10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker – Part 10
By Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
author, speaker and personal transformation coach

You’ve made it now to the end! Here’s Part 10…

STEP 10: Follow up! Ok, you have read so much over the past 10 days that I am going to make this one a very short one, to give you time to assimilate all that information. But while I might not be writing as much today, step 10 is quite possibly THE most important step to take if you are to make an actual career out of public speaking. So in this case, size doesn’t matter!

So, here’s the deal. If you are serious about building a following, the most important thing to do is to FOLLOW UP with your guests. Communicate with them regularly (at least once a month) so that they get to know you personally, and will want to come see you again some day… even if it’s some time down the line. Keep the “buzz” rolling with them. Don’t just tell them where you will be appearing next. Send them bits of inspiration on a regular basis.  Make your communications something they look forward to. Make yourself stand out from the crowd. And then, of course, by all means do publicise your upcoming events, and make them feel like they are part of your VIP list. You will get a loyal following if you are also loyal to your followers. Treat them like gold.

If you are communicating via email and you are really serious about doing this right, I highly recommend investing in a proper email deliver system/autoresponder and stay away from sending out bulk emails from your personal email account. Here are a couple of links below: 

GetResponse (I have used them for 2 years now)
AWeber (I have not used them but they come highly recommended)

Both of these systems are not just email delivery systems. They also can set up automated messages in a series to your subscribers. Learn how to set up capture pages on your website, and give people good value for signing up with you. This will all help to grow your list, and establish your career. It’s not the goal of this series to get into a whole discussion on Internet marketing, so I’ll leave you with that for now.

OK, that is all part of PHASE 1.

Next, it’s time to move on to the next stage. You have an event under your belt, a growing mailing list and a handful of testimonials. It’s time to get on the phone to a couple of those organisations who hire speakers and start SHOUTING ABOUT YOURSELF!

That’s one way to get started from the ground up. How you can take this further and make money from this is another chapter.

That’s the entire series!
Please leave your comments so
I know how this is working for you…
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Want to take this dream further?
I teach all these techniques and more in my course “Light Your Fire without Burning Out”, where you learn how to set up your own social and business networks that can also help position you as an expert in your field. This course will be running again sometime in the spring of 2009. If you wish to receive a calendar announcement for when this (and other) courses are running, just set your RSS feed to receive this blog or sign up in the box at the left of this page.

You can find more information about my courses on my Create-a-Life website.

Coaching info: www.create-a-life.co.uk

Related posts

• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 9 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 8 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 7 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 6 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 5 (0)

10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker – Part 9
By Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
author, speaker and personal transformation coach

Whew! You’ve done the event, so why is there a Part 9?

STEP 9: Ask for endorsements. OK, it’s time to remember the focus of this article series is about BECOMING a motivational speaker, not making a motivating speech. It was never about doing a single gig. This is about your career. And as a career, you need to think about how you are going to get your next gig.

If you were going to a job interview, you would take your CV with you to your potential employer. You would put all your employment experience and references. Making a career in public speaking is not very different. You also need a “CV” of sorts, except we are going to call it a media kit. And you don’t list your employment history, but rather you list your speaking engagements. AND you don’t list your references, but rather your endorsements/testimonials.

There are several ways to get endorsements from people. One of the easiest ways to do it is to have feedback sheets at the event. This is a common method, but in my experience these kinds of endorsements don’t usually contain the type of rigorous material you need. People are in a hurry to get home, or they want to talk to other people, so they tend to just say things like, “It was great!” Well that might be a nice ego boost, but it doesn’t do much for you in terms of telling a potential speaking host about why you are so great. So to get those really juicy, lovely endorsements, you have to target the right people and ask the right questions.

So what are the right questions to ask? Basically three things that break down into past, present and future:

1. PAST: What were there expectations before the talk?
2. PRESENT: How did the talk meet or exceed their expectations?
3. FUTURE: What impact has this talk made upon them? The impact could be how they felt as a result, how your talk will help them, or how it raised their awareness.

So if you don’t get enough endorsements via feedback sheets at the event, when and how do you get them? Well, you could send out an email follow up to all your guests. Again, in my experience this does not always produce the desired effect. People are so inundated with emails that they simply don’t get around to it. Surely you can do this, but don’t expect this to be your best sort of endorsements.

The very best way to get endorsements is to call people up on the phone.

YIKES! Call people up and ask them to sing your praises? Yes! Here’s how.

If, at the event, someone casually tells you how much they enjoyed your talk, then ask them if you can call them up to get an endorsement from them, to use in your marketing materials. If you have genuinely made an impact on them, they are generally all too happy to honour your request. Try to set up a few of these calls before people leave your event.

If you haven’t made too much contact with people at the event (or you got cold feet about asking), then the next day call up a few people you know by name and ask them how they enjoyed the evening. Be sure to ask them the three questions above, reworded of course so they sound more natural and in your own voice. Take notes as they are talking and try to write down exactly what they are saying. Then pick out the best bits and read it back to them and ask if you can quote these words to use it as a testimonial/endorsement for your website or marketing material. Also, be extremely courteous and ask if you can use their full name. Most will give this permission, but some might prefer initials only.

Something you need to remember is that once people have seen you speaking in public, you have already raised your image in their eyes. You are now on a different level to them. Remember always: you ARE a public speaker now. Not everyone can do what you do. People like to listen to good speakers. What that means is that when you ask for endorsements, people will probably be so flattered you have asked, they will even ADD more compliments to their feedback. And also, don’t’ forget, if your endorsers own businesses or websites, you can always put their business name or links on your materials. It is a win-win situation.

So don’t be shy about getting endorsements. They are easy to get and vital to your success as a motivational speaker. And, yes, they ARE an ego boost!

Step 10 (the final chapter) follows tomorrow…
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Want to take this dream further?
I teach all these techniques and more in my course “Light Your Fire without Burning Out”, where you learn how to set up your own social and business networks that can also help position you as an expert in your field. This course will be running again sometime in the spring of 2009. If you wish to receive a calendar announcement for when this (and other) courses are running, just set your RSS feed to receive this blog or sign up in the box at the left of this page.

You can find more information about my courses on my Create-a-Life website.

Coaching info: www.create-a-life.co.uk

Related posts

• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 8 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 7 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 6 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 5 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 4 (0)

10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker – Part 8
By Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
author, speaker and personal transformation coach

Drum roll!! It’s time for the best of all! Part 8…

STEP 8: The big night. This event is not just about your speaking. It is about the entire impression you leave behind. Believe me, sometimes I have not given the proper care and attention to a particular gig, and frankly I was received with the corresponding lack of care and attention. Remember that, yes, people will be listening to what you say, but the truth is they will already start to decide what they think about your talk the minute they walk in the door (and before!). It is highly important that you bond with your audience in whatever way is your style. It is also extremely important to plan and oversee the flow of the event so that it ensures you will have an audience for another one in the future. Here are some suggestions.

I highly suggest that you create a mailing list template for the event so you can take people’s names and emails (or addresses/phone, if you prefer). This will be at the door as people come in. Don’t just LEAVE it on a table. Have someone (not you) is at the door collecting the entry charge (if any) AND people’s names and emails for you. This is extremely important. If you omit this step in your planning, your event will not give you the desired result because you have no way to follow up with your potential audience. Of course, if someone else has planned the event for you and the guest are members of their list, you would have to ask their permission to do this. Be sure that you have tick boxes on the opt-in sheet that asks if people would like to subscribe to yours newsletter or hear about upcoming talks, etc., according to you situation.

Another thing I highly recommend is to prepare a short 1-page article with you photo and contact info on it, and have the entry person hand it to people as they come in the door (or you could put them on the chairs in the audience so they are there before they sit down). The article should be in some way related to your talk, and have a short “call to action” at the end where you briefly let people know how to contact your about your services, your book or your availability for talks. The power of putting an article in the hands of your audience (as opposed to just a business card) is immense. It already establishes you as an expert AND people will come up to you and want to speak with you even before you begin your talk. The last time I used this strategy I got a new client and two paid speaking engagements. Use this tip. It works.

The night/day of the talk, show up an hour early to the venue. Bring a few people along to help you prepare the space nicely and make it welcoming. As mentioned before, thing aesthetically. The space is just as important as you are.

Here is the MOST important thing. Don’t sit in the wings waiting to “go on stage”. Use the first half-hour to socialise with your guests. When the doors open, greet your guests at the door personally. Shake their hands and get to know their names. Use the time to feel relaxed. Believe me, you DON’T need to go over your notes one more time. You already know your topic. Too much rehearsal will make you MORE nervous, not less.

Then give your talk! Make sure it is lively, interactive and interesting. Hold the room by establishing eye contact with different people at different times in the talk. Don’t stare out into space. If you get “stuck”, don’t ever apologise to the audience. Don’t say, “I’m really nervous.” You don’t want the audience to take care of you. You want to lead them. Remember: they have bothered to make the time to come here to hear what you have to say, so they are already open and willing to hear you. You don’t have to work as hard as you might think.

Never EVER read from a book and never use a script (unless you are doing a book reading, and then you really should practice on your “performance” to make if full of life)! The best talks are those when the audience is engaged, and when they go away with a new skill or outlook. If you simply talk “to” them, they will switch off. Think of ice breakers. Think of things you can get them to do in pairs. Engage them in dialogue as you are talking (if the group is small enough). They will feel connected to you. They will want to come back the next month.

Did I say “next month”? YES… make sure you have a follow up date set up, and be sure you tell them about your next event before the end of the meeting. We’ll talk more about that in the next tip…

Step 9 follows tomorrow…
Subscribe to this feed to ensure you receive all 10 tips.  

 Want to take this dream further?
I teach all these techniques and more in my course “Light Your Fire Without Burning Out”, where you learn how to set up your own social and business networks that can also help position you as an expert in your field. This course will be running again sometime in the spring of 2009. If you wish to receive a calendar announcement for when this (and other) courses are running, just set your RSS feed to receive this blog or sign up in the box at the left of this page.

You can find more information about my courses on my Create-a-Life website.

coaching info: www.create-a-life.co.uk

Related posts

• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 9 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 7 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 6 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 5 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 4 (0)

10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker (Part 7)
By Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
author, speaker and personal transformation coach

Here’s lucky number 7 (and it IS a good one)…

STEP 7: Call a few “influential” people. Ever see the old 30s film 42^nd Street with Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell and Ginger Rodgers? It’s one of my absolute favourites of all time (side note: if anyone knows how to find it on UK compatible DVD, please let me know!). The running joke in the film is how supposedly unassuming Ruby rises to fame via a series of accidents. And every time she gets asked to do something that puts her out on stage, she says, in the most innocent (and possibly totally fake) way, “Who? ME?” It’s great. I love it.

When I say to you now that it is time to call a few “influential” people to your gig, you might also say, “Who? ME?” And the answer is, “Yes, you. Why not?” I was a freelance musician for almost 30 years. I also spent 4 years setting up promotional speaking tours for a very prominent spiritual leader from India. Between the two of them, I have either “landed” or set up from scratch hundreds of “gigs”. In both of these cases, I learned pretty quickly that it doesn’t help at all to be shy about yourself or your event. You must learn to put on your promotional hat and just start shouting about who you are. Of course, when I say shouting, I don’t mean that you must become aggressive or unsavoury. There is a way to be both polite and confident. If you try to promote your gig without both, people will either get turned off or they won’t believe it is of interest to them.

Start with people who actually WANT to know what’s going on in the world. Make contact with a few people from the local press or media and invite them to the gig. They are always looking for a good story. Tell them WHY it is a good story and they will come. If that is too daunting for you, then call up some local businesses or charities who are interested in your target audience. In other words, if you are talking to a group of people on health issues, then see if people from health charities or businesses would like to come. Tell them that they are welcome to bring their business cards.

Once you start calling such contacts, you will be amazed at how easy it gets, and how open they are to finding out more. Always remember, in their eyes, your event is a story. Make your story a good one and influential people will be interested and come to your event.

Step 8 follows tomorrow…
Subscribe to this feed to ensure you receive all 10 tips.  

 Want to take this dream further?
I teach all these techniques and more in my course “Light Your Fire Without Burning Out”, where you learn how to set up your own social and business networks that can also help position you as an expert in your field. This course will be running again sometime in the spring of 2009. If you wish to receive a calendar announcement for when this (and other) courses are running, just set your RSS feed to receive this blog or sign up in the box at the left of this page.

You can find more information about my courses on my Create-a-Life website.

coaching info: www.create-a-life.co.uk

Related posts

• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 9 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 8 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 6 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 5 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 4 (0)

10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker (Part 6)
By Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
author, speaker and personal transformation coach

Here’s step number 6 of 10…

STEP 6: Get ready for the event. It’s now time to get ready to send out your invitations or event announcements. After you speak to people on the phone, you should also send out personal invitations between 2-3 weeks in advance. I believe in working on a shoestring budget whenever possible. So, yes, you COULD go out and buy a stack of really pretty invitations and post them all if that expresses your style and approach, but I prefer email as it is cost-free and enables you to send reminders before the event. Generally, I send the reminders about 1 week before the event, and then again 2 days before.

Regardless of which approach you use, be sure to put some attention into the LOOK of the invitation. Make it reflect the character of the event you are presenting, as well as the impact that you wish to create. For instance, I know many online marketers who use plain text for their marketing materials, but personally they don’t always catch my eye and I am sure I miss some interesting events. That is why, recently, when I wanted to hold a Christmas event, I created an e-invitation with an animated candle on it. It was fascinating how many people told me that this email-based invitation made them feel warm and welcome to the event. One of them even cancelled another event she was going to simply because my invitation looked more… well… inviting. It cost me nothing to do, and even though it took me about a half hour to make, that is nothing compared to the time and cost of sending out posted invitations, or making dozens of phone calls.

If your event is also going to be open to the public, make some low-cost flyers and place them in places where the kinds of people you are targeting “hang out”. Better yet, find places to hand it to people personally.

Time your event carefully. Hold it in the evening if you are targeting working people. Hold it in the morning or afternoon only if you are running a business network type event, or you are targeting retirees or young mums. Any kind of general public event where people who are employed are invited should be in the evening. The best evenings for speaking events are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, although Mondays and Thursdays can also work. Make sure you don’t schedule your event on the same night as a major sporting (or similar) event! Be sure you tell people that the doors open at 7 PM, and plan to start your talk (or talks, if you have more than one speaker) at 7.30.

Step 7 follows tomorrow…
Subscribe to this feed to ensure you receive all 10 tips.

Want to take this dream further?
I teach all these techniques and more in my course “Light Your Fire Without Burning Out”, where you learn how to set up your own social and business networks that can also help position you as an expert in your field. This course will be running again sometime in the spring of 2009. If you wish to receive a calendar announcement for when this (and other) courses are running, just set your RSS feed to receive this blog or sign up in the box at the left of this page.

You can find more information about my courses on my Create-a-Life website.

coaching info: www.create-a-life.co.uk

Related posts

• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 9 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 8 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 7 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 5 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 4 (0)

Almost half-way there. Here’s step number 5 of 10…

STEP 5: Create the SPACE. It’s time now to locate and book a venue for your talk. Don’t think big and expensive. Make it a small, cosy place. Having 20 people in a small venue feels a lot better than having the same amount of people in a larger room. Rent out a church hall or a small hotel board room. Look for inexpensive but aesthetically pleasing places. The atmosphere of the venue is just as important as your talk, believe me! It is a commonly quoted axiom that people forget what you say, but they don’t forget how you made them feel. So make sure they will feel good as soon as they enter the venue.

Be sure you do a “rekkie” before the day so you get an idea of how the tables, chairs and other items in the room would be laid out. Pay attention to where the electrical mains are. Be sure the venue is accessible to all and there is ample parking. Think about how you will “create” the space that will set the mood for the evening you wish to present. Fluorescent lighting might be fine for an up-tempo business talk, but it might not at all be right for a talk of a more reflective nature. Take time to plan how you will set the room up for impact. Think about whether you need kitchen access, PA system or other resources.

And speaking of resources, don’t think that you need lots of “props” to make your talk more “exciting”. It is your job to inspire the audience, not to “impress” them. So here’s a tip… if you want to be a motivational speaker, don’t make your debut hiding behind a visual presentation (unless pictures are absolutely essential for your talk). While I have done some pretty funky things with a PowerPoint presentation, there is the old adage “death by PowerPoint”.

And flipcharts? Good heavens no! Not unless it is absolutely essential to express something you cannot say with words alone. There is nothing LESS motivational to an audience than the sight of a flipchart waiting in the wings. Don’t die before your career even starts. If you are using any kind of visual aid, make sure it is attractive and used sparingly.

Step 6 follows tomorrow…
Subscribe to this feed to ensure you receive all 10 tips.

Want to take this dream further?
I teach all these techniques and more in my course “Light Your Fire Without Burning Out”, where you learn how to set up your own social and business networks that can also help position you as an expert in your field. This course will be running again sometime in the spring of 2009. If you wish to receive a calendar announcement for when this (and other) courses are running, just set your RSS feed to receive this blog or sign up in the box at the left of this page.

You can find more information about my courses on my Create-a-Life website.

coaching info: www.create-a-life.co.uk

Related posts

• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 9 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 8 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 7 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 6 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 4 (0)

10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker (Part 4)
By Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
author, speaker and personal transformation coach

Here’s do-it-yourself step number 4…

STEP 4: ASK for names. Before you hang up on your contacts, ask them who else they know who might like to come to the event as a member of the audience. Be specific about what kind of people you want. Say something like, “I’m looking for people in their 20s and 30s who are getting ready to move from full-time care to an independent living situation” (or whatever it is you are looking for) and ask them who they know who fits that category. Gather names/emails and telephone numbers. Ask them to call these people to ask if you can speak to them. Believe me, people will be very helpful if you are giving them something free of interest to them. Call the secondary people and start to make connections with them. THEN, ask them who THEY know and continue building your special interest group. If you do this correctly, you could end up with an invitation list of about 30 people for your first event. AND, find one or two people amongst your invitees who would be willing to help you run the event.

Step 5 follows tomorrow…
Subscribe to this feed to ensure you receive all 10 tips.

Want to take this dream further?

I teach all these techniques and more in my course “Light Your Fire Without Burning Out”, where you learn how to set up your own social and business networks that can also help position you as an expert in your field. This course will be running again sometime in the spring of 2009. If you wish to receive a calendar announcement for when this (and other) courses are running, just set your RSS feed to receive this blog or sign up in the box at the left of this page.

You can find more information about my courses on my Create-a-Life website.

coaching info: www.create-a-life.co.uk

Related posts

• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 9 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 8 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 7 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 6 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 5 (0)

10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker (Part 3)
By Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
author, speaker and personal transformation coach

2 down, 8 to go. Here’s step number 3…

STEP 3: Talk with people you already KNOW. Next, write down the names of all the people you already know who fit this description. You might only personally know 3 or 4 people in this category. Fine. Call them up and say that you are arranging a talk on a topic that fits the range of interest you have in common. Don’t feel compelled to make it entirely free; a small charge at the door to cover your costs is acceptable. Tell them the topic, and what they will gain from it. You might have a prize draw, coffee/tea, wine reception, whatever. ASK this person if he or she would like to give a short talk too. Get them enthusiastic. Tell them that you intend to set this up for 1 month from now, but you’ll give them all the details later. Repeat this until you have about 4 speakers for the event, including yourself.  

Step 4 follows tomorrow…
Subscribe to this feed to ensure you receive all 10 tips.

Want to take this dream further?

I teach all these techniques and more in my course “Light Your Fire Without Burning Out”, where you learn how to set up your own social and business networks that can also help position you as an expert in your field. This course will be running again sometime in the spring of 2009. If you wish to receive a calendar announcement for when this (and other) courses are running, just set your RSS feed to receive this blog or sign up in the box at the left of this page.

You can find more information about my courses on my Create-a-Life website.

coaching info: www.create-a-life.co.uk

Related posts

• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 9 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 8 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 7 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 6 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 5 (0)

10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker (Part 2)
By Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
author, speaker and personal transformation coach

Here’s Step 2 of 10…

STEP 2: What do YOU want to say? Once you identify the kinds of people who make you feel motivated, it’s time to get more specific. What kinds of things you like to talk about with them? What topics turn you both on? What is your common ethos? What do you life for? For what specific issues do you want to be known as an expert? Don’t make it too broad, or you will dilute the “image” of your expertise in people’s eyes. In your case, if you go with mental disabilities, for instance, what specific disabilities would you want to work with? What is the impact you want to create? What stage of their lives will they be? Young, old? Are they in care? Are they in transition to independence? Or do you want to work with parents/families? Think of what motivates YOU and then select something that would sustain your interest.

Step 3 follows tomorrow…
Subscribe to this feed to ensure you receive all 10 tips.

Want to take this dream further?

I teach all these techniques and more in my course “Light Your Fire Without Burning Out”, where you learn how to set up your own social and business networks that can also help position you as an expert in your field. This course will be running again sometime in the spring of 2009. If you wish to receive a calendar announcement for when this (and other) courses are running, just set your RSS feed to receive this blog or sign up in the box at the left of this page.

You can find more information about my courses on my Create-a-Life website.

coaching info: www.create-a-life.co.uk

Related posts

• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 9 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 8 (1)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 7 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 6 (0)
• 10 steps to becoming a motivational speaker Pt 5 (0)