Did you schedule your tongue implant yet?
At the NSA Las Vegas February meeting, Marvelless Mark encouraged us to follow the sage wisdom of the rock band Kiss: “What are you willing to do that no one else will do?”
Next up, Ed Tate showed us how to create a proposal that will have meeting planners ask, “Where do I send the check?”. First, he said, you must diagnose before you prescribe. Then, give them a choice of yeses. Create a proposal with three options of decreasing cost. The first will be your most expensive option like 4 full-day training programs. The next option will include follow up materials for their attendees or employees and will be the middle price point. The third option is your keynote alone and will cost the least. By using this anchoring and contrast, they can’t help but choose one of your options and you might walk away with a great deal more money than expected.
On to the main event!
Many of us speakers are warm and fuzzy, gently encouraging our audiences to recognize the error of their ways and make changes to their lives. We judge our performances based on the number of lives we impact and truly care about our audience.
Larry Winget… not so much.
Larry prefers the “hold up a mirror of stupidity” method and gives the audience the opportunity to participate (or not). The way he sees it, he’s paid to have a conversation about their problem. This logical and entertaining conversation leads them to a new possibility. He’s not responsible for the audience, but rather to them. He outlined three steps to any solution:
- Recognize where you are and take responsibility
- Figure out where you want to be
- Create a plan and take action
Well, that seems easy enough.
Larry provided some tangible takeaways for us speakers. Mainly, that introductions are a waste of time (no one actually cares who you are, they just want you to connect with them), and that if your dream is of making your foot a bestseller on Amazon… dreams do come true.
But wait. There’s more.
Our very own Scott McKain was scheduled for next month’s meeting. Due to a speaking conflict, he had to cancel. But that didn’t mean he’d leave us hanging. That’s right, two amazing speakers on one stage. Scott provided a slightly gentler slap to the back of the head, sharing the importance of creating distinction as speakers. “For the audience, every night is opening night.” He reminded us that the audience isn’t paying you for content (they already have more information than you do and more ways to access it than ever before), they are paying you for an experience.
The takeaways from this tag-team effort?
- You have to be willing to have rabid enemies in order to have rabid friends (can I have rabbit friends instead?)
- You have to be willing to be bad at something long enough to be good.
- Don’t be proactive, be reactive – the market responds better to reaction.
- Become a resource instead of selling.
- and the # 1 killer for speakers…
- Most speakers don’t know what they are talking about. Ask every meeting planner, “What’s the one reason you hired me?”
Want more of this dynamic duo? Check out www.ultimatebusinesssummit.com to see them live and unleashed. Use code NSA Vegas to get $200 off. Don’t miss the next NSA Las Vegas meeting on March 9th with Damian Mason. He’ll be teaching us how to reinvent our speaking business to stay successful in the long run.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get a pedicure for my next bestseller.
About the Author
Sheryl Green has always enjoyed writing, however, it wasn’t until a divorce shook her world, that she discovered the power of story. Having penned three novels, she now brings her penchant for storytelling to non-fiction and content writing, working with businesses and individuals who want to position themselves as experts in their field. She leverages the power of story through blogging, website content, book coaching, ghostwriting, and speaking engagements.
She is the author of “Surviving to Thriving: How to Overcome Setbacks and Rock Your Life,” “Once Upon a Bottom Line: Harnessing the Power of Story for Sales,” and the forthcoming book “Book Writing for Busy People.” She’s also a firm believer that everything looks better covered in pet fur. Learn more at www.sherylgreenspeaks.com.