Key West Escapades
I’m in the Key West airport heading for Miami and a vegetative state at the Fontainebleau pool. We’ve had a great time with the Cigar Peg here, run by Ed Rigsbee, and a wonderful meal last night at the Hot Tin Roof (which lives up to its name). It’s hard to top scallops carpaccio and lobster tail prepared two ways (both great).
Here is a quick summary of my session for advanced speakers:
• Stop selling events and start creating projects.
• Deal only with buyers, never with bureaus or meeting planners. (If the latter approach you, that’s icing on the cake.)
• Keep innovating to the extent that the majority of your income originates with products and services created over the prior three years.
• Create communities among clients and stakeholders so that you are the nexus point in connecting people.
• Innovate and change from strength, not desperation.
• No one is hiring a “motivational speaker.” Rather, they expect ALL speakers to be motivational. But where’s the meat?
• Become a confidante and partner with your buyers.
• Broaden your knowledge base—the idea that specialization and niches are the way to go is prehistoric thinking.
• Don’t position yourself as a “speaker,” but rather as an expert resource.
• Transform the intellectual capital between your ears into intellectual property which your clients can purchase.
• If you listen to a “coach,” make sure that person has successfully and continually done what you want to do.
© Alan Weiss 2009. All rights reserved.
