Selling from the front of the room and getting people to run to the back of the room to buy your stuff takes practice. The best closers are the most sought-after speakers because of the amount of revenue they generate. Whether you have an inexpensive product to sell or a high-priced item, it takes a carefully orchestrated presentation and offer script to motivate people to buy. It is imperative that you practice your offer and perfect it over time.

The best closers do not wait until the end of their speech to mention their offer. Instead, they start their presentation with the end in mind. In other words, they come right out and tell their audience that there will be an offer at the end of their presentation. Or they may say it in a more subtle way. Regardless of how they say it during their presentation, making the offer during the speech is called seeding. The master closers have proved that if you seed at least twice during your presentation, your sales will double!

Here are some ideas to help you perfect your closing:

1. Study other speakers’ closing techniques closely.
Pay close attention to how they begin their offer, how they talk about the offer forms, and how they invite their audience to participate.

2. Use a prepared script.
Don’t wing it! This can be a costly mistake. Take as much time or more than you did preparing your speech to prepare your offer and call to action.

3. Prepare the logistics.
Prepare your product table before your speak. Make sure you have the right supplies such as credit card forms and pens. Hire someone or get a trusted volunteer to take the orders. Do not try to do this yourself. You need to be available in case someone has a question.

4. Prepare the stage.
If you have a product, make sure it can be seen from the stage during your presentation. While seeding, pick up the product and show it to the audience.

5. Prepare the visual offer.
Your audience must see the offer. This includes bonus items and discounts. Use a whiteboard, flip chart, or PowerPoint so your audience can see what they are going to get.

6. Offer forms.
Your form is a selling tool, so it counts! The color, the way it is laid out, the price-everything matters. Start collecting forms from great speakers and great closers and mimic their forms.

Tip: If you are speaking for someone else, create 3-part NCR forms: one copy for the buyer, one for you, and one for the promoters.

Body Language Tells the Truth

Ever listen to someone speaking and realize that something about that person just did not ring true? Something about the way he carried himself conflicted with his words. Maybe, it was his inability to look you in the eye. Perhaps, his hands distracted you. Or maybe it was the facial expressions that just did not quite match what he was saying? No, now you realize it was his stance; focused, truthful people just don’t carry themselves that way. As you will see, the body tells its own story. Often you can read someone and reassure yourself whether that person is trustworthy or someone you are right to run away from right now. Let’s look more closely at body language.

Traditional media creates a comprehensive media outreach and helps position the author, expert or your client as an authority in their field who understands the issues they are commenting on in depth as they relate to issues facing our society. The expert is placed in the national conversation in a socially relevant way. Below are the benefits of TV for you:

Creates Thought Leader Status
From a business or career point of view, being known in your industry as an influencer and thought leader leads to major opportunities. You have demonstrated your knowledge and wisdom personally with your viewers, some of whom are in a position to hire you.

Credibility Builder – Your Point Of View In Demand
Getting booked on these shows is a big deal. You don’t just walk on the set and sit down. Guests are carefully selected according to their credentials, point of view and media history. You must qualify for the segment and be able to prove it. Your publicist has jumped you through a lot of hoops to get on the show edging out others who wanted to get on as well. Congrats!

Association with MEGA Brands and Celebrity Hosts
Potential clients or those in a position to hire you as a consultant may not know you personally but they know FOX NEWS, the know CNN, they know Kiplinger’s and hey, if you are good enough for Associated Press, well you are good enough for them!

Creates Huge Competitive Advantage
The question is this, if it was your job to select a consultant for your company and you had the following candidates to choose from who would you choose? Candidate A who was seen on FOX News and CNN discussing what the latest employment figures mean to our economic recovery who is also a regular columnist on TheStreet.com and recently seen in the Wall Street Journal or Candidate B who has the same academic credentials but has only been seen on Twitter and FACEBOOK or their own blog. Who would you hire? The expert who has the bigger media bio showcases their skill set much better and is usually in a position to seal the deal. No one who is in charge of hiring wants to hire a risky candidate and your media helps create certainty that you are the best choice.

Can Lead to Mega Opportunities Such as Becoming a Regular Expert on the Show
Many of our clients have landed additional or expanded opportunities such as becoming a regular contributor to a major internet news site, that can be leveraged into more opportunities or becoming a regular expert on a TV show in their market or a regular guest on a major radio show.

REAL STORY: Author/Speaker increased his demand so much he TRIPLED his speaking fees and sold 50,000 books as well. Plus, he landed an ongoing segment in his hometown market. There is just no stopping him now!

REAL STORY: Author/Speaker landed a regular TV segment in one of the TOP 5 markets in the country.

The above two are real stories of success and can happen to authors and experts who are prepared for this level of media success.

1. Getting there late.
Walking frantically into a room full of people who have been waiting for you to arrive can be an embarrassing situation. Unless you are a magician, you might as well turn around and leave. It would take a miracle to get this audience to forget the inconvenience you have caused them. They probably have already passed judgment on you, deciding you’re an inconsiderate speaker rather than a viable expert in your field. Make the extra effort to arrive at least ½ hour before the event begins.

2. Apologizing before you start.
Starting off your presentation with “Uh, I’m sorry that I . . .” is the quickest, most assured way to lose your audience’s attention and leave them cold. Remember, YOU are the expert and true experts have nothing to be sorry for. The audience doesn’t care if you have a cold, woke up late, got caught in traffic, or tripped on a banana skin. All they care about is what information you’re going to give them that will benefit them in the shortest amount of time. Remember Love Story—“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

3. Not having a clear purpose.
Not having a clearly defined purpose for speaking is like driving to a restaurant in another city without a clue about how to get there. You’ll end up meandering, not really going anywhere, until finally the people in the car with you get frustrated, lose their patience, and take a mental exit, determined never to ride with you again. Decide why you are speaking, and to whom, and stick to it.

4. Pacing while you speak.
Walking back and forth is a BIG distraction to your audience. Not only will their necks hurt after the game of Ping-Pong that you just put them through, but you’ll have them anxiously wondering “Is this ever going to stop!?” Pacing keeps the audience from hearing what you’re saying. Movement is good; it keeps a presentation lively and interesting. However, it’s important to move with a purpose instead of meandering.

5. Swaying in the wind.
Like pacing, swaying in front of an audience is a HUGE no-no. Not only is it a distraction, it may even make your audience seasick. The best way to keep from swaying is to stand in the rooted position, which is when both feet are shoulder-length apart. Standing in this position will create a look of confidence and eliminate the temptation to sway.

6. Leaning on the lectern.
A surefire way to lose your audience’s confidence is to lean on the lectern. Not only does this casual style show a lack of respect to both the audience and the lectern, it also gives the appearance of a sloppy speaker. Treat the lectern as you would your child. Never lean on it, hit it, or leave it unattended.

7. Speaking in a monotone voice.
Speaking in a one-dimensional, monotone voice is boring, boring, boring. If you deliver your presentation using only one vocal pitch and rate, you’ll surely put your audience to sleep. People can’t grasp your message if they’re snoring. Therefore, it’s important to create excitement and keep interest by using a variety of vocal tones, pitches, and rates when you speak.

8. Avoiding eye contact.
The old adage “look above your audience’s head” is a bunch of hogwash and should never be done. If you don’t look at your audience, they’ll soon lose interest and ignore you, too. To reach your audience, you must connect with them. The best way to do this is by looking them directly in the eyes as you speak. That doesn’t mean you stare at them. It means you look at each person for about three to four seconds, then move on to the next person. Be careful not to bop your head from one side of the room to the other. Instead, slowly move from one person to the next in a sweeping motion.

9. Using the wrong hand gestures.
Inappropriate hand gestures such as placing your hands in your pockets or flailing them can be as distracting as pacing the floor. Keep hands and arms comfortably at your side ready to jump up and make a meaningful gesture. The best gestures are those that demonstrate an action or a point of measure. All gestures should add to the understanding of the message, not be distractions.

10. Taking a mental exit.
Forgetting what you’re going to say can really mess up a presentation. It can cause great awkwardness and often is hard to cover up. Typically, speakers forget what they’re going to say because they have either memorized their speech or relied too heavily on their notes. If this happens, simply return to the lectern, look down at your notes, pause and look up at your audience, and deliver the next line. The main message here is to not panic. Never let your audience see you sweat.

Secrets Revealed On How To Create An Outstanding BIO The Media Will Love

Create A BIO That Tells The Media What They Need To Know In A Nutshell

Plus Learn What Does Not Belong In Your Media Bio

Follow these simple steps to creating a powerful media bio designed to get you booked on the media of your dreams.

1. Your author or expert media bio should always begin with your credentials, academic achievements, professional and academic affiliations.

2. If you are the author of books, papers, and/or studies note those next along with the names of the papers and studies and where they appear etc so the media can document them.

3. List your areas of expertise.

4. List the years you have been active in these areas and your fields.

5. List any involvement in any association, achievements or awards you have received in your field.

6. List media appearances TV or radio and quotes in magazines in newspapers.

7. What does not belong in a bio: your personal family history, personal triumphs or tragedies unless they are tied into your area of expertise, your birth place. You can include the location where you currently reside or practice as this can be important if the media would like to book you for a radio or TV segment.

8. Information has to be absolutely accurate, up to date, and easily verifiable as the media has resources to check out your information.

9. Be sure the bio on your website is exactly the same and consistent with the bio that you are presenting to the media. You can always offer an expanded version on your website. However, you should not be inconsistent with your bio. You can certainly have other info on your website but the bio must remain consistent with the one you present to the media.

10. The purpose of a professional bio for use in the media is to give them a snapshot of your expertise and your platform so they can determine if you qualify as the expert for the segment or article they have in mind.

11. In addition to the bio, have a professional .jpeg of yourself in your professional capacity and jpeg of your book cover ready to email to the media upon request.

12. Demo tapes are requested by the media. Have professional quality tapes ready to be sent to the media and of course, better yet, include a video link on your site so the media can check you out without waiting for your demo to be sent overnight. As you send your demo out to the media, be sure to restock. The media moves fast and needs the info immediately and cannot wait for copies to be made or complied etc.