Have Shel Speak

TALKS ON ABUNDANCE, BUSINESS ETHICS, AND COOPERATION

Meeting Planners: Shel Gives Great Talks!

A Few Among Many Venues Where Shel Has Spoken

Forum Davos, Davos, Switzerland (February 2010)
American Society of Journalists and Authors (April 2010
Book Expo America (multiple appearances)
Noteworthy USA National Convention Keynote
Public Relations Society of America International Conference
Infinity Publishing Author Conference Keynote
Publishers Marketing Association University (multiple appearances)
Ragan Strategic Media Conference
Regional writing and publishing associations in the Bay Area, Saint Louis, New York, and elsewhere (three with several repeat appearances)
University of Massachusetts Family Business Center (multiple appearances)
Business for Social Responsibility
Colleges and universities including Smith College, University of Vermont, Mount Holyoke College, others

“I wanted to once again personally thank you for your significant participation at our convention this year… Your keynote address was direct and concise. The message of ethics and integrity was heard and accepted by the attendees and the industry will be better because of it… The convention wouldn’t have been the success it was without your involvement.”
Jeffrey Armstrong, Officer, Noteworthy USA

Staying Profitable AND Ethical in Tough Economic Times

The market is crashing. Housing has tanked. Retirement savings are evaporating. If ever the temptation to cut corners, to bend the rules raises its head, now would be the time.

A word of advice: Don’t! In a down economy, it’s even more crucial to be the kind of company people want to do business with, and that gives you a big edge to survive and even thrive in troubled times.

Why companies based in Green and ethical principles can charge more for products and services, command much better buyer loyalty and evangelism, and slash marketing costs while retaining and increasing profits
How ethical lapses can kill your company (and jail your leadership) when times are bad
Why being ethical actually protects you from a broken economy

Making Corporate Responsibility Sexy: Building and Marketing a Culture of Business Success Through Ethics.

How to build a stellar reputation that builds powerful referral business, even from competitors–and how not to get the legs knocked out from under you by messing it up (as happened to the CEO of Whole Foods recently)

How corporate stupidity and lack of social responsibility can kill even very strong companies–whilst accepting responsibility in a crisis can dramatically grow a business

Why most businesses shouldn’t worry about market share–and what they should concern themselves with instead

Why nice guys” of either gender finish first, not last

How ultra-green practices can actually reduce expenses while providing marketing advantages

How Business Ethics is Like Spinach: Don’t Make It Mushy—Make It Mouth-Watering

Too often, when you get served spinach, you get a shapeless, overcooked, flavorless mess. Yet, when properly prepared, spinach is a gourmet treat that warms the taste buds and makes you feel like spring.

Similarly, ethics is too often forced down the throats of unwilling students and business leaders “because it’s good for you.” It keeps you out of jail and has lots of vitamins and iron, but it may not feel good, or feel profitable.

Yet ethics, served properly, can be the magic key that unlocks the future of successful, profitable, sustainable businesses. It’s not only good for you, it’s the gourmet treat that makes it all worthwhile. It builds long-term customer, supplier, and employee relationships that actually make it much easier to succeed, if you understand how to position the enterprise to harness the benefits it creates.

Green is Gold: How to be Market More Profitably by Being More Green

Suddenly, Green is chic. Everybody’s buzzing about climate change, carbon footprints, alternative energy, and more.

And if you have a business that takes Green positions–particularly if this is a long-lasting part of your operation that predates the current fad, but even if you’re new to it–you can convert that buzz into very profitable dollars

Why Green business is more profitable than traditional business
How to identify and market your Greenest elements
How Green businesses are better poised to build lucrative alliances with other businesses and nonprofits
What the continuing Green trend means to business over the long term

Cross-Marketing: How to Turn Competitors and Complementary Businesses Into Partners
We’ve all been trained to beat down our competitors at every turn, because we’ve been living in the scarcity model. Shifting from scarcity to abundance–knowing that there IS enough to go around-changes your competitors from threats to marketing agents. The shift takes some time and energy, but the rewards are worth it. Instead of carving up tiny pieces of a finite pie, you keep expanding the pie and having enough for a second helping.

Why some of your best marketers may be your own competitors

What everyone has to gain from working cooperatively

Mutual-benefit JVs for every size and style of business

Five techniques businesses can use to grow the entire market category while working together.

Turning Your Values Into Sales: Effectively Marketing Your Social/Environmental Commitment:
Is your company’s commitment to improve the world a “best-kept secret?” Or are you openly using your values in your marketing, but not getting the results you want? Learn how to get the most possible marketing value out of your values. Treating the earth with respect, providing a healthy and welcoming atmosphere for employees, donating a portion of your profits, supporting social and environmental goals–are all marketing points to help you stand out in your prospects’ mind. Harness these points to build not only sales, but customer loyalty–to the point that they become part of your unpaid word-of-mouth army of fans and ambassadors.

Identify the existing actions and policies most conducive to attracting socially and environmentally conscious fans

Create marketing strategies that easily bring these to their attention

Involve your customers with a feeling of “ownership” and participation

Turn this reservoir of good will into a powerful, virtually free, marketing machine

Embracing Abundance: How to Get Past “Market Share” to What’s Really Important

Market share is usually irrelevant; the world is abundant and there’s room for everyone to succeed

You can actively profit from your competitors’ successes!

Harness the awesome power of your own customers to do your marketing

Honesty, integrity, and quality are far more important than quick profits-the Golden Rule actually WORKS in business

As you create value for others, you build value in your own business

The most important sales skill isn’t even about selling

How to turn marketing from a cost into a direct revenue stream

How to Be a Success in Business and Still Hold Your Head Up High:
We’ve learned a lot about how NOT to do business from the likes of Enron and Arthur Andersen. The crooked approach doesn’t work; eventually, it catches up with you. Fortunately, it’s actually easier to run a business based on integrity, honesty, quality, and value. You’ll have better profits, better health-and when you look in the mirror, you’ll see someone to be proud of!

What Arthur Anderson, the man, would have said about the collapse of Arthur Andersen, the company

How to cope with crisis: What Johnson & Johnson understood that Firestone and Intel did not, and why its business is better for that understanding

How YOU can run a business based truly on ethics and service, and build a lasting legacy for future generations

Turn Customers Into Raving Fans! Energize Your Clients Into Sales Ambassadors
When you make a purchase, is it in spite of the firm’s marketing … or because of it? The best marketing is non-intrusive, reaches the right prospects—and tells them how and why your offer can solve their problem or improve their lives. The way to get clients isn’t to beat your chest and say how great you are—it’s to identify and solve your prospects’ problems, meet your prospects’ needs! Learn the secret of turning other people’s problems into your opportunity, and watch your business grow. Learn to focus marketing efforts on benefits to the client or customer, rather than product features: keep it “you” focused, not “me/we” focused.

Find the right prospects.

10 points to great copywriting.

Objections as a sales tool: learn how to really listen.

Match the “personality” of a presentation to the individual person you’re addressing.

Sales From a Marketing Mindset:
Most studies say it costs at least four times more to get a new client as to retain an existing one. To the skilled marketer working in sales, this means three important things: 1) If you’re spending all that money to go after new business, do it as effectively as possible. Nurture the leads you get from your sales force, website, trade show appearances, etc. 2) Romance your existing customers to build those long-term–and cost-effective marketing relationships. 3) Learn to identify the most likely prospects, and how to spend your sales efforts on them, instead of wasting them talking to non-prospects

The “Triangle of Expertise”-How to Turn Marketing from a Cost into a Direct Revenue Stream:
Are you getting paid to do your own marketing? If not, why not? At least some of your marketing should be earning money not only in the new customers it brings, but in direct transactional sales where people actually pay to receive it.

Understand the “triangle of expertise”

The three points that I’ve used to generate revenue from my marketing

Find the right points in your business

How to leverage referrals and develop an unpaid marketing army

For audience and event planner comments about Shel’s talks, please click here.

To contact Shel about speaking to your group, please click here.

References From Meeting Planners (contact info on request)

Willie Crawford, organizer, Birthday Bash Marketing Conference

Jeffrey Armstrong, organizer, Noteworthy USA National Convention (keynote and three-hour hands-on workshop)

Kitty Werner, organizer, Vermont Information and Networking Entrepreneurs

Ira Bryck, Executive Director, University of Massachusetts Family Business Center

Sue Sylvia, organizer, Saint Louis Publishers Association