[VIDEO] Are You Outsourcing Your Thought Leadership (Without Even Knowing It)?

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Are you abdicating your Thought Leadership (without even knowing it)?

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[VIDEO] Why Your Book Launch Isn't the Finish Line | Day 5 of #BookLaunchTruths

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In this final video in a 5-part series on #BookLaunchTruths, you’ll learn why your book launch isn’t the finish line - it’s starting point.

Although you want to use your time, money, and resources as best as you can leading up to the launch, many authors exhaust themselves and don’t have the stamina to continue promoting their book in the weeks and months that follow. If you want to change the conversation in your industry, you’ll need to maintain book sales and continue to grow your audience long after the excitement from the launch fades.

Watch video #5 for tips and strategies on how to build on the initial momentum from your launch and take steps to become a recognized leader in your category.

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[VIDEO] Why There is No One Size Fits All Book Launch Strategy | Day 4 of #BookLaunchTruths

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In this fourth video in a 5-part series on #BookLaunchTruths, you’ll learn why there is no “one size fits all” book launch strategy.

Although it’s tempting to copy or model the book-launch strategies that your favorite influencers are using, the reality is that their strategies may not work for you. Not only it is likely that you have a different audience and business model than they do, but you’re probably at a different stage in your career as a thought leader.

Watch video #4 for tips and strategies on how to design a book launch that’s right for YOU - your audience, budget, and goals.

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[VIDEO] Why Book Launches Take A Lot Out of You | Day 3 of #BookLaunchTruths

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In this third video in a 5-part series on #BookLaunchTruths, you’ll learn why launches can take a lot out of you (both physically and emotionally).

Regardless of how big your team or budget may be, there will always be more to do than you might think. Unexpected complications are a given, especially as you get closer to the actual launch. Not to mention, you’ll also encounter criticism and rejection along the way, which can impact your ability to confidently promote your book and inspire others to do the same.

Watch video #3 for tips and strategies on how to proactively manage the ups, downs, and uncertainties that can come from preparing for a book launch.

Click here to watch Day 4 of #BookLaunchTruths

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[VIDEO] Why Your Overall Book Launch Strategy Will Change Multiple Times | Day Two of #BookLaunchTruths

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In this second video in a 5 part series on #BookLaunchTruths, you’ll learn why your overall book launch strategy will likely change multiple times before, during, and after the launch of your book.

It’s easy to get frustrated or disappointed when things don’t work out, but know that change is just a normal part of the book launch process. When you are agile and willing to adjust your strategies, you’ll not only save yourself a lot of stress and headaches, but you’ll also likely spot some new opportunities to sell books that you might not have seen before.

Watch video #2 for tips and strategies on how to adjust your strategy in real time to make the most of your launch.

Click here to watch Day 3 of #BookLaunchTruths

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[VIDEO] Why No One Strategy Will Make You A Bestseller | Day 1 of #BookLaunchTruths

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In this first video in a 5-part series on #BookLaunchTruths, you’ll learn why no "one" strategy will make you a bestseller. 

After wrapping up the book launch for Joey Coleman's "Never Lose A Customer Again" (which ended up at #2 on the Wall Street Journal Business Bestseller list), I've been thinking about some of the realities of book launches that most authors only recognize after the fact. 

Just like you want to diversify your financial investments, it's good not to put all your launch strategies into one basket. For most authors, the reality is you won't know until AFTER the launch which strategies actually worked for you and which ones didn’t. 

Watch the video below for tips and strategies on how to create a well-rounded launch and maximize your efforts.

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[VIDEO] 3 Strategies to Build Better Strategic Relationships and Grow Your Audience

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There is no "shortcut" for growing your audience. Here are 3 strategies to help you build better strategic relationships. 

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[VIDEO] 3 Strategies for Creating Valuable Content Your Audience Wants

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I had a chat with a client last week about his content strategy and the challenges of creating relevant content that audiences find to be valuable. 

Can you relate? Even when you have a powerful message to share, it can be difficult to find the right topics, approach and structure to share that message through articles, videos and podcasts on a day-to-day basis. 

I put together a short video for you with the three tips I shared with my client on how to create fresh, relevant content that you’ll be inspired to produce and that your audience will find useful and worth their time. 

(BTW, my client used these tips to create a new article that was a big hit with his audience.) 

Let me know what ideas you gain as a result of watching the video. Enjoy!

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P.S. What questions or challenges are you facing around growing your impact as a thought leader?  Reply to this email with your questions, comments and ideas so I can incorporate them in future articles and videos! 

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[Video] Behind the Author Interview with Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant

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Did you catch the recent "Behind the Author" interview with Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant? It was a great discussion about the reality of publishing, launches, and what it takes to make a lasting impact as an author and thought leader. 

Here's what two attendees had to say about it:

 "You guys did a great job of sharing with truth and candor, which is really refreshing." 

 "Thanks for a provocative and insightful discussion!"

Click on the video above to watch the interview and hear the "inside scoop" on their overall strategy and how it impacted their publishing pathway, endorsements, launch strategy, bulk sales and more. You'll also gain some valuable insights that you can apply to your own book project and strategy for growing your impact as a thought leader. 

Once you watch the interview, I would love to hear your feedback and insights! You can leave your comments below or use the contact form here. Also, stay tuned for future interviews in the Behind the Author series!

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I have a limited number of slots each month.  Please submit your name and email address below and I will get back to you with the times I currently have available.  All sessions will be booked on a first come, first served basis.

If you need to book a full strategy session, please click here.

3 Tips from Michael Port's Heroic Speaking Event

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I just returned from Michael Port's Heroic Public Speaking event - wow, it was incredible!  I've seen a lot in the "speaker training" world, but Michael's event is in a class of it's own.

As part of the event, I led two panel discussions on the "Business of Speaking" with six influential thought leaders you may know: Chris Brogan, John Jantsch, Scott Stratten, Bob Burg, Dorie Clark and Barry Moltz.

I put together a short video for you with three tips from the event that you can use to influence your audience, attract more speaking gigs and grow your impact as a thought leader.

Click on the image below to watch this short video.

P.S. If you have a message to share, I highly recommend you work with Michael. He's helped me become a much better speaker and he can do the same for you.

Book Your 15-Minute Comp Session

I have a limited number of slots each month.  Please submit your name and email address below and I will get back to you with the times I currently have available.  All sessions will be booked on a first come, first served basis.

If you need to book a full strategy session, please click here.

[VIDEO] Quick Announcement + Invitation

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I hope your year is off to a great start!

Also, I wanted to share a quick announcement and update with you - one that will help you expand your impact and results as a thought leader in 2015.

Click below to watch this short video (and time-sensitive invitation).

Book Your 15-Minute Comp Session

I have a limited number of slots each month.  Please submit your name and email address below and I will get back to you with the times I currently have available.  All sessions will be booked on a first come first served basis.

If you need to book a full strategy session, please go here

 


My Last Post (for now) and How I'm Preparing for a Great 2015

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Isn’t this a great photo? Of course, I’m a sucker for dogs (and guilty of watching one-too-many dog videos on Facebook!), but there’s something very attractive about how much Barney is loving life! 

Today’s email is the last one in this 10-week series based on a new keynote I gave back in September.  For that speech, the CEO asked me to talk about how to survive the inevitable setbacks on the thought leader journey and find your path to greater impact and results. 

If you look back at most of the images I used in the series, you’ll see that they were chosen to reflect how it can sometimes feel on the thought leader journey.

Since setbacks can turn into “stuck points,” I made sure to give you tools with each article to help you bounce back from rejections and “keep the faith” in your message and work. In wrapping up this series, I have one final message to share with you: 

Have Fun!

As thought leaders, we’ve all been given an amazing opportunity.  Whether your message + work helps people become better leaders, grow their businesses, communicate more effectively or even get healthy, you have an opportunity to change people’s lives!  This is a gift - not a prison sentence!    
Even though you may not feel your ability to impact others when you’re dealing with obstacles, this opportunity to sell your book, build meaningful relationships and grow a business around your purpose and calling is one that most people on this planet will never get to experience. 

That’s why Barney is a great model for how to approach your thought leader journey. 

Celebrate Your Successes 

When you look back on 2014, it’s easy to focus on what didn’t work or where you fell short.  Although it’s good to pinpoint the lessons and areas for improvement, we often do that at the expense of celebrating the successes - and having FUN! 

If you want a better year in 2015, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to reconnect with your why - and the JOY - of doing this work. 

Unlike what most employees of a company experience, YOU get to choose your own adventure - and find the right path for your message, book and business model. YOU get to choose how much you enjoy the conversations, keynotes, writing and events along the way - or not. 

If there are certain aspects of your work that aren’t working or are a drain on your energy, now is a perfect time to address and solve those issues. 

When you set an intention to have fun and enjoy the journey, you’re much more likely to attract the best opportunities for your message, book and business. 

Just ask Barney.

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My favorite Kenny Rogers song (and strategy for better biz relationships)

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Last week’s newsletter seems to have struck a chord. After sending out the email, I received a few replies and questions along these lines: 

“I’m doing my best to make the most of each opportunity - delivering great value, sending follow-up emails - but I can’t seem to make anything more happen with X person or Y organization. What do I need to do differently?” 

When your outreach efforts are ignored or shut down with a “polite” reply, you can sometimes feel like you’re a deer caught in the headlights. Ok, so it doesn’t always look or feel this dramatic (especially when Photoshop is not involved!), but it’s easy to feel as though you’re stuck, unable to move and unsure of where to turn or what to do next. 

Was it Something I Said? 

Hitting roadblocks like these can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you see so many potential ways to add value and to make an impact with a company or group.  In many instances, the roadblocks surface - through no fault of your own - in the form of leadership changes, budget cuts, internal politics and shifting timetables. 

In other instances, we unintentionally become our own obstacle by doing such things as making assumptions, using outdated (or wrong) strategies, fixating on outcomes and misreading people and situations. 

With publishing, speaking and media paradigms changing so rapidly and with multiple industries in constant flux, obstacles like these are becoming more common and more frequent.  In response to this new “normal,” thought leaders at all stages need to develop their ability to pivot. 

“Know When to Hold ‘Em, Know When to Fold ‘Em” 

When I’m working with my private clients, we talk about how to assess the energy in a relationship - and how to recognize when that energy is not currently “there.”  This ability is one of the most challenging ones to master on the thought leader journey. 

  • If your emails go unanswered after 3-4 follow-up attempts…   

  • If you get a canned reply to your thoughtful recommendations on how you could work together…

  • If you get a “Yes, let’s do it!” but can’t seem to schedule the next meeting….

...maybe it’s time to follow the advice of Kenny Rogers and fold ‘em? 

By folding, I don’t mean you should automatically give up or drop your keep-in-touch strategy with that person or group.  Instead, you just need to adjust your expectation that something is going to happen right now. 

The moment you realize that your “ideal” company isn’t in a position to hire you, go find 10 other ones that fit the same profile and work to build relationships with them. When you realize that the industry association you’re targeting is distracted by internal politics, seek out 10 other groups that have similar values and a history of partnering with thought leaders like you. 

The sooner you recognize the moment the energy shifts, the less frequently you’ll end up like the “deer” in the photo. As a result, you’ll also connect more quickly with that company leader, conference organizer or strategic partner that’s ready and able work with you - right now.

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How This Author Turned a Single Invitation Into 10 Speaking Gigs

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How can you transform a single invitation into a much bigger opportunity to grow your audience, attract clients and expand your impact as a thought leader? 

A few months before her book launch, my client, Barbara Trautlein, was invited to deliver a webinar for Project Management Institute (PMI), a large, global industry organization.  Given the size and relevance of their audience, the webinar presented a great opportunity for Barbara to share her message and to help launch her book, Change Intelligence. 

The virtual event was a huge success.  Even though the live webinar could only accommodate 1000 attendees, over 4000 PMI members registered for and downloaded the recording of her session. 

It’s All About the Follow-Through 

After the webinar, she followed up with attendees and the PMI leaders who had originally contacted her to continue the conversation and to explore additional ways to add value to the organization. 

These follow-up actions not only resulted in new subscribers, additional book sales and an immediate invitation to deliver another webinar, but also led to further introductions to other PMI practice leaders and key players within the organization. 

Since the initial webinar, Barbara has secured over 10 additional opportunities to partner with the organization, including two invitations to speak for the annual Global Congress, a paid keynote for the Chicago Leadership Forum, and speaking invitations for three regional events.  Over the past 18 months, she’s grown her brand and visibility within the international PMI community and directly reached over 15,000 potential readers, fans and clients - all from one single invitation. 

For 2015, she’s been invited to partner with them on some larger projects, giving her further opportunities to spread her message, grow her platform and expand her work with the companies and leaders who belong to PMI. 

Make the Most of Each Opportunity 

After the success of the May 2013 webinar, Barbara could have easily “moved on” to the next audience or have been distracted by the next launch event on her very full calendar.  Instead, she chose to make the most of the opportunity in front of her - to build a deeper relationship with PMI and their membership of over 700,000 - and is reaping the benefits of that decision. 

Take two minutes to reflect on the invitations and opportunities you have in front of you right now.  Ask yourself: 

  • What steps can you take to deliver more value for an upcoming event to help open the door for future opportunities?

  • Do you need to send a follow-up email after a recent keynote, guest post or interview to thank the host and request a chat to explore additional ways to partner together?

  • How can you effectively keep in touch with the relationships you’ve made within key organizations and groups to build trust and deepen the relationship?

By staying focused and choosing to make the most of each opportunity, your results will multiply and you’ll grow your impact and income more quickly and with less effort.

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