Or in other words, Happy Chinese New Year!

January 23rd marked the year of the dragon and with the dragon comes lots and lots of babies. Why? Because children born in dragon years are supposed to be particularly lucky.

In fact, in previous dragon years, countries like China and Hong Kong have experienced massive baby booms and I read in the paper the other day that makers of pre-natal and infant care services are already rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of all these new babies.

So what, you might be asking, has this got to do with you and your public speaking aspirations or business goals?

Well, as the dragon is the only mythical creature out of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, it is seen as the most auspicious out of all the animals and is the link between the imaginary world and the real world.

In other words, it really is a special year to bring into manifestation something you have long been dreaming of. Or to use the baby analogy – to give birth to something you deeply desire.

Now this doesn’t have to be a child (although that is my deepest wish for this dragon year!) it could be something professional or something personal.

So what project or dream do you most secretly yearn to realize this year?

If you’ve never spoken in public before, is it to speak in public for the first time? Or if you’ve been speaking in public a while now, is it time to take the step up and put on your own public speaking event?

Do you have a financial goal? Dragon years represent change and mobility and in terms of economy, tend to herald in better economic wealth. It’s an energetic year and a great year for entrepreneurship.

So is it time to leave your job and set up your own business? Giving birth can be to a new business or even just a new project. Or is now the year to create those products you’ve been talking about doing for years?! Perhaps this dragon year is when you really start to leverage your time and make some passive income.

Or would you like to manifest something more personal than that? To bring forth and co-create a deep and meaningful relationship?

To set sail on a round the world adventure?

Or like myself and Greg, is it to have children?

So this week, I invite you to think of one great dream you want to give birth to this dragon year and see come forth into its physical manifestation.

Keep in mind my advice from my new year blog post and really take a moment to connect with your deeper self. This means the goals and intentions come from the higher self and not your ego.

The Truth About Those New Year Goals

Now is the perfect time to set forth your intention into the world.

And if you’ve landed on this blog post and your goals are purely speaking related, know that there’s tons of resources on this blog to help you, anything from filling the room, writing your own copy, shooting your own videos and lots more speaking tips!

How To Fill A Room

The Anatomy Of The Perfect Squeeze Page

How To Create A Professional Video Even Spielberg Would Be Proud Of

Sow the seed of your desire and know with dragon energy on your side, anything is possible.

I invite your comments, thoughts and dragon dreams below.

“Dear Joey,

The more I listen to you talk about how successful your 1-day speaking events are, the more incapable I feel. You get hundreds of people in your room but when I recently ran a preview night for my 1-day workshop only 12 people turned up and only 3 people booked! Now my 1-day workshop is coming up early next month and I’m afraid NO-ONE is going to show up. Do I really have to go and do another preview night? How else do I fill this room other than market to my list?

I’m on the verge of giving up.

HELP!

In gratitude,

Susan”

Sound familiar?!

Knowing how to market your seminars and filling your rooms are such a common source of pain for us speakers, I thought I would share her email and my response:

Hi Susan,

First of all do not give up!

I hear stories like yours ALL the time. I’m not going to lie, filling the room is the hardest thing about speaking. Far harder than actually standing on stage delivering the content!

And before I share some seminar marketing strategies with you, let’s get things straight. I haven’t always put on huge events! It’s easy to forget that because I now have a fantastic team around me, that when I first started I was just like you. Remember, we all have to start somewhere.

In fact, I remember the very first event I put on – it was a client appreciation night in my own home – and I invited less than 20 people and most of them were friends and family! I was racked with nerves too but I made a few sales and I was over the moon!

You see, that small success gave me the confidence to go onto bigger and better things which ultimately led to me setting up my own business and putting on my own 1-day events and becoming who I am today.

So wherever you are right now is the perfect place for you! Give yourself permission to be small when you start out and that means setting realistic targets.

(Honestly, the amount of times I hear people who have NO list say they’re going to get 150 people + in a room in less than 4 weeks time. Yes that can happen, but it’s the exception to filling a room and not the rule!)

Now in terms of the practical advice, here are 8 key guidelines for filling a room:

1. 12 Week Lead-in

   Give yourself a 12 week lead-in for marketing your seminar. This means your sales page and promotional emails need to be prepared in advance of these 12 weeks. We’ve found anything between a 12-week to 8-week lead-in works best for our list.

   TIP: A lot of people either book right at the beginning or right on the deadline so remember to angle your email copy to those people specifically. Offer earlybird bonuses for booking quickly and then angle your copy to the ‘fence sitters’ toward the end.

2. Is Your Event A No-Brainer?

   Make it a no-brainer to attend your preview night or workshop. Offer good quality free bonuses and make sure you deliver exceptional value – not a sales pitch. Make it such a feast that the only choice is to attend!

   TIP: Use testimonials from happy clients as social proof.

3. Hire A Copywriter

   If you’re not a great copywriter, invest in someone to look over the copy for you. A few tweaks here and there could be all the difference between a 10% conversion or a 1% conversion on your sales page. The reason why copywriters can charge a lot of money is because of the money they make you!! Too often I see a great idea let down by weak copy. If you can’t afford a copywriter, then in your emails offer a clear message to market match, some clean bullets and at least 2 links to your registration page. Use of success stories also works well.

   TIP: Don’t be too salesy in your emails. Coming from the heart will create a stronger connection in today’s email saturated market place.



4. Is Your Niche Clear?

   This is really important and something I talk about a lot – make sure the event has a clear niche and that you have a very clear message to market match! For example, our niche are small business owners, coaches, entreprenuers and our message is how to leverage your time through speaking so you stop trading time for money and start reaching more people. Not nailing the niche is one of the biggest reasons events don’t fill or why you don’t get great conversions.

   TIP! If you don’t do anything else, just do this one!

5. Seek JV Partners and Alliances

   If you’ve only got a small list or even no list, I wouldn’t suggest going to the big promoters, but do find people who have approximately the same list size or a ‘step up’ from you. Offer them an incentive to send for you, for example a percentage of the ticket sales or if you do have a good-sized list, a reciprocal email for them.

   TIP! Make sure you write the promotional emails for their list – basically you want to give them everything on the plate already done to make it as easy as possible for send out to their list.

6. Set-Up An Affiliate Program

   Set up an affiliate program and make it easy to join! Again, take away any effort to someone being an affiliate. Offer 50% or more on the front-end ticket price. If you are selling something at the event, your money will come on the back-end so you can afford to be generous on the front-end.

7. Keep Building Your List

   Keep focusing on building your list with new prospects! The more new prospects, the more people you can market to with news of your 1-day event. Social media is a great way to engage new people, or guest talk on other’s webinars, write value packed blogs like this one and have your squeeze page offering a relevant free gift like ours:

   http://www.shiftspeakertraining.com/

   When you are building your list, the idea is to offer a free gift to draw people in and start a relationship with them. So you don’t want to be marketing your event to these new prospect straight away but at some point, you do want to let them know you’re putting on a live event to give them the opportunity to see you in person!



8. Social Media

   If like Susan, you’re just putting on a preview night, then use social media to its fullest! Set up an event for it on Facebook and then invite your friends and ask them to share the link with as many people as possible. You might want to film a short video and post this too. You could even put on a free 60minute webinar in addition or as an alternative to get people into your 1-day.

   TIP: If you are using social media, then remember to ‘seed’ your idea with status updates/tweets which are about your topic and invite interaction.

9. Be Realistic!

   Remember what I said at the beginning – keep your expectations realistic. If you’ve never put on an event before aiming for 20 people is a good start. Go up incrementally from that point on. Quality is always better than quantity in the beginning.

So, now you have some clear strategies for filling a room or getting people to attend your preview night. No-one ever said it was easy, but it doesn’t have to be that hard either!

If you’ve got any marketing seminar tips for how to fill a room, share them below or if you’re looking for JV partners, share that below too!

So, let’s look at how to make your videos look slick and professional. Our resident video expert Daniel Coffey has stepped in here to provide a few top video tips:

Practice to be a Pro

You don’t have to spend hours and hours going over what you are going to say again and again, but it is worth practicing what you plan to say a few times.

Treat your video like you would treat a presentation to your audience from stage. You wouldn’t just jump on stage without an idea of what to say would you?

• Make up a story in your head to keep you on track with your message’s key points
• Don’t tie yourself to a script, follow some bullet points instead but keep the flow natural
• Think about the purpose behind your video. Is it to get an opt-in? To introduce yourself? To sell a product or service? Always be clear on your outcomes before you speak otherwise the video message will be vague.

Present like a Pro

Many people freeze up when talking to a camera – after all it’s not a real human being right? The problem is that when you think of the camera like that you end up talking in a very stilted way and you come across as unconnected.

Instead – do my Speaker’s Focus Process, and imagine an audience of your biggest fans are there right in front of you…

Then do your presentation to your audience and speak to them through the camera… trust me – it works wonders.

Think carefully about your choice of outfit, as your look reflects your brand. If you are selling business to business then dress accordingly, ask yourself  “would I present on stage to my clients wearing this outfit?”.

And whilst we are on the subject of presentation remember what your choice of background says about you, an untidy office does not give out the best message to your prospective clients!

Consider your Editor

Sometimes it is possible to get your message perfect in one take, but what if you coughed at the wrong time, or the dog barked or countless other things that can happen to ruin that perfect take? There are going to be times when you will want to edit together different clips from different takes – here’s how to make sure your editing is super easy.

• If you’re not using a green screen, keep your background stable and the same for every take to make sure the background doesn’t jump when you cut it together.
• Try to film with the least amount of background noise.
• If you’re filming outside, use overhead light, not late or early morning.
• Don’t face straight into the sun (you’ll squint) or have the sun directly behind you (your face will be in shadow)

Consider the Mood

What is the mood and energy of your message? Music is a great way of livening up the video, particularly at the beginning and end and is an extremely powerful way of turning a standard “monologue video” into something that draws people in and makes them want to watch. Fade in and fade out with music and your video is suddenly 100 times more dynamic. There are some caveats to music usage though.

• Use copyright free music
• Get the volume mix right – too loud and you can’t be heard, too quiet and the music won’t work.
• Use copyright free music!
• Think about the mood the music creates and match it to your message
• Use copyright free music!!

Promote like a Pro

Once you have filmed your video and edited it you want people to watch it. So sign up to youtube for your very own account and upload your video(s) there. Place a graphic at the bottom of your video with your website link on it where the client can find more information about you.

• Use relevant keywords on youtube to help your video to be found
• Post your video on your Twitter account
• Post your video on your Facebook account

So there are my top video tips. Has anyone else got any tips to add to this? I’d love to hear from you!

There are 7 Key Elements to a Profitable Sales Presentation.

These 7 Keys are spelled out here assuming you will make a sale at the end of your presentation. But these same 7 Key Elements are will work even if you are not closing a sale.

You can use these same 7 steps with a little creativity to inspire someone to book in for a one on one consultation or to get your prospects contact details to add to your database.

All the principles are the same.

But right here I focus on sales presentations – because once you can do that- you can do anything!

Before I share these 7 steps the first thing you need to do however is be really clear what action you want your audience to take at the end. This is not about getting you a round of applause remember – this is about getting you more business. So what do you want them to do?

Do you want them to:

• Buy your product or service on the spot?
• Book in a consultation with you or one of your sales people?
• Join your mailing list?

Get really clear in your mind what the outcome from the sales presentation is and then it’s as simple as these 7 key elements:

1. Create Connection:
   Become a welcome guest and inspire trust and responsiveness in your audience.
2. Get Permission To Do Your Thing:
   Demonstrate credibility and earn the right to be speaking to your audience by illustrating your past results as powerfully as possible.
3. Engage with Your Content:
   Decide on the action you want the audience to take, and craft the backbone of your presentation with this end in mind.
4. Establish a Need:
   Create dissatisfaction in your audience by illustrating where they are vs where they want to be.
5. Reveal the Product and Build Tension:
   Give a benefit driven description of your product.
6. Make a No-Brainer Offer:
   The most important part of your sales presentation – package up your product with bonuses, and ensure you create urgency and take away risk
7. Invite Immediate Action:
   Finish powerfully with a commanding invitation to buy.

For Your Next Sales Presentation, Try This!
If you have products and services you’re passionate about then in your next sales presentation make a commitment to yourself that you will follow these 7 steps. See what a difference it makes to your presentation. Become a speaker who influences action, not just a speaker gets a round of applause.

Did you know that speaking is the most powerful lead generation tool you can use to grow your business?

Number One Business Growth Strategy…  Use This And Watch Your Profits Explode!

Speaking on stage is not just about turning up, making a speech and getting paid for it.  This is old school.  The kind of speaking I teach is how to set up a profitable speaking business.  If you’re looking for one simple thing to do which will grow you business . . . look no further than speaking on your topic.

Give a 90-minute presentation full of valuable content (and believe me, you could be in ANY business!) and within this presentation include an irresistible offer for your audience to take the next step with you.

You can use speaking to generate new leads, bring in new clients or make more sales in an afternoon than you made all month!  It’s not uncommon for some of my clients to add $100, $1,000 or even $10,000 to their income EVERY MONTH.

Start Small

If you’ve never spoken publicly before, a great way to start is to speak in front of just a handful of people.  The confidence you will draw from this experience will allow you to get up in front of a bigger audience.

I’ve got many successful clients who decided they were going to learn how to present from stage precisely because they were so terrified of it. They knew if they didn’t overcome their fears it would hold them back from all the other opportunities life throws us.

From Painfully Shy Child To $130,000 In Ticket Sales In 3 Short Months

As a child I was incredibly shy.  Like many other people, I had to work through my own issues about getting up on stage.  It was about letting go of the past and stepping out of my comfort zone.

Once I had mastered that, I made over $130,000 in ticket sales in 3 short months and without even a database of my own!

I don’t say this to toot my own horn . . . I say this to show you what is possible when YOU use speaking on your topic to grow your business.

Go For It!

So now you know speaking on your topic is the single most powerful, the fastest and the most effective way to grow your business, why not plan your first presentation and get out there and see your sales soar? So right now, make a commitment to yourself that you will take some action.  I look forward to seeing you on the platforms of the world.

I often get asked for tips on public speaking.  Often, people think there is some kind of science or formula to being on stage.  But the truth to being a successful public speaker is much simpler than that.

Listen very carefully . . ..

. . . All you need to do is . . . .

Be yourself.

This means when you are on stage never try to put on an act or mimic or model another person. Instead honour yourself and the values you uphold.

Avoid This Mistake!

One of the biggest mistakes I see new speakers make on stage is when they try to be someone other than themselves.  Public speaking tip number one! Never do this!! Do not try to be someone you are not.  Do not model some polished hotshot American speaker you’ve seen, or try and be some kind of stand up comedian or anything other than your true self

The irony is – when you are your true self – this is when you have the most impact!

People really respond to authenticity. Audiences are not dumb – they can spot when someone is putting on an act.  So when someone is true to his or herself on stage people connect to this on much deeper level.

Ask Permission To Be You!

Well, if you’re not confident on stage or you have fear about public speaking – you could ask the audience: “Is it ok if once in a while I have to use my notes?” or “Is it ok once in a while if use my power-point presentation because this is my first time presenting this material.’ Your audience will respect your honesty and will warm to your authentic self far more than if you were to stand on stage and try to blag it.

You Don’t Have To Be Super-Human!

When you admit to your flaws and admit you’re not a super-human, people like that element of truth.  When they trust you . . . they’re far more likely to buy off you too.

Here’s another public speaking tip for you and maybe even more important than the last.  The first person you need to ask permission off is yourself.  Yes, it is acceptable to be you!  Authenticity comes from a place of acceptance and compassion.  It also comes from a place of self-worth.

Is who you are worth sharing with the world?

Authenticity is peeling back the layers of the surface identity to reveal the bright, shining light of YOU.

Your Turn

So this week, think about how authentic you are on stage or in your business.  If you’re not as authentic as you think you could be, ask yourself why and what steps you can take toward your own personal and professional authenticity.

It seems there’s a lot of you out there hungry to know how platform speaking can skyrocket your profits.

So, let’s look at how to manage your money  Our GM, Donna Powell has stepped in here to provide a few tips for managing cash flow in your business.

So often in business people talk about revenue or turnover – how much money is coming in the door. Let me ask you a question?

If someone makes $100, 000 in a weekend, is that good or not?

It was a trick question.  Because it’s only as good as their profit margin! If someone made $100,000 in a weekend but it cost them $140,000 to do that, it’s not actually as good as if someone made $1,000 in a weekend but it only cost them $900 to deliver.

What is Cash Flow?

Revenue in a business is important, but profit (which is revenue less expenses) is even more important. There’s one thing though that’s even more important than profit… and that’s cash flow.

Cash flow is in simple terms, having enough money in your bank accounts to cover what’s going out.

In many event related businesses revenue can be cyclical, up and down, up and down. Some expenses are specific to the event but there are other expenses such as staff wages and computer expenses that are Operating Expenses and will happen all year round, whether there is an event on or not. And it’s important to make sure you have enough in the bank to cover these.

So What Can You Do To Make This Easier?

Here are 3 tips to manage your cash flow easier.

1. Some businesses actually transfer a portion of their revenue into another bank account to cover GST/VAT. Separating it out when you collect it means you know it’s not really ‘yours’ and will have enough there when the bills come in.
2. Having a Financial Calendar is a great idea. Along with all your dates for your events and product launches, you also want to add in the due dates for your payments and returns etc.
3. The other great thing you can do is a projected cash flow.  Firstly map out your estimated revenue for the year, based on when your events or product launches are and how much you expect to sell. Then add in your expected expenses and costs. Then each month, keep a track of how it’s going and compare the actual figures to your estimate so you can make sure you’ve got enough money in the bank to cover everything that’s upcoming.

How To Solve A Cash Flow Problem

Despite your best efforts sometimes unexpected costs can arise and cash flow can be squeezed.

So what can you do if there’s a cash flow problem?

1. Collect your debts – do people owe you money? Get on the phones and ask for it now.
2. Reduce your expenses – are there things you can cut or delay? Can you get different terms from any of your suppliers?
3. Increase revenue – have a launch of a new product, get on a stage somewhere, run a webinar, do a special offer or sale on products to get some more revenue coming in.

Summary

I hope this has helped clarify how important managing cash flow is in your business.  If it all seems a bit much for you, then have a shop around and get an accountant.  Just as you are an expert at your topic, they are the experts when it comes to helping you to plan and manage your finances in your business and getting good advice upfront can make the world of difference to you and your business.

Did you know that speaking on your topic is the most powerful lead generation tool you could use in your business?

It’s true. Speaking on your topic is the fastest and the most effective way to grow your business. And if you’re nervous about speaking in public you don’t even have to get up on stage. Why not try an online webinar instead?

In today’s crowded market place you need to find ways to stand head and shoulders above your competitors. And the easiest way to do this is speak publicly on your topic either on stage or on a webinar. Because when you speak publicly everyone will suddenly assume you are the ‘expert’.

When you are the expert you command authority AND you command more money.

Watch Your Profits Explode!

Speaking with authority on your topic is not just about turning up, making a speech and getting paid for it. This is old school! The kind of speaking I teach is how to set up a profitable speaking business.

Give a 90 minute presentation full of valuable content on your topic (and believe me, you could be in ANY business!) and within this presentation include an irresistible offer for your audience to take the next step with you. This next step could be a 1-day course, an online product, a membership site, your coaching services . . . . basically any online or physical products!

Once you expand yourself to all the possibilities, you can use speaking to generate new leads, bring in new clients or make more sales in an afternoon than you made all month! It’s not uncommon for some of my clients to add $100, $1,000 or even $10,000 to their income EVERY MONTH.

Start Small
If you’ve never spoken publicly before, a great way to start is to speak in front of just a handful of people or run a small webinar. The confidence you will draw from this experience will allow you to get up in front of a bigger audience.

From Painfully Shy Child To $130,000 In Ticket Sales In 3 Short Months
As a child I was incredibly shy. Like many other people, I had to work through my own issues about getting up on stage. It was about letting go of the past and stepping out of my comfort zone. And now look at me . . . I love being up there!

Not only that, I make a lot of money from my passion. Using just one of my profit principles – The 7 Steps To An Effective Presentation – I made over $130,000 in ticket sales in 3 short months and without even a database of my own!

I don’t say this to toot my own horn . . . I say this to show you what is possible when YOU step out of your comfort zone and dare to expand.

Go For It!
Remember, your ideas and thoughts are valuable and people will pay to learn from you. As I said before, speaking on your topic is the single most powerful way to grow your business. So if you’re committed to watching your profits explode, start sharing your value with anyone who’ll listen. You might just find your business goes through the roof!

Marketing your seminars is one of the greatest obstacles I find with people starting out in the public speaking business.

Who on earth am I going to present to?

Where are they all and how do I get them into a room?

Let’s look at 2 easy options for you to find your target market:

1. Pre-existing groups.

   This is by far and away the simplest strategy. Once you have determined your ideal audience, the next logical step is to ask yourself:

   “Where are groups of these people already gathering?”

   Your target market, more often than not, are already meeting together in groups somewhere:
   

   • clubs
   • associations
   • seminars
   • workshops
   • social groups
   • companies
   • small businesses

   All these organisations are having regular events or meetings, just longing for some great inspiring speakers to come and share their wisdom. Don’t discount yourself – every group, organisation or company is looking for someone to come and add value and inspiration to their members or employees.

   Advantages of pre-existing groups:

   • they are already meeting and often looking for speakers
   • they are closely knit and self-defining, so it is obvious if they are your market or not
   • they already have marketing in place so you don’t have to worry about it as much
   • they will pay for room hire and equipment
   • they might have colleagues, associates or other chapters that they will refer you to

   Disadvantages:

   • they have pre-conceived ideas about how speakers present and may be reluctant to let you sell
   • you have no control over the marketing, so its up to them to fill the room
   • it needs a little more organising from a “how do we collect the money and process orders” perspective
2. Create your own group

   If you already have a business or a client list – even if there are only 8 people on it- one of the simplest things you can do is have a “Client Appreciation Night”. Invite your clients to bring a guest along to an evening. Put on a drink or two and share with them some ground breaking information in your industry.

   At the evening you then do your awesome presentation and make some sales right there on the night to people who already know and love you, and their friends.

   Of course if your database is 1000 people- the numbers get more fun more quickly, but I want to stress on you that you can start marketing your seminars on a small scale.

   Advantages of Your Own Crowd:

   • you set the rules and you can sell as hard or soft as you like
   • some may have already bought from you, so they are more pre-disposed to buy from you again. Did you know that over 70% of your sales come from customers with repeat business rather than new clients?
   • you get to control every aspect of their experience: the lighting, the sound, the tea breaks. . .
   • you can manage how “ready to buy” they are by doing good marketing in the lead up to the event

   Disadvantages:

   • you have to do all the marketing, event management, as well as the speaking
   • it’s generally more expensive because room costs, AV etc are footed by you

   Food For Thought

   Now that you have 2 easy strategies to find to your target market, what about going out there this week and either planning a client appreciation night of your own or even approach an organization to book yourself a speaking slot!

Creating your dream lifestyle is not a myth.  It can be your reality.

Take a moment to imagine your dream lifestyle.  What would it involve?  For most people, it involves some of the following ingredients:

• Foreign travel
• More time off to relax and pursue your hobbies
• Quality time with your family and friends
• New clothes
• New hairstyles
• New cars!

And the list goes on . . .

The Myth

But here’s where the myth begins.

Most people believe all this is beyond their grasp. As a child, all this seemed possible and yet as adult-hood sunk its cynical claws in, these goals become dreams, which in turn become ideals, which in turn become a faraway concept forever out of your grasp…

But this doesn’t have to be the case.

You Can Create Your Dream Lifestyle.

It’s just that most people don’t know HOW to create their dream lifestyle. And the sad fact is . . . it’s actually far easier than people think! People chase the magic pill of success which will change their lives, but as a business owner, if you just focus on the following 3 strategies and apply yourself, you can create your dream lifestyle.

1. Increase Your Income: Using smart and effective marketing strategies you can increase both the number of customers you have and the amount each customer spends. Which will in turn…..
2. Give You More Time Off: As you bring more money into your business you won’t have to work so hard. The goal here is to free up 25% of your time (minimum) to work toward passive income streams.
3. Leverage Your Business Into Passive Income: You will then be able to select the quickest and easiest way to create passive income, in a way that works WITH your natural talents; not against them.

Summary
By following these 3 strategies, you could be on your way to creating your dream lifestyle. Don’t be one of the masses, why not take a step this week toward increasing your income so you can get more time off and leverage your business into passive income. . . . You never know, your dream lifestyle could be just around the corner.