Building Your Brand Through Speaking: Insights from Blair Bryan Nichols

I got recruited for a job in la, started business school while working there, finished that, worked at another agency, had a couple more jobs.

About five years ago I started getting my LLC and the last few years my business up and running, working with speakers of all different types, a lot of which are entrepreneurs, business owners and authors, et cetera. And helping them grow their speaking business, but also figuring how they can optimize it.

Blair Nichols
00:02:51.824 – 00:02:53.464
What is the right product services?

Blair Nichols
00:02:53.552 – 00:03:01.060
Well, how does it fit in with their other goals and objectives? So that’s the short and sweet version of where we are today.

Freddy D
00:03:01.600 – 00:03:06.340
What are the biggest challenges that speakers run themselves into?

Blair Nichols
00:03:07.200 – 00:03:10.440
I think oftentimes speakers don’t have as.

Blair Nichols
00:03:10.480 – 00:03:12.232
Good of an objective eye on what.

Blair Nichols
00:03:12.256 – 00:03:19.228
The market may want and what they’re trying to offer in how they position it. They may want to be clever and.

Blair Nichols
00:03:19.284 – 00:03:21.292
Unique in what they say or how.

Blair Nichols
00:03:21.316 – 00:03:22.732
They phrase it, but they really have.

Blair Nichols
00:03:22.756 – 00:03:24.108
To speak to the customer.

Blair Nichols
00:03:24.204 – 00:04:28.690
They really have to be a lot more plain and upfront. I think sometimes people get lost in trying to be too clever or stand out.

Muddies their message, you know, so there’s a lot of different things that can trip people up. But I think just starting with defining really, what is your best topic?

Not just what do I want to talk about or what is this clever thing that I created, but what are the problems that I’m going to solve and who am I solving them for?

So it’s kind of like triangulating around who their ideal client is, who their ideal audience is, what is the bigger purpose for speaking, what is the bigger goal, and then engineering those topics more to that. Whereas I think a lot of times people just rush out these topics or list like 12 basic business things.

People don’t want you to talk about 12 different things. They the one person that’s the expert on this one thing.

So you really have to narrow in on your niche, both audience and your expertise, and make it super obvious to who you’re trying to attract, what you.

Blair Nichols
00:04:28.730 – 00:04:31.122
Speak about, and what the ROI is.

Blair Nichols
00:04:31.146 – 00:04:32.350
Going to be for that.

Freddy D
00:04:33.050 – 00:05:17.940
Yeah, it reminds me one of my first engagement that I got paid for speaking wasn’t a large amount of money, but it was some money and I got a free dinner out of it. It was to a bunch of movers. My topic was on customer engagement and the impression that you were creating.

Even though these guys were the packers and movers, their whole dynamics of going into that house and setting proper expectations, making sure the customer understood what was going on, turned those customers into what I call super fans of the way the moving company engaged with them and handled the process. It was fun, it was short, but it got the message across because I was targeting a specific topic for specific need.

Blair Nichols
00:05:18.240 – 00:05:44.016
Totally frontline workers are often neglected when it comes to these sort of trainings or workshops or keynotes. In the grand scheme of things, it is so important that everyone has this understanding.

The companies that do customer service and customer engagement really well are taking care of everyone in their company and spreading this knowledge. They are helping them understand how they make such an impact on their customers.

Blair Nichols
00:05:44.128 – 00:05:45.600
Even though they feel like the low.

Freddy D
00:05:45.640 – 00:06:13.500
Man on the totem pole, that’s the key word. That’s the front line. It’s the image of the company. So really, management should stop and think about that.

That at the end of the day, that’s the front line that’s representing the company. They don’t feel appreciated, they’re not taken care of, they’re not up to speed.

That whole energy is going to come across to whoever they’re dealing with and that’s going to be the impression of the company.

Blair Nichols
00:06:14.200 – 00:06:15.220
Definitely.

Freddy D
00:06:16.520 – 00:06:24.442
So how does a business owner leverage speaking to not only elevate themselves and their brand?

Blair Nichols
00:06:24.626 – 00:06:42.474
Sure. I mean, there’s a lot of different opportunities for business leaders.

If you’re working within a company, even doing internal workshops and sessions or presentations for bigger sales events, conferences or all hands meeting, volunteering to do things like this, you know, can attract positive attention, get you some practice.

Blair Nichols
00:06:42.602 – 00:06:44.298
Stretching this skill and seeing if it’s.

Blair Nichols
00:06:44.314 – 00:06:45.322
Something you really like.

Blair Nichols
00:06:45.426 – 00:06:46.986
If it’s that stage of where you’re.

Blair Nichols
00:06:47.018 – 00:07:01.396
At can also go outside of your company.

So a lot of times I think companies, business owners, think about conferences, being a vendor, being an exhibitor or having a booth, just participating in the trade show element of these bigger conferences.

Blair Nichols
00:07:01.508 – 00:07:03.444
If this is a conference that’s supposed.

Blair Nichols
00:07:03.492 – 00:07:17.422
To be full of your ideal clients, customers, et cetera, then what bigger impression could you make than being one of the experts that’s actually on stage? So I’d say putting your energy into a speaking strategy that allows you to.

Blair Nichols
00:07:17.446 – 00:07:19.342
Get in front of your ideal clients.

Blair Nichols
00:07:19.486 – 00:07:24.286
And be the representative of your brand in that way is what really helps.

Blair Nichols
00:07:24.318 – 00:07:26.366
Move the needle a lot faster and.

Blair Nichols
00:07:26.518 – 00:07:52.292
A lot more effectively and efficiently than trying to shake as many hands as possible by just trying to have your booth and see how many people will come by or come to your event or all the other strategies that you’re using to collect leads. You’re just getting leads, right this way, you’re not just getting leads.

You’ve also had an opportunity with someone’s undivided attention, which is pretty rare to now tell your story, not just talk.

Blair Nichols
00:07:52.316 – 00:07:53.972
About your product and give a pitch.

Blair Nichols
00:07:54.036 – 00:07:56.260
Or give the specs and the dimensions.

Blair Nichols
00:07:56.340 – 00:08:01.732
You’Re there to really give some value, to share some knowledge that might be adjacent to what you do as a.

Blair Nichols
00:08:01.756 – 00:08:10.004
Firm or what your software does. But you can actually connect with this audience by being vulnerable, by being funny, by, you know, it’s in that storytelling.

Blair Nichols
00:08:10.052 – 00:08:11.760
And how you open and close.

Blair Nichols
00:08:12.220 – 00:08:50.558
You could already create superfans from that Talk alone without even clients or customers yet.

But they’re going to know and like you a lot more from hearing you and interacting with you in that physical space than from a digital ad or having someone just, you know, grab their email contact from something at a conference. So I think it’s something everyone needs to consider as a valuable business development, marketing recruiting tool.

There’s a lot of different ways that you, as the leader, especially as we’re talking about creating fans, you want to commit. You can’t talk to every single employee when it gets to a certain point. Depending on how big your organization is.

Blair Nichols
00:08:50.694 – 00:08:52.702
Those opportunities to get up in front.

Blair Nichols
00:08:52.726 – 00:09:24.170
Of your workforce and share stories can make a huge difference in how people feel. I had a boss talk about a big meeting at GM and the breakthrough thing, the president being more vulnerable.

They talked about how opening the kimono ability to connect, then that’s what turns your workforce into raving fans and being the people that are out there evangelizing for you as well, even if they’re not the recruiters or getting referral fees for bringing in their friends and family.

Freddy D
00:09:24.870 – 00:09:47.658
Right. You bring up a great point. Because I remember the other time I spoke and got paid was in front of a bunch of realtors.

It was sort of an accident because the person was supposed to speak wasn’t able to make it. They came to me because I was running a networking group back in Chicago and asked if I could talk to their people. I had enough time to prepare and.

Freddy D
00:09:47.714 – 00:09:49.258
Put on a presentation and I ended.

Freddy D
00:09:49.274 – 00:09:51.002
Up getting a couple of customers out.

Freddy D
00:09:51.026 – 00:09:52.698
Of the deal when I wasn’t even.

Freddy D
00:09:52.754 – 00:10:17.820
Trying to get customers. So your point is valid is the fact that by sharing information, you also position yourself as the expert.

One of the things that I would tell when I had speakers my networking event is provide value. If you start selling, I’m yanking you off the stage. If you provide value, you’re the expert. People will come to you.

And that’s my story of what exactly happened.

Blair Nichols
00:10:18.480 – 00:10:36.352
Exactly. That’s the formula we were talking about. You’re getting up there not to give a pitch.

You’ve got a topic that’s going to give valuable information to the audience. And that’s what your resources should be, too.

If you’ve got a QR code to connect to get people to sign up your free resource or make sure it’s valuable in a video, that explanation of.

Blair Nichols
00:10:36.376 – 00:10:37.600
How they can get to use right.

Blair Nichols
00:10:37.640 – 00:10:47.024
Away, extending that generosity is what turns people into quick customers, sets them on the path to being super fans.

Freddy D
00:10:47.152 – 00:10:51.710
So, Blair, share with Our listeners, how you work with somebody.

Blair Nichols
00:10:52.130 – 00:10:54.234
Yeah, so I function in two primary.

Blair Nichols
00:10:54.282 – 00:10:55.818
Ways, a coach and a manager.

Blair Nichols
00:10:55.914 – 00:10:58.730
I’ve got what I call my sustainable speaking strategy.

Blair Nichols
00:10:58.810 – 00:11:00.266
It’s three different pillars.

Blair Nichols
00:11:00.378 – 00:11:15.002
They’re not linear, but they all interrelate and some sense iterative.

We’d start with pillar one, your speaker assets I was talking about like the topics, the video, your website, everything to present yourself as a speaker. Whether you’re pitching yourself, whether people are.

Blair Nichols
00:11:15.026 – 00:11:16.602
Coming to you and asking you to.

Blair Nichols
00:11:16.626 – 00:11:22.498
Speak, or whether you’re just trying to keep building this. Having the assets that all the other.

Blair Nichols
00:11:22.554 – 00:11:25.218
Professional speakers have is an important element.

Blair Nichols
00:11:25.314 – 00:11:27.714
So getting those established, figuring out what.

Blair Nichols
00:11:27.722 – 00:11:29.442
They should be and making those edits.

Blair Nichols
00:11:29.506 – 00:11:48.592
Is really that first pillar. The second pillar is what’s your best go to market strategies.

So depending on what your business is, what your goals are going after, these types of speaking engagements might be a much higher return than than the digital ads or the other things you might be dumping money into.

Blair Nichols
00:11:48.696 – 00:11:50.352
Figuring out just what you should use.

Blair Nichols
00:11:50.376 – 00:11:52.608
Your time and resources for in the.

Blair Nichols
00:11:52.664 – 00:11:54.752
Speaking sense, what events you should target.

Blair Nichols
00:11:54.856 – 00:12:06.432
What is the strategy there and how are you leveraging the assets that you’ve created. And then the third piece is those products and services. So some people might have these things already figured out.

They might have products and services, but.

Blair Nichols
00:12:06.456 – 00:12:09.616
They don’t have any of the speaking stuff. They may have the speaking stuff, but not the products.

Blair Nichols
00:12:09.688 – 00:12:42.094
Getting them all kind of evened out and all three of those pillars really built out is what I do in my coaching, working through that week by week with my clients start. So when they’re out there putting this process into action.

So you’re out there on stage, sharing your story, your value, giving your QR code and wrapping up. Now you’ve got leads, hopefully that leads to product sales and new clients. You get out there and do it again.

So these might lead to more speaking engagements now that more people know about you and have seen you speak. So it’s a virtuous cycle from there that evolve.

Blair Nichols
00:12:42.142 – 00:12:45.582
But those are the three things that make it sustainable.

Blair Nichols
00:12:45.726 – 00:13:05.534
A lot of people chasing being a paid speaker, making six figures or more year after year, not trying to add any other value, they don’t have other things to offer. It’s a tricky balance with the only opportunities for growth mean more time on the road potentially or sacrificing some business.

Blair Nichols
00:13:05.622 – 00:13:08.126
By raising your fee. It can be tricky if you don’t.

Blair Nichols
00:13:08.158 – 00:13:13.270
Have these other areas of revenue. When another pandemic comes along, all your.

Blair Nichols
00:13:13.310 – 00:13:15.670
Live in person events are canceled.

Blair Nichols
00:13:15.750 – 00:13:21.718
So I’m a big advocate for diversifying that portfolio, leveraging, speaking strategically, whether you’re.

Blair Nichols
00:13:21.734 – 00:13:24.118
Getting paid or not, whether you’re sponsoring the event.

Blair Nichols
00:13:24.174 – 00:13:38.470
So you can be in front of all these clients. If you even close two of them, it’s worth the sponsorship.

Like there’s all these different models that are right for different types of businesses, for different types of speakers and there’s no one size fits all for everyone.

Freddy D
00:13:38.770 – 00:14:04.648
I’ve gone to events where the speaker spoke and halfway through the presentation it was time to take a break. They’d then ask you to sign up for something, then continue the presentation. At the end they’d ask you to sign up for either coaching or course.

People would go back, line up and buy what they were talking about. They provided enough value to create, like you mentioned, that credibility. So people would take action, right?

Blair Nichols
00:14:04.704 – 00:14:05.416
Exactly.

Blair Nichols
00:14:05.528 – 00:14:07.752
Oftentimes it can be just getting the leads.

Blair Nichols
00:14:07.816 – 00:14:11.768
It might not be the sale right away. You want to be thinking about your.

Blair Nichols
00:14:11.824 – 00:14:13.352
Ideal client and customer.

Blair Nichols
00:14:13.416 – 00:14:17.240
If you have a lower price item like a digital course for $50 or.

Blair Nichols
00:14:17.280 – 00:14:19.112
Doing a free event might be not.

Blair Nichols
00:14:19.136 – 00:14:30.232
A bad idea because people might come to a free event and then be willing to spend that. But if you’re going to try to sell a multi thousand dollar coaching program or software program, you’re probably not going to try to do that if the.

Blair Nichols
00:14:30.256 – 00:14:31.996
Audience is there for free.

Blair Nichols
00:14:32.128 – 00:14:42.180
You want to look at events where people are paying a few hundred dollars for tickets. You want to look at the caliber of that audience and one way to calibrate that is why are they there.

Blair Nichols
00:14:42.220 – 00:14:48.004
And are they invested in being there and then would they invest in more and what would that look like?

Blair Nichols
00:14:48.092 – 00:14:49.300
It’s just something a lot of people.

Blair Nichols
00:14:49.340 – 00:14:53.604
Ignore and don’t realize is readily accessible. It’s a business model like anything else.

Freddy D
00:14:53.732 – 00:15:12.838
Right.

So can you share a story of how you worked with a client and transformed them to where today they’re a super fan of you because they were at this spot and because of the work that you did, now they’re at this spot and they’re really grateful for the transition and transformation.

Blair Nichols
00:15:12.934 – 00:15:27.558
I think there’s a few. I’ve got quite a few testimonials on my website over the course of the last couple years.

Have increased their fees by 50%, they’ve gotten more notoriety, they’re on more agency and bureau’s websites and they’ve evolved their.

Blair Nichols
00:15:27.614 – 00:15:30.208
Brand and messaging to something durable.

Blair Nichols
00:15:30.334 – 00:15:46.332
When I meet a lot of speakers who are in like that growth phase, haven’t quite hit it, it’s because they might Be good, but their content might be good, but they haven’t hit their one thing. You know how like a lot of authors, they might publish a bunch of books but then one becomes the hit.

Blair Nichols
00:15:46.436 – 00:15:48.252
And then they’re known for that topic.

Blair Nichols
00:15:48.316 – 00:15:49.116
That idea.

Blair Nichols
00:15:49.228 – 00:15:52.732
A lot of speakers are looking to pop and are looking for that special.

Blair Nichols
00:15:52.836 – 00:16:02.118
Something helping them figure that out. It’s not something you can do in one coaching session, one weekend. It takes time with them over time.

Blair Nichols
00:16:02.174 – 00:16:03.718
To figure out what is the next.

Blair Nichols
00:16:03.774 – 00:16:19.798
Big thing or what is that message, that platform that is going to be durable enough that it can encompass the work that I want to do, that this message can be big enough for the topics, areas, categories and so that it makes sense.

Blair Nichols
00:16:19.894 – 00:16:22.022
That cohesiveness of a brand is really.

Blair Nichols
00:16:22.046 – 00:16:44.656
Important because you want to stand out from. But you gotta also be super clear.

People just want to know where you stand and what category you’re in and they want to know you for having a really unique platform. Whether it’s a tagline or just this thing that we’re pointing to is so valuable that it takes time to establish.

I’ve been really proud of the work I’ve done to bring people who’ve spent.

Blair Nichols
00:16:44.688 – 00:16:47.600
A lot of time elsewhere looking to try to get these answers and help.

Blair Nichols
00:16:47.640 – 00:16:50.944
Make these breakthroughs happen. And also just launching speakers.

Blair Nichols
00:16:50.992 – 00:16:53.088
People like Molly Bloom from Molly’s Game.

Blair Nichols
00:16:53.144 – 00:17:03.422
You know, I started working with her when the movie first came out and her book had already come out because of course they based the movie off her book, her memoir. The movie wasn’t super successful.

Blair Nichols
00:17:03.486 – 00:17:06.382
It was Aaron Sorkin’s first directorial debut.

Blair Nichols
00:17:06.446 – 00:17:13.150
But it was a smaller studio movie about a person who was a felon. A lot of people were not sure.

Blair Nichols
00:17:13.190 – 00:17:16.830
If they would convicted felon for speaking engagements.

Blair Nichols
00:17:16.910 – 00:17:21.447
But once people learned her story and got to know her authenticity, I got.

Blair Nichols
00:17:21.503 – 00:17:23.719
My agency behind her help her grow.

Blair Nichols
00:17:23.759 – 00:17:36.135
And get more comfortable as a speaker. Launched her into and now as a pretty well known speaker on the circuit doing higher ticket bigger events in keynote slots.

That was a really exciting part of my career.

Freddy D
00:17:36.247 – 00:17:48.311
Yeah, that’s a great story.

And speaking takes a skill set and you know a lot of people will can’t think of the saying right this second, but people would rather die than do public speaking.

Blair Nichols
00:17:48.455 – 00:17:50.279
More afraid of death than public speaking.

Blair Nichols
00:17:50.359 – 00:17:52.499
Or no of public speaking than death.

Freddy D
00:17:52.940 – 00:18:35.690
Yeah, my now wife and I went to a BNI meeting and we were substituting for someone. She had never done any public speaking. And I said, oh, you know, all you gotta do is just read this guy’s job description.

She saw like 30 people and looked at me and said, I’m gonna kill you. She did not want to speak, but she did it. And it took some speaking classes, which helped her overcome her fear of speaking.

It transformed her from that perspective.

So what you’re doing is taking it to a whole nother playing field of helping people fine tune their speaking gig and the messaging and what they do beyond that.

Blair Nichols
00:18:36.070 – 00:18:43.406
Yeah, it’s really more the creative business strategy that I excel at. I love helping people with their keynotes. But that’s the thing that you’re really.

Blair Nichols
00:18:43.478 – 00:18:44.382
You need to own.

Blair Nichols
00:18:44.486 – 00:19:07.000
That’s you. That’s the thing you’re selling, that you’re performing, that you’re delivering. I can’t do it for you. I don’t want you to read it.

I want it to be authentic. I can definitely give notes and give you ways to improve, but I don’t excel in the coaching of how to stand or how to move your arms.

Like, there’s plenty of people that do that. I like the business strategy behind it that makes it sustainable.

Freddy D
00:19:07.500 – 00:19:59.694
Right. Because like I said in my speaking engagement was at the right place at the right time and people ask, hey, can you speak on this? Sure.

And I’ve done it several times. That’s not been my go to at this point. I love to be able to do it at some point in time, but I don’t have a strategy.

So for me, I’m one of those guys that you would probably be the one to help because I don’t have any idea of what to do to develop a brand for myself as a guy that’s capable of speaking. You know, she tells me that I come alive and I do come alive when I speak because I have fun with it. I personally don’t talk at an audience.

I talk with an audience. So I try to have an engaging conversation. That’s something that I try to strive for. So let’s go further into when it comes to strategy.

Freddy D
00:19:59.742 – 00:20:01.050
How do you break that down?

Blair Nichols
00:20:01.670 – 00:20:24.982
Yeah, I like to get high level. As far as where are we going, what’s the big picture?

Figuring out what is the high ticket product or service that we’re ultimately driving to, which helps dictate who our target audience, client, customer is. Then we can keep zooming in.

Where do they go, what events are they gathering at, what conferences, what are the associations, what are the other ways that we might get in front of.

Blair Nichols
00:20:25.006 – 00:20:27.894
That audience and start exploring that locally.

Blair Nichols
00:20:27.942 – 00:21:24.430
And maybe expand beyond your city or in your state or region and going from there. Leveraging Your own network, you know, talking to your current clients and customers. Like what events do you attend or podcasts that you listen to?

Gathering some of that anecdotal information will at least give you a lot of leads to chase down. What kind of speakers are there? How do they work?

With speakers reaching out to an event or conference as looking to speak or partner, as saying that you want to partner with them, potentially even sponsor, you’re going to get a lot more replies than just saying, hey, I want to speak. Especially if you’re saying, hey, I want you to pay me to speak. So if your goal is strategy, then your goal should be getting the sage time.

It’s not about the money because it’s about that audience and that opportunity to convert them to what we care about more.

It’s figuring out who is the decision maker to let you on that stage and how do you make it happen and is it worth it to you at the end of the day if you are given that chance?

Freddy D
00:21:24.590 – 00:21:44.744
Yeah, and I think what you bring up is a good point that you probably should start off if you want to become speaking and speak for free for a while, get the hang of it.

Get yourself comfortable in front of an audience because, you know, speaking to 30 people is one thing, speaking to 3,000 people is a completely different thing.

Blair Nichols
00:21:44.912 – 00:22:11.964
Yeah, absolutely.

And I always tell people start off just volunteering to speak at your church, at your school, at your kids school, whatever that looks like we talked about in your company at the beginning. But people neglect those types of things. That’s what I think makes it so easy to get that kind of practice.

If you have those built in audiences already available to you and getting some honest feedback from people who care about you probably also aren’t experts in what you are an expert in.

Blair Nichols
00:22:12.052 – 00:22:13.420
But now you have the chance to.

Blair Nichols
00:22:13.460 – 00:22:17.560
Bug them with it and you can get an objective view on something from them.

Freddy D
00:22:17.860 – 00:22:36.160
Well, sure, they’re not your friends, they’re not your family, which is typically say, okay, you’re doing a good job, it sounds good. You’re going to get some real feedback if you ask for it.

And some of it you may not like what you hear, but you need to hear it so that you can transform.

Blair Nichols
00:22:36.660 – 00:22:38.492
Yeah, start writing down stories.

Blair Nichols
00:22:38.556 – 00:22:40.332
Start making a list of different stories.

Blair Nichols
00:22:40.396 – 00:22:50.540
Where you could open and close. That’s such an integral part of keynote connecting with audiences. Some people feel really on the spot if they don’t have something prepared.

Blair Nichols
00:22:50.620 – 00:22:52.236
But if you start with running list.

Blair Nichols
00:22:52.308 – 00:23:01.740
Of different stories you might want to tell that are relevant or interesting I think that’s helpful for people as a way to think about how they could start using this.

Freddy D
00:23:01.860 – 00:23:33.230
You bring up a great point there, Blair. Stories are what you put into books. If you’re putting it into a book, then you take that story and put it into the speaking aspect. He’s right.

That people can connect because they can go, oh, that’s me. Or oh man, glad that didn’t happen to me. But the bottom line is you’re connecting in one way or another.

That’s the whole objective, to get connected to people emotionally. In sales. People buy emotionally, justify it logically.

Blair Nichols
00:23:33.390 – 00:23:34.970
Right, right.

Freddy D
00:23:35.830 – 00:23:53.198
So that’s the important aspect to what we’re talking about, is really getting people to connect with you emotionally. And then you’re helping put together that whole business plan in a sense of how to turn this into a full time business for somebody.

Blair Nichols
00:23:53.374 – 00:23:53.758
Right?

Blair Nichols
00:23:53.814 – 00:23:54.046
Yeah.

Blair Nichols
00:23:54.078 – 00:23:59.454
The different mechanisms that you need, the different things that you need to consider the different pieces and get it up.

Blair Nichols
00:23:59.462 – 00:24:00.910
And running so that it can be.

Blair Nichols
00:24:00.950 – 00:24:04.372
A kind of a self feeding machine in that way.

Freddy D
00:24:04.556 – 00:24:59.882
Yeah. I never really thought about it. I’m glad we’re having this conversation because it’s given me some things to think about.

I’ve just looked at it as poof. I’m speaking. But I never thought about the strategy that goes into play and how these guys are promoting their business in a lot of cases.

I went to a Tony Robbins event up in Salt Lake City and I saw a multitude of different people. Jerry Robert was a guy that was, if I remember the name correctly, talking about da, da, da, book writing.

And he shared a story of people that were successful through his program. I said, all right, the first 100 people that sign up will get a free three day workshop on how to write a book. I went down there and signed up.

Was one of the 100 people who went to the workshop. That’s where he sold his very expensive book coaching program. I did not take it, but I still learned a lot. Now that we’re talking, it’s making me.

Freddy D
00:24:59.906 – 00:25:02.090
Think there was a whole strategy in place.

Freddy D
00:25:02.130 – 00:25:21.706
It was a business model where he talked to the public and had a call to action. That call to action led to an event, another event that led to an upsell of the services that he did.

And that validates what we’ve been talking about.

Blair Nichols
00:25:21.858 – 00:25:30.190
Absolutely. My model works in all different ways. Like whether you’re driving people, do a webinar or do a course or whatever.

You can definitely steer them on that.

Blair Nichols
00:25:30.230 – 00:25:31.678
Customer journey they’re trying to do.

Blair Nichols
00:25:31.734 – 00:25:39.450
You’ll See a lot of that at anything Tony Robbins or that kind of realm. That’s the business model. That’s where I learned it from. All a bunch of those types of people.

Freddy D
00:25:39.990 – 00:25:47.090
Right. Can you share some advice for the business owner? How can they start talking to their teams?

Blair Nichols
00:25:47.670 – 00:25:50.350
Yeah. So first starting with those stories, like.

Blair Nichols
00:25:50.390 – 00:25:52.718
Practice stories with your family and friends.

Blair Nichols
00:25:52.854 – 00:25:54.366
And then share those with your team.

Blair Nichols
00:25:54.438 – 00:25:59.642
What’s missing with leadership and the connection with bosses is appropriate. Emotional connection.

Blair Nichols
00:25:59.706 – 00:26:01.194
Not everything needs to be a happy.

Blair Nichols
00:26:01.242 – 00:26:06.506
Hour or forcing people to engage socially with their coworkers in the office.

Blair Nichols
00:26:06.578 – 00:26:09.242
You can create connection by sharing stories.

Blair Nichols
00:26:09.386 – 00:26:11.498
Talking about your career and encouraging other.

Blair Nichols
00:26:11.554 – 00:26:12.458
To do the same.

Blair Nichols
00:26:12.594 – 00:26:26.420
So I think that’s a way that works with so many different levels. How you then are talking to new people, inspire your team, get them to be more productive. All of the above. And maybe that’ll help.

Blair Nichols
00:26:26.460 – 00:26:27.684
Then think about what you might want.

Blair Nichols
00:26:27.692 – 00:26:50.164
To share on a stage or speak about. Think about if you were just to write the first chapter of a book. That’s really what a keynote is. It’s the preface. It’s the first chapter.

You can’t get a whole book into a keynote if people are probably going to be so overwhelmed they’re not going to remember anything. So you’re just getting that main point across. You don’t have to be an entire thesis. It can just be that big idea.

Blair Nichols
00:26:50.292 – 00:26:51.844
And that could be summed up in.

Blair Nichols
00:26:51.852 – 00:26:53.204
An article or an essay if you.

Blair Nichols
00:26:53.212 – 00:26:54.980
Were doing a LinkedIn post or whatever.

Blair Nichols
00:26:55.060 – 00:27:05.782
So different ways that you can approach it if you’re more of a writer or more of this or that. And so just some little things that you can also start doing and trying and start exploring what’s out there in.

Blair Nichols
00:27:05.806 – 00:27:07.366
Your industry and then go beyond.

Blair Nichols
00:27:07.478 – 00:27:10.342
You know, one of the biggest things I think is important is with your.

Blair Nichols
00:27:10.366 – 00:27:11.766
Team and inside the company.

Blair Nichols
00:27:11.838 – 00:27:13.382
And as you’re thinking about where to.

Blair Nichols
00:27:13.406 – 00:27:15.190
Find your customers and where you’re speaking.

Blair Nichols
00:27:15.270 – 00:27:20.822
Externally, don’t just stay within your sphere and expect people to want to work.

Blair Nichols
00:27:20.846 – 00:27:21.990
With you or to stand out.

Blair Nichols
00:27:22.030 – 00:27:29.424
If everyone else around you is talking about digital marketing, then why would you know, My colleague would always say if you’re a yoga instructor, don’t go to.

Blair Nichols
00:27:29.432 – 00:27:31.056
The yoga conference, go to the stressed.

Blair Nichols
00:27:31.088 – 00:27:44.896
Out people’s conference, go to where you’re needed and where you’re not. Be one of many offering similar services, that there’s a real differentiator for you.

That’s where I would invest my time, where it’s a good potential client base and you’re not there with a lot of competitors.

Freddy D
00:27:45.008 – 00:27:46.832
So as we come closer to the.

Freddy D
00:27:46.856 – 00:27:48.912
End here, how can people find you?

Blair Nichols
00:27:48.936 – 00:28:05.306
Blair find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Blair Bryant Nichols and BBN Creative Management. You can also see my website bbn creativemanagement.com and sign up for a free 30 minute call.

We can chat about where you’re at, answer any questions, and hopefully give you some guidance on your next step.

Freddy D
00:28:05.378 – 00:28:22.440
Thank you and great conversation. I’ve gotten value out of this. I’m just hosting a podcast show here.

What you shared people should stop and think about because you’re really helping people transform themselves and their businesses.

Blair Nichols
00:28:23.180 – 00:28:23.764
Definitely.

Blair Nichols
00:28:23.812 – 00:28:26.244
I hope so. And they’re in turn transforming a lot.

Blair Nichols
00:28:26.252 – 00:28:27.284
Of other people’s lives.

Blair Nichols
00:28:27.372 – 00:28:30.868
So it’s the gift that keeps on giving and it can definitely be a.

Blair Nichols
00:28:30.924 – 00:28:32.916
Great gift for you and your business.

Freddy D
00:28:33.068 – 00:28:34.852
So Blair, thank you so much for.

Freddy D
00:28:34.876 – 00:28:36.516
Being on the Business Superfan podcast.

Freddy D
00:28:36.548 – 00:28:38.836
We look forward to having you on the show down the road.

Blair Nichols
00:28:38.988 – 00:28:40.160
Look forward to it.

Freddy D
00:28:43.420 – 00:29:31.300
Hey Superfan superstar Freddie D. Here. Before we wrap, here’s your three A Playbook Attract, Advocate and Accelerate youe Business Power Move for today.

Here’s this episode’s top insight. Speaking on the right stage turns you from another voice in the crowd into a trusted authority your dream clients line up to follow.

So here’s your business growth action step.

Pick one event where your ideal audience gathers and pitch a high value problem solving talk that positions you as an expert they’ve been waiting for. If today’s conversation sparked an idea for you, share it with a fellow business leader who would benefit and grab the full breakdown in the show.

Notes let’s accelerate together and start creating business superfans who not only champion your brand but accelerate your growth.