Why The Virtual VIP?
The moment I saw the Virtual VIP program I was not doing virtual speaking and I had agreed to do a virtual event. I had a whole year to plan. But then, once it got to crunch time, I thought you know what – I probably should learn a thing or two about how to do this properly.
I am a magician and have done virtual magic shows, but I wanted to learn how to transition into keynote speaking and workshops. I want to help entrepreneurs and emerging leaders get more curious about the impossible. I use the way I approach magic to teach them how to approach business. So the idea of curiosity is what I speak on… how to bring a level of curiosity to your work every day, instead of rinse and repeat, do the same thing every day. It helps people have a fresh mindset and an open-mindedness to think about what else is possible.
What were some a-ha’s and takeaways?
My first takeaway was putting together my speaking abstract. Erick taught me all the details that would grab attention and help increase sales. He really broke down step one, step two, step three of making my keynote abstract professional.
My second takeaway was pursuing warm leads. I was simply not doing this in my business. What I have discovered is people are much more willing to help than you think. It’s a simple phone call or email catching up with people in your network and letting them know what you’re up to and then asking if they know of anyone or any conferences that can use my message.
I have been blown away by the number of people who reply so positively and are happy to help. It really taught me to not be afraid to ask for help and let people know what I am up to now.
Finally, Prospecting, it’s definitely a lot of work and a daily grind. But it’s also a reminder that you have to reach out to a lot more people than you had imagined. It gives you a perspective in terms of numbers. It also reminded me to look at associations I had worked with as a magician to see if my services would benefit them as a keynote speaker. I literally had a goldmine right under my nose. These reminders from Erick that we may already have what we need to start booking gigs were very impactful.
What is your new normal as a professional speaker?
I am making that transition from leading with I am a magician to a professional speaker. I’m slowly making that change on my website where I am offering two programs. One for if you want your employees to have fun, you can have me as a magician. The other is more about entertainment and professional development through my keynote.
I am also working on my pipeline daily. Seeing Erick’s pipeline was of a huge value add. So that is definitely a new normal for me.
I would also add my confidence and clarity around my speaking business is much stronger, definitely stronger. My message is clear and I confidently hone in on how curiosity will bring more innovation to your organization. I wasn’t clear on that before working with The Speaker Lab.
Who would you recommend to The Virtual VIP program?
I mean, honestly, every speaker can use it. I feel a lot of the meetings nowadays ebb and flow from a live event or no event to virtual. I think anybody who is new as a speaker, you don’t have to focus on virtual speaking just to join the Virtual VIP program. Erick covers so much that it can benefit anyone who is trying to build a speaking business.
Something I thought about was if I can only do live events then I’m missing out on a lot of opportunities that can come my way. With The Speaker Lab you’re getting the Virtual VIP and you get The Elite Speak Framework so you’re getting access to all that information and coaching around growing a speaking business both live and virtually. That was appealing to me in order to expand my reach and impact.
Additionally, I want to add Erick and all the coaching has been great. Truly a fantastic experience. They have been accessible and any question I have had has been answered on the spot. You don’t have to wait for days to get a response. Erick is very responsive on Voxer which helped me get things accomplished faster. It was a great experience.