| 3/30/2012 Editors: Rebecca Morgan & Ken Braly See "About SpeakerNet News" at the end for information on how to submit tips and use this newsletter. Remember, your "dues" for this free ezine are submitting two tips a quarter. Send your best tips to editor@SpeakerNetNews.com. Teleseminar Info Thursday, April 12 Maximize Your Income from Every Speech with Ron Rosenberg  You've heard it before: speaking fees alone may not be enough to sustain your business. Ron Rosenberg has a unique and highly successful business model. Read below about what he's going to share with us; his techniques can multiply your income. Register or preorder the recording.
Save the dates:
The Sound of Money— Creating Online Revenue from Audio Recordings You have CDs, MP3s, or recordings of your intellectual capital (from presentations or studio recordings) you want to sell online—through iTunes, Audible, your own website, or other distributors. Or maybe you want to offer free podcasts as a marketing tool. Is this easy or hard? What do you need to know? Is there any money in it, or is it mostly a waste of time? And just how much time are we talking about? These three MP3s will give you a better idea of what's involved in getting your audio recordings in front of prospects and buyers. You'll hear info you'd never have thought to ask. Then you can decide if it's worth the effort or not. - "Selling Your Audio Content Through Audible.com: How to Get Your Recordings to an Online Audience" with Jonathan Korzen from Audible.com
- "The Good and Bad of Selling Your Audio Programs Online" with Al McCree
- "Podcasting for Beginners: Taking Your Audio Content to the Web" with Ron Ploof
Download now All SNN single-focused packages are detailed here. Miscellaneous Tips Illustrator/designer recommendation — Melanie Votaw If you need an illustrator or designer for a book or promotional materials, I highly recommend Bud Santora. He is talented, professional, and easy to work with. View his portfolio or contact him: budsantora.carbonmade.com
Eyestrain prevention — Teresa Duncan To reduce eyestrain I've started using the program Eyeleo (eyeleo.com) that prompts you to perform simple eye exercises throughout the day. After using it for a week I no longer have tired, burning eyes at the end of the day.
Sign your kindle books electronically — Allen Klein If you've got a Kindle book available on Amazon, you can now sign it electronically for buyers with an online service called Kindlegraph. Because you sign each book individually as you receive requests, you can write something different (if you want) for everyone who makes a request. So, while you might write something generic for a stranger, you can write something personal when you get a request from someone you know. It's one of the coolest things I've seen lately! Be sure to watch the video screencast explaining how it works at kindlegraph.com/about.
Rethink branding revamp — Vickie Sullivan In the first part of a new year it's tempting to look around and see what you can revamp. Branding usually is on the short list. But not so fast. A brand makeover can be expensive and time-consuming. The key question: Do you really need to overhaul or simply refine and redirect your brand? This Fast Company article from last fall has five questions that we experts can easily adapt to our own situation. Yes, the article uses big-company retail examples, but look past that. Ask yourself: are the new benchmarks that define thought leaders on your side? Do you need to move your brand to a new segment or is there more growth where you are at? Asking these questions first will not only help you decide on moving forward. You can also clarify what you want your new brand to do. (Editors' note: Vickie conducted two information-packed SNN teleseminars: Make More Money: Position Your Expertise for High-Fee Markets and Getting Big-Fee Speaking Engagements from Sponsors. You can order the CD or MP3.)
Interesting article on social media — Ian Percy There have been several pieces in SNN pushing us to think carefully about the role of social media. In an article titled "The True Promise of Social Media Drowned Out by Self Promotion" published in AdAge, Phil Johnson notes: "We've lost the early idealism that social media promised. Technologies that promised to change the way that we communicate and talk with each other have largely become platforms for broadcasting and self-promotion." That (early promise) "has crumbled under the weight of self-promotion." We've lost the engagement and human connection, he goes on to say. With very few exceptions, most of the social media I receive are promotional, with feeble and futile effort to disguise it as actual mind-stretching content. So are we as speakers helping to turn social media into one big noisy flea market where people can buy our used stuff, or are we fostering truly enlightened substance? (Editors' note: Ian discussed lots of thought-provoking ideas in his SNN teleseminar Using Depth to Differentiate: How to Set Yourself Apart Through Insight and Substance. You can order the MP3 recording.)
Increase your social media acceptance rate — Rebecca Morgan When inviting someone to accept you as a contact on LinkedIn or as a friend on Facebook, including a sentence on how you know the person will increase the chances they will accept. If you're like me, you get invitations for connections all the time from people you don't remember or even know. By including a simple, "We met at x" or "I know you from y" people will more quickly respond. Technology Tips Portable speaker system — Tom Terrific If you're looking for a small speaker to take to your presentations, I've used the Behringer Eurolive B205D for over a year and find it perfect. It's 150 watts of power and fits on a microphone stand with an adapter. It's $143 on Amazon. Mackie also has a similar unit, but I've had to return two for quality problems. For groups up to 100 people, this should work fine.
Use LinkedIn for global contact-building — Cathleen Fillmore I've had great success with LinkedIn once I decided it was for global contact-building, not just people I can personally recommend. I belong to a number of LinkedIn groups and spend an hour a week inviting individual members to connect with me. LinkedIn is free, it's simple, not time-consuming, and generates business. Travel Tips Airplane safety — Victoria Maxwell Once you're seated in the airplane, count the number of rows to the exits behind you and front of you. If, in the unlikely event of an emergency, the plane goes down, and it is in the dark and the aisle lights don't go on, you can feel your way along the rows of seats to the nearest exit. [Ken's note: This is good advice for hotels, too. When you first get to your hotel room, as soon as you put down your bags go back into the hall and walk to the nearest stairwell, memorizing how many doors you must pass in case you have to feel your way in the dark. Running your fingertips along the wall so you *feel* the doorways as you walk helps you remember.] Topic of the Month It was great to see so much interest in last week's TOTM/Sticky Situation about a speaker who re-told a funny bit seen on a minister's YouTube video. We were overwhelmed with responses. They were articulate and well-written. And there was vast consensus. Since we got so many, we thought it best to post them to a separate page so they didn't overwhelm this issue. And since they all pretty much agreed, we didn't think it would be useful to continue with this TOTM. Stay tuned for the next topic. We won't add any more comments to those we've already received. SpeakerNet News Teleseminar Info Thursday, April 12 Maximize Your Income from Every Speech with Ron Rosenberg Relying on a single revenue source—like speaking, or consulting, or coaching—is a recipe for disaster. But it doesn't have to be this way. If you know the right strategies and tactics, you can double your income with offerings that benefit your audience members as well as add to your bank account. Ron has built a thriving business by ensuring that every engagement brings maximum revenue before, during, and after his presentation. He will spill the beans about how he's built a lucrative speaking business with three distinct income streams. Plus, he gets repeat business from the same groups! But it's not a slam dunk. There are pitfalls to avoid; tactics you might have thought would work, but don't. Ron will share what he's learned that works, as well as what hasn't. You will learn: - how Ron's three-legged business model can expand your bank account
- how to build a multi-tiered membership program that works like an annuity
- a proven approach to leverage your exciting content into new products
- 4 specific things you can do to increase membership retention
- what Ron has learned doesn't work
Don't miss your opportunity to hear how you can add a new revenue streams to your speaking business and have money coming in even when you're not speaking! Register or order the CD or MP3 recording. Note: people who register for the teleseminar will get the MP3 recording of the session for free. Date: Thursday, April 12 Time: 7:00 pm Eastern, 6 pm Central, 5 pm Mountain, 4 pm Pacific Length: 60 minutes Cost: $25
Special Limited-Time Offer: If you want more information on ideas on creating ongoing income, we're suggesting the MP3 recordings of several earlier programs to complement this program: - "Subscription Products: Getting Customers to Pay You Again and Again (and Again)" with Ron Rosenberg
- "Create a Paid Mentorship Program to Capitalize on Your Expertise" with Marcia Yudkin
With your order of this live or recorded teleseminar, at checkout you will be offered these recordings. About SpeakerNet News Copyright note: Submission of an email message or artwork affirms that you are able to and have given us non-exclusive permission to reprint the content of your message in all forms, electronic or otherwise, in all languages throughout the world. Copyright ©2012 SpeakerNet News. Permission must be granted to reprint any item (other than your own posting). | | SpeakerNet News Sponsors  CartoonResource.com is the leading source of cartoons, caricatures, custom animation reels and logos for speakers and authors. Search and buy cartoons at cartoonresource.com. Contact us at andrew@ cartoonresource.com or 616/551-2238.
A small group of speakers will spend April 12 with Larry Winget and Joe Calloway in Scottsdale. Includes on-going coaching after the event. Info at WingetCallowaySpeaker Event.com
For advanced marketing strategies and occasional speaking opportunities, sign up for our free ezine and get the e-book "Power Brokers: Do the Impossible." speakersgold.com
 "Best Practice Travel Tips from Road Warriors." Ten years of the best travel tips from SNN readers. 8 eBooklets. Special limited-time pricing now for SNN readers. Download your set today
 Just starting your speaking business? Want to make it profitable fast? Get your copy of SNN's " Beginning a Profitable Speaking Business: 11 Experts Reveal Their Best Practices to Start and Grow a Lucrative Speaking Practice." Includes recordings, handouts, transcripts and consultations.
Get industry leaders' wisdom delivered every two weeks. Special $4.95 introductory offer. Get each new SNN teleseminar recording with our SNN CD/MP3 subscription service. speakernetnews.comPromotions / Advertising Speakers, Consultants, Authors, Experts: Get business-growth strategies, tactics and tools PLUS 90 days of "done-for-you" services: Speaker Marketing Team (FREE strategy session)
Telephone Bridge Services: Now offering no-charge conference calls on hourly rentals. Automated online booking available 24/7. telephonebridgeservices.com
Grow (or start) the speaking business you've always wanted. "EXACTLY-how-to" 8-week Speaker Profit Blueprint program. EARLY BIRD discount. Mention SNN for registration bonuses.
Want to finally create some revenue-generating products? Or sell more of what you have? Rebecca Morgan will help you turn your intellectual capital into non-airplane income (NAI). Get serious about starting a new income stream. Several coaching packages available. Start the new year with a bang!
Please see speakernetnews. com for advertising rates and guidelines. "We definitely saw an increase in new clients during the four weeks of the first ad, easily paying for itself several times over." —Walt Shiel |