If you're new here, you'll want to be sure to get your free report and subscribe to the monthly e-zine and, perhaps, subscribe to the RSS feed, as well. Thanks for visiting!

Jill Lublin was the final speaker at April’s Market Your Way to Wealth, and even though I have both an education and experience in public relations, I still found some wonderful information in her presentation. This was in part because she was targeting those people who either have written a book or should be writing one right now.

And that’s perfect, for this month I’m going to be covering book marketing. Fancy that.

Anyway, one thing she said really stuck with me: You should start publicity nine months before your book comes out.

So, if your book isn’t out yet, what are you publicizing? Here are some ideas I came up with, gleaned from both her presentation and my own experience and knowledge. They are listed in no particular order.

Jill said during her presentation that the media is interested in your story, so some things you could talk about in your publicity include:

• Getting a book deal from a publisher
• Your “reason why” — why did you write the book and why are you the person to write it?
• Tips excerpted from your book
• Tie-ins between current events and your topic
• Something unique about you that can be tied into your topic

As part of your publicity plan, you’ll want to send out simple 4-sentence announcements every 60 days, said Jill. These announcements should be sent to:

• Your local daily newspaper
• Your local business journal
• Your local Chamber of Commerce
• Associations that you belong to or are tied to your topic
• Your alumni magazine(s)

The purpose of this is not so much to get a story in a publication, but to keep you top of mind as an expert in your topic so when a reporter is working on a story that you can comment on, you’ll be the first person that reporter thinks of.

Of course, in all this make sure you are sending useful content. Remember, you are trying to help the media accomplish their goals, for in so doing, they will help you accomplish yours.

Referrals are golden. And when you are a service professional, referrals can mean the difference between thriving and dog paddling.

About a year ago I went to a workshop given by David Frey on how to get more referral business. The presentation was pretty much a big sales pitch to join Send Out Cards under him, but there were some really good points he made along the way.

Make referrals an integral part of your sales process.

David recommended putting a sentence or two in your client contract that states if the client is happy with the service you provide, he or she will recommend two to three others who might also benefit from your service. This technique has two main effects:

1. It puts the idea in the client’s head to think of people to refer to you.
2. It makes it easier for you to bring it up later and ask for the referral.

Continue Reading →

One of the meatiest parts of Arvee Robinson’s presentation at Market Your Way to Wealth in April was about the types of speeches you need to develop for your business. I’ll summarize what she talked about here.

There are three basic types of speeches you’ll need to develop to grow your business. They are the:

• Elevator Pitch
• Self-Introduction
• Front of the Room Talk

Each one of these speeches has a function and an optimal length of time. Once you’ve developed them, memorize them … especially the first two. The elevator pitch and your self-introduction should become a part of you so whenever you need them, they will flow from your lips like as gracefully as Kristi Yamaguchi on the ice.

Elevator Pitch

This should be about 10 seconds long and focus on the solution you provide your ideal clients. It used to be that this pitch was 30 seconds … but attention spans have shortened.

Self-Introduction

This needs to be quick and hook the listener into asking for more. Again, focus on the solutions and benefits you offer … not your background or job title. You’ll most likely need to use this when you are a guest speaker on a teleclass, conference call, webinar, radio show, TV show, informational meetup and other events where you’ll be asked to introduce yourself.

Front of the Room Talk

Depending on the venue, you’ll need to have different length versions of this type of presentation. The most common lengths are 15, 20, 30, 45 and 60 minutes. These are the kinds of speeches you give at Chambers of Commerce, networking groups, industry groups, trade shows, conferences, corporations, churches, schools, service clubs and more.

One way to structure this type of talk is to think of it as a “Speech Sandwich,” says Arvee.

The opening of the speech and the closing remain basically the same regardless of length. You start out your presentation with something that grabs attention and builds rapport with your audience. You close your presentation with your call to action.

In between is the “meat” of your presentation. How long your talk will be determines how many pieces of “meat” you put into your sandwich. The shorter the speech, the less “meat” will fit. A good rule of thumb is one key point (or piece of “meat”) for every 15 to 30 minutes.

I have to admit, I’m a big fan of Arvee Robinson. She has the coolest voice and a really fun personality. She’s also very knowledgeable and giving of her knowledge. Like Lee, she provided a wealth of information at the Market Your Way to Wealth event in April. Here are just a few of the golden nuggets of information she passed along.

Need to look at your notes while giving a presentation? Keep a glass or bottle of water by your notes. Then you can casually take a sip and sneak a peak at your notes at the same time.

Got handouts? Give them out after your personal story. You want your audience to be listening to you, not looking through the handouts. And always include your picture on the handouts so when they take them home, they can remember who gave the presentation better.
Continue Reading →

Providing a sample of your product can be much easier than providing a sample of your service. For example:

• An auto dealer offers a test drive.
• An ice cream shop offers a taste.
• A computer store lets you play with computers on display.
• A pet shop lets you visit with the animals.
• A book store lets you browse and even read the books.

But how do you offer samples when what you are providing is a service that requires the time and expertise of a service provider? How do you let prospects “sample your wares” without taking away the time you need to serve paying clients? Here are some suggestions:

Gather testimonials and case studies

These are especially important for service professionals because it not only provides social proof (which a product will need, too), but offers a way for prospects to vicariously experience your services through the eyes of one of your past or current clients.
Continue Reading →