Attention Seeking For Fun and Profit

In a recent poll of Oscar-winning actors and actresses, 68 percent said they were 'shy'.*

In a recent survey of professional musicians, 62 percent decribed themselves as 'basically shy'.*

But in a recent poll of Internet marketers, only 54 percent said they were nervous about presenting to an audience.*

And 97 percent of the audience said they couldn't care less anyway.

So, however shy you might think you are, you're probably more confident than, say Angelina Jolie and Bono. Possibly even less shy than, let's say, Sean Roach or Derek Gehl - probably not, but possibly!

So stepping up in front of an audience and telling them all about your business, your product and your service will be like a walk in the park. Especially as 97 percent of your audience are on your side.

You can find out how to present to an audience, how to wow them with your know-how and how to get them to come and listen in the first place, when you take the $17 dollar trial edition of Niche Seminar Secrets.

It's not just for niches. It's not even just for seminars. But it is packed full of secrets.

And, when you decide to upgrade you even get a piece of me. Mentoring, coaching, answering questions - mainly by email but we can use the phone when you get really serious - and I might even speak for you, too.

Worth stepping up for, I'd say.

Get the Niche Seminar Secrets 17 Dollar trial package here.

Roy

* Sorry, I made all those figures up. But it's a fact that most actors and musicians describe themselves as shy.

More on Selling Seminar Seats

One of the perennial questions people ask when they're thinking of putting on seminar or workshop events is, 'How can I get people to attend my event?' How, in other words, do you sell seats?

Look at that question another way and some answers might become clear.

Try to remember all the events you've been to, especially any in the same niche (or similar) and ask yourself how you came to hear about them. Think about events you would have liked to attend as well, and ask yourself the same question.

The events you went to were promoted better than those you thought about but resisted, all other things being equal, but they should all give you ideas.

Was it direct mail that persuaded you, or word of mouth, or an email newsletter, or a 'tell a friend' email? Was it a speaker at a previous event, perhaps? Did you spot a small ad and go to a website? Did someone phone you about it?

Whatever method the promoters of those events used clearly worked on you. If the events were a success, those methods must have worked on other people, too.

Apart from direct mail, you need very little cash investment to use some or all of those methods. You can probably think of a few others, too. How about doing an 'ad swap' with someone in the right niche (you promote their product and they promote your event)? Can you ask your local Chamber of Commerce to email their database? You can if you're a member.

Use all your online networking contacts to spread the word, including Ecademy, Facebook, etc, forums and blogs. Be careful to present the most professional image you can whenever you talk or write about your upcoming event. Self-deprecating remarks can undo a lot of self-promotion; no one has to know you're nervous.

Basically, whatever you've seen work for someone else, copy it. Don't be too proud to use something that seems a bit 'tacky' or obvious. Obvious usually works!

Remember, customers (especially seminar customers) are buying into you. When you're more enthusiastic about your company and its products, whatever they are, your customers will be, too.

Roy

PS. Remember the One Dollar Trial of Niche Seminar Secrets is still ON!

Answering a Question You Didn't Ask

How do I overcome 'pitchfest phobia'?

Note: these articles are supplementary to Niche Seminar Secrets, available for a 30-day trial for just one dollar, HERE.

I'm sure we've all been to events where at least one of the speakers did little more than pitch their product or service, where the information you got was all about them and their company.

Equally, I know some excellent 'teachers' who tell you loads of what you need to know and don't manage to sell a thing. That's great for you when you're a delegate but not so good when you have your seminar promoter's hat on.

Most experienced speakers will get it about right, of course. Natural selection will see to that. Meaning, you don't get to gain experience if you don't get the gigs because you don't sell anything...

I usually suggest about 80-85% good, unbiased content to about 15% or so spent promoting yourself and your product. Delegates mostly see that as acceptable. So about ten minutes out of every hour can be 'pitch'.

You might still get some resistance, of course. What you don't want is people spreading the word that your event was just a 'pitch fest', especially when it wasn't. So here's a way to get your delegates to look at it (and the sharper ones will see it this way, anyway)...

...it's all part of the education process.

Learning how to pitch is as important as anything else in business, and seeing someone do it right is an education in itself. Actually, seeing people get it badly wrong is even more instructive, but you can't afford too many lessons like that at your event!

When we were learning the seminar business (not that we'll ever stop learning), seeing how smoothly or otherwise each speaker segued into his or her pitch was fascinating. Seeing inexperienced speakers struggle a little and then make rapid progress was actually quite a thrill, while hearing a few of the delegates' grumbles taught us a thing or two.

And we were keen to learn.

So you can make a virtue out of the speakers' desire to sell by including at least one session, perhaps near the end of your event, where you explain what the presenters were doing and why.

As I said, it's all part of the education process for your delegates and it might help them appreciate just how much thought, effort and experience goes into the average presentation.

Most of us are used to being sold to by now. As marketers, we probably keep swipe files and acquire countless books and ebooks about 'how to sell'.

Your event could be the example 'par excellence'!

Roy

PS. Many people take copious notes during an event but most of them stop writing once the speaker goes into his or her pitch. Imagine the boost to your DVD sales when people realise the lesson you just gave them, and that they won't find in their notes.

PPS. The One Dollar Trial is still available, directly from this blog, here.

Now Try Niche Seminar Secrets

It looks like we had a few coding problems with the PayPal buttons for the one dollar trial of Niche Seminar Secrets.

These are now fixed, and you can access the one dollar trial, with its two payment options, here: Niche Seminar Secrets One Dollar Trial.

You get 30 days to decide for just a single dollar, then the option to save a further 20 dollars before I ship you the physical product in a month's time.

Go to One Dollar Trial With a Difference to get yours while the offer lasts.

Roy

Niche Seminar Secrets Survey Answers

The first survey results are starting to come through now from Niche Seminar Secrets members and I have to say they are quite revealing...

Over 85% of those who have responded so far have already spoken at or organised an event, while 71% are planning to either speak at or run an event in the next 6-12 months.

So we already have an amazing information resource right there, among NSS readers. Which sets me thinking...

Meanwhile, other seminar secrets members have asked some interesting questions, such as 'How do I promote a seminar event in a new country where I have few contacts?' From the same enquirer (I assume) is the question of how to promote an English speaking event in a non-English speaking territory.

Most of the questions you've asked are answered in full in Niche Seminar Secrets, but not those two...

And it's an interesting problem, I must admit. My first instinct about promoting any event is to build a list first, if at all possible. In this case, a list specifically from that region. Otherwise, rent or JV a list from someone who is already operating in that area. Do you have access to English-speaking property dealers or service providers for that area, for example?

I think you must think of the English speaking community as a sub-niche within your niche, whatever your niche is. But I'd promote it only in English, for a start. Of course, it doesn't have to be just expats - many people are multi-lingual - but you must pre-qualify your audience so language is not a barrier on the day.

So your list will comprise fluent English speakers in the niche you operate in, able to reach the country where your event will be held. Remember, some people will travel a long way to get to a special event in a lovely setting... But be realistic about the true size of your target market and your chances of capturing enough of them. See how easy or difficult it is to build that list - that will give you a good clue.

I'd be intrigued to know the circumstances that brought up the question, though! If you'd like to tell us more, we can probably offer some more specific advice. Use the comment section at the end of this post.

I'll be responding to some more questions and survey responses in the coming days. Questions like 'How do I get started with little or no cash to invest?' and 'How do I overcome nerves?'

Meanwhile, please add your comments, experiences and ideas here for us all to share - especially if you're one of the 85% with experience already.

Here's to your Seminar Secrets success!

Roy

Making Money from Seminars

In case you're in any doubt about whether you really can make tons of money from seminars, I've made it my mission to ask a few direct questions of some top seminar promoters in the past few weeks.

Questions like, 'How much did you actually make that weekend?' and, 'Was it really that easy to make a hundred-thousand plus in one day?'

You know, the kind of questions you'd like to ask but maybe don't like to. It is easier if they're already friends.

Note than when I say 'seminar promoters' I don't mean people who only put on seminars - I mean people who use seminars and public speaking as a core part of their business marketing strategy. Increasingly so, in the cases I studied.

Well, if a hundred-thousand plus (pounds or dollars - does it matter?) in one or two days isn't motivation enough to make you want to do another event, what is?

Yes, we're talking sales, not profits, but remember the margins in information products are enormous - often over ninety percent, which is unheard of in other industries.

And given that two of the examples I looked into were only employing half of the Niche Seminar Secrets strategy, I might even say there's room for improvement! In truth, though, they are using the full NSS system in the longer term, so they probably do know what they're doing...

It's gratifying to see and hear of the Niche Seminar Secrets system working so well for two of my favourite marketers. Both are people I'd be delighted to JV with on a future event.

You could put yourself into that category too, thanks to the guidance you'll get from Niche Seminar Secrets. Currently, you can even get a trial version of NSS for just $17, just so you can finally convince yourself that Niche Seminar Secrets is the key to making six figures, and more, from organising and promoting your own seminar, workshop and conference events.

And maybe JV-ing on one with me...

Go here to your $17 Niche Seminar Secrets trial.

Roy

PS. My offer to answer any questions you have about seminars, etc, is still open.

PPS. I'm afraid the free Limited Edition of NSS is no longer available. All 100 went in just four days! But I think $17 invested in the (bigger) trial edition is still a bargain!