her first podcast interview ever! She’s a great person to know in this industry, so reach out if you want a personal intro.

Talk soon,

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS Here’s how we can help…

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy - We turn raw video into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content.

Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active.

Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls.

So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.

There are tons of communities for lead gen and prospecting.

Geoff has carved out a completely different niche.

As both a lawyer and broker, he’s built RPro Academy around content that is…

* Hyper-specific

* Hyper-local

* Timely

And through that, the community has found its One Big Promise: We help you get from contract to close.

This is a perfect example of a ‘MicroFamous’ strategy, and I’m going to tie this into some odd examples from aviation and AI.

So let’s dive into the…

Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation:

Specialize in the Mundane

“I’m a specialist in the boring stuff. You know, the code of ethics, the fair housing, the compliance, that’s where I made my specialty because I love it. And I feel like we found ways to make it interesting and engaging for people to attend.” - Geoffrey Long

Not only has Geoff built a thriving community around the ‘boring stuff,’ he’s also limited the community to one state for now (Oklahoma).

Being hyper-local allows Geoff to be hyper-specific.

As a result, the community is completely unique, cutting through the noise, and spreading by word of mouth. It’s easy for agents and brokers to know if the community is for them, and it’s easy for members to recommend.

Geoff avoided one of the most common traps in thought leadership…Going too BIG and broad early on.

When you’re too big and broad, you can’t be hyper-specific.And your content sounds like everyone else’s.And you stay invisible.

Real Engagement Comes from Real NEED

“Part of the foundation of the community we created was [that] it’s actually fulfilling a need, not just a desire….When it can be framed in that way… it increases the value….It increases the engagement…” - Geoffrey Long

I’ve seen many community builders struggle to create engagement.

When a community is big and broad, members have a wide range of challenges.

It’s hard for anyone to post something that will be interesting to all its members. That shows up as poor engagement.

But in Geoff’s community, being hyper-local and hyper-specific creates its own engagement.

Challenges drive members to post. Posts get natural engagement because other members face the same challenges. It’s a flywheel of engagement.

When you get hyper-specific, it’s a lot easier to find the NEED…the unique challenges that bring a community together and create real engagement.

Find the Emotional Need Behind the Practical Need

“...most of the time it’s just confirmation, right? Like, I think I know the answer, but I would just like somebody else that I trust to confirm it for me. That’s like 90% of it…That gets so much comfort for people.” - Geoffrey Long

Geoff found that his members actually have two needs.

* remove obstacles between contract and closing

* get trusted confirmation and reassurance

In this ‘trust apocalypse’ we live in…where people struggle to trust their own decisions…

Confirmation and reassurance are rare.

And that makes them valuable.

The kind of value you can build a scalable community around.

Example: One of our agency clients hosts The Flight Department Show.

He might be the only expert in the world on compensation for business aviation departments (fleets of private planes for big companies and wealthy families).

One of the reasons pilots and mechanics buy his compensation reports is for confirmation and reassurance.

They want a trusted opinion on whether staying in business aviation is a good financial decision. They don’t want to look stupid to their spouse or partner. That’s the real emotional need.

Want support to create your best content…consistently?

Check out our Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy service.From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

Visit GetMicroFamous.com to learn more and schedule your Free Brainstorm Call.

You Can Create Massive Advantages by Doing What Your Competitors are Unwilling To Do

Last week OpenAI claimed their new AI model just solved an unsolvable math problem.

Mathematician Thomas Bloom had this to say…

“[the AI’s] success here echoes previous achievements: it often produces the most surprising results by persevering down paths a human may have dismissed as not worth their time to explore, combining superhuman levels of patience with familiarity with a vast array of technical machinery.”- Thomas Bloom

In other words, AI solves ‘unsolvable’ problems…Partly by doing what humans are unwilling to do.

There’s a version of that in the thought leadership space.

Last week Craig Grant shared how speakers tried outsourcing the hard work of their speaker proposals to AI.

But more than that, there’s also a desire to outsource the hard thinking and hard choices to AI.

Which creates big opportunities for those willing to do what others won’t.

In Geoff’s case, it was choosing to build around his strengths, even in the ‘boring stuff,’ and choosing to build one state first.

Those are hard choices. They take patience and long-term vision.

But RPro Academy is living proof that when you do the hard stuff behind the scenes…the results show up in easier sales.

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Ask This:

What are you willing to do that your competition isn’t?

A few weeks ago I shared some tactics to make your content more rare and valuable. Getting hyper-specific. Weaving in authentic stories. Developing and sharing proprietary data. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are many ways to win by doing what others are unwilling to do.

Quick Links & Resources

RPRO Academy

About the Academy and Geoff

I had a blast chatting with Geoff, both at the BEATS conference and recording this conversation. He’s very thoughtful and strategic, which carries over into the community he’s building. If you’re hosting a show and need a fantastic guest, reach out and I’m happy to make a personal intro!

Talk soon,

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS Here’s how we can help…

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy - We turn raw video into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content.

Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active.

Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls.

So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.

I caught up with Craig last week and we covered a wide range of takeaways:

* The one thing Craig would change about the event

* BEATS’ unique approach to taking care of speakers - a big contrast to the limits and restrictions of other events

* How the 3 keynote speakers surprised him over the course of the event

But for the newsletter, I want to zero in on…

3 Surprising Ways Speakers Disqualified Themselves

Craig wanted to make speaker selection as neutral as possible for the BEATS event.

So he and his team did two things…

* released an RFP (request for proposal)

* formed a committee to review speaker submissions (a group of association staff and speakers called the ‘Sound Board’)

Committee members reviewed 150+ speaker submissions, with many submissions being reviewed by multiple members (over 1,000 individual reviews).

The process uncovered some fantastic speakers. I’ve been featuring them on this platform for the last few months. But when all the data was in, they revealed some critical mistakes speakers made in their submissions.

AI-Written Submissions & Session Titles

Referring to feedback from the committee members, Craig said…

“Some of the feedback we got was ‘a lot of AI.’ And a lot of ‘written by AI.’ I’m hearing that more and more throughout the industry, we’re just seeing so much stuff that you didn’t write and it’s pretty obvious right away, or you’re not [an expert in] this topic, but you’re trying to squeeze it in there to be hot. I think a lot of that stuff…got weeded out pretty quickly.” - Craig Grant

In one of the speakers-only sessions, one committee member said that 7 speakers submitted the exact same session title. Another committee member pointed out that many titles were 8-12 words long, way too long for a good session title.

As I was listening in that session, I jotted this note to myself, “AI is being used without enough editing and human intervention.”

Not Reading the RFP

“Speakers…whine about not getting picked for events, and they don’t read an RFP. An example….Our event is very clear. It’s for association staff and speakers. But the amount of people that submitted their real estate classes to it? Yeah. Those got weeded out immediately. You didn’t read the RFP. You didn’t…pay attention to the audience.”

Not Following Directions

“We were really clear on our RFP. You have to submit (with your topic)...a video of you speaking. And that way the people on the Sound Board can at least see your skills. And the amount of people who either did not submit a video or gave us a Dropbox link. And we told them…it has to be a public link [where] somebody can click and watch. You know what I mean? …But again, the amount of people who just did not follow the directions and read that. They definitely got hurt because we told our Sound Board, ‘If [speakers] didn’t follow the instructions, ding them in their score.”

Now…I could end the newsletter with a lesson like…“Sometimes, there are no shortcuts. You just have to do the work.”

But that’s not the whole story.

You could just as easily use AI to…

* Coach you on writing - so you sharpen and condense your session titles and outlines without using AI-writing

* Review the RFP and list all key requirements

* Check your final submission to ensure every requirement is met

Using AI in this way would actually prevent mistakes that disqualify you from the stages you want.

Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing…what are some other reasons speakers don’t get booked at real estate events?

Steal This:

Hire a videographer for your next speaking gig. It’s more affordable than you think.

Many speakers who submitted for BEATS were eliminated for lack of video.

Even when you speak at big events, the staff videographer is focused on the event. When you hire someone, they have one job…getting the best possible footage of YOU.

Quick Links & Resources

BEATS Conference

BEATS Alliance

Craig’s website

Connect with Craig on Facebook or Instagram

Craig and his team really did a fantastic job with BEATS. If I hadn’t known it was just Year 2 of their team running the event, I would never have guessed. What I didn’t know was that Craig had his own speaking gigs the weekends before and after the event. So massive thanks are in order! I appreciate him taking time to come back and share some insider info.

All the best,

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS When you’re ready, here’s how my team can help…

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content.

Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active.

Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls.

So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.

If you’ve followed the launch of Natalie’s new show, Leadership That Shines, you might not know that the brand (and company behind it) was created 10 years ago.

During that time, here are just a few career highlights…

* Speaker, facilitator and coach

* Director of Community Growth at KW

* President of the Colorado Association of REALTORS® (2023)

* RISMedia Real Estate Newsmakers and SP 200 Watchlist (2023)

But Natalie could feel that something was missing. And a question came up…

Am I building something that will actually be relevant in 10 years?

A very powerful question, but that’s just scratching the surface, let’s dive into the…

Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation:

Choosing a Niche Feels….Dangerous

“As you’re identifying your niche, it’s also important to not turn it into a weapon against yourself. So weaponizing your niche against yourself, which is something that I did. When you find that niche and then you feel like you’re pigeonholed…and that’s not the case…” - Natalie Davis

That quote unlocked something I hadn’t been able to articulate in 10 years of working with coaches, speakers and authors.

Why does choosing a niche feel like a prison sentence? A cage you can never break out from?

Because that choice triggers our nervous system. We know we’re going to weaponize our niche against ourselves.

Deep down we believe that once we choose a niche, we’re stuck.

It’s going to feel restrictive at some point. Anything we try outside that niche puts our reputation at risk. If that niche doesn’t work, it’s not a test or an experiment…it’s a failure. With all the guilt and shame that comes with that label.

So our nervous system protects us from future guilt and shame….by avoiding the choice entirely.

Better to stay in the safety of generality.

But as Natalie points out…

You Are Never Limited to One Niche

“Just become the expert within that space and then look for the opportunities that open up as a result. Not letting the discovery of your niche feel like a pigeonhole because it’s not. There are more opportunities out there…but just get really good at something first.”

Let’s say you become a ‘household name’ in one niche…One kind of agent loves you and everything you put out…That doesn’t mean you’re invisible to all other agents.

Agents talk to each other. So do event organizers and show hosts. Breaking out of a niche happens organically, which is how it happened to Natalie…

“Almost two years ago, I started to see an increase in a need and the requests that I would actually receive from clients about challenges that they were seeing within their leaders. Up and coming leaders…losing potential leaders within the organization… And so realizing that I had a solution to the pain points…but I was just sitting on them and not really sharing them. That’s the thing that keeps you up at night…”

Want to launch a video show or podcast?

Check out our Done-for-You Production & Strategy service.

We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. Click here to learn more.

Create Content for Your Next step…Not Your Past

“I’m definitely in a space where I’m creating for the next step I’m taking…not for where I am today or where I’ve been the last decade. It’s making sure I’m building something that will actually be relevant in 10 years, right? That’s the biggest thing…Can I continue to do this for the next 10 years ahead?”

A great niche hits a sweet spot. Big enough to be profitable…small enough that you instantly stand out. And ideally, a niche you can serve happily for 10 years.

One of my favorite mentors spent almost a decade coaching business owners in a bunch of industries. Then he stumbled onto executive recruiting, and fell in love with the industry. He customized his coaching and his content to attract them.

He happily spent the next 3 decades of his career serving them. He became the default coach for the biggest recruiting network in the world. At one point he coached the #1 and #2 firm owners in the network …at the same time. Yet other types of coaching clients came in organically. He happily chose a niche, made no efforts to break out, and even he couldn’t contain the referrals and word-of-mouth.

Choosing a niche isn’t about restricting yourself.

It’s about making a few things crystal clear to the market…

* who you serve and why

* how you can help them

* who you don’t serve

The market is noisy. The more specialized you can be, the more specific you can be in your content. And the more easily you can cut through the noise.

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Natalie also shared…

* How being a deliberate late adopter isn’t a liability…it’s a positioning strategy that’s kept her from building a career on someone else’s trend

* How she measures impact and success…in a way that’s far more sustainable than chasing millions of views

* What an audience remembers…and it’s not your signature framework

* How publicly admitting what you won’t teach creates a credibility signal most speakers avoid

Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing, who’s putting out great content for agents? Who is dominating an interesting niche in real estate?

Steal This:

Natalie is testing both Substack and a LinkedIn newsletter. Early results show more feedback and engagement on LinkedIn.

And that’s with real estate agents not being known as super active on LinkedIn.

The simplest subscriber growth tactic Natalie found wasn’t a funnel or a paid ad…it was sharing her LinkedIn newsletter on Facebook.

Quick Links & Resources

LeadershipThatShines.com - Learn about Natalie’s story, speaking, coaching, etc.

Leadership That Shines - Apple Podcasts

Reignite Resilience - Apple Podcasts

Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn and Instagram

Thanks so much to Natalie for a fun, fast-paced conversation! I really enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm, and we covered a LOT in such a short time. If you’re running a podcast or video show and need a guest, I’m happy to make an introduction!

Talk soon,

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS When you’re ready to launch your own show, here’s how we can help…

Done-for-You Production & Strategy - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content.

Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active.

Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls.

So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.

Some of the biggest opportunities come from doing the opposite of everyone else in the industry.

In the world of real estate speakers, especially in the association space, Matthew Rathbun is a great example.

He stopped doing free gigs for exposure, stopped doing cold outreach to associations and event organizers, and went ‘all in’ on creating content for agents first.

Here are the results:

* Thriving YouTube channel with 5k subs

* Runs roughly 3-4 webinars and 4 in-person sessions per month

* Booked nearly a year in advance(He’s also speaking at the BEATS conference, April 19-22nd in OKC, which I’m attending).

That’s on top of his ‘day job’ as Executive VP of a multi-office brokerage with 200+ agents. He’s been named Instructor of the Year at multiple levels, and also consulted for associations and franchises on speaker selection and previously served as an education director.

Which means he has direct experience on both sides of the booking process.

So here are the…

Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation:

Event Organizers Want to See the ‘Real’ You

“Before I would ever recommend a speaker, I go look at their YouTube channel. If they don’t have one, it’s almost a ‘Eh, maybe not this person.’ I’ll go to Instagram. I want to see video of them sharing the real version of them, not the stage version that we all have.” - Matthew Rathbun

I’m betting as event organizers and education directors get younger, that shift becomes the default.

Long-form YouTube videos show your real personality…FAR more than a tightly edited speaker reel. So while capturing footage of you speaking on stage is important, for many event organizers, it’s no longer the first thing they check.

They also want to know if you can potentially help ‘put butts in seats.’ If you have a brand, a niche topic, an audience…you become part of the value proposition of the event. A reason for agents to register.

Does that mean you need a household name and millions of views? No. MicroFamous, from my book to my Done-for-You service, is based on the idea that…

It’s better to dominate a niche than be the 17th runner up in a bigger space.

Multiple speakers I’ve talked to have said the same thing. It’s way easier to get booked when you specialize in a niche topic.

Content Creates Attraction. Cold Outreach Rarely Does.

On connecting with event organizers, Matthew says,

“If it’s somebody who’s not paying attention to my type of content online already, introducing them as a cold call isn’t going to get the energy I need.”

Matthew is playing the attraction game. His YouTube channel, podcast and newsletter work together to create a warm audience. Agents already understand what he’s about, so there’s already a connection when he walks onstage.

Event organizers come to him, which puts him in a very different (and powerful) position.

“I posted a video basically saying, “Hey MLS’s, the reason we’re having these aggregator wars is because the MLS hasn’t innovated…Sure enough, an association director said, ‘Can we reshare this?’ I’m like, Hell yeah!”

When decision makers share your content organically, you attract speaking opportunities without direct outreach.

Ready to launch your own show, build real influence and dominate your niche?

Check out our Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy

We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. Click here to learn more at GetMicroFamous.com.

Many Speakers Have a Massive Blindspot…the ‘Connective Tissue’ Around Their Key Topic

“If you’re speaking about AI, that’s great. But if you don’t understand basic marketing concepts and basic business planning principles, the AI is just a fun toy you can play [with]. So it doesn’t make it more meaningful.”

Matthew shared an eye-popping story from a recent event. The speaker, who specialized in AI, got an audience question about fair housing and using AI to write ads.

The speaker’s response? ‘Don’t worry, the AI won’t let you create anything dangerous.’

Matthew knew from experience that was incorrect. AI doesn’t have reliable guardrails like that yet.

When Matthew vets speakers, he vets them not just for expertise in their primary topic, but for whether they understand what their topic connects to. An AI speaker who doesn’t know fair housing is a liability.

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Steal This:

Matthew gave a killer tip. When you get booked, say, ‘Hey, I’m going to build an extra class in here. The fee stays the same, but you’re going to have another instructor in case someone cancels.’

Schedule conflicts or last-minute issues with speakers can put event organizers in a jam. That extra ‘backup’ class positions you to be the hero.

Quick Links & Resources

Matthew’s website

Matthew on Instagram

Matthew’s YouTube channel

Matthew’s podcast Meet the Moment (Co-hosted with Kimberly Allard)

The conversation was a blast, turns out we both have homeschooling in common…always fun to stumble across random commonalities like that! Matthew was a fantastic interview guest so if you’d like to feature him and want a direct intro, hit Reply and I’m happy to make the connection!

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS Here’s how we can help…

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content.

Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-level quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active.

Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls.

So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.

When someone wants to refer you…What will they say about you?

Not in general…the exact words?

We’ve been conditioned to think that content has one path…

* We create content

* Audience consumes content

* People in the audience buy

But that ignores the network effects. The massive potential of word-of-mouth.

Especially because word-of-mouth can be engineered.

Sean Carpenter figured that out a long time ago. Which has served him well as he’s built a wildly successful career in speaking, training and a variety of leadership roles.

Sidenote - Sean is speaking at the BEATS Conference (where I’m attending, April 19-22nd). The event puts educators and trainers together with association staff and event organizers. If you’re looking for more speaking opportunities, I can’t imagine a better event to attend.

Sean is known for his mantra, Build Relationships, Solve Problems & Have Fun.

And he doubles down, intentionally raising his game in each area, giving agents and event organizers ‘something to talk about.’ So let’s dive into…

Sean Carpenter’s Blueprint to Engineering Word-of-Mouth

* Create Content to Get OTHERS to Tell Your Story For You

“If you have a good story to tell and other people tell it for you, you don’t have to spend your time, effort, money, telling your story. You can take care of the people who tell your story for you and get them to tell it more.” - Sean Carpenter

Sean puts this action in several ways. Weekly blog posts (1350+), actively looking for ways to create more memorable content, and customizing classes and live talks regularly to solve evolving problems.

“Some of the best advice I got early in my career was …for every class, you need two titles.”

Here are a couple examples:

* Prospect and Network Daily to Build Relationships

“I work my CRM every day…I have a whole section there for speaker clients. And then just literally looking at it from top to bottom and then flipping it upside down and saying, ‘This is the person I’ve talked to the longest ago. Last time.. was an email. So maybe I want to hand out a note, or call them, or drop into their social…hitting them through different channels.”

* Create Experiences Worth Talking About

“A client of mine in Northwest Arkansas…said, ‘We want you to come back.’ And I said, ‘I’d love to do it…IF you give me two conditions. One, I want to do it in a unique environment. And two… let me do a class I’ve never done before.’ And we did it at the county quail barn….amazing location. I wore camouflage when I spoke.“

Sean built a new class that tied in with a hit Luke Bryan song, showing agents how outdoor activities tied into their real estate careers.

* Be Easy to Work With

“Being easy to work with is a big piece of why people would hire you. Are you going to respond to their messages? Are you going to get the stuff they need on time? Outlines, videos to their audience. Are you going to show up early?”

* Develop the Skill of ‘Accordion-ing’ Presentations

Sean knows exactly how to cut presentations down if the prior speaker ran long, or expand his presentations to fill time when needed.

Being easy to work with is part of Sean’s story, and techniques like this help him deliver on that story. Not just by being nice or timely, but by being prepared enough to bail the event organizer out of a jam.

Steal This:

Craft the words you want people to use to refer you…in advance.

When you can get your ‘story’ down to 1-2 sentences…a story that’s clear and compelling to the right people…here’s what happens…

* People have an easy, memorable way to talk about you…so referrals come easier

* Current and past clients get positive feedback when they talk about you…so they feel great about their decision to work with you

* Word-of-mouth spreads in unpredictable ways…so opportunities come to you ‘out of the blue’

Then you can take a powerful step…

The key to engineering word of mouth….

Design everything in the business to deliver on that story.

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing…Who else is doing a great job creating word-of-mouth?

Quick Links & Resources

Carp’s Corner - Sean’s primary website and home of his Carp’ Corner blog

Sean’s About page - More background on Sean and ways to connect

Massive thanks to Sean for making time on his (very) busy schedule! The conversation was a blast, which should be no surprise to anyone who knows him. Keep Sean in mind as a guest for shows, podcasts, YouTube channels, and of course, speaking opportunities. He really does deliver on his story!

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS I designed every aspect of my agency to deliver a certain impression on clients. So we get referrals like this…

“Matt and his team made me MICROFAMOUS in my niche! And they make the process so easy, I basically just show up on video and talk!”

If that experience catches your attention, check out our…

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We turn raw footage into a flagship video show, podcast, email newsletter, short form video and social content. All with zero overwhelm…Guaranteed.

Dave and I connected because ChatGPT recommended my agency.

Does that mean I’m throwing time and resources into AI search optimization?

Absolutely not. As Dan Kennedy says, the greatest opportunities are in circumventing search. Getting in front of people who aren’t even searching yet.

But I had such a great chat with Dave that I invited him to share his experience here.

While building a successful team in Savannah, GA, Dave built a reputation for helping agents hit six-figure incomes, even in year one.

Now, for the first time, he’s beginning to work with coaching clients outside his team.

Along the way, he’s also had firsthand experience working with several real estate coaches himself. Giving him some non-obvious insights about what agents are really looking for in coaching today…

Great Coaching is Teaching Ruthless Focus

“I’ve never done everything my boss asked of me. I do the most important thing that I’m going to get promoted for… if you’re doing important stuff and doing it very well, they forget about all the fluff that they were going to have you do.” - David Saba

Dave got a real world lesson in the 80/20 Principle…in an unusual setting.

Landing cargo planes on aircraft carriers in the Navy.

He learned that in any role, a few things are so vitally important…that if you get those right…everything else becomes secondary.

So when hiring his own coach early on, Dave wasn’t drawn to coaches stressing activity over strategy. It didn’t match what he’d experienced in the military, where your performance had life and death consequences.

Agents are Looking for Strategy, Not Just Activity

“There’s a real trust problem in the coaching industry for real estate right now...I tried half a dozen coaches…Most of them just wanted to hold me accountable for…how many calls made this week …divide them up 30 different ways….do all these big spreadsheet reports…”

When Dave began working with coaches early in his real estate career, he went looking for strategy. Real insight into the most effective and efficient methods to build his real estate business.

Dave knew that all leads are not created equal.

So instead of simply increasing activity, he became interested in strategies to:

• Identify higher-value opportunities

• Generate better conversations

• Follow up more effectively

He took the same mentality that drove his success in the military and the corporate world, and applied it to his real estate business. The result is a successful team and a track record of agents hitting six-figure incomes.

Want to launch your own flagship video show, with zero hassle? Click here to learn about our Done-for-You Production & Strategy Service.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors. We turn conversations and raw footage into polished YouTube videos, podcasts, email newsletters, short videos and social posts. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

My Perspective: The Coaches Winning Right Now Are Creating THIS Kind of Content

Coming into real estate in the mid-2000s, I was looking for strategy, too.

In a pre-YouTube era, I got lucky and stumbled on a variant of Craig Proctor’s materials. That goes back to Dan Kennedy and direct response marketing, which is still having a huge impact on my life today.

From conversations with guests like John Schuchman, Dale Archdekin and Jess Lenouvel, I’d bet that the majority of agents coming into the business are looking for strategic insight over activity.

Especially strategies that are:

* tech-savvy

* low-cost

* high impact

* highly efficient

And they just might ‘coach-shop’ til they get it.

When I look at coaches who are winning today, they create content that promises strategic insight…and then delivers. And you need both.

Promising strategic insight helps your content stand out.

Delivering strategic insight builds trust.

Every strategic insight creates little moments where agents say to themselves: “Oh wow, I could see that working for ME!”

Every one of those moments creates trust.

The more of those moments you create, the more agents will pre-determine that you’re the right coach for them.

Ask This:

Where can you share more strategic insight in your content?

Where can you intentionally create more ‘I Can See This Working for ME!’ moments?

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’re seeing

Quick Links & Resources

Dave’s coaching website

Connect with Dave on LinkedIn

Dave’s real estate team website

Massive thanks to Dave for sharing! Make sure to connect with him, especially if you want a podcast guest. Dave can go deep on high-impact, low-cost strategies, like how he ditched traditional farming and used community events to dominate specific neighborhoods. Always happy to make a personal intro!

Talk soon,

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS Here’s how we can help…

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content.

Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active.

Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls.

So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.

Professional speaking is a grind. Either you love it or you don’t.

If you’ve done more than a couple events in a month, you’ll know what I mean.

So it makes sense that most of my friends and clients want to speak 5-10 times a year, at the right events. Maybe a bit more.

Enough to boost your business and enjoy yourself. Not so much that you’re on first name basis with the Delta luggage-check attendant.

So I reached out to Brandon Doyle again, because he’s worn all the different hats…

Speaker, author, trainer, consultant, association leader at multiple levels…

And we tied a couple things together.

Don’t chase more speaking gigs.

Chase more of the right speaking gigs + better retention on a recurring membership.

Retention is the difference between:

* Membership that compounds over time - Compounding your income and forming a strong foundation for a thought leadership business.

* Membership that loses members as fast as they come in - Resulting in a time-sink that never hits the membership numbers to be profitable and sustainable.

So let’s get to Brandon’s insights…

Relationships = Retention

If you want to get in front of associations, for example, don’t just download an email list and start sending cold emails…

“If you have a relationship with someone at that state, that’s going to help a lot. So [maybe] you have friends in the area… ask them, ‘Do you know people on the committee? Can you introduce me to a staff member there?’

Staff members are just [getting] spam emails from everyone [who are] literally just going right down a list. And so having that warm introduction is going to move the needle much further.” - Brandon Doyle

And Brandon takes it a step further, actively building relationships with speakers who come through his area.

“If you know a good speaker is coming to town, oftentimes they’re just lonely and sitting in their hotel room. So if you messaged them and you’d say, ‘Hey! I understand you’re going to be speaking tomorrow. I don’t know what time your flight gets in, but if you need a ride or a dinner recommendation or heck, if you even want to grab dinner, I’d love to get some time with you.’

I found that works really well. The speaking world is much less glamorous than most people think… It’s a nice change up when someone offers to take you somewhere that’s local, a nice experience and good one-on-one time.”

Look at attracting more speaking gigs as a game of retention.

Pro speakers know…Many speaking opportunities come from referrals from other speakers. And repeat opportunities come from good relationships with event organizers.

It’s always easier to keep a good relationship than build a new one from scratch.

Ready to launch your flagship show & become famously influential? Check out our Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy service.

We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts, email newsletters and social content. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

Now here are the two best tactics Brandon has found for boosting agent retention:

Market Your Membership… to Your Current Members

“If you can get them to stay for 6 months, you did a great job of convincing them that this is a good tool or this is going to be a benefit to them. And so you had a really good upfront sale.

The problem is that after the fact the [agent] just never logged in. They think that it’s easy. They just should just get [results] without actually putting in the effort.

And so, you have to really stay in front of [agents] and you’re constantly reselling them, essentially, that this is something [they] need to use.”

In a world where online courses have a completion rate of 12-15%...(per Harvard Business Review and other sources)

and some studies claim that around 50% never even log in…

getting members to stay for 6 months is great. Boosting that to 9-12 months might be the key to a membership that grows and becomes the new foundation of your income.

It’s worth setting up systems to add new content and resources, promote that new content to members, offer virtual events, special workshops, ‘office hours’ and other ways to offer members exclusive access to you.

Build a Member Community…with Real Engagement

“And then having an ongoing thing there, anyone that has a nice community where the members are the ones…pushing others for engagement. I think that’s going to be the best route.”

It takes skill to create a community-space that’s inviting, attractive, and engaging.

It takes genuine curiosity about members’ opinions, feelings and experiences. And the willingness to NOT be the center of attention in your own community.

When you have a real community component to your membership, it gives you tons of material to market to your members:

* Sharing member success stories

* Highlighting active conversations

* Promoting emerging leaders in the community

For more on community, check out Tristan Ahumada’s episode.

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Or Hit Reply and tell me what you’ve seen memberships do well to boost retention.

Ask This:

What are you doing to retain the key relationships in your network?

People who could refer you speaking gigs, people in your membership, past coaching clients, etc.

Do you have any systems in place to make sure the right people hear from you, in a real and genuine way?

Quick Links & Resources

Brandon’s website

Brandon’s books

Brandon’s YouTube channel - for smart home tech and home tours

Connect with Brandon on Facebook and Instagram

Massive thanks to Brandon for coming back and digging in deeper. Connect with Brandon on social, and keep him in mind for speaking gigs or consulting for tech companies. If I can make a personal intro, just hit Reply and ask!

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS Here’s how we can help…

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content.

Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active.

Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls.

So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.

Rod Santomassimo has built the #1 coaching firm in commercial real estate.

400 active clients. 40 staff coaches.

High dollar live, in-person events that get 30% of the room signing up for coaching.

Generating millions in coaching contracts.

So Rod thinks, Why not go big and global with a virtual event?

This is the story of the virtual event that made 6 figures…but triggered that “never again” response…and the strategies he’s returned to.

Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation:

Conversion Rate is Everything

“So I said, we can actually go bigger. Rent the Vegas studio Tony Robbins rents, invest $200,000, spend six months of my life, make it global, translate in every language, have eight speakers for one day, all sitting in front of a screen.

It didn’t suck, it was a nice event. But it wasn’t anything near the experience of sitting there live…like a prospect sitting next to one of my clients, [with] a client saying, ‘You gotta do this!’

So the translation to conversion was so much less. And the effort was so much more.” - Rod Santomassimo

When you host or speak at in-person events, you have two factors in your favor:

* Group dynamics - If you can get the audience emotionally moving in one direction, you can turn “mob mentality” into sales

* Social proof - When the audience is full of coaching clients sitting next to prospects, that’s unbeatable social proof

But those dynamics aren’t the same on virtual events, and that difference goes directly to the bottom line.

To Make Virtual Events Work, Cut the Complexity

“Did we make money [on the virtual event]? Yes. Between the gate and the conversion [to new coaching contracts], we probably made $300k. And I spent six months of my life doing this. My hourly rate is a lot higher than that. So it just wasn’t worth it to me.”

It’s the complexity that killed it. The venue, the language translation, the sheer scale.

Taking Rod out of activities that would have been far more profitable.

So that’s what he’s going back to.Physical in-person events, first.

That’s been his most effective and most consistent form of sales and marketing.

He’s also thinking about a series of scaled-down virtual events.

“We might do another live virtual event, but nothing near the scale. And I could do it from a studio up the street for $10k versus $200k.”

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.

Steal This:

Rather than just trying to get on other’s stages, podcasts or shows…think about what kind of virtual event you could offer.

Don’t go huge. Think hyper-targeted.How can you solve ONE problem for a small group of prospects.

While you’re at it, think about who would be a natural co-host and co-sponsor of that event.Someone with an audience or email list of potential prospects. A strategic partnership might unlock a whole new avenue of growth.

Quick Links & Resources

Massimo Group website

Rod’s story

Rod’s books

The Massimo Show on Apple Podcasts

Residential and commercial sides don’t talk to each other much, even in the coaching space. I’m so glad Rod’s team reached out because the conversation was a blast. Rod’s energy and enthusiasm jumped off the screen, and he was absolutely open and transparent. Reach out and connect with him, and if you need a great podcast guest, let me know. Happy to make an introduction!

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

Want to go deeper?

Check out the bonus insights below, or if you prefer to listen to the full conversation, click on the audio file for the full chat, or search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Bonus Insight: You Only Need ONE Book to Hit

“So [the approach of ]that first book was ‘Go out and just interview.’ This is the easiest way to write a book. Go out and interview the top producers, tell their stories, and thread in your theme through the fabric of the book.

That book became a bestseller for the commercial brokerage space. Within three years, I was the #1 coach everyone knew about because of the book.”

I’m also a big fan of interview-based books because they’re a perfect companion to hosting a show, YouTube channel or podcast. The show and book run in parallel, complimenting and reinforcing each other. Thanks to AI tools, if you’re already running a show, turning that content into a book is easier than ever (when AI tools are used very diligently and carefully).

Bonus Insight: Higher Fees→Better Results

“[The book] gave me a level of authority, and a command of higher fees, even more importantly, right? Because higher fees, more commitment. More commitment, better results.”

This is a challenge I see with coaches who have a heart for beginners and strugglers…and go straight to group coaching offers so they can be “affordable.”

When coaching is TOO affordable, it’s too easy to disregard. You get half-hearted commitment, and the clients get half-hearted results.

The right book can change all that.So can hosting the right show, in my opinion. I’ve seen it and lived it.

When you put high quality content into the world, you create a cycle of…

* authority status

* commanding higher fees

* clients who commit and execute

* results they can’t stop talking about

* testimonials and success stories that get prospects to buy

That’s a cycle you’ll want to stay in for your entire coaching career.

PS If you’re a coach, speaker or author here’s how our agency can help…

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content.

Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active.

Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls.

So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.

Community-driven events are very different from big name brokerage or coaching events.

They value different things.Choose topics differently.Find speakers differently.

Karen is on both sides, as a speaker and running her annual conference, Empowering Women in Real Estate. Here are a few of the…

Non-Obvious Insights from our Conversation:

Look for Communities Where You Fit the Vibe and Conversation Already Taking Place

Here’s Karen on her process for searching for speakers…

“It just starts on social media. Honestly, I just start connecting. I already know a lot of people. So it’s either people that jumped out at me from social media for whatever reason that I’ve connected to through other people. Maybe it’s conversations I’ve had in my team or just the flow of conversation I see happening in our Facebook group, then I’ll target a speaker or a panel around that.”

If you want to speak at this kind of event, your best bet is to already be in the community, contributing and being visible. But if not, you’ll have to show the event organizer that you understand and resonate with the community.

For the event organizer, one of the worst outcomes is a speaker that gets the audience thinking, “Why did they put THIS speaker on stage??”

Get Involved & Build Relationships WELL in Advance

“Plans start early, honestly…following the event, I have to take time off… so once I come back about a week later is usually when we start putting things together. Right now it’s 9-10 months out from our 2026 event…. And we’re looking at venues. I’ve already booked two speakers.”

The planning for next year’s event starts the week after this year’s event. That’s how far out event organizers are thinking and planning. If you’re pitching 3-4 months before an event, the entire speaking lineup might already be locked down.

Reverse Engineer the Emotional Effect You Want to Have on the Audience

“We do a debrief generally within 24-48 hours following the event so we can talk about what went well, who did we love, who did the room respond well to, what do we never want to do again?

We also send out a survey to our attendees…the questions are really catered to the different speakers. A great example is one of our speakers…last year was so well-received, literally every single survey mentioned her. And we actually had her back to speak at a virtual event this week. So that’s how we do it.”

Repeat and referral speaking gigs are a game of optimizing how the audience feels, throughout (and especially) at the end of your talk.

Instead of planning your talk from beginning to end, try reversing that. First think about your topic, and what emotion you want to make the audience feel. Then go backwards through the stories, examples, ideas or concepts that will stir up that emotion. You’ll end up at the start, but it will probably be a very different talk.

People will forget 99% of what you say. But if you make them feel something, they’ll remember you.

Want to go deeper? Click on the audio file for the full chat, where Karen shared more on her mission with Empowering Women in Real Estate. You can also search Real Estate Thought Leaders on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Or Hit Reply and share any insight or opinion you have on the booking process for community-driven events

Ask This:

If you were left to your own devices, giving a standard talk, what emotional effect do you have on the audience?

Are they…inspired…overwhelmed by options…determined, hopeful, cheerful?

The emotional effect needed to overcome inertia and motivate prospects to buy from you probably isn’t the same effect you want to have on an audience at an event. Especially if you’re looking to create more speaking opportunities.

Quick Links & Resources

Empowering Women in Real Estate conferenceEmpowering Women in Real Estate podcastKaren’s book Empowering Women in Real Estate - a collection of short storiesFacebook Group that started it allKaren on Instagram

Thanks so much to Karen for taking us behind the scenes of a very unique event! Connect with her on Instagram, or get involved in the Facebook Group (if you fit the vibe and conversation). If you’re looking for a guest for your podcast or YouTube channel, she’s fantastic as well, let me know if you want a personal intro!

Talk soon,

-Matt

Agency Founder & Author of MicroFamous

PS Here’s how we can help…

Done-for-You Content Production & Strategy - We turn raw footage into professional YouTube videos, podcasts and email newsletters. All with zero overwhelm, guaranteed.

From Michael Maher and Lars Hedenborg to Jeff Cohn and Marki Lemons Ryhal, we’ve been the content team behind many of your fellow real estate coaches, speakers and authors.

We start every client engagement by developing your ‘Signature Talk’ - So you have a message you’re excited to take to stages, guest interviews and all your content.

Then we launch your flagship video show - supported by audio podcast and email newsletter, delivered with pro-quality and relentless consistency. We promote with short video clips and social posts on any platform where you’re active.

Each month we give you research-based video title and topic ideas, scripts, outlines, even slides. Plus all the support you need to stay consistent, from email updates to strategy calls.

So if you’re not putting out the quality of content…consistently…to become the thought leader you’re meant to be, let’s talk. Click here to learn more and schedule a Free Brainstorm Call.