'Putting Your eBook Sales on Autopilot
(WEBINAR)'
Guest Expert: Brian Schwartz
Webinar video:
If you order the CD or MP3, you will get a link to the recorded video of the online webinar.
The Program:
Amazon.com recently announced that its monthly eBook sales have surpassed its print book sales. This revolution means the market for your eBooks is burgeoning. If you are ready.
But how do you enter this market? How do you convert your books into eBooks? And what's the difference between Kindle format, ePub and PDF? Does your book need to be in all formats? Which is the most profitable? How do you sell them—through Amazon, other sites, or your own site? What's a standard royalty or commission?
Learn how to tap into the largest and fastest-growing marketplaces with a highly scalable and automated plan. If executed well, you will reach a wider audience, uncover new niches, realize a larger profit, and create a closer connection with your readers.
As the demand for eBooks accelerates, the advantage goes to nimble authors, experts, and publishers who are able to stand out and rise above the noise.
In this webinar, Brian shows you relevant Web pages to demystify key parts of the eBook process.
You will learn:
- why you need to enter the digital publishing industry now!
- how to uncover reachable niches
- what successful eBook authors are doing that you can use
- create a scalable marketing process
- tap an army of highly motivated commission-only salespeople
More about our guest expert:
"Authorpreneur" Brian Schwartz is an award-winning author and creator of the "50 Interviews" series, which has published more than 20 titles in the last two years. Driven by the need to find a cost-effective way as a micro-niche publisher to reach a worldwide market, he has been entrenched in the digital publishing field since 2008 and knows first-hand what works and what doesn't.
He launched KindleExpert.com in 2010 to assist other authors and publishers take advantage of the shift in technology and get their own books published to the major eBook marketplaces. He currently serves as vice president of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association, has spoken twice for the National Speakers Association, and writes a monthly column for the Northern Colorado Business Report.
www.50interviews.com
'Add Oomph to Your Stories
by Bringing the Characters Alive'
Guest Expert: Jon Schwartz, a.k.a. Vinny Verelli
Additional resources for this seminar:
Handout -- (PDF, 385K)
The Program:
We all know that telling stories is the best way to connect with an audience and to make a point stick. But are you getting the most out of your stories?
You tell stories in your presentations about your stern father, wise grandmother, bawdy aunt or clueless ex-boss. But what if you illustrated the character of their personality through your voice tone, accent, facial expression and/or body language? It would make your presentation much more powerful and the point of the story more memorable.
If you don't incorporate memorable characters into your stories, you're missing an opportunity to make a stronger impact on your audience. The more you can do to bring your stories to life the better chance you have of making a difference.
Jon is a master at characterization. His most memorable character is Vinny Verelli, The Goomba Guru of Negativity Management®. Why does Vinny stand out? For one thing, he's quite a character, literally one of dozens created by Jon.
You will learn:
- simple tools that you can start using immediately, to add a new dimension to your presentations
- tips on how to do accents and dialects
- why less is more and the importance of doing nothing
- how to explore character development on your own with tools and resources to help you
- how to avoid common performance pitfalls
More about our guest expert:
With his degree in Marketing, Jon Schwartz decided there's no business like show business, and has been performing professionally for the past 35 years!
He has toured prisons with a production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot and has performed mime at Carnegie Hall. Jon also worked with Tennessee Williams in the world premiere production of Tiger Tail and worked on ships as cruise director and entertainer.
For the past 18 years Jon and his wife Ginny King have been producing shows for the event business in Atlanta. Jon has written, produced and directed fourteen interactive mysteries that have been produced at over 350 corporate events.
Jon has played many characters in his career, however, Vinny Verelli is the only character that has written a book, Motivate This. Often called the Tony Soprano of motivational speakers, Vinny works with groups that want to laugh while they learn.
In February of 2004 Jon, as Vinny Verelli, won the NSA Comedy Idol Competition in St. Louis and recently won the Toastmasters State of Georgia humor and table topics competitions. In December 2007, Vinny was the closing keynote speaker at the 2007 CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Speakers) convention in Halifax. Jon is currently the president-elect of NSA Georgia.
www.motivatethis.net
'Generate New Revenue by Securing Mini-Sponsors'
Guest Expert: Rosalind Sedacca
The Program:
Think beyond the traditional sponsor model where a company pays your fee and expenses to speak to a group. These take a long time to secure. Think instead of smaller vendors — those who can say "yes" quickly and are willing to invest to be introduced to your audience. You can get dozens of these people to pay you and they will continue to pony up for multiple engagements — if you do it right.
You can entice mini-sponsors for self-sponsored public seminars, other-sponsored seminars (e.g., Chambers of Commerce, associations, charity functions), and even teleseminars/webinars. It takes some initial ferreting to find the right match of mini-sponsor to your target audience, but once they see the results, they'll want to be part of every event. In fact, you can even earn money by getting mini-sponsors to others' events where you may or may not be speaking.
You will learn:
- How this approach differs from traditional corporate sponsorship
- Why it works: 4-way win
- Various options for mini-sponsors to get exposure at your event
- What kind of events will benefit from mini-sponsors
- What you can charge
More about our guest expert:
Rosalind Sedacca is a business communication strategist with a 25-year background as a marketing consultant, professional speaker, certified corporate trainer and award-winning advertising copywriter. She is also the author of "How Do I Tell the Kids about the Divorce? A Create-a-Storybook Guide to Preparing Your Children — with Love!" and founder of the Child-Centered Divorce Network. While marketing her speaking and training services, Rosalind has found a formula for piggybacking off of existing events with themes related to her topics. She is generating additional revenue by attracting mini-sponsors for a variety of special events including expos, singles dances, business association and public teleseminars and charity events.
www.childcentereddivorce.com
'Why the Internet Is Better for Your Career
Than Book Tours with Traditional Media'
Guest Expert: Barbara Sher
The Program:
Barbara Sher has crafted a fabulous career. She's written bestselling books, created popular TV specials, is an in-demand speaker, and hosts retreats in exotic locations. How has she done this? And what can you learn from her that you can adapt to your career?
Barbara will share how she's garnered publicity to propel her career. She'll discuss her strategies for using YouTube and Twitter to organize and publicize her retreats. She'll give details on other clever ways to use the internet to get out information. This is a rare look behind the scenes of one of the busiest speakers and authors in the country.
You will learn how to:
- use your books' popularity to create a fan base
- go beyond traditional TV to get your brand known
- use new media (e.g., Twitter, YouTube) to communicate with your fans and encourage word-of-mouth marketing.
- drive registrants to your retreats and other public programs
More about our guest expert:
Barbara Sher is a business owner, career counselor, and best-selling author of seven books, each of which provides a down-to-earth, nuts-and-bolts method for uncovering natural talent, pinpointing goals and turning dreams into reality. She has often been named the "godmother of life coaching" by the media and her many fans. Barbara has presented seminars and workshops throughout the world to universities, professional organizations, Fortune 100 corporations, and federal and state government agencies. She has been called "a standup comic with a message" and "the best speaker we have ever seen" in evaluations. Joining forces with public television, she has also created five hour-long special programs that continue to air in cities around the U.S.
Much of the year Barbara travels throughout the world giving workshops and week-long retreats for "Scanners" — people who have so many interests they're unable to choose only one.
She has received many awards and an honorary PhD; she has appeared on local and national radio and television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, the Today Show, 60 Minutes and Good Morning America, and has had feature articles in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other newspapers and magazines. She was a Life Coach columnist for Real Simple Magazine. And Barbara periodically teaches seminars at the Smithsonian Institute, Harvard University and New York University.
See a video of Barbara.
www.barbarasher.com
'Impact and Income Beyond the Stage:
Leverage Your Speaking Career
into an Expert Empire'
Guest Expert: Josh Shipp
Additional resources for this seminar:
Handout-- (PDF, 36K)
The Program:
What can a 29-year-old who specializes in speaking to teens teach corporate speakers and consultants? How about how to create an empire grossing over $1.5 million a year, a six-figure book deal, television show, and multi-million dollar product deal. He'll share what he's learned and how you can adapt it to your business.
Paid speaking engagements are only the beginning of your impact and income. Learn from Inc. magazine award-winning entrepreneur Josh Shipp how he leveraged his red-hot speaking career into an empire.
You will learn:
- A step-by-step formula for getting a major book deal
- How to leverage your speaking gigs for mass impact and income
- Secrets for communicating what you do to the media for exposure and bookings
- The system for packaging your current content and selling it on multiple platforms
- The five things I wish someone had told me when I started this business
More about our guest expert:
Josh Shipp is the host of the TV Show "Jump Shipp," author of The Teen's Guide to World Domination, and founder of Youth Speaker University, and he was named to Inc. magazine's "30 under 30" list.
www.joshshipp.com
'Legal Issues Business Owners Must Know
to Protect Themselves'
Guest Expert: Cole Silver, JD
The Program:
You may be skating on thin ice, unaware of legal issues that can cause you much heartache, headache and "wallet-ache." What do you need to put in client contracts to cover yourself? Are you vulnerable to a lawsuit but don't know it? Are you declaring your part-time help "independent contractors" but then opening a huge liability for back payroll taxes, penalties and interest?
Have you wondered what you need to include in your contract to cover cancellations, date changes, missed engagements due to "acts of God," and who owns the copyright to the work? Would you like to know how you can be more likely to prevent lawsuits? And what do you need to put in place so you don't unknowingly hire someone who would be considered an employee rather than an independent contractor?
You will learn:
- contractual provisions that you must include to protect yourself
- items to consider including in your contracts with your clients and vendors
- how to avoid being sued by employees, vendors, government, clients
- how the government defines "independent contractor"
- why an LLC may be the ideal way to set up your business
Note: Cole will give general concepts to consider, but you need to check with your legal counsel on specifics to your situation and locality.
More about our guest expert:
Cole Silver, JD, is the founder and owner of Cole Silver and Associates, LLC, a unique law firm that provides outsourced general counsel services to CEOs and business leaders. Cole is a senior-level executive with over 27 years of legal experience, having served as general counsel for several high-growth companies, including one of the most profitable banks in the U.S., a national life and credit insurance company, the largest commercial MasterCard issuer in the U.S., a Fortune 500 equipment finance company, and the third largest Internet banking payments company in the U.S.
Cole is also nationally known speaker, business advisor and trainer on legal, marketing and human capital issues. Cole has spoken for many organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Banking Institute, the New Jersey Technology Council, the American Corporate Counsel Association, and the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. His speaking typically includes keynotes and workshops. Cole has spoken to more than 4,000 people around the U.S. who have attended his "live" seminars and have benefited from his authentic and engaging style.
Cole is actively involved in community affairs. He serves on many Boards including the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Burlington County, the Samaritan Hospice Ethics Committee, and the Mercer College Paralegal Advisory Commission. He is also engaged in many pro bono activities.
www.generalcounselonline.com
'Can't-Live-Without Technology Tools for Speakers'
Guest Expert: Sam Silverstein, CSP
Additional resources for this seminar:
Sam's Handout-- (PDF, 72K)
The Program:
Your life is complicated. You have your home life, office life, and travel life. How do you keep them all coordinated easily and with the least headaches? Simple things are daunting — like accessing files on your office computer while on the road; syncing key files with your smartphone, laptop, and office computer; and changing travel arrangements in seconds. . .from the plane.
Sam has researched and mastered important tech tools that every speaker needs to know about. He tells you how to get more out of your tools and introduces you to some amazing time and effort savers.
You will learn how to:
- record teleseminars and key client interviews from your cellphone
- access the Internet from anywhere
- charge BOR sales through your smartphone
- use headsets that are noise-canceling and with a mic for use with your phone
- allow bureaus to see when you're booked and where you'll be
- use simple apps to make your life easier
More about our guest expert:
Sam Silverstein, CSP, is a past president of the National Speakers Association. He delivers his message of accountability on five continents and utilizes technology to be more productive, run his business more effectively, and have fun no matter where in the world he is.
www.samsilverstein.com
'Strategically Blending eCommerce into Your Practice'
Guest Expert: Sam Silverstein, CSP
The Program:
How do you know which products to offer online that will increase sales in your speaking, training or consulting practices? What questions do you need to answer to decide how to promote your products online? How can you increase your cash flow through e-products while still offering high value, and which will lead to higher ticket sales? Sam has asked himself the tough questions before launching an eCommerce site, and he'll walk you though the considerations you must address before launching your own eCommerce venture.
You will learn:
- what questions to answer before deciding on adding eCommerce to your site
- how to determine what products will lead to more speaking, consulting, or training business
- what pitfalls you should avoid
- how to prevent your new venture from being just a time and money sink, and instead make it an ongoing money machine
- how much time and money you should expect to spend and when should you begin seeing a profit
More about our guest expert:
Entrepreneur, author, and speaker Sam Silverstein has a solid track record of building million dollar results. The numbers speak for themselves: before becoming a professional speaker he sold over 100 million dollars of products and services, and he successfully sold one of his business to a Fortune 500 company.
Sam consults with companies, and speaks internationally on building better businesses, creative marketing, and forging stronger relationships. His programs are based on techniques he has used to build success both personally and professionally.
Sam is the author of six books including The No Fumble Guide to Creating and Communicating a Memorable Marketing Message, The Success Model, and The Power of Choice. Sam's "Build a Better Biz" ezine is read by over 85,000 people each week. He is the president of BuildaBetterBiz.com.
www.samsilverstein.com
'How to Avoid the Biggest Sales Mistakes
Speakers, Trainers and Consultants Make'
Guest Expert: Terri L. Sjodin, CSP
The Program:
Are you not closing as many sales as you'd like to? Are you one of those people who think that your marketing staff can do a better job at selling you? Terri feels strongly that -- if given the right tools -- you are the best person to sell your offerings.
Terry's unique approach was a hit at the 2004 NSA Workshop. She'll share her strategies to close more speaking engagements, training contracts, consulting engagements and coaching clients. She'll discuss what she does that works -- and that very few others are willing to do.
You will learn:
- Some of the biggest mistakes speakers, trainers and consultants make when in a sales conversation ... and how to avoid them.
- How to make your sales conversations stand out so you get the job.
- How to sell yourself through building and delivering a strong "case" for hiring you.
- Why most speakers need to be their primary salesperson and what you lose when you aren't.
- What to do when someone wants you to work for no or reduced fee.
Suggested pre-reading: Terri's book, New Sales Speak: The 9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.
More about our guest expert:
Terri Sjodin is the president of Sjodin Communications, a public speaking, sales training and consulting firm.
She is a full-time professional speaker and trainer with a unique specialization - advancing the persuasive presentations skills of professionals. She is the author of the highly acclaimed book New Sales Speak: The 9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (John Wiley & Sons), which recently hit #74 on Amazon.com's Top 100 Bestseller List. Beyond her success as an entrepreneur and author, she is a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows throughout the country.
In 1999, Terri earned NSA's prestigious CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation.
Since the inception of Sjodin Communications, Terri has developed a distinguished client list ranging from actors, athletes, corporate and association presidents to large professional sales organizations. Many consider Terri to be the sales professionals' speech coach.
www.terrisjodin.com
'Creating Demos and Products That Sell:
Previews, Promos & Products for Profit'
Guest Expert: Rob Sommer, audio/video producer extraordinaire
The Program:
Rob will share with you some of the most common mistakes speakers make with their demo videos and products, and how to avoid them. He'll share the nuances of what makes a killer product vs. a dead one. Rob's clients have grown from small fees to tens of thousands while working with Rob. Would you like to know what the big fee pros do and how they do it?
You will learn:
- Do's and don'ts of creating great demos and products.
- How to create products that buyers clamor for.
- How you can create great product without spending a fortune.
- Simple things you can do to cut down on production costs.
More about our guest expert:
Since 1984 Rob Sommer has helped professional speakers achieve their goals. Whether it's a demo video or product production, he can create a complete turnkey production for you. He has worked with some of speaking's greats, near-greats and aspiring greats.
He is the professional's choice and a veteran adviser to top performers. With a lifetime of experience in business, marketing, video, products, and management, Rob provides all the necessary elements to round out your image, business and income aspects of the your career. Many of the top names in speaking are his clients.
www.RBSProductions.com