It’s a tough time for most professional speakers. The recession has wiped out speakers with a weak value proposition. The same thing happened after 9/11. The most telling sign is the National Speakers Association convention, which is being held in Orlando next week. Just over 1,000 speakers are registered. When I joined in 1997, it was almost double that number. NSA is holding a special one-day session for all speakers earning at least a million dollars a year, and out the 1,000 speakers registered, only 24 of us have qualified. Some of the biggest names in the business didn’t make the cut. 9/11 and this recession has created a correction in the speaker’s market that was long overdue. The speaker’s who are still in business simply have the strongest value proposition, which includes platform skills, business acumen, and ability to deliver bottom-line results to their customers. This group and the new speaker’s who do the same will dominate the industry until the market is flush again, at which time the weak proposition speakers will work until the market corrects again. Watch this short video clip about the organization with the greatest value proposition in the history of business…and then follow their lead! Steve Siebold
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Interesting and very timely thoughts, Steve. As times get tougher (and they will do before they get better) there is an increasing demand for high-value information that will significanlty impact on personal energy, performance, resiliance and a stronger health position. We are seeing an INCREASE in interest in the corporate market in this area – not just me, but other professional speakers here in the UK, as companies and businesses begin to appreciate more the value of retaining and nurturing their top talent. The big stumbling block is not so much a lack of willingness to invest in speaking and consultation, but where they don’t want to be SEEN to be spending money on speakers or programmes that may be perceived by shareholders or, even worse, the media as being wasteful or “airey-fairy”. Once you get a foot in the door, presentations with high energy, impact and a strong challenge seem to be the most successful at leading through to on-going consultations, from what we’ve seen in the UK at least. Would this be true also for the US market do you think?