Why Every Speaker Should Have a Press Kit
If you are a naturally motivating and charismatic person, you may be considering a career as a speaker. Before you start promoting your talent and availability, you’re first priority should be to create a comprehensive Press Kit for easy distribution.
A Press Kit, also referred to as a Media Kit, is a business branded set of promotional materials for a person, company, or organization distributed to book agents, media contacts and show producers. They are often sent to radio, television, and news outlets to help people gain publicity or secure interviews.
Although it’s a good idea to produce both a hard copy and electronic Press Kit, the electronic version is usually preferred. An electronic press kit saves companies money on printing. E-mailing or hosting a clearly branded press kit on your website is fast, easy and convenient for everyone, and the digital documents can be shared and redistributed at the click of a button. A digital press kit also allows you to include hyperlinks within the content that direct the media contact to a website and/or other document offered online.
Here is a list of items to include in your Press Kit:
- Backgrounder with historical information on the company or individual
- Fact Sheet listing specific features, statistics, or benefits
- Biographies
- Past Press Coverage
- Photos or other images (high resolution) of key personnel, logos, products, etc.
- A press release detailing the most current relevant news
- Media contact information
- A podcast, audio file, video, etc.(usually in interview format)
Press kits can be used for:
- Product launches
- New company launches
- Radio or TV interviews
- News conferences
- Speaking engagements
Once you have created the files, these materials can be sent by email as needed/requested and/or can be hosted on your website for self-service download from a web-based press page - or both. Your use of the press kit will determine which is best for you. Hosting the files in an online press page could make it easier to have the recipient download large files. The last thing you want to do is send a file attachment that ties up their email system.
Offer the press kit in as many formats as you see fit. You can create Word, PDF, HTML, or JPEG versions depending on your preferences. Creating an HTML version as a page on your website will allow your press kit to contain search engine optimized (SEO) words and phrases that can appear in search engine results.
Before you start seeking guest appearances and speaking engagements, create your branded press kit. If you’re contacted by the media or show producers, you’re going to want the information in an easily accessible and professionally organized format to ensure that you don’t miss your opportunity.
Pamela Weir is a Freelance Copywriter and Marketing Consultant who specializes in writing and publishing electronic media kits, press releases and media one-sheets for speakers, coaches and business consultants. For more information, visit her website at MarkettotheMoment.com.
There are people out there giving terrible presentations every single day.
Why is it happening? Well, maybe they need to watch a really great Presentation Sample or two to get a good idea of what a good presentation looks like. Maybe they need to see more presentations of all kinds to get a real feel for what a great presentation looks and feels like.
Of course, it is more about the feeling than anything else.
A presentation should leave the attendees with a feeling of satisfaction and the feeling that the presenter really ‘gets’ what they need and provided them with the exact information they were looking for.
Where do you find a presentation sample to look at and use as an example?
You certainly don’t want to just mimic any old presentation, that’s a sure way to come out with a mediocre presentation at best. You really need to understand your audience, your target market. Make sure you really know what makes them tick and what kind of information they are looking for.
Next, you’ll want to go to Google and then type in your topic/niche plus the word ‘presentation’. This should bring up some presentations on the topic you are looking for and you can view these as samples of something you may want to create yourself.
Be original and be yourself. You don’t want to look up and copy a presentation sample. You want to use others to inspire you to be the best you possibly can at the topic you are about to present.
Remember, there are massive amounts of bad presentations out there. You just need to remember who you’re talking to, connect with them and provide great information and you’ll pull off a wonderful presentation.
Here’s a great source of inspiring presentations that you may want to start with: Slideshare.net
Conversational Skills Can Help Your Speaking Career
Pamela Weir
Market to the Moment
You have the necessary expertise to begin a speaking career, but how are your conversational skills?
A perfect (and free) way to practice your speaking skills is to strike up conversations with strangers. It’s great opportunity to test your speaking skills. In one-on-one conversations, you can closely judge how people react to your method and style. With a random audience, you have the chance to see what works and what doesn’t by observing responses to your voice, stance and topics.
Here are a few important conversation tips to help you improve your speaking skills:
Keep Your Topic Interesting
Imagine you’ve just met someone. They ask you what you do for a living, and you jump into a long-winded technical speech about your job. Although you’ve just told them all the things that you think are interesting about your job, they look around the room as though trying to find a way out of the conversation. If this happens every time you talk about yourself, you need to re-evaluate your approach. How can you grab their attention and keep them asking questions? Genuine interest is essential to keeping a conversation flowing and making both you and your audience feel comfortable. Even if your topic isn’t exceptionally interesting, you can give it personality. Don’t just open with a joke or a bit of wit, find funny or interesting anecdotes that you can use throughout your speech. Give your information a non-traditional spin. Put control of the conversation in the hands of your audience and let them guide you.
Make Your Audience Feel Comfortable
Everyone has been in a conversation that made them extremely uncomfortable, either because the speaker was trying too hard or not trying hard enough. A speaker who is too intense or not engaged in the conversation leaves the audience looking for a way to get out of the situation. Do you know how to use eye contact and when you are using it too intensely? Speaking skills are all about the emotional connection that invites others into your dialogue. It’s always good to smile and appear friendly and harmonious. Lack of eye contact can destroy a conversation as quickly as too much eye contact. Body language is also very important. Keep your body signals open and relaxed. Crossing your arms in front of your chest can be very uninviting, will appear condescending and create a defensive reaction in your audience. If you are quick on your feet, you can pick up the cues and adjust your speech to incite a more favorable response from your audience.
Give Your Audience Time to Think
In order to truly listen, the audience needs to have time to hear, process and retain the information you are giving them. This takes time. And they can’t do it properly if you talk at an impossible pace. Your speech is not a monologue, it’s a dialogue, and although your audience isn’t saying anything, if you have followed the preceding advice you know that you can get significant clues to how well they grasp the information. So, after you have talked for a minute or two, make sure to pause and give the audience time to catch everything you’ve said. Just as you would in a conversation, take some time to feel the energy of your audience. Don’t speak again until you feel you’ve given them enough time to absorb your words and concepts. If you feel the need to keep talking when there is a silence, not only do you miss the non-verbal cues of the audience, but the speaking time is actually much shorter as well. You’ll run out of material before you run out of time. Just as in a one-on-one conversation, you can make your audience more comfortable by giving them a chance to express themselves.
Just as in one-on-one interactions, the skills you use in your speaking career should create a dialogue with your audience. The best speakers are engaging and sweep the audience into the speech with their energy and body language. Practicing your speaking skills in close situations will help you tailor your presentation into more of a dialogue to make the audience more interested, feel more comfortable and allow them time to process the information you give them. Take the time to personalize your presentation and you’ll be amazed at the results.
Books on Public Speaking for Professional Speakers
| Below is a list of books on speaking that I highly recommend. Take a minute to browse and see if anything piques your interest. Click on any book image below to purchase from the Amazon.com |
Speaker Marketing Products
Accept credit cards
Sell books on your website, great shopping cart. Sends out newsletters too!
Affordable Hosting for professional speakers.
Record your teleclasses easily with this great tool!
Start your own internet radio show or podcast. This makes it easy!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Creating a new brand doesn’t have to be overly complicated or happen in a conference room full of people. Here are some secrets for creating a catching brand that people can really relate to.
4 Secrets to Building an Engaging Brand Experience
By Kristie Tamsevicius
When you think of creating a new brand, it’s easy to think about advertising managers sitting around a conference room tossing around ideas with caffeine fueled creativity. However, often times, the most powerful branding comes from adding a little “fun” to your brand experience.
Driven by the Burger King mentality, today’s customers want to do business their way on their time. They want to make their own choices. As business people, it’s our job to make sure then when customers are ready to make their choice, our product or service is their top choice.
Below are five secrets to put some spark and imagination into your brand and create an unforgettable brand experience.
Secret #1: Tell Your Company’s Unique Brand Story
Television shows have long been a part of our culture. When viewers watch television shows, they see stories about characters that we relate to. Remember the Brady Bunch theme song? It tells the story of a lovely lady… well, you know how it goes.
Now imagine harnessing the power of storytelling for your business! By sharing your brand story, you create a powerful connection to your customers. They feel as though they know you. This brand story paints a colorful vignette of who you are, what vision you hold, and what experiences made you the company you are today. While your brand story might not be as catchy as the Brady Bunch tune, raving fans love to share stories of their favorite brands with others.
PartyLite is a direct sales company that has done a phenomenal job of weaving their brand story into their marketing message. Listen to the story of how this company got started.
“Mabel K. Baker, a young housewife, provided holiday candles for her friends. She hand-dipped candles from the wax of bayberry plants, which were plentiful on Cape Cod. From these humble beginnings, Colonial Candle of Cape Cod was established. In 1973, PartyLite was established to satisfy the desire people have for home beautification, along with the ever-increasing need for additional family income.”
Now can’t you just imagine Mabel sitting outside and turning her gaze over to the bayberry plants in her backyard! Surely a light bulb went off in her head as she picked berries off the bush and harvested the wax to make gift candles for her dearest friends. A story like this makes you feel like when you get a PartyLite candle, that you are getting more than a factory made product. Rather, you are getting a lovely crafted handmade candle. Great story and great marketing!
What’s your brand story? Do you have a wonderful story to tell about how your business was started? Was there a turning point in your company that shaped you into the organization you are today?
Secret #2: Make Your Brand a Household Name by Coining the Term
Why define your brand experience in terms we already use? Kleenex, Xerox, and Fed X are companies whose brand names have set the standards for their industry by becoming the coined terms to describe a tissue, making a copy, and overnight deliveries.
So how do you go about making your brand a household name?
Marla Cilley, aka “The FLY Lady” is an organizing super hero for moms across the county. She has turned her passion for tidiness into a nationally known brand.
How did she do it? By adding an ounce of fun with her own unique terms and philosophies. For example, The FLY Lady stands for Finally Loving Yourself.
Fans of the FLY Lady know that she lives by three rules.
1) Don’t sweat the small stuff
2) Laugh everyday. Even if it is at yourself.
3) Love like there is no tomorrow.
If you visit her website at FlyLady.net, you’ll notice that her brand is even reflected in some of the names of the navigation links: Why FLY, FLYing Lessons, FLY Zone, Time FLYs when, FLY FAQ, FLY Library, Join FlyLady Now, Ask FlyLady, and The FlyShop.
Secret #3: Add Your Unique Brand of Humor
Humor has the power to transform an ordinary product into a fun experience for the whole audience. Recently I saw a commercial for Red Stripe “The Great Jamaican Beer” that delivers an unforgettable quirky message.
The Jamaican spokesperson is dressed in a black tuxedo and says, “Red Stripe - the beer in the short stubby ugly bottle. If ugly people stand next to a Red Stripe they look beautiful.”
He speaks to a man who is sitting next to him, “You sir, would you say that you are ugly?
(Pause) You are VERY ugly!”
The man who is sitting down replies a little confused, “Well I don’t know…”
The spokesperson hands him a beer and says, “Here hold this Red Stripe.”
The man says, “Okay.”
The spokesperson says, “Look, you are beautiful!” (Obviously implying that just by holding this beer this formerly “ugly” man is transformed into being beautiful.)
Spokesperson says enthusiastically, “Red Stripe, it’s beer. Hooraaaayy Beer!”
The man cheers, “Hooray Beer.”
The spokesperson adds at the end, “…says the beautiful man.”
The point is, that although you may have never heard of Red Stripe beer before, this funny commercial really sticks in your mind. Even though we are not beer drinkers, this commercial is surely creating living room conversations in homes across the country.
That’s how a funny campaign can instantly turn a new or unknown product into a national phenomenon.
You should check out this very funny commercial online at their website here:
http://us.redstripebeer.com/media
Secret #4: Create your own Catch Phrases and Own Quotes
If you type the words “inspirational quotes” into Google, you will see that there are 1,130,000 listings. Quotes are hot! So why not tap into the power of quotes and catch phrases for your business?
Go back in your mind to the “Where’s the Beef” commercials from Wendy’s. That was a fun series of engaging commercials that had the whole country asking themselves, “Where’s the Beef?”.
And think about Donald Trump’s “Your Fired!” I’m sure that he had no idea that his show, “The Apprentice” would take off the way it did and become the “in thing.”
When you create a hot catch phrase or quote, you’ll find your words popping up on websites, in blogs, talked about in elevators, written on bathroom walls, and in the most unexpected placed.
Take a moment to step back and really look at your company’s brand. With a little imagination, you can transform buying your product or service into a fun, one-of-a-kind brand experience that your customers will never forget.
If you’ve found these ten tips on branding useful, then make sure to put them to good use.
Book Marketing Resources
Booklist
- 15 weeks prior to publications
Foreword Magazine - 3-4 months before publication
Horn Book Review - (Children’s books)
Kirkus Reviews - 3 months or more before publication
KLIATT
- new original paperbacks
Library Journal - 3-4 months before publication
Publishers Weekly - 3 months before publication
Foreword Reviews.com - $295 paid book reviews
Midwest Book Review - wants a finished copy of the book
OTHER REVIEWERS LISTED
BY CATEGORY
Book Zone
Pro Reviewer List
AUTHOR ORGANIZATIONS
Publisher’s Marketing Association
American Booksellers Association - The Book Sense Advance Access
Program offers an inexpensive mailing to independent bookstores
if you are a member of PMA - $100
AUTHOR AND WRITER WEB SITES
Amazon Advantage - Sell your book at Amazon
Para Publishing:
Self Publishing Guru Dan Poynter’s Book Writing, Publishing and
Promoting Resources - http://www.parapublishing.com/
Book Marketing-John
Kremer’s site offers a large amount of information and book promotion
resources. He offers excellent lists that you can purchase. One
list is of the Top 500 Independent Bookstores. - http://www.bookmarket.com/
Midwest Book Review - offers great information on getting your book
reviewed. He also DOES book reviews.
PUBLICITY TOOLS/SERVICES
Interested in Publicity? Become
“The Perfect Expert“! Sign up in Annie Jennings’ expert database for FREE and get a FREE Crash Course In Publicity Tape ($97 Value) that Annie offers you with her compliments when you sign up as an expert (there is no obligation). Major media journalists and producers call Annie every day for The Perfect Expert. Annie Jennings PR will keep you in mind for “The Perfect Placement.” Remember, you can pick and choose the placements you would like to have with Annie Jennings PR and her famous Pay For Placement Publicity Program.
Free Publicity Articles from Annie Jennings
Pitching Tips To Land Major Placements
Tips For Leaving An Effective Voice Mail
How To Create Expert Status For Yourself
PR Leads - Want to know the secret to getting feature articles in today’s leading publications? PR Leads delivers and then some!
PR Leads sends you daily leads to what the hottest magazines and newspapers in your industry are writing about.
Radio Publicity - Best-selling author Alex Carroll is one of the world’s leading experts on radio publicity. He shows you exactly how to extract a mother lode from the radio publicity gold mine. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an author, speaker, businessperson, or promoter … He has an incredible manual on how to use Radio Publicity to market your book or ebook. He also sells a CD with a radio station database so you’ll
know who to contact! Order your copy of Radio Publicity today! A MUST HAVE for all serious self-promoters!
Radio TV Interview and Report - Advertise yourself as a potential guest to tv and
radio producers
GuestFinder
- Another site to list yourself as a possible guest for radio/tv programs
IMediaFax
- Offers affordable press release submissions plus a free report on Trash Proof Press Releases
BOOK MARKETING DISCUSSION LISTS
Span Net Self Publishing Discussion List
Self-Publishing-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Booksigners-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
BOOK MARKETING NEWSLETTERS
John Kremer’s Book Marketing Marketing Tip of the Week - http://www.bookmarket.com/tips.html
The Publicity Hound by Joan Stewart
Dawn Star Book Marketing Newsletter
SMALL PRESS BOOK AWARDS
IPPY Award - Independent Publisher Book Awards
BOOK PROMOTION ARTICLES
1 Year Book Production Countdown - Tells you what to do and when to do it to keep your book launch efforts on track while finishing your book
40+ Ways To Make Your Next Book Signing An Event! by Larry James Excellent article filled with tips and suggestions to make your book signing a memorable event.
40 Ways to Use your Book Review - Excellent special report written with tips from John Kremer, Shel Horowitz, and others
Be Your Own Publicist by Cecilia Tan
Speaker Success Online, a free online resource website for people interested in starting, managing, and growing a successful speaking career, is recruiting authors and article writers with experience in the public, motivational, or business speaking
Issued By: Angela Wills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jul 15, 2008 – Angela Wills, the owner of SpeakerSuccessOnline.com is inviting experienced authors to contribute to the ever-growing website of free resources and become featured article writers. As a successful marketing manager, Wills is looking for experienced speakers or speaking coaches to write articles on motivation, branding, blogging, marketing, and publicity. Pamela Weir, Professional Copywriter and owner of Market to the Moment, has become the newest featured author at the highly targeted speaker resource website.
Weir says, “I’m very excited to be the newest featured author. Over the years, I have gained experience working with leadership development companies and motivational speakers. I really believe that new speakers have much to gain from this free resource site. The website offers people interested in a speaking career the motivation and support they need to get their business off the ground.” Her most recent article 5 Reasons Why Speakers Should Podcast explains the benefits that active podcasting can offer speakers who are looking for inexpensive ways to gain a large focused audience.
Wills is interested in writers that can explain or demonstrate how to turn ideas into moneymaking products, create effective website strategies, and use small budgets to get big results, or automate a successful speaking business. The commitment requires a monthly submission of one article, but there is no limit on how many articles writers can submit. The content must be original and unpublished. After one month, authors are free to use their submitted content on their own sites, or other publications.
Wills says, “My goal is to provide a free resource website for speakers and authors who want to create additional income on the internet by advertising their services, increasing their brand awareness and selling more products. We are looking for feature writers with experience and a great interest in speaking to write original articles for the site. As a featured article writer, you can post limitless quality articles, have a bio on the main page, gain valuable links to your own website, and become a recognized expert on the topic of speaking.”
Since 2002, Wills has worked directly with speakers, coaches and authors, and her years of experience and creative insight help her clients automate their businesses and make more money online. It is difficult and time-consuming for small business-owners to find all the information they need to be successful, which means a resource like Speaker Success Online can be invaluable.
For more information about becoming the next featured author, visit www.speakersuccessonline.com.
About Speaker Success Online
Acquired by Angela Wills in 2007, Speaker Success Online is a free online resource for professional motivational and business speakers. Speakers will find the secret to getting real results with planning, publicity and marketing. Since 2002, Angela Wills has studied internet marketing through courses, mentoring and worked with successful marketers. Her passion is to help those who want to use their existing knowledge and skills to build a thriving online business.
About Pamela Weir
Pamela Weir is a Professional Copywriter providing speakers, authors, coaches and business-owners with fresh, compelling, and original content. As owner of Market to the Moment, she creates customized content for sales pages, squeeze pages, websites, press releases and public relations campaigns that deliver results. With 10 years of marketing experience, she helps new business-owners discover their voice and find their ideal customers.
# # #
Press Release
Speaker Success Online is Recruiting Successful Authors to Assist Professional Speakers
Five Reasons Why Speakers Should Podcast
By: Pamela Weir
Market to the Moment
Are you a motivational or keynote speaker in a specialized field? Have you attained a high level of expert knowledge in one field and developed the ability to pass it on to your audience?
Most speakers are experts in finding ways to make audiences see their winning methods in a fresh light. They can convey useful tips on how to make a company more creative and prepare new work objectives that can be achieved by the management team or departmental employees. In the age of Web 2.0, potential clients and event coordinators are looking for speakers that have developed an interactive relationship with their audience. Multimedia Press Kits that include audio clips or podcasts are a great way to showcase your voice and energy. We no longer live in an age where audio needs to be recorded, transferred to CD and mailed to prospects.
Creating free streaming podcasts can help your speaking business in many different ways.
1. Add a Personal Touch to Your Content
Even if you already maintain a blog or E-zine, your voice can connect with people in a way that written text may not. If you are considering becoming an expert speaker in your field, a podcast can demonstrate your ability to speak with clarity about your chosen subject and establish a connection with your audience. People interested in your knowledge may prefer to listen to an audio version of our information, particularly if they are considering you for an upcoming event or meeting. Event coordinators are always looking for new perspectives on both old and new ideas, so showcasing your speaking presence and knowledge in an easily accessible format will ensure that they have immediate access to your voice whenever they need to make a decision.
2. Use an Automatic and Inexpensive Way to Reach Your Audience
Podcast software and equipment is relatively inexpensive and companies, such as Audio Acrobat and BasementVentures, provide inexpensive means to record solo audio sessions or teleconferences. With the growing popularity of RSS feeds, listeners can automatically receive content updates after subscribing to your site. You can host the audio on your own site instead of having another company host the sessions and charge you for storage and extra bandwidth. You can schedule your podcasts for daily, weekly or monthly releases. The more frequently, and widely you broadcast the more recognized your name will become in your chosen field.
3. Grab the Attention of a Focused Audience
You can gain a worldwide focused audience quickly. If you choose the correct keywords, promote your podcasts with a blog, advertising and podcast distribution sites, you can quickly gather an audience who are interested in listening to you based solely on your expertise and knowledge. You can also develop a wider audience by slowly expanding your focus and adding new or hot topics to your list. If you decide to move from podcasts to teleseminars, you can open your format to include your audience members and create a great connection with listeners who would like to participate in the discussion. You can develop a more one-on-one relationship with your audience. If you give listeners a chance to interact and direct the conversation, they are more likely to promote the event for free.
4. Become an Recognized Expert in Your Niche
Today, the internet is all about finding your niche. A niche is a small or large demographic of highly targeted audience members. It could be comprised of small business owners, marketers, publicists, pharmacists, etc. You can even create a niche within a niche like a pharmaceutical company preparing to launch a new product. Depending on your own expertise, you can limit or expand your market depending on your own preferences. If you feel more comfortable working with start-up businesses, sales teams or research and development, there is no limit to your audience size. Once you specialize, develop podcasts that demonstrate your expertise and market within your industry, you will develop a name and reputation for your knowledge and dedication.
5. Easily Customize Your Podcast to Reflect Your Brand
You decide on the topics, length, participation etc. You can even add customized intro music, announcements and sound effects to create a more professional atmosphere. To show yourself in the best light, edit clips together to create a mash-up of different topics. Tracking website hits, downloads and other stats can help you promote yourself to events that you are interested in becoming a speaker. If you podcast enough and grow a large audience, you may find that you become a recognized expert quickly. The demand for your services will certainly increase, as will your audience. You can conduct interviews, record yourself in casual conversation or speaking at events, and gather as much or as little audio as you like. You can also create instructional audios for others who might be considering a career as a speaker.
Nothing gets people more passionate about a subject than an energized speech given by a motivated speaker. If you are a speaker, personal coach or run a mentorship program, podcasts are a great way for people to develop a connection with your voice and personality. People are more mobile than ever, so create a library your audience can download and listen to anywhere they choose. If you would like to guarantee yourself steady work within a speaking field, audio clips and samples are a great way to grow an audience, business and brand.
Work Through Your Fear of Public Speaking
If you have a fear of speaking in public, there are a few techniques that may help you survive.
First, create your presentation using flipchart notes, or using PowerPoint slides if it is possible. Handle your humor gracefully.
When things go wrong that are beyond your control, the only thing that you can control is the reaction you have toward them. Don’t become irritated and get upset, instead use humor to ease the audience, don’t surrender to such a situation, and don’t continually refer to the problem. Always maintain your dignity, keep your sense of humor, and do your best, whatever the circumstances.
If you are new at public speaking, you should first pick a topic that you want to make your presentation about. Usually, if you know more about the topic than what you will refer to during your speech will help you remember what to say. Rehearse out loud what you intend to say, several times or until you think you are ready. Go to the presentation early and rehearse your presentation again.
Greet some members from the audience as they come through the door. This helps you become relaxed. It is easier to talk to someone that you know than it is to speak to a room full of strangers. Then begin by addressing the audience, and count to three before even saying anything.
Never apologize for being nervous, they probably didn’t even notice your nervousness anyway. Concentrate on your message. Focus your attention away from yourself and directly on the message you want to convey.
Public speaking is an acquired skill that improves with practice. So you wouldn’t want to start with “Thank you for that kind introduction”, Always start your presentation with a bang, for instance use an interesting quote, or news headline, or maybe start off with a powerful statistic.
Use more of your body language than your arms and fingers; your body speaks louder than words. First, smile; use your facial muscles, and other parts of your body. For instance, if your topic is about running, then run in place for a few steps. When using your hands, make use of your shoulders as well, not just from your elbow. Half gestures tend to look artificial and are not really appealing to the audience.
Try to be yourself; it doesn’t impress anyone when you try to imitate another speaker. Do whatever it takes to enhance your credibility with the audience. Remember never to read your speech word for word as this tends to put your listeners to sleep. Have a Key word type outline that will help prompt your thoughts. To connect with the audience you have to illustrate your own thoughts from your own experiences. The more passion you put into your topic the more response you will have from your audience.
When you are about to end your presentation, you should say something like “I will take questions right after the presentation’ then move on to the closing point. Summarize your key points and conclude with a call to action, or a quote.
Why You Need Speaker Presentation Folder Kits
If you are looking to make a big splash at your next meeting, or you are looking at a time in your career where you need to think about speaking to a lot of people, you’ll find that taking a look at speaker presentation folder kits are important to what you are trying to do. When you are giving a presentation, you’ll find that one of the first things that you need to do is engage the people in front of you. Remember that just because you are happy and excited to be there, doesn’t mean that they will be necessarily being so. You may find that you are fighting with boredom, hunger or simply disinterest when you meet with people, so remember to take a look and make sure that your speaker presentation folder kits help you do the talking.
When you are giving a presentation, you’ll find that handing out a folder is a good way to get people interested in what you have to say. You’ll find that there is a great deal of information that you can convey simply by handing out some supplemental material, and that you will be able to merely touch on some points because your information will all be there for them to look at. This can help you keep your presentation a great deal more streamlined and acceptable to an audience with a short attention span.
To make sure that you are getting the most out of the folder kits that you are putting together, think about what you would like to see in them. What information is essential, and what can be left out? You’ll find that a good speaker presentation kit can go a long way towards getting you the business that you need, if only because the folders will let your prospective clients take something away from the meeting with them. You’ll find that this is an important way to make sure that your information gets distributed.
You’ll also find that putting together speaker presentation folder kits can give you a good control over the information that they are taking away. Even if, as so many speakers do, you find your time running short, you will be able to let your promotional items fill in the gaps for you. You’ll send your audience home with a lot of details that they don’t need to assimilate mentally right away; essentially, these kits can act as the proverbial strings around the finger.
When you are considering how to make sure that your next presentation really flows, take a look at putting together some folder kits to tie it all together.
Why it is important to learn public speaking
Have you ever witnessed a speech and were absolutely moved by the force of the speaker? You may think that it was simply a function of charisma that made you relate to what the speaker was saying, but charisma is only a word used to illustrate a set of attributes that make people more likely to relate to a particular person. Even if you are not naturally charismatic in any shape or form, you can still give powerful, moving speeches to large groups of people with the proper training and tried and true application of public speaking techniques. It is important to learn public speaking for more reasons than one.
Effective public speaking skills allow you to express yourself. This has become absolutely imperative in the information age which we live in. Learning to speak effectively in public is obviously important for masters students, politicians, salesmen, and presenters, but are you aware that every single person can benefit from learning how to appeal to large audiences? Public speaking allows you to overcome your fear of groups, and allows you to better and more freely express yourself, no matter what your ideas.
It is especially important to learn public speaking if you ever intend on influencing large numbers of people. Public speaking is all about reaching people while remaining calm and collected. If you remember the example of charismatic, exhilarating speakers like the one mentioned in the introduction, you should realize by now that charisma is simply a function of knowing what to say and how to say it. Anyone can reach people as long as they have effective communication skills and know how to affect people’s emotions. Half of charisma is simply knowing how to say what you want to say!
Public speaking may seem daunting at first, but anyone can learn how to speak effectively publicly with the proper training. Effective public speaking comes from years of practice, but anyone can become acceptable in a relatively short time. The thing you must remember when you decide to learn how to speak publicly is that it is pertinent you remain patient, and do not rush yourself. It will all come with time.
During this age of mass media, and high speed internet, it is more important than ever that every individual knows how to express himself. Society can only remain a democracy when all the people know how to express their views. Public speaking allows people to effectively communicate their ideas, and allows every person the medium of self expression. If you haven’t learned to speak publicly, you may want to consider taking a course in a community college near you. Do not allow other people to speak for you, when you have every right to express yourself.
Towards Better Public Speaking: The Uses of an Effective Communication Seminar
If you know that you will need to speak in public, there is a good chance that you are terrified. The fear of being laughed at or humiliated is a strong one in most people, and nothing can bring it out like public speaking. For many of us, however, public speaking may be a part of our lives or it will be for some time to come. In that case, the idea of dealing with a churning stomach and cold sweats before you go up on stage is unbearable, and this is where a good communication seminar can come in.
Part of public speaking is realizing that very few people are born good at it. The truth is, good public speaking, like virtually everything else, consists of learning a set of skills and practice, and when you put it like that, there is no reason that with enough time and the proper instruction, you will be able to learn how to handle it yourself. In many cases, simple tips can go a long way towards making sure that you keep the room’s attention, and if you find that you have memory tricks to help you, there is no end to the improvement you could make.
When you go to a communications seminar, you will find that in many ways, you subconsciously already knew the information. For instance, you already knew that eye contact goes a long way towards making a presentation good, but did you ever know how important it was before. You’ll find that by making sure that you know about the mechanics of good public speaking that you will be able to integrate them into your own speech or presentation. You will also learn ways to engage your audience, and to make sure that they stay interested in what you have to say. A good seminar can help reinforce your confidence and ensure that you walk away with the orders or the opinions that you want.
In many cases, you’ll find that public speaking is quite important. Many people need to pitch their products or their services to a large group of people and you’ll find that if can engage people thoroughly that you will be much more likely to make a splash. Think about how you want come across and make sure that you take the time to make yourself confident in your own abilities. You already know that what you have to offer is something that they want, so now make sure that they know it as well!
The Five Minute Presentation
Have a very short amount of time? About five minutes? If you have just that amount of time to make an exciting, informative, and compelling presentation, there is no need to worry. You might think it is difficult but the reality is that it is not all that difficult once you learn the common elements of a presentation.
What are the common elements of a presentation?
Presentations, both long and short, have some common ground. These grounds are what all presentations are built upon.
1. Information
2. Appeal
3. Interest
4. Information
5. Call to Action
Sounds a little like an advertisement, does it not? Of course it does, and that is what a presentation is, only in a different manner. You are advertising something, whether it is an idea, a company, a product, or a cause. You are trying to gain interest and support. Even if you have just enough time for a five minute presentation, you can do all of that and more.
People do not really like to sit for hours listening to one person talk. Five minutes is more than enough time and if they want more information after the fact, they will ask.
Visual Aids
Visual aids are crucial to any presentation, but even more crucial to a short, five minute one. Some ideas that you might want to use include a whiteboard, PowerPoint, a flip chart, real objects, models, audio, or video.
Any one of these, if created appropriately can do the bulk of the work for you. All you might have to do is introduce yourself, explain what you are about to show, and state your purpose. After the visual presentation, you can then thank them for their time, and state your purpose once more.
Why Only Five Minutes?
The five minute presentation is particularly useful for those who are not entirely comfortable in speaking or presenting in front of others. It is also ideal for short meetings or conferences when time is really of the essence. Short, sweet, and to the point is ideal for many presentations.
Speaking of Speech: Basic Presentation Skills for Beginners
For many individuals, presentation skills are sought in an effort to create a long-lasting impression with a particular audience. In addition to this, these skills are necessary for our personal growth and success. Various types of leaders are put in a position where they are expected to “guide” a presentation on a daily basis. You may be the next on that list. You may have even already been asked to conduct a presentation and are looking for ways to increase the effectiveness and level of expertise in public speaking and presentations. Through this article, I will be providing you with basic presentation skills for beginners. If you are interested in key items when speaking of speech, this guide may prove to be extremely beneficial.
The first things that you will need to consider when in a position where you must create a presentation are the goals that are associated with that presentation. This can be easily accomplished by simple taking a piece of paper, a pen, and a few minutes of time to identify the most important goals that you have. The next thing that you should know and understand when it comes to public speech presentations is that you are not just “telling” or “talking” to your audience. When conducting a presentation, you are having an interactive conversation with your audience. When creating your goals, consider the many different ways that you can interact with the audience that you will provide the speech to.
When it comes to basic presentation skills for beginners, it is important to create an invitation list of all those that you would to attend. Then, think about what you would like to obtain from the presentation if you were the invitee instead of the inviter. Every person that you invite to the meeting where you provide various types of information should benefit in their own way from the speech that you give. If you know your audience before arriving at the presentation, you will be able to really win them over from the very first word that comes from your mouth. A great way to get your audience involved is to ask questions, tell a story, or start with an interactive activity that will capture their attention!
There are many different types of “themes” for presentations. You may create a presentation that is used to inspire and motivate people who have been abused. You may have developed a new strategic plan for reducing the overhead in a company by using time in a more creative manner. You may want to conduct a meeting that will encourage team work among employees. There are many, many different options. Prior to your presentation, it is essential to ensure that you know and are comfortable with the “theme” or “ending result” of your presentation. You are ready to gear all the facts and figures that you hope to present to your audience in the same direction as the audience.
When studying basic presentation skills for beginners, you may find that there is no mention of creating interactive sessions throughout the event. This is because many do not realize the importance of including interaction sessions in their presentations. These are often the people that fail in delivering and succeeding in their presentation. The reason? Because they lose the attention of the members of the audience. By creating interaction points where you spend time interacting with your audience, you will find that you maintain a steady stream of attention.
As you can see, it is quite a process to create and engage in that first presentation. However, as time progresses you will become more comfortable. You will also develop techniques of your own. You can start creating an effective speech based on the information concluded here!
Sound for Presentations
With the recent development of web conferences today, executives are very excited. In the past, if you had a meeting in a different city, travel plans and other criteria would have to be arranged. The executive would end up spending time away from home and family.
Web Conferences have become very popular with persons in such a position. There are several web hosting programs on the market today that can help set up just such a conference. You do not even have to leave your desk. These programs use a web browser with a whiteboard, chat, and video conference.
Using this type of program is designed for high impact content. They make it possible to create complete animated multimedia shows with audio and synchronized animations by using video streaming technologies. These technologies deliver content using two formats: virtual class room environments or ways that will address and help increase knowledge retention. Once the virtual conference is set up, it reduces preparation time for the next conference with customizable layouts and reusable archive content. By using an integrated audio from live events or specially produced audio narration. This allows the participant to view and interact with the program. It allows the presentation to be viewed before releasing it, during the conversion process to the online presentation.
A slide show can be created for the online viewers with fast access to any slide. It is a good idea to check the slides before the presentation to make sure the slide titles show up, including graphic only slides. Also check to make sure any audio recordings have been uploaded properly.
There are many different microphones that can be used to record your audio presentation, but for better quality, check to make sure your microphone and sound card are compatible. Using an expensive microphone doesn’t ensure high quality audio, if a cheap sound card is being used for the presentation. If this is the case, an audio mixer may be required for the input to the sound card. Microphones are designed to be used at a specific distance from the speaker. If it is too close it may pick up unwanted sounds.
When a recording is used with slides always advance the slide first, pause for a few seconds and then start recording. Uploading a presentation may take some time depending on the size of the presentation which includes the size of the files and the slides.
There are methods that can be used to import auto files. First, create and import one audio file for each slide. This file will then be assigned to a specific slide in the presentation. If individual audio files have been created, they can be imported at the same time if they have been properly named. One long audio file may be created using sound and timing markers.
Timing features are used for adding or changing slides or animations in the presentation, using the edit timings to make the changes. There is a set of tools that can be used for narrating accessible online presentation.
Creating presentations that are accessible to everyone is an important consideration for contact developers. Presentations that are delivered to an end users computer can reach a wider audience if the accessibility is considered at the development stage.
How To Make A Professional Poster Presentation
You are required to make a poster presentation. This may be for a conference or could be for a meeting with your company. However, if you have never learned how to make a professional poster presentation, this could be a difficult and even scary task for you. I cannot say that I blame you; it would be for anyone who has never done it before. However, you now have the resource you need to make an extremely professional poster presentation.
What Do You Have To Work With?
Knowing what you have to work with will be the biggest factor involved in the poster. You need to know what kind of space you are dealing with, what other elements you intend to include with the presentation such as materials, brochures, pamphlets, or reports. You will also need to make sure that you review any guidelines on posters that may be dictated by the conference itself.
Decide whether you will be hanging the poster up, putting it on display on a table, or displaying it on a board. This is important because it will help you in determining what type of poster to create and the size you will need.
When It Is Time For Creation
It is a good idea to start working on your professional poster presentation about two or three months before it is actually needed. This will make sure that you have enough time to get things where they need to be. Create several drafts, changing as needed and moving things around.
In the “older” days it was perfectly acceptable to create a presentation on simply a poster board, using stencils, and other such items. However, today this format is not acceptable and deemed unprofessional. Most often a professional poster presentation is done completely with the computer, which allows for better graphics and more attention grabbing colors and techniques.
What to Put
Now, it is important to understand that a professional poster presentation is informative, without having too much or being too cluttered. You want to make sure that you do not overwhelm those looking at the poster. Yes, interest and attraction is your goal, but overwhelming them with too much or having too little is a downfall for your presentation.
You want the poster to take less than five minutes to review and understand. Some key elements of the poster are the Title, the Company, Those working on the poster, and the information you are trying to portray. In other words, a professional poster presentation will provide answers to the 5 W’s, who, what, when, where, and why. You also want it to answer the how as well.
Keeping it simple, yet attractive is a key to learning how to make a professional poster presentation.
How to Create an Effective Public Speaking Outline
Creating an effective speaking outline is the core essential to ensuring that you succeed in your presentation. Preparation is a key element of success. The more time you spend organizing your thoughts, your goals, your motivations, and the facts that you will present to an audience, the better you will be at delivering these key items of interest. Here, you will be presented with a sample of a basic public speaking outline. If you put this to work for you, you are quite likely to walk out a success once the presentation has concluded and the curtains have closed.
I. Introduction
A. The first component of the introduction should get the attention of the individuals in the audience. You have to consider creative strategies to successfully scoop the audience right up in your hand and gain control of them. The interest of the audience is absolutely valuable to optimize the effectiveness of the public speech as a whole.
1. You may choose to use an interaction strategy with the audience.
2. You may elect to start off with a personal account that is enlightening and exciting to the listener.
3. You may choose to do something that keeps the audience tuned in for your next move.
B. Now, it is time to establish credibility. People want to know who you are and why you are the one that is issuing the speech. It is important that you handle this task at this point of the presentation.
C. Now, your speech outline should walk right into an introduction on the information that you will be revealing throughout the course of the public speech.
II. Main Event
A. When you come to the main event in your presentation, it is important to ensure that you have approximately three main points that you would like to convey to your audience.
B. While presenting facts and figures, it is important to provide various types of illustrations, important numbers that are related to your topic, as well as many different types of testimony to your audience.
C. It is important to ensure that you have an interaction event when concluding the presentation. While conducting this interaction, reinforce as much as you possibly can to the audience in order to ensure that their minds have been refreshed.
III. Conclusion
A. When creating a public speaking outline, it is essential that you take the time to restate important facts as you conclude the presentation.
B. Now, it is important to create a “call to action” – this will inform your audience of what they need to do next.
C. Now, it is time to conclude the presentation with any last minute emphasis and a basic “thank you” to the audience that has been a part of your presentation.
Creating an effective public speaking outline can mean the difference between delivering a memorable speech that will stay fresh in the minds of your audience, or creating a presentation that loses the interest of the audience before the presentation is concluded. If you want to be a highly motivated, successful individual who is revered when it comes to presentations, be sure to whip that paper and pen out and create a public speaking outline that will assist you in delivering your message.
How to Conquer Public Speaking
There are many individuals in the world who are simply viewed as “leaders” when it comes to the industry that they work in, the community events that they participate in, and even the classrooms in which they are a part of. These individuals are driven consistently with little or no outside help. They are strong and dedicated to their endeavours. They are responsible and ensure a high level of characters. These individuals have dignity and character. Unfortunately, they may have a secret fear that many do not realize – that is the fear of speaking in public. Here, I will provide easy strategies that you can use to learn how to conquer public speaking.
There are many different types of presentations and speeches that you may find yourself up for in life. You may be responsible for establishing trends in a call center, and then presenting the facts that relate to the common elements of productivity and finance management. You may be required to teach a Sunday school class. You may represent a major corporation in a potential client meeting. Regardless of the type of speech and/or presentation that you are going to prepare and issue, speaking in front of a multitude of individuals that you are not familiar with may prove to be an extremely challenging situation. Here, you will learn some effective techniques that can be used to overcome the challenge of public speaking, as well as the one where you accept that you are fully capable of successfully delivering the content that is important.
1. The first strategy is one that I hold dearly when it comes to overcoming the fear of public speaking – I put other people on the “spot”. This is really an easy task. You will simply want to ask open ended questions, and choose certain people to answer them. You may even play fun “games” with them that pulls in their interest. It is a known fact that when everyone is in the spotlight, and everyone is relaxed, it is more of a comfortable environment when it comes to issuing a public speech.
2. The next thing that you can do to eliminate fears that are associated with public speaking is to remember that all the individuals there are present to take something away. Ultimately, these individuals are not judging you, but they will be judging the content that you deliver. This is why it is a productive move to ensure that you spend more time and effort on your public speech outline than worrying if your audience will approve of you. True, there must be some form of credibility given to the audience so that they perceive you as an expert in your field, but if you follow a good speech outline, this will come across naturally.
3. The next thing that you can do to conquer public speaking is to use tools that will attract the interests of the people in the audience. An example would include creating a PowerPoint presentation, or simply passing a product around. If you feel as if all eyes are not on you, you may be able to speak to the public without as much fear.
Learning how to conquer public speaking is not a difficult task. This is even more true if you know and understand that your fears are internal. You have to make up your mind to conquer your fear, or its presence will always linger inside of you.
How Free Conference Call Services Work
Many businesses have the need for conference calls. Whether you need to have a meeting with business partners or employees around the world, or you want to talk with several customers at once, a conference call service may be just what you need.
I Want To Learn How Free Conference Call Services Work
It is really very easy to get started. Many providers now offer free conference call services. All you have to do is first find a provider that works well with your specific needs. Check to ensure that they offer free conference call services and sign up. You will first want to read all terms and conditions to see how they apply to you, if there are any hidden charges, and what is available to you when using the free option.
When learning how free conference call services work, you will likely have a few restrictions to work around. For instance, one restriction that may be placed on the service is how many callers can call into the number provided to you. The number of callers allowed will depend on the service itself.
Another restriction may be how long you can hold your conference call. Some free conference call services may limit your call to a maximum of three hours, while others may be shorter or longer. Furthermore, it is important to understand that the time allotted will begin will the very first person calls into the number.
Now, in order to get the number to call, you will need to register with the provider. They will provide you with the number to dial in, as well as an access code that you should provide to your callers in order to access your conference. Now another thing that you should know is that the number will most likely not be a toll-free number. It might be a long distance number for your callers, which will mean that they incur long distance charges while in the conference.
Now that you know how free conference call services work, you can start organizing your own conference calls. Now you can talk with your dow line and boost your company and coordinate team building exercises or you could even host a conference party if you choose. No matter what the need, free conference call services are an excellent, money saving feature for any company, large or small.
Some key points to remember in order to build an effective powerpoint presentation.
Do you know the most effective way to get your message across during a powerpoint presentation? Do you realize that good communication techniques are the key to a formidable presentation, and that there are a few key guidelines you need to follow in order to maximize your effectiveness when giving a powerpoint presentation. Whether you are a masters student, a professor, or a salesman, effective powerpoint skills can increase your ability to communicate effectively and get your point across, no matter what your project.
The key point you need to keep in mind is that powerpoint is just a tool for use while giving a presentation to a group of people. This means that you need to focus on the substance of your message at least as much as the presentation itself. The powerpoint presentation should serve as a source of way points to keep your lecture effective and on track.
For example, if your presentation is on hybrid vehicles, you shouldn’t include lots of writing in your presentation slides. Rather, you should include the key points and ideas that you want the audience to take away. Let’s say you want the audience to believe that hybrid vehicles are superior to conventional gasoline transport. Your presentation should outline the key points, like increased fuel efficiency, coupled with questions. The questions would include something that causes the audience to ask why what you are saying is correct, to which you will have the answer ready. In the case of hybrid cars, a slide would include a question like, “Why are hybrid cars a superior choice?” to which you would have the answer ready with bullets and speech.
In addition to building an effective outline of your presentation, you should also include pictures and diagrams. Diagrams and pictures will help reinforce the ideas you are trying to portray in your presentation. Only through an effective blend of graphics and ideas can you communicate your point of view efficiently and poignantly.
So, now for a brief recap of what it takes to make an effective powerpoint presentation. First, you need to gather your ideas efficiently, and utilize your presentation as an outline for your speech. Second, you need to reinforce your ideas with graphics, diagrams, and pictures. When you effectively utilize both of these aspects, you are almost guaranteed to reach your audience more effectively than you probably thought possible. Only through active communication can you accomplish your presentation goals.
Speaking Strategies To Capture Listeners
When you are speaking it is important to also listen. Here are 12 speaking strategies for staying focused and keeping your listeners attention while you are their focus.
12 Proven Strategies to Stay Focused When Speaking from the Platform
Whether you’re presenting to an audience, participating in a sales call or facilitating a meeting, if you struggle with active listening, chances are you’re missing opportunities that can advance your career. In a normal day, we all listen nearly twice as much as we speak and four to five times as much as we read and write (Rivers, 1981). The challenge for all of us is being 100% present throughout the day, being present in the moment to capture key points and ideas as a result of listening.
To test your own listening efficiency, think about how often you ask someone to repeat information, or how many times someone has said to you, “You’re not listening to me.” This occurs more than you might think, because most people only listen for the first three to four seconds of a conversation. After that, they’re formulating a response. No, it’s not just you!
Try these 12 proven strategies to stay focused:
1. Make solid eye contact and keep it. This shows your listener you’re really listening and helps you stay centered on what’s being communicated.
2. Pay attention to your listener’s body language. If they’re looking at you versus away from you, there’s a greater chance they’re interested in what you have to say—and will hear your message and be more open to the information. As a result, you increase the probability they’ll take the action you desire.
3. Is your listener walking away from you or crossing arms? Both of these behaviors are “closed” and communicate that your listener is unapproachable or in disagreement. Involve your listener in the conversation by asking an open-ended question that communicates you’re sincere and invites their participation.
4. Pause before answering. This encourages your listener to provide you with additional information and gives you an opportunity to “think on your feet.”
5. Listen for changes in your listener’s tone of voice, inflection, or volume. If the voice has more inflection, they’re communicating a positive response to your message. If your listener’s voice increases in volume or carries a harsh tone, listen and then respond with a softer volume and tone.
6. Listen for key ideas and facts. When your listener touches on something you want to know more about, simply repeat the statement as a question.
7. Summarize and paraphrase key points periodically to guarantee you’re hearing and understanding your listener’s words. Say, “If I understand you correctly…,” or “So what I hear you saying is…”
8. Be patient and avoid interrupting, even though you may believe what your listener is saying is wrong or irrelevant. Indicate simple acceptance, not necessarily agreement, by nodding or perhaps injecting an occasional “I see.”
9. Briefly and accurately acknowledge your listener’s concerns, frustrations, and challenges. Without acknowledgment, they’ll continue to focus on the emotion versus the issue being discussed. Say, “I can imagine you must feel…” or “I get the impression you’re unhappy about… “.
10. Don’t get emotionally involved. Avoid expressing your own personal views, because they may influence or inhibit what your listener says. Try simply to understand their concerns first and defer evaluation until later.
11. Encourage your listener to provide additional information with phrases such as, “Tell me more” or “As I understand it, what you’re saying is….”
12. “Listen” for what isn’t said. You’ll gain valuable information via your intuition. For example, your listener may say, “This solution is not negotiable; how will I afford it?” Your response may be, “So you’re concerned about how much this will cost you. Let me share with you some options.”
This speaking strategy article has been presented to you by:
Stacey Hanke of 1st Impression Consulting, Inc., focuses on changing communication behavior. She has coached over 4000 individuals worldwide how to enhance their ability to connect, engage and influence others to take action. Stacey is co-author of the book titled “Conversations on Success” and has a lengthy Fortune 500 client list. Visit her at www.staceyhanke.com to learn about how she can add value to your development.
I hope you’ve found this article on speaking strategies to keep your listeners attentive useful.
Other related Speaking Articles:
Speaking Strategies
Strategies To Capture Listeners
How to Conquer Public Speaking
Basic Presentation Skills for Beginners
Why You Should Use Speaker Presentation Folders
Work Through Your Fear of Public Speaking
Here are tips on marketing your seminar
Sell Seminar Seats Fast
Don’t Want to Wait Weeks Before You Sell Enough Seminar Seats to Meet
Your Minimum Goals? Use These 5 Secrets to Fill Seminar Seats Quickly
By Jenny Hamby, the Seminar Marketing Pro™
Certified Guerrilla Marketer and Direct-Response Copywriter
Experienced seminar promoters know that filling events typically requires a lot of work and even more lead time. But there are a few tricks you can use to fill some (maybe even most) seminar seats quickly.
The most obvious and easiest of these seminar marketing secrets are:
- Being the first to offer a seminar on whatever hot topic your prospects are begging for
- Proving that your seminar delivers the results and benefits your customers want
- Offering incredible value (note: this does not necessarily mean offering your seminar at a rock-bottom price)
- Limiting the number of seats … and telling prospects that reservations are being taken on a first-come, first-served basis
- Rewarding prospects who respond quickly
Then there’s the most overlooked way to fill an event fast: Building an incredible relationship with the customers and prospects on your list.
If people know, like and trust you, they’ll welcome communication from you … and eagerly scan (and maybe even read!) the marketing messages you send.
If they REALLY know, like and trust you – and your event meets the criteria above – they’ll race each other to the registration line.
This seminar marketing article by:
Jenny Hamby is a Certified Guerrilla Marketer and direct-response copywriter who helps speakers, coaches and consultants fill seminar seats and make more money from their own seminars and workshops. Her on- and offline direct marketing campaigns have netted response rates as high as 84 percent … on budgets as small as $125. For seven of her most powerful seminar marketing secrets, click here.
Here are tips on seminar promotions and seminar marketing
When to Launch Seminar Promotions
the Best Time to Kick Off Your Seminar Promotions
By Jenny Hamby, the Seminar Marketing Pro™
Certified Guerrilla Marketer and Direct-Response Copywriter
One of the deadliest marketing mistakes you can make when trying to successfully promote your own seminars and workshop is launching your promotional schedule too late. Many new seminar promoters wait until four to six weeks before their events to start promotions (sometimes even less) … and then can’t understand why their registration numbers are low.
The simple fact is that most prospective seminar attendees need time to clear their schedules and make up their minds about whether to attend your event.
Perhaps they want to do some research about you, to check your credentials and verify the claims that you make. Maybe they need to get permission from their approving manager. They might even just need to take some time to think about whether your seminar or workshop is going to be worth the investment of their time and money. Although a handful of prospects will decide within minutes of hearing about your event that they want to attend – even if it’s just a few days away – most people will need time.
Here are three rules of thumb to follow when determining the timing of your promotions:
- The longer the event, the further in advance you want to market. Attendees need more lead time to clear their schedules for a 3-day boot camp than for a 2-hour evening seminar.
- Allow more marketing time for paid events than for free events. It’s easier to say “yesî to something that’s free. Ask people to fork over their money, and they’ll need time to “think about it, to ensure they have the funds, to get the powers-that-be to approve their attendance, etc.
- The closer the relationship you have with your prospective attendees, the less time you may need to market to them. If you have an inner circle group or clients that work with you closely, sometimes all you need to do is tell them “Here’s an event - show up please - and they’ll respond. If you’re marketing to people who don’t know you as well, you need more time and “touches’ to get them to trust you enough to attend.
This seminar promotions article by:
Jenny Hamby is a Certified Guerrilla Marketer and direct-response copywriter who helps speakers, coaches and consultants fill seminar seats and make more money from their own seminars and workshops. Her on- and offline direct marketing campaigns have netted response rates as high as 84 percent … on budgets as small as $125. For seven of her most powerful seminar marketing
Seminars
Uses of an Effective Communication Seminar
Writing a Good Sales Letter
Writing a good sales letter isn’t just a matter of throwing up your page in a couple of days. Take time to research and follow this list of seven steps and you’ll have copy that’s written like the profession