My 7 year old daughter Jenna loves to play baseball. In fact, she loves it so much she’s willing to play in a league where over 90% of the players are boys. We are nearing the end of the season and playoffs begin in a few days. She’s struggled to keep up with the team, playing mostly in the outfield and typically last in the batting order. Last Saturday, she had her best game of the whole season. It’s clear that she has gone to another skill level. This got me thinking about how Smart Women know the value of “showing up” when they have a strong desire to accomplish something.

A mentor once shared with me that 50% of accomplishing any goal is “showing up.” If you have a strong desire to grow your business, then it’s essential that you do the work that’s involved and that means “showing up” in places where your ideal client and potential referral sources are. In my work with women entrepreneurs, I offer coaching on how to set up a referral program that’s proven and successful to attract new clients in a very short period of time. There is work involved and they do have to “show up” by communicating to their referral sources what the program is and all it has to offer.

Jenna’s been playing in this league since February—just about 90 days. I’m going to share what I like to call “Jenna’s 90-day Program” to take her to the next level of skill in baseball, which can also help you go to the next level of success in your business:

1. Attitude – This is the most important asset to have when you “show up” in life. People are attracted to those who have a positive attitude. You are more productive and creative when you have a good attitude. Jenna has been last in the batting order and sat out innings during the game, however she has maintained a positive attitude.

2. “Show up” consistently – “Show up” at meetings and conferences where your ideal client is present. When you find the right fit, join the group, become a member and attend consistently so that people can become familiar with who you are and how your business can help them. I’m a member of a Mastermind group and a few women’s professional networking associations where I consistently make new contacts and enjoy new business. By the same token, Jenna has never missed a game or a practice.

3. Coaching and Mast reminding – This has been an enormous key to the growth and success of my business. I continually surround myself with coaches and mentors who’ve already walked the entrepreneurial path that I’m on. Their guidance and support has enabled me to quickly reach my goals. Jenna’s league has excellent coaching. They make it fun and at the same time, teach the players core skills needed to play the game.

Performing and engaging in these three easy, simple tasks for 90 days has taken Jenna to a new level in baseball. It was evident at last Saturday’s game. Are you wondering what might happen to your game of entrepreneurship if you started “showing up” with a great attitude, being consistent in your efforts and had some valuable coaching or mentorship? I invite you to create your own 90-day action plan using these simple tools and see what happens.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at Profits With Passion .

A few nights ago, we watched “Mr. Magorium’s Magical Emporium” with Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman. It’s a fun and light family movie with a wonderful message. I won’t give away the plot or ending, however at one point in the movie, Dustin Hoffman (Mr. Magorium) smiled and said to Natalie (who at the time was going through a big life transition) “Your life is an occasion; rise to it.” This got me thinking about how Smart Women know this well.

If you think about the word “occasion”, what comes up for you? For me, an “occasion” means a special or important time, a celebration or ceremony. When I wake up on the day of an important occasion, I feel a quiet excitement inside—anticipation about how this special time in my life will unfold. Don’t get me wrong. If I’m in charge of the occasion like planning a family member’s birthday party or some other big event, there’s some anxiety that goes along with the “occasion.”

Do you ever wake up in the morning thinking of your life as a celebration or a day that’s special? I typically need a strong cup of black coffee before I can think about anything in the morning and with a busy family in tow and a vision for my business that seems to never stop, some days can be more of a challenge than a celebration! However, I’m working on adjusting my attitude to reflect more of a celebration in my life and making each day feel special.

How am I going to do that? I’ve been spending some quiet peaceful time over the last few days asking myself a few questions on how I can make my life more of an “occasion” each day. I want to live my life fully and with no regrets. I want to (hopefully!) teach my children and the people around me to do the same. Here are a few questions I’ve been asking myself lately:

1. What do I want? That’s a big question isn’t it? So simple and yet so enormous. It’s a great question to ask yourself if you’re curious about your life, your future and your legacy. Your life is defined by the choices you make along the way. I invite you to get some paper, a favorite pen and the beverage of your choice and sit in a spot that’s peaceful and quiet where you can really get in touch with your internal voice—your soul. Take a deep breathe, ask the question and then write whatever pops into your mind. A word of caution; don’t censor your answers. Try and avoid judgments.

After you finish this, you can go on with the n ext question which is:

2. Is what I’m currently doing in alignment with what I want in my life? We can say we want something but if we don’t actually take the right action steps to make it happen, it will most likely never materialize or come to fruition. If I want to get in better physical shape or take my business to the next level, I have to ask myself if the current daily, weekly and monthly action steps will eventually get me to the place I want to be.

Take a look at your current life. Does it match up to what you want? If so, bravo! You are on your way. If not, then you need to ask yourself the next question:

3. What are the changes I need to make to get what I want? This can sometimes be the most challenging part of the process. Why? If you’re willing to acknowledge that change needs to take place in order for you to have more of what you want in your life, then you must contemplate taking the next step which is actually making the desired changes to get you on course and moving in the right direction. A wise mentor once shared with me that “change does not always mean success, but success always means change.”

In the movie, Natalie Portman struggled a bit with this process but in the end, it was accessing her own internal voice and her belief that helped her to begin a new life journey toward achieving what she wanted in her life. I invite you to get in touch with your internal voice. Allow her to come out and into your life. It will surely be a special “occasion.”

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at Creating The Spark .

I just listened to a teleclass with social media expert, Amber Mac where she shared a few tips to help your business become more visible online. In order to achieve ultimate success, you need both an online and offline presence. In my article last week, I offered some tips and solutions on the value of an offline presence. Today, I’m sharing some key online presence tips.

Effective marketing is a lot like cooking—you need more than one ingredient to make the perfect dish. Your ideal client is looking at both online and offline marketing to find your service. You want to make sure that no matter what method is used, they will find you as the expert or “go to gal” in your industry. If you have a consistent marketing message, online marketing is a wonderful tool to reach more people and get them connected to you and your business.

There are many choices available when making the decision to create your online business presence. Here are a few basic online “ingredients” you’ll need to get yourself up to speed:

1. Web Site – In today’s world, your web site is similar to the business card years ago—(If you’re in business then you must have a business card) same idea with the web site. It establishes you as a “real” business. Here’s the good news: It doesn’t need be anything costly or fancy. A basic WordPress web site describing who you are, what services you offer, and how to contact you is important and the investment is around $500. As soon as possible, you’ll want to add rave reviews from happy clients, as well as a system for capturing people’s information when they visit your site so you can continue to stay in touch with them.

2. Social Media – Using sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, just to mention a few, are great ways to get your message out about your business to your ideal client. The best part? It’s free. Any time you have the chance to market to large numbers of your ideal client for free—do it.

3. Blog – Blogging is a great way to attract your ideal client by writing or posting interesting articles and tips on something that’s in your area of expertise. People who identify with your message will be attracted to your blog and sign up to receive your posts.

4. Article Submissions – Submitting your articles to article web sites like www.ezinearticles.com is another useful tool to get you known as an expert in your field. Feeling like you aren’t a writer and not sure what to contribute? I certainly felt this way early on in my business. However, I’ve learned how to take the important work I do with women entrepreneurs and document that into useful information that I know other women would be interested in. Sit down and think about what you do most effectively with your clients. Make notes about what you do for your client that is useful and write about how you do that.

5. Ezine – This is something that I use that you can relate to right this minute. You are reading my online newsletter (referred to as an “ezine”) that I send out every week to Smart Women all over the world. This is an excellent tool for staying in touch and continuing to “showcase” how you help people with your service. One tip: Don’t overthink this. Often times, my clients will hold off on doing this because they aren’t sure how to get started. A simple email with a quick tip sent on a regular basis is all that you need in the beginning. When I started using online resources 5 years ago, I sent out a pdf document using my AOL personal account every 6 weeks. The results were wonderful and they can be for you as well.

In my work with women entrepreneurs, I support them in choosing the right “ingredients” for their business both online and offline to make a winning recipe for entrepreneurial success. Take some time this summer to choose which ingredients will take your business into the spotlight as the “main” course.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.
*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at Profits With Passion .

A few days ago, I happened to get caught in the typical bumper to bumper LA traffic near the location of my last “job” before I began my journey as a woman entrepreneur. I had some time to reflect on where I was back then and where I am today. As the images of my life passed through my mind much like the scenes in a movie, I asked myself, “How did I go from where I was back then to where I am today?” The answer popped into my mind almost immediately: I took action. Smart Women make their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals happen.

Back then, I was working as a business manager and marketing consultant for a very prominent physician in Los Angeles. I was making decent 5 figure money, however I didn’t own my car and I was renting an apartment with a roommate to make ends meet. The office where I worked was located in glamorous Beverly Hills, however the location of my desk inside the office was anything but glamorous. I sat in an area that was a “pass through” for every employee so I never had any privacy. If I leaned really far to my left, I could see some trees outside the window of my boss’s office. I longed for an office with a window view and an apartment all to myself.

Today, along with my beautiful family, I have my own business, Smart Women Smart Solutions® with an office in my home that has a panoramic view of blue sky, trees and mountains and I’m about a mile from the Pacific Ocean.

What changed? I changed. One thing I know for sure is that nothing changes until you do. If you want something in your life to change, then you have to be willing to make a change. Sounds simple doesn’t it? I must admit that it’s not that simple and along the way there have been bumps in the road. However, I would not change a thing.

I can’t share my entire journey with you in this article however, I do want to share 6 of the key essentials that took me from where I was – basically “surviving,” to today where I’m fully “thriving.”

1. Get Curious – I became an entrepreneur by accident. I wasn’t earning the money that I truly desired and when it became apparent that I was never going to in my job, I started to think about another alternative. I began dreaming, reading, researching and asking questions to anyone who might be able to give me some ideas on starting a business. Today it’s so much easier because of the internet. Google is at your fingertips to ask just about any question you can think of.
2. Get Moving – Once I landed on an opportunity that felt right for me in terms of money invested verses profit to be made, I began to look for ways to secure the money I needed to get started. I was considered a “credit risk” to many banks and was turned down quite a few times before I secured my first loan.
3. Keep Trying – Anytime you do something new, you’re bound to make mistakes and becoming an entrepreneur is no different. You will make mistakes. The key is to get up when you fall down and learn from the mistake. I’ve made numerous mistakes over the years and I paid attention to what I did wrong and learned how to do it right the next time.
4. Keep Learning – Take classes in areas of learning to get you up to speed on new, innovative ways to build your business. I enroll in classes all the time both offline and online to learn more about ways to increase my business and marketing. With all of the teleclasses and webinars there are today, it’s become so easy to learn from anywhere.
5. Get Support – Having coaches and mentors is one of the best investments I’ve ever made. Having a trusted “partner” on the journey who sees my situation through a different lens has been a big reason for my success. Having a supportive spouse, family and friends has played a big role for me as well. Make sure you surround yourself with people who champion your dreams.
6. Stay Focused – Decide what it is you want to accomplish and stay on course to make it happen. I’ve veered off course myself many times and I have to remember the answer to “Why am I doing this?” so I can ground myself again and stay focused on my desired outcome.

I invite you to stop dreaming and start acting on your Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals. One of my favorite quotes from Einstein is “Vision Without Execution is Merely Hallucination.” Stop hallucinating. Take action today and make it happen.

*****

© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at Smart Women Smart Solutions Coaching .

By now, everyone knows that LeBron James, one of the world’s greatest basketball players, has left the Cleveland Cavaliers after 7 years. He’s finally made a decision to make the Miami Heat his new home where he will continue to exercise his passion, energy and talent for the game. LeBron took a lot of “heat” for his decision to leave his home state. You may be asking yourself, “Why should I care?” As I watched the reaction to his decision, it got me thinking about how Smart Women have similar situations in their life as well. Huh?

LeBron James had a difficult decision to make. Stay in his home state and continue to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers or reach out of his comfort zone and try something new. He has publicly shared that winning a championship title is his greatest dream. He knew that he had to make decisions that were in alignment with his goals and that decision was not popular with many people around him.

I’ve been supporting women for over 5 years in my coaching work and one theme that continues to run through women’s lives is the ability to give themselves “permission” to be who they are and pursue their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals. I know women who work outside the home and want to be at home with their children and leave the workplace. There are also women who are at home and they have a strong desire to own a business and combine their love of family with business ownership. There are scores of women who have Big Ideas about what they’d like to do with their lives. And yet, many do not take the steps to make their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals a reality. Why? You may be uneasy about what others will think of you or fear you will be perceived as selfish or not loyal to those who depend on you. You may have that familiar feeling of fear that creeps up every time you have a great idea. Remember, fear is a natural partner to creativity.

When I was 29 years old and just beginning my journey as an entrepreneur, I had quite a few people who “encouraged” me to stay employed in my current job. I remember a family member saying, “Joy, don’t rock the boat.” This advice was out of love and caring for me but it wasn’t what I needed to hear. I knew that this was the only way for me to feel happy and fulfilled.

How about you? Do you dream of doing something new or different with your life? Here are a few quick tips on how you can get started:

1. Take a Time Out – give yourself permission to take some quiet, peaceful time to reflect on what is missing from your life. Grab a pen and paper and jot down everything you feel abundant about in your life and then reflect on what would make it even more fulfilling. It hasn’t always been easy for me to blend my family with my business dreams and goals; however I’ve found a way to have both. Instead of thinking about how it won’t work, get creative and begin to think of how to make it possible.2. Ask Yourself a Question – Am I doing what I want in my life or am I doing what other’s think I should be doing in my life?3. Find Your Courage – Create a vision about how you would feel if you could have that goal or dream come alive in your life. Breathe that in for a moment. Create a vision board about your Big Idea, Dreams and Goals. This process helps to keep the momentum alive and it’s a visual reminder to those around you.

I watched the interview with LeBron James when he announced his decision to join the Miami Heat. Some will say it was all about the money and I’d be foolish to think that it wasn’t a motivator. However, I noticed something different in the interview. LeBron felt a certain loyalty and sadness about leaving the Cavaliers. After all, he’d given them 7 years of his gifts and talent. He realized his dream is to be a part of something new, something bigger, something that would allow him to exercise his gifts in a bigger way. LeBron had to exercise his confidence and courage to embrace his own dream and take the steps to move closer to his vision. You have the opportunity to embrace your confidence and courage as well. You have permission to be exactly who you need to be, and make the necessary changes in order to live a life that is fueled with energy, passion and purpose.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****

© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at Creating The Spark .

A few weeks ago, I took a vacation with my family to New York City. While there, we visited the American Girl® store. My daughter Jenna loves this store, and it’s easy to understand why so many girls are attracted to this brand. When you enter the store, the “experience” begins. This got me thinking about how Smart Women could learn from American Girl® how to build a business image or brand that lasts.

If you are a woman entrepreneur, your goal is to create brand awareness with your ideal client. It’s essential that you develop a marketing “mantra” that communicates to people on a continual basis what benefits you offer your clients and how they will be transformed or better off after they work with you.

American Girl® does this beautifully. They have a unique product. It’s not just any doll. You have over 20 choices of dolls to choose from, and you can customize the doll’s look and personality. For example, you can create a doll that loves sports (Jenna’s favorite), nature, or one from a specific historical time period. The entire store is set up so you can experience all of the dolls in different settings and choose exactly which one is perfect for you.

Here are a few tips you can use to boost your brand awareness for your business. These are effective whether you are just getting started or have been in business for a few years.

1. Create a logo – What is it that you do for your clients? Choose colors and a logo that represent your business. For example, my marketing has a lavender and ivory color scheme, and my logo is the nautilus shell because it’s my belief the nautilus shell is a near-perfect representation of a woman’s life. The American Girl® has the famous star graphic, as they want every girl to know she’s a star no matter who she is or what her preferences are.

2. Create an “experience” – Think about the process you use with your clients. Is it enjoyable and relaxing? For example, if you are an attorney, think about what you can do to make their visit memorable. Maybe it’s serving their beverage in a beautiful glass with a colorful, thick napkin (maybe with your logo on it?). From the first phone call or meeting, you need to develop your stand-out style in order to create a lasting memory with people.

3. Give them what they want – Make sure the services you offer are what the client wants and not what you want to serve them. When I first started my Women’s Success Circles over five years ago, I offered an all-day, one-time-per-month Success Circle. I had women who enrolled in the all-day Circle; however, most women could not devote an entire day to this process. Guess what? I was offering what I wanted them to have—not what they wanted. Once I created a half-day program, women flocked to the Circles. I had to make a change to what they wanted and give them the benefits and transformation they were looking for.

Now some of you may be reading this and thinking, “I’m just getting started, Joy. I’m a solo entrepreneur and not even close to being American Girl®.” Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl®, was a teacher, writer and publisher of children’s books. She created the American Girl® idea out of her love and interest in history. She had no formal business training, and yet her Big Idea is known to millions of people. When you find a process or system that’s working, I invite you to notice how you can learn from it and use it to enhance your Big Idea, Dreams and Goals.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.
*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at Profits With Passion .

Last weekend, I spent the day alone with my 7 year old daughter Jenna and it was grand. We went shopping, had lunch together and enjoyed a great afternoon. I felt a much stronger bond with her when the day ended. This got me thinking about how it’s the quality of the time you spend and not the quantity that matters in every area of your life.

Let’s face it, women have very busy, demanding lives. We are mothers, wives, partners, daughters, siblings, friends, community activists, employees and business owners. There are times when quantity is all I have to give because my plate is overflowing with “to-do’s. I’m there physically but not present in the moment. I’m busy “doing” rather than “being” because I’m thinking about so many things at once. Can you relate?

Last weekend, I was reminded that it’s about quality time and being present for the important parts of our lives. As I reflect on my special time with Jenna, I realize that this can be carried over to every aspect of my life. I can apply this thinking to my self-care, my relationships and my business.

Here are a few quick tips on how you can bring more quality time into your self-care, relationships and business:

1. Your Self-Care – This is typically the last thing on your list—right? Sometimes, when I talk about nurturing yourself first, I get these weird looks from women as if I’m some sort of an alien. It’s not natural for women to put themselves before others. We are nurturers by nature, however it’s essential that you give yourself quality time so that you can recharge your own battery. By the way, I didn’t truly understand this concept until after the age of 40. Getting a massage, practicing solitude or taking a bubble bath are great ways to nurture yourself.

2. Your Relationships – Spending quality time is so much more important than the quantity of time we spend with our family and friends. I find that an afternoon or evening with one of my children or husband where I’m truly present is worth more than spending an entire weekend while being distracted by life’s twists and turns. Schedule some “special” time with those you love. It will create a stronger bond and you’ll walk away feeling much more connected.

3. Your Business – If you aren’t careful, you can find yourself working “in” your business rather than “on” your business. It’s easy to get caught up in all the emails, social media and busy work that is part of running a business. Every week I have a meeting with myself and get very present about the direction of my business and goals. I’m checking- in to make sure that the steps I’m taking daily, weekly and monthly are in alignment with where I want to go. It is only then that I can communicate effectively to my team about the vision of Smart Women Smart Solutions®.

I have the opportunity to work with some amazing smart women. They are women with Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals which means they are leading very full lives.

Sometimes the feeling of guilt can creep in when they are on the journey to getting what they want and deserve in life. I invite you to schedule in some quality time for own self-care, your cherished relationships and your business goals.

Having this realization that it’s about quality time not quantity time sure makes me feel a lot better about all of the roles I play in my life. It can for you too.

*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at Creating The Spark .

A few weeks ago, I took some time to evaluate where most of my clients come from and the two areas where I consistently receive highly qualified clients are referrals from happy clients and public speaking. It’s essential that you spend your valuable time doing the things that consistently bring you the clients that you love to work with. This week, I’m going to focus on public speaking as I get many questions from Smart Women on this topic.

Speaking to your target market is a wonderful way to reach more people in a short period of time and get your message out about how your product or service can help them. It works well because your target audience can get to know you on a more personal level and get a feel for your style and personality.

You may be reading this and thinking, “I’ve never done any public speaking and I’m not feeling very confident about it.” I understand completely. I started speaking 15 years ago because I had a mentor at the time who insisted this was a great way for me to grow my business. It was not by choice and I tried (unsuccessfully) numerous times to avoid the process. I remember my first speaking engagement. I had purchased a $300 silk suit to wear for the occasion. I was so nervous that I was sweating the entire time. By the end of the presentation, I was soaked! The suit was ruined. I sent it to the dry cleaners but it could not be saved. After that first presentation, little by little, I became a better speaker and more confident in my ability.

If you’ve been thinking that speaking is a tool that could help you grow your business and get your message out, you should take the leap and go for it. Here are some tips and solutions that will help make the process a lot easier:

1. Choose a Topic – Pick a topic where you have expert knowledge. Think about a problem or challenge that you solve for your clients. Create a presentation around this and include 3-5 main points that will be benefit your audience.

2. Use the KISS Principle – Divide your talk into 3 main areas. The beginning is your introduction where you create a desire for the audience to listen to you by sharing your level of expertise. Don’t forget to share your vulnerability as well. People love hearing that you’re not perfect and you’ve made mistakes too! The middle is the 3-5 main points you want to share on your topic. The ending is where you let them know how they can get more information and how they can work with you.

3. Offer a Free Gift – Ask everyone to fill out a form with their name and email address. Put the forms into a basket and have the host pull out some lucky winners for a free gift. For example, it could be a free session with you, a free book or e-book. People love free gifts! Let the audience know that they will hear from you in the future about special offers or new products and services. This is an excellent list building tool. (I see many speakers forgetting this step and it’s one of the most important!)

4. Give Them Something to Buy – If you have a table at the event (many events offer a table to speakers at little or no extra charge) have your products and brochures, with descriptions about your service, available. After you finish speaking, get back to your table as quickly as possible so that people who are interested in asking questions or interacting with you can approach you easily.

5. Follow-Up After the Event – After the event is over, make sure you follow-up with the event host and find out how they felt about your presentation. This is an excellent way to learn what went well and if there are some areas for improvement. Be sure to ask the host for a testimonial about your speaking. This is an invaluable tool to have on your web site media page and marketing materials.

You can start with a small group (5-10 people) and move on to larger audiences along the way. Over the last 15 years, I’ve spoken to groups of people that had an audience of 5 people as well as groups of up to 750 people. The number isn’t what’s important. They key is to inspire a few people who identify with you and want to work with you to help solve their problem or challenge. Speaking has made a tremendous difference in my business. It can make a difference in your business too.

*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at Creating The Spark .