by Ann Evanston | Feb 20, 2014 | Influence Factor, Speaking Strategy
Speaking is a Marketing strategy! Oh yes, it is! I have been speaking in front of audiences since the seventh grade! Yeah, I actually started Toastmasters back then and my first audience of 10,000 was in 1985! I was on stage with the Rev. Jesse Jackson! What has that got to do with anything you might ask? Well, the #1 way to market your business is not social media like they want to tell you on Facebook, LOL! It’s to get in front of an audience.
Many of you though have heard this before haven’t you? AND many of you get on stages don’t you? You’ve been on the meet-ups, you ask the networking event leaders, in your community, you look for the associations online, and you’re getting speaking gigs for free with the opportunity to sell in the back of the room.
But you’re not selling your service. And that sucks. As a matter of fact, you are probably told you are FABULOUS…but…
In the late 90s I was actually a speaker for CareerTrack, Fred Pryor Seminar’s, and National Seminars Group. As a speaker for them the way we made our money is just like you do now–> selling a product and service to them via the “back of room”. I actually think that’s where that phrase has come from, “BOR”. Now it is the common way on stage, speak for free and you can “make an offer”. If you close 4 people a month you would be happy.
You see that speaking is a marketing strategy….but…you are not closing as you desire.
While I was doing that, I was the top 1% in sales and I was the only woman in that top 1% the others were male! I even had the honor of developing a sales program for other public seminar speakers and teaching them how to improve the process.
So what’s the point? Getting on stage and being told how inspirational you are, how much they learned from you, how fabulous your presentation was, how they can’t wait to go home and implement the things that you shared is awesome. But if you are fighting for the sale, keep hearing excuses, or flat out getting no “bites” you have a gap between what you speak on and being able to sell your service.
That’s just it though, Speaking is a MARKETING STRATEGY. You haven’t learned the STRATEGY, you are just speaking!
Now I have taken what I do so naturally, what I taught speakers 10 years ago and created it for service-based entrepreneurs to learn the strategy. They are steps you can implement. I even created a FREE video series to learn how. 5 days, 5 steps…awesome.
It’s time- to learn this and BE Bad-Assery when you use speaking as a marketing strategy. Get the videos NOW!
I am giving you this great content and it doesn’t cost you a PENNY! At the same time, it isn’t free! Here is what I ask:
#1. I want you to tell me a story what you spoke your HEART out, was sure you’d sell and nothing happened. Tell me what you changed, and how it helped you. Leave a comment. Share anything you can that you think will benefit the Warrior-Preneur community.
#2. Do you have a friend who you think needs to see this? Someone like a life coach, a social media marketing expert, or anyone that offers products and services? Send them a link to this article.
I’m giving you this valuable information to encourage you to step into your Bad-Assery business success! It doesn’t cost you one single cent, but if you find it valuable I ask that you share it with 3 friends (email, facebook, or your social media choice) in exchange for payment.
by Ann Evanston | Feb 19, 2014 | Influence Factor, Mental Mind Shifts
The journey of becoming a spiritual warrior! Being a Warrior is not just about fighting, that is a common mistake people make huh? The journey of becoming a spiritual warrior is one of the most powerful ones. Would you be willing to help a fellow businesswoman if she was in need? It’s an interesting question, because I think most of us the answer would automatically be a resounding “YES”. If the opportunity The universe recently provided me with an opportunity to reach out and be supportive and create success for another businesswoman.
A current high-level client of mine is going through some tremendous health issues. She is very sick surgery and is in her future as well as long-term treatment. As a young woman on the cutting edge of what she is doing it is devastating to see her have to put her business and life on hold for her help. Rightfully so, her Health takes priority of course.
Interestingly, the stress of clients who have paid her, money already spent, is compounding her ability to heal as she deals with her health. As a spiritual warrior, I simply offered to provide solutions. I asked her how can we WOW these customers right now so they don’t feel like you are making them wait. At first she said she did not know what help to ask for. I offered suggestions. And then said, I am NOT asking for payment. I am just wanting to help another Warrior-Preneur when she most needs it. We know her clients understand. Right now though, they are ready to makes changes in their lives and work. In a matter of 15 to 20 minutes we were able to figure out powerful and creative ways that we can reach out to her clients, I can support her and wow those customers.
Would you be willing to do that? Offer a coaching session, design a logo, offer an online class that you have, do a group call…for FREE… if it helped a fellow businesswoman out?
I’m deeply saddened by how ill she is and pray every day that she will be well and come back the feisty fierce woman I know she is. Tears come to my eyes thinking about that. Yet the joy I feel and being able to give some of my time and resources absolutely for free so that she has a win in relationships with people and her business is huge.
That is the journey of a spiritual warrior.
I am giving you this great content and it doesn’t cost you a PENNY! At the same time, it isn’t free! Here is what I ask:
#1. I want you to tell me a story about your journey becoming a spiritual warrior. Tell me what you changed, and how it helped you. Leave a comment. Share anything you can that you think will benefit the Warrior-Preneur community.
#2. Do you have a friend who you think needs to see this? Someone like a life coach, a social media marketing expert, or anyone that offers products and services? Send them a link to this article.
I’m giving you this valuable information to encourage you to step into your Bad-Assery business success! It doesn’t cost you one single cent, but if you find it valuable I ask that you share it with 3 friends (email, facebook, or your social media choice) in exchange for payment.
by Ann Evanston | Feb 13, 2014 | Influence Factor
Are you wanting to build your influential voice? It is necessary for business success. I heard a paraphrasing of something that author Joan Didion said in the Atlantic Monthly when she was interviewed. In my mind, especially this day and age, writing is critical if you want to develop your influential voice, and have a Bad-Assery business.
Joan Didion was phrased as saying: “writing is an hostile act.” That it is about: “imposing your will on the world.” She says there is one sound that is common in all writing: I .
I think this is why so many of my clients struggle with speaking and writing because they aren’t willing yet to impose their will on the world. See to get to a place where you have an influential voice where your tribe is called to you, you must be willing to impose your will on the world. To speak in front of an audience and have them want what you sell, you have to impose your will on the world.
Your warrior must be willing to step to the greater vision. Your heart must be called to share why you think the change needs to be made in the world. Your intuition must be willing to call out and share the inadequacy’s indecency’s you see around you.
REALLY ANN? Ok, well, you at last have to have AN OPINION. A viewpoint. One you own, YOU claim.
Are you willing to share your will on the world. Are you willing to show your influential voice?
Ultimately, what I believe Joan is saying is that in order to write and even speak effectively, you have to put a piece of you in it. Anyone can just speak words. Anyone can just write information. But can you do it in a way that moves, compels, and inspires. To do that you have to take a side, have a viewpoint, and strive for the change that you want. In my Compel. Speak. Sell. MasterMind I teach creative, intuitive entrepreneurs how to build compelling brand story. Do you want to stnad up and out? Then get hostile with your writing!
I am giving you this great content and it doesn’t cost you a PENNY! At the same time, it isn’t free! Here is what I ask:
#1. I want you to tell me a story about a time when you did not own your worth and it stopped you from achieving something in your business. Tell me what you changed, and how it helped you. Leave a comment. Share anything you can that you think will benefit the Warrior-Preneur community.
#2. Do you have a friend who you think needs to see this? Someone like a life coach, a social media marketing expert, or anyone that offers products and services? Send them a link to this article.
I’m giving you this valuable information to encourage you to step into your Bad-Assery business success! It doesn’t cost you one single cent, but if you find it valuable I ask that you share it with 3 friends (email, facebook, or your social media choice) with 3 friends in exchange for payment.
by Ann Evanston | Feb 12, 2014 | Influence Factor, Mental Mind Shifts
A Warrior’s journey starts withIN. My journey, as well as the journey of so many clients I have worked with has LESS to do with what they do and MORE to do with finding themselves. I use a timeline technique with many of my clients to help them look at their lives and how their Warriors journey has created who they are and what might hold them back from their true unlimited space and potential.
When I look back at my journey I realize that being strong versus being vulnerable makes sense. We moved a whole lot when I was a kid. I mean a lot! Like every year until I was in the fifth grade. And then it was sixth-grade, middle school, high school, college, still moving and changing, at a slower pace, granted. But I never had the consistency of familiarity that many have growing up.
For me it just didn’t make sense as a kid to get too close to anyone, because I knew I’d have to move on. That for me built up a strength, a way of protecting myself that made it easier to deal with the situations at hand. But now as an adult often people see it is hard, or unbreakable, or not willing to share.
A warrior’s journey starts by going within and understanding this.
What’s interesting is that I have a very special relationship in my life now, my husband. And having someone that I can open up with and be myself on such a real level is amazing. He loves every part of me all the edges all the curves all the good all the bad! He made me realize that the more I show of myself the more love there is around. Okay, it’s not like we had a therapy session and he made me realize that, building this relationship has allowed me to realize it in myself!
Now I am working on being more vulnerable, sharing the struggles, the things that scare me…SCAREY and good at the same time…opening up how I feel to others that I used to never let in.
I have started, in my Women, Wine, Wisdom MasterMind, and with clients. The break throughs seem unreal (but that’s another blog).
Do you struggle with vulnerability, have you looked at your life and your introspective journey as to why who you are has created lessons for your life and passion? Might this be true for you?
by Ann Evanston | Jan 23, 2014 | Influence Factor
Finding the power of knowing who you are can be the biggest challenge stepping into your business success. I had the honor of seeing Lisa Nichols speak. If you’re not familiar with who she is, her story is a dynamic and compelling one for anybody who wants to be at the next level in their lives.
As I listened to her talking about how we each have the ability to be exceptional, and unstoppable, and even crazy I realized how important what I do is. See, at my monthly event I ask questions that make women in business feel uncomfortable (and that is another word she used regularly in her presentation was her job is to make you feel uncomfortable), because I want you, as a woman to find the power of knowing who you are . On my vision board in 2013, one of my core values is incite yes with a C not an S because I realized that stretching the zone of comfort, getting out of comfort is how we play a bigger game. See, my vision, in the true spirit of MasterMind is :
For Women of the World to come together in Collaboration versus Competition, to See and Grow in Abundance and Love, in the Spirit of Togetherness, while Honoring INdividuality.
So if you have been to my monthly wine event and you’ve been asked one of those questions that makes you uncomfortable now you know why I ask. I often start the event by telling you that many women will cry at least once at my event! Does that make you uncomfortable? Do you think that networking is about being an image of perfection for others? Are you willing to get uncomfortable be real within your self and share?
Because when you do we all grow with you, and step into the power of knowing who you are. And when one woman does, in a circle with others we all grow. And guess what it might feel crazy, but crazy is where greatness begins.
by Ann Evanston | Jan 2, 2014 | Influence Factor
I meet, throughout my journeys so many women who struggle with her influential voice because deep down inside, like a whisper, they think they’re a fraud. They start their businesses, they are inspired to do the work they do, and somewhere a voice whispers, “you’re a fraud.”
What makes so many think they are a fraud? Or maybe the better question is what made you think that you could do the work you do to begin with? There must’ve been something that made you know that you are capable, strong, and able to do the work you offer. But still a voice whispers, “you’re a fraud.”
How can you stand with your influential voice and call your tribe if what you hear inside is “you’re a fraud”?
I think the most important thing to realize is that often we choose the work that we do because of the introspective journey our warrior had to take, the fear and terror we had to confront – and we want others to know they can do it, and how to do it. For many, they are still on the journey while they teach it. That doesn’t make you a fraud.
So many of us have struggled just like the people that we want to serve! And sometimes we transform back to our old selves, and our bad habits, and that is why we so relate to what our clients go through. That does not make you a fraud. That makes you real. Human. Relatable.
When were you told that you had to be perfect in order to teach it to others? Doesn’t authenticity mean that you are able to share your struggle, journey, and travels on the same path that our clients are on? Wouldn’t your influential voice be powerful with the people you want to serve if you were able to honestly and openly share our own journey in the process? And aren’t you more effective if you are able to demonstrate to your clients that this is a journey NOT a destination?
Wouldn’t your influential voice be able to tell that whisper to SHUT THE HELL UP if you did?
I am giving you this great content and it doesn’t cost you a PENNY! At the same time, it isn’t free! Here is what I ask:
#1. I want you to tell me a story about a time when you heard that whisper and it stopped you from achieving something in your business. Tell me what you changed, and how it helped you. Leave a comment. Share anything you can that you think will benefit the Warrior-Preneur community.
#2. Do you have a friend who you think hears the whisper “you’re a fraud?” Someone like a life coach, a social media marketing expert, or anyone that offers products and services? Send them a link to this article.
I’m giving you this valuable information to encourage you to step into your Bad-Assery business success! It doesn’t cost you one single cent, but if you find it valuable I ask that you share it with 3 friends (email, facebook, or your social media choice) with 3 friends in exchange for payment.
Speaking is a Marketing strategy! Oh yes, it is! I have been speaking in front of audiences since the seventh grade! Yeah, I actually started Toastmasters back then and my first audience of 10,000 was in 1985! I was on stage with the Rev. Jesse Jackson! What has that got to do with anything you might ask? Well, the #1 way to market your business is not social media like they want to tell you on Facebook, LOL! It’s to get in front of an audience.
