Can You Make it As a Professional Speaker in 2011?
By · CommentsWe are living in unprecedented times. The economy is in turmoil. Corporate America is sitting on two trillion dollars in cash, ( 7.4 % of their total assets, the largest percentage since 1959) unsure of what to invest in or how to move forward without going broke. I’ve traveled around the world this year, reaching more than 50 million people in the media, and the feedback I’ve gotten from Miami to Sydney is the same: people are scared. They don’t know what the future holds or how to proceed. They’re afraid their kids won’t have as much opportunity as they have had. They need the kind of world-class motivation, inspiration and business expertise only professional speakers can provide. The world has never needed us as much as they do in 2011. Meanwhile, with corporations and associations cutting back on hiring professional speakers, many speakers who have been in the business for 10, 15, and even 20 years are going back to the job market and giving up on their speaking careers. If you think this is a bad thing, think again. This is the greatest opportunity that new and emerging speakers will ever have to break into this business. If you’ve been dreaming about becoming a professional speaker or moving to the next level as a speaker, this is your BIG chance. I speak (no pun intended) from experience. My big break came in the last major crisis in the speaking industry, which occurred after 9/11, when companies froze travel and canceled their conventions. Hundreds of speakers left the business, which was the break I needed to move in. You can do the same in 2011. Watch this video I shot on 7-mile beach in Jamaica, and I think you’ll understand. Steve Siebold
Who Motivates the Motivator?
By · CommentsEvery speaker I know has been asked this question. As trite as it sounds, I think it’s a very important question. As a personality speaker and thought leader, it’s critical that all of us ‘walk the talk’. That doesn’t make us perfect or impervious to lapses in motivation, but if you’re not one of the most pumped up people you’ve ever met the audience will sense it. Leading people and companies through problems requires mental toughness, and you must be your own greatest asset. Some of you may find this video a little on the tough-love side, but I think it’s hard to argue with the message. Watch and see what you think. I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold ( 2:48 )
Will Your Speaker’s Message Be Heard Around the World?
By · CommentsEvery successful speaker I know has a message they want to share with the world. It’s the reason most of us get into the business in the first place. The sad truth is less than 1% of professional speakers will ever reach a worldwide audience. Even with the reach of the internet, most speakers are saying the same thing in the same way and the message isn’t unique enough to gain a substantial international following. So the question is; how are you different? Are you a unique, one-off original, personality speaker or a commodity speaker regurgitating Think and Grow Rich and The Secret? What makes you different from the other 50,000 speakers attempting to break into the big time of the business? Watch this short video I filmed today in Sydney, Australia and I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold ( 2:08 )
How to Get Speeches for Network Marketing Companies
By · CommentsOne of the most exciting and profitable markets for professional public speakers is the Network Marketing industry. There are more than 30 million Networker’s worldwide, and 16 million of them are in the United States. These people are ambitious, energetic entrepreneurs pursuing their financial goals and dreams by representing world-class products and services. You won’t find any entitlement mentality in this crowd. These people are the real deal.
I’ve had the privilege of speaking to hundreds of thousands of Networker’s on stage all over the world for the last 13 years, and they are among my favorite audiences of all-time. If you haven’t had the honor of delivering a keynote speech at a national convention of 10,000 network marketers, you haven’t experienced the ultimate audience. It’s something to look forward to and set a goal to achieve. The problem is it’s very difficult to crack the code of the inner circle of leaders in this industry. They’re home-based and hard to find. This is why this video post could be the inside track to this lucrative industry. This video is a 5-minute interview with one of the most important people in the industry, Mr. George Madiou, founder of TheNetworkMarketingMagazine.com, an online industry resource that boasts 165,000 subscribers worldwide. George knows all the movers and shakers in the business, and I caught up with him recently at his ocean front home in Boca Raton, Florida. George not only delivers targeted advice in this interview for public speakers, he also made a special offer to any member of our Public Speakers Blog community you won’t believe! Watch this post and follow George’s advice to the letter. This may be one of the most profitable posts you’ve ever seen. Steve Siebold ( 5:35 )
Speaker’s Contrast Creates Excitement
By · CommentsBill Gove used to tell me over and over: “Always remember, kid: contrast creates excitement.” I’ve never heard any other professional speaker say this. Details like this is what made Bill Gove the master of the keynote speech. Watch this short video and I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold (2:25 )
Radio Star Advises Speakers
By · CommentsI had the opportunity to interview Atlanta radio personality Stone Payton at the Siebold Success Network, and he gave the audience of speakers some great advice. After doing radio interviews across the world for years, Stone is one of the best I’ve ever worked with. Most speakers have never had formal media training and even fewer know how to monetize the media. In this short video, Stone Payton offers speakers some tips to help you get started. Steve Siebold ( 1:45 )
Public Speakers Super-Agent Reveals Secrets
By · CommentsI just returned from the Siebold Success Network (SSN) in Atlanta, where I interviewed public speakers super-agent Bruce Serbin, the man who booked me on the Today Show, Good Morning America, ABC News, BBC in Europe, NBC Australia and dozens more. Not to mention tons of radio shows, newspaper and magazine interviews across the globe. I’ve worked with publicists in the past and interviewed dozens of them over the years, and Bruce Serbin is the best of the best. In this video I ask him the question every professional or aspiring professional speaker wants to know: how does he do it? Why don’t we see more professional speakers on TV? Why is it that other speaker publicists don’t seem to be able to deliver the same results? Watch this short video to learn how this award-winning master does it, and how you can do it, too. To see some of the TV shows Bruce has booked me on in the last few months, click on “Steve on TV” on the header of the blog. I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold (3:04 )
Radio Strategy for Speakers
By · CommentsThe best way to get booked on radio is to be a good interviewee. Once radio hosts and producers know you understand the game, they’re willing to book you on their show over and over. One of the most important things in doing radio interviews is knowing how long your answers should be and how to keep the flow of the interview going. Watch this short post I taped before a radio show I did on Wall Street at Jim Cramer’s The Street.com, and see what you think about this strategy. I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold ( 1:09 )
Sharing the Stage with Legends
By · CommentsOne of the coolest things that happens as you climb the ladder of professional speaking success is sharing the stage with people you’ve listened to on recordings for years. In high school I used to listen to speakers like Zig Ziglar, Don Hutson, Jim Cathcart, Tony Alessandra, Brian Tracy, Bob Proctor, Les Brown, Larry Wilson–and today I’ve shared the stage with all of them and many more. The kick (at least for me) has nothing to do with money, it’s what speaker Steve Anderson calls “psychic income”. The bottom line is that it’s really cool! 
Watch this short video and make a list of the top 25 speakers you want to share the stage with someday. You may be closer than you think to making this dream come true. Steve Siebold ( 3:26 )
Motivational Speakers Needed
By · CommentsIf you’ve ever considered becoming a motivational speaker or at least adding a motivational component to your topic, NOW is the time! For two years the recession has been sucking the life out of people, and they’re ready to look forward to the future again. While the motivational market is a little rough right now, this is the time for new speakers to emerge and stake their claim. A lot of speakers have given up and gone back to their old jobs. If you’re trying to break into the business, this could be the best chance you’ll ever have. Watch this short post I filmed yesterday outside London, England, where I’m speaking at the Bill Gove Speech Workshop and doing radio/TV interviews. This economic downturn could be the best thing that ever happened to your career. I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold ( 2:53 )
