By Michael Scott Karpovich, Certified Speaking Professional
You have only two choices in this business: you can either be a speaker or you can be the speaker... which will it be? If we are going to command a higher fee and be in demand by more clients (or perhaps more prestigious clients), we need to position ourselves.
In this business there are some subtle yet powerful things that we can do to positively impact our position. Always be careful how you position yourself... think long-term about how something will look in the future and how it will look to the person who may hire you!
Some speakers give themselves very grandiose, corporate-sounding names; some even incorporate. Although doing this can make you seem like a large, sophisticated company to clients, it can also backfire on you. Incorporating too soon may hurt you financially and legally and impressive, ambiguous-sounding names rarely improve your bottom line. It is better to initially create a name for your business that clearly and concisely reflects who and what you are as a speaker. It is also more financially sound to incorporate when your lawyer or accountant indicates it is to your financial or legal benefit.
It is essential to have a separate phone line for your business and a superior answering system. Most speakers are moving away from the high-quality answering machine and towards the computerized answering system with mailboxes. Although some speakers hire an answering service to give their company a live voice, this can backfire if the person answering your phone doesn't know you or gives basically poor service. In the end, nothing beats a great employee who is available to answer the phone on a regular basis. Always have a toll-free number (they are so cheap); it is good business and positions you as a successful enterprise. You may even consider a toll-free fax machine. Always return your phone calls promptly... 24 hours is a common timeframe within which to return calls.
Most speakers seem to be moving away from using a P.O. Box alone in their addresses... clients like to know you have an actual physical address. If your mail has to go to a PO Box, include it with the physical address and in the zip code so it will read... "123 Main Street, Box 49, Detroit, MI 48201-0049."
I have noticed that a lot of speakers position themselves well by creating newsletters. Often they put a price on the newsletter to suggest the value of the information inside (even if they only have one or two subscribers). You may want to change the name from "newsletter" to "industry review" or "quarterly report" or even "magazine." Words are powerful, and these words position your written communication piece as "special" and "unique." It is that "uniqueness" that sells us as speakers and positions us as a great resource!
While all of these suggestions can help to effectively position your business, true positioning as a professional speaker begins with the decision of what you want to be known as... that includes the question of what type of speaker, trainer, or consultant you are and what topic area you want to be known for. Too many speakers focus on too many unrelated topics. It isn't’t that we can’t effectively present on more than one topic but we can only position ourselves effectively with one topic at a time. (... and that can take a long time!)
On the other hand, if you cannot focus on one topic, you must then, at the very least, limit yourself to one audience or market. It seems to me that this will position you less dramatically than a single topic focus but it can work well to position you as an industry expert.
Think, for a moment, of the best known speakers you are familiar with... undoubtedly you will think of a name and then think of the topic he or she is best known for. (Brian Tracy, CPAE -- Success; Jim Cathcart, CPAE -- Relationships; Jack Canfield, CPAE -- Self-Esteem; Norman Vincent Peale, CPAE -- Positive Thinking; Anthony Robbins -- Personal Development; Zig Ziglar, CPAE -- Sales; Tom Peters -- T.Q.M...) Occasionally, you may think of a speaker’s name and then think of an industry he or she is best known for. (Danielle Kennedy, CPAE & Tommy Hopkins, CPAE -- Real Estate, Naomi Rhode, CSP, CPAE -- Dental...) These speakers have effectively positioned themselves to make a difference and leave a legacy!
What we write and what we record positions us. If you "wrote the book" on your topic, your name will be connected and positioned with your topic or audience. If you write articles, you will be seen again and again as the expert. That is articles, not just an article -- more than one article is necessary to position yourself! Record audio and video products to reach a larger marketplace! Certified Speaking Professional C. Leslie Charles’ first book was a delightful one entitled STICK TO IT. Although everyone enjoyed the book, Leslie suggested the title of her new second book THE CUSTOMER SERVICE COMPANION, positioned her even more effectively. Be very selective with the titles you choose because it is the title that suggests benefit and positions you as "different." The benefits and the "difference" set you apart from the masses!
Tom Winninger, CPAE, CSP, told me in an interview that "the best way to position oneself is to create momentum!" He said if we could combine events in our career and life so that they happen closely together or at the same time, it brings our name and product to the fore of the public’s eye. You may write an article or book, appear on a talk show or national interview, and announce that you are sponsoring a charity all at the same time.... That is called positioning momentum!
The bottom line is that the speaker who is in the highest demand and commands the highest fee is the speaker who is positioned most strongly with the customer. To Leave a Legacy we must keep in mind that everything we do positions us; it is our obligation to be sure we position ourselves strongly with our topic and in our marketplace.
Leave a Legacy,
Michael Scott Karpovich, Certified Speaking Professional
1996-97 President -- Professional Speakers Association of Michigan
E-Mail: CLICK HERE
Home Page: http://www.karpovich.com
