Having a great product that satisfies people’s annoyances, or creating a wonderful service that solves problems is obviously great. If you can do the job that’s required of you and do things swiftly, then you’re going to have more good days than bad. In business, however, it’s not just about doing the job on the day and bringing in the cash – you need to be able to keep the work flowing; you need to be able to make people want you again and again and again. You want to maintain your business for a while, and then build on what you have, after all.
If you can’t keep your relationships with your customers/clients healthy, then you may end up falling a little or going stale. You’ll survive if you manage to monopolize your market, but that’s not really how most verticals stay. Competitors will come along and take people away from you in an instant if you’re not careful. You need to stay perpetually in your customers’/clients’ good books. Want to know a few ways you can do this? Well, here are some for you now:
Work Hard For Them
If people see that someone is working hard at their craft, then immediate affection is thrown at them. We all appreciate a trier, after all. If you actually get off your backside and bother, then you’re going to be seen as a group that will do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Sitting idle and shrugging your shoulders when things get tough will not exactly boost customer satisfaction, will it? You need to show that you mean business at all times.
Don’t Make Constant, Quick, Dramatic Changes
People gravitate towards your business because they feel as though they can relate to it in some way or another. If they don’t and they still find you magnetic, then it’s because you’re doing something that they feel is correct. You should stick to the fundamentals of what you’re doing – that foundation is what got you to where you are now. Sure, change a few things, but don’t make massive alterations. It’ll more than likely upset the applecart and cause people to question where you’re going with things. They’ll wonder what else you’re going to shake up.
Focus Your Energy On Customer Experience
From the initial meeting onwards, you’re going to want to ensure you treat customers with the love and respect they deserve. Customer experience is absolutely massive in keeping relationships flowing. If you’re unfamiliar with the whole idea, then you can always read something like this guide to customer experience here. Basically, if you nail your interaction with your customer base at every single point, then you’re going to be in a much better position in the long-term.
Build On What You Have
This may sound like a contradiction regarding the idea of not changing too dramatically, but it’s not. You don’t need to move things around when you’re looking to grow. If you show that you’re ambitious and are looking to add more to your repertoire, people are going to be even more attracted to you. Wanting the best, and wanting to be the best is a very emotive idea for most.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/robert-bye-F2eHfMwIOxA-unsplash.jpg8001200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-04-17 07:00:312020-04-17 03:09:52How To Make Sure You Stay In Your Customers’ Good Books Indefinitely
These days, starting up your own eCommerce store is as simple as clicking a couple of buttons. With the right services, you could essentially build a working website in as little as a few hours, complete with all of your custom-made products and a fantastic website theme. Unfortunately, the ease of making an eCommerce website has created a swarm of subpar stores that are clogging the market, creating an endless sea of competition.
In that sea, there aren’t many eCommerce stores that can actually survive. Unfortunately, the small investment needed to actually create a store means that people aren’t afraid to try and fail over and over again until they hit the jackpot with a lucky idea. So to help you establish a successful eCommerce store without the trial and error, we’ve put together what we believe are the 10 golden rules of a successful eCommerce store. These tips will help you stand out, build your brand and ultimately stand out in a huge sea of competition.
1. Have your own website and email domain
Do not, under any circumstances, use some kind of subdomain for your business such as www.webhost.com/yourbusiness. This is incredibly unprofessional and will scare off all of your potential customers. Furthermore, don’t use an email service like Gmail or Yahoo. Make sure you have your own email domain as well. Both of these tips will make you seem a lot more professional and will greatly improve your chances of success as an eCommerce store.
2. Market on multiple channels and platforms
Make sure you’re not sticking to a single channel or platform when it comes to growing your business and advertising your brand. You should be on many different channels, social media platforms and advertising services to help you spread out and reach a wider audience. To give you a hand, here are some eCommerce marketing tips that you should absolutely follow. As long as you remember to advertise on multiple platforms, you’ll have an incredibly easy time getting your name out there.
3. Hire a web developer
We know that templates can look really pretty and will have loads of customization options. Unfortunately, a template is a template and most shoppers will realize that you’re using some kind of default theme that took almost no effort to make. This doesn’t reflect well on your brand as a whole, hence why it’s vital that you hire a web developer to help you make a good website for your brand. This can be costly, but it’s also a fantastic investment in your brand.
4. Support different payment methods
If your website doesn’t support PayPal then you’re going to lose a lot of business. If you don’t accept cryptocurrency then that’s another chunk of customers gone. Accepting cards should be the absolute minimum nowadays. Make sure you look at the most popular eCommerce payment methods and ensure that you support them on your website.
5. Specialize before you diversify
One of the problems that a lot of amateur eCommerce stores face is over-diversification. They try to add too many products to their website because they’re using a simple dropshipping plug-in, and they try to appeal to too many different people at once. The goal is to minimize the number of products you offer and specialize your brand before you try to spread out and diversify.
6. Create genuinely helpful content
A lot of eCommerce sites tend to hire general copywriters and will request some incredibly simple articles that have very little relevance to their brand. This is usually a fairly poor way of approaching eCommerce marketing because the content doesn’t provide value to your users. Instead, what you want to aim for is evergreen content that will continue to provide your customers with something helpful to read. This could be a knowledge base of information for your products or even some explanations on how to use the items you’re selling.
7. Make your services work on mobile
Luckily, most modern web hosts and design services will include a mobile-friendly version of your site, meaning you don’t have to do much to support mobile users. However, what you can do to help is optimize images for faster loading, creating larger buttons and links for mobile users to press and potentially having a mobile app for your brand or store. This will open up your business to a huge audience of mobile-only users.
8. Communicate with your audience
It’s absolutely vital that you’re always communicating with your audience. Whether it’s on social media, on your website or even in reviews on a Google Business listing, you should always be happy to speak with your audience, receive their feedback and also discuss what your audience enjoys about your product. This is all valuable information that can be used to grow your project into a successful eCommerce store.
9. Don’t underestimate the power of influencers
Influencer marketing is starting to become one of the best ways for a small brand to spread its wings. It involves contacting influential people on social media platforms and working together with them to promote your brand to their viewers. Some influencers have a couple of thousand followers, while others will have over a million. It’s your job to find out which influencer could best represent or showcase your brand.
10. Maintain a blog on your website
Blogs are fantastic for improving your brand’s search engine optimization and it can also be a place to provide your customers with useful content and informative articles. It’s a great way to improve your brand’s trustworthiness and will provide a lot of value to your customers.
We hope that these ten golden rules have given you a different perspective on how you should run an eCommerce store. We know that creating a website to sell goods is incredibly easy nowadays, which means that you’re undoubtedly going to get a lot of competition. However, setting yourself apart from these no-effort stores is simply as long as you’re willing to invest some time into it.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/s-o-c-i-a-l-c-u-t-eXmrW9I1Fnw-unsplash.jpg8001200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-04-16 16:00:212020-04-16 12:51:26The Ten Golden Rules of a Successful eCommerce Store
Every business ever created has or will almost die. A mistake is too costly to make, and as a result, your entire future is put into question. It is not a matter of if in these situations, but when. A new competitor with a disruptive business model might come your way, or a more significant competitor might take what you’re doing and simply do it better.
There is an infinite number of problems you will face as a business owner. From customer complaints to new policies. From budgeting to sourcing. You cannot prepare for all of them because there are simply too many to predict.
What you can do is prepare your business and yourself so that you are ready to face any potential problem. To start? Follow this guide:
1. Hire a Consultant Before Times Get Tough
If you want to help prepare your business, then the best time to start is right now. Don’t put out fires one by one, set up a sprinkler system to tackle all your issues from the get-go. When you start a new business, you are going to feel out of your depth, which is why hiring a consultant can help you minimize risks and grow your business.
Just remember to choose the right consultant. General business consultants can be useful, but nothing will beat a consultant that knows your industry inside and out. If you are in the life sciences industry, for example, then you are going to want to hire life sciences global consulting and solutions. It’s as simple as that.
2. Build Up Your Business Credit ASAP
Small loans that can easily be paid off will work towards building your business credit. You want to improve it and its history fast. It is the best way to make sure that you can get the funding you need in the future.
3. Have an Emergency Fund
Emergency funds aren’t just for personal matters. You should put money away either in a savings account or an investment account so that you can cover any down deposits or other costs in the future. The key is that the account this money gets put into should give you interest. If you just have the cash lying around, you cannot capitalize on it over time.
4. Have All Your Records in Order
You will need to have all your records in brilliant order because one day, there is going to be an issue where you need to prove one far off payment for some reason. Invest in quality software and cloud computing so that you can not only keep track of all your data, expense, payments, and other information but that you can do it safely and securely.
5. Always Keep Learning
If you want your business to succeed, then you can never stop learning. You need to be on top of trends, policies, technology, and so much more so that you can steer your company in the right direction and keep it relevant for years to come.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/overcoming-2127669_1280-1.png9011280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-04-16 09:00:242020-04-16 03:01:37How to Overcome Any Challenge Your Business Faces
If you’re someone who has plenty of experience in running a business and you bring insight or expertise that others can find useful, then there is a career that could very much use that to fuel a career that involves mostly sharing those experiences. Also known as being a professional speaker or a public speaking career, being a keynote speaker means that you are essentially paid to give talks on topics that you have an authority on, but it doesn’t just mean that alone. It’s not just a career, but a business you have to manage, and here are a few tips that can help you learn how to manage that business and excel.
Have something to talk about
A lot of people love the idea of standing up on stage and giving a rousing, inspiring speech that talks to the hearts and needs of the audience. But there’s has to be some substance, some sizzle to the steak, as well. Look back on your experience, and see what you can draw from to serve as the fuel of your talks. Find your niche, and don’t try to be too broad. If, for instance, you worked in-depth on digital marketing, then you can bring the perspective of someone who can speak with expertise on how marketing is crucial to businesses.
Be able to sell it
Even if you’re not speaking on your career as a marketer (because maybe you never had one), you are still going to need some marketing skills in order to excel. Once you find your authority, find your niche, and know what you’re going to talk about, you then need to be able to sell it to other entrepreneurs, decision-makers, or department heads. You have to be able to look at who your audience is (or will be) and figure out what their needs and perspectives are. You then have to look at how to frame your expertise to make it seem vital from their perspective, which means being able to walk a mile in their shoes.
Practice your public speaking
This might seem like it’s too obvious to cover, but a lot of people get into speaking gigs without really taking the time to work on their on-stage presence. You can have charisma coming out of over pore of your body, and be a reliable authority on the topic that you’re going to be talking on, but you don’t know how well that’s going to translate to your stage performance until you try it. As such, you want to make sure you’re sharpening your body language, your rhythm, and other public speaking skills. Public speaking groups like Toastmasters are great for helping you get that practice and working on your public speaking skills.
Good written communication is essential too
As a speaker, it should be relatively obvious that you’re going to need very good verbal communication skills. However, you’re going to have to be able to write well enough to sell your ideas in the written form, as well. Not only do you have to be able to market your speeches through text, but a lot of keynote speakers will expand into another revenue stream: writing books and ebooks. These books are a perfect opportunity to expand on what you talk about at your speeches, so your speeches can effectively act as convincing marketing material for a much more extensive look at what you work on. You may also be able to sell ebooks to those who may not be able to afford to hire you or attend one of your more public events.
Running a business on the road
The life of a keynote speaker is one that sees you traveling from place to place, often country to country. This might sound glamorous and, often, it definitely can be. There are some very nice perks to networking with decision-makers and thought leaders in your industry of choice. However, it’s also demanding. Look at the tips on running an online business while traveling the world from Northeastern University and pay attention. After all, most keynote speakers do not work entirely alone, they have an admin team that is helping them book gigs and sell books from home, and you have to be able to manage them from afar.
Be loose and be comfortable with your emotions
You might think that having a buttoned-down approach to giving a speech and being able to communicate clearly and concisely are the most important skills when it comes to a career in public speaking. However, it’s empathy and emphatic communication that will really grab the attention of your audience most of the time, and you have to be able to tap into that. Humans naturally crave an emotional connection, so if you feel like you have a swell of emotion coming while you’re making a point, be willing, able and comfortable with hopping on that wave. Gesticulate, raise your voice, and don’t be afraid to tap in humor, or even a little intensity, to help drive a point home.
You have to stay up to date
If you want to make sure that your speeches are always relevant, you can’t just rely on the career you’ve had in the past. Your stories are going to lose relevance as time goes on. As such, you are going to want to stay up to date. You can do this by following publications and blogs that speak to your niche and applying your insight into what news and trends you learn about there. But you should also use the experience and network you continue building as a keynote speaker. Take inspiration and borrow stories from your clients and attendees. For instance, if someone comes to you with a problem, speak about that problem and how your method or skills would solve that problem.
Be a good teacher
The truth about keynote or professional speakers is that the vast majority are also in the training business. Much like selling books and ebooks, it’s another way to add a new revenue stream to your repertoire. JobHero outlines the kind of steps you need to take to become a corporate trainer, but often it means getting some sort of certification to teach specific skills that are related to the topics that you speak on. As such, your training career, speaking gigs, and book can all come together as a holistic educational experience that sees you becoming a respected authority on your chosen subject.
Be competitive and productive
In order to truly excel in a public speaking career, you have to be laser-focused on finding new work. Depending on your niche, it can be a very competitive field indeed. What’s most important is that you’re always able to find an audience. As such, you should never turn down a speaking opportunity, even if you’re not entirely sure your audience is your usual one. Learn how to be able to get people together in a room. Networking and marketing both play a huge role in this, but you also need to be able to manage your time well enough to be able to travel from place to place as your work demands it. If you can’t, your rivals will be taking the opportunities you miss.
Keynote speaking is not an easy career. It involves life on the road, a lot of introspection and insight, and being able to hold a crowd’s attention time and time again. But, hopefully, the tips above can help you with that.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/audio-2941753_1280.jpg8531280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-04-16 08:00:232020-04-16 02:48:38What Helps You Excel As A Keynote Speaker?
As the world wakes up to another day with terrifying headlines, there will be some who will inevitably be feeling the pull of despondence. We’re entering a new dawn, where everything seems to have changed. The old ways of doing things just won’t cut it anymore and the phrase ‘pivot or fail’ is being whispered in the wings of every virtual board meeting.
This sounds like a recipe for disaster, but what if it’s the first ingredient in a recipe for great success? Followers wait to be told what to do, leaders and entrepreneurs forge ahead with new ways of thinking.
Developing the Entrepreneurial Mindset
How can we change our way of thinking to really build on this idea of seeing things as an opportunity? Developing this mindset takes work, and it’s a skill that needs practicing and honing. It doesn’t come overnight, which is why now might be the best time to start.
Being an entrepreneur means doing things first, being there first, and being in the right place at the right time (or at least making the place and time you’re in the right place and time!).
Here are some ideas on how to practice your entrepreneurial mindset:
Get out of your comfort zone– taking a leap of faith is the cornerstone of an entrepreneurial mind. That doesn’t mean going into things blindly though. If you want to run an event, for example, hire experts like cl-events.com to ensure it goes smoothly, and learn from them as you go.
Learn. Every day – Every day is a school day, that’s the mindset of an entrepreneur. Read books, take classes, do courses. Learn and grow.
Solve problems – If you’re presented with a problem, figure out if you can solve it. Did you know that Richard Branson created Virgin Atlantic because his flight was grounded? He was presented with a problem, and he solved it.
Carve out a vision, and stick to it – Whether it’s Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle or Gary Vee’s enviable passion for his vision, it’s up to each of us to carve out our own why, our own goals, our own vision, and then stick to it, no matter what.
Be positive, even when it’s tough – Famous entrepreneur and YouTube legend Casey Neistat once said: “Failure sucks, but the pain that is failure does not exceed the pain that is not trying at all”. Wise words from someone who has built an empire out of nothing but energy and an unwavering positive mental attitude.
Learn to communicate – This one really is a tough one. Communication doesn’t come naturally to many people, especially entrepreneurs. There can be so many ideas buzzing around in our heads, and we can become so fixated on them that it can be difficult to communicate with those around us, but developing this skill is like the hidden diamond in the rocks. Being able to tell others about our great ideas in a way that gets them enthused and gets them on board means we can effectively make our ideas their passions, meaning we can work with people who have skills in areas we don’t.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/arrows-1738067_1280.jpg7201280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-04-16 07:00:152020-04-16 02:35:436 Ways To Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset Today
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How To Make Sure You Stay In Your Customers’ Good Books Indefinitely
/in Customer Relationship Management/by StrategyDrivenIf you can’t keep your relationships with your customers/clients healthy, then you may end up falling a little or going stale. You’ll survive if you manage to monopolize your market, but that’s not really how most verticals stay. Competitors will come along and take people away from you in an instant if you’re not careful. You need to stay perpetually in your customers’/clients’ good books. Want to know a few ways you can do this? Well, here are some for you now:
Work Hard For Them
If people see that someone is working hard at their craft, then immediate affection is thrown at them. We all appreciate a trier, after all. If you actually get off your backside and bother, then you’re going to be seen as a group that will do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Sitting idle and shrugging your shoulders when things get tough will not exactly boost customer satisfaction, will it? You need to show that you mean business at all times.
Don’t Make Constant, Quick, Dramatic Changes
People gravitate towards your business because they feel as though they can relate to it in some way or another. If they don’t and they still find you magnetic, then it’s because you’re doing something that they feel is correct. You should stick to the fundamentals of what you’re doing – that foundation is what got you to where you are now. Sure, change a few things, but don’t make massive alterations. It’ll more than likely upset the applecart and cause people to question where you’re going with things. They’ll wonder what else you’re going to shake up.
Focus Your Energy On Customer Experience
From the initial meeting onwards, you’re going to want to ensure you treat customers with the love and respect they deserve. Customer experience is absolutely massive in keeping relationships flowing. If you’re unfamiliar with the whole idea, then you can always read something like this guide to customer experience here. Basically, if you nail your interaction with your customer base at every single point, then you’re going to be in a much better position in the long-term.
Build On What You Have
This may sound like a contradiction regarding the idea of not changing too dramatically, but it’s not. You don’t need to move things around when you’re looking to grow. If you show that you’re ambitious and are looking to add more to your repertoire, people are going to be even more attracted to you. Wanting the best, and wanting to be the best is a very emotive idea for most.
The Ten Golden Rules of a Successful eCommerce Store
/in Entrepreneurship/by StrategyDrivenIn that sea, there aren’t many eCommerce stores that can actually survive. Unfortunately, the small investment needed to actually create a store means that people aren’t afraid to try and fail over and over again until they hit the jackpot with a lucky idea. So to help you establish a successful eCommerce store without the trial and error, we’ve put together what we believe are the 10 golden rules of a successful eCommerce store. These tips will help you stand out, build your brand and ultimately stand out in a huge sea of competition.
1. Have your own website and email domain
Do not, under any circumstances, use some kind of subdomain for your business such as www.webhost.com/yourbusiness. This is incredibly unprofessional and will scare off all of your potential customers. Furthermore, don’t use an email service like Gmail or Yahoo. Make sure you have your own email domain as well. Both of these tips will make you seem a lot more professional and will greatly improve your chances of success as an eCommerce store.
2. Market on multiple channels and platforms
Make sure you’re not sticking to a single channel or platform when it comes to growing your business and advertising your brand. You should be on many different channels, social media platforms and advertising services to help you spread out and reach a wider audience. To give you a hand, here are some eCommerce marketing tips that you should absolutely follow. As long as you remember to advertise on multiple platforms, you’ll have an incredibly easy time getting your name out there.
3. Hire a web developer
We know that templates can look really pretty and will have loads of customization options. Unfortunately, a template is a template and most shoppers will realize that you’re using some kind of default theme that took almost no effort to make. This doesn’t reflect well on your brand as a whole, hence why it’s vital that you hire a web developer to help you make a good website for your brand. This can be costly, but it’s also a fantastic investment in your brand.
4. Support different payment methods
If your website doesn’t support PayPal then you’re going to lose a lot of business. If you don’t accept cryptocurrency then that’s another chunk of customers gone. Accepting cards should be the absolute minimum nowadays. Make sure you look at the most popular eCommerce payment methods and ensure that you support them on your website.
5. Specialize before you diversify
One of the problems that a lot of amateur eCommerce stores face is over-diversification. They try to add too many products to their website because they’re using a simple dropshipping plug-in, and they try to appeal to too many different people at once. The goal is to minimize the number of products you offer and specialize your brand before you try to spread out and diversify.
A lot of eCommerce sites tend to hire general copywriters and will request some incredibly simple articles that have very little relevance to their brand. This is usually a fairly poor way of approaching eCommerce marketing because the content doesn’t provide value to your users. Instead, what you want to aim for is evergreen content that will continue to provide your customers with something helpful to read. This could be a knowledge base of information for your products or even some explanations on how to use the items you’re selling.
7. Make your services work on mobile
Luckily, most modern web hosts and design services will include a mobile-friendly version of your site, meaning you don’t have to do much to support mobile users. However, what you can do to help is optimize images for faster loading, creating larger buttons and links for mobile users to press and potentially having a mobile app for your brand or store. This will open up your business to a huge audience of mobile-only users.
8. Communicate with your audience
It’s absolutely vital that you’re always communicating with your audience. Whether it’s on social media, on your website or even in reviews on a Google Business listing, you should always be happy to speak with your audience, receive their feedback and also discuss what your audience enjoys about your product. This is all valuable information that can be used to grow your project into a successful eCommerce store.
9. Don’t underestimate the power of influencers
Influencer marketing is starting to become one of the best ways for a small brand to spread its wings. It involves contacting influential people on social media platforms and working together with them to promote your brand to their viewers. Some influencers have a couple of thousand followers, while others will have over a million. It’s your job to find out which influencer could best represent or showcase your brand.
10. Maintain a blog on your website
Blogs are fantastic for improving your brand’s search engine optimization and it can also be a place to provide your customers with useful content and informative articles. It’s a great way to improve your brand’s trustworthiness and will provide a lot of value to your customers.
We hope that these ten golden rules have given you a different perspective on how you should run an eCommerce store. We know that creating a website to sell goods is incredibly easy nowadays, which means that you’re undoubtedly going to get a lot of competition. However, setting yourself apart from these no-effort stores is simply as long as you’re willing to invest some time into it.
How to Overcome Any Challenge Your Business Faces
/in Managing Your Business/by StrategyDrivenThere is an infinite number of problems you will face as a business owner. From customer complaints to new policies. From budgeting to sourcing. You cannot prepare for all of them because there are simply too many to predict.
What you can do is prepare your business and yourself so that you are ready to face any potential problem. To start? Follow this guide:
1. Hire a Consultant Before Times Get Tough
If you want to help prepare your business, then the best time to start is right now. Don’t put out fires one by one, set up a sprinkler system to tackle all your issues from the get-go. When you start a new business, you are going to feel out of your depth, which is why hiring a consultant can help you minimize risks and grow your business.
Just remember to choose the right consultant. General business consultants can be useful, but nothing will beat a consultant that knows your industry inside and out. If you are in the life sciences industry, for example, then you are going to want to hire life sciences global consulting and solutions. It’s as simple as that.
2. Build Up Your Business Credit ASAP
Small loans that can easily be paid off will work towards building your business credit. You want to improve it and its history fast. It is the best way to make sure that you can get the funding you need in the future.
3. Have an Emergency Fund
Emergency funds aren’t just for personal matters. You should put money away either in a savings account or an investment account so that you can cover any down deposits or other costs in the future. The key is that the account this money gets put into should give you interest. If you just have the cash lying around, you cannot capitalize on it over time.
4. Have All Your Records in Order
You will need to have all your records in brilliant order because one day, there is going to be an issue where you need to prove one far off payment for some reason. Invest in quality software and cloud computing so that you can not only keep track of all your data, expense, payments, and other information but that you can do it safely and securely.
5. Always Keep Learning
If you want your business to succeed, then you can never stop learning. You need to be on top of trends, policies, technology, and so much more so that you can steer your company in the right direction and keep it relevant for years to come.
What Helps You Excel As A Keynote Speaker?
/in Entrepreneurship/by StrategyDrivenHave something to talk about
A lot of people love the idea of standing up on stage and giving a rousing, inspiring speech that talks to the hearts and needs of the audience. But there’s has to be some substance, some sizzle to the steak, as well. Look back on your experience, and see what you can draw from to serve as the fuel of your talks. Find your niche, and don’t try to be too broad. If, for instance, you worked in-depth on digital marketing, then you can bring the perspective of someone who can speak with expertise on how marketing is crucial to businesses.
Be able to sell it
Even if you’re not speaking on your career as a marketer (because maybe you never had one), you are still going to need some marketing skills in order to excel. Once you find your authority, find your niche, and know what you’re going to talk about, you then need to be able to sell it to other entrepreneurs, decision-makers, or department heads. You have to be able to look at who your audience is (or will be) and figure out what their needs and perspectives are. You then have to look at how to frame your expertise to make it seem vital from their perspective, which means being able to walk a mile in their shoes.
Practice your public speaking
This might seem like it’s too obvious to cover, but a lot of people get into speaking gigs without really taking the time to work on their on-stage presence. You can have charisma coming out of over pore of your body, and be a reliable authority on the topic that you’re going to be talking on, but you don’t know how well that’s going to translate to your stage performance until you try it. As such, you want to make sure you’re sharpening your body language, your rhythm, and other public speaking skills. Public speaking groups like Toastmasters are great for helping you get that practice and working on your public speaking skills.
As a speaker, it should be relatively obvious that you’re going to need very good verbal communication skills. However, you’re going to have to be able to write well enough to sell your ideas in the written form, as well. Not only do you have to be able to market your speeches through text, but a lot of keynote speakers will expand into another revenue stream: writing books and ebooks. These books are a perfect opportunity to expand on what you talk about at your speeches, so your speeches can effectively act as convincing marketing material for a much more extensive look at what you work on. You may also be able to sell ebooks to those who may not be able to afford to hire you or attend one of your more public events.
Running a business on the road
The life of a keynote speaker is one that sees you traveling from place to place, often country to country. This might sound glamorous and, often, it definitely can be. There are some very nice perks to networking with decision-makers and thought leaders in your industry of choice. However, it’s also demanding. Look at the tips on running an online business while traveling the world from Northeastern University and pay attention. After all, most keynote speakers do not work entirely alone, they have an admin team that is helping them book gigs and sell books from home, and you have to be able to manage them from afar.
Be loose and be comfortable with your emotions
You might think that having a buttoned-down approach to giving a speech and being able to communicate clearly and concisely are the most important skills when it comes to a career in public speaking. However, it’s empathy and emphatic communication that will really grab the attention of your audience most of the time, and you have to be able to tap into that. Humans naturally crave an emotional connection, so if you feel like you have a swell of emotion coming while you’re making a point, be willing, able and comfortable with hopping on that wave. Gesticulate, raise your voice, and don’t be afraid to tap in humor, or even a little intensity, to help drive a point home.
If you want to make sure that your speeches are always relevant, you can’t just rely on the career you’ve had in the past. Your stories are going to lose relevance as time goes on. As such, you are going to want to stay up to date. You can do this by following publications and blogs that speak to your niche and applying your insight into what news and trends you learn about there. But you should also use the experience and network you continue building as a keynote speaker. Take inspiration and borrow stories from your clients and attendees. For instance, if someone comes to you with a problem, speak about that problem and how your method or skills would solve that problem.
Be a good teacher
The truth about keynote or professional speakers is that the vast majority are also in the training business. Much like selling books and ebooks, it’s another way to add a new revenue stream to your repertoire. JobHero outlines the kind of steps you need to take to become a corporate trainer, but often it means getting some sort of certification to teach specific skills that are related to the topics that you speak on. As such, your training career, speaking gigs, and book can all come together as a holistic educational experience that sees you becoming a respected authority on your chosen subject.
Be competitive and productive
In order to truly excel in a public speaking career, you have to be laser-focused on finding new work. Depending on your niche, it can be a very competitive field indeed. What’s most important is that you’re always able to find an audience. As such, you should never turn down a speaking opportunity, even if you’re not entirely sure your audience is your usual one. Learn how to be able to get people together in a room. Networking and marketing both play a huge role in this, but you also need to be able to manage your time well enough to be able to travel from place to place as your work demands it. If you can’t, your rivals will be taking the opportunities you miss.
Keynote speaking is not an easy career. It involves life on the road, a lot of introspection and insight, and being able to hold a crowd’s attention time and time again. But, hopefully, the tips above can help you with that.
6 Ways To Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset Today
/in Entrepreneurship/by StrategyDrivenThis sounds like a recipe for disaster, but what if it’s the first ingredient in a recipe for great success? Followers wait to be told what to do, leaders and entrepreneurs forge ahead with new ways of thinking.
Developing the Entrepreneurial Mindset
How can we change our way of thinking to really build on this idea of seeing things as an opportunity? Developing this mindset takes work, and it’s a skill that needs practicing and honing. It doesn’t come overnight, which is why now might be the best time to start.
Being an entrepreneur means doing things first, being there first, and being in the right place at the right time (or at least making the place and time you’re in the right place and time!).
Here are some ideas on how to practice your entrepreneurial mindset: