One could easily come away from NSA conferences convinced that just about all of the speakers have more engagements than they really want, are making a ton of money, need to constantly order more inventory to keep up with the orders for their products, and feel deeply fulfilled by the positive impact they are having on their client organizations. This misimpression can lead to:
- reduced self-confidence for speakers at all levels,
- very costly mistakes,
- lost opportunities for real learning about what it takes to move up the levels within our profession, and
- over time, reduced credibility for our members and the profession.
The pattern also encourages members to “fake it ‘til they make it.” Of course, it’s not just the behavior within our association that creates this pattern. Larger societal patterns encourage it as well. As experts, we are expected to dress better, live in nice houses, have beautiful offices, drive great cars, go on marvelous vacations, use the latest technology, have “hot” websites, etc.
But what happens when someone (a speaker, a consultant, a trainer, a coach…any professional) gets into the pattern of “fakin’ it”? The range of available resources shrinks because they think they cannot risk being “found out.” The cost of doing business increases as the image is maintained even when the revenue is not there. Chronic recurring problems or blind spots persist. Gross revenue hits plateaus…first at $60,000/yr, then at $125,000, then at $250,000, and then again at $ 625,000. It becomes more and more difficult for others to “reach” the person involved. Personal relationships suffer. Bad habits become entrenched. Changing the patterns seems more and more impossible with each passing year.
I am writing this article and giving presentations at various chapters to reach out to our members, because I have seen many “experts” fall into this trap…and it is such a waste. To move to the next level, one must replace the habits of the current level with new premises and behavior (whether you are a new, emerging, or established speaker). For example, at the $250,000 plateau, it’s often the professional’s assumptions about support staff, compensation, pricing, time management, and specialization that need to be examined.
Please join me at Oklahoma Speakers Association chapter meeting on September 9, 2000. We won’t be talking to just the “wannabes.” I’ll be focusing my remarks on the needs of more established speakers who have the potential to move past the $250,000, $625,000, and $1.3 M plateaus.
Aldonna Ambler is known as “The Growth Strategist”. She has been helping professional service firms, technology-driven companies, and distributors achieve accelerated growth with sustained profitabilitysm for the past 29 years. The 10th person in the world to earn professional certifications in both management consulting and professional speaking (CMC and CSP), Aldonna has won a dozen prestigious awards for her success as an entrepreneur and her leadership in economic development initiatives. She was recently named national “Woman Business Owner of the Year” for 2000.
