Do You Stand Out or Blend In?

Every year there are over 15,000 new songs released to pop radio from different record companies trying to get a hit song for their artist. Yet, only a very small percentage of them every get much airplay. Why is that?

Could it be the quality of the recording? Probably not. Could it be in the quality of musicianship? Probably not. Could it be in the quality of the singer? Maybe, but probably not. Could it be in the amount of marketing & promotion of the artist? Maybe, but not completely. Or could it be in the quality of the song?

Yes, you got it. It’s usually about the song!

You see at this level of artistry, the quality of recording, musicianship, and singer shouldn’t be an issue. Each artist should be able to deliver a top-notch record that sounds very professional. But it takes more than good quality. The song has got to be great! Next, couple that with smart marketing & promotion of the artist and song and this is when everything can come together to deliver a Hit Record and a Hit Artist.

So how does this idea play to us as professional speakers who are in a very similar situation?

There are many speakers vying for the limited attention of meeting planners and speaker bureaus, so the competition is tight. The “speaker preview video” is the equivalent of an artist’s “new record.” It’s the one single source that is used to show a meeting planner what it is we do, how we do it, what the message is all about, and what’s so special about us that positions us as THE speaker to hire in order to hear this message. It has to Stand Out from all the many videos from every other speaker competing for the same business. It has to sell the sizzle of YOU! It has to get their attention quickly, convey your message, and leave them wanting more. It has to Stand Out and be a Rock Star Speaker Video!

But producing a video like this is not easy. Nor is writing and recording a “hit song” easy. Yet every year more and more speakers just like recording artists, throw good money after bad and don’t see any return from their hard work and investment. All they get is another video (or song) that will be discarded and thrown into the trash pile. They never make the positive impression they had hoped for and so desperately needed to get bookings.

SO WHAT MAKES A ROCK STAR SPEAKER VIDEO?

Your speaker video needs to rock-the-house. It needs to jump off the screen showcasing what you do best and that is on the platform speaking. The first 2 minutes of your video are absolutely crucial to success. If you don’t capture the viewers attention within this short period of time, then good-bye. You’re gone. It’s over. You’ve missed your opportunity to make it into what I call the “maybe pile.” You just get thrown into the trash pile. This way you will at least get a second chance to make your impression, but only if the first impression rocks.

You see, the planner is going to view the first few minutes only and make a quick decision whether they like the way you look, the way you talk, your energy, your style, your message, and the overall essence of who you are and then make the decision to say yea or nay…. Trash pile or Maybe pile. Then once they have gone through all of the videos, THEN they will get out your speaker packet with your one sheet, program description, testimonials, client list, bio, etc and watch further into your video to see if what you are all about is what they are looking for in their event. It’s only here, by making the “Maybe pile,” where you have a chance to get the gig.

Your video needs to sell the essence of you. It needs to stand out from the crowd. It needs to rock with energy, great music, great selection of speaking excerpts that show you delivering GREAT content & take-aways for your audience and it needs to show high production value in its presentation.

This is an art and needs to be produced by someone with experience in the meeting industry. The actual “art” of video production is not what I’m referring to; it’s the art of choosing what’s right for this industry and not what’s right for general entertainment purposes. Because if it was just about general entertainment, then a lot of producers could produce the video with the big announcer and testimonials and such and it could work, but meeting planners have seen it all and they want and need to see you on stage speaking.

Now after you have convinced them of your style, message & essence, then you can give them the big announcer and video bio where you tell them more about you and your background, but it’s the sizzle of the first two minutes that will win them or lose them.  You have to show value to their attendees. It’s the “what’s in it for me” syndrome.

There are plenty of cases of great speakers losing a gig because of a bad video. Don’t go there. Do what you need to do to get it right the first time. You won’t be sorry and a great video will pay for itself many times over. Work with a professional from both the video world and speaking industry to give you the insights that you need to be at the top of the game.

WHERE DO I TURN FOR HELP?

If you want to make sure you Stand Out from all the competition and sell the sizzle of you, then maybe I can help. I have produced over 130 speaker videos for some of the top speaker in the industry and I’d love to produce one for you. But I need to hear from you.

You can send an email to Robin@RobinCreasman.com and let me know that you want to talk about how I can help you Stand Out and deliver a Rock Star Speaker Video for you. You’ll get more business, make more money, and be more successful. I guarantee it!

Robin Creasman is a motivational speaker/entertainer, an award-winning television producer, author, marketing and entertainment expert who speaks to business leaders, salespeople, entrepreneurs, small business owners and professional speakers on how to Stand Out, Market and Perform Like A Rock Star whether they are on-stage, in the boardroom or on a sales call so they can grow their business, make more money and be more successful. You can reach him at Robin@robincreasman.com

Learn more at www.RobinCreasman.com

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