Julie Austin

Being an Expert in Your Speaking Career

By | May 30, 2013 | 11:17 pm

If you’re working as a speaker, you must be an expert at something. But what makes someone an expert? Does writing a book make you one? I could write a book about scuba diving. In fact, I could write a whole series of books about scuba diving, but it’ll never make me an expert.

sexpert speaker

expert speaker

I have a crazy theory that you should have actually put in a certain number of years into practice that which you claim to be an expert in. My doctor’s been practicing medicine for 30 years, but he’s never written a book. I would call him an expert.

The trifecta for speakers

But I’m not the one who makes the decision to hire speakers. And having a book and being high profile does appeal to plenty of meeting planners. Of course, if you have the experience and a book and you’ve gotten a lot of press, you’re way ahead of the game. (more…)

Julie Austin

Sponsorship Predicted to Go Up in 2013

By | February 10, 2013 | 7:40 am

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Sponsorship 2013

Sponsorship is proving to be one of the bright spots in an otherwise gloomy and volatile economy. An annual review from IEG predicts a 5.5 percent increase by North American companies in 2013 over the previous year. To break it down in numbers that’s approximately 13.79 billion.

Create brand loyalty with sponsorship

The reason for this is that sponsorship is one of the best ways to create brand loyalty and stand out from the competition. As advertising branches off into more niche markets, and multi platforms and channels, sponsorship is going to play an bigger role than ever. Sponsors want to be able to focus on their targeted market in new and different ways. They want to get up close and personal with their customers and let them know they are appreciated. Being able to target their needs and wants in person assures that they are getting the message.

Sponsorship 2013 – more value

For the entity looking for sponsorship they are going to have to create more value for the dollar. This really isn’t a big surprise, as sponsorship has been evolving and becoming more sophisticated through the years. It’s actually good news for the rights holders who are willing to go the extra mile.

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Julie Austin

Speaker Sponsor Launch

By | February 7, 2013 | 9:04 pm

Speaker Sponsor Launch Speaker Sponsor was started to insure that all professional speakers get paid for their time. You wouldn’t expect a doctor to perform surgery for free or for a landscaper to mow your lawn for free, so why are speakers expected to speak for free? The launch of a start-up is an exciting…

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Julie Austin

Are You a Motivational Speaker or an Inspirational Speaker?

By | March 12, 2012 | 11:40 pm

Motivational Inspirational speaker

The term “motivational speaker” may have developed a bad rap. So many motivational speakers who just fire up the audience but don’t really give them any solid advice for what they need to do once they leave. But a good motivational speaker will incorporate high energy motivation with user-friendly tips to help their audience improve their lives in some way. They should also weave in stories of people who have achieved great things. Give the audience the hope that they could also achieve greatness if they apply themselves. They should leave the audience with a call to action.

Inspirational speaker

An inspirational speaker, on the other hand, delivers a real and inspiring message of overcoming obstacles. Though the two overlap, an inspirational speaker is usually telling their own story of overcoming hardship more than just using generic stories. An inspirational speaker should instill a message of hope that they can succeed against all odds, no matter how rough life gets. They may or may not leave the audience with a call to action, but do leave them inspired. (more…)