Farewell to 2006! I’ve been tagged?
Well, this is my last post for 2006 … and a strange one at that. Sorry for the inconsistencies in posting over the past couple of weeks. Hubby and I decided to take a trip south to visit relatives (Alabama and Georgia) over Christmas, and I returned home with more than presents and fond memories. I brought back the flu, and have spent the past three days hunkered down on the couch recuperating with lots of hot tea and chicken soup. I can’t complain though; this has been a fabulous and exciting year for me personally and professionally. Life is great and business is booming. I have been blessed with a wonderful family, great friends and the best clients I could ever hope to have … what more could a girl want?
On this last day of 2006, I’d like to thank everyone for stopping by Virtually This and That from time to time, and for putting up with my occasional incoherent ramblings (fortunately not very often 
. I wish you all a very blessed and prosperous new year in 2007!
I’ve been tagged? Blog tagged that is. This is a new one to me, but I’ve enjoyed checking out some of the other tag links after I was tagged by Denise Aday in her I Guess the Holiday Haitus is Over post. The theme of the tag is “5 things you didn’t know about me.” It looks like fun, and I’d hate to be a party-pooper; so in an effort to keep the ball rolling, here are (although not very exciting) 5 things you didn’t know about me:
- I am a hopeless romantic
- I lived in South Korea for two years … adopted a son while I was there, went to the demilitarized zone and actually stepped over the line into North Korea.
- My dog smiles at my husband and I when we return after being gone for more than a day or so. I think she likes my husband more though; all I get is her normal smile, but she grins from ear to ear and shows teeth when she smiles at him.
- I got a small tattoo while in Hawaii with a bunch of women … and had a friend video the process so I could take it home and show my husband.
- I collect eggs … yes eggs. Ceramic, glass, natural stone, real eggs that have been blown out and hand painted, etc. Right now I have approximately 250, with the smallest being a tiny Faberge egg with tiny diamonds on it and only about 3/4 of an inch high, and the largest being a real Emu egg (a natural dusky blue) that is about 8 inches high.
So … now that you know 5 boring things about me, I’m going to tag three ladies I admire and would love to know more about: Biana Babinsky, Bobette Kyle and Diana Ennen. Hopefully they’ll keep the ball rolling and play too. Okay ladies … tag, you’re it!
Until next year …
Terry
How to Work with Speakers Bureaus
How to Work with Speakers Bureaus
by Jane Atkinson
Many speakers are scratching their heads and wondering how to break in to the elusive speakers bureaus network. Either the bureaus never call them, or they call and place holds and they never get booked. Here’s a little insight from someone who has worked for both speakers and for bureaus. Perhaps this will help you
get your foot in the door.
ARE YOU READY?
Most speakers bureaus (with a couple of exceptions) are not going to launch a speaker’s career. They will most likely start paying attention to you after you have already built a name for yourself.
To see if you are ready to work with bureaus, ask yourself the following questions:
a) Have I given 30 or more paid speeches per year for at least two years?
b) Is my fee high enough? ($3K is an average minimum).
c) Are my materials ready (demo video, one sheets, etc) and do they sell me?
d) Am I really good? Let’s face it – every speaker has been told that they are great. But the truly great speaker gets an average of 2-3 “spin off” engagements after each speech.
GETTING YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR
The best scenario is for the bureau to have heard your name 3 times (preferably from clients or from other speakers) prior to your calling them. So have your clients and speaker buddies call on your behalf. Most bureaus post their requirements for getting listed with them on their websites. Check out the website first, then call and make sure your topic and fees are in line with what they book. And if they give you the “thumbs up”, then send your materials. Write “as requested” on the outside of the package. Check back with them to see when your materials will be reviewed and get their feedback.
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How to Give a Great Interview
You may think you’ll never be interviewed by the press, but don’t count on it. Besides, being interviewed is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity for positive exposure. It’s an opportunity to get your message out. It’s an opportunity to be a resource for the press and public.
While you want to be sure of your message, facts, what you know and what you don’t, being interviewed is not just about content. It’s about likability, credibility, being well spoken and human.
A few tips to help you structure your responses:
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Deliver your message early in the interview and emphasize it often. Obviously, you have to know what your message is first. What is that one thing you want to be sure comes across? Determine your message before you face the interviewer.
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Know what you want to say and how you want to say it. Know the content of your sound byte. One client whose company sold classy faux jewelry wanted people to know they could have a $20,000 experience for $200.
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Practice saying your message in several different ways.
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Brainstorm all the possible questions you could be asked and all the possible answers.
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Practice being interviewed. Video tape yourself and review.
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Review a tape of your actual interview. Evaluate your “performance.” Are you confident, authoritative, engaging, sincere, credible and competent? Are you defensive, arrogant, uninformed, confused, strident or stiff? Did you maintain eye contact with the interviewer? What is the quality of your voice? These are just a few questions to ask yourself about your interview.
Pretend nothing is off the record and that the mike will always be on. In other words, don’t say or do anything that you wouldn’t want to see in the paper. If you goof up, remember that today’s news is tomorrow’s fish wrap. Live (rhymes with “hive”) and learn.
For a copy of an interview evaluation, e-mail Karen at karen@karensusman.com or call 1-888-678-8818.
©Karen Susman.
Karen Susman, Speaker/Author/Coach, works with organizations and individuals that want to maximize their performance and quality of life. Check out her free tips and articles at www.karensusman.com. Karen can be reached at 1-888-678-8818 or karen@karensusman.com.
Top Ten Things to Think About Before you Go With Print on Demand
Top Ten Things to Think About Before you Go With Print on Demand
Judy Cullins c. 2007
Is Print on Demand all you think it is?
You, like many other authors who don’t want to go the long hard road with traditional publishing, and who like the low cost and seemingly easiest and best way to publish a book, Print on Demand Publishing looks good. They print one book at a time when it’s ordered. But, think again. After many years of authors coming to me saying they did not make money going with a POD, and my research noticing the poor payoffs from Print on Demand, as an author’s advocate, I say, think again.
Top Ten Things to Think About Before you Go With Print on Demand
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How to Give a Talk to Market Your Business
How to Give a Talk to Market Your Business
by Sandra Schrift
First of all professional speaking is a business to business sale. I realized as a speaker bureau owner that there were many terrific speakers who did not have sales and marketing acumen and therefore they never got the bookings and higher fees they deserved. So you must use “attraction marketing.” When you have an opportunity to speak to a group for free or for a fee, they are not buying your speech . . . they are buying your solution that will fix their problem. Be coach-like in your presentation and demonstrate what it would be like to work with you as their coach.
Think of yourself as an expert who is addressing the audience’s challenge and is providing “how to’s” to solve their problem. Here is what some of my clients speak on: direct mail marketing, security issues in the workplace, how to lobby the government for your special interest, ethics in the workplace, follow your dreams, financial planning, a doctor and lawyer who want to speak about what is wrong with our healthcare system and how we can change that.
Begin each talk by asking yourself 3 questions.
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