Don’t Do That!
This article was originally featured in The OffBeat Business Magazine.
September 10, 2014 – I just heard a guest on a radio show, an author, educator, and expert, answer a question about a popular, well-respected area of learning by saying it has NO MERIT. Don’t do that!
If you want to be taken seriously, I don’t recommend essentially telling millions of people the area of expertise they have chosen to adopt, practice, and teach is bunk. He went on to state that there is no proof that this system works. An easily proven lie.
This author wrote a book on learning. His ideas sound interested and like they will help many people. But NOTHING works for everyone.
The host of the show asked him about NLP (without using the term.) She asked something like, “What about people who learn based on auditory, visual, etc.?”
His answer? “That has no merit. It has no proof that it works.” (I’m paraphrasing.)
I know too many people NLP has helped, too many people who teach NLP, and too many people, like myself, who used it before even knowing that’s what we were doing. As a teenager, I discovered I learned better in school if I listened in class and took notes while I followed along in the textbook. I found that reading the textbook as homework had no impact on my retention of knowledge. So, I used that technique, note-taking with the book open during lectures, and always did well on tests in High School and College.
Now I know that means I’m a primarily Kinesthetic learner (writing notes and turning pages) with Auditory as my second and Visual as my third ways I learn. I know this thanks to one of my coaches, Michael Harris, PhD. Michael is an NLP trainer and practitioner, along with his other expertises.
So, I’ve already proven the guest on that radio show wrong. I stopped listening after his statement and came and wrote this blog. How many other listeners did he lose? How many others will never buy his book?
The point here, is NOT about NLP. That’s just the illustration of my point.
My point here, is DON’T DO THAT! Don’t rip another program when you’re promoting yours.
What could he have said? How about, “That system has helped a lot of people. Like any learning program, it doesn’t work for everyone. I think the lessons I’ve outlined in my book are a great approach and will help lots of kids learn better.”
Not too difficult.
Just remember, if you have to tear something else down to make your something valid, there might be flaws in your something.
Exselsior.
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Speaker Co-op Top Tips For Twenty Twelve
Fellow Speakers,
As the year comes to a close, the realization that we’ve got a chance to make 2012 our best year ever is settling in.
What will you do about this New Year?
Will you see it as a New Opportunity?
I know I’m planning on 2012 to be an Incredible Year!!!
Here, in the Spirit of Cooperation we live by, is the first of the
Speaker Co-op Top Tips For Twenty Twelve:
Tip #1: Make Your Topics Sexy
That’s right, I said SEXY! That’s sexy from an advertising/marketing perspective. If your topic is on a list of topics other speakers are offering on similar information, does yours stand out?
Which of these is more likely to get bookings?
- Overcoming Adversity
- Striving, Surviving and Thriving – Falling on Your Butt & Getting Back Up Every Time
It’s pretty obvious that #2 is more SEXY.
Look for it on Cindy L. Herb’s Speaker Listing.
Sexy Up Your Topics for 2012.
Onward & Upward,
Jeff
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Let’s make 2012 an Incredible Year!!!
Here’s the second Speaker Co-op Top Tip For Twenty Twelve:
Tip #2 Target Specific Audiences
The key to Speaking Success in today’s marketplace is finding your niches and focusing on them.
Yes, I know, “My message is for EVERYBODY.”
But, you can’t be all things to all people. Pick a couple of verticals, or industries to go after. Pick a specific type of person that will want more of you after you speak.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but the better you zoom in on 3 or 4 niches to speak to, the faster your business will explode. In a good way.
Excelsior,
Jeff
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In the Spirit of Cooperation we live by, here’s the third Speaker Co-op Top Tip For Twenty Twelve:
Tip #3 Keep Your Speaker Page or Site Up To Date
This seems pretty obvious, but how many of your old topics are on your Speaker Page?
Do you look like your online photo?
Do you have language to appeal to your best prospects?
The more often you update sites and pages, the easier they are to find for the search engines. Of course, your content has to be relevant to your audience.
We strongly recommend WordPress as the platform to use for Speaker Website. It’s already a Blog tool and there are countless templates and plugins to customize to your uses. And every page on your site will have the share buttons for Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Keep your image fresh throughout this year,
Jeff
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To help you make 2012 your best year ever, here’s the fourth Speaker Co-op Top Tip For Twenty Twelve:
Tip #4 Use a Professional Email Address
Do you work for Yahoo?
Or Google?
Or Hotmail?
Then why are so many of you listing emails with those names on your business cards?
The Business Professionals and Event Planners you want to hire you to speak are not impressed with these email addresses.
In fact, you are diminishing yourself. They will not take you seriously. And, if they don’t take you seriously, they won’t hire you.
Professional Speakers have their own web sites and their own branded email addresses.
‘Nuff Said,
Jeff