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Jul 23

Strategies of a Successful Book Launch

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Writing No Comments

Today’s question comes from Shruti Sharma from San Jose, CA when she asks, “What advice do you have for making your book a success once it is written?”

First you have to be passionate about making your book a success (more than just making money). No one cares more about your book than you. The harder and smarter you work, the more books get sold.

Second, define what success looks like to you! Is it the amount of books you sell, the places you get to travel, the people you help or the speeches you get from those who read the book? What does a successful book look like? Only the author can answer that.

After you define your answer above, here is what I used to make our book a success:

Write it Down: You have to put a strategy on paper to know what it looks like. Then post it up in your office and look at it everyday. I broke my written strategy into three categories (Social, Educational and Business). What can you do to be social around your book, educate people with content from your book and make money from it? I focused 50% of my efforts on social, 30% on educational and 20% on business. List, outline and brainstorm ways you can address these areas with your book.

Podcasts Interviews: Reach out to as many podcasters as you can. Let them know you have a book coming out and you can add value to their listeners. Podcasters are all looking for new content, energetic people to interview and value to add to their subscribers. Make sure to ask them to launch your episode during a week before, the day of or a week after your launch. This will drive more traffic to your site, your book and you as an author because instead of a trickle of interviews happening throughout several months, you get a big serge of name recognition in the launch window.

Social Media Team: Put together a team of people who can help promote the book on various social media sites. I would recommend a minimum of 30 people on your team. The more you get, the more your book gets out there! What can you do to entice them to share your book and get them to join your team?

Book Signing Events: You don’t have to do a big book tour. You can do three cities, shoot you can even do one! Make sure you set up at least one book signing event and invite your friends, family, co-workers and your target market for the book. This is great PR! Take photos, videos and post all over social media! You can host it at your local book store, church, coffee shop, anywhere that will let you. Get your hand ready to sign some books!

Reviews on Amazon: This is an area I lacked in for this launch. Reviews matter on Amazon and will help you sell more over time (in fact, if you have purchased Speaker Leader Champion, I could really use your help with a review on Amazon). Reviews gives the author social proof that their book is valuable and people purchase books depending on the reviews. So the quality and quantity of reviews matter!

Valuable Giveaways: What giveaways can you do to lead up to and follow up with your book launch? Giveaway gift cards or signed copies of your book. Giveaway a free hour of coaching or the first chapter away if they sign up for your newsletter. Offer valuable giveaways to make your following happy and to also interest them in getting a copy or sharing it with their friends.

I am happy with the success of Speaker Leader Champion. The book has been translated into 3 languages and my goal is to have translated into 10. I still have more copies to sell and I enjoy getting emails that readers are getting value from the book.

I have learned an immense amount this first go around and will know how to make my second launch even stronger. You have to try these things now in order to make your next one even better. When Frank Llyod Wright was asked which house was the best he’d ever built, he said “my next one.”

You have everything you need to make your book a success and now it’s up to you to put in the work. Go out there and make it happen! You are part of 1% of the population who has written a book now be 1% of authors who make their book a success! Looking forward to seeing your name on the shelf! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Authors, what other advice do you have for those looking to make their book a success?

Jul 21

Love0

3 Traffic Building Tools for Twitter

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Productivity 2 Comments

Do you want more Twitter followers? Some say “yes,” others say “I guess” and several say “I don’t use Twitter.”

For those who say they don’t, it is time to utilize this powerful tool and to stop looking at it as the social media for those who have”ADD.”

More than just collecting followers and pushing out 140 characteristics every 15 minutes, Twitter can be used to influence, connect, search and get opinions on current events.

I use Twitter to see what is happening in my world (#Speaking #NSA14 #Toastmasters #Leadership #CommunicationProblems #Authors #Question #Scuba). The (#) tool can be very powerful if you know how to use it and to connect with those who are interested in the same things you are.

I just reached 10,000 followers on Twitter with a goal to have 20,000 quality followers by the end of the year. In order to build traffic on Twitter, respond to ‘mentions’ and search for related topics I use three tools:

Click to Tweet: Allows you to embed a link in your blog posts where readers can click to tweet a line of text in your post. “Winners do things losers don’t want to do.” Dr. Phil (click to tweet)

Hootsuite: Allows you to auto-schedule tweets for a variety of social media channels and allows you to set up streams so you can pay attention to # you like. Every other Sunday, I sit down for about an hour and plug in about 100 leadership and communication related quotes into Hootsuite. This allows me to post to my followers at least three times a day. Instead of finding new content to post, I can now spend time answering questions, replying to mentions and sharing other articles I read throughout the week.

JustUnFollow: I think they need to change the name of this app. This powerful tool lets you find people who are interested in the same things you are (#leadership #communication) or part of the same groups you are (@Toastmasters @NSAspeaker) and follow them. This app has a tremendous amount of features that are worth checking out.

All three of these tools have a free option. I pay for the upgraded Hootsuite and UnFollow services (starting out I didn’t) and I think the free versions work great depending on your needs.

Growing your Twitter following is important because it will help you reach more people with your voice and connect with those who like what you like.

Don’t take your followers for granted or think “ugh, I only have 154 followers.” I did that at the beginning and it was the wrong thing because I didn’t think I could have real connections online; I was wrong! Actually connect with those you follow and those who follow you. This is your online tribe and they can be one of your biggest assets. Treat them well and add value to their life!

Get to

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Question: What others apps or websites do you use to help grow and/or monitor your Twitter?

Jul 18

Love0

Why you should be more self-first!

By Ryan Avery Motivation 2 Comments

This isn’t a hard thing to grasp, “You can’t give what you don’t have!” yet why can it be so hard to remember at times?

If you don’t have energy, you can’t give energy.
If you don’t love yourself, it will be difficult to love others.
You can’t teach what you haven’t learned.

So…

Are you sacrificing sleep and not eating healthy in an effort to get more done?
Are you hard on yourself when things go wrong or you make a mistake?

Are you digesting enough new information on a regular basis to stretch yourself?

It is time to be more self-first so you can give more to those who need it most!

The past month I have been going so fast I forgot to take care of myself and those important relationships. I have worked out irregularly. I have been teaching more than I have been learning. I have not done as many “fun/non-work related” things as I have liked.

I have been so focused on the success of my businesses and helping others, I forgot to take care of the most important person, me! In a society where we can look down on those who are selfish, it can be hard to rationalize giving more to ourselves so we should redefine it as self-first (as my wife likes to say). The more you give to yourself, the more you can give to others!

But if we are serious about changing the world, helping others and making a difference then we have to start with us! So while we continue to do the 31 Days of Kindness Challenge, I want to encourage you to look at how you are being kind to yourself. What are you doing to be happy, have more energy and love yourself?

Should you go on a walk right now, set your phone down and look around outside?
Could you write down three things you have accomplished in the past three years that make you feel proud?
Can you take 30 minutes tonight to spend time with someone you love where you can laugh, play cards and have fun?

Yesterday I sat under a tree looking out at the water for a couple hours, read and enjoyed the sun. I slept in today, playing tennis with a friend on Saturday and am getting to work at a normal time. I learned from an old boss, “There will always be work to do, so learn to to be ok with never being finished, but always be hungry to do more.”

So you should be more self-first because the more you give yourself, the more you can give others and we can all benefit from what you can have to offer! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

“Everybody wants to change the world. Nobody wants to change themselves.” ~Leo Tolstoy

Jul 16

Love0

What’s the best investment to make in today’s economy?

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Productivity 9 Comments

Today’s question comes from Indira Berikova from Alma-Ata, Almaty, Kazakhstan, when she wants to know “What is the best investment in the market right now?”

I have a good grasp on money management and taking care of our future as my wife and I are almost debt free, live below our means and give 10% of our income away to good causes.

That was not always the case.

Have you ever been so broke you had to water down your soap and struggle to find rent money? A couple years ago, Chelsea and I had to water down our watered down soap. We had $84 in our bank account, had no idea where rent money was coming from and almost got on food stamps.

I applied for 75+ jobs with no response (even Quiznos didn’t hire me!). I remember laying on our carpeted floor, not knowing what we were going to do. We walked outside to clear our minds and the phone rang. I got a job! An awesome job! They even paid me an advance so we could stay in our apartment and slowly get back on our feet.

I don’t like being crunched for cash. It’s not fun going to the grocery store and not being able to get the types of food you want. It’s not fun when you have friends who go out and you can’t join them because you can’t even afford one happy hour beer. It’s not fun to not be able to buy your wife a $2 flower to show her you love her because that’s not “in the budget.” I never wanted to be in that situation again!

Once we got that light of hope with a job offer, we did everything we could to advance our personal and professional career. We started reading, digesting, learning and taking in as much information as we could about life, success, money, happiness, family, goal setting and travel.

We agreed to always live below our means, take care of the things we care about most by sticking to our four pillars and to have a successful life. Four years later, we still live by these principles and it has helped us have a life we feel proud to live.

So I am not a financial advisor, I dabble with my E-Trade account by buying stocks and selling options and right now most of the money we make goes right back into our companies, but the best investment you can make in today’s economy, without a doubt, is yourself!

Invest in you! Read more books. Watch more educational videos. Listen to motivational CDs. Go workout and take alone time. Create goals. Stretch yourself. Do what it takes to make things happen in your life! When you invest in yourself, others will invest in you.

What are you doing right now, today, so that tomorrow you are stronger, better, more efficient and more successful than you were two days ago? Invest in yourself and not only will your family be stronger, our world will be better!

Keep investing in yourself and it will pay dividends for years to come. Thanks for the question Indira and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.S. My goal is to help you reach yours. I will be honest, open and share valuable content that will help improve areas of your life. If you like my content, sign up to receive articles in the right hand corner of this page. Thank you and keep working to make things happen!

Jul 14

Love0

Join us for the 31 Days of Kindness Challenge!

By Ryan Avery Motivation 42 Comments

Here we go! 31 days of kindness starting July 15, 2014.

We have more than 725+ people on board who, collectively, will do more than 3,100 acts of kindness in 31 days! AWESOME!

First time you are hearing about this? Still join in and take the challenge, we hope you will!

How it works: Each day we do one act of kindness listed below and use #31DaysofKindness to share, comment and connect with others who are taking part in the challenge.

Make sure to post photos and share updates because at the end I will collect photos and make us a HUGE collage to share with everyone who participated! You can also share this with your friends, family and neighbors to get them on board! The more we have join, the more good we do as a group! So share away!

Our goal is to retrain our brain to remember to be kind to others on a daily basis and to show the world we can do BIG things when you join together. So are you ready for the 31 Days of Kindness Challenge? Refer back to this post to see what each day looks like. Let’s make a difference in the lives of thousands and here… we… go…

DAY 1 (July 15th) – Write one handwritten thank you letter
The hardest part about this act of kindness might be to remember where your stamps are or to drive to the post office to get them. Take time to get a letter written and sent out to someone in your circle of friends, family or community who you can encourage, inspire or thank!

DAY 2 – Pick up a piece of trash
There is always trash on the ground and we can do something about it! Think what would happen if everyone picked up one piece of trash everyday? Let’s keep our eyes peeled for what piece of trash we can pick up to clean up our streets, sidewalks or neighborhood!

DAY 3 – Buy someone coffee/tea or a drink
Most of us take time out of our day to go and grab a drink of coffee, tea or late night drink. Take the time to buy the person’s coffee behind you. If you don’t drink coffee or tea, pull through a drive though coffee shop pay $3 for the person behind you and drive away! See how good you feel!

DAY 4 – Pass along an article to a friend who could benefit from it
Have you read a great article recently that you know could benefit a close friend, peer or family member? Take time to show you care by sending them an article with an email to say “Hey, saw this and was thinking about you. Thought you would enjoy it.” Please don’t send one of those obnoxious FWDs. Send an article that adds real value to their life.

DAY 5 – Give a hug to someone who could really use it
We could all use a hug from time to time. Scope out someone you know who could use a hug and give them a good ole bear squeeze to say you were thinking of them and hope they are having a great day!

DAY 6 – Pick something up that has fallen down
If you are walking down the street and see one of those fallen sandwich boards or you are in the grocery store and see something that fell off the shelf, find a way to put it back up! This might encourage others to do the same when they see you going out of your way to do something kind for others!

DAY 7 – PICK YOUR OWN
Today is the day we choose any act of kindness we want to do. You can pick up trash, write a letter, donate money or time; anything that classifies an act of kindness to you! Make sure to use the #31Daysof hashtag and post a photo to share on your social media accounts and let us know what you are doing!

DAY 8 – (July 22nd) Give a book to a friend
Is there a book that has been sitting on your shelf you have not read in a while that could benefit someone else? Maybe you love books and want to send a new copy to a friend. Grab a book off the shelf or online and give it to a friend who could benefit from reading it!

DAY 9 – Apologize to someone you know you should
This one is tough but we never said this challenge would be easy. Let’s be kind today by apologizing to someone we know we have hurt or wronged in the past by either sending them an email, calling them on the phone or telling them in person.

DAY 10 – Buy someone their lunch, breakfast or dinner
This can be planned or it can be spontaneous. Maybe you buy the person’s sandwich behind you in line or you make an extra plate for a co-worker who you know loves your home cooking!

DAY 11 – Leave a $2 bill on the ground and watch them pick it up
This is one of the best and most interesting acts of kindness we will do. First off, go to your local bank and ask for a $2 (they will love you for taking those off their hands). Then go and place it somewhere a random person will see it and pick it up. You might be surprised by how many people walk by it before one person notices it!

DAY 12 – Lend your skills/services for free (answer questions)
There are several ways you can do this. Use the #question on Twitter or Facebook. Post on your social media that you can help BLANK with BLANK and the first person to reach out gets BLANK minutes of support. Go and volunteer for an hour or put your skills to the test. This one will make you think and question, what value can I add to others and who can use my skills/services?

DAY 13 – Donate at least one piece of clothing
I will be the first to admit I have WAY too many clothes (yes, even more than my wife Chelsea). There are clothes that I don’t wear anymore and could benefit others. What is in your closet that you can donate to a local shelter or Goodwill and have someone else get benefit from your amazing fashion sense?

DAY 14 – Create a care package for a soldier
I invite you to take time and invite others to join in especially your family or friends to help you with this one. You don’t need to spend a lot of money (you don’t even need to spend money at all). You can write letters, send candy or books and so much more. Here is a good site to use called Any Soldier. If you are outside of the USA, see what your government allows and how you can support your troops. Give thanks to those who provide us with our everyday freedoms.

DAY 15 – PICK YOUR OWN
Today is the day we choose any act of kindness we want to do. You can pick up trash, write a letter, donate money or time; anything that classifies an act of kindness to you! Make sure to use the #31Daysof hashtag and post a photo to share on your social media accounts and let us know what you are doing!

DAY 16 – (JULY 30th) Write a comment on someone’s blog
I have been blogging for a little over four years now and I still get butterflies when people comment on my posts. Take time to comment on one of your favorite up and coming bloggers to let the writer know you are listening and you enjoy their writing (Note: for this act of kindness, you can’t comment on this blog, you have to go and comment on someone else’s!).

DAY 17 – Send a nice email to a company
We might take the time to send a complaint to a company who did us wrong but how often do we send an email or letter to a company who we appreciate is doing the right thing or treating their customers with respect? Send a nice email thanking that company for what they do, the products they offer and services they provide!

DAY 18 – Bring snacks to work to share
Oh this is my favorite because my wife is my only co-worker and she is participating in this challenge with us! I hope she bakes something good! Take time to make something homemade or go to the store and grab something for your fellow co-workers. If you are unemployed at the time, go and bring a snack to a friend or a nearby office (shoot, even deliver snacks to the office where you want to work!).

DAY 19 – Introduce yourself to a stranger
Say hi to someone you walk by. Sit next to someone else at lunch. I bet there might be people at your office you don’t know fully, say hi and introduce yourself. A hi can go a long way!

DAY 20 – Hold the door for someone
This one is another tricky one because we have to be on the look out all day for this opportunity. Take the time to look around for when someone might need the door opened for them. Smile, maybe give them a high five and do it as many times as you can!

DAY 21 – Donate a used book to the library
Your local library could really enjoy some of your old childhood books or best-sellers that you never read anymore. Children, adults and teens can really benefit from those books we don’t use so select some off the shelf, drive by your local library and donate them!

DAY 22 – PICK YOUR OWN
Today is the day we choose any act of kindness we want to do. You can pick up trash, write a letter, donate money or time; anything that classifies an act of kindness to you! Make sure to use the #31Daysof hashtag and post a photo to share on your social media accounts and let us know what you are doing!

DAY 23 – (August 6th) Recycle something
It blows my mind how many people still do not recycle! This is one of the easiest ways to give back and be kind to our environment. Take time to recycle and if you don’t have recycling at your office or home, what can you do today to help make that a reality in your area?

DAY 24 – Support local
Instead of grabbing a bite at Subway or getting a few items at your local Target, stop by a local shop and support your community entrepreneurs by eating at a local restaurant or buying what you need at a local shop.

DAY 25 – Leave a 100% tip
This one will make your day! It does not have to be on a $50 meal. It can be on a $2 coffee you buy or $8 lunch you purchase. Leave that 100% tip and talk about doing a HUGE act of kindness. Those waiters will be talking about that for a while and you spread more kindness that way because they in turn go and talk about what just happened to their friends and family!

DAY 26 – Leave a fun treat for your mail carrier in your mail box
I would recommend nothing that can melt in the southern states this summer but pick something that is fun, sweet and says thank you! You can even write a note letting them know how much you appreciate always delivering your mail.

DAY 27 – Compliment a stranger
Walk by and complement a stranger on what they are wearing, their hair or smile. Bonus points if you give them a high five when you walk by!

DAY 28 – Donate at least $5 to an organization you have never donated to
Research a cause you believe in and donate five dollars to their mission. It might not sound like a lot but those little donations add up for organizations and can be a big benefit if a lot of people do this. When 100+ of us do this, we will have given more than $500 collectively today to good causes around the world!

DAY 29 – Give thanks to one community servant you don’t personally know
Is there a firefighter, police office, civic servant or someone in your community who is adding value to your community that you need to thank? Go to their office, write them a letter or give them a call to say thank you for all they do to make our community safe!

DAY 30 – PICK YOUR OWN
Today is the day we choose any act of kindness we want to do. You can pick up trash, write a letter, donate money or time; anything that classifies an act of kindness to you! Make sure to use the #31Daysof hashtag and post a photo to share on your social media accounts and let us know what you are doing!

DAY 31 – (August 14th) PICK YOUR FAVORITE TO DO AGAIN
What has been your favorite act of kinds so far? Repeat that one today and go BIG! How can you make this one BIGGER and BETTER than the last time you did it? Make sure to use the #31Daysof hashtag and post a photo to share on your social media accounts and let us know what you are doing!

When we do all of this, imagine what we will have accomplished together as a team! Let’s spread the word! Think you know others who would like to join us?

Jul 10

Love2

How to get over the past and focus on the future!

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Uncategorized 6 Comments

This post comes from Stephani Morris from Brooklyn, MI when she asked, “How do you get over the past and focus on the future?”

Whether your past is a good thing or bad, it can hold you back if you dwell on it for too long. I know people who won awesome awards and they never did anything after because they glued themselves to that one accomplishment. I know people who have life stories similar to the ones you see in a Lifetime movie and they stay so bitter because of their past that they can’t move on.

Let your past be stepping stones to your next success – not an anchor in which you think you have to stay (tweet). It’s time to get over the past, no matter how good or bad, and start focusing on the future.

You should be happy you have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly! As a leader, your past helps you relate and connect to more people and it helps you make decisions today that will dictate your future!

Ways you can get over the past and focus on the future:

Set up your vision board!
Get those scissors out, those old magazines you have thrown in the corner and set up a vision board of what you want your life to look like. This will help keep you focused and a visual reminder we can have what we want in life.

Ask yourself if you are being insane?
The definition of insane according to Albert Einstein is “Doing the same thing over and expecting different results.” Are you doing the same things to try and get over the past? Are you doing the same things that are keeping you stuck where you have been? What is something else you can try today to get you focused on the future and remind yourself to let it go (insert Disney theme song here).

Drop the negative people in your life!
You become who you surround yourself by. If you are around negative people, you too will be negative. If you surround yourself with those who are focused on the past… guess what? You too will do the same. It’s time to find people who are ambitious, respect their past but look to find ways to improve their future. Who can you get rid of in your life who is holding you back? Sounds brutal, but you know who they are!

Focus on yourself first!
Sounds selfish? Good, it should! Until you take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else. I see so many people trying to help others yet they forget about their own well-being. What does the flight attendant tell you to do with your oxygen mask if the plane is going down? Put yours on first THEN help those next to you! The world is no good if you are no good so start focusing on yourself and how you can be stronger and get your mind focused on moving forward!

Find three quotes you like!
If you are focused too much on the past, open another tab in your browser and type “inspirational quotes” into Google. Find them, print them out and keep them around your house, car, office or bathroom to constantly remind yourself you have what it takes. Keep your eyes forward and focus on the future.

Three of my favorite quotes to keep me going:
“Whether you think you can, or you can’t, you are right.” – Henry Ford
“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t Ask. Act!” – Thomas Jefferson
” Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Write down three good things that have come out of your past!
What good things have come from your past? Take three minutes right now and write these down. Tell yourself “parts of my past are good and now it is time to move on to bigger and better things because the world needs more of what I have to offer.” Don’t settle!

Make sure to take time today and if there is something in your past that has been holding you back, good or bad, start with setting up a vision board, finding three quotes you like and write down three good things that have come from your past that you are thankful for. This exercise might take 20 minutes of your day but will get you the boost you need as a leader to be proud of the past and focused on the future.

Thanks for the question Stephani. Let’s all keep using our voice to make a difference and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

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Jul 03

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The Pros and Cons for Changing the Name of NSA

By Ryan Avery Leadership, Motivation 55 Comments

Many of you are speakers and this post will focus on the name change of a very important organization to our industry. For those who do not identify as a speaker, you will still take away important lessons of what to consider when making a big announcement.

I attended the 2014 National Speakers Association (NSA) Conference this week in San Diego for the first time. I joined NSA in July 2013 and have been looking forward to this event for almost a year. Filled with life-changing content, building blocks to life-long friendships and inspiration from the world’s greatest speakers, this week was an event that will be remembered for a lifetime!

The organization made a HUGE announcement during the conference and over the past several months the Board of Directors along with staff, special committee, hours of deliberating, surveys and questioning- the leadership team has decided to change the name of the National Speakers Association to Platform.

I have mixed feelings about this and don’t know why we needed a major name change overhaul like this (As I have heard, membership has been at an all-time high and we had a $100,000 surplus in our operating budget last year) but they said “the rate of change in recent years has outpaced the evolution of the organization, and it was clear we needed to make a number of changes to stay relevant as the premier association that serves the speaking profession.” Here are the pros and cons to changing the name of NSA:

Cons to changing the name of NSA

It is SO broad that it doesn’t tell people who we are.
I like the word “speaker.” I understand that others don’t identify as speakers as many of our members are entertainers, comedians, bloggers, authors, etc. and we are wanting to be more inclusive but there are many other organizations, associations for those people to join. This group is focused on speaking and using our voice to inspire, educate and entertain. Speakers first, blogger/author/comedian/etc. later. It is a disservice to Cavett Robert (Founder of NSA), our members and those we serve for not including a form of “speaker” in the name of our organization.

It sounds like an event, not a group!

I feel like I am going to Platform, not that I am part of Platform. It doesn’t tell me who I am or what I do. TED is an event. SXSW is an event. Sundance is an event. As I heard it explained, the Medial Doctors Association is not changing their name to Emergency Room, Plumbers Association of America are not change their name to Toilet and the Sailing Association of Australia is not changing their name to Ocean. Just because we speak from the platform, it does not need to be the name of our organization. I am afraid this word is trendy and what will it mean in 10 years?

What does this mean for everything else?
When they rolled out the name change on stage, they didn’t explain what else was changing. What about the website? What about the membership requirements to join? Where do we learn more about this and how can we get more information about how we incorporate this into our marketing?

Pros to changing the name of NSA

It will help grow our industry to include more professions.
The term “platform” allows other professionals to join our organization who do not feel they are speakers but rather thought leaders in a variety of mediums (blogging, vlogging, writing, entertainment, etc.). As much as I like the word speaker, I think it will grow the organization and attract new members around the world.

It is no longer a national organization but rather encompasses a global scale.
We should have changed it to Global Speakers Association with Platform being what our events were called and breakout sessions focused on platform specifics for speakers, bloggers, entertainers, comics, etc. But Platform is a more inclusive word than National, as we now have 20+ countries represented around the world. But again, why not Global Speakers Association?

The tagline is spot on!
Inform. Influence. Inspire. This, as an industry, is what we do and they did a wonderful job summarizing what value we add as speakers to those we serve with these three words. This will be a great way to help explain to others what I do for a living and that I am more than a public speaker, I am a problem solver.

Regardless of what you think about the name change, this involved a big announcement and a HUGE change to an organization who has more than 40 years of history. I commend the leadership team and Board for making this change and actually taking action to try and remain relevant. So the next time you are planning on making a big announcement at work, home or to your members, here are things to remember:

1) Remain professional and get insight from the world’s experts
2) Be prepared to answer questions and have staff trained and ready to answer FAQs
3) Have a place for people to get in touch to answer even more questions
4) Ask the right person to deliver the news to the group
5) Do a great job explaining “why” but also the “now what?”
6) Do your homework on what others inside and outside the organization think
7) Practice, Practice, Practice delivering the announcement beforehand

However, I don’t think associations are dead, I think the way we market them needs to improve and how we reach our target market could use some work. Because we are in over 20 countries now, I understand the need to change the word ‘National’ and would have like to have seen it be changed to The Global Speakers Association.

We are moving forward with Platform and it is an exciting time in the organization’s history as we plan to continue to serve thousands of people around the world each year with our messages, our ability to solve problems and add value to the masses.

QUESTION: I want to know what other (speakers and non-speakers) think about the new name change. Do you like the name Platform, why or why not? As speakers, let’s do what we do best and start talking and creating a conversation by posting our opinions below.

Jun 30

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Why your ADD is a good thing and why it shouldn’t distract you!

By Ryan Avery Motivation 6 Comments

Today’s article comes from Chris Villafano out in Round Rock, TX. He asked after one of my speeches I gave in Austin, “Is your ADD a blessing or disadvantage?”

Truthfully I probably have ADD but I have never been diagnosed for it. The reason why I want to address this issue is because Chris’ question is not the first time I have been asked this. In fact, I get questions about ADD and ADHD a lot (Whether I have it, what you can do to stay focused if you have it and how can you use it to your advantage?). With these questions, they usually come with shyness or looking at having ADD/ADHD as a weakness and that is the wrong way to look at having ADD in my opinion! So it is about time we address the issue!

If I objectively look at my speaking style it is definitely, and not purposely, geared towards focusing on those with ADD. I tell a very very short story, often give relevant tangents to drive home my point, give my point and move on to the next tip, strategy or story! I take about two or three minutes on each point and move on!

If you have been to one of my workshops or keynotes you know it is not uncommon to hear 30 stories in a hour keynote and gain 15+ new strategies! I mean I teach two-hour workshops and one of the most common things I hear afterwards is “I literally thought I was here for 20 minutes” or “I have ADD, how did you keep me engaged the entire time?”

Did I plan to make my presentations geared towards those with ADD? No! Do I think those who don’t have ADD still enjoy my presentations and workshops? Absolutely! Because if you can engage, entertain and educate someone who might have a short attention span or trouble focusing, think of what you can do for those who are not diagnosed with ADD?

As a leader, here are four reasons why your ADD/ADHD is a good thing and why it shouldn’t distract you!

1) It is more common then you think = According to The American Psychiatric Association states that 5% of children have ADHD and is growing almost 1% a year. Studies in the US have estimated higher rates in community samples. It is estimated that 60% of those will continue to have symptoms that affect their functioning as adults.

2) It makes you unique = One thing I learned working at Special Olympics is that our athletes didn’t have disabilities, we all have different abilities and if we focus on the ones that make us great then the world will be better, our life will be better and those around us will be better. Be proud of what makes you unique, focus on minimizing what distracts you so you can be more productive and keep adding value to those you serve!

3) Major celebrities, successful people and athletes are diagnosed with having ADD = Look at this list of celebrities who have ADD! If anyone is making fun of you or trying to tell you that you don’t have it, who cares! Look at these brilliant minds who do and remind yourself you are part of a group of people who have changed the world, broken records, grew billion dollar businesses and deliver valuable content to millions! If you do have ADD you should remind yourself it is a blessing!

4) You will add more value to those you serve = Where some speakers might share three stories and three points, I might share 15 engaging stories and give 15+ strategies that empower leaders to be better speakers on stage! They are easy to remember, easy to share and easy to use giving the audience member value they can use! Remember… you are valuable!

If you are struggling with your ADD and feel like you are not being able to accomplish anything, take on too many tasks or get easily distracted which leads to you not being able to be productive then take time to accomplish something small. What one small step can you take right now, this minute, the help you accomplish the goal you have for yourself?

We all get distracted! We have social media alerts on our phone as we are typing on our computer, while sitting in a coffee shop, listening to music as someone is trying to talk with us and you are thinking about what article you want to write, what your family is doing and hearing the email chime that lets you know you just got two new emails (literally this is happening as I speak).

So what I have to do sometimes, is turn off my wifi, wake up early so I won’t get distracted from text messages or social media alters and sit at my computer and get things done. I just had to remind myself to turn off wifi, turn off my phone, get out of that coffee shop and finish it in a quiet area. I am constantly reminding myself to stay focused. Identify when you are most productive and take charge of being in charge or getting rid of those things you know distract you from making your dreams happen.

With anything in life, how you look at it, changes everything. If you think of it as a negative, it will be negative. If you see it as a positive it will be. If you don’t even realize it and live your life focusing on delivering valuable content then that is what you will become; known as someone who might have ADD but they add value to those they serve. Whenever you feel like you are down or your ADD is distracting you and in the way, review the list of celebrities who have ADD and what contributions they have made! You too can fit that group one day!

Remember to keep using your voice to make a difference and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Question: Know someone who could benefit from this article? Share it with your friends and family on Facebook. LinkedIn or Twitter by clicking on one social media button below. With your help, we can help more people!

Jun 26

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How to write powerful headlines (BONUS: Easy to use formulas)

By Ryan Avery Leadership, Motivation 7 Comments

This article comes to you with request from Matt Maggio in Miami, FL.Matt reached out last week and gave insight in how to provide bloggers with information on how to write headlines so engaging anyone who sees it, will click to read it! He’s been studying copywriting and how the words you choose in your headlines makes all the difference!

He said consider three things when writing powerful headlines:

1) Focus on creating a “how-to” or “why” or “number (#) series” while adding value and/or providing entertainment elements. He says, “The how-to is very powerful because it engages the prospect on a deeper psychological level. It’s self-centered and most of us pay more attention when we hear how-to and whatever follows after it.”

2) Write for your audience in mind – Do you know who your audience is? Identify who your ideal reader is and ask them what they want to learn more about. I do this through my social media accounts all the time; last week I received 20 article ideas! My audience gives me direction for what they want to hear and who is paying attention to my articles.

3) Base it off your experience – Why are you the one to write this? For example, it might be strange if I wrote an article called “How to win a basketball game if you are under six feet tall.” Not only do I know nothing about basketball, my audience knows I don’t play the game and I can’t speak for those under six feet! Write about what you know with those in mind you want to reach!

Moving forward when you are writing an article for your blog or a chapter in your book, think of these formulas to catch your readers attention and get them to click on what you just wrote!

Powerful Headline Formulas include:

“How to (eliminate pain) (without more pain)”

“How to get (specific result) (in short amount of time) (with very little risk)”

“Why (common-sense approach) doesn’t work… and what to do about it).”

I can say first hand these have worked for me. Starting out blogging I would spend hours on one article and find very little engagement after I hit publish. Other articles I would spend five minutes writing and boom my stats soar for the day! Why? When I look back at the articles, the content nor my writing was better, what the main problem seemed to be was the title in which I used to grab the readers attention. People will not click to read your article if it does not click with what interests or grabs their attention!

What sounds more powerful and more intriguing to read?
How to get more clients without sounding to pushy? – OR – Lessons I learned from an encounter with a recent client!

If I used the same content for the body of the article and used those different titles I guarantee I would have a larger open rate on the “how-to” compared to the “lessons learned.” I mean which one would you most likely open? Plus, in the first one I have considered my focus, my audience and my experience!

Take Matt’s advice and start writing powerful headlines so your writing gets into the hands of more people. Your stories, message and insight matter and if you are taking the time to add value to people’s life, take the time to write engaging headlines! Keep using your voice to make a difference and remember to always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan

Question for comments below: Who is your favorite blogger? Why?

P.S. Have an idea for an article you would like me to write? Send me an email to ryan@averytoday.com! Thanks and if you enjoyed this article remember to share it with those you know on Facebook, Twitter or email by pressing one of the buttons below!

Jun 18

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What E-Book would you most likely download?

By Ryan Avery Motivation 24 Comments

Looking to find out what you would most likely read if I offered one of the below tittles as a free download?

A Couple. Life Lessons. For Newlyweds.
How to create a solid foundation for a lasting relationship

6 Things Every Leader Needs To Succeed

What today’s leaders need more than anything

How to Launch Your Public Speaking Business
Your step by step guide in what it takes to make a career out of speaking

Please post your answer below and let me know why you choose that one. Thank you for reading my articles. I want to continue to provide you the best content and I hope they are helpful, entertaining and engaging! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Jun 05

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How Every Airline Should Handle a “Mistake”

By Ryan Avery Motivation 7 Comments

With more than 100 flights a year I get my fair share of “airport stories” and this one has a twist!

Chelsea and I were finishing up my book tour and headed on vacation with my parents. I am flying to Miami, she is flying to Panama City Beach so I wait by her gate because my plane is scheduled to leave an hour later than hers.

After 30-minutes of sitting, we get the announcement, “Ladies and gentleman, I have just been informed that Flight XYZ will be delayed due to a part that needs to be replaced on your airplane.”

Now usually this is where most airlines end their announcement with a “sorry for the inconvenience, please come up to the counter, wait in line and we will book anyone on another flight looking to still make their connections!”

Delta decided to handle it differently and this is how they made 200+ potential upset flyers… happy, satisfied and went above and beyond what they needed to do.

1st – They Effectively Communicated
From emails, to phone calls to messages and updates every 10 minutes, the Delta crew communicated what was happening and let their flyers know what they knew. As soon as we knew the flight was delayed I received an email saying how they could fix it. I received a phone call letting me know ways they could make it better and the crew said they were there to help with whoever needed assistance.

2nd – They Passed Out Food, Snacks and Drinks
Instead of saying sorry they showed they were sorry. They brought out first-class snacks for all passengers, drinks and even went one step further and ordered 15 pizzas for all passengers so they didn’t have to order food while they waited!

3rd – They Provided Options
They gave people options to communicate. You can download the Delta app, you can call one of 500 customer service representatives to reschedule your flight or you can talk to a gate agent at the counter. They gave options to communicate and respond in the way that was easiest for their customers.

It was great to see a global company taking initiative to communicate effectively with their customers, if all companies did this when a “mistake” occurred, their customers would be happier and their retention would be greater. Plus, not to mention, we live in a digital world and as I was looking around I noticed people posting their snacks on Instagram and Twitter.

So they made the conversation online go from frustrated to thankful and let their customers communicate how well they handle mistakes that arise. They might have spent $200 on this, but think of the customers they kept, the PR they received and the example they set! If all airlines, and companies, handled situations like this (communicated effectively and provide options) we as customers would be a lot happier! Thanks Delta for setting an example. As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Question: What is your favorite airline story?