11/7/2025
Editors: Rebecca Morgan & Ken Braly
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SNN Webcast Info
Wednesday, November 12
Beyond Multiple Streams:
Building a Speaking Business
That Solves, Not Sells (webcast)
with Scott McKain, CSP, CPAE
Do you sell programs, or do you solve problems?
If you want to structure your business so it thrives in the future — a future that looks very different from the world 5–10 years ago — a focus on solving problems is essential.
Scott McKain has re-invented himself and his business several times, and he has learned lessons that will be valuable to you.
Read more about this session at the bottom of this newsletter, then register for the live program or pre-order the recording.
Note: Everyone who registers for the live webcast session or orders the recording will get a link to the recorded video of the online webcast, as well as the audio MP3 for convenient re-listening.
Save the date:
- Mon., Nov. 17 — “How to Mine the Comedy Gold Within and Make It Shine” with Chris McGuire.
Miscellaneous Tips
B2B prospecting email best practices that actually work — Vickie Sullivan
Ever wish you could get inside a potential client’s head and ask, “What’s it going to take for you to act?” Sopro came close by analyzing nearly 100 million emails for its State of Prospecting 2025 report. The results, featured in a recent MarketingProfs article, offer a clear look at B2B prospecting email best practices in today’s landscape.
The findings show a major shift in how buyers respond to outreach messaging. If you still rely on old-school tactics, these insights might surprise you. Here’s what today’s most effective B2B prospecting emails do differently — and what falls flat:
- Beyond simply referencing prior contact, soft skills like reassurance, clear explanations, and collaboration are now key drivers of engagement.
- What’s turning off buyers? Messages that focus too heavily on value propositions, results, pain points, or solutions. Tactics that once worked now often cause resistance.
This is more proof that emotion drives buying decisions. Before potential clients care about your solution, they need to believe you understand them and support their goals.
Don’t ignore this shift. Fear-based messaging no longer motivates action. Instead, empathy, encouragement, and personalized connection are the new foundation of B2B prospecting email best practices.
You need a framework — for speaking and writing — Ian Percy
I first spoke for money in ’71/’72. It was $25 Canadian. My first book in 1985. Decades later in conversation with the unsurpassable Larry Winget, the question arose: Was I a speaker who writes, or a writer who speaks? You are probably trying to be the wrong one, like I was. I’m a writer who speaks. I haven’t given a formal speech in many years but I’ve written seven books, one of them with Larry.
Whichever you are meant to be, you will do it better if you establish a framework on which you hang everything you convey. One old framework for a eulogy or wedding speech is: Laugh Laugh Cry Laugh. Works every time.
I’m suggesting a stronger one for every presentation or paragraph. And it’s: Information (facts); Insight (the meaning of those facts); Inspiration (energized to do something); and Impact (making a difference as a result).
To severely test this framework out, I wrote advice on how to deal with an emotionally-charged experience. I’ve done that because the more passionate we are about what we want to communicate, the more likely we’ll mess-up our effort to truly make a difference to our listeners or readers who may not share that passion or experience. Pay attention, sales speakers. Here it is:
There is no “time” in eternity, what we often call heaven. That means if your dearly loved one has passed on, they are not “waiting” for you in heaven, since that would require time. When someday you are united, it will feel like it was always so without interruption. It is you on this side who are waiting. The highest tribute to the one you have so loved, is to make the most of it.
I invite you to lay the framework over this paragraph to see how it works and then apply it to your message.
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Virtual presentation opportunities are expanding. Do yours stand out from the 99% mediocre ones? Take the virtual master presenter self-assessment to see if you could become even better. If so, get notified of the next Virtual Master Presenter Course led by Rebecca Morgan, CSP, CMC, CVP, VMP. Details. |
Technology Tips
Google Sheets + Gemini = magic — Julie Holmes
With the new =AI() function, you can now categorize customer feedback, write emails, or analyze sentiment — all from a single cell. No macros. No formulas. Just plain English and a sprinkle of spreadsheet sorcery. If you’ve ever said “there has to be an easier way,” well ... this is it.
SpeakerNet News Webcast Info
Wednesday, November 12
Beyond Multiple Streams:
Building a Speaking Business
That Solves, Not Sells (webcast)
with Scott McKain, CSP, CPAE
Professional speakers have long been told to create “multiple streams of income.” But what if that focus has led us astray? In a marketplace transformed by AI, virtual presentations, hybrid audiences, and evolving client expectations, success isn’t about selling more — it’s about solving more.
In this provocative and practical session, Scott challenges conventional wisdom and reveals why the next generation of top speakers will focus less on products and more on problems. You’ll discover how to move from self-centric diversification to client-centric relevance — developing multiple approaches to deliver distinctive value across live, virtual, and digital experiences.
Future-ready speakers will thrive by transcending the turbulence of change.
You’ll learn:
- Why audiences and meeting planners now expect transcendent experiences — not just polished presentations.
- How to reposition your expertise as a problem-solving platform that naturally multiplies opportunities.
- The essential mindset shift from “streams of income” to “systems of impact.”
- How to use virtual and AI-enhanced tools to expand reach and relevance without losing authenticity.
Whether you’re a seasoned keynoter or an emerging voice, this session will help you future-proof your speaking business — and ensure you’re not left behind as the world of professional speaking evolves from a speaker who has reinvented himself multiple times to continue to enjoy a successful career in professional speaking.
Register for the live program or order the recording.Note: Everyone who registers for the live webcast session or orders the recording will get a link to the recorded video of the online webcast, as well as the audio MP3 for convenient re-listening.
Date: Wednesday, November 12
Time: 7:00 pm Eastern, 6 pm Central, 5 pm Mountain, 4 pm Pacific
(Enter your location here to get your local time)
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $49 (webcast)
Special Limited-Time Offer:
If you would like more ideas to future-proof your speaking business, we’re suggesting the recordings of several earlier programs to complement this program:
- “Become and Stay the Top Go-To Speaker on Your Topic” with Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE
- “Building a Multi-Million-Dollar Practice in the AI Age” with Randy Gage
With your order of this live or recorded session, at checkout you will be offered these recordings.
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