The Canadian Association of Professional Speakers invited me to Vancouver, British Columbia last Saturday to take their members through the rock star status reality check and perform some bio makeovers live for their members. What a treat to visit a lovely city, meet some wonderful new friends, and be of service to fellow speakers across the border from my Puget Sound backyard. One of the most memorable moments of the half-day workshop was when event EMCEE Sieglinde Malmberg welcomed us all back from the break at the half-way point with an original rap song she created in my honor.
Nancy Juetten. Rhymes with Button. But She Looks Like Lauren Hutton. She’s Not Boring. She’s a Blast. Let’s Learn More and Learn it Fast.
I asked her to perform this little ditty so I could capture it on video, and she did. Tune in and enjoy. You’ll grin. I sure did.
Here is what Cettified Financial Planner Professional Patricia LaLonde had to say about my presentation:
“When I heard you present at our CAPS meeting you touched my mind with your brilliance. You were able to state clearly the message that I’m trying to convey. I’ve known that I needed help to put all the bits and pieces of my bio and profile in order and now I know who to go to for help. I’m looking forward to greater visibility and success after applying the lessons from your course.”
— Patricia Lalonde, CFP™
Here are a few of the tips I shared during my talk:
- Use descriptive subheadings in your bio to appeal to “skimmers” who want to get to the point fast.
- If you are a speaker, don’t start your profile with a heading like “John Smith, Professional Speaker, Author, and Coach.” In a sea of speakers, that is not the way to set yourself apart, especially on speaker sites like eSpeakers or SpeakerMatch.
- Instead, lead with a sassy headline about what you speak about to grab the attention of meeting planners who are looking for contributors that can stand out and make their impact now.
- When describing what you do, use the language that your ideal clients use to describe how you serve. Use words that a 12-year-old can understand.
- Sometimes, we get so caught up in self importance that we use really big words that don’t count for a lot. Remember your audience, and speak to them with personality, clarity, and impact.
If you’d like more help getting your story figured out so the marketplace can celebrate, join me this Thursday, September 22 at 11 a.m. PST for the “How to Pitch an Article the Media Can’t Resist” teleseminar. You can register for this free call and get all the call in details by visiting this link.
