Whether you’re attempting to break into the world of professional speaking or you’re already a seasoned professional, it’s important that you have an edge in order keep bookings coming — and be seen as the speaker of choice in a league of your own — above of your competitors.
There are two main factors that help meeting planners, speakers bureaus and organizations make that choice a simple one — having a book and being
in the news.
Having a book adds major cred to your skillset and being in the news can help you get booked.
Become a motivational speaker. Speaking secrets.
Why? People want to see people they hear about and feel like they know. By appearing on TV, radio or in print, you’re already “vetted” by the media. If you’re not already famous, a mention on a national show or publication serves as a badge of honor. And being able to put that logo on your website and speaker’s materials sets you apart.
Then, of course, you have to deliver. Creating the bones of a good speech is not only necessary, they’re crucial, but that’s not all it takes. The audience wants to see that you’re enthusiastic, authentic and humorous. Your value as a speaker is increasingly enhanced if you have a great product or service to sell and the lovability to get booked back.
Here are seven articles to send you on your way:
1. Capture and keep your audience’s attention
Communication skills: body language
In this piece speaking pro Chris Widener covers everything from a simple technique to get 20-35% of your audience to buy, how to know what to charge, and creative ways to get hired (even if associations, corporations or companies say they don’t have a budget).
2. Develop into a top professional speaker This article is perfect for those of you looking to break into the professional speaking field, covering the 10 steps to becoming an amazing motivational speaker. Joel Brown, a successful CEO, breaks down the tools you need to succeed and make the most from your speaking arrangements.
3. Build your brand by starting small
Become a paid professional speaker
This round up is useful for entrepreneurs of any level looking to book speaking engagements. The Young Entrepreneur Council goes over points even the most developed of us forget, like, the ultimate DIY, make it happen meet ups and how to start local, but go global.
4. Book your dream speaking engagement In this article Susan Tardanico goes over how we can do what the pros do and book the speaking engagements of our dreams. She shares how we can communicate better with our body language (over 90% of communication is nonverbal!), how find your most useful personal stories and how you can best avoid the jeopardies of PowerPoint.
Become a paid professional speaker
5. Learn the perfect formula to make people want more of you
How to give a TED talk. Talk like TED
In this piece Tim Ferris, public speaker and famed author of the New York Times Bestseller, The 4-Hour Workweek, goes over the perfect formula to be the best professional speaker in town. These masterminded strategies includes tips such as, how to prepare seamless 10-minute segments, what not to do before heading on stage and what jokes are better left for the break room.
7. Prep Your TED Talk Guy Kawasaki’s 10 top tips take on: Carmine Gallos’s advice from the book, Talk Like TED: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World’s Tops Minds. If you’re itching to be a thought leader or have something creative or provocative to share with the world work on your TED talk. In the speaker’s realm this is one of the fastest ways to becoming known, followed, loved – and booked.
How to book public speaking engagement
BONUS: 10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders
Solid advice for beginners and experienced speakers about how to manage your inner life as well as your outer actions. “It’s about helping others by meeting their needs, understanding their concerns, and adding value to their world.” Ultimately, this is what all good speaking is about.
Share a favorite moment (or blooper) from one of your speaking engagements. Often our mistakes create the best connections with our audience.
My nose is a fountain. Now would be a good time to own stock in Kleenex. I’ve been swathed up in our bed under my thick faux fur comforter with my cherry pit heating pad at my neck snuffling away while reading young adult novels and mysteries. Right now I’m in the middle of Tell the Wolves I’m Home. I’m watching Downton Abbey in great gulps trying to finish season 3 before season 4 begins on Sunday. I’m eating chocolate pie and GF pasta with butter, olive oil and garlic. Comfort food. I’ve porked up more than a few pounds.
Not how I planned to ring in the New Year.
I had a HUGE agenda. A plan. A long list of stuff I’d get done in December. Like finishing my new website. Like creating another webinar. Like updating new courses. Like training in Aikido. Like finishing the first draft of my Young Adult Novel.
Not happening.
Sometimes the best of plans get derailed.
And while I’d like to say I’m OK with it. The truth is, I’m really not.
I woke up this morning, surrounded by used Kleenexes in a bit of a panic. When am I going to get all that I want to accomplish DONE?
And that’s not all.
I had gone to Hawaii on a writer’s retreat at my friend and writing teacher Laurie Wagner’s house on the beach on Kona. Alex Franzen was our glorious guide who lead us through all the elements of our website and business we’d need to create a bright future. But I was also there to write my novel. (See Pix on my Facebook page – more to come).
Not.
Instead, I spent my time soaking up the sun, gazing at the clouds and (almost) swimming with dolphins. I found a hammock and just lay there for hours doing nothing. Really nothing. Not even thinking about stuff. Just enjoying the breeze and the sun warming my face.
I was not writing.
I was not doing.
I was getting up with the sun and suiting up with the amazing, expressive, creative, Sherry Reichert Belul, and the sharp-minded Ellen Fondiler, my roommates, and walking down to the ocean first thing in the morning for a swim.
I was lolling about in the hot tub tipping drinks with names like cuculele, and pomelomellow. Originals created by the extraordinary poet Maya Stein and her sassy partner Amy Tingle. (BTW I don’t drink. I’m a total lightweight.) And those drinks had me going for seconds.
These are women I want to know for a lifetime.
But….
I had a number of moments of feeling guilty as I recalled the words of one of my clients who, when I told him about the writing retreat, said, “You can finish your novel. Make it your goal to complete first draft.” He expanded my perspective. I thought, “Why not?” So I tucked that goal into my mind before I left. I knew that he would ask me about it. And he did.
“Is your novel done?”
“Not quite.”
What’s true is it had been a VERY long time since I’d really done nothing. I remember when Mark Moody, from the Strozzi Institute, gave me the assignment to “do nothing” for an hour every week in our garden.
Huh?
“You mean daydream so I can get inspiration for new projects?”
“No.”
I couldn’t even conceive of “nothing” that wasn’t somehow going to make me more productive. But now I know. All those hours where I couldn’t tear myself away from the beach even though the sun had set. All the hours of floating in the water soaking in the sky. All the hours swinging in the hammock. I have that all inside now. And I’m still savoring them. And I want more of it this next year. I’m putting it into the schedule just like I plan out my work.
I’m also going to follow in the footsteps of poet Mary Oliver. Kinda. She said that she writes 3 hours a day and then the rest of the day is free to socialize or do whatever.
My plan is to work 4 hours a day on my biz and 4 hours writing so I can get my novel done. I won’t divvy it up that way as I like to chunk my time so I’m in the flow of whatever I’m doing. So I have clients days and writing days. That’s the way I’m most productive and happy.
I actually found a way to get more time.
It’s going to sound a bit wacky. Maybe even indulgent. (I haven’t told my parents). I’m kind of afraid to tell you, lest you judge me or think I’m snobbish. But it’s something that’s really important to me – to eat healthy delicious food. To be nourished and well-fed.
One thing that was on my wish list last year was to hire a personal chef.
Done.
Elyse Bolton responded to my ad on Thumbtack which said that I wanted a chef who infused the food with love and care as well as one who would cook delicious gourmet organic, gluten free, grass fed food. The crazy thing is having a personal chef is saving us time and money. My sweetie and I plan out the month of protein and veggies. Now there is no tiffing over who is going to shop, cook, or clean up. I estimate that I’m saving 7-10 hours a week!
What is one thing you will accomplish this year (lollygagging included)? I’d love to hear.
I’m sharing stuff on Facebook that you won’t find in my ezine or on my blog. Come on by, like me, and chime in here: www.facebook.com/SusanHarrow
What do you do when you have just started your business and need customers and sales? What if you don’t have customer reviews, testimonials, biz experience or even a bio that shows you’re amazing but you want credibility… and publicity?
Imagine this: You have dozens or hundreds of people discovering you…
Even if you’ve just begun your business.
People who want to buy your products and hire you on the spot.
Here’s how.
Step #1. Shine Online.
Click for a larger view
3 Steps to build a five-star online reputation infographic.
You want a website that’s crisp, clear and professional.
Where do potential clients, journalists and producers go to check you out to see if they want to do business with you?
Your website.
Your website should show what you do and who you do it for. Also, it needs an obvious call to action. What do you want your potential clients to DO when they visit? Make sure that they have a clear path to engage with you, your products and services. Give visitors a way to opt-in to a special report or a gift of some sort so you can stay connected.
It used to take 7 impressions before someone would buy from you. They had to connect with you in 7 ways to feel comfortable and trust you. In today’s world it now takes 10 touches to get the same results. So you have to be able to contact your future clients so they have a chance to get to know you.
When people complain that publicity doesn’t work what they really mean is that their website doesn’t convert clicks to cash. Publicity will drive people to your website – but then it’s up to your website to keep them interested enough to want to continue to connect with you and eventually buy.
Your website should also should have the look and feel of you. So a person’s instant impression gives them a sense of who you are, what you sell, and what you stand for.
Step #2. Showcase Your Skills.
Content marketing with images.
Photo Credit: carterse
The best place to showcase your skills is in your bio or about page. This is the place to tout your talents. And while you may not have much experience yet you can bridge your past experience to your present profession. For example, one of the participants in my sound bite course wrote a book on the history of adoption that covered many little known facts about how kids that are adopted don’t have the same rights as ordinary US citizens. She’s not an “adoption expert” but her job as a private investigator used the same sleuthing skills to get to the truth that she used to uncover hidden facts about the adoption industry. That superhero skill went into her bio and made the link from her current profession to her new role as author and champion of underprivileged adoptees.
Notice that this description has concrete, quantifiable results and a timeframe to get those results. It’s not about you, but about what you do for your clients or customers. Plus, this one simple sentence is intriguing and sets up the conversation so people beg for more.
It leads your potential clients to ask two questions:
How?
Can you do this for me?
Which is exactly what you want them to ask to close business on the spot or during a media appearance.
You can offer your services for free or a reduced fee in exchange for a review.
According to CompUSA and an iPerceptions study, “63% of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews.”
One of the best ways to get a rave or review is to ask your client what was most helpful or what stood out – right after a successful consult, while you’re still on the phone or in-person with them. Then you write down exactly what they say and read it back to them for approval. This instantly produces natural sounding testimonials and stops procrastination pronto.
Procrastination happens because it can be hard for your clients to think, write and polish a testimonial for you. Stop Procrastination: Interviewing your customers or clients right after they’ve had a positive experience with you is effective and fast.
Bada Bing, you’re (almost) done.
According to 2012 research study adding a photo for unfamiliar celebrity names (that’s all of us J) increased the likelihood that the subjects would judge the claim to be true. So be sure to get photos of your clients and customers to increase your cred.
Step #5. Get Local Publicity.
Pitch your local press. Find an angle about how you’re helping or standing out in your community. Write up some tips about a topic that you know about but that most people don’t. Write a highly opinionated letter to the editor a publication whose audience you want to reach.
One of the quickest ways to get local publicity?
Photos.
Share a photo with a caption that amuses, shocks, or delights – with a short blurb.
Journalists love photos.
The other great thing about photos is that you are in complete control of your image and how you’re portrayed. Images are the sound bites of our generation and can go viral faster than any other medium.
Think visually.
BONUS!
Here’s another way visuals can help you get instant cred…
Logo-ize.
Once you get a media placement put the TV, radio or print logo on your home page or media page. You’ve seen this dozens of times on famous and up and coming people’s websites:
As seen in…
The Wall Street Journal
The New York Times
Parade
People
Real Simple
As seen on:
Oprah
Good Morning America
CNN
The Today Show
There’s nothing like the visual stamp of approval from a media interview or appearance to make a positive impression. Your visitors will automatically assume that you’re famous (or on your way to fame) if you have recognizable logos emblazoned on your website.
As Jayne Mansfield said, “Publicity can be terrible. But only if you don’t have any.”
So these are the 5 steps to Build Your Reputation With Publicity – When You’ve Just Begun Your Business. They are quick and easy and you can start with one thing today.
I would love to hear from you. Have you gotten local publicity? How did you do it?
I’m also curious: which of these 5 strategies resonated the most? Did one stand out as a gleaming jewel?
Did you like this article? If you did, like it, comment, and share it with your friends.
And remember the words of Harold Thurman Whitman:
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Ready to dive into some more publicity strategies (think heart-felt stories & truth telling without schmaltz) that can start you on your way to the top? Enjoy this FREE training.
Want to see this blog post (with a slightly different twist) as a FREE 10 minute webinar? Hop on over here.
Now that you know a few things about getting publicity, make sure you’re a fabulous public speaker with these 7 inspiring tips.
Last week, when I was on a walk, some boys were selling bracelets and rings made out of colored rubber bands. I stopped at their lemonade/jewelry stand by the side of the road and looked through their goodies. I wanted to get a ring or everyone in my writing group. As I chose a number of rings the little boy who made them started doing the math and adding up everything in his head and shouting out the numbers each time I picked up a ring – even before I chose it. He was so anxious to get the sale – but he didn’t care about me.
They were a dollar each. I said, “Wait, I’m not done yet.” But he kept shouting out the numbers. Totally focused on how much he would make.
Then his big brother stepped in and said, “It would be nice if you charged $2.50 for three of them.”
He said, “No. They are a dollar each. Three rings for three dollars.”
His big brother said again, “Yes and it would be nice if you gave her three of them to her for $2.50.”
Pause. No response from the little brother.
Big brother: “It would be nice.”
Finally, the younger brother gave in.
But grudgingly.
So it wasn’t fully given. Which makes a difference in how the giving feels. I would have appreciated my rings even more if the younger brother had given wholeheartedly.
As a little something that “would be nice” I have pulled together some of my most popular posts and free stuff so you can fill yourself with some goodies after Thanksgiving and through the holidays when you’re enjoying family and friends after a feast or get-together.
First, the most popular webinar / live training of the year….
Are you looking for a way to generate more traffic, leads, and sales for your business?
Are you looking for a way to reach a larger audience for your brand, products or services?
Then podcasting may be just the answer you’re looking for to helping you generate more quality traffic, prospects and sales.
Launching a podcast can be one of the most fun marketing strategies you do this year while positioning yourself as The Expert in your niche.
There are a few key specifics to launching a successful podcast though and making sure you stand out in the iTunes market place.
There are now over 1 Billion Podcast Subscribers — all who are seeking experts to entertain them, educate them, and most of all help them solve their problems in their business and their life.
#1: The First Key to Podcasting Success:
Dynamic Eye Grabbing Album Cover
Once you launch your podcast, iTunes has an amazing program called New & Noteworthy that will feature top new podcasts for 8 weeks to their directory of over 1 Billion Podcast Subscribers.
My clients have been able to dramatically, upon the launch of their podcast, increase traffic to their website, increase email opt-ins, and some even make sales within their first week — because of this Bonus Perk brought to you by iTunes.
Here is a snap shot of a 4 podcast clients that within their first week were having incredible success and being found for their brilliant expertise.
Just a few examples of what the Power of iTunes can do for you:
The Month Pillow by Sean Malarkey
– #1 New Top – Business Podcast and Reached #2 in ALL of iTunesDirectory right behind Dave Ramey, driving traffic and creating a massive exposure and a new following for his book coming out in the fall.
Awakened Author by Ronda Del Boccio
– Generated Free Traffic, leads, and had sales from her podcast into her premium membership program within the first 2 weeks of her launching in iTunes.
And it doesn’t stop there, after your claim to fame in your first 8 weeks in iTunes is over, they will then Continue to Showcase you in their What’s Hot Section for each main category. This enables you to be easily found, discovered and your marketing message heard — as long as you continue podcasting.
The search feature in iTunes is also an incredible way that people find your show based on the key words that a listener would be searching for to help them or Experts that you may be interviewing on your podcast.
#2: The Second Key to Podcasting Success:
Clear Concise Title {WIFTL}
The dynamic image is what grabs the attention of the listener and the title is what moves them to want to click on your podcast and take a listen.
You want the title to speak Directly to your ideal listener avatar – or your ideal client.
The title should allow them in a matter of seconds help them understand what your show is about and how this can help them solve their problems or provide the entertainment they would want to listen to.
Using legible fonts and clear images is the key to success for iTunes. Always remember, less is more.
#3: The Third Key to Podcasting Success:
Podcasting Imaging (Intro + Outro)
Once you have the grabbed the attention of a listener to check out your podcast, you want to bring them in with your podcast imaging. Which is simply, an introduction that grabs their attention and lets them know what the show is about and the benefits for THEM.
Too often, I research podcasts in iTunes, that just start off with someone talking and no proper introduction or imaging. The problem here is they may have incredible information for me, but if it isn’t expressed within the first 90 seconds (which is actually a great amount of time to WIN over you’re listeners) on how it can help me, I might not stay tuned in and that is how podcasters lose thousands of potential listeners.
The other problem here is that if I don’t know you, I don’t know if your content is worth my time to tune in and listen. You want to Save Time for your listener and let them know right away what the episode is about and what the show is about to help THEM.
Remember it’s always – What’s In if For the Listener.
Keep it simple, short and to the point. A great show introduction for your listeners can be anywhere from 30-90 seconds, which allows you to still have room to bring on sponsorship spotlights for your show as well, and not take up too much bandwidth into the main program.
You also want to have a strong CTA (call-to-action) for your listeners. To bring them out of listening mode and into action for how you can help them.
Great offers can be discounts or coupon codes for your products or services, free mini-courses or eBooks to grow your email list, Amazon eBooks to drive sales for your books, or social media contests to engage your listener to take action and start to engage with your brand on other social networks.
#4: The Fourth Key to Podcasting Success:
Podcasting Show Format
As a podcast listener there are many different styles and formats you can create for your show and your listeners. You want to create a format that is engaging for your listener yet fun for you!
For example, I love interviewing Top Lifestyle Experts and sharing their key strategies and pulling out incredible nuggets of wisdom for my listeners. Not everyone wants to create an interview-based podcast though. You may want to focus on your expertise to grow your audience.
Here are 3 Top Proven Show Formats That Work in iTunes:
Expert Based Interview Show
Interviewing experts in your niche or similar industries that can benefit and ad value for your services. This allows you to be discovered by interviewing other experts and provide incredible content for our listeners.
Specific Topic Matter – Tip Based Show
Short 10-15 minutes podcasts that teach one training point in a short burst of a podcast to showcase your expertise and give them a taste of how you can help them.
Talk Show Based Podcast
Multiple guests that discuss and talk on topics that are based around a podcast theme for each episode.
#4: The Fifth Key to Podcasting Success:
Marketing + Consistency
Podcasting success is all about consistency. Let your audience know when you will be releasing episodes. This will allow you to start to create a habit with your audience and they will be looking forward to the release of your next episode.
* * * * *
Most of all have fun with your podcast! People are tuning in for you – your personality, how you interview your guests, and your unique spin on your subject matter.
The iTunes market is literally UnTapped when it comes to experts –there is a wide open market for you in iTunes to showcase your talent and start building your tribe today!
To learn how to start to generate leads, traffic, and sales on Autopilot for your business, join us on a Live Training Webinar August 14, as I share key strategies and a simple 5 Step Process to Create Your Own Podcast. http://bit.ly/1Podcast
About the Author
Kris Gilbertson is the Founder of the LifeStyleAcademy.com, Host of The LifeStyle Entrepreneur Podcast, Author of Podcasting for Profit, Positioning, and Promotion, and creator of the Podcasting Pro System.
She is a leading expert in how to partner with iTunes to create your own world-class podcast. Her clients praise their podcast enables them to reach their ideal customer, create a thriving tribe, increase their traffic to their website from over 40%-5000% and do what they love by simply using the power of their voice.
To book Kris as a speaker for your next event or to learn how to partner with her, please contact her at: http://lifestyleacademy.com/contact
Drama gets attention. The unexpected gets attention. Bold gets attention. But how can you tell if you’ve come up with a sound bite that has undeniable promotional punch yet goes over the top into hype or outright falsehood?
First, pay attention to the little voice in your head that worries or holds back when you think about using a certain phrase about yourself. After all, if you can’t wholeheartedly embrace it and say or hear it without embarrassment, others tune into your hesitation and won’t accept it, either.
Then stop and think about whether your sound bite is just harmless fun, like dressing up in a costume. Who’s to say you are not “The God of Organic Gardening” or “The Priestess of Pain Relief”? It’s perfectly valid to crown yourself with a moniker like that. No one runs a pageant for such titles, with only the official winner having the right to use the phrase. As long as you do have expertise in organic gardening, pain relief or the subject matter of your amusing nickname, go for it.
On the other hand, watch out for phrases that make a factual claim. Perhaps your little voice is warning that what you’ve said isn’t quite true. In that case, toss the sound bite or tweak it until it’s something that would stand up in a court of law.
For instance, a client once told me a branding expert advised her to say she’d gone from homelessness to a seat on the stock exchange in less than a year. In truth, it took almost three years for that journey, and people could quibble over whether she’d actually been homeless. (She had been living in her brother’s basement and occasionally sleeping in his car.) I told her it was just as impressive to know she’d gone from near-homelessness to a seat on the stock exchange in less than three years.
Superlatives in sound bites are tricky. When you say you’re the first dentist to have had a website or you own the largest accounting firm in Louisiana, you’d better not have made that up out of thin air. But if you’ve researched your claim and are 98 percent sure or better, that’s something you should be able to stand behind. Deploy it with confidence if a third party like a well-known expert, industry association or media outlet has bestowed the superlative on you.
Sheer wordplay is almost always a plus. A clever verbal twist can dance in the minds of readers and in the mouths of commentators. That might consist of a triple, like Superman’s “Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” a contrast, like “Our food is fresh. Our customers are spoiled,” from online grocer FreshDirect, a rhyme, such as Muhammed Ali’s “I outwit them and then I out-hit them” or a play on a popular culture reference, such as “Building community deep in the hearts of Texans,” from Texas Nonprofits.
Keep in mind that our culture allows even the most serious and dignified organizations and individuals, from Supreme Court justices to CEOs and companies we trust with our retirement savings, to take an ordinary idea and make it memorable. Listen to your intuition when it whispers concern about a sound bite. Yet except for the scruples outlined above, give yourself the same kind of permission.
Marcia Yudkin is a copywriting and branding expert and the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity, now in its third edition, along with 15 other books. Her ebook No-Hype Copywriting: The Keys to Lively, Appealing and Truthful Sales Writing, is available on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords. Learn more about how to describe yourself and your work both honestly and dramatically at the upcoming FREE No-Hype Copywriting Telesummit.
What if I told you that it took me ten years to understand what I was teaching? It looked like I was teaching people how to write, but what I was actually doing, I realized late in the game, was teaching writers how to peel away the layers of their story and dig for something more true, more authentic and just plain honest. And while all that digging and examining is good for writing, it’s also excellent for living. When you chip away at the façade of your story, and you lay down one true word, and then the next true word you will eventually become stripped down and naked to yourself. And when you see yourself like that, there’s no turning back. You may, as many of my students have done, begin the process of changing your life.
I’m a process person. I’m all about getting words onto a page; messy, ugly, imperfect, glorious words. And to do that you need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
For me, it’s not about what I’m writing or whether I like what I’m writing that’s important. That the pen inks like a river across the page, that I have the courage not to know what the next word is, or the word after that…that I keep going anyway. That’s the spirit, that’s what makes a sound turn into a song. I might only be able to hear bits at first – the merest sound of a refrain – but I’ll swirl it around in my mouth, taste it, roll it on my tongue and Wa La, I start singing. That’s how I make a song. The important part is not that I make a perfect song, but that I have created a channel for song sounds to come through – which means I can make more sounds and more songs.
It’s the same for writing. When I put these words on this page I didn’t know where I was going or what would come next, but if I’ve become a student of anything, it’s learning to not love what’s coming through me and to keep going anyway. That’s just part of the creative process. If I turned back every time I felt lost, or if I judged what I was doing, I wouldn’t make anything. I have to let go of perfection if I want to be a maker of things, because it’s not about the thing that I make, it’s about the making, and I want to be a maker for a long, long time.
Want to be a story maker this summer? Laurie’s 5-week e Course, Telling True Stories starts on June 17th. Laurie is an amazing teacher. Once you start telling the unadorned truth it changes everything. If you want to be a maker of things join Laurie in Telling True Stories – and watch your life change on the page, off the page.
FREE Publicity Sources
Publiseek connects their followers: technologists, computer/telecom experts, & tech companies, with members of the media looking to talk to sources for their articles.
Sourcebottle connects expert sources with journalists and bloggers in the UK, Australia, Canada & New Zealand and the US. They help journalists & bloggers find sources. They help businesses & PR pros get free publicity.
So many people call themselves thought leaders now – but they aren’t. To be a thought leader takes some doing. It’s not so much about being original as it is about putting things together in an original way. Thought leadership marketing comes down to packaging your knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences, and yes, your thoughts in a way that makes you media worthy and worth listening to by your audience — a huge audience.
Follow these nine steps to get going on the path to be respected, heard and reverberated out into the world to become the very definition of thought leadership.
1. Cultivate an opinion.
Thought leaders have opinions. They shape a story. They position facts in a context. They make statistics come alive by interpreting them. We value people who give us perspective on things that matter most in our culture today.
Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and their first woman to sit on their board, said of the differences about how men and women respond to taking credit for their success, “If you ask men why they did a good job, they’ll say, ‘I’m awesome. Obviously. Why are you even asking?’ If you ask women why they did a good job, what they’ll say is someone helped them, they got lucky, they worked really hard.”
To follow her lead take a look at your field or industry and find something that irks or inspires you and start to formulate some opinions about it. Folk singer Joan Baez said, “I’ve never had a humble opinion. If you’ve got an opinion, why be humble about it?” Thought leaders aren’t afraid to voice a strong opinion. The media seek guests who have opinions that help us ponder what’s important.
2. Make a prediction.
Can you see the future? Look into your private crystal ball and share it in a press release. Over twenty years ago I told my literary agent that getting on TV and grasping at fame was going to become a national obsession. I wrote up a book proposal about how to get on TV, supplied anecdotes from my own experience as a publicist and media coach, and gathered statistics to show that this was going to be a hot new trend. He pitched my idea to all the top New York publishing houses.
9 was you can be a thought leader
Alas, the traditional book industry didn’t buy it. It was too far ahead of its time. But guess what? Didn’t that prediction come true? Practically everyone is now scrabbling for his 15 seconds of fame. New reality TV shows are popping up every year. The Fishbowl Effect has become our current reality where your iPhone video can make national news.
Know that when you make a prediction you’re intrinsically ahead of your time – and most likely will get disapproval and pushback. No worries. Time will bear you out. The important thing is to stand by your word, continue to accumulate evidence and keep touting your prediction during your media appearances. Thought leadership marketing is a process, not a one time event.
3. Shape thinking.
Keep up on current events. Thought leaders can comment on national radio and TV and in print on events as they happen. They are the first people the media call to put a story in perspective, to help shape thinking. They are often the people who pose the questions to ponder. They don’t necessarily have all the answers.
What they have is a point of view that helps others to consider consequences, options, and directions to difficult or perplexing problems. This type of thought leadership definition is organic and evolves naturally as the thought leader continues to hone his thoughts and message.
Robert Reich, professor of public policy at UC Berkeley, often comments on political and social problems such as how public higher education is being starved which will result in a shrinking middle class. His clearly expressed and statistically well-supported opinions are regularly heard on MSNBC and NPR. He’s a great example of someone who is personal, energetic, and captivating. I’m particularly endeared by how he bounces up when he can’t contain his energy as he delivers his message.
Your delivery and demeanor is every bit as important as the words you speak and can influence people subconsciously. Thought leaders are aware of how they are being perceived and work on refining their inner consciousness and outer appearance.
How can you start to shape a conversation that’s at the heart of your business or industry and at the same time reflect who you are and what you think?
4. Have a philosophy.
Have you noticed how many people have written a manifesto? It’s kind of becoming de rigueur. But many aren’t worth reading. They are trite or light. Your audience wants to know not only what you believe, but what you believe in. They want a philosophy that dives into their deepest longings — things that they feel that haven’t been expressed directly in a way that they can understand.
Manifestos are a sort of formalized philosophy. Wikipedia defines philosophy as “In more casual speech, by extension, ‘philosophy’ can refer to “the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group”.
Brene Brown thought leader in thoughts, words, action
During every media appearance you want to make sure that your philosophy comes through loud and clear in a story, vignette or example so your audience has a sense of who you are.
One of my favorite sayings is by Gandhi, “My life is my message.” And another one close to my heart: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
When everything you do, say, are and think from your words to your website is in alignment™ then you’re completely congruent and your life becomes your message. This is what I have my clients and sound bite course participants put into practice before ever sending a press release out to the media. Often publicity hopefuls want to rush their offer to the media before all the pieces are in place. And that’s a big mistake. A reputation is easy to ruin and hard to regain.
In her media appearance on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, Brene Brown told a story about her daughter, Ellen. To my best recollection she said that Ellen’s teacher called her up to tell her she could tell whose daughter Ellen was by how she handled an incident in art class. As I remember it the teacher said, “You’re messy.” Ellen sat up straight and said, “No, I’m not messy. I’ve just made a mess.”
Brown told this story to illustrate a point about self-talk and not calling ourselves names or saying derogatory things about the core of us, but to focus on behavior instead of being. It shows you that Brown is walking her talk by transmitting her values and behaviors to her daughter and it gives you a sense of who she is. Your philosophy should shine through your stories in a natural way in every media appearance.
5. Spearhead a movement.
My client, journalist and author David Sheff who wrote the #1 New York Times best-selling book Beautiful Boy, (which later was turned into a movie) and wrote his second book called Clean, Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy. The title itself is an opinion. Sheff thinks that addiction is the worst problem in the U.S. today. You can tell immediately that he’s serious about this topic and wants to make an impact on this epidemic.
On his website he has a link to sign a petition to send to President Obama to end the war on drugs and declare war on addiction. Right next to that he has a link to an organization called Brian’s Wish to pull people together into a national movement to end addiction.
Thought leaders start movements
Sheff believes that we’re fighting the wrong war and he is making his opinion known – backed with five years of research and facts. This is thought leader marketing at its best.
When I first wrote this piece he had just started his book tour and has already been on The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, NPR’s Fresh Air and Weekend Edition to discuss his views and to shift American opinion with the facts, stories and statistics in his book, speeches, and media appearances.
I media trained him to insure that he incorporated his most important points into every interview since he especially wanted to talk about this new movement.
We also wanted to make sure he could stand firm on his controversial beliefs when challenged. We practiced worst-case scenario questions and surprise ones too so he could maintain his equanimity and stay on point during each media appearance.
The media is interested in people who have inspired a movement. It shows that the topic has enduring value and interest if a substantial number of people have joined it. Spearheading a movement is so much more interesting than just claiming you have a big following. A movement shifts thought into action to create real and lasting change.
6. Be controversial.
Another client of mine, Dr. Sara Gottfried, a Harvard trained integrative physician, science nerd, yogini and author of the New York Times best-sellers The Hormone Cure, The Hormone Rest Diet, Younger and Brain Body Diet, peaks out on the overuse of pharmaceuticals for peri-menopausal and menopausal women. She says of women dealing with hormonal issues such as depression, lack of sleep, weight gain, mind fog, low sex drive, “You won’t find the answer in the bottom of a pill bottle.”
Gottfried takes a stand against the practice many physicians have to medicate their patients to appease the problem without seeking the core issue or root cause that’s the source of the complaint. Instead she advocates lifestyle shifts: “How to think, eat, move and supplement.”
Thought leaders invite controversy
Once you take a strong stance you can expect to be pitted against someone with the opposite view during your radio or TV interviews – because friction makes for good TV. Audiences love to see people who have opposing views that might even provoke a tiff, because sparks fly and unexpected things happen — which equal good ratings.
If you want to be controversial you also need to be prepared to be challenged and able to stay on message with equanimity and grace no matter how forceful or hostile the host or other guests become.
7. Play both sides.
While you can choose to be controversial, you can also choose to appoint yourself the voice of reason and examine both sides of an issue. Susan Freinkel, a journalist who wrote the book, Plastic: a Toxic Love Story, began an experiment that turned into an investigation of how plastic affects our behavior, our environment and our lives. The premise: To go one day without touching anything plastic. What she discovered? It was impossible — starting with her toothbrush and toilet.
Instead of taking one side to the story – plastic is evil. She explored how plastic is both a boon and a bane to the way we live in a New York Times Op Ed piece. In one sentence she played both sides of the topic: “In other words, plastics aren’t necessarily bad for the environment; it’s the way we tend to make and use them that’s the problem.”
Op Ed pages thrive on people who take a strong stand on one side of an issue as well as those who can shed light on both sides in an intelligent, thoughtful or provocative way.
In our media coaching sessions together Freinkel and I focused on stories about how certain plastics are negatively effecting our health, children, land and seas, and also which plastics are safe and useful and help save lives.
Great thought leaders can mediate both sides of an issue
On Fresh Air, she discussed both sides of this fiery debate with a level head. In other media appearances she backed up her findings with solid statistics and also by moving fascinating facts into the conversation like: “The average person is never more than three feet from something made of plastic.” And, “In 1960, the average American consumed 30 pounds of plastics a year. Today, just 50 years later, Americans consume on average 300 pounds a year.” Here is something a bit startling: “Just because a plastic is made of plants doesn’t make it ‘green.’”
By moderating the positives and negatives, by sharing information not widely known and educating us, and by using stories and statistics, you can become a trusted neutral source for change.
8. Coin a term.
During her appearance on The Ricki Lake show Dr. Sara Gottfried reached into her prop basket and pulled out a gleaming diamond Tiara, put it on her head and offered it to Lake, who said she didn’t want to take it off. Gottfried called taking uninterrupted time for yourself, Tiara Time.™ It’s catchy and easy to remember. Can’t you just imagine saying to your BFF, “I need some Tiara Time™ right NOW.”
Your vision is how you see the world in the future. It’s what you’re aspiring to in the big picture. It incorporates how you are going to serve. For example, I’d like to see Aikido, a type of Japanese Martial Arts, which I’ve been training in for eight years, incorporated into every school in the world.
9 steps to become a thought leader is about self-mastery
The principles of Aikido, The Way of Harmony, work as a way to polish the spirit, to turn lead into gold. The founder, Morihei Ueshiba says, “True victory is self-victory; let that day arrive quickly!”
I believe that, through this practice we can eradicate bullying and practice respect, compassion, and self-mastery on a daily basis in our hearts, homes, schools, and communities.
My dream is to combine physical self mastery with verbal and emotional mastery so every child in the world can: Speak your mind. Stand your ground. Sing your song™.
Declaring your vision during a media interview moves it out in a big way into the public eye. Not only have you taken a stand but you give thousands or millions of people a chance to take a stand with you. That in itself creates powerful change.
The point of being a thought leader isn’t just to get more media appearances, more sales, more followers, or more money. It’s an opportunity to make great shifts inside yourself and out in the world.
So if you aspire to taking yourself and your business forward in small or big ways, then focus on these nine things. And even if it isn’t in your nature to be on national TV or to gain an international platform, just pondering these points will give you clarity for your business as you grow and change.
We were all sitting in Jack Canfield’s living room on a huge couch in his home in Santa Barbara surrounded by giant gems, crystals, artwork and views into the lush gardens reminiscent of Canfield’s beloved Hawaii. Canfield mentioned that he wanted a room where diplomats and leaders of countries as well as his family could feel comfortable. I love the idea that we were sitting on the same couch where those same leaders of countries had sat before us.
Each of us in his living room had won this mastermind day with Jack Canfield for being a top affiliate for his Bestseller Blueprint Program. In the room, brainstorming about our businesses, were some of the most successful Internet Marketers on the web today.
Bill and Steve Harrison led the discussion and asked us each to share something about our business that was working well that others could learn from. A fact about ourselves that no one knew. And then ask a question about our business to get feedback and help from Jack Canfield and the group. I’m going to share with you some of the things that happened in that room that will help make your book a best-seller.
1. Speak With Authority
“I’ve got one question, then I’ll tell you what to do,” one outspoken Internet Marketer said. We all laughed. And then we listened. He had already proven himself as someone who knew what he was talking about. Earlier he had kept us all in rapt attention with the measurement tools he employed to get the highest clicks to conversions as well as his mistakes that lead him to his success. Once you’ve proven that you have solid knowledge people trust what you have to impart. Best-selling books are written by voices who have proven methods and who can impart them in a simple and direct manner.
2. Talk the Language of Your Tribe
When one person in the room asked for advice about stopping slander many people offered solutions to help him let go of his resentment. But he would have none of it and got more and more red-faced and worked up over the unfairness of it all. He said he wanted justice as he filled the room with his fury. He wouldn’t accept anyone’s methods to make a shift until someone said about the slanderer, “F_ck him, then forgive him.”That worked.Why? He spoke the angry man’s language first. Then gave him what he needed to let it go. When you give advice speak the language of your audience so they can hear you. There’s a Sufi joke that goes like this: A tax collector fell in the river and couldn’t get out.. Many people gathered and tried to assist him. Even though was starting to drown he wouldn’t take anyone’s hand so they could pull him out. Mystified and alarmed the people rushed to get advice from the wise fool Nasrudin. He asked what the helpers were saying. “Give me your hand,” they said.
“Never ask a tax collector to “give” you anything,” said Nasrudin. Say, ‘take’ my hand,” which they did and got him safely out of the river.
The examples in a best-selling book need to address both the spoken and unspoken needs of their audience. Best-selling book authors understand the language of their tribe so they can tell them things that others can’t because they may be hard to hear or bear.
3. Tell Stories With Your Own Twist
When it was my turn to offer the factoid that no one knew about me to the group, I told a short story about an experience I had in college.When I was attending UC Berkeley I worked at Zellerbach Hall as an usher. One evening the great ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev came to perform and, in my naivete, I thought it would be lovely to invite him to tea. After his performance I went back stage and approached him. When I asked him to tea he just stared at me. I thought, well, Russian is his first language, perhaps he didn’t understand. So I asked again. This time he smirked. Not a word, just a smirk. That was my answer. The typical saying goes: Always ask for what you want. The worst that can happen is you get a “No.”“But that’s not the worst thing that can happen,” I said. “The worst thing isn’t even a word. It’s a smirk.”Canfield said, “Good story!” This story didn’t have the same ending we’ve heard before. No one expected anything to come after the “perceived” ending: The worst that can happen is you get a “No.”
We’ve all heard tons of advice – mostly unoriginal – except in the telling and with a twist. That’s what makes you, the best-selling author a unique storyteller – and thought leader – the surprising twist.
4. Put Butt to Seat, Words to Page
“I’ll tell you a secret to working less. Work less,” said one coach. We all sat stunned. Huh? It’s a similar statement to what made the Nike brand truly famous. “Just do it.” But how, people ask. I don’t have the time, others moan.This coach claimed that he only worked three hours a day (Less than Tim Ferriss!) by just allowing himself that time to get his work done. He then had to manage his time around those three hours instead of letting the minutiae of his day frizzle away his time.
Here is my version of his statement on how to write a best-selling book.
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p style=”text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;”>Step one: But butt in seat. Step two: Put pen to page. Step three: Move pen without moving mind. Step four: Don’t stop. Step five: Rinse and repeat.
5. Write the Worst Sh_t in America.
Yes, give yourself permission to write the worst sh_t in America, advises best-selling author Anne Lamott, who told an audience recently that her sh_tty first drafts are just as sh_tty as yours. Believe it.You first have to write something in order to create a best-selling book. Editing comes later. I was talking to my client and colleague, Sharon Melnick, Ph.D. – business psychologist and stress resilience expert who has a new book out called Success Under Stress: Powerful Tools for Staying Calm, Confident, and Productive When the Pressure’s On, and she said that to try and write and edit at the same time is at cross purposes for your brain. These are two different functions that aren’t compatible when done simultaneously.
I know how hard it is to get words on a page so I’ll share a few secrets from my writing group.
First, we all follow Anne Lamott’s advice. So write without censoring yourself. When you don’t think you access the deep knowing that is available in the unconscious. This is the same process for creating sound bites. I advise my clients to just talk without pausing or thinking. I then search for the gold, mining the best phrases that come out naturally in the uncensored talking.
Then we follow Natalie Goldberg’s philosophy not to take your pen off the page. You keep moving your pen no matter what.
To do that you can write phrases like, “What I really want to say is….” What I don’t want to say is….” What I’ve hidden from you all along is….” “I am writing the worst sh_t in America….”
I learned these phrases and techniques from my dear friend and wonderful writing teacher Laurie Wagner in her Wild Writing Course, some of which come originally from Natalie Goldberg’s book, Writing Down the Bones. This book is till one of my all time favorite writing books, along with Anne Lamott’s Bird By Bird.
These phrases will keep your pen moving on the page. And yes, I suggest that you write by hand before typing your work into your computer. There is something that happens when you’re touching organic objects like paper that allows for a deeper connection to yourself and the world.
All of the brilliant Internet Marketers in that room had written the worst sh_t in America. Then they refined it and refined it again and again. But they weren’t afraid to do it. Or rather, their fear didn’t stop them. “Better done than perfect” is a good place to start.
Editing is not writing. Some of the best “writers” in this country are perceived as such because they have talented editors.
So write the worst sh_it in America – and then edit the heck out of it.
I had gone to Hawaii on a writer’s retreat at my friend and 
I was not writing.
I had a number of moments of feeling guilty as I recalled the words of one of my clients who, when I told him about the writing retreat, said, “You can finish your novel. Make it your goal to complete first draft.” He expanded my perspective. I thought, “Why not?” So I tucked that goal into my mind before I left. I knew that he would ask me about it. And he did.
I couldn’t even conceive of “nothing” that wasn’t somehow going to make me more productive. But now I know. All those hours where I couldn’t tear myself away from the beach even though the sun had set. All the hours of floating in the water soaking in the sky. All the hours swinging in the hammock. I have that all inside now. And I’m still savoring them. And I want more of it this next year. I’m putting it into the schedule just like I plan out my work.
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Last week, when I was on a walk, some boys were selling bracelets and rings made out of colored rubber bands. I stopped at their lemonade/jewelry stand by the side of the road and looked through their goodies. I wanted to get a ring or everyone in my writing group. As I chose a number of rings the little boy who made them started doing the math and adding up everything in his head and shouting out the numbers each time I picked up a ring – even before I chose it. He was so anxious to get the sale – but he didn’t care about me.
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We were all sitting in Jack Canfield’s living room on a huge couch in his home in Santa Barbara surrounded by giant gems, crystals, artwork and views into the lush gardens reminiscent of Canfield’s beloved Hawaii. Canfield mentioned that he wanted a room where diplomats and leaders of countries as well as his family could feel comfortable. I love the idea that we were sitting on the same couch where those same leaders of countries had sat before us.
“I’ll tell you a secret to working less. Work less,” said one coach. We all sat stunned. Huh? It’s a similar statement to what made the Nike brand truly famous. “Just do it.” But how, people ask. I don’t have the time, others moan.This coach claimed that he only worked three hours a day (Less than Tim Ferriss!) by just allowing himself that time to get his work done. He then had to manage his time around those three hours instead of letting the minutiae of his day frizzle away his time.