Where Niche is King!

Here! Today! Now!

Seek niche ideas out, they are everywhere, anywhere and nowhere! Perhaps they are not as conspicuous as the real big dollar earners, they do exist none the less, are well worth the time spent researching and can reap great rewards. Form a habit of seeking "the niche"!

We run a two companies,  a Speaker Bureau, The Entertainers and a speaker management company Speakmark, two different beasts to be sure, hovering over the events industry and beyond.

The workload is often overwhelming, juggling the various aspects of running businesses, however always at the forefront of our thinking is "where are the niche ideas/speakers/events.?"

We are attracted to niche like a magnet, our conversation constantly revolves around it, we practice niche, we read niche, we spray it on like deodorant, we eat it for breakfast, niche is a habit worth forming!

Perhaps if I give you a first hand example of how this process worked for us recently.

While consuming the daily breakfast of fruit and coffee (my morning addictions), I mentioned to my wife and business partner Michelle Burgan that I had seen a LinkedIn post about a consultant by the name of Cynthia Dearin. I had admired Cynthia's presence and profile for a few years after coming into contact with the organisation that Cynthia was CEO of, the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

I said to Michelle, "I believe Cynthia works in a niche area of business and commerce, perhaps we should contact her and see if she has representation with regards to speaking engagements."

Founder of Dearin & Associates and certainly doing some niche work around building Australian businesses intentionally, I called to enquire.

I had done my research, I knew that Cynthia was working in a niche market, the question I asked was "Are you looking to do more speaking work?"

An emphatic "yes" followed from Cynthia, with an equally emphatic "we would love to work with you", which has formed into a tidy working relationship between Cynthia Dearin and Speakmark.

Now while it is true that I am shamelessly plugging the amazing work that Cynthia Dearin does, which is assisting businesses find opportunities on the international stage-

• Export strategy – helping our clients create or refine their export strategy so that they get the most out of the export         experience.
• Cross-cultural management -  training and problem-solving for companies working outside Australia or with clients       and counterparts from abroad.
• Strategic business connections – we facilitate links between projects and investors and put clients in touch with the       best networks and contacts in new markets.

- the real essence/lesson of this post is to always be on the look out for the  hidden gems which could be sitting right in front of our eyes.

Here is some good advice if you are struggling for ideas on how to create something from nothing.

Look up Nils Vesk, we have learnt much from both his teachings and his book Ideas with Legs, in fact buy the book it is just a fantastic guide to help you become upwardly mobile with your ideas. I guarantee that you will find ideas and methods in this book which will enable you monetize your ideas.

To sum up, with so much content coming at us from a a few dozen different sources, niche is definitely where it is at! If it is not niche then it is just harder, not impossible, to sell or market.

Look, look, look....try to see what no one else see's, this requires practice and you need to look harder to find the magic in the ordinary.

We live in a world where niche is KING!   Ohhh yes! Remember to look Cynthia Dearin up the next time you are looking for an excellent speaker!

Why Real Time Video Interviews work for The Entertainers

"A picture is worth a thousand words" refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. Video makes it possible to absorb large amounts of data quickly, it offers massive value given that people in the Events industry and for that matter any industry are time poor.

Without going into how our minds receive information, it is obvious to most that we are not all speed readers, suffer info-glut, are bombarded with strings of information daily, reports, contracts, letters and so forth, invade our lives daily. Collectively, is it possible that we read more now than we ever have? Email, Facebook, Blogs, Ebook's , articles demand our attention if we are to survive in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Let's face it, there is a lot being written that just goes "via the cape",! Not because it is badly written, not because it offers no value, we are just too damn busy to invest the time to read everything that comes across our desks.

Speaker BIO's are a prime example. While a full page of facts and figures about where the Speaker is from, where he/she lives with his/her spouse and children, where he/she grew up, the odd funny line thrown in and other superfluous information may feel appropriate, it does little for some time poor soul looking for key facts.

Personally I feel that printed BIOs and pictures do not enhance any Speakers fortune. If ever a poor representation of talent was exhibited, it is an email with a bio and pic attached. 

Ask yourself, how on earth can anyone make an informed decision about something as complex as a Speakers capabilities reading a BIO. Very poorly would be my answer and due to the talent we have in Australia,  this outdated method of pitching is successful, may I say, thanks to the Speaker and not to lazy Bureau who used such an antiquated pitch.

That old worn out boot pops up again, "It's just the way we do things around hear".

The Real Time Video Series The Entertainers are creating is in it's embryonic stages. We are making lots of mistakes, we are working with inferior equipment, I am not the worlds greatest interviewer, we do not have a production team with lights camera action, no studio, no clap board.

There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come is an apt quote by Victor Hugo to describe the way forward for this format. While our interviewing capabilities are currently raw and basic and our production values are simplistic, our message is hitting it's mark. The interviews are time consuming but well worth the effort.

The feedback we have received has been more than encouraging from prospective and current clients and also from Speakers themselves. The information that we can extrude in a short period of time while offering refreshing and entertaining content is massive value. It gives our clients an accurate insight into the Speakers capabilities, personality and attitude. It enables people to make a much more informed decision, while giving the Speaker an opportunity to advertise their true capabilities and strengths.

We will continue to grow our video database improving on production values to create a rich and valuable repository of Speaker interviews.

While there are other aspects to the advantages I could talk about such as Speaker showreels, flashy commercials, SEO and other aspects of Speaker marketing, my belief is that there is nothing that compares to a naked video interview to get to the heart of any Speaker apart from meeting them in person.