Technically Speaking

Perhaps the biggest goal among professional speakers is to build a referral engine. When this happens, past and existing clients consistently refer new leads to you, making the booking process like shooting fish in a barrel.

Unfortunately, many speakers aren't yet in this position. You may not be there yourself, and that's totally fine!

To help you get there, we're joined by author, speaker, coach, and owner of the Speaker Lab Grant Baldwin.

As a speaker, Grant has mastered the referral engine and earned over $2 million from 500+ paid engagements worldwide. He's also delivered everything from closed-door workshops to keynotes in front of 13,000+ people.

But, to hear him tell it, "I'm just a normal dude. I don't have a crazy backstory or celebrity following. I just had a message to share and a dream to make it happen."

In this episode, he's here to break down how you can get there, too, from building long-lasting client relationships to generating spin-off revenue from speaking gigs to iterating on your sales processes.

Regardless of how big your thought leadership business is right now, this is one you don't want to miss!

Show Notes:

✅ Learn more about Grant and how you can get paid to speak with the help of The Speaker Lab: https://thespeakerlab.com/

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/

For many thought leaders, the transition to owning their own business doesn't happen overnight. It's a slower process where working as an expert is more like freelancing, at least until that work can support a full-time salary.

So how do you speed this process up? How do you make the jump from part-time to full-time thought leadership?

Answering this is marketing expert, business coach, agency owner, and speaker Alex Schlinsky.

Also known as the "Iron Man of Marketing," Alex has sold $15 million worth of products and has worked with over 700 clients in 50 different markets including some of the world's greatest brands, like the Miami Dolphins and the UFC.

As a coach, his entire focus is getting business owners from "just doing okay" to "knocking it out of the park." To do this, you need systems and processes in place, and you need to delegate.

In short, you need to stop thinking like a freelancer, working part-time on your thought leadership business, and think like a full-time entrepreneur instead. In this episode, Alex outlines this path and the systems you'll need to make it happen.

Show Notes:

✅ Get Alex's 1CC Training/Slide Deck: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7figureculture/permalink/1158044708266307

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/

If you've ever thought to yourself, as you're knocking out daily tasks in your business, "I just want leads to come to me," you're far from alone.

And one of the most common ways to attract leads is a simple one: lead magnets or, in other words, free resources for your target audience that they can only access after providing some degree of contact information.

Joining us to break down this topic is the owner of Pibworth Professional Solutions, Lauren Pibworth.

As a marketing consultant for the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS) Toronto and the social media coordinator for the national chapter of CAPS, Lauren is a seasoned expert in the world of websites and marketing.

Here, she explains everything you need to know about lead magnets including how to know which kind to create, what info to include, and how to make the most of leads once they download your lead magnet.

So, what are you waiting for? Let's get into it!

Show Notes:

✅ Learn more about Lauren and Pibworth Professional Solutions: https://pibworthps.com/

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/

You may have already heard the phrase "delegate and elevate" when it comes to smaller, day-to-day tasks in your business.

But what about the bigger projects? How do you know when you should hire someone to help you improve and, even more importantly, how do you build an openminded approach to your business systems?

In this episode, we're joined by speaker and economist Andrew Busch to answer these questions and get an inside look at his speaking business.

For the last three years, Andy hired experts in various areas, including coaches for his business systems, other economists to help him produce research, a speaking coach for his keynotes, etc.

To hear him tell it, "I'm a smart guy... but I'm a LOT smarter when I surround myself with other people who are way smarter than me... I don't know everything I need to know, but I can go to the places and to the people that can help me understand new things that are coming up."

As a result, his business has doubled – You read that right. Doubled – every year for the last three years. Here, learn how you can do the same in your business.

Show Notes:

✅ Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbusch

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/

When ramping up your business's marketing efforts, it can be tempting to think, "I need to do everything possible." Think creating blogs, recording podcasts, revamping your website, starting paid ads, posting on social media, creating lead magnets – the list is endless.

But, all in all, these are just options, and if you truly want to make a difference, you need to first prioritize the ones you need most.

To help work through this, we're joined by marketing expert Michael Buzinski.

The author of "The Rule of 26 For Service-Based Businesses: Three Steps to Doubling Website Revenue," Buzz is all about "avoiding the time drain and frustration of managing profitable digital marketing campaigns."

In this episode, we dive deep into Buzz's Rule of 26 – 26% increase in website traffic, 26% increase in conversion rate (ie leads coming through), and 26% more revenue clients – to talk about how to generate more marketing leads and make the most of them.

Buzz has some amazing insights into narrowing your marketing focus to have the most impact. You don't want to miss this one!

Show Notes:

✅ Grab a copy of Michael's book, "The Rule of 26": ruleof26.com

✅ Learn more about Michael and Buzzworthy.biz: https://buzzworthy.biz/

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/

At the beginning of each new quarter and each new year, it's vital for thought leaders to reevaluate their business.

What goals did you set at the end of the last quarter or year? Are you hitting those goals? What's prevented you from doing so, and how can you improve your business's performance next time?

All of these questions are valuable, so we're taking it back to the basics of business strategy.

Here to lend his expertise and answer the question, "What is a business strategy, anyways?" is business strategist expert, speaker, and coach Alex Brueckmann.

Author of "Secrets of Next Level Entrepreneurs," Alex stresses that, though many people group "strategic planning" into one term, it's actually two with "strategy" referring to your vision and long-term thinking and "planning" what you do based on that vision.

With that in mind, this episode is jam-packed with ways you can better strategize and plan in your own thought leadership business.

Let's get into it!

Show Notes:

✅ Grab Alex's new book, "Next-Level Entrepreneurship": https://alexbrueckmann.com/books/

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/

Making money as a thought leader is no picnic. If it was, we wouldn't cover it so much on this podcast!

But, despite upheaval in the industry and the often-cited argument that technology has nullified standard sales practices, the fundamental tenants of sales remain the same: being authentic and building trust with your potential clients.

To back this up and outline some of the ways you can remain true to these "core values" of successful sales, we're joined by speaker, author, and sales guru Mark Hunter.

Also known as "The Sales Hunter," Mark is a consultative selling expert and specializes in custom-tailored sales programs.

With more than 20 years of speaking experience and as a Certified Professional Speaker (CSP), Mark delivers programs around the world to help organizations, large and small, demystify their sales efforts and become sales masters themselves.

As always when Mark joins us, this episode was a stellar reminder of what to prioritize when selling, and we learned a lot. Hope you do, too!

Show Notes:

✅ Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhunter

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/

We've seen our fair share of sales strategies, but one of the most common is the "spray and pray" method where someone emails a huge list of potential clients, all at once with a templated email.

Is this fast? Absolutely. But is it effective? Absolutely not.

Instead of this approach, the thought leaders most skilled in sales focus on one thing: quality over quantity. In other words, they focus on a few leads at a time and customize their outreach.

To break down this approach in more detail, we're joined in this episode by sales speaker, author, content creator, and coach Phil Gerbyshak.

Recognized as one of Crunchbases Top 25 Sales Leaders to Follow in 2020 and with two decades of speaking experience, Phil is a leading expert on inside sales, LinkedIn, and social selling.

He's also seen consistent results – both in his business and those of his clients – through "high touch sales" or extensively customizing sales outreach to a small group of leads and putting relationships with those leads before profit. Here, he breaks down how you can do the same.

Show Notes:

✅ Learn more and reach out to Phil here: https://philgerby.com/

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/

It likely comes as no surprise that your website is an integral part of your thought leadership business.

But how do you truly make the most of your website? How do you use it to boost your brand exposure or – even better – turn it into a marketing engine for your business?

The short answer is simple: invest in your other marketing channels. But here to break down the longer, more helpful answer is marketing guru and the owner of Interrobang Digital, David Hornreich.

David takes a holistic approach to helping thought leaders clarify their messaging and brand, then take action in launching it, so they can build greater authority and make a greater impact.

Put simply, David's all about helping thought leaders "broadcast their message to the people who need it most through websites and content marketing."

Here, he also shares an argument contrary to many of the other marketing experts we've hosted on this show, namely that marketing should be as simple as possible and you can have a greater impact if you concentrate your energy on a few key channels (instead of trying to do it all).

Let's dive in!

Show Notes:

✅ Learn more about David and Interrobang Digital here: http://interrobangdigital.com/

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/

In recent years, more and more speaking, consulting, and coaching businesses have shifted to fall under a bigger umbrella, that of "thought leadership."

With this shift – and as aspiring thought leaders seek to enter the space – many have also been left asking, "What exactly is a thought leader," "What is thought leadership," and "How do I become a true thought leader?"

To answer this, we're joined for a second time by differentiation expert Mark Levy.

As a speaker, consultant, and author, Mark has helped countless organizations define their "Big Sexy Idea™" or "the idea they're going to be known for throughout the world."

This includes brands as big as that of Simon Sinek, but it can also include you, provided you master true thought leadership and define your own Big Sexy Idea™.

Here, in his signature, captivating style, Mark breaks down how you can accomplish this, whether you're adapting an existing thought leadership business or starting one from scratch.

As always with Mark, we learned a LOT from this episode – Hope you do, too!

Show Notes:

✅ Learn more and reach out to Mark here: https://www.levyinnovation.com/

📷 Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe for updates on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAr3nGy6lbXrhbezMxoHTSCS40liusyU

🎤 Thank you to our sponsor, Libsyn Studio (formerly Auxbus)! Want the best podcasting solution out there? Learn more here: https://www.libsynstudio.com/

🚀 And as always, don't forget about all the mind-blowing free resources at https://speakerflow.com/resources/