t h e g e t s t a r t e d speaking - suzanne faltersome good bio examples 40 how’s your brand...

G e t S t a r t e d speaking

lisa sasevich & suzanne falter-barnsw w w . g e t s t a r t e d s p e a k i n g . c o m

W o r k b o o k

t h e

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Use This Workbook 5

WORKSHEETS

1. Determining Your Market 6

2. Your Point of Difference 8

3. Create Your Own Media/Talk Hooks 10

4. Create Titles That Sell 12

5. Starter Gigs (Brain Dump) 14

6. Write a Credible Bio 16

7. Write Your Own One Sheet 18

8. My Business & Lifestyle Goals 20

9. My Goals For This Talk 22

10. Products & Services to Sell 24

11. Create Three Packages 28

12. Sample Forms 30

13. Envisioning Your Speaking Career 32

EXTRAS & RESOURCES

Create Your Elevator Speech 36

How to Get Booked with Associations via Mail or Email 38

Association Starter Database 39

Some Good Bio Examples 40

How’s Your Brand Working? Acid Test 42

Resources for Photography, Sound, Video & Other Needs 44

Sample One Sheet 46

Speaker Outline 47

Sample Email An Assistant Can Use To Solicit Speaking Engagements 49

Sample Email Letters to Promote a Program Like Get Started Speaking 51

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HOw TO USE THiS wOrkBOOk

You are holding in your hand a little gold mine – a book of worksheets and resources designed to lead you step-by-step through the grand process of getting started as a speaker.

To best utilize this resource, first turn on the recordings and listen in sequence. Periodically, you will be prompted to begin a worksheet. They’re all here … so you can do them just as if you were sitting in a live Get Started Speaking event.

At the end we’ve included some helpful resources beyond the material that’s part of the step-by-step process of the program. Dig in and enjoy!

If you do the work diligently, and really do complete all the worksheets to the best of your ability, you should have virtually everything you need to book those first gigs and find your audiences.

Best of luck on your exciting journey!

Suzanne Falter-Barns & Lisa Sasevich

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dETErmiNiiNg yOUr mArkET

Begin this work by asking some general questions about your ideal market. Note – this may not be the market you currently have (or it may.) It may not even become the market you thought you wanted.

Answer the following questions about who your ideal market is. The more specific your reply is, the better. Remember – the more detailed you are, the more likely you are to be able to find these people on the Web.

Briefly describe the following about your ideal market:

1. Industry What sort of jobs do your people have?

2. Who are they buying your service/product for? Themselves? Mom? Hubby?

3. What do they buy? Books? CD’s? Retreats and workshops? Live events/Home study pro-grams?

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S U z A N N E F A L T E r - B A r N S A N d L i S A S A S E v i C H

4. What are their interests/hobbies? (This may or may not be relevant.)

5. Time of life characteristics: Mid-life crisis, empty nest, menopause, recovery from major illness or addiction, new babies at home, expats looking to spend time abroad productively, etc.

6. Where do they work? In or out of the house? In a major corporation? Do they commute?

7. What is their point of pain? Why do they need you? Is that a way to define your niche?

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yOUr pOiNT OF diFFErENCE

Now that you’ve begun to dig into who your people are – ask yourself another round of questions. Again, think like your clients or customers – really put yourself in their shoes and do your best to create a clear, specific picture of them.

1. What are the 3 Biggest Problems your market has right now?

2. What is their driving emotional need?

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3. Is that their Big Need? Is there a bigger one?

4. Describe the solution you can provide to assist that Big Need.

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CrEATE yOUr OwN mEdiA/TALk HOOkS

Now that you’ve begun to dig into who your people are – ask yourself another round of questions. Again, think like your clients or customers – really put yourself in their shoes and do your best to create a clear, specific picture of them.

1. Describe the solution you can provide that your audience craves. (See the previous work-sheet for a reminder.)

2. What’s unique (as far as you know) about your particular offer/solution to this problem? What’s ‘your take’ on the problem?

3. Now list five to ten top passions, hobbies or interests in your life. This could be anything from playing country music with a band to ending world hunger to the Red Sox.

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4. Is there any way you can naturally weave your passions, hobbies or interests into your offer in the marketplace. (Think of Keihl’s, the high end cosmetic pharmacy in Manhattan who also had vintage motorcycles and photos of sports cars in their store.) If so, how?

5. What’s relevant in the culture/news/calendar/national conversation that can be linked – IN ANY WAY – to your solution or the problem? Does it apply or matter to your market? (If there is none, so be it.)

6. Now revisit #2 above and see if you can further refine what’s unique about your offer, based on your replies to #3, #4, #5. What ties in that’s also relevant to your audience?

7. Now write down at least three hooks – based on answers in #6 that could get people telling their friends about what you do/your business. (Example: your corporate coaching business includes kayak day trips for bonding employees, based on your own experience as a passionate kayaker.)

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Use the work you did in the previous worksheet (#3) to take the concepts a step further, and create the topics for your talks.

1. List at least three emotional hooks that can make your product or services stand out. (Ex-ample: Your office repair service offers free lunchtime classes on using Excel, Power Point and Word faster and better.)

2. Ask yourself honestly – is this seriously a commercial benefit/hook you’re offering? In other words, do people want it?

3. Create a talk, seminar or workshop title that describes somehow uses one of these hooks. Come up with a basic title that just gets the idea down. (Example: Creating Word Docs in Half the Time.)

CrEATE TiTLES THAT SELL

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4. Now make sure there is a direct, end-user benefit to your talk title – and if there isn’t, add it. (Example: Become Faster in the Office – Create Word Docs in Half the Time!)

5. Now spice it up with emotional provocative word(s) that create additional benefit and ex-citement, specifically descriptive words. (Example: “Become the Office Dynamo – Create Word Docs in Half the Time’; Implied benefit: you’ll impress the boss and have new mojo at work.)

6. Alternately – defy logic. Is there a way to put this totally differently that stands logic on its head? (Example: “Learn Word Power Secrets and never Work Late Again!”) Try a few here.

7. Create a few in list format, just for fun. (Example: “Ten Scary Truths About MS Office That Cost You Hours Per Week”)

8. Last check: Is this seriously something that people want and will honestly attend? Would you? Would your friends (in your target market?)

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Do a brain dump with a friend/partner, or on your own, of everywhere you could possibly speak. Write those notes here. Think of contacts you have ANYWHERE even lightly connected to your market.

STArTEr gigS( B r A i N d U m p )

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Now brainstorm everyone you know who is in a group you could possibly speak to.

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Follow these steps to write a bio that the media feels they can trust.

1. Stack the facts up front. Begin with your most impressive facts. (Example: “Mary Louise Green is a nationally known painter whose work has appeared in numerous gallery exhibits.” Mary Louise has, in fact, only shown in four galleries, but they were in different parts of the US, so that counts as ‘numerous’ and ‘national’.) Write your top three to five most impressive facts here.

2. Don’t ramble on about passions and purpose. Your bio is a tool for media bookers, agents, editors, etc., to get a handle on who you are and how they can sell you. Add some more strictly factual facts here to build your bio from. Do NOT include those not related to the work this represents. And don’t include your ‘aha moments or wax on about your philoso-phy.

3. Be Selectively Honest. The key is to be honest, but still think big and impressive. For in-stance, if you’ve done fourteen workshops for ten people each, say that you’ve worked with ‘hundreds of participants’? Here write a non-impressive, starter sort of credential and see if you can fudge it honestly … and appealingly.

wriTE A CrEdiBLE BiO

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4. Add a line that defines your expertise. Imagine this as something radio jocks can say when they introduce you. (Example: Lisa Sasevich is a Sales From the Podium Expert; Suzanne Falter-Barns is a Platform Expert.) Write your one-to-three word expertise here:

______________________________ is a _________________________ expert.

5. Use your personal experience. Qualifications don’t have to be strictly academic or profes-sional. Got anything from your life that ties into your talk/platform? (Example: For a corporate kayaking workshop, mention the fact that you’ve kayaked certain locations or distances, or have done it for twenty years, etc..) Write your life qualifications here.

6. Write it up in a rough paragraph of two. Now you can summarize all of this into a tidy para-graph or two, pulling together your replies from all answers above and folding them in together. Begin with your answers to question #1 and add them all in order.

7. Now tighten up your bio. Look for repeated words and edit them out. Look to make sure your most impressive credentials are up front. Check for the cleanest, most concise way to make your points. Check spellings on company names. Generally edit with an eye towards overall shortening and improving. Rewrite your bio here. (Do not delete important facts, but if pos-sible condense into one paragraph.)

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T H E g E T S T A r T E d S p E A k i N g w O r k B O O k

1. Write down your name and contact info (At this point, since you’re not using speaker bureaus, use your own and include website, email, phone, cell phone, and facebook or MySpace page and Twitter ID if you’re using them and have a speaking presence there. Don’t include if it’s just your personal, non-business info listed – or better yet, set up your business/speaking presence on these networks.)

2. Write down three hooky talk titles

a.

b.

c.

3. Write down your most concise serious bio (It could be the fun bio if you’re a funny speaker.)

wriTE yOUr OwN ONE SHEET

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4. Write down at least two concise 2-3 line excerpts from testimonials from those who’ve hosted your talks/presentations/workshops. (Yes, you can use the local Kiwanis club or public library.) Include their name, company and title – or their website.

5. What sort of expert are you?

______________________________ is a _________________________ expert.

6. Now pull together a brief single paragraph that tells what you do for audiences, the benefits the hosting organization will get from having you speak, and what you speak about in general. You can break some of this into bullet points, particularly the benefits.

For reference, see Lisa’s One Sheet in the Resource section of this workbook.

LINKS to examples of online One Sheets designed to be printed out:http://www.jack-pratt.com/speaker_one_sheet.pdfhttp://www.forgetperfect.com/meeting/lisa_mcleod_one_pager.pdfhttp://www.officedynamics.com/joan_speaker_onesht.html

(Note: These are the highly developed one sheets of pros who’ve been speaking for some time. Don’t be intimidated … just hold these as where you’re going eventually. For now, pull together as many elements that are in these one sheets as possible.)

Terrific! Now you have all the pieces you need for your one sheet present in a single place to send to your designer with a suggested order of elements. You can model that after some of the one sheets you see online.

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My business and lifestyle goals:

What do you want your business to look like? Ask yourself these questions and find out …

How much coaching and/or direct client contact do you want?

How much business from passive income vehicles and information products?

How much do you want to work each week?

my BUSiNESS & LiFESTyLE gOALS

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How much do you want to speak?

How much travel would be a good fit for you? Any preferred type of travel?

What else is important to you that’s not covered above?

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Use these questions before each talk you set up. Organize yourself so you get just what you want from each audience you speak to. Figure out what steps need to be in place to create such results during the talk – for instance, a giveaway to collect business cards or using Lisa’s Stay Connected form.

How many new clients do you want from this talk?

How many new emails for your list do you want from this talk?

my gOALS FOr THiS TALk

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How many products do you want to sell?

How many dollars sold?

How many additional speaking gigs do you want to book from this talk?

How many joint venture possibilities do you want to generate from this talk?

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Use the first page of this worksheet to list the products and services you’d like to offer at your speaking gigs. Put a check by the ones you already have and an arrow by the one’s you can easily create.

¸ I already haveË I can easily create

TANGIBLE PRODUCTS® CD’s: meditation, interview with an expert, lecture by you, panel discussion, recordings of

teleclass programs® Self published or major published book® Supplemental workbooks, journals, daybooks, etc® Card decks, games® Home study programs in a box® Branded mugs, t-shirts, bumper stickers, tea towels, etc.® DVD’s of live presentations® Power point can be included® Video of your presentation® Hybrid products: e.g. CD/DVD + workbook

NON TANGIBLE PRODUCTS® e-books ® e-workbooks® e-courses taught via email on a regular basis® Audio downloads® Meditations® Lectures® Expert interviews® PDF of transcripts® Databases or other collections of information® Video downloads

prOdUCTS & SErviCES TO SELL

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ONLINE COURSES & PROGRAMS® Accountability programs (weekly meet-and-make-promises program)® Licensing (training) programs® Teleclass series (can combine tangible/intangible books, audios, workbooks, discussion

groups, online ‘campus’, etc.)® Mentoring® Packaged coaching program (concrete time frame bundled with info products)® Virtual tours to blogs/other sites (paid)

LIVE EVENTS® Seminar (free or paid)® Seminar tour® Workshop® Cruises® Retreats

OTHER PRODUCTS & SERVICES® Games® Proprietary software ® Paid newsletters (tangible or non-tangible)

Now look at what you have written above, and list the products you have in hand or want to create on the next sheet.

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List your products, and those you’d like to create below, based on what you wrote above. After you do, put a check by the ones you already have and an arrow by the one’s you can easily create.

¸ I already haveË I can easily create

MAIN DISHESList your main product offerings you have or can easily create.

prOdUCTS & SErviCES TO SELL C O N T i N U E d

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BONUSESList bonus products or services that you have or can easily create that cost you very little but have a high perceived value. These are products you can offer free when people buy your main products, or that you can bundle together with your main products.

LITTLE SOLDIERSList items you have or can easily create that you can include in your packages, and that your clients can pass on to promote you when you aren’t there.

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Create 3 packages using Main Dishes, Bonuses and Little Soldiers:

In the space provided, create catchy names for your packages. The name should help people understand who that package is for and what the benefit is.

PACKAGE 1)

CrEATE THrEE pACkAgES

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PACKAGE 2)

PACKAGE 3)

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NOTE: For educational purposes only – For information on actual offers contact Lisa directly at http://theinvisibleclose.com and Suzanne directly at www.getknownnow.com

SAmpLE FOrmS

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Answer the following as much ‘from the gut’ as possible. Use vivid details. Don’t hold back or be shy about this – this is your future you’re creating here.

1. Cite an annual salary you’d like to earn from speaking (just the booking fees, not back of the room sales.)

2. How much would you like to earn in back of the room sales per year?

3. What types of venues would you like to speak in? Really describe them. (Example: Corporate retreats in elegant inns in the countryside; tour colleges speaking to students in large auditori-ums.)

4. How many people would you like to speak to? Give an idea range per event and per year.

ENviSiONiNg yOUr SpEAkiNg CArEEr

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5. Envision the type of media coverage you’d like for your events – what feels comfortable and possible, yet still exciting? (Example: local affiliate news coverage I can then use in my speak-ing demo reel.)

6. Would you like your expenses paid for? Which ones specifically? Any other extras to include in your contract? (If you’re a vegetarian, this is the place to specify such, for instance. Or if you need a non-smoking hotel room, etc..)

7. How much would you like to be paid for each speaking gig?

8. When could you see this happening … realistically but also ideally?

9. Describe the perfect year, from the standpoint of speaking gigs and sales for your business.

&extrasresources

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Design your own personal elevator speech right here! Using the answers to many of the previous sheets, dig in with gusto.

Fill in the blanks. Remember – keep it short. Keep it simple and benefit rich (feed the craving) and play up your uniqueness. Write as many times as you need to in order to get it right.

Here are a few forms to practice with.

I am a _____________________________________________ expert.

I help people _____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ .

What’s unique about my business is ________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ .

CrEATE yOUr ELEvATOrSpEECH

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I am a _____________________________________________ expert.

I help people _____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ .


_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ .

I am a _____________________________________________ expert.

I help people _____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ .


_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ .

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If you wish to simply send a letter, via postal mail, or an email to the organization you’d like to approach, here’s how to do it. Make it short, pithy and to the point.

What organizers are really looking for is ‘hooky’ content that would be a great fit for their audi-ence. Also, a tailored pitch letter or email will force the recipient to pick up the phone and call you for more information … so it acts almost as a tease of bigger and better things to come.

Pitch letters or emails should be:

• Ideally about 200 words in length … or certainly no more than a page• Contain a link to your Speaking Page or one sheet, if you have one, or your blog if you don’t.

(If you don’t, be in touch with Suzanne at www.getknownnow.com)• Send query to a specific, researched person (not ‘To Whom It May Concern’) – make sure your

source for a name is up to date by giving the organization a call or dropping them an email prior to contacting via mail/email

• Lead with your talk idea and expertise in a quick sentence• Feature short paragraphs and sentences for a quick, unencumbered read• Dare to be a little funny or interesting. Include facts where you can or stats• Include info on why this would appeal to their audience• As an alternative, send this as a tangible package through the mail on your letterhead (this

cuts through better than email sometimes.) Pick one or the other, not both.• Include one sheet about your work PLUS a bulleted fact sheet about your accomplishments,

topic, or anything related that could be a hook plus a longer bio than the one on your one sheet. These can be attachments to your email

• Don’t forget your full contact info, including cell phone and email

Once you’ve sent off your letter or email, follow up about a week later by phone. Be sure to up-date the recipient if there have been any changes to your talk, bookings, publicity, etc since they received it. And ask them if they’ll be able to use your talk, of course. If you leave a message repeat your phone number at the start and end of the message.

HOw TO gET BOOkEd wiTH ASSOCiATiONS viA mAiL Or EmAiL

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professional Organizers of Canada www.organizersincanada.com/index.htmlNational Association of professional Organizers http://www.napo.netinternational Association of professional Organizers http://organizingtheworld.org/iapoconference.htminternational virtual Assistants Association www.ivaa.orgAssociation of internal management Consultants www.aimc.org/conf.htmNational Association of women Business Owners (NAwBO) www.nawbo.orgNational women’s Business Council www.nwbc.govAssociation of Small Business development Centers http://asbdc-us.orgThe Entrepreneurs Organizations www.eonetwork.orgNational Association for the Self Employed www.nase.orgCalifornia Association of mortgage Brokers www.cambweb.org/eventinfo.htmlinstitute of management Accountants www.imanet.orgNational Association of mortgage Brokers (NAmB) www.namb.orgAssociation for Financial professionals www.afponline.orgFinancial planning Association (FpA) www.fpanet.orgNational Association of professional mortgage women (NApmw)

www.napmw.org

Association of image Consultants international www.aici.org/conference.htmBusiness women’s Network www.bwni.comwomen’s Council of realtors http://wcrfl.comCommercial real Estate women (CrEw) www.crewnetwork.orgAssociation of real Estate women (ArEw) www.arew.org/noedit-new/aboutarew_frameset.html

ASSOCiATiON STArTErdATABASE

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SFB SERIOUS BIO

Suzanne Falter-Barns

Suzanne Falter-Barns is a best-selling self-help author, and former New York copywriter, marketing consultant and freelance writer. Her articles and essays have appeared in More, Fitness, Self, The New York Times, Prevention and Writer’s Digest. And she has been featured in Woman’s Day, New Woman, SELF, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, i-village, and msn.com, as well as more than 100 TV and radio programs. SELF Magazine named her most recent self-help book, Living Your Joy, one of 9 ‘best of the best’ self help books. Her consulting clients have included Hearst, Conde Nast, and The New York Times Company. She is also the author of How Much Joy Can You Stand?, a One Spirit Book Club Main Selection. Suzanne’s website, getknownnow.com, teaches anyone how to build platform effectively and establish themselves as a recognized expert in their field.

SFB FUN BIO

Suzanne Falter-Barns is an expert at helping anyone get on with their creative dreams. Her web site, howmuchjoy.com, and the book that inspired it, How Much Joy Can You Stand? (Ballantine Wellspring; 2000) were born of Suzanne’s own creative meltdowns.

She is a veteran creative stalwart who has weathered more than a thousand rejections. Suzanne received her first rejections at age eleven with a novel, “The Chick From Fresno”; from there, she moved straight into a failed career as a cabaret singer. She did better with fiction, though her first published novel, Doin’ The Box Step (Random House), sold fewer than 3000 copies, mostly to close friends of her mother’s. A second and third novel failed to find a publisher, which resulted in a hardened case of writer’s block and some very depressing temp jobs. This forced Suzanne to take stock and get a grip, and the result was a book of inspiration she wrote mainly for herself. This subsequently became her first self-help book.

These days, things are going considerably better. The aforementioned self-help book, How Much

SOmE gOOd BiOExAmpLES

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Joy Can You Stand? (Ballantine Wellspring) has been read by more than 60,000 people, and was a Publisher’s Weekly Hot Pick and a Main Selection of the One Spirit Book Club. Suzanne’s website, www.howmuchjoy.com, and book have been featured in Self, Fitness, Real Woman, I-vil-lage, msn.com, Writer’s Digest, and on more than 100 radio and television programs. More than 17,000 people read Suzanne’s bi-weekly ezine, The Joy Letter. Even kind authors like SARK and Cheryl Richardson say nice things about her work.

Suzanne has also written for The New York Times, More, New Woman, Prevention, Parents, Cosmo Girl, and New Age Journal. And since old dreams never really die, she still appears from time to time as a cabaret singer.

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Want to know if your brand is doing the heavy lifting it should? Answer these questions as hon-estly as possible on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being an exuberant ‘Yes!’ (If you want to really turbo charge this process, give this questionnaire to a friend to complete for you – or several - and see how your brand really works.) 1. Does your current brand solve a specific problem? 2. Does a certain group of people know they have this problem? 3. Does the brand make that problem, or your solution to it, obvious? 4. Is your brand clear, so people really get what you’re offering? 5. Does the brand name offer a specific benefit that is unique? 6. Is the brand truly original, so it doesn’t sound like any other brand? 7. Does that flavor reflect just the feel you want it to have? 8. Is your brand name less than six words long? 9. Is your brand trademarked? 10. Do people ever comment positively on your brand, the sound of it, or what it promises?

‘HOw’S yOUr BrANd wOrkiNg?’ ACid TEST

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SCORING: Now go through your answers and add them all up. If you have: 40-50 – You’ve got a great brand! Congratulations – now get busy expanding it! Have you got a blog? A fully branded website? A podcast! Now’s the time. 30-40 – Chances are your brand is ‘almost there’. You probably have a good sense of what you’re here to do, but perhaps the benefit or the niche isn’t as clear in the brand as it needs to be 20-30 – Sounds like you could use an infusion of branding insight. You may be mired in a fuzzy brand, or lacking key info on who your target market is, etc.. If that’s the case, it’s time to take stock and rebuild. Under 20 – Help! You’re in branding hell. Time to climb out, get some professional assistance and start again. Chances are some serious re-branding could bring a new influx of business and energy your way. OK ... Where’d you come out? Chances are your brand could use a professional eye – and your market a tad more definition. If so, be sure to check our Suzanne’s products and programs at www.getknownnow.com Suzanne is also available for one on one consulting. You can book time to speak to her about your specific platform needs, by sending an email to [email protected].

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SOUND & VIDEO:

Mattlind Recording Studio (Recorded and edited Get Started Speaking in Phoenix, AZ)Gary Nieman- Owner/EngineerPhone 520.575.9318Cell [email protected]

Caleb Scoville – Edits Lisa’s teleseminars and video from live eventsFounder and Chief Engineer - North Bank Audio [email protected] 707.616.2823 - telephone | 888.785.0497 - fax

Learn the 5 Simple steps to turn one hour into an entire successful online marketing plan at www.northbankaudio.com/teleclass

Want to Generate Passive Income with Information Products? Get the FREE Report and Audio Pro-gram: 7 Deadly Mistakes Service Professionals Make When Creating Audio Information Products … and How to Avoid Them at www.northbankaudio.com/7deadlymistakes

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Stacey Canfield – Did Lisa’s most recent headshots. She makes it fun, easy and affordable!Visual Photographywww.visualphotography.com12640 Sabre Springs Parkway Suite 101 San Diego, Ca 92128858-679-9790 - studio 858-603-3488 - personal cell

www.LookBetterOnline.com – This national network of photographers was originally intended for use for online dating sites but shots work well for business websites. $150 buys you 12 headshots. Suzanne recommends this resources to all her clients.

rESOUrCES FOr pHOTOgrApHy, SOUNd, vidEO & OTHEr NEEdS

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Lesley Bohm – We’ve never used her, but she does a lot of the big info marketers in Los Angeleswww.bohmphotography.com 213 625 8401

TELESEMINAR RESOURCES:

www.instantteleseminar.com – Teleseminar service that provides the line, recording and web-cast ability

www.freeconferencecall.com – Provides free conference lines and ability to record your calls

www.audioacrobat.com – Allows you to record your conference & client calls and provide mp3 links

DESIGN:

Killer Design – The owner, Vaughan, provides economic design work. He did Lisa’s ebook cover, website header and Simply Irresistible product cover design

www.KillerDesign.com www.KillerCovers.comwww.KillerSiteDesign.com www.KillerVideoDesign.com

Cyanotype Book Architects – Sarah Van Male designed this product – great for book layout, tangible products and digital.www.cyanotype.ca

ADMIN & FORMATTING:

Susie Ward – She did a great job on formatting The Invisible Close Ebook.The Admin Sourcewww.theAdminSource.com (301) 830-5219

Peggy Murrah – Suzanne’s site manager and right hand.www.peggymurrah.com

PRODUCTION & FULLFILLMENT OF PRODUCTS

Vervante – Our preferred production resource and on-demand publisher. Ships as well. Produces products as ordered, one-at-a-time so no big cash outlay up front for stock. Can make virtually anything you can think of. Ask for Cindy Tyler (tell her Suzanne sent you)http://vervante.com/

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SAmpLE ONE SHEET

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SpEAkEr OUTLiNE

TALK TITLE: Boost Your Platform Sales with “The Invisible Close”-- For experts who love what they do but hate selling! --

TALK DESCRIPTION: Join Lisa Sasevich and discover how to

Exponentially grow your platform sales using Irresistible Offers Get massive results without being “salesy” Maximize your profits with no marketing budget!

In this action packed session you’ll learn:Simple, no-cost things you can do to instantly double or triple your sales conversion.The secrets to inspiring someone to act now...without being pushy or “salesy”! A no pressure way to close delayers; those who need to “think about it.”And most important, how to share the wealth of your wonderful and unique talents and receive wealth in return!

It’s a disservice to let interested consumers walk away without securing the benefit of your fabu-lous products or services. They came to buy from you. Give them what they need to say “YES!”

LISA’S BIO:

Heralded as “The Queen of Sales Conversion,” Lisa Sasevich has x-ray vision for seeing sales conversion opportunities and the creativity to convert them into gold! Lisa delivers high-impact, low-cost, customized sales-closing strategies for turbo-charging entrepreneurs and small busi-ness owners to great profits.

For over 15 years she honed her skills with Fortune 500 companies like Hewlett Packard, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and North American Title. After years of winning Top Sales Awards, she left corporate America and put her skills to the test for a small but promising seminar company. In just 3 short years, Lisa’s creative marketing ideas tripled their revenues from $300,000 a year to well over $1 million. And she did it all with no marketing budget!

Lisa is the author of The Invisible Close Ebook and “Simple, Quick and Easy Ways to Boost Sales Without Spending a Dime.”

•••

••••

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To receive monthly Sales Nuggets from Lisa, subscribe at www.theinvisibleclose.com

PHOTOS/IMAGES:

The following two images are available for pre and post event promotion

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Hi Beth,

How are you? Things are busy here… my older daughter just finished her first year of Kindergar-ten, and the “baby” is already 18 months and walking and talking like crazy!

As for me, you may remember that I’ve been taking on some selected assisting/consulting clients. One of the women that I am working with is Lisa Sasevich – “The Queen of Sales Conversion.” You may remember that Lisa spoke at NEW Entrepreneurs on “Designing Irresistible Offers” in the final year of our meetings in Santa Monica. It was an incredibly successful meeting, and Lisa boasted the highest sales conversion for the presale of her ebook than we had ever had at a NEW meeting.

Lisa lives in Tucson now, and is offering an updated ebook, “The Invisible Close,” at http://www.theinvisibleclose.com. She also offers a fantastic keynote called “Designing and Presenting Ir-resistible Offers -- For those who love what they do but hate selling!” The keynote can be done via teleclass, or in person at live meetings or seminars. I’ve been checking out your OES club information (congrats, by the way...excellent program!), and I thought that Lisa might be a nice match for you when you deal with sales and conversion topics. What impressed me so much about Lisa when I met her, and when she spoke at NEW is that what she teaches is an incredibly systematic way to show potential clients what you have to offer throughout presentations, starting with carefully crafting irresistible offers that sell themselves. Her method is so much more effective than getting to the end of a presentation and then desper-ately *selling* for 5-10 minutes. Instead, the sales just follow naturally -- exactly why she calls her method “The Invisible Close.” And I got to see just how effective it was with her conversion at the end of the meeting. The women just couldn’t get enough of her! The systematic and deliber-ate nature of her work is such a nice match for the way you operate and what you teach.

I am attaching Lisa’s speaker outline, which gives more details about her presentation, as well as her associated products and related affiliate information. Take a look and let me know if you are interested in scheduling Lisa for OES, or possibly for an independent teleclass or other event. You know that I’m pretty picky about with whom I choose to work, and I’m excited about promoting Lisa, because I really believe that her methods are both effective and easy to apply.

SAmpLE EmAiL AN ASSiSTANT CAN USE TO SOLiCiT SpEAkiNg ENgAgEmENTS

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You can reply to me here by email ([email protected]) or call me at (310) 433-XXXX. If I don’t hear from you before, I’ll give you a call this coming week to follow up and so that two of us can catch up as well!

Warmly,

Nicki [email protected]

==================Nicki HeskinVirtual Assisting and Small Business [email protected] Spend more time in your business doing what you love to do than what you have to do. I can help!

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SAmpLE EmAiL LETTErSTO prOmOTE A prOgrAm L ikE gET STArTEd SpEAk iNg

Letter #1: SEND Monday, 9/15

SUBJECT: ASBA Exclusive: Get Started Speaking in a Special Tucson Event

Dear <FIRSTNAME>,

As a small business owner, you may be aware that nothing – NOTHING – sells your business and services more effectively than speaking. Whether you’re a service professional or a widget dealer, when you get up in front of the right audience and communicate effectively, you can blow the lid off your sales.

The problem, however, is HOW to get started. Where do you get your first gigs? How do actually make your talks profitable?

Here’s some exciting news - we’ve partnered with two speaking experts, Lisa Sasevich and Su-zanne Falter-Barns, who both tour nationally as speakers and regularly close 5 figures in back-of-the-room sales, to teach us exactly that.

Many of you met Lisa last month when she spoke to us about ‘The Invisible Close’ and taught us how to boost sales using Irresistible Offers.

Luckily, Suzanne and Lisa are going to be in Tucson for a few days creating an information product they’re planning to sell called ‘Get Started Speaking’. They’re looking for a live audience to create a more powerful energy for their recordings – and they’ve invited us to join them!

Here’s the really great part – because this will be a recorded event, and Lisa and Suzanne’s focus will be on getting that recording just right, the price is dramatically reduced from what one of their live events would ordinarily cost.

So we can join two internationally recognized experts in their powerful workshop, get the full benefit of the work and all they have to offer … AND pay only a mere fraction of what this would ordinarily cost.

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Even better news: For the first week of registration, this event will ONLY be open to ASBA Mem-bers. Between them, Lisa and Suzanne have more than 40,000 readers on their email lists who are dying to get into this thing … but they can’t until we get first crack at the 50 seats that are available.

Got friends who want to join ASBA but just haven’t gotten around to it? Send them this email – they can sign up now for a 1 year ASBA Membership and save $25 when they buy registration to this event as well.

Sign up now because this one’s going to fill up fast!

Dates are

Monday, Oct 13 and Tuesday, Oct 149AM – 6PM each day at our ASBA Headquarters here in Tucson

Just click the link below to learn more and register:

http://www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking

Here’s what you’ll learn at this jam-packed event:

How to pick a topic that attracts a crowdCreating an irresistible name for your talk … and a hook!How to use your talk to attract media attention – and build your platformHow to discover and locate the perfect audience (‘your people’)How to find the perfect venues for this audienceIrresistible pitch pieces that will get you bookings galore – the three must have elements!Creating materials that will sell you to your audience … and fill seatsHow to package yourself to get your first bookings – EVEN with no experience!The top gigs you’re most likely to book as a starting speakerHow to close 10 – 40% of your audience as solid sales (Wouldn’t it be nice to speak at a breakfast networking club and walk away with $1500?)How to come up with an irresistible offer that drives clients into your pocketHow to move products and find clients … WITHOUT being ‘Salesy’, pushy or obnoxious.The top 5 mistakes speakers make that kill their sales every time

… and a whole lot more!

This will be a ‘no frills’ event to keep the entry price low. It’s a brown bagger that could change the entire way you do business!

Join us, won’t you?

••••••••••

•••

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See you at Get Started Speaking!

Charlie’s CLOSING SIGNATURE

P.S. Remember – those 50 seats are going to go fast. So join us … and if you know someone who wants to join ASBA, pass it along. This may be the nudge they need!

P.P.S. If you’ve read this far, this may be for you. The key success with anything is ACTION! Click here to see more details about this one-time-only event… http://www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking

LETTER #2: SEND WEDNESDAY, 9/17

SUBJECT: Get Started Speaking Filling Up Fast – Some Seats Still Left!

Hi <FIRSTNAME>,

Wow … the response to our special ASBA event featuring Suzanne Falter-Barns and Lisa Sasevich is pretty amazing.

Looks like a whole lot of you DO want to capitalize on this very affordable way to blow the doors off your business!

Just to remind you that Lisa and Suzanne’s presentation, which is being recorded as an info prod-uct they will later sell … most likely for a much higher price, is a unique, low cost way to literally get started speaking.

Speaking is, by the way, one of the most powerful ways to sell products and services. And there’s a real ‘right way’ to make that presentation to maximize sales. Both Lisa and Suzanne regularly use these techniques to close 10 – 40% of their audiences … and pick up five figure sales in the back-of-the-room.

Want to learn how? Take advantage of this unique opportunity to get the story from some experts – at a fraction of the usual price!

Click on the link below to learn more about this one-time-only event:http://www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking

Got friends who want to join ASBA but just haven’t gotten around to it? Know anyone who could really use this info? Send them this email – they can sign up now for a 1 year ASBA Membership and save $25 when they register for this event as well.

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Sign up now because these seats truly are going fast – there are only X left! ASBA INSERT HOW MANY SEATS ARE LEFT … BUT ONLY IF IT IS FEWER THAN 30…otherwise delete this line.

Dates are

Monday, Oct 13 and Tuesday, Oct 149AM – 6PM each day at our ASBA Headquarters here in Tucson

Visit http://www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking to learn more and grab your seat. In less than a week Suzanne and Lisa will start promoting this event to their email list of over 40,000 devoted readers. ASBA has first crack.

Hope to see you there!


P.S. Taking a peak at http://www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking will not automati-cally charge your credit card…but you can find out more details about this event and see what kind of results clients of Suzanne’s and Lisa’s are reporting from working with them. It’s inspiring!

LETTER #3: SEND FRIDAY, 9/19

SUBJECT: Absolute Last Chance for ASBA Members on Get Started Speaking

Hi <FIRSTNAME>,

Well, this is it.

Response has been HUGE to our Get Started Speaking event with Lisa Sasevich and Suzanne Falter-Barns. Why? Because these two are laying down the nuts and bolts of everything you need to book your first speaking gigs … and make them super profitable!

And here’s why you’d better sign up right now – as soon as you read this – if you want to come.

As of midnight tonight, another 40,000 people are going to find out about this event and snap up the last available seats. Lisa and Suzanne have eager followers who’ve not been included in this event yet … because they wanted to give you the first shot at sign ups. But they will find out at midnight tonight!So sign up now … or forever hold your peace. Click on the link below for more event details…http://www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking

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Dates are

Monday, Oct 13 and Tuesday, Oct 149AM – 6PM each day at our ASBA Headquarters here in Tucson.

See you there!


P.S. Last call, also, for any of your friends who might want to come. Non-ASBA Members can click here to learn about the ASBA Membership Discount.

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( U S E d F O r g E T S T A r T E d S p E A k i N g i N A z )

SEND TUESDAY, 9/30

1. SUBJECT: 15 seats left in our upcoming workshop ‘Get Started Speaking’

Really quick, FIRSTNAME ….

We’ve been getting some great questions about our upcoming 2-day event that promises to launch you as a speaker.

www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking

Thought we could shed a little more light on why this is such a perfect opportunity for ASBA mem-bers and their friends. And yep, there are still some seats left for our membership – but don’t hesitate because there aren’t that many left!

Q: What exactly will Lisa and Suzanne teach at the course?

A: You’ll learn who your market is, and which unique hooks you can build talks (and your business) around which they will respond to. And you’ll also learn how to book those talks – even if you’ve NEVER spoken before – and how to fill seats. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll learn how to make those talks really build your business. You’ll learn how to sell products and services painlessly from the podium without being ‘salesy’.

Q: Is it really possible to sell without being ‘salesy’?

A: It is indeed. Clients of Lisa Sasevich’s who use her ‘Invisible Close’ techniques regularly increase their sales from the podium by 30% -- some even close 50 - 60% of the audience.

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Q: What’s the connection to the media here … I don’t understand why talks would be good for my media exposure.

A: The media needs events to hang their coverage on. Local papers, TV and radio folks are always actively looking for what’s happening to cover – and the events they choose are the ones that have built in story hooks. So that’s why your talk needs to be crafted around what’s hooky and interesting to the media AS WELL AS your clients.

Q: I have terrible stage fright – can I seriously get up and speak?

A: While we won’t be covering presentation skills, per se, in the workshop, we WILL be helping you drum up content ideas that you are absolutely passionate and excited about. That helps anyone overcome their natural stage fright (we all have it to varying degrees.) By knowing you have a great hook and awesome material that your audience craves, you’re already more than half way to impressing them with your presentation.

Q: Why on earth are you offering this class for less than $200?

A: We will be working with a sound technician at our event to record the content for a product we’re creating – so we may have to stop and start a bit. AND we need a live audience to make the product truly excellent. So you’re doing US a favor by being there … but of course, you’ll get truly helpful, powerful content as well. This event in any other circumstance would easily cost you $3000+.

Q: Will we be doing any kind of individualized coaching during the event?

A: Actually, the syllabus calls for hot seat coaching, and we’re eager to do it! Periodically we’ll be bringing folks up on stage and taking their brands/speech ideas/ business concepts through various exercises, to demonstrate points we’re making. So yeah, you really DO want to be there if you’re looking for individual feedback!

Got more questions? Shoot them by us at [email protected] … we’ll be happy to help you decide if Get Started Speaking is for you.

Sign up at http://www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking

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And don’t hesitate – there really are only 15 seats left and they always go fast this close to the event!

Charlie’s Signature

P.S. Get Started Speaking starts next Monday and Tuesday, October 13 & 14 and will be conveniently located at ASBA in Tucson. Register today at www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking

SEND TUESDAY, 10/7

2. SUBJECT: Last chance courtesy reminder for ‘Get Started Speaking’

Hi FIRST NAME,

If you’re looking for marketing strategies to keep business flowing in this tight economy, consider speaking. Whatever your expertise, there are plenty of groups and associations that would wel-come you with open arms. We’ll show you how to secure these local gigs and more!

Speaking is the #1 way to attract new clients and add an additional revenue stream to your existing business. If you’re just getting started, it’s also the best way to quickly gain recognition in your field.

This is your last chance to register for ‘Get Started Speaking’ with nationally recognized trainers Lisa Sasevich and Suzanne Falter Barnes. When it comes to speaking, these are ‘the ladies in the know that make the dough!’

Join Suzanne and Lisa this Monday and Tuesday, October 13 and 14, for two action packed, fun and informative days that will change the way you do business forever.

Register today at www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking

Charlie’s signature

P.S. At this point, if you act quickly, you can likely secure a seat. If you click on the registration link and we are sold out, you will have the option to get on the waiting list. www.theinvisibleclose.com/getstartedspeaking

t h e g e t s t a r t e d speaking - suzanne faltersome good bio examples 40 how’s your brand...

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