Build Your Business With Public Speaking
One of the best ways to build your business is by speaking in public. It increases your visibility, attracts new customers, and establishes you as the expert in your field. Whether you’re a professional public speaker, entertainer, real estate agent, lawyer, contractor, or a plumber, everyone can benefit from speaking to the right audience.
There are some very intelligent and articulate people who tend to clam up when put in front of an audience, and I believe the reason is fear. Maybe it’s the fear of failure, the fear of embarrassment, or the fear that others may think that they don’t know what they’re talking about. This is normal. Everyone who first gets up in front of an audience has these fears. The way to conquer these fears is to actually do it. The only way to get better as a public speaker is to speak often. Practice and repetition are the key elements to becoming a great public speaker.
There are also a few key ideas that can help you in giving a more compelling presentation. In this video I share one idea that will help you captivate your audience in the first few vital seconds of your presentation.
Please leave any questions or comments, as I’d love to hear from you, and I promise to answer any questions you may have on the subject.
Lou Serrano
Corporate Entertainment Specialist and Business Speaker
In Support Of Building Relationships
I recently posted a video called The Million Dollar Secret, and although I received overwhelming support for the idea I shared, I still had a few people who were concerned with some perceived underlying negative issues. One issue that was brought to my attention was the idea that I was “using” people to gain something from a relationship.
Let me state right here that I don’t believe in “using” anyone for anything. Instead, I believe in building relationships. When you build “meaningful” relationships with others, all parties gain something from the relationship.
The most meaningful relationships are based on mutual trust, respect, shared values, passions, and sense of purpose. This applies to all relationships whether it’s with your friends, spouse, business partner, or mentor. Basing relationships on the idea that you can “use” them for certain purposes is a formula destined for failure.
One thing you should know about me is that I LOVE people! It’s one of the reasons I do what I do. From performing magic and speaking to consulting and writing. I do all these things, because I love people. I try to see the good in everyone I meet, and I have a genuine interest in learning from them and sharing my own specialized knowledge.
Seek out people who you admire, and start building relationships based on trust, respect, values, passions, and sense of purpose.
To your success!
Lou Serrano
Los Angeles Magician, Corporate Entertainment Specialist, and Business Speaker
To Be.. You Must Do
Who am I being? A question I must ask myself every morning when I wake up. I’m a magician, a business speaker, internet marketer, and business consultant. But if I really am all these things, then what am I doing? It isn’t enough to just SAY I am these things. In order to BE, I must DO. It’s an illness that plagues us all. Not being who we say we are.
A painting doesn’t paint itself. An artist must sit and put paint to canvas. Brushstroke after brushstroke until the painting is complete. An artist can’t just begin painting after painting without ever completing one and still call himself an artist. To call oneself an artist, a person must create art.
For me to be a magician, I must create magic in the minds of my audience. Without an audience, there is no magic. To be a business speaker, I must get in front of a group of people and speak. To be an internet marketer, I must create all the necessary components of business and sell, and to be a business consultant I must consult with business owners and share information to help them grow their businesses. In order to BE these things, I must DO, and it’s important to do these things every single day.
So who are YOU being today? In order to be, you must do. If you aren’t doing, you aren’t being.
Lou Serrano
Los Angeles Magician
Business Speaker
Corporate Entertainment Specialist
The Million Dollar Secret
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have all the luck?
Everything seems to go their way. Maybe they start a new business and their business takes off, they enter a new market and the market embraces them, they’ll roll out a new product and their product sells like hotcakes, and every year they seem to make more and more money, and maybe… you don’t. You may wonder how is that possible?
These people may not have as much talent, knowledge, skill, charisma, or drive that you possess, but every year they do better and better. Are they just lucky? I’m going to say, “Yes! They’re very lucky, and they probably work very hard to harness that luck!”
The late, great Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If we’re talking solely in financial terms that means if the average income of the five people we spend the most time with are making between $30,000 and $40,000 per year, then we are probably making about the same amount. If the average is $100,000 per year, then we’re also making about that amount, and if the average income is $1,000,000 per year, then we’re also probably making $1,000,000 per year.
So how can we use this information to grow our business? I believe all of us need to step out of our comfort zone in order to grow. We have the tendency to associate with the same people over and over again. Why? Because it makes us feel good. It’s feels comfortable, but if we want to take our business to another level, then we need to step out of our comfort zone. We should strive to associate with people who can help us reach that next level.
If you want to make a million dollars per year and you’re associating with people who make $30,000 per year, there is nothing these people can teach you about making a million dollars per year. They may be wonderful people who deserve your love and attention, but these aren’t the people who are going to help you grow your business.
On the other hand, if you start associating with people who are making a million dollars per year, they can share things with you that can help elevate your business. The knowledge they have and the mindset they possess can rub off on you, and they can help inspire, motivate, and push you to new heights in your business.
How can we build relationships with these people?
We have to think creatively, and here is a suggesgtion. Find out what associations they participate in, and what charities they are involved with. Find out what’s important to them, and find a way to associate with them in a meaningful manner. Then start building relationships with them.
That is the million dollar secret. Building Relationships. Building relationships with key people who can help elevate your business to a whole new level.
I hope this gives you food for thought. If you find this information valuable please leave a comment and share it on your social media sites. I’d be very grateful.
To your success!
Lou Serrano,
Los Angeles Magician, Keynote Speaker,
and Corporate Entertainment Specialist
3 Reasons Why Testimonials Will Help Increase Your Business
Let me share with you a short, personal story. Years ago I was in the process of purchasing my first home. I interviewed several real estate agents, and they all seemed competent, professional, and pleasant. One of the agents that I met presented me with a binder that was filled with dozens of hand written and typed testimonial letters from previous clients. They all thanked the agent for the wonderful job he had done in helping them find their dream homes, and they were all incredibly happy with the entire sales process.
I read page after page. Each was a glowing review of the person sitting in front of me. After reading about a dozen or so letters, I realized this was the person I wanted representing me in my first home purchase. I’ve never forgotten the impact those letters had on me.
Testimonials accomplish three things.
1. Promote Credibility. Testimonials provide social proof that your products and services are as effective as you say. Instead of tooting your own horn, other people do it for you. Prospects are more inclined to believe what others say about you as opposed to what you have to say about yourself.
2. Build Trust. When customers with nothing to gain are saying wonderful things about your products and services, it decreases the level of skepticism surrounding your business. Knowing that others have had positive results in dealing with you, others feel a sense of security laying a foundation for trust.
3. Help Close The Deal. In the example I gave with the real estate agent, it was the plethora of testimonial letters that helped close the deal. Given a choice, customers want the best products and services they can afford. If past customers are raving about their experience in doing business with you, others won’t want to be left out.
One of the best ways to get a testimonial is to shoot a video of your customers immediately after they’ve done business with you. If you’ve delivered the goods, your customers will be happy to give you a raving review.
Testimonial videos can be much more compelling than a written or printed testimonial. The viewer will have an easier time identifying with the people in your video, which can enhance the effectiveness of the testimonial.
The video above was edited using iMovie. It’s a very simple editing job, but its quite effective. This video and others will be used in conjunction with text testimonials on my new website that is currently under construction.
To your success,
Los Angeles magician, Lou Serrano
Review of the Kodak Zi10 Play Touch Pocket Video Camera
In the past I’ve talked about the importance of having a blog, and in particular about having a video blog to grow your business, about the value you can convey to your prospects and customers, and the benefits to you and your business of having a blog (see Top Three Reasons For Having A Blog / Feb.10, 2011).
In April of last year I posted a vlog where I shared some simple yet effective tips on How To Get Started With Vlogging. At that time I recommended the Kodak Zi8 pocket video camera. Well, I just recently purchased the Kodak Zi10 Play Touch, and I wanted to share my results.
In the above video you can see a comparison of both video and audio quality of the camera I used to use and the Kodak Zi10. I think you will be amazed by the contrast.
There are two features that attracted me to the Kodak Zi10. First, is the price. For less than $100 you can purchase this 1080p HD quality pocket video camera. It’s basically the size of an iPhone, so it fits in your pocket and you can take it anywhere. Second, it’s the only pocket video camera currently on the market that has an external microphone jack. This feature was the most important to me. Now along with crystal clear video, you can also get crystal clear audio.
Check out the video above and you’ll see and hear the difference. If you’re looking for an inexpensive camera that gives quality results for your video blog, the Kodak Zi10 is definitely worth your consideration.
Corporate Magician and Keynote Speaker, Lou Serrano
The Magic Castle Lecture
Sunday, January 15, 2012 I’ll be lecturing at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA. This will be held in the Parlour of Prestidigitation starting at 3:30 P.M.
This lecture will be on The REAL Secrets. how to build your business faster, easier, and more effectively without spending a fortune. If you want to make 2012 drastically better than 20111, financially speaking, than you owe it to yourself to be here.
This is for Magic Castle members only.
Los Angeles Magician, lou Serrano
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Magician Profile from James Kim on Vimeo.
James Kim, a photojournalist at USC, created an audio slide show of my performance last Friday night at Mo’s Bar & Grill in Burbank, CA. He followed me around for two hours and interviewed me between sets. The slide show above is the end result of his project.
Anybody that has followed my blog for any length of time knows that I’m a huge proponent of using video to tell your story. Whether it’s the story of who you are and what you do, or the story of information that you want to impart on others, video can be much more compelling than reading text alone. In the past I’ve also said that video is more compelling than photos. James only shot photos for this project. By integrating audio and presenting it within the context of a slide show, I believe he was able to tell his story in a way that is, in some ways, even more artistic and more compelling than video.
I had no input whatsoever on James’ project, except for letting him shadow my steps at the restaurant and answer his questions. The end result is a photojournalistic piece that captured the true essence of what it is that I do on a typical Friday night. Sharing the experience of magic and bringing smiles to the faces of complete strangers is a joy that is difficult to describe. This audio slide show does a great job of capturing some of those moments.
Sometimes we have to step out of our box and view the world through the lens of another human being. By letting another person share his vision of what he sees in your story, you are able to tell your own story in a way that can be much more compelling.
To your success!
Los Angeles Magician and Corporate Speaker, Lou Serrano
P.S. (Shameless Plug) You can see me at Mo’s Bar & Grill every Friday night from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sunday Brunch from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you there.
What Does This Have To Do With Marketing?
Q: What does playing guitar have to do with marketing?
A: It has everything to do with marketing.
I’d like to talk about social media marketing with an emphasis on Facebook. Over the last few years I’ve been able to use Facebook as an effective marketing tool for my business, and I’d like to share some insights.
There is a school of thought that says you should only make posts on Facebook that are related to your business. You should never make posts regarding your personal life. I completely disagree.
In this day and age people are tired of dealing with big corporations that give no human interaction. People are more inclined to do business with others they know, like, and trust. It’s been this way since the beginning of the human race; people doing business with others they know, like, and trust. By sharing your personal life with others, people get to know you, and assuming you’re a likable person, will be more inclined to do business with you.
This is why I decided to share a video of me playing the guitar. It’s a part of my life, and although I’m sure there will be some who may knock my playing ability, I’m rather proud of the fact that I had the guts to put this up considering that I no longer practice on a regular basis. Still, it’s a joy to play the guitar, and I hope to eventually have the time to perform again.
Share your personal story through your social media networks, and you will soon see relationships develop that can lead to an ever growing business.
As always, I welcome your comments.
Los Angeles Magician & Corporate Speaker, Lou Serrano
Lead Creed
Lead Creed is a system for generating more leads and getting more business. For the price, you definitely can’t go wrong. I do not make any money by endorsing this product. I just thought I’d pass along the information. It’s worth checking out.
To your success!
Corporate Magician & Speaker, Lou Serrano
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