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28 October, 2009

  • Intro - Has it been a week?
  • BTS Tip - How to use Powerpoint Effectively
  • Feature Article - Part Two in our articles on "Choosing the Right Niche For Profit"
  • Joanna recommends:  "The ABCs of Increasing Your Income Through Speaking"

Hi!

I can't believe it's time to write another newsletter!  I honestly can't.  Time must have sped up this week or something!

Greg and I enjoyed our first weekend off for a while this weekend and hit the shops at High St Kensington which was pretty fun.  Well- it's fun to have the clothes, but I have to say I'm not much of a shopper.  Does anyone have any hot shopping tips for someone who loathes shopping!?

Other than that it's been catch up in the office.  Yes- we have week's like that occasionally! And preparing to bring Superwoman out of hiding for the ladies at the Millionare's Bootcamp for Women  this weekend.  London ladies- you're gonna love it!  It has nothing to do with speaker training, and everything to do with femininity in business!

Enjoy the vids and articles this week.  Some great lessons packed in there for you.  Why?  Coz I love you!

Cheers,

Tips for Using Powerpoint Effectively

Here are my tips for using powerpoint in a effective way for your presentations:

  • Keep your slides simple. There is no need to use different fonts and animations.
  • Have only 4-5 points to a slide as a maximum.
  • Use a plain white background with black text.
  • Use only relevant images that evoke emotion, which allows you to land your points home.
  • Use images that are clean and sleek on a white background.
  • Use a font size that is a 32 pt or more.
  • Test your slideshow thoroughly before your presentation at the venue to ensure the colours can be see and audio can be heard at the back of the room, and that everything works as you intended on the equipment there.


Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Audience


There Are 4 Key Questions You Must Ask Yourself Before You Settle On a Niche For Your Speaking. 

In the last newsletter article we determined if anyone is actually looking for information related to your topic and we looked at strategies such as Google Adwords and speciality magazines.

This week, the second key question to ask yourself before you settle on a niche is….

Are They Spending Money?

Are the people in your niche willing to spend money on your topic?

Here’s another way of explaining it.

In the recent Presentations Secret Seminar in London I had one participant wanting to niche in teenagers because he saw his purpose as helping to empower them. There’s one huge problem with trying to sell to teenagers though.  Do they have the money to spend on your product or service?  Even bigger problem is that this one can become a double sale because (a) you have to sell the teenager; and (b) you have to sell the parent with the credit card!

Therefore, even though you’ve picked a great niche, it’s challenging to get the money exchange happening!  If you do want to work in a niche that doesn’t have money to spend- you may like to niche into another area first for your business, and make this “penniless niche” your charity ;-)

It’s the same with doctors.  People have always told me that I should niche in personal development to doctors, but I’ve been a doctor and I know what doctors are like.  They don’t want to be told anything!  So, because I had familiarity with this group I knew they were unlikely to pay for my products or services I had specially created for them.  Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule (before you go writing in and telling me about a doctor you know who loves personal development!) but I want you to base a business on rules NOT exceptions.

Here’s three easy ways you can determine whether your niche has money to spend:

  1. Market Research the People: Ask those you know personally. You’ve got your niche, you’re passionate about it and hopefully you have a community around you of other people who also share your passion.  These are your market! Ask them if you sold a product that did “x” would they buy it, and for how much?
  2. Market Research the Product:  Are people already selling to them?  For instance (come up with an example, either the menopausal women or something new.)
  3. Are People Advertising to Them?:  As a general rule you can assume that if people are advertising to a group – that group is buying the product.  You can measure this easily on the Google Keywords Tool I showed you last time.


Now you’ve got your niche and established you have a market, in the next newsletter we’ll be looking at how you can access this market.


Would you like to use this article on your website or in your ezine? You can, as long as the information below stays intact.

About the author:

Dr Joanna Martin

Dr Joanna Martin is an internationally acclaimed speaker and sought-after educator who has taught over 40,000 people on three continents.
Today, she trains entrepreneurs and professionals alike in key communication, leadership, and presentation skills. With her partner Greg, through their business, Shift Lifestyle they provide strategy and support for business owners who want a lifestyle, not just a living.

For more information go to: www.ShiftSpeakerTraining.com

If you need a speaker for your upcoming events, please contact our office.

Joanna's travel arrangements for the next 6 months:

  • London: September 19th - 23rd November
  • Floating Success Seminar: 23rd November - 6th of December
  • USA 6th December - ?
  • London 6th of January- 28th January
  • Australia: 28th January- end of March

If you require international travel, we are open to this.  Please contact us at info@shiftlifestyle.com or call our office to discuss.

Upcoming Events

Here's where you can see me live...

“The ABCs to Increase Your Income from Speaking This Year”

We are running our 3-day Presentation Profits Intensive events in London in November (13-15th) and Melbourne in March (19-21st).  As a preview I'm running a free webinar series- chock full of the usual generous gems I enjoy sharing.  Each month for the next 6 months we'll be focussing on a different crucial building block of you successful speakng business. 

This month (TOMORROW) is "A is for Attitude".  Having the right attitude is crucial.  So i'll be sharing my top attitudes for speaking, plus learning experiences and mistakes of made, that have got me where I am.  This will be the stuff I shouldn't really se sharing.  But you know me- I'm pretty transparent.

Register for the ABCs webinar series

Make it Big in 2010

Join Jamed Caan, myself and loads of other awesome speakers at a seminar dedicated to taking stock of where we are at the end of the first decade of the new millenium, and gainnig momentum for 2010.   It's going to be fun and huge- so join us on the 7th and 8th of November in London.

Click here to register for "Make it Big in 2010"


Opportunity International Australia provides people living in poverty with access to basic financial services – including small loans, savings accounts, insurance and business training. These services are know as microfinance, and they assist people who wouldn’t usually qualify for regular banking services because they have no form of collateral or formal identification.

Here’s how it works…

By helping a mother to buy a sewing machine to start a tailoring business or a father to buy seeds to plant a vegatable garden, small loans enable people in poverty to earn an income and provide for their families. 97% of loans are paid back, so the cycle can continue for years! Each successful business feeds a family, employs more people and eventually helps to empower a whole community.

Did you know that for only a $200 donation you can help one family start a business and employ one other person? This one loan once paid back can be used again and again. Many of us spend more than that on a night out with friends and once that money is gone, it’s gone!

Find out more about Opportunity International and how you can make a difference by visiting their website:

www.Opportunity.org.au