World of Speakers E.34: Rebekah Radice | Audience-centred presentations

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World of Speakers E.34 Rebekah Radice  Audience-centred presentations

Ryan Foland speaks with Rebekah Radice, the author of “Social Media Mastery: A Comprehensive Guide to Strategic Growth,” and recognized digital marketing expert. Rebekah has trained thousands of growth focused leaders on how to build a purpose-driven marketing system.

Ryan and Rebekah discuss extensively how audience-centred presentations work to spead your message effectively, build your speaking brand, and help keep pre-performance nervousness at bay.

Listen to this podcast to find out:

  1. What your audience cares about, and how to use this to power your message.
  2. How to change your focus from a generic message to one specifically created for the audience you are in front of.
  3. How to refocus yourself if you feel you are getting of track
  4. 10 ways to calm down and channel your energy before getting on stage.
  5. How to use a direct outreach to event organizers  approach to get more speaking opportunities (and what to prepare before you contact them.)

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ON ITUNES OR SOUNDCLOUD

 

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Transcript

Rebekah Radice: Hi this is Rebekah Radice.

I just got done talking with Ryan Foland on the World of Speakers.

We talked about how you can create a presentation that wows your audience.

Ryan Foland: Welcome, everybody, to another episode.

Today I'm excited because we are talking with Rebekah Radice. Did I get that right?

RR: That is really the true pronunciation. Of course, it got a little Americanized, it's Radice, but I like the rolling of the R's.

RF: Radice, I like that.

I saw you roll some R's up on the social media marketing world stage, 2 years in a row, and then we sort of connected on Twitter.

I love all your graphics and your checklists and all the stuff that you're doing. It really did break down communicating on social media.

I'm super pumped to have you here because you are not somebody who hides behind the computer. You are up on stage, you are around the world.

We want to learn about you, your tips and your advice on how everybody can find success like you did with combining the different types of communication online, offline, all that jazz.

I'm going to stop talking and ask you where did it all begin?

Where did The Radice start and how did it formulate?

RR: Ah, great question.

Speaking for me, in my early days my previous job was morning radio. I did that for 10 years.

My dad has been on the radio his entire life and I grew up in a studio, and I think that bug bit me very early on.

As I moved into radio, I realized that I had a definite love of the spoken word, the written word, just everything about it.

I saw how powerful it could be when you are able to take your message and translate it in a way that really impacts people.

As I left the world of radio, I went off and started my entrepreneurial career after that. It just stuck with me.

Initially, I moved into real estate and saw a big opportunity for training other realtors, for being able to show them how to use social media, how to use blogging, everything that I had started using around 2004 to build my business and started training people on how to do that.

That evolved into me speaking on bigger and bigger stages.

At the time, I don't think I had that huge desire to make a career out of speaking, out of traveling.

I just saw it as a fantastic way to bridge the gap between me and those that I think desperately wanted to learn in the early stages, how to get their businesses online, how to get out in front of more people.

I just had a real passion for training and teaching.

That, of course, evolved into a whole lot more. It evolved into a whole career where I stepped out of real estate and stepped strictly into the world of online marketing.

Speaking has been a huge pillar of my business since day one but it certainly evolved over the years.

RF: I love the radio beginning.

I've got a radio show as well as this podcast, and the fun part about live radio is that it's live. I treat these podcasts like they are live, but what an amazing experience to have the opportunity to grow up in that environment.

I want to know, what did your mom do, what was she into?

RR: My mom is a psychologist, and she was a stay-at-home mom.

She is now a professor and she is teaching. I was very fortunate, I had a mom that was home with me and my two sisters and just an amazing woman.

Both of my parents were very active in our lives. Like I said, I got to spend a lot of time with my dad in the radio studio, to kind of learn the behind the scenes.

And then, I had a very active mom. As a kid you have no idea that, "Hey, my mom is home and a lot of my friends don't get that luxury."

But now, I look back on that and all that she sacrificed for us, having her degree, she went back, got her master's and decided to stay home and raise us girls.

RF: That is awesome.

I was what one might call a "Latch Key Kid".

Both my parents were in education and classically, I had the key around my neck.

I didn't have that as much.

I think that's an amazing opportunity to just have such involvement.

What was nice for me was when summer came, since everyone is in education, we had a lot of time, we just spent like 3 months sailing on a boat together, so it made up for it there.

What kind of radio were you on? Were you in the production side of things or were you actually on the radio live using your voice?

RR: On the radio live, Top 40.

RF: What were the topics that you talked about?

RR: Oh goodness, just think about what they talk about on Top 40 radio stations, it was everything from what was going on in the world to culture. Of course, all of the music and the lifestyle happening around that.

It was pretty much a "no holds barred", we had a lot of fun.

RF: Has that translated to podcasting and training on podcasting as well?

Or, has your social media been more towards the written and the visual?

I know that you're known all over the world for the visual aspect of things and I think that's what I saw you speak on.

Are you really into the blogging, where do you stand with that?

Because I know that's getting really trendy right now, the voice economy and all that.

RR: That's a great question.

Video and podcasting have definitely been something I've played around with.

I had started many years ago and I just launched a new podcast last year, which I think you're aware of, it’s called  Brand authority.

I have a lot of fun with it, I like to keep my hand in it and it's definitely something I'm very comfortable with.

The radio station that I worked for was owned by the ABC affiliate, I was in the Denver area.

I was very lucky I think, where I had opportunities both behind the mic as well as in front of the camera.

I did a lot of work on both sides and took that ride with me.

It's always so funny, you look back on your history and where you come from, and all of it prepared you for what you do today.

Ryan Foland with Rebekah Radice - Quote on looking back on history - World of Speakers Podcast (Navy) _ Powered by SpeakerHub

As I said, a definite evolution.

When I first started in radio, there wasn't the ease that there is today, like you and I are doing right now— plug in your mic and have a conversation, and get this out across iTunes and everywhere else where people can listen within their commute or wherever they're listening.

To me, it's not surprising that it has taken off the way it has.

I was a part of the first wave many years ago where we were all super high on podcasting and then it just wasn't the right timing for me, and I let it go.

I definitely decided it was right time to jump back in and it's been a lot of fun, I truly enjoy it, as you can probably tell, for me it's a medium that is so personal,

You can take a relationship— you talked about the fact that you and I had the chance to somewhat meet at social media marketing world, but then really get to know each other across Twitter.

But when I was able to hear your voice and listen to you on this podcast and see you in your videos— it just takes that relationship to a whole different level.

RF: Yeah, we're homies now.

RR: There you go, that's right.

RF: That's awesome.

I want to pick your brain on the tips and tricks you have for people when it comes to the actual communicating.

I love the fact that you are so verse and have so much experience, and it's in your genetics when it comes to the radio waves and the podcast waves.

How much of a crossover is there from speaking behind a microphone and then speaking on stage?

Dynamics are definitely different, but what would you say the commonalities are and how can people sort of tap into their talent for one or the other, or both?

RR: I think there are a lot of commonalities. One of the first is the amount of research.

I don't know that many people truly appreciate how much time it takes to do your show prep when you're in radio.

People used to say to me all the time, "Oh, you have the best gig, you're on it 5 a.m, you're off at 10 a.m., and then you have the rest of your day."

Ha, ha, ha, yeah...sure. Not the case at all!

You're up at 2.30-3 a.m., you're in the studio, you're getting prepped with your team, you are then off at 10 a.m., and you're prepping for the next day.

And then, you probably have live events that you're out doing as well, so there's a whole lot of research that goes into what actually shows up on the air, and it's the same difference with your presentations and that really translated for me.

I'd say I'm almost obsessive in the amount of research that I do for each one of my presentations.

You would think that the longer you do it, the easier it gets, but when you truly care about your audience, when you truly care that the experience is all about them and not about you, it takes a lot of personalization for each of your presentations.

Ryan Foland with Rebekah Radice - Quote on caring about your audience - World of Speakers Podcast (Blue) _ Powered by SpeakerHub

It takes just really that deep understanding of who they are.

I would definitely say that the research aspect is so incredibly critical that you are really considering, "Who am I speaking with, not necessarily to."

My dad used to always tell me, "You're not speaking to people Rebekah, you're having a conversation with them."

That really translated for me.

I grew up with my dad as I said, who was in radio, so my joke always was that he did not read bedtime stories to me, I read them to him.

He would say to me, "Now, would you actually say it like that, if you were talking to a friend. Would you actually say those words?"

You have to think about that, what are those words that that audience would use, what are those conversations that you're having or that they're having.

As you start to craft your content, as you're getting prepared, and doing that research, you're thinking about, "How am I going to speak in a way that truly resonates with them?"

And then, "How am I going to make them care?" It's always that, "What's in it for me?" mentality. That question that we as speakers have to answer.

Once you think about who your audience is, once you do that research, it does become a whole lot easier to be able to answer that question.

Then being able to know, what are their pain points, what are their struggles, what are they particularly dealing with that you're going to be able to solve for them.

Ryan Foland with Rebekah Radice - Quote on thinking about your audience - World of Speakers Podcast (Black) _ Powered by SpeakerHub

All of that research I think really culminates in being able to answer those questions and then being able to get very laser-focused on what it is that they're going to need from you at that moment.

RF: I love that research component.

I do think that when people get a peek behind the green curtain and they see The Wizard of Oz which is you back there, there's a lot of work, there's a lot of machines that are being turned and gears that are cranking.

I think that's a great point to start with the research.

I know you were the Queen of Lists and I think that's amazing.

I don't know if anybody has called you that, but you're the Queen of Lists in my book.

RR: No, they haven't, but I love it.

RF: When I have people that reach out to me, and they're like, "Uh I'm not sure where to start, what is going on," I throw them in your lap and be like, "Hey, Rebekah has got all the list, she's a list queen."

I want to challenge you to come up with a speaking list and specifically, maybe mirroring off what you do before you get on stage, your ritual beforehand and then maybe the intro or how you sort of start.

What would that list be for preparing? Even like 5 minutes before you get on stage and in the first 5 minutes on stage?

Because I think everybody has their own little unique pattern and I'd love to know it as a list from you.

RR: I have lots of those lists.

RF: Do you have any before you go on stage speaking lists?

RR: I don't know that I necessarily have that.

RF: Yes, I got you, I got a list that you don't have yet.  

RR: You're right because, for me, it's really about rest and relaxation before I go on stage.

I know a lot of people I talk with, they are cramming right up until the very last minute.

I avoid that at all costs.

I try to have just my last minute run through the day before so that that morning is just a moment of— for lack of a better term—  total Zen for me.

There's enough craziness that's usually going on with the conference you are attending, and if you're traveling, your flight, and there's so much stress that's tied up into that.

I try to destress myself as much as possible.

For me, I am a big breakfast eater, so it's about eating right, it's about taking quiet time for myself.

I'm very much about setting the tone the pace for my day.

I know that if I run into that conference room and I'm feeling frenzied and just overwhelmed and stressed out, that energy I am going to push right out to my audience.

I try to take out just anything that's going to create that friction not only within myself but also between me and the audience.

The biggest thing has been I remind myself over and over and over again as I step out onto that stage, is it's not about me; it is all about that audience and how I can best serve them.

Ryan Foland with Rebekah Radice - Quote on serving the audience - World of Speakers Podcast (Navy) _ Powered by SpeakerHub

And when you pull yourself out of the equation, when you stop and stop worrying about, "How do I look," and, "What am I wearing," and, "Am I going to sound okay, is something stupid going to come out of my mouth." All those crazy little worries we have.

RF: Right, the little voices in your head, for sure.

RR: Absolutely. Then all of a sudden a lot of that melts away.

Over the years I focused on having that quiet moment, whether it's 30 minutes, whether it's 15 minutes, whatever you can give yourself and then realize that this is an audience that's dying to hear what you have to say.

They showed up for a reason!

Not to see you fall flat on your face, not to see you make a complete idiot out of yourself, as we tend to tell ourselves, but to promote and support and be excited for you and really champion you as you step out onto that stage.

I'll tell you, I was listening to one of your most recent podcasts, and I apologize I can't think of her name, but she was talking about just the nerves that go into public speaking and how that comes out in a very real way.

I had a lot of those ticks where my leg would shake when I first started speaking, and I still do it, where my whole chest will turn bright red when I'm nervous, it's just crazy stuff.

I used to get so embarrassed because I couldn't overcome it unless I put a whole lot of makeup on. I finally came to terms with it.

I was like, "You know what, this is what it is, and I'm just going to embrace it and I'm going to deal with it."

Those are all kind of a part of my answer to your question in if I get up on stage in front of a thousand people and all of a sudden my little tick comes back, I just breathe through it. I let it go and then it goes away.

I think that would be my biggest piece of advice to people, is don't fight those things, don't fight them and think that they're your Achilles heel.

If you just let go and focus on your audience, talk about what you're passionate about, serve them, feed into them, all of those things will start to melt away.

Ryan Foland with Rebekah Radice - Quote on focusing on your audience - World of Speakers Podcast (Blue-Grey) _ Powered by SpeakerHub

Over time, certainly, they get better and you deal with it.

But like I said, there's always going to be that pressure, there is always going to be that stress and you just have to figure out how to best work within that based on your personality and who you are.

RF: Bam, okay.

I have been secretly taking notes here, and I'm trying to come up with the 10 steps to a list, so right now I've got 9, I'm missing one, but I think I'm going to come up with it.

What you'll love about this Rebekah Radice, is that it's the 10 R's to get onto the stage. All 10 R's, right.

Step number 1 is Research.

Step number 2 is Run-through, which is the night before.

Then the morning of, you have the Right food.

Then before you get on stage, you have to Rest.

After you've rested, you have to Relax.

After you are relaxed, before you get on stage you have to Remove the friction.

And then when you're on the stage, you have to Remove Yourself from the conversation, it's not about you, it's about the audience.

And you have to Realize that the audience is there because they want to hear you.

Then, I'm missing step 9, and step 10 is Rock and Roll.

RR: Wow, Rock and Roll, those are good!

RF: Yeah, so we need number 9, in between realizing that the audience wants you and rock 'n' rolling. Something hopefully with an R.

RR: Did we have relax in there?

RF: Relax is before you get on stage. You have rest, relax but we're going to repeat relax.

RR: Yeah.

RF: So after you realize that the audience wants you, you have to relax again and then rock 'n' roll.

RR: Yeah, there you go. We can also put, I don't know that we had rehearsed on there, we could certainly put that.

RF: Oh my gosh, no we didn't.

Okay, so we're going to remove the first relax and we're going to put rehearse in. So maybe there's a research and then rehearse.

Okay, so here we go:

The Radice Routine

1. Research

2. Rehearse

3. Run through

4. Right food

5. Rest

6. Remove friction

7. Remove yourself

8. Realize the audience wants you

9. Relax

10. Rock & roll.

RR: Boom, I love it!

RF: Awesome, so we have your “10 R Process.” You can call it the Radice- something.

Here we go— The Radice Routine.

RR: Wow, I love it.

RF: Wow, okay cool.

From the stage, now you're there, one of the favorite things that I like to ask people is any of your intro strategies.

Because you really have just a first amount of time just within seconds or minutes to grab people's attention.

Is there anything wacky that you do or something that you just find works how to get people really going, any of your intro tips?

How do you get going, once you rock and roll?

RR: You've got to get people engaged, you've got to get them involved, because you're right, you do have I think the average person's attention span clocks in at 8 seconds.

You know you have a matter of moments and it's really starting with a hook.

So, whether it's getting people off their feet, getting people active with each other, you want to get them interactive with you.

Ask a question, tell a story, make them laugh, if that's your thing. The most important part is that you engage your audience immediately.

Ryan Foland with Rebekah Radice - Quote on engaging your audience - World of Speakers Podcast (Blue) _ Powered by SpeakerHub

Starting with that hook, it could be a surprising fact, it could be a data point, whatever you need to do to grab your audience's attention, that is exactly what you need to do and that first 60 seconds if even that.

As I said, it just depends on your personality, your speaking style, there's so many different ways that you can do this.

I think this goes back to research too. YouTube is so fantastic, if you are just getting started as a speaker.

I don't know about you Ryan, but the hardest part for me always is my intro and outro.

I will practice those over and over and over and over again, and you've really got to nail those.

If you want to do some research on what's going on, within your industry, what people are talking about as far as something similar to your topic, just to do some research, go take a look at YouTube.

You can see how other people are easing their way into that presentation and it's not about swiping or stealing their ideas, but getting a feel for what's working for other people and then how can you work that into your presentation style.

Obviously, everything you see isn't going to be right for you.

I tell terrible jokes, I am horrible, I am one of those people that I'll remember 10% of it, it's not my thing.

I would totally paralyze myself trying to get on stage and tell a joke.

RF: This is sort of random, but do you know what seagulls are? Have you seen a seagull?

RR: Oh, sure.

RF: Do you know why seagulls don't fly over bays?

RR: I do not.

RF: Because then they would be baygulls.

RR: Oh my gosh, it's fantastic.

RF: It's fantastic because it's so terrible, that's my go-to joke, I can't help myself.

So, on the topic of this intro and outro, what I like about this, and I'm curious your opinion, I am under the belief because of whatever research that I've done or at least this is just what I think, is that people will remember the beginning and the end, but not so much in the middle.

Do you feel that that's an accurate sort of statement?

RR: Absolutely.

RF: Okay, that's why it's so crucial, because if you have a terrible beginning or a terrible end, and an amazing middle, they still might remember you for the beginning and the end.

RR: Right.

You have those matter of moments where you are going to wow them, where you have that chance to truly draw them into the narrative of your story, and this goes back to why it is so important for you to, as you're thinking about this presentation, sitting down and first of all thinking about,

"What's my core purpose? What is that point I want to drive home more than anything else?"

And then everything is going to help you reinforce that main idea throughout your presentation.

Ryan Foland with Rebekah Radice - Quote on knowing your purpose - World of Speakers Podcast (Black) _ Powered by SpeakerHub

So you're thinking about, "Now what are those key take away, so what are those things that I want my audience to remember."

Think about what are the most important parts of your presentation. And so in that intro you have the chance to really set all of that up. So setting those expectations.

Just like we do with our kids, with our clients, with anybody else, we're setting the expectations, setting the tone of what they can expect.

Tell them before you share with them, tell them what they can expect and then everything's going to roll up into that.

What does that main point mean for someone who is starting with that hook? I'm going to identify what that core purpose is, I'm going to know my key takeaways, I'm going to summarize what they can expect.

Then I'm going to tell them exactly what I summarized and now I'm going to bring it all home, bring it all back around at the very end.

Then people can breathe a sigh of relief— because they're wondering, we're all anxious when we first sit down to watch somebody present, we don't exactly know where are they headed, or what is this about.

Once you give them that clear expectation in that roadmap, now they can just sit back, relax and engage with you.

Ryan Foland with Rebekah Radice - Quote on setting the audience expectation - World of Speakers Podcast (Blue) _ Powered by SpeakerHub

RF: That was so eloquently explained, it sounds very much like the classic advice of telling them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.

RR: Exactly.

RF: One of the things that you said, which I just want to point out, because you might be able to use this for something in the future, you're creative enough— you said matter of moments.

I don't know if that was by accident or something you say, but I think that's a nice little ring to it, right the matter of moments.

I could see that being like a book or a blog post or a whole concept, right. How about this, the matter of moments that matter?

RR: That is fantastic.

RF: It sounds like a stick figure quote almost.

But think about it, you're going to go Facebook Live,  the matter of moments that matter.

I don't know, I like that concept because there are so many different ways to look at speaking or advice and really what I'm hearing from you is a very customized approach, where it's like you have to figure out what matters for you and of those matter of moments that matter of the matter matter.

I'm not sure if I'm going to sound like the Mad Hatter but there's something in there.

RR: I really love where you're going, because it all goes back to making every moment matter and knowing that whether you have 10 minutes, whether you have 30 minutes, whether you have 60 minutes, this is the time that your audience has taken out of their day to spend with you.

This podcast right now is time people have taken out of their busy lives to listen in.

How are you going to show up? How are you going to show up at that moment?

Personally, I want to show up and give 200% to absolutely everything I do.

For me, it's being overly prepared which is just certainly my nature, but research is really the cornerstone for me into a solid presentation.

Does it mean that everything is going to go perfectly every time?

Oh my goodness, no.

RF: Yes.

RR: No.

RF: Sure, I was hoping you'd say that.

I'm going to warn you, there might be a quote attributed to you soon in a stick figure format that is, "Make every moment matter." It's got a lot of M’s, I like it.

RR: Yes, I love it.

RF: Okay, so let's jump away from the pool of tips and tricks for tactical speaking and get into the Jacuzzi of how you make money.

I don't want this to be or feel like the sleazy approach of, "This is how you go and make a bunch of money speaking."

It's more of like how do you find success on stage to monetize the message?

How does that work for you, so that somebody can listen and be like, "Wow, I didn't think of it that way."

RR: It really depends on your business and your business structure, looking at it from a few different places.

In the corporate world, you're maybe just speaking because you want to get your company out in front of as many people as possible, you might even be a sponsor of that particular event.

Now, if you're a small business owner or an entrepreneur, you might just start out getting yourself on stage at local events, at national events, where you can start to get yourself in front of a larger audience.

I think that's a big misconception, I talk to a lot of people that say,

"Rebekah, you speak all over the world, you must have started out making money at this and then you just escalate from there."

Well, no, I don't know many people that actually start out making money as a speaker. It's something that comes over time.

Certainly, as you build up your speaking skills, as you get known within your field, within your industry, so it's a real commitment like anything else.

It's understanding how you want to get paid. I talked about there are a few different ways of monetization and I combine.

I have situations where, yes, I get paid to show up and speak.

I also have situations where I'm able to sell from the stage, so I have a product or I have a membership site that I would love to be able to move people into.

It really depends on your business model, what's the purpose behind your speaking.

Mine has definitely changed over the years as my business has changed quite frankly, as you know the reason behind me speaking has changed.

But as I said, it's always been a pillar of my business.

Today, it's a combination of events throughout the year where I'm getting paid and then events where I have the opportunity to stand in front of a large group of people that are definitely my target market and potential clients.

RF: I think that here a research continues to come up and I'm even seeing the underlying tone of research here.

The question of how do I make money— you're still flipping it around and saying,

"Well, you've got to research for yourself what makes sense for you."

I think it's the Radice Research Rules, right?

RR: There you go, yes.

RF: I always appreciate the opportunity to roll my R's ever since my eighth-grade class in Spanish and I discovered that I was one of the few that could do it and I love it. So forgive me for rolling.

RR: Oh no, Radice, I am right there with you. It is so much fun.

RF: Radice Research Rules.

Okay, I dig this.

Maybe as a final insight, after everybody has kind of done their research— are there any approaches from an outbound perspective that have worked for you in landing some of these deals, paid or not paid, understanding that the not paid eventually become paid?

Do you have a certain trick for researching call for speakers?

Do you have an assistant that does it?

Is it through your network that you just let people know?

What is the one piece of outbound as in your chasing down and there's no shame in chasing down speaking gigs?

What is something that has traditionally worked or you or that is kind of the go-to if you want to get on stage and you don't have those inbound requests for it at the moment?

RR: Oh boy, there is so much wrapped up into.

RF: You just got to choose one though. This is the Radice Refining method.

RR: I am going to go with the tried and true.

There are a lot of different ways to do this but the tried and true is the outreach.

There is nothing glamorous or easy about getting started as a speaker in the early days.

I'll tell you: it's still a practice, my assistant does outreach every single day, does it mean we're finding those particular conferences that make sense for us every single day?

No, but you have got to be immersed in the industry itself and really keep yourself top of mind with these event organizers, with these conferences.

Because sorry, but they're not going to remember you, they're not going to remember you from last year or even last week, so you have got to continuously do that outreach.

It can be as simple as a google search for your topic, if you want to do local so I'm in the Los Angeles area so it could be social media conferences in Los Angeles, it could be that easy, I could dive even deeper if I wanted to target maybe a specific audience, maybe it's entrepreneurs that want to learn how to use social media.

Just think about what your niche is, what that area of expertise is, and then where do you want to go? Are you willing to travel?

Because, obviously, that's something you have to consider too, if they're going to pay for your travel, if they're not, you just want to stay in your own neck of the woods when your first getting started.

But for me, since day one, it's been all about the outreach.

I am a firm believer as I know you are, Ryan, that everything begins with a conversation, everything starts with a conversation.

Just don't be afraid to reach out. I talk with so many people that are like, "But what do I say, how do I reach out, how do I email them?"

Well, you say “hello” and you are specific, so first things first, what do you want to speak about?

Outline your top three things that you are going to speak on, that you can customize to any of those conferences.

You need a synopsis, you need a description, you need a bio, so you need to be able to share who you are, why you're an expert, why they should bring you in, why you're an authority to speak on that, and then just start reaching out on a daily basis, it's just like any other muscle or habit.

How do you build it— you've got to do it day after day after day.

It's really that simple and that hard Ryan I think, because it's a tough commitment to make.

RF: Alright, so you didn't realize it but you're the queen of lists and you just came up with another list.

So people, if you're listening, I am going to rehash it for you, and this is the Radice list for outreach, specifically when you're trying to reach out and you don't know what to do.

#1 Figure out what you want to speak about.

#2 Have 3 topics identified that you want to discuss.

#3 I can't read my writing, I can't read that but it's a good one, 3 is a good one.

#4 You've got to be able to have your bio and everything else ready to go.

#5 You've got to answer the why's— why should they like you, why you're an authority, why, why, why, and then the final step is just going to be actually reaching out.

I love the fact that it's that easy and it's that hard.

RR: Yeah, it really is because it can be scary, it can feel intimidating to reach out to these people, but just know that they're trying to fill spots, they need speakers with your expertise.

Ryan Foland with Rebekah Radice - Quote on contacting event organizers - World of Speakers Podcast (Blue-Grey) _ Powered by SpeakerHub

I would also caution to be somewhat picky, even when you're first getting started; this is your brand, this is your business that you are aligning with a conference.

Be very careful that you're specific in where you're placing yourself and more than that, where you are giving your time.

Because this goes back to what I was talking about at the very beginning where all of this, everything from researching that opportunity to the outreach to actually preparing for that presentation, to all of the travel, that can be a 100 hours right there.

You have to be very careful where you're placing your time and what you're committing to and this goes back to those things that we are saying a very firm "Hell yes" to within our business and an "Absolute no" to within our business as well.

Don't be afraid to shut certain situations or opportunities down if it doesn't feel like the exact right place for you to be presenting.

RF: Ladies and gentleman, it is that easy and it is that hard. I love it.

If you need a list or a set of lists to work through a number of challenges you're going to face when communicating online and offline, Rebekah is the place to go.

Rebekah, if I was going to send somebody to you, where do you want them to be sent to?

RR: Couple of easy places, they can find me on my website which is for Rebekah Radice.com, or on twitter @RebekahRadice.

RF: Sweet.

And then, you've got a membership thing, you've got your podcast, you've got all kinds of stuff, we'll make sure to put it all in the notes.

For everybody out there listening, I hope you're inspired because whether or not your father was in radio, you have more of a chance than ever before to get access to an audience.

If you have an audience, you can build an audience, you can speak to an audience, you can get a message out there that can change the world and that message might be able to be monetized.

But at the end of the day, research what it is that you want to share, focus on the key components of what you want to share.

Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them and then tell them again, and when all those fails go visit Rebekah and she's got a list for whatever other problem you need.

How's that for a recap? Is that good?

RR: I love it, yes. I love that you point out I am the queen of the lists, because it definitely speaks to my love of educating and making it simple to remember.

RF: It comes to the top of mind, like when it comes to the branding I think of you when it comes to that, and that's just because you've been consistent with that messaging and your lists are easy and that hard.

RR: That's great.

Thank you so much, Ryan, it's been such a treat to be here with you.

RF: Alright, absolutely.

We'll see you in social media marketing world and on Twitter, I'm sure everybody the last thing you need to remember for the day and tomorrow and the next is, "Make every moment matter".

This is Ryan and Rebekah Radice signing off.

Bye, everybody!

 

A bit about World of Speakers

World of Speakers is  a bi-monthly podcast that helps people find their own voice, and teaches them how to use their voice to develop a speaking business.

We cover topics like: what works versus what doesn't, ideas on how to give memorable presentations, speaking tips, and ideas on how to build a speaking business.

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