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Social Media- you mean when reporters go for drinks?

Honestly, who doesn’t get a little befuddled understanding what social networking is and what it’s good for.  Facebook, Twitter and the array of social bookmarking sites (Digg, Stumbleupon, Kirsty, Fark) all essentially do the same thing.  They connect people of like mind or interest. It’s the unique path each puts takes to reach the gal that makes most of them worth exploring a little bit.

For that reason, and the fact I’m pretty skeptical yet curious about this new way of being, I’m writing a series of overviews of Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .   The pile of information and opinions is getting deep, so I’ll do my best to steer you towards resources and thought leaders who offer practical, proven advice.

Just so you know, I’ve been experimenting with all three.  Facebook and LinkedIn are primarily my mediation business profiles which allow me to network with mediators across the nation and the world.  I’ll admit I haven’t taken either for much of a spin, although I have tried using Facebook’s event feature.  I can see that being very handy.   By the way, of the two, LinkedIn is much more business-like than Facebook first appears.   It’s a good place to start if you want a certain level of familiarity.

I’m on Twitter, too.  I tweet for my marriage blog there because the audience is so much wider and mainstream.  You can follow me at www.twitter.com/CuriousDina  It’s amazing to me how much thinking can go into talking in only 140 characters (or not…)

What’s the up side of it?

The jury is still out for me on these types of networking.  Initially, I thought Facebook was for teenagers and Twitter was for…well, twits, with nothing better to do than announce their existence.   Then I was struck by what a ginormous time sink corresponding via those tools could be.   I’m was convinced that people with thousands of tweet updates have been brainwashed until  I dug deeper into the strategic uses of social networking.

Now, I’m curious again.  People are accomplishing amazing things through their networks and exposure.  Anyone can make their own ‘15 minutes of fame’ if they know how to capture the attention and favor of that massive audience.  I offer you Peter Shankman as living proof.  Peter parlayed his Facebook group into thousands of subscribers (well over 25K now) and robust sponsorship for www.helpareporterout.com, a site that connects reporters with sources.

(Hint: get on the list and watch for stories in your niche where you can offer a unique perspective.)

Learning more: Social Media in Plain English

To get us off to a good start, here’s a video by Commoncraft that explains it all.

If the video is broken, you can also see the video at http://www.commoncraft.com/socialmedia The video is a little basic but it does explain the way social media works.  My question to you:

What flavor will you make?

Coming in the next posts: LinkedIn, Twitter, Stumbleupon, TBD

I’m a big believer in the power of our own dreams.  If you read Mensch at all you know that already.  Being passionate about your work, the people, the future can’t be underestimated, I think.  Believing has gotten me through some pretty hairy moments when people thought I was crazy, a maverick or both.  And what I believe most is that all the answers you, or I, need are already waiting for us.  We just have to find them.

Where are Our Role Models?

One of the best places to look are in case studies.  Case studies are shining examples of success where the business owner has an ‘a ha’ moment and prevails against the odds to make business strides.  I find that reading studies sparks my imagination and creativity.  It’s also pretty reassuring to know I’m not the only person struggling to reach my market, or develop goals, or create breakthrough thinking.  I highly recommend that you start looking for businesses that can help you grow by example.

For example, I read at least three business magazines ( Entrepreneur, Inc and Fortune Small Business) regularly because they are a wealth of good examples I can use.  To be clear, aside from me a few times, most of these periodicals don’t feature mediation or alternative dispute resolution professionals.  However, that’s fine.  They are filled with other service-oriented businesses.  Why re-invent the wheel when I can get the updated version someone else perfected?   This  this type of research  helped me deal with one of the most typical new mediator problems- more time than clients, otherwise known as excess capacity.

New mediators have a ton of ‘excess capacity’.  What could you do with it? Well,  I learned that Wachussetts ski area began night skiing as a way to increase their revenues by using excess capacity (mountain available but no skiers). A  bell rang in my head.  Why couldn’t mediators gain exposure and experience with their excess capacity?  Sure, a ski resort is vastly different than a mediation practice, but the bottom line is that there are lessons to learn if you look for them.

Be a Role Model

So, I’m inviting you, dear reader, to share any mediation practice case studies you might have- good or not so good.  I believe a large part of what keeps mediators from running a successful business is that fact we lack good examples to emulate.  Maybe, that’s because we think we have to keep everything private.

News flash- what happens in mediation is private.  Running an ADR business is not confidential.  Let’s start sharing what we know so we can all succeed.  OK?

The Internet is a wonderful thing…when it works.   Early on, finding anything I wanted on the internet seemed like a miracle.   Curious about blogs.  Search blogs and up pops articles and tools about blogging.  Curious about how mediation is used by corporations?  Blam….there it is.  Having more  information than would normally be available in a convenient way-right at my fingertips- was very exhilarating.  I bet you felt the same way. Now, as the internet has evolved, things have changed.  And, that’s the understatement.  It kinda feels like a dirty trick.  Just when I get the hang of search I discover so much information- broad, narrow, useful and superfluous- that it’s overwhelming. I’m managing to keep the lid on information overload and find the very best bits of marketing news, advice and tools.  Of course, you’re the first person I thought of telling.  Mediators need tech tools! Solo practitioner- if you’re not using online tools to help increase productivity, market more effective and how some fun, you’re working way too hard. Really. Here are a couple to lifesavers I came across recently that can help you spend less time working to attract clients and more time mediating.

1. YouTube Ok, this may seem like an odd choice but YouTube is my on-call tech coach.  There are thousands of video tutorials on just about every major internet tool (twitter, google analytics, wordpress) and topic.  All free.  Of course, some ‘teachers’ are better than others, but once you find somone who you like, you’ve got your own tech coach free.  Niche marketing, which is key for mediators, is all about metrics and deeply understanding your market via metrics like Google Analytics.  I hate tracking metrics but I can’t argue with insights that actually boost my bottom line. (PS Also, all the videos are like samples of the best and worse for video production.  Study Youtube to learn how to develop your own video and what to avoid.)
2. SEOmoz This Internet Marketing Handbook is the proverbial 800 pound gorilla.  This book-actually a web page- rules because it is filled with tools and learning guides to master online marketing.  You probably know that your website should be keyword rich yet may be wondering where to find the right keywords.  SEOmoz has literally dozens of keyword tools to test the right ones.  Soolve looked interesting; I’ll have to try it.
3. FindYourSpot You might consider this one strictly for fun, however, don’t underestimate what you can learn here.  FYS can help you select the perfect place to relocate.  It offers stats and user reviews of different communities.  Search your town or nearby communities to see if the demographics and group characteristics  are compatible with your practice niche and marketing efforts.  Then, take a break and pick that spot to spend your golden years relaxing!

A great big thanks to Copyblogger for reminding me to share what I find by linking to others.  Speaking of which, if you missed the Conflict Resolution Day celebration you’re in luck.  A brief summary is available at www.adrpracticebuilder.com/heather.html

We’re kicking off the the holiday season with International Conflict Resolution Day!  What is it? The Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) Board of Directors adopted a resolution designating the third Thursday in October annually as Conflict Resolution Day in order to increase public awareness about conflict resolution and its many benefits. As part of this recognition effort, ACR has coordinates its efforts with other conflict resolution organizations and reaches out to local, state and international groups to build interest in holding local celebrations in conjunction with Conflict Resolution Day To celebrate,  we’re hosting a free teleseminar.  Details below:

With more than 50% of our population online and using that information to make important decisions, as a mediator you must have a web presence.

Come learn more about mini-websites and how they can boost your practice with graphic designer, Heather Colman of Custom Design Graphics. Discover what they are and why adding audio or video can be essential for attracting clients.

<ul>DATE: OCT 16, 2008

TIME: 12:30 p.m. EST 60 minutes

Dial in number: 1 218 339-2626 code 638938# (Call in early, space is limited)</ul>

The teleseminar is free although long distance phone charge will apply

Sponsored by ADRPracticebuilder.com

Questions? Send me a note- Dina AT ADRPracticebuilder.com</ul>

Hope to see you there!!

PS Today is Blog Action Day.  While I just learned about this (I haven’t been poking around the blogosphere enough lately), I think it’s a wonderful idea for bloggers to focus on aleviating poverty where possible.    If you blog, I hope you’ll join in!

There’s an old sales adage that say good salesmen get excited when they make the first sale, but great salesmen work for the third one.

Ok, I hear you saying, "but I’m a mediator not a salesperson."  Ah, wrong.  Before you can rid the world of faulty communication you first have to convince someone to try collaboration in general, and mediation, in particular.   As as they say in corporate America, you gotta get buy-in.  That’s making a sale.

Where most small business people fail, especially mediators and ADR types, is that we assume the first sale will lead to other sales.  You know, we assume that if we do a good job on the first gig, the client will, of course, think of us for other conflict needs they have in the future.

Not necessarily so, my friends.  We’ve all probably experienced a time or two when the gig went great but there wasn’t more work that followed .  I know I have.  When I realized what was wrong I began to ’seed my future’ with clients.

Growing Your Engagements

Seeding your future is simply a way of asking the prospective client to imagine the work you could do together.  Not just the first gig, but the third and beyond.  For example…

Imagine a prospective client asks you to design a training agenda and deliver the session.  After you determine you want this gig and it fits into your overall strategy, you could suggest any of the items below as ‘follow on’ work:

1. Developing a checklist for trainees about diagnosing conflict
2. Write an article for their newsletter or intranet
3. Design a series of teleseminars on a similar topic
4. Coaching for those trainees who want or need individual attention
5. Establish an ongoing partnership to train, coach or do mediations

You don’t want to overwhelm your client so don’t mention all these initiatives at once.  Simply plant the seed that after this work there’s an opportunity to maximize their investment and support the transfer of knowledge by continuing to work with you.

Clients Don’t Know Your Range

Because the truth of the matter is that the client is not thinking that far ahead.  They are most interested in addressing the immediate issue, whether that’s a training or a live dispute.  You need to set the expectation in a friendly way that your relationship can be ongoing ( so long as everyone, including you, is satisfied) and that you have a vision for doing the work.     Seeding works.  It’s helped me extend many a contract.

Also, it helps your client understand the range of conflict work that you’re capable of performing.  If you enter the relationship as a mediator, the client doesn’t know you can also conflict coach or train if you don’t tell them explicitly.  (No, they did not fully read your materals or website)  You have to be proactive.

Try seeding and let me know how it works for you. Already my mentees are saying they like this tactic because it relieves the pressure to ask for more work.

SNEAK PREVIEW: CONFLICT RESOLUTION DAY

As you know October 16th we celebrate conflict resolution.   To add to the party, I’m hosting a free teleseminar that day entitled:  A Mini-website: Mediation Marketing Secret Weapon.  You’ve heard me rant how important it is to have a web presence.  Attend and hear Healther Coleman of Custom Design Graphics share her insights about what it is and why it works so well.  And, hey, if you have questions, send them to me   See you then.

Mediator have a plethora of good qualities- thoughtful, supportive, openess- just to mention a few.  Two of my favorite attributes are probably not what you’d expect.   I love that mediators are patient and unstressed by ambiguity.

The Craft of Silence

It’s been my blessing and honor to co-mediate with some of the very best mediators as an early mediator and over the years.   They were masters at applying silence to mediation. I won’t name names (suppose I forgot someone?), but I will say these men and women were like silence ninjas- swift, powerful and sure.   I learned how  to hold my tongue yet be present in a mindful way.   Not easy to do.  Anyway, I tend to pay attention to  when silence is having an impact  on conversation.

What’s Hard to Say

That’s why what happened with a recent coaching client struck me.  She’d found a whole new way to use silence as a tool to avoid marketing.  Marvis had a bad case of  what I call Marketers Flu- when time rolls around for attracting new clients she gets dizzy and a bit nauseous. Lots of follow up calls she should be making but isn’t.   She’s avoiding it all. You know the drill.

As our talk continued,  it became very clear that Marvis had silenced herself .  She decided to wait longer before following up with her new contacts she networked so hard to get.  Waiting before reaching out to share information or tips with past clients so she could reconnect.  Why?  She didn’t want to be a nudge, or a pesk. Marvis doesn’t want others to see her as a bother, so she waits.  Does that sound like you?

Marvis thought that if she called or emailed a new contact or a current prospect once or twice that was more than enough until they reciprocated.  When she didn’t hear back she immediately assumed that the other person perceived her as a pesk.  Sheesh, no wonder Marvis wasn’t feeling all that confident.  She’d talked herself into believing she was a bug to get rid of instead of someone who has the means to help someone.

Your Voice is Very Necessary

Truth is, prospective clients, any clients really, are occupied with their own stuff.  Really.  They aren’t wishing you’d fall in a hole and stop emailing.  They are stamping out fire drills and slogging through their inbox.  In short, they’re busy.  Here’s the great thing about that.  So, are you- busy, that is.   You struggle to return calls, to keep up, and so do they.  You can empathize with that and help.

Marvis and I talked about how she really isn’t different from her prospects.  She’s busy and wants to follow up with people, but doesn’t have the time.  Marvis realized that people aren’t wishing her ill because she doesn’t feel that way about the people who contact her.  She can stay in touch with clients and when it’s too much they’ll tell her.  You see, she’d never had anyone say she was bothering them.  Quite the opposite, clients often thanked her for reaching them.    Telling lesson, huh?

Are You Silencing Yourself?

Here are the questions I asked Marvis.  See if you’ve been silencing yourself, too.

1. Are other people busy?
2. Are you busy?
3. When someone calls (emails) you, do you generally call/email back?
4. Are there times when sometimes you’re too busy to do it right away?
5. If you don’t call or email are you sending that person a negative message like quit bugging me?
6. Are you thinking bad thoughts about that person for calling/emailing?
7. Would you like it if that person called/emailed you again?

Of course, you would.  Because the reason you haven’t returned the call isn’t because they are evil people who bug you.  It’s because you’re busy and can’t find the time.  What a relief that is.  People aren’t judging.  You have to continue because they would like to hear from you.  Never mind your inner voice.

Following Up is NOT Stalking.

So, the next time you decide to wait a few more days before following up, remember: that person WANTS to hear from you and probably can’t find the time to do it.  Call today.  Why– because following up is not stalking.  If this resonated with you, I’d like to read your thoughts in the comments.

Going to Austin?

I love line dancing almost as much as mediation.  I’m thrilled to be in Austin for the ACR conference, which is the same time as the Austin Music Festival.  Cool, huh?  So, if you’re there, too, get in touch!

I’ll present "The 7 Fatal Money Lies that Kill Your Potential" at the Consumer Lunch meeting at 12:30 on Friday.  Everyone is welcome.  Otherwise, I’ll be around at the Consumer Tableready  to talk about mediation marketing.  Find me.

I have a checkered past.  And, I’m damned proud of it.  I’ve held just about every positon there is within the mediation field, except being an Executive Director. Honestly - Mediator. Trainer. Case Evaluator. Program organizer. You name it, I’ve done it all.

All those terrific and not so terrific experiences helped me understand what I’d be most happy doing as a mediator.  Oddly enough, I’m happiest when I’m not mediating at all.  My talents spring to life when I’m  guiding other mediators to create the practices (and incomes) they dream of.  The tools I once used to help parties gain clarity and insight, I now apply to mediators.  It’s just as satisfying, maybe more because in some way it feels like I’m spreading peace by showing other mediators how to thrive.  Mediating isn’t the only way to be part of the profession or to serve a needy  community.  I plan to expand on this thought tomorrow as the moderator for the New England chapter of ACR annual meeting.

NE-ACR Annual Meeting

You are a member of ACR, right?  Now is the time to join your local chapter, if you haven’t already for a couple of important reasons.

One, Conferences.  It’s conference season- meaning that many regional chapters are hosting their annual meeting or planning for a conference. it’s lonely out there.  You need a connection to others who share your passion and challenges.  There’s very little point (and absolutely no sense) in recreating the wheel.  Someone else in your chapter or your section has already solved your obstacle and all you need do is ask.  Each ACR meeting and conference I attend  confirms to me just how powerful and valuable organizations can be to a solo practitioner.   There are 22 regional chapters- some almost as fine as the NE chapter -of like-minded, talented folks that you really should know.

Second, Resources. ACR provides practical resources you aren’t like to find other places.  Where else will you find the latest ADR research and theory?  Advanced trainings?  Best practices for your practice?  Sure you could google it but why would you want to spend the time searching when you could go straight to the source, so to speak?  Clearly, I’m a NE-ACR fan.

Unbundle Your Skills

Getting back on topic, tomorrow I’ll have the pleasure of talking with three trailblazing practitioners who unbundled those precious mediation skills and put them to work in interesting ways.  This will NOT be your typical ‘talking head’ panel discussion, folks.  We’ll be taking questions right from the start so we have a lively, engaging conversation.

Doug Thompson, a senior mediator at the Keystone Center, has some keen ideas on how public policy disputes benefit from having a person skilled in mediation around.  Jim McGuire with JAMS will discuss how mediation techiques improve conflict coaching.  Toni Robinson, one of the Ombuds at MIT, will certainly share her unique viewpoint on why mediation is a good foundation for an Ombudsman.

Me. I hope to push folks out of their comfort zone altogether.  My mediation skills have been indispensable for attracting and closing new business, both as a practitioner and now as a business coach.  I translate current business theory and tactics into something usable for today’s mediators.  I do that by testing assumptions and unraveling misconceptions about business and mediators.  Sound familiar?

I hope to see you at tomorrow’s meeting if you’re in New England.  You can still register If not, I’ll be in Austin so catch up with me there.

BTW, if you’re looking for success-minded mediators who want to market easier, attract more clients and create the lifestyles they dream of, check us out

Let’s assume you have a website or blog.  If you don’t already have one, you’re missing out on a tremendous opportunity to inform, influence and educate your market.  And, frankly, with the plethora of site building tools and companies you really have no excuse.  You’ve got to have a web presence in this digital marketplace.

End of rant.

What Do Visitors Think of Your Site?

The question on every site owners mind should be: what do visitors think of my site?   You want visitors to find your site irresistible, or sticky in web terms.  That means they visit often, read numerous pages and interact with you via comments or surveys before leaving.  The more they interact, the more traffic you can convert from merely visitors to potential clients and buyers of your information products.

How Do I Know What Visitors Think?

This simple question has a simple answer.  Ask them.  One way to do that indirectly is to set up and closely monitor your Google Analytics statistics.  Google, in its infinite web wisdom, offers this free tool that enables you to know some very cool stuff like:

• how many people visit your site each day, week, month
• how many of those visitors are new or returning (you definitely want returning)
• their location in America or other countries
• how long they stay on your site
• the number of pages they read
• the percentage of visitors who left immediately

This last statistic, called the bounce rate, is fairly important, and is a good stat to monitor over time. The bounce rate is an informal way to telling how well your content meets the visitor’s expectations.

For example, if you say your website is about family mediation and most of the content focuses on parent child mediation then someone who wanted divorce mediation may not initially find your site helpful and will click away, thus increasing your bounce rate.  There aren’t any magic numbers, but it’s good to have a rate around 50%, meaning that half the visitors have their expectations met.  You can influence, and hopefully, improve your bounce rate by adding more keywords, making your titles more precise if you write a blog and monitoring which pages/blog posts are most popular via Google analytics.

Figuring Out SEO and Google

SEO- search engine optimization- is like electricity to me.  I know really don’t know how it works, I only know that when I turn the right switch it does.  You need to know the basics of SEO and how to use Google analytics and not much more when you’re first starting out.  Here are the resources I recommend:

SEO Book by Aaron Wall, one the the most widely recognized experts on SEO.  The book has a lot of good content that can feel intimidating or overwhelming.  Go slow.  Implementing even the most basic changes like adding keywords to your meta description of your site will begin to make a difference in your stickiness.

Surprisingly, YouTube is a veritable feast of Google Analytic tutorials .  I went there to learn how to set up my GA and interpret the results.  It’s wonderful if you’re a visual learner like I am.  I tend to watch the ones with the highest ratings and views figuring- everybody can’t be wrong.

A More Direct Approach

There’s a more direct way to ask visitors about their impressions of using your site that I discovered recently.  It’s called www.userttesting.com Now, I’m not an affiliate of this site, but if they had a program I’d join immediately because it’s simply that powerful. (That’s a  hint guys)  It works like this.

You register for free then set a request for someone in their ‘reviewer pool’ to look at your site.  You can designate specific factors like age, gender, familiarity with the internet.  All good stuff.  I was doubtful that they’d have a mediator reviewer.  Lo and behold, they had one and she gave me the insider poop ADRPracticebuilder.com

Wow, I was blown away by her insights.  Things I didn’t consider that important, like my bio, were critical to her.    Content, I thought was clear and understandable like the benefits of joining, needed more specifics from a buyers perspective.  Her insights were excellent and I’ve implemented every one, including making the font size larger.   I would’ve paid a lot more than the $19.95 I did to get this high level of market research data.  Run to this site today.

And, hey, share your insights here so everyone can benefit.

You’ve selected your ideal market group and delivered a fascinating 20 minute talk that kept the audience engaged and asking questions for another 30 minutes. You’re thrilled and so is the organizer, who looks golden because of all your preparation. It’s definitely time to pat yourself on the back for a job well done, but don’t forget to ask an important question: what next?

Where do I go from here?

I find that new mediator/marketers tend to struggle with this question. You might feel the same way. You experience the thrill of getting that first contact, job, speaking engagement with a new company but then wonder how to keep this fledgling relationship going.

You might feel that doing a good job will naturally lead to new opportunities, but don’t be so sure. Remember, while you’re focused on this work, the group or person you’re working with has lots of other issues, tasks, people to deal with. Once the speaking engagement is done their attention will shift to other matters. Your goal is to suggest a few ‘next steps’ to keep the conversation going.

What to Suggest

A good sales person aims to make a sale. A great sales person plans for the third sale. You should be thinking similarly about your own interactions with new clients. Don’t be a one trick pony. Ask yourself:

What are the next three ways I can be helpful to this group?

Here are a few ideas that may work for you:

• Offer to present again to another segment of the group i.e. a different chapter, senior managers
• Develop longer program for their next meeting or annual conference
• Write a reference guide or short handbook that can be distributed to attendee and made available to others who weren’t in attendance
• Publish tips that can be included in their newsletter and include your contact info

The Power of Timing

Timing is important. You gotta strike while the iron is HOT. After a successful talk, you’ve got a some good things going for you.

You’re already a known quantity to the planner/organizer. She or he already knows that his audience appreciates or can benefit from your expertise. He or she gets the benefit of offering more great content/training to their group without having to do additional research to find a terrific speaker.

I like to hint at future collaborations early, during the final preparations stage, if I get a good vibe from the planner. Then, I follow up with a thank you, any promised materials and my easy and compelling good ideas afterwards. You can bolster those suggestions with the positive audience feedback you gathered after the talk- you did create a brief evaluation form, right?

Smart Marketing

Being thoughtful about leveraging all your marketing activities is smart. It’s time-efficient and les stressful for you to do something once, say create a custom talk, then use it in multiple ways for future consulting, conflict coaching, and products.

There are a few tried and true ways to get the word out about your mediation practice, and speaking is one of them. Ok, I know that public speaking ranks in the top five of universal fears, but please, people. Get over it.

The best way to do that is to start small with a hometown group. A few years ago I was looking for a new market to enter. So, I opened my eyes and looked around my world. Working in the corporate world, I noticed that administrative assistants faced a number of challenges and conflicts. You know, demanding bosses, unsympathetic co-workers, an uncontrollable workloads.

I reached out and did some research. As luck would have it (and a bit of preparation), the local trade association for administrative assistants was hosting their annual conference. They loved the idea of having a session on conflict management. It was a fun talk. The ladies were terrific, engaged. I loved their energy.

Fast forward a few years( yep, years), and I get an email asking if I’d like to talk to the group again. I mention this for a couple of reasons. It’s really felt like a crap shoot over the years trying to figure out what would work, in terms of gaining clients. I go all out and get a small result. I just throw something together and hit it big. You never know. Now, I try to have an overall marketing plan, and I still do the small stuff.

I can recommend the following approach to working with more niche groups:

1) Take the risk to approach a new group, even if you’re nervous. Helping others is what we do and, for me, there’s always an upside to learning about others. So, just do it. Look around your community for a group that could use a dose of conflict resolution, then offer it for free.

2) Don’t judge a group by it’s size. Great things come in small packages. Even though the group I spoke to was about 20 women, the opportunity to network with hundreds of assistants is real and valuable.

3) Look beyond now to the future. The opportunity might not seem big or like it will generate the a ton of cash– now. But you can grow a small chance into a big win. We’ll talk more about that in part 2. I’m convinced that for every small market there’s a way to serve them that works for you and your business.

So here’s the opportunity for a Massachusetts mediator-

The president of the Rte 128 Chapter of Administrative Assistants wants a mediator to talk to her group this fall. I have details. If you’re interested, shoot me a note with “I want to speak” in the subject line. I’m hoping to offer the president a slew of talented speakers by Friday. If this is your first time speaking, no worries. I’m happy to help you get ready. It’s the kind of thing I do with members all the time.

Next post, we’ll talk about how to turn any speaking engagement into a longer relationship and income stream.