• Speaking allows you to deliver your message to multiple potential prospects at once
  

  
  

• A well-constructed speech, seminar, or webinar can establish you as an expert in your field and increase your credibility with prospects
  

  
  

• Every speech has the potential to reach far beyond the original audience. If you deliver a compelling message, there is no telling how many times it will be repeated to others by your audience members.

Look for topics that are of particular interest to your target prospects. You can offer new approaches for solving especially troubling business problems. You can educate your prospects on compelling new technologies, or other concepts that will help them professionally or personally. You can discuss real-life case studies and share stories about how you (or your company) helped specific customers improve their businesses. Whatever topic you choose must relevant and important to your target audience.

How should you construct your speech?

Constructing an effective lead-generating speech requires walking a fine line. You want to provide your audience with truly valuable information. However, you also want to motivate them to contact you for additional information. As a result, you have to make sure you don't provide so much information that your audience can solve their problems all by themselves.

This is not a big issue if you are speaking to generate leads for a product, as the audience members will likely need to purchase the product to completely solve the problems you discuss. Where giving away too much information becomes a real issue is when you sell services. If you share all of your knowledge about how to solve specific problems, why will your audience members need to come back to you?

To avoid this undesirable outcome, follow these seven steps to constructing an effective lead-generating speech:

1. Open with an "attention grabber". This can be a truly startling fact or an emotionally compelling story that relates to one or more of the key points that you will address in your speech.
   

   
   

2. Give the audience a brief outline of the key points you will be covering in your speech.
   

   
   

3. Describe the problem or problems your speech is intended to help your audience solve.
   

   
   

4. Describe the impact of each problem as graphically as you can. Engage your audience’s emotions by asking them to describe how a problem has affected them personally or professionally. Another alternative is for you to tell compelling, real-life “problem impact” stories that describe how (current and past) customers were affected by specific problems.
   

   
   

5. Relieve the tension you have built up in the audience by letting them know the problems can be solved. However, DON'T tell them EVERYTHING they need to know to solve them! Provide a brief outline of the solution. That way th
   Realtor's Guide to Lead Management
   You’ve done your homework, invested in software, worked hard and now you have what you were after…leads—and plenty of them. But now what? You are so busy showing properties, getting feedback, and going to closings. And as your day-to-day tasks as a realtor begin to overwhelm you, your leads just sit in your database. You try to make contact with the prospects here and there but nothing is done with consistency. You even spend money on marketing postcards, but there really isn’t much of a response. You feel hopeless.Don’t worry, you are not alone. Did you know it takes on average 7 contacts with a prospect before you make a sale? A lot of realtors never achieve that number. Why? To put it simply—lack of time.There are two ways to solve the problem of a nonexistent lead management system. One—come up with a detailed plan of contact or two—enlist a real estate virtual assistant to manage your database for you.If you go for the first option, you have to be specific
   l be repeated to others by your audience members.
What should you speak about?

Look for topics that are of particular interest to your target prospects. You can offer new approaches for solving especially troubling business problems. You can educate your prospects on compelling new technologies, or other concepts that will help them professionally or personally. You can discuss real-life case studies and share stories about how you (or your company) helped specific customers improve their businesses. Whatever topic you choose must relevant and important to your target audience.

How should you construct your speech?

Constructing an effective lead-generating speech requires walking a fine line. You want to provide your audience with truly valuable information. However, you also want to motivate them to contact you for additional information. As a result, you have to make sure you don't provide so much information that your audience can solve their problems all by themselves.

This is not a big issue if you are speaking to generate leads for a product, as the audience members will likely need to purchase the product to completely solve the problems you discuss. Where giving away too much information becomes a real issue is when you sell services. If you share all of your knowledge about how to solve specific problems, why will your audience members need to come back to you?

To avoid this undesirable outcome, follow these seven steps to constructing an effective lead-generating speech:

1. Open with an "attention grabber". This can be a truly startling fact or an emotionally compelling story that relates to one or more of the key points that you will address in your speech.
   

   
   

2. Give the audience a brief outline of the key points you will be covering in your speech.
   

   
   

3. Describe the problem or problems your speech is intended to help your audience solve.
   

   
   

4. Describe the impact of each problem as graphically as you can. Engage your audience’s emotions by asking them to describe how a problem has affected them personally or professionally. Another alternative is for you to tell compelling, real-life “problem impact” stories that describe how (current and past) customers were affected by specific problems.
   

   
   

5. Relieve the tension you have built up in the audience by letting them know the problems can be solved. However, DON'T tell them EVERYTHING they need to know to solve them! Provide a brief outline of the solution. That way t
   Great Business ... Pity About the Boss
   Many small business owners and managers will often say their personal assistant is invaluable to them yet they often treat them as if they're not.Day after day, week after week the P.A. is in the office, slogging away making sure the work gets done. In many instances it is the P.A. that holds the business / department together.Many of them are so conscientious they won't take time out and will stay at their desk until the work is done. Not only are they integral to the running of any business, their income and the way they are treated may not always reflect the importance of their role.JENNY'S STORYJenny worked for her current employer for three years and thoroughly enjoyed her role as Personal Assistant to the General Manager. They had a great working relationship.If she required the occasional afternoon or morning off to deal with personal matters, all she had to do was ask. Her boss praised her regularly for her contribution and rewarded her ... sometim
   n effective lead-generating speech requires walking a fine line. You want to provide your audience with truly valuable information. However, you also want to motivate them to contact you for additional information. As a result, you have to make sure you don't provide so much information that your audience can solve their problems all by themselves.

   This is not a big issue if you are speaking to generate leads for a product, as the audience members will likely need to purchase the product to completely solve the problems you discuss. Where giving away too much information becomes a real issue is when you sell services. If you share all of your knowledge about how to solve specific problems, why will your audience members need to come back to you?

   To avoid this undesirable outcome, follow these seven steps to constructing an effective lead-generating speech:

   1. Open with an "attention grabber". This can be a truly startling fact or an emotionally compelling story that relates to one or more of the key points that you will address in your speech.
      

      
      

   2. Give the audience a brief outline of the key points you will be covering in your speech.
      

      
      

   3. Describe the problem or problems your speech is intended to help your audience solve.
      

      
      

   4. Describe the impact of each problem as graphically as you can. Engage your audience’s emotions by asking them to describe how a problem has affected them personally or professionally. Another alternative is for you to tell compelling, real-life “problem impact” stories that describe how (current and past) customers were affected by specific problems.
      

      
      

   5. Relieve the tension you have built up in the audience by letting them know the problems can be solved. However, DON'T tell them EVERYTHING they need to know to solve them! Provide a brief outline of the solution. That way t
      Involving Your Prospect In The Sale
      The more you engage someone's five senses, involve them mentally and physically, and create the right atmosphere for persuasion, the more effective and persuasive you'll be. Listening can be a very passive act; you can listen to an entire speech and not feel or do a thing. As a persuader, you need to help your audience be one step closer to taking action. As a Master Persuader, your goal is to decrease the distance someone has to go to reach your objective.When you get a prospect to start something, it is most likely they will follow through and complete your desired outcome. The more involved they become, the less psychological distance between the start and the finish. The desired outcome becomes more and more realistic instead of just an idea you are proposing. If you put on your shoes to go to the store, you are more likely to continue in that direction. If you sit down and turn on the TV, your goal of going to the store is more unlikely to be reached.There are many ways to
      f your knowledge about how to solve specific problems, why will your audience members need to come back to you?

      To avoid this undesirable outcome, follow these seven steps to constructing an effective lead-generating speech:

      1. Open with an "attention grabber". This can be a truly startling fact or an emotionally compelling story that relates to one or more of the key points that you will address in your speech.
         

         
         

      2. Give the audience a brief outline of the key points you will be covering in your speech.
         

         
         

      3. Describe the problem or problems your speech is intended to help your audience solve.
         

         
         

      4. Describe the impact of each problem as graphically as you can. Engage your audience’s emotions by asking them to describe how a problem has affected them personally or professionally. Another alternative is for you to tell compelling, real-life “problem impact” stories that describe how (current and past) customers were affected by specific problems.
         

         
         

      5. Relieve the tension you have built up in the audience by letting them know the problems can be solved. However, DON'T tell them EVERYTHING they need to know to solve them! Provide a brief outline of the solution. That way t
         Holiday Season Sales Or Slump? Use The Holidays To Market and Sell
         During the holiday season, you're busy buying gifts, attending celebrations and doing the hundred and one things that make the season so frantic.But what about your business? You can get a real business hangover after the holidays if you forget that you've got a business to run.You'll want to relax and take a few days off, but don't drop the ball completely. Holidays or not, the bills will keep coming in, and you've got to keep moving and keep your business humming.If you're tempted to slacken off, tell yourself that your competitors are almost certainly not guzzling champagne or lounging on the beach in Tahiti, they're working harder than ever.Here's how to keep sales steaming along during the holiday season:* Send greeting cards to customers: all your customers. Your customers are your personal gold mine. Say thanks. Offer them a special holiday deal;* Use holiday season parties to network. Keep a stash of business cards in your pocket;* If
         dience solve.
         

         
         

      6. Describe the impact of each problem as graphically as you can. Engage your audience’s emotions by asking them to describe how a problem has affected them personally or professionally. Another alternative is for you to tell compelling, real-life “problem impact” stories that describe how (current and past) customers were affected by specific problems.
         

         
         

      7. Relieve the tension you have built up in the audience by letting them know the problems can be solved. However, DON'T tell them EVERYTHING they need to know to solve them! Provide a brief outline of the solution. That way the audience will need to come to you for more details.
         

         
         

      8. Use glowing word pictures to help the audience visualize how wonderful their lives will be when the problems have been eliminated.
         

         
         

      9. Close by revisiting the key points from your presentation and giving the audience a "call to action".
      IMPORTANT NOTE: Be very careful about selling from the stage. Audiences become disenchanted very quickly if they feel a speech is nothing more than a thinly disguised sales pitch. You must deliver truly valuable insights and information to your audiences to reward them for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend your speeches.

      What "call to action" should you deliver at the end of your speech?

      It is perfectly appropriate to include a gentle "call to action" at the end of your speech. Consider closing with a statement such as:

      "If you would like to explore the possibility of applying the concepts that were discussed during today's presentation in your company, please give me your business card before you leave."

      Here are some other effective calls to action:

      • Include a "please contact me" checkbox on a presentation evaluation form that you give to each audience member.
        
        
      • Give them a form they can use to request a free special report and/or subscribe to a free newsletter.
        
        
      • Invite the audience to visit your company's website to download a free special report and/or subscribe to a free newsletter. NOTE: Make sure you require them to provide their name and e-mail address in order to receive the free value-added information!
      How should you prepare for your speech?

      Preparing for seminars and speeches is a lot of work. Here are some of the key steps:

      • Prepare your presentation materials, write scripts, and practice them to the point where you can deliver your presentation smoothly and convincingly without having to rely on your notes too much. If you don't have much speaking experience, you may want to join a local Toastmasters chapter. They do a good job of teaching platform and presentation skills.
        

        
        

      • Secure a facility for your speech and make arrangements for any necessary audio/visual equipment.
        
        
      • If you are going to serve refreshments, make arrangements for the refreshments.
        
        
      • Develop and implement a plan for attracting an audience. This might include sending direct mail or e-mails, making phone calls, and contacting trade, professional and social associations and organizations.
      What can