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5 Times When ‘Faking It’ is Better Than Authenticity
There have been times when I have put on an act for my clients and audiences. And, contrary to the c...
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Role Agreements, Not Job Descriptions
When hiring staff, many people use ‘job descriptions’ to define what the person will do....
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Set-Up Your Joke Clearly
For Laughter Week 2018, Devin Henderson, CSP, reminded speakers that when you tell a joke, don’t for...
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Speaker’s Toolkit: Expert Advice on Getting Booked
Want to know how to increase your chances of getting booked? heed tips from two pros: one heads a sp...
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Tips to Stop Using the “F Word”
Have you ever been asked by a local association to do a FREE speaking gig? Of course you have. Many ...
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4 Levels of Evaluation That Impact Your Business Bottom Line
Rick was not a professional speaker. And it showed. The squinting audience needed binoculars to read...
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How Do You Define Value?
If a prospect is unable or unwilling to pay your full fee, ask “What else of value can you offer me?...
Latest Posts
Speak
The Keynote We Can’t Let Go
Do you remember where you were when you first heard the phrases “let it go” or “pick a lane”? Perhaps you were in the hallway of an NSA Convention and someone retold the tale of a speech that would be talked about for 14 years after it was delivered....
The Worst I Ever Bombed
For Laughter Week 2018, Andrew Tarvin pulled back the curtain on a time he bombed onstage. “Surprisingly, it w...
Prepare to be Funny
For Laughter Week 2018, Lou Heckler, CSP, CPAE, advised members to start gathering humor before they need it. ...
Market
Building a Back-End Business
I’m a fellow member of NSA and I have experienced firsthand the power of building a better back-end business model. Imagine you’re me, five years ago. You’re a 30-something “up-and-coming” speaker and trainer. You’ve been semi-successful at landing p...
Don’t Miss Influence 2018
Are You Ready for Influence 2018? Corey Perlman and Jill Schiefelbein (aka Neo and Trinity), Influence 2018 co...
Speaker’s Toolkit: Speak to Build Influence, Credibility and Awareness
Our traditional business model is to speak and get paid. But how else can you use your skills to grow your bus...
Sell
How Four Scored: Four NSA Legends Share Golden Nuggets for Generating a 7-figure income
Remember being that new professional speaker with big dreams to change the world with your message? Then you wondered how you would promote yourself, get booked, run your business and hire support? Well, Four NSA CPAEs experienced those thoughts and feelings 25-plus years ago and created impressive speaking empires. Check out the words of wisdom fr...
Why Fee Integrity is Hurting You
I first heard the term ‘fee integrity’ when I started hanging around the National Speakers Associa...
3 Mantras for Sales Success
The speaking world has changed. Our clients are well-informed with information at their fingertips 24/7. Let’s...
Does Cold-Calling Still Work?
There are big questions we all ask at one point in our lives. “What is the meaning of life?” “Where will I go ...
Publish
Clearing the Decks
How do busy professionals find the time to write their books? I recently spoke with Steve Bustin, a speaker colleague from Brighton in the United Kingdom. I learned from Facebook that he had written his book in one week, so I had to talk with him to ...
Publish or Perish!
As someone who has spent a good amount of years in and around academia, the age-old phrase “publish or perish”...
4 Steps to Publishing Your Breakthrough ...
Many speakers spend a lot time dreaming about the day they will walk into a Barnes & Noble, or saunter pas...
Lifestyle
Getting Ready for the Biggest Change
Life events cause you to think of things—even the inevitable—in different ways. Intellectually, we all know that death will become part of our lives sooner, but hopefully later. Emotionally, most humans follow Scarlett O’Hara’s philosophy, “I’ll thin...
What to Do in an Active Shooter Situation
With more active shooter incidents happening, here are tips on how to respond if a shooting breaks out: Remain...
Savvy Traveling
International travel can be an exciting experience when we are invited to speak in other countries. We are oft...
Office
Track your Tasks
If you’re preparing to put on a self-sponsored program, make sure you don’t miss any to-dos with a detailed checklist of steps. Download a customizable checklist and add your own unique tasks for each program you offer.
How the Tax Advice for Your Business May...
In the April issue of Speaker magazine, we gave you four steps to take to prepare for the changes you will fac...
Announcing NSA’s New CEO
In April 2017, NSA’s long-serving and respected CEO, Stacy Tetschner, accepted a new position with the United ...
Technology
The Picture of Success
I interviewed five fabulous speakers on how they use Instagram for their business. Not too surprising, they had five completely different strategies for how they use the app and how they determine results. There were two consistent messages in the in...
What’s Driving Your Choice of Webinar Platform?
The best software solution for you will be the one that meets your specific needs. Once you’ve decided if you ...
How Being Good-Looking Will Grow Your Speaking Business – Get an Unfair Advantage
A few weeks ago, an editor at a prestigious publishing house called me. She said, “I want to publish a book on...
