Digg it UP - Writing and Speaking

The Lowdown on the American Express Platinum Business Card
Designed for business owners with good credit scores, the Platinum Business Card from American Express is ideal for the small business owner planning as this card allows users to pay outstanding balances over a period of time.For those who qualify, interest rates for new purchases with the card are reasonably low, while balance transfers are fixed at 4.99%. Additionally, a twelve-month long 0% introductory rate applies for new purchases. No annual fees are charged, which also applies to two additional supplementary cardholders. However, there is a $10 annual fee charge for the third supplementary cardholder.As with most other platinum credit cards, a comprehensive insurance plan that includes a purchase protection plan is included as a feature of American Express cards. Apart from that, American Express Platinum Business cardholders also get to receive special discounts and savings at participating merchants such as Hertz, FedEx, AT&T, Staples and 1-800-FLOWERS.COM.With the American Express Platinum Business Card, cardholders are provided access to the American Express’ Small Business Network. Through the Network, small business owners everywhere can manage their account online through the Small Business Dashboard, and even communicate with o

e done your research, you will more than likely make an immediate friend. This is where the business relationship begins and in most cases, the event planner or “hiring” authority will book you in because you have approached them this way.

7. Marketing

Add this to your weekly business tasks, this is of course a must, if you don’t market you all know they won’t find you! You have to go to them…let them know you are unique, you are knowledgeable, you are the best and that you can knock the socks off their audience. Don’t be afraid to approach meeting planners, you want to keep your name fresh in their mind! Be PERSISTENT!

Standing out from the crowd is a major challenge for today's professional speaker. Marketing yourself and your company, should be one of your major priorities, which requires to be done on a regular basis. Unless you have ample time on your hands and the expertise it takes to market yourself effectively, one of the best suggestions we can make is hire a professional marketing specialist or consultant/public relations company. Find someone that will work side by side with you in developing a marketing campaign that will benefit you and your speaking career.

If your budget does not have room for the expense of a professional PR agent then there are many ways you can gain exposure and become known as an expert in your field by doing some simple marketing techniques that are sure fire ways to get you the attention you need. Remember to be unique!

8. Interact with potential

6 Easy Ways to Spiff Up Homes For Sale in Las Vegas, NV
Most shopping the listings of homes for sale in Las Vegas, NV can be won over by curb appeal, fresh paint and the appearance of a maintenance free home.But you can’t get to that point unless you take steps to get your piece of Las Vegas real estate for sale ready, now can you? So here are six steps to take to get your Las Vegas home ready for the invasion of the home buyers.Let There Be Light Let’s face it, light and bright sells. That’s because people are buying space. And being well lit with light colors makes your house seem more spacious. Aside from liberal use of off white paint, put 100-watt light bulbs in all light fixtures. Then let there be light. That’s right turn on all the lights if a buyer’s coming by. Even if it’s high noon. Also keep the curtains, shades and blinds open to let the sun light in.How’s the carpet? Close doesn’t count when it comes to carpeting. It either looks fresh or it doesn’t. And about all buyers homes for sale in Las Vegas, NV know about carpeting is it isn’t cheap to replace. So clean it. Or if that doesn’t work replace it. Especially good to remember if you have pets.Make the Old New Again It’s a fact. Buyers want fresh and up to date. Even if the house is 46 years old. Whe

Becoming a professional full time speaker isn’t easy…everyone knows that, it takes a lot of dedication, determination and most important you have to have the passion, if the passion isn’t there then my suggestion would be, don’t even attempt it! I could spend days teaching you how to package yourself as a professional speaker and how to gain more exposure, but the following article as been bundled to give you just a few quick tips and ideas so you can start implementing them into your business.
1. Niche yourself
Yes, I know you have heard this many times and it couldn’t be truer! One of the biggest mistakes a speaker can make is having too “general” of a topic. You want to narrow your expert niche as much as possible. Become the Speaker of Choice, research your topic industry so you know “what’s hot” and “what’s not”. Take that research and develop a niche around it, be sure it is something you have experience with and will be able to present it as a professional expert speaker in that field. Don’t waste your time, energy and money on developing a “niche” that just isn’t going to get any recognition because it isn’t something that planners will be looking for! Do your research and I do put emphasis on this tip! Once you have discovered your niche, you must continue to practice your speaking skills and update your material and presentations to keep-up with the trends and changing issues.
2. Build your credibility
There are many ways to build your credibility and become known as an expert, but this tip is about building your credibility by knowing your audience.
Your job as a presenter is to take the context you will present and put it into a form that your audience will understand and can relate to. You want them to really understand what you’re saying. Always remember your presentation is not about you, it’s about the audience, what they want to know, and what they want to know is - what’s in it for me? How will you help their business grow?...How will you help them save time…save money...How will you make them feel!
Vision yourself sitting in the audience you will be presenting to and ask yourself, “What do I want to get out of this?”, “What do I want to learn?”, “What’s in it for me?” Once you can perceive yourself as a participant of the audience than you can start putting the pieces together in building a top notch presentation that your audience will remember and one that will have members coming to you and asking you to get your schedule out because they want to book you.
The more you relate to your audience, the more you know your audience, the better your chance of building your credibility…you have an audience that is happy, engaged and drawn to you and one that is saying…Hey, this speaker knows his stuff…he knows us!
3. Develop an eye-catching media kit
Planners get hundreds if not thousands of proposals and media kits every year. You have to “wow” them immediately to grab their attention, before they set it down and go to the next one!
Make sure that your media kit is up to date, precise and professionally put together. Nothing else turns away a meeting planner or organization more than an unattractive, boring, and unorganized media kit. They won’t even bother with it nor have the time of day to look over the remaining contents if they don't like what they see at first glance and many times the hours, days and money you have spent in putting it together are now wasted as it sits on the planners’ shelf gathering dust. I know this seems a bit harsh, but being on the ‘inside’ I know this to be true, as I have seen it many times, so just spend some time on your kit when putting it together or possibly re-do the one you already have, remember you want to catch the eye of the reader to draw them into reading more.
4. Have an online presence
Develop a website with information on your experience, topics you cover, promotional material available and testimonials from previous clients. You don’t need a big, fancy, or expensive website to attract visitors and the attention of meeting planners, just make sure you are catering to the planners needs and have the information easily accessible and downloadable. If you’re an article writer make sure you add your articles to your own site.
If your budget doesn’t allow for your own web site, join speakers’ organizations and add your name to their online listings - The more exposure you get, the better your chances of being found by people seeking speakers.
5. Work with meeting planners
Very important: be willing to work with them. Don’t be so stubborn that you talked yourself right out of one of the most important speaking engagements of your career. Most planners are eager to work with the speaker, but you also have to be willing to “give a little to get a lot”. Remember you want to be a magnet to planners and the “hiring” company, not an itch under their skin. So be pleasant and be negotiable and give them the best performance possible and in return they will continue to book you and recommend you!
You want to position yourself within the meeting planner realm as being enjoyable to work with, fun, and easy-going! Trust me on this one, there is nothing worse then working with a stubborn, un-pleasant speaker who is unwilling to budge or negotiate, it doesn’t matter if they are well-known or have years of experience, planners don’t have the time for this nor want to deal with it. I also want to mention, don’t be too quick to pass on a free speaking engagement as this can bring you more opportunities (Many great enterprises were built from small opportunities)
6. Introduce yourself as a contingency speaker
This is one way to get your “foot” in the door. One of the biggest fears of a meeting planner is a “no-show” or cancellation of the scheduled speaker. You can send out a letter via e-mail or regular mail to event planners, program managers, etc.
Your initial contact with the event planner should be on eliminating one of their largest fears. If you have a properly written letter and have done your research, you will more than likely make an immediate friend. This is where the business relationship begins and in most cases, the event planner or “hiring” authority will book you in because you have approached them this way.
7. Marketing
Add this to your weekly business tasks, this is of course a must, if you don’t market you all know they won’t find you! You have to go to them…let them know you are unique, you are knowledgeable, you are the best and that you can knock the socks off their audience. Don’t be afraid to approach meeting planners, you want to keep your name fresh in their mind! Be PERSISTENT!
Standing out from the crowd is a major challenge for today's professional speaker. Marketing yourself and your company, should be one of your major priorities, which requires to be done on a regular basis. Unless you have ample time on your hands and the expertise it takes to market yourself effectively, one of the best suggestions we can make is hire a professional marketing specialist or consultant/public relations company. Find someone that will work side by side with you in developing a marketing campaign that will benefit you and your speaking career.
If your budget does not have room for the expense of a professional PR agent then there are many ways you can gain exposure and become known as an expert in your field by doing some simple marketing techniques that are sure fire ways to get you the attention you need. Remember to be unique!
8. Interact with potential c
Marketing and PR for New Product Development
Following a recent article on planning successful business events, a reader contacted me about New Product Development (npd) launches. They had a unique product - new and very different - and asked for my thoughts on their overall marketing strategy generally.Here was my reply:You have an interesting challenge, or should I say "opportunity", here. To answer your question fully I could write a book. But, here are some broad tips:Firstly, you have an unusual product but it is still a product. You might do well to look at how other people have launched other products in your marketplace to see what lessons you can learn.You will need to be clear about your answers to the following standard questions:Into what market will the product be launched?What customer segments will purchase the product?For what applications will the customer use the product?Into what geographic segments will be sold?What are the benefits for the customers?What is the price/performance ratio relative to the competition?Who are the principle competitors?What will make your product unique in the market?What percentage market share is targeted at end of year 1 and year 3?What percentage of the custom
but this tip is about building your credibility by knowing your audience.
Your job as a presenter is to take the context you will present and put it into a form that your audience will understand and can relate to. You want them to really understand what you’re saying. Always remember your presentation is not about you, it’s about the audience, what they want to know, and what they want to know is - what’s in it for me? How will you help their business grow?...How will you help them save time…save money...How will you make them feel!
Vision yourself sitting in the audience you will be presenting to and ask yourself, “What do I want to get out of this?”, “What do I want to learn?”, “What’s in it for me?” Once you can perceive yourself as a participant of the audience than you can start putting the pieces together in building a top notch presentation that your audience will remember and one that will have members coming to you and asking you to get your schedule out because they want to book you.
The more you relate to your audience, the more you know your audience, the better your chance of building your credibility…you have an audience that is happy, engaged and drawn to you and one that is saying…Hey, this speaker knows his stuff…he knows us!
3. Develop an eye-catching media kit
Planners get hundreds if not thousands of proposals and media kits every year. You have to “wow” them immediately to grab their attention, before they set it down and go to the next one!
Make sure that your media kit is up to date, precise and professionally put together. Nothing else turns away a meeting planner or organization more than an unattractive, boring, and unorganized media kit. They won’t even bother with it nor have the time of day to look over the remaining contents if they don't like what they see at first glance and many times the hours, days and money you have spent in putting it together are now wasted as it sits on the planners’ shelf gathering dust. I know this seems a bit harsh, but being on the ‘inside’ I know this to be true, as I have seen it many times, so just spend some time on your kit when putting it together or possibly re-do the one you already have, remember you want to catch the eye of the reader to draw them into reading more.
4. Have an online presence
Develop a website with information on your experience, topics you cover, promotional material available and testimonials from previous clients. You don’t need a big, fancy, or expensive website to attract visitors and the attention of meeting planners, just make sure you are catering to the planners needs and have the information easily accessible and downloadable. If you’re an article writer make sure you add your articles to your own site.
If your budget doesn’t allow for your own web site, join speakers’ organizations and add your name to their online listings - The more exposure you get, the better your chances of being found by people seeking speakers.
5. Work with meeting planners
Very important: be willing to work with them. Don’t be so stubborn that you talked yourself right out of one of the most important speaking engagements of your career. Most planners are eager to work with the speaker, but you also have to be willing to “give a little to get a lot”. Remember you want to be a magnet to planners and the “hiring” company, not an itch under their skin. So be pleasant and be negotiable and give them the best performance possible and in return they will continue to book you and recommend you!
You want to position yourself within the meeting planner realm as being enjoyable to work with, fun, and easy-going! Trust me on this one, there is nothing worse then working with a stubborn, un-pleasant speaker who is unwilling to budge or negotiate, it doesn’t matter if they are well-known or have years of experience, planners don’t have the time for this nor want to deal with it. I also want to mention, don’t be too quick to pass on a free speaking engagement as this can bring you more opportunities (Many great enterprises were built from small opportunities)
6. Introduce yourself as a contingency speaker
This is one way to get your “foot” in the door. One of the biggest fears of a meeting planner is a “no-show” or cancellation of the scheduled speaker. You can send out a letter via e-mail or regular mail to event planners, program managers, etc.
Your initial contact with the event planner should be on eliminating one of their largest fears. If you have a properly written letter and have done your research, you will more than likely make an immediate friend. This is where the business relationship begins and in most cases, the event planner or “hiring” authority will book you in because you have approached them this way.
7. Marketing
Add this to your weekly business tasks, this is of course a must, if you don’t market you all know they won’t find you! You have to go to them…let them know you are unique, you are knowledgeable, you are the best and that you can knock the socks off their audience. Don’t be afraid to approach meeting planners, you want to keep your name fresh in their mind! Be PERSISTENT!
Standing out from the crowd is a major challenge for today's professional speaker. Marketing yourself and your company, should be one of your major priorities, which requires to be done on a regular basis. Unless you have ample time on your hands and the expertise it takes to market yourself effectively, one of the best suggestions we can make is hire a professional marketing specialist or consultant/public relations company. Find someone that will work side by side with you in developing a marketing campaign that will benefit you and your speaking career.
If your budget does not have room for the expense of a professional PR agent then there are many ways you can gain exposure and become known as an expert in your field by doing some simple marketing techniques that are sure fire ways to get you the attention you need. Remember to be unique!
8. Interact with potential
Page Rank and Search Engine Optimization
Google is one search engine and a technology which has evolved on the web like a Avalanche…. Everything on the web today revolves around a meaningless word “Google”. Page rank was something invented by Google to determine the value of the domain “For Google Search Engine”. But currently, Google Page rank determines many things for many other people. In the domain trading business, the page rank determines the value of the domain. A PR9 Site is most likely to sell for a good 100,000 that’s probably the value of a 2 bedroom house where you stay. A PR5 site on the other hand sells for around 2500$. A PR1 site is as good as a NEW Site and would sell for nothing more than a 100$ (Unless the Domain has other values to add up).Why is the PR important while you buy a domain? In today’s internet scenario is Google which takes a good position in Search engines and most of the successful website generate anywhere around 50-70% of the traffic from Google alone. Considering the fact, the evaluation of Google Page rank is important as you can be guaranteed that the Google considers this website important. If you put a site on to the domain name with meaningful information (We mean TEXT and not a lot of PICTURES and FLASH), the site is bound to be getting more traffic. T
ur media kit is up to date, precise and professionally put together. Nothing else turns away a meeting planner or organization more than an unattractive, boring, and unorganized media kit. They won’t even bother with it nor have the time of day to look over the remaining contents if they don't like what they see at first glance and many times the hours, days and money you have spent in putting it together are now wasted as it sits on the planners’ shelf gathering dust. I know this seems a bit harsh, but being on the ‘inside’ I know this to be true, as I have seen it many times, so just spend some time on your kit when putting it together or possibly re-do the one you already have, remember you want to catch the eye of the reader to draw them into reading more.
4. Have an online presence
Develop a website with information on your experience, topics you cover, promotional material available and testimonials from previous clients. You don’t need a big, fancy, or expensive website to attract visitors and the attention of meeting planners, just make sure you are catering to the planners needs and have the information easily accessible and downloadable. If you’re an article writer make sure you add your articles to your own site.
If your budget doesn’t allow for your own web site, join speakers’ organizations and add your name to their online listings - The more exposure you get, the better your chances of being found by people seeking speakers.
5. Work with meeting planners
Very important: be willing to work with them. Don’t be so stubborn that you talked yourself right out of one of the most important speaking engagements of your career. Most planners are eager to work with the speaker, but you also have to be willing to “give a little to get a lot”. Remember you want to be a magnet to planners and the “hiring” company, not an itch under their skin. So be pleasant and be negotiable and give them the best performance possible and in return they will continue to book you and recommend you!
You want to position yourself within the meeting planner realm as being enjoyable to work with, fun, and easy-going! Trust me on this one, there is nothing worse then working with a stubborn, un-pleasant speaker who is unwilling to budge or negotiate, it doesn’t matter if they are well-known or have years of experience, planners don’t have the time for this nor want to deal with it. I also want to mention, don’t be too quick to pass on a free speaking engagement as this can bring you more opportunities (Many great enterprises were built from small opportunities)
6. Introduce yourself as a contingency speaker
This is one way to get your “foot” in the door. One of the biggest fears of a meeting planner is a “no-show” or cancellation of the scheduled speaker. You can send out a letter via e-mail or regular mail to event planners, program managers, etc.
Your initial contact with the event planner should be on eliminating one of their largest fears. If you have a properly written letter and have done your research, you will more than likely make an immediate friend. This is where the business relationship begins and in most cases, the event planner or “hiring” authority will book you in because you have approached them this way.
7. Marketing
Add this to your weekly business tasks, this is of course a must, if you don’t market you all know they won’t find you! You have to go to them…let them know you are unique, you are knowledgeable, you are the best and that you can knock the socks off their audience. Don’t be afraid to approach meeting planners, you want to keep your name fresh in their mind! Be PERSISTENT!
Standing out from the crowd is a major challenge for today's professional speaker. Marketing yourself and your company, should be one of your major priorities, which requires to be done on a regular basis. Unless you have ample time on your hands and the expertise it takes to market yourself effectively, one of the best suggestions we can make is hire a professional marketing specialist or consultant/public relations company. Find someone that will work side by side with you in developing a marketing campaign that will benefit you and your speaking career.
If your budget does not have room for the expense of a professional PR agent then there are many ways you can gain exposure and become known as an expert in your field by doing some simple marketing techniques that are sure fire ways to get you the attention you need. Remember to be unique!
8. Interact with potential
Do You Want a FREE Traffic Stream - SEO Tactics
Do You Want a FREE Traffic Stream? What if I told you that it can come from the ezinearticles website. Would you believe me? Well, here is the deal. They have provided something for us to use anytime we want that has the promise of Five URLs and maybe a couple of extra links thrown in for good measure. Want to how? It is so easy.Just fill out your "Author BIO Public Display" page. That is the secret. Well, it is not really a secret because ezinearticle has it available for us to use anytime we want.I was reviewing my websites logs when I saw this strange page name. Well it was the "Extended Author Bio" page. Some had actually clicked on a By Line and clicked on my extended information.So not only does the Article give us benefits but also the Extended Author Bio as well. If you have never looked at that page or just glossed over it then you missed a very important fact. They have given us three Business URLs, one Personal URL and a Blog URL. Count them; that adds up to FIVE URLS. Plus you can have a couple of more text links in your actual Author BIO.Also, if you are someone like Joel Comm and has written a book or two. You can even add the ISBN number so it can be advertised on the same page.Are you hearing me n
tant: be willing to work with them. Don’t be so stubborn that you talked yourself right out of one of the most important speaking engagements of your career. Most planners are eager to work with the speaker, but you also have to be willing to “give a little to get a lot”. Remember you want to be a magnet to planners and the “hiring” company, not an itch under their skin. So be pleasant and be negotiable and give them the best performance possible and in return they will continue to book you and recommend you!
You want to position yourself within the meeting planner realm as being enjoyable to work with, fun, and easy-going! Trust me on this one, there is nothing worse then working with a stubborn, un-pleasant speaker who is unwilling to budge or negotiate, it doesn’t matter if they are well-known or have years of experience, planners don’t have the time for this nor want to deal with it. I also want to mention, don’t be too quick to pass on a free speaking engagement as this can bring you more opportunities (Many great enterprises were built from small opportunities)
6. Introduce yourself as a contingency speaker
This is one way to get your “foot” in the door. One of the biggest fears of a meeting planner is a “no-show” or cancellation of the scheduled speaker. You can send out a letter via e-mail or regular mail to event planners, program managers, etc.
Your initial contact with the event planner should be on eliminating one of their largest fears. If you have a properly written letter and have done your research, you will more than likely make an immediate friend. This is where the business relationship begins and in most cases, the event planner or “hiring” authority will book you in because you have approached them this way.
7. Marketing
Add this to your weekly business tasks, this is of course a must, if you don’t market you all know they won’t find you! You have to go to them…let them know you are unique, you are knowledgeable, you are the best and that you can knock the socks off their audience. Don’t be afraid to approach meeting planners, you want to keep your name fresh in their mind! Be PERSISTENT!
Standing out from the crowd is a major challenge for today's professional speaker. Marketing yourself and your company, should be one of your major priorities, which requires to be done on a regular basis. Unless you have ample time on your hands and the expertise it takes to market yourself effectively, one of the best suggestions we can make is hire a professional marketing specialist or consultant/public relations company. Find someone that will work side by side with you in developing a marketing campaign that will benefit you and your speaking career.
If your budget does not have room for the expense of a professional PR agent then there are many ways you can gain exposure and become known as an expert in your field by doing some simple marketing techniques that are sure fire ways to get you the attention you need. Remember to be unique!
8. Interact with potential
Email Marketing - Create Buzz At Low Cost
Word of mouth can be one of the most effective forms of marketing. But how can you get people talking about the products or services you provide? Opt-in email can be a great way to create buzz about your company. People have to sign up to receive mailings, so you know they are interested in what you do. They can also pass on messages to their friends and family. Other advantages to email marketing include: Quick and low cost to create and deliver compared to offline direct mail. Ability to focus on niche areas of interest. Customer feedback can arrive quickly. Communication can be personalised. Impact is immediately measurable. If you decide to outsource email marketing, you should ensure you choose a company that provides all these services: Email consultancy Consultancy services help to maximise the benefits of your email campaign. This includes: Gaining contacts. Ensuring your contacts stay registered. Dividing your contacts into sub-groups, to ensure their interests are met. Designing HTML elements. Measur
e done your research, you will more than likely make an immediate friend. This is where the business relationship begins and in most cases, the event planner or “hiring” authority will book you in because you have approached them this way.
7. Marketing
Add this to your weekly business tasks, this is of course a must, if you don’t market you all know they won’t find you! You have to go to them…let them know you are unique, you are knowledgeable, you are the best and that you can knock the socks off their audience. Don’t be afraid to approach meeting planners, you want to keep your name fresh in their mind! Be PERSISTENT!
Standing out from the crowd is a major challenge for today's professional speaker. Marketing yourself and your company, should be one of your major priorities, which requires to be done on a regular basis. Unless you have ample time on your hands and the expertise it takes to market yourself effectively, one of the best suggestions we can make is hire a professional marketing specialist or consultant/public relations company. Find someone that will work side by side with you in developing a marketing campaign that will benefit you and your speaking career.
If your budget does not have room for the expense of a professional PR agent then there are many ways you can gain exposure and become known as an expert in your field by doing some simple marketing techniques that are sure fire ways to get you the attention you need. Remember to be unique!
8. Interact with potential clients
It is very important to mingle and network! Get yourself noticed. Hand out business cards every where you go. Talk to everyone you meet. Go to seminars and meetings that are the same as your expertise. Watch and pay attention. Who are the attendees, what is their reaction to the speaker on the platform? Most importantly, be very personable and agreeable with every meeting planner you meet. You want to leave the impression that you are easy going and willing to make adjustments at the last minute.
Meeting planners don't like to work with difficult speakers and they look for someone with humor, an abundance of energy, flexibility, and great content!
9. Write a book/ info products
This is a BIG credibility builder. I know it’s not as easy as it sounds, but if you are an expert in your field and you have information you want to share, I would suggest writing a book or some informational products. This is an excellent marketing tool and an addition to your income. We know you have the speaking ability and you know what you want to say, but some speakers just don’t know how or have the time to put it in book/product form. You do have the option of outsourcing that task. There are many companies who specialize in that field and can assist you with your project.
10. Article writing
Almost everyone knows about article marketing and submitting them online, but I just want to mention it again. I would have to say I bring up article marketing at least 5 times a day in many different conversations because that is how important I feel article marketing is.
You are a speaker…you are an expert…so you shouldn’t have any trouble writing a simple article. Add article writing and submitting them online to your marketing plan and do it on a regular basis. This is one of the best and FREE ways of promoting yourself and your business, and also gaining more visitors to your website!
Many times I see an excellent article that was written with just the authors name, no contact information…nothing! Well, if you’re like me you don’t have the time to try and do a search on this author to find their site and learn more, you want instant contact information by just clicking your mouse so you can be taken directly to where you want to go. So, don’t forget to add an eye-catching bio at the end of your article so readers can find you and learn more. Be sure and include your contact information including website and email address.

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Digg it UP - 10 Tips to Help Position Yourself in the Speaking Industry

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