Monetize Your Message: HOW to profit WILDLY in the new world of Speaking - Part ONE

During the golden age of the speaking industry, speakers found themselves being paid to motivate and inspire audiences all over our nation and beyond.  Bureau agents presented us to perfect clients and meeting planners wouldn't think of bringing in an inexperienced "green" speaker for an event.  We were valued and valuable.  Companies and organizations had large training budgets that they would "lose" if they didn't "use".  Oh, yes.  Business was good.

Now, we are seeing a new set of circumstances entirely.  We are seeing long-standing conferences being cancelled due to low participation.  Companies are required to justify every dollar they spend and are finding it difficult to demonstrate the ROI of bringing in a motivational speaker.  Speakers in general are being "booked" less often, and far too many speakers have invested LOTS of money on self-publishing and other ways of "positioning" themselves as an expert.  Yet, their income remains dismal.  Yes. We have indeed entered a "new world" of speaking. 

The best news is that these facts point NOT to a DYING market, but to a changing one... to a market in transition ... one that is waiting for a REinvention.  The speakers who commit to INNOVATION will be able to respond to the emerging needs of our market and profit wildly. 

Sure, there will be speakers who refuse to alter their existing business model, and continue to "jockey" for top of mind recognition with bureau agents.   Some speakers will continue to (literally) PAY money to "showcase" their "talent" to "decision makers".  More and more money will be spent on "optimized websites" and speaking demos and one-pages.  The speakers who continue in this outdated system will join the other casualties on the business battlefield - most of whom will use their last breaths to blame the "recession" for their condition.

But, there will also be those speakers who REFUSE to join the list of recession casualties of our era.   These speakers will RISE UP and Reinvent.  They will look backwards - but just long enough to remember how much they have learned in the past and commit to being an INNOVATOR for the speaking industry of the future.  For THOSE speakers, business will be good again.  Let me introduce you to my one of my private clients.

"Every organization must be prepared to abandon

everything it does to survive in the future."

~ Peter Drucker

A current client came to me after spending $5000 on a "market assessment" by a speaking industry "guru".  While his income had been dismal in 2008, he had once been a highly sought after motivational speaker... speaking on four different continents and to about a ½ million people.  But the industry changed.  No matter what he did, the "gigs" weren't coming in.  Fortunately, this man is a "doer".  He committed to REINVENT himself and his business... Unknowingly, he is also having a part in reinventing his industry.  In the first quarter of 2009, he signed over $60K in contracts.  Not bad.

Michelle Pippin is THE go-to coach if you want BOTTOM LINE RESULTS.  Michelle's ability to zero in on real solutions is uncanny.  But it doesn't stop there. Her care, patience, discernment and willingness to go above and beyond puts her in a class by herself.  If you can get onto her schedule, it is an investment you will never regret.  We had tried countless other ways to market and promote our services, but we began to succeed wildly only after we started working with Michelle.  It's not just our business that was transformed, but we were transformed by the powerful mind-shifts you coached us through. We worked with others who claimed to do what you do, but you are the only one that actually did it! Thank you Michelle, we are forever grateful and are your biggest fans. 

Rolfe and Lea Carawan, Carawan Global Communications and Consulting

So, how did he do it, and how can YOU do the same?  First, you must commit to becoming an indispensible resource for your target market.  You must become and stay RELEVANT.  This report will show you (exactly) how to do just that.

 Part ONE:  What Problems Do You Solve?

It is not enough to be a motivational speaker anymore.  You may have heard (and believed) that people just aren't hiring speakers / trainers anymore.  Budgets have been cut and "speakers" were on the chopping block.  This is only HALF true.  Companies ARE hesitant to bring on a speaker...but they are out SEARCHING for solutions to their most common problems and stumbling blocks: 

• Customer Service Problems Leading to a Lack of Revenue
• Generational Problems
• Managing a Workforce or Sales Team that is Discouraged and Pessimistic
• Profiting through Transition
• How to do More with Less

 There are more "common problems" companies and organizations are dealing with, but I listed the above just to spark your creativity.  So, what solution do YOU offer?  If you are "drawing a blank", or WORSE... looking to your existing one-page for answers, let's keep going.

 I remember watching the movie Titanic for the first time.   It showed the iceberg that sunk the 'unsinkable' ship and from what was seen ABOVE the water, it seemed impossible.  But when you were able to see the view from below the water, you realized how this could happen.  The incredible MASS of the iceberg was below the surface of what is visible. 

 I believe that every great speaker is the same as this iceberg.  Every great speaker has solutions to offer... waiting to be uncovered ... just below the surface.  In fact, I believe that it is this MASS of perspective and experience that makes each speaker able to "dazzle" from the front of the room in the first place.  But most speakers don't yet see their true value beyond the keynote.    

So, how do you MINE yourself for solutions? 

 First, we have to realize that the fact that you are struggling with getting holds and getting "booked" less often points to a changing industry... NOT to a lack of your value.   Recognizing your own value is very difficult... especially in tough times...  when we are not prone to see MORE value in what we have to offer, but LESS. This perception is simply false.  To profit wildly in the "NEW" world of speaking, you must be willing to dig deep, RE-invent yourself (and maybe even re-work your message and / or mode of delivery) to respond to the needs of your market.

To get started, think of the clients you have served well and enjoyed serving.  Think of the clients who have "raved" about your services. 

•  What problem did they present? 
• What did you help them do? 
• What problems do you help your executive or entrepreneur friends solve?
• What do you spend most of your time reading / talking about?

Remember... think in terms of SOLUTIONS... RESULTS... Yes, the speaking industry has changed dramatically, but so have most other industries in our nation.  So, while our clients may not be desperately seeking a "speaker" for their next event, they ARE seeking solutions to the challenges they are facing in their OWN industry and business.  I have found that the VAST majority of speakers bring a real, nuts and bolts "solution" to the table. So do you. 

  P.S.  If you are purely a motivational speaker, and have NO interest in developing a results-oriented, solutions -based relationship with clients, there may still be HOPE for you!  Please contact me directly to get more information about a system I have developed to keep motivational speakers closer to home, while delivering monthly "keynotes" to an ongoing base of clients. 

CONTINUE to PART TWO of the MONETIZE YOUR MESSAGE article series for experienced and aspiring speakers...