Episode 15: Books and Speaking with Guest Expert Jessica Rasdall
Today on the show Jodi interviews Jessica Rasdall about books and speaking. Here are some highlights:
Jodi and Jessica talked about the importance of knowing your path in order to marry a book with a speaking platform. Jessica noted three questions to answer:
Who is the book for?
Who do I want to speak to?
How do these serve my business
Jessica noted that if you already have a book and want to start speaking, you have a “leg up” on others — and you should be speaking already! Because the barrier to entry in the business world is low (i.e., anyone can create a website and call themselves an expert), anything that can set you apart from others is a good tool.
Jessica recommended putting yourself in an event organizer’s shoes. When looking to fill events with speakers and looking at profile after profile, and application after application, a book can lend that credibility that sets you apart.
Jessica shared that she had been speaking to audiences for more than ten years but that once she had a book, it allowed her audience to keep transforming and to keep their connection going with her.
Jessica noted that she sees a spike in books purchases every time she has a speaking engagement..
Jessica defined speaking to mean more than “just” speaking from a stage. Any time you share your story with an audience, whether it’s on a podcast, in a summit, at a conference, and more, that’s speaking.
Jessica shared a tip that reinforced her belief that you must always know your numbers when it comes to the book so that you can better negotiate with event organizers. She said that often her book is included in her speaking package (like a gift to the audience) rather than as part of a post-presentation sales funnel or back-of-the-room sales.
Listen here or on your favorite podcast player, and let me know what you think!
