I don’t have to. Because I know how to produce content (speaking, podcasts, video, eBooks, etc…) that brings customers to me over and over, without me having to do much else. I spoke this morning to a local chamber of commerce group in my home town. Over 30 small business owners in attendance. Translation: All my customers. I walked out of there with 25+ leads. Pretty good ratio eh?

The video below shows a simple tactic that I use all the time to generate leads. In this case, 25+ business leads in less than an hour. These are people who are checking a box that says “please contact me”. In other words, a solid, pre-sold, pre-qualified lead. How much would you be willing to pay for that? The industry average for b2b/service companies is about $35 per lead.

Watch the video to learn how to do it. Then simply go do it.

Now I’ll contact each one of them over the next week and take the next step in building a relationship with them, which will eventually lead to a new customer of mine. There’s plenty more that happens before and after this, but this is just one thing you can master for now. I’ll continue to blog about the other techniques I’ve used that you will find helpful as well.

If you found this content useful, please consider passing it along?

I spend a lot of time speaking at local events. Big ones, small ones, associations, companies, it doesn’t matter. The beauty of a local/regional speaking gig is there are no travel costs and that means less time away from my business. Win/win.

I think you should do it too, and here’s a few reasons why.

1. Because it’s great practice. The more I present the better I get in front of a crowd. I have aspirations of wanting to speak professionally for a living someday so this is great practice.

2. It helps me create new content. I now have two standard decks/presentations that I can present cold without rehearsal with no problem. As I get asked to speak about different topics, I will build more. More content = more branding opportunities.

3. I get business out of it. Lots of it. I pick up jobs immediately following my presentations, and weeks and months after too. And I do it without selling my business at all. Just present high-quality information and try to be memorable.

And here’s a little trick. Make sure you leave a printed hand out with everyone in the audience. Make a one-page hand out that asks people to leave you a testimonial. Give them instructions on the sheet about how they can email or fax it in after the show. It works.

4. I get promotional material out of it. I tape everything with my Flip camera, and I also use Ustream.tv to live stream/record the event. That way I have footage of myself on stage that I can use as I wish for promotional material on my sites or to get future speaking gigs.

Here’s one of the presentations I did this week. Recorded on Ustream.tv and broadcasted live to the globe at the same time.

5. It’s fun. I really enjoy being in front of a crowd. The bigger the better. You may not feel the same, that’s ok. But if you can muster up the courage to do it, the benefits of being good at it are great.

How do you sound on the phone? Maybe you think you’re an excellent communicator, or maybe you think you are horrible. Do you know for sure? Everything is selling. Whether you’re asking someone out on a date, or trying to close a big business deal. Your voice, on the phone, and in person, will either help you, or hurt you.

Today I’m speaking with Dale Klein from Profitablespeech.com. Dale’s job is making people sound like experts. She says that great communication can be learned, and that public speaking isn’t just when you’re on a stage… it’s all the time.

If you’re interested in being a better communicator, then this podcast is for you. Please leave your feedback below.

Here are the show notes:

Even your voice mail message needs to be professional.
Voice coaching helps you come across the right way.
Pitch and inflection make huge differences.
Sale people need to improve for more sales.
Your voice is an instrument, you want to play it well.
People don’t like their own voice, so they rush through messages.
Stand when you speak helps you communicate better.
Wear a headset so you can gesture.
Create an image of a person in your mind to help personalize them.
Make it easy for your message to be received.
If they don’t get it, they’re going to have to work hard to listen.
Nobody works hard to listen.

One of the things I love to do is speak to a room full of people. I really enjoy it. Assuming I’m speaking about something I actually know about. :) So I talked with Dr. Ric Morgan, professional speaker who has over 35 years of experience speaking about how to be a professional speaker for a living.

Hey, this guy got paid $30k for an hour once. $30k!!!!!! He talks about that in the podcast below.

He gives us stories about how he got started speaking, and how you can too. He also offers very helpful and smart tips that you can use in your speaking presentations to make them better. This was a great interview and I really learned a lot from Dr. Ric. You will too. Enjoy.

Here are the show notes.

I wear yellow and black as “my” corporate colors
How do I get my first gig speaking today? Placed an ad in the paper. Who am I and why I can speak. Call me.
Join the national speakers association, don’t need an agent.
Get involved with Toastmasters.
Do you have to be dynamic to be a good speaker?
Never start with a joke, put it in the middle. Start with a line to get attention. Startling!
You’re the actor, writer, producer, director. Be prepared.
Over time you begin to gather material.
Take core messages and adjust it to a theme. Example: “Diving Into the Future”
How much can I expect to get paid?
Got paid 30k once for an hour.
Talk about 3 things. More than 3 things overwhelms the audience.
Speaking is a business. Run it like one.
Incorporate the expenses into the speaking fee before giving rate.
Get paid before you even leave for the event. No checks. Paypal payments are great.
Emergency speaking services. I’ll come last-minute to speak for you.
Never speak anywhere for free without a contract! It opens up legal issues.
What if it rains? Do I still get paid? Contract!
Can do smaller group meetings, many in one day.

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in the past was pricing myself and my services too low. Whether that was for a consulting or speaking gig, I’ve always found that I get more gigs when I price higher. The video below talks all about my experiences in pricing myself and my services.

Just remember that perception equals reality. When you send in low prices, the perception is that “he/she might not be worth it” or, “they’re prices are low, so what I’m going to get in return is going to be junk/cheap.” That’s bad for you. Never, ever, price yourself too low!

What’s your experience with pricing? Got any stories to share? Leave a comment or do a video and send me hte sharing site link and I’ll embed it here!

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Pretty funny stuff in this video below. As I get ready to emcee the Affiliate Summit in Vegas this Feb, I thought this video to be appropriate. Found at Pimpmywork.com.

I’ve done a bunch of presentations in the past few years in front of hundreds of people, and I can tell you, mine are always well received. Why? Because I make my presentations light on the PowerPoint, and heavy on me talking to the audience and giving good information.

Watch this video, and you can see the humor and examples as things you should not do when presenting.

Want to be asked to speak at industry events? It’s pretty simple, you just have to first figure out how to get your chance to speak… then most importantly…

You have to figure out how to not suck.

I have spoken at many industry events over the past 5-years or so, and I can tell you that the MAIN reason I get asked back is because I…

A. Don’t sales pitch
B. Don’t read a PowerPoint
C. Provide actionable, helpful tips and tricks and knowledge you can take back to your office and use right away

That’s my formula, and it works. Which is why I keep getting asked to speak more and more.

Why bring this up? Well, my friend Stephanie sent me over a link from Brent Tabke of Pubcon that lays out the rules of not sucking while speaking at events. This is a must read if you ever want to be asked to speak at an event.

You may especially enjoy, as I did, the “how to speak with a hangover” tips at the end of the piece. Good, true stuff.

I gotta tell you, I’m a bit weepy after watching his last show today. Why? Well, I’m a sucker for sappy music and slow-motion montages, plus, you know, ZE is THAT good. It sucks this run is over.

You can watch ZE’s first show one year ago here. My only solace is that I can be sure of meeting ZE in person and seeing him speak at the Affiliate Summit this summer in Miami. Bring it ZE, I know you will.

Thanks for the content and follow through, you have no idea how much what you have done has inspired me, on multiple levels.

Oh yeah, Happy St. Patrick’s day to everyone.

Ok, not “with” Robert Scoble on stage at the same time, but “with” him at the event as a speaker. I’ve accepted a speaking gig at the PayPerPost “Postiecon” on June 1 & 2nd, 2007 in Orlando, Florida.

DID KUKRAL REALLY JUST SAY WHAT I THINK HE SAID?

Yes, I did, and let me tell you why. For those of you who don’t read me here or at ReveNews, you wouldn’t know that I was probably one of the biggest PayPerPost bashers from day one. So those who know my history with PPP, are probably wondering what kind of drugs I must be taking.

The answer is, none, college was over in the early 90’s. Yes, I used to despise PayPerPost, but it was always because of one clear reason, which was the lack of required, clear disclosure that allowed for deception. It was never about anything besides that.

What they are now, and what they used to be are two different things, and I’m on record as saying I think they’re “on the right track”. They are.

So Why Accept A Speaking Gig From PayPerPost?

Let’s make this clear. I’m speaking at their event, just like Robert Scoble is (who took a lot of heat for it without merit). My invitation to speak does not mean I fully endorse their product, but rather, it means that I think I can help a lot of bloggers learn how to monetize their blogs, and build trust with their readers and build long-term, solid brands for themselves.

The bottom line is that I’m in the “helping bloggers succeed” business, and have been for years and years, way before many even were thinking about bloggers being able to make money.

Side Note: I still remember getting hate mail from people back in 2003-ish when I used to sell my ebook “BlogstoRiches“. They used to email me and say things like “Blogging is pure, you can’t make money with them” or “You’re a scumbag for trying to fool bloggers into thinking they can monetize. FU Kukral.”.

I’m Speaking To Try & Help Bloggers Succeed

My session is entitled ‘The Secrets To Long-Term Blog Success & Profitability’. It will nothing to do with how bloggers can write paid content to make money, and everything to do with how to use your blog to build success and trust long-term, whether that’s for direct profit or for your personal brand, etc…

I hope you can attend the event (which is only about $199), and if so I look forward to meeting you in person.

If you’re an event coordinator that’s looking for a dynamic, informative and well-prepared speaker, please give me a ring and let’s chat about having me at your event. Call me direct at 216.272.4383. Looks like I will be speaking at the Blog Business World event this fall as well, it’s filling up fast!