9/25/2026
Editors: Rebecca Morgan & Ken Braly
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SNN Webcast Info
Monday, October 5
Strategically Systemize Your Office Tasks
with Proven Processes and Templates (webcast)
with Cara Silletto, MBA, CSP
When you’re first starting out, there’s not much penalty for being disorganized. You don;t have many clients, or many speaking engagements, and keeping track of it all isn’t hard.
But as your business grows, staying on top of everything gets harder. Tasks can get overlooked, deadlines can be missed, sales can be lost, and stress can build.
You need effective systems and processes, whether you’re working alone or have assistants.
In our next program, our expert will present the processes and templates that have kept her high-volume business running smoothly for years.
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.
Miscellaneous Tips
Value unspoken is value undefined — Bob Wendover
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, “The Cost of Thinking for Free,” author Sarah Tucker tells of making a presentation to a group of senior financial executives on her biography of Edward de Bono and his method of deliberately changing perception to find possibilities that conventional logic might miss.
Unfortunately, she became a victim of his argument when she realized that while she was expecting to be paid for the presentation, the sponsor thought she was doing it for the visibility and opportunity to network. Does this sound familiar?
She summed up the object lesson in one simple sentence: “Value unspoken is value undefined.” While bringing up the fee can seem uncomfortable, it should be an essential part of the early conversation. How many times have I hesitated and found myself in the same situation as Sarah? Perhaps you, too.
If you let the relationship mature, only to find out later that they have no budget, or weren’t expecting to pay, you end up with the awkward options of walking away and disappointing them or making the presentation and expending all the effort that goes with it.
There are several different ways to approach this: “Tell me about your budget for this engagement,” or “My typical fee is $$. Is that within your budget?” But you’ve got to get it out there in a timely way. Do I still take on engagements with no fee or a small honorarium? Sure. But I want to know what I am getting myself into and whether it is truly an opportunity. Thirty-seven snow plow operators for the city of Nome, Alaska, is not a good bet for developing business.
Use AI to vet literary inquiries — Jay Arthur
I got hoodwinked. Most of us know not to click on strange attachments or links in an email. Let me introduce you to the long con on the internet.
In June, I got an email from a “publisher” who had seen something I published and asked if I was working on anything new. Every author has an unfinished book in their brain. So, I said yes, and sent her a synopsis. She replied she was interested, but she only works with agents and recommended I contact one she was familiar with. So, I did. Sent her the information on the publisher and my book idea.
She said it sounded promising, but I would need a professional query letter and recommended I contact a writer who specializes in query letters. So, I did.
He offered me a Goldilocks-style three price levels. I picked the middle one. (I didn’t have the time to revisit my book marketing texts and write my own). Cost: $1,200. He delivered a pretty good query letter and sent me a simple agent agreement, which I signed.
Then I started getting a sense that something was hinky. I described my experience and asked Claude.ai to vet the “agent” and Claude said: “I want to be direct rather than soft-pedal this: what you’re describing matches a well-documented literary-scam pattern almost point for point, and I think you should stop and verify before sending anything else or paying anyone else.” Claude also pointed me to a resource to find agents targeted by scofflaws: The impersonation list.
It was such a soft sell that I fell for it. I forgot to check the email address (all gmail accounts). Claude’s point: Money should flow toward the author, not the publisher or agent.
The same is true of pay-per-podcast. I just got one of those this weekend. The grifters are getting smarter, more subtle.
Always carry your books in your car — Jim Cathcart
I usually keep 3 to 5 of my books in my trunk. My purpose is to share them. Sometimes that is in a business context, and I’m using the book as a business card or sample of what I can do. Other times it is to encourage somebody who might learn from the book. Still other times, I will do what Greg Godek calls “Reverse Shoplifting”. I simply place my book on the bookstore shelf facing outward and walk away. It drives the clerks nuts when they can’t find the book in their system. But sometimes they will order your book as a result of it. It’s a long shot but fun sometimes, like paying the toll of the car behind you.
Technology Tips
Blank slide trick — Mitch Krayton
When using slides, turn off the slide when you stop talking about the slide’s content. In PPT and KEY, press the “B” or “W” key to instantly turn on a black or white screen, respectively. Then advance to the next slide to turn it back on.Travel Tips
Dry run new travel gear — Rebecca Morgan
Have you ever bought something to make your travel easier, but once on the road realized it didn’t work as you’d hoped? Do a dry run. Use it at home or on a short trip, ideally bringing the old gear in case the new one doesn’t work out. I bought a new suitcase for a long trip months from now, but am packing as if I’m leaving this week so I can ensure everything will fit as planned. Nothing is worse than having to make last-minute changes before a trip — especially if it is a long one abroad.
SpeakerNet News Webcast Info
Monday, October 5
Strategically Systemize Your Office Tasks
with Proven Processes and Templates (webcast)
with Cara Silletto, MBA, CSP
Your brilliance belongs on the stage, not buried by random to-do lists and an overflowing inbox. You know there are strategic tasks you should accomplish to move your business forward, but items on your to-do list keep slipping days, weeks, months or even years!
You need simple yet strategic systems and processes to keep you on track. You need some operational templates designed to turn your internal “what should I work on today” thoughts into a well-oiled machine. You need a system that tells you exactly which actions to take daily, weekly, and monthly as the CEO of your business, so you can reclaim your calendar and find the freedom to do what you love!
Even if you have an assistant and/or AI help with implementing, some tasks must be done by you. Bring your VA to this session so you can strategize how to work together with better systems.
After years of building her own speaking and training company’s systems, Cara Silletto, MBA, CSP, will share her processes and templates that have yielded over 125 speaking engagements for her and her training team each year.
You will learn how to:
- achieve more consistent results by standardizing sales and marketing tasks.
- gauge true business health by tracking financial metrics that actually matter.
- banish daily guesswork with an intentional and prioritized task plan.
- prepare for AI by mapping out the processes and steps you could delegate.
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: Monday, October 5
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 tips for improving your business practices, we’re suggesting the recordings of several earlier programs to complement this program:
- “Building a Multi-Million-Dollar Practice in the AI Age” with Randy Gage
- “Little Things That Have a Big Payoff: Secrets to Making Real Money in the Speaking and Consulting Business” with Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE
With your order of this live or recorded session, at checkout you will be offered these recordings.
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