In-box Stress

You know what “in-box stress” is, don’t you?  It’s that horrid feeling you have when you turn on your computer in the morning and groan at your overloaded in-box. 

Email Overwhelm

Back in the ‘old days’ all we had to manage was the telephones and the post.  These days we have email as well.  If you’re one of those people struggling to cope with the deluge you get sent each day, you’re not alone.   We all get way more e-mail than we can fully act on. The in-box gets bigger and bigger and rapidly spins out of control leading to email overwhelm and stress.

Letting The Inbox Rule Us

The real problem is not with reading email but rather with doing the tasks that come from the email.  Having to take action on each email eats a massive chunk of our day.   If you’re anything like most people, then you don’t have a natural way to prioritize your reactions to your email.  Instead you just try and do it all there and then – acting on each email as it comes in.  Not only can we not keep up that way, but all our important work does not even get done – we end up prioritizing the email over everything else – simply because we are letting our inbox rule us.

Taking Charge of The Inbox

Simple! Don’t read the messages as they come in.  Read them periodically, no more than every hour or so. Or perhaps even just once or twice a day.  Research shows that it takes several minutes to recover from each work interruption, and that’s what scattered email reading leads to.  Now for a big tip, turn off the email notifications!  That way you stop jumping each time a new email pings in.

The next step is this: don’t take significant actions on emails when you first read them – unless they are truly urgent. Instead, put those actions on your to-do list.

As you read through your batch of emails, task each one that needs action onto your to-do list.  Prioritize them as you would any other task.  This way you treat your email no more or no less importantly than the other tasks in your day.  I suggest writing your task list first, then checking your in-box, adding your email tasks to the list and then prioritising the entire list. That way your e-mail doesn’t rule you – you rule your email.

The End of In-box Stress

Converting emails to tasks is a powerful practice.  It gifts you time  – as you are not bogged down doing e-mail actions prematurely, you’ll get through your email much faster.  Conversion to tasks also stops email from completely hijacking your workday!

Before you were answering emails and taking action just because it was at the top of your in-box.  Now you’re putting the email action onto your single task-list and working from your priorities. As a result, the most important tasks get completed first, rather than the other way round….

Converting emails to tasks takes away the stress from managing your inbox. As the email tasks are now on one list, this means you can empty your in-box easily.  Your task-list holds all your actions so you can empty and file the inbox daily.

The freedom of an empty inbox is such a relief.  It takes away stress and gives you more time to get on with your important tasks.  Why don’t you make a start right now into tasking your email actions onto your to-do list and enjoy the extra time it gives you…..

• A really effective way to establish credibility with your audience is to use testimonials
• If you can get a testimonial from a known name in the industry then it will go a long way to establishing you as an expert in the mind of your audience.
• Written testimonials are OK – but video testimonials are better

Your voice becomes your money-making machinery.

Developing your voice also:
Builds your confidence on and off stage
Having a strong and powerful voice builds and carries your confidence to every member in your audience.

There are two sides to this coin:

1. It’s your voice that will give you away if you’re not confident.
2. A confident voice will cause you to feel more confident in your presentation and in yourself generally.

So with a good strong confident voice you’re going to really make that lasting impression we are after.  It is a positive feedback loop.

It enables you to perform and create whilst on stage

A powerful and flexible voice gives you the ability to create the most incredible moods. These are the moments where it is just you and the audience, hanging on your every word, feeling your every nuance.
Your voice enables you to create a full palette of moods:

• Conspiracy: “shhh- don’t tell anyone but…”
• Expectation:  “when all of a sudden, you would not believe it…”
• Pain: “It was the most heart-wrenching decision I had ever had to make…”
• Elation or hysteria:  “I was stunned, rapt, we were wildly celebrating…”
• Seduction: “As I looked at the options, I could tell there was really no choice but to…”

You name it…with your voice, you can create it.

When you become a master of creating mood in your audience, what happens is you become a master of the emotional journey of your audience.

A salesperson who is in control of the emotional journey of the person in front of them can control the action they take on that journey…and there you have it – “sales” in a nutshell.  This is why sales from public speaking is so powerful.  You’re not just converting one person, you’re converting hundreds!

When you can control the emotional journey of your audience you can control the action they take on that journey.

So, next time you stand on stage with the aim of making sales, why don’t you spend some time focusing on creating mood in your audience and then see what happens when you take them on an emotional journey.  You never know what magic might happen to your conversion rate!

The ‘X Factor’ 
The Missing Link That Stands Between You 
and Fame and Fortune

“Let’s face it, like it or not, you’ve got to agree we’ve become a celebrity focused
society. People thrive on the Hollywood gossip. Just mention Paris, or Madonna, or Britney Spears and you’ve got many people’s attention. Sad but true. I mean, it’s got to the stage now where Paris Hilton is famous for being famous. Go figure hey.

 
In a perfect world, nurses would be paid more than celebrities. Teachers would be on top dollar. But no; we crave entertainment and stars are paid a fortune….

(let’s face it, speakers - we know its the famous speakers that get the gigs right? - Joanna)

If only you were famous right?!!
 
But guess what? You can be famous. In fact, you can easily dominate your market,
instantly becoming the super hero of your niche. It’s easier than you think. Savvy Marketers have known of this “missing link” for years… have shamelessly exploited this secret and are reaping the celebrity rewards on offer.
 
And no, I’m not talking about “being recognised and mobbed at airports” kinda famous – although some do achieve such fame – what I’m talking about is being known in your niche as THE person to see… THE person at the top of the mountain.
This way, when your prospects think of your business category they automatically think of you.

To get the rest of the report and find out Pete’s recommendations on how to “Increase Your X-Factor” in your market place… a strategy you MUST work on consistently if you want to be a profitable speaker… grab a copy of the report for yourself right here…

For more information go to: www.shiftspeakertraining.com/cashcharacters/blog

Register Now for this FREE Webinar Series where I will reveal how I started with absolutely no database, and grew a successful 7 figure speaking business in my first year

“The ABCs of Growing Your Business Through Speaking”

Join me on these webinars, where I will reveal the EXACT steps I took to create a lifestyle business from my passion and to skyrocket my income to multiple 7-figures in the first year. (And just in case you’re thinking “I couldn’t do that”- discover how many of my clients have done the same- and how you could too…)

In this FREE webinar series I will reveal:

• NEW and easy ways to use SPEAKING and the INFORMATION PRODUCTS to create a business that you LOVE!
• The ABCs of a successful speaking business. Each webinar will focus on a different aspect of your business success.
• How to create an ELEGANT BUSINESS MODEL as a back-end to your speaking so that you can STOP trading your time for money, and get your knowledge working for you.
• How to STOP selling one-to-one and START selling one to hundreds… or even thousands! (This leverage is your KEY to super-fast income growth despite the “tough times”.)
• BRAND NEW strategies and secrets that I’ve just uncovered to grow my business FASTER and attract wealth easier than ever before. (And believe me, your mindset is just as important as your marketing and sales.)

These calls are a sneak preview of my “Shift Presentation Profits” LIVE TRAININGS happening in both March in Melbourne, Australia and November in London, UK.

Take my word for it… you DON’T want to miss this FREE webinar series.

Click here to get registered immediately

FIRST CALL ON OCTOBER THE 22ND

Calls will be once a month, commencing on the 22nd of October, 2009.

In this video, captured at this Saturday’s event I explain why it is so important to appreciate the difference and “niche down” in your speaking business.

Sorry about the quality of the vid- it was just a quick digital camera job at the back, but the content is great.

There are a few remaining tickets to Saturday’s  Presentation Secrets Event in London. Just go to www.ShiftPresentationSecrets.com.

Create a great opt-in page to build your community using these great tips:

1. Have a nice bold headline at the top with a benefit driven statement
2. On the left, underneath the headline, a video of you discussing your free gift
3. On the right, an opt-in box so people can join your database and receive your free gift
4. A series of “blind” bullet points that describe your free gift without giving too much away
5. Another opt-in box at the bottom to capture people’s details

I recommend driving all your traffic to this page, give it out as your web site at speaking gigs and on teleseminars.

Cheers,

Joanna

How do you get the right media attention for your speaking business? I didn’t really know, so I asked my good friend and Our Internet Secrets colleague and faculty member Sue Gardiner to write an article for me.

Enjoy!
Joey

The 3 Biggest Myths About Free Publicity Busted

By journalist & media & marketing strategist Sue Gardiner

There are certain misconceptions and lies about free publicity that have been floating around for donkey’s years that I want to kill once and for all.

Myth # 1 – Be careful using free publicity because journalists will often turn nasty and you’ll end up with negative exposure

You’ve seen camera crews chasing their unfortunate victims on current affairs shows and you’ve probably come away with the impression that this could happen to you.

The truth is that it’s highly unlikely. Here’s why…

In 99.9% of those cases, the media approached these people not the other way around.

But when you’re the one approaching the media all they know about you is what you’ve told them in your press release.

So they are almost certainly going to follow the positive publicity angle you’ve handed them.

Those negative stories stick in your mind. But they happen way less often than you think.

So don’t cheat yourself out of the benefits of free PR by false fears.

Two of my clients who had similar fears about appearing on Channel Nine’s A Current Affair, for example, have made over $500,000 and counting from their one minute on screen.

Do you think they’re pleased they overcame their paranoia?

Damn straight!

Myth # 2 – A press release is similar to an ad

Writing your press releases like ads is the fastest way to get them binned.

Instead, you need to position yourself as a provider of a newsworthy story or quality information NOT as a salesperson. 

If you learn this one lesson, you’ll be ahead of 95% of other free publicity seekers.

Myth # 3 – You’ve got to know someone in the media to get free publicity.

As in any area of life, having media contacts sure doesn’t hurt.

But journalists write thousands of stories every year and we don’t have that many friends. Some of us don’t have any friends.

I’ve successfully gotten my clients tens of thousands of dollars of publicity despite having no personal contacts in the newsrooms that I was targeting.

This is great news because it means everyone can cash in on free media exposure.

For a free 10-page report by Sue Gardiner valued at $37 called the ‘The 5 Biggest Mistakes Free Publicity Seekers Make… And How To Avoid Them’ visit www.FreePublicityForProfit.com

I’m always asked “how do I get more gigs?”  Well the problem for most speakers is not that they aren’t decent speakers.  It’s that no-one knows they exist!  Which is why, for better or for worse you have to work at increasing two fundamentals:

1. Your Celebrity
2. Your Credibility

Help people get to know you! You should film every engagement you do and edit together a “showreel” a bit like this.  It should show off some teaching, some fun, some audience involvement and maybe some testimonials too.

That way promoters can see your style and feel good about having you speak at their event.

Cheers,

Watch this Video Now…

(for more like this and other free training subscribe to our Youtube Channel)

Feature Article: Sales Letters That Fill Seminars-  The Big Idea!

… with guest contributor – Pete Godfrey

Pete Godfrey- Copywriting Guru!

Sales letters that fill seminars is a BIG subject; too big for this small article. However, I’m going to give you one big tip to take on board that almost guarantees your next event is a sell out. And look, I’ve been a copywriter for the past 10 years. Tens of thousands of people have gone to seminars because of the words I’ve written. So frankly, I know a thing or two about this subject… might pay to listen up.

Understand this: It doesn’t matter what kind of seminar you are running; from an Intro Night workshop to new prospects to a multi-day event to your own Tribe; your seminar needs one BIG thing to make it a success.

It needs a BIG Idea!

Every seminar needs a great theme to capture the attention and interest of the intended market. It’s got to be exciting! Dramatic.

The BIG idea can also be your bonuses or prizes. Cars and Holidays are popular; however the main thing is to match the prize to the market.

There are too many same old, same old seminars at the moment. There is no clear cut distinction between them; no compelling reason to choose one over another. Even worse, there are no REAL, exciting personalities behind these events. Everyone is so damn politically correct it makes me cringe. They’re so nice they are BORING.

Don’t you be one of them! If you want a profitable seminar, come up with a BIG Idea, backed up with a BIG Bribe, and infuse your promotion with personality.

That’s how you put bums on seats. That’s how you ensure your next event is a sell out!

***

Pete Godfrey, AKA the Wizard of Words, is a Copywriter and Sales Strategist who lives in tropical Mackay North Queensland Australia with his wife, 2 kids and his dog Ben.

His client list contains many of the world’s savviest entrepreneurs. They trust him to write and develop promotions that put money in the bank like clockwork. To see more on Pete, and get his blatantly bias opinions on Life, Copywriting, Marketing and Mind Set, he’s running events around Australia in August check them out: www.ShiftSpeakerTraining.com/petegodfrey

I SHOULD WARN YOU: Pete tells it like it is without the sugar coating. Sensitive souls should not click on the link above.

And remember- Our Ultimate Speaking Resource Members Can Meet Pete “in person” In Our Free Teletraining (Members Only) on Thursday the 6^th of August.  He will go into detail about his closely guarded “Seminar Sales Letter Secrets” on the call- so get involved.