Dave Sherman
Hi this is Wendi with Charli Jane Speaker Services and we are pleased to be interviewing Dave Sherman. Can you hear me okay Dave?
Dave – Yes I can
Wendi – Great. Dave is going to be sharing with us a little bit today about he began his speaking career and what marketing and promotion techniques he uses. So let’s begin.
Dave – Okay
Wendi – Our first question for you Dave is how and when did you begin your speaking career?
Dave – I started my speaking career in the summer of 1999
Wendi – Great
Dave – I had been in retail and as my last year or so in retail I was going through Toastmaster and was just absolutely loving it and knew that retail just wasn’t going to do it. So I sold my retail business in December 98 to being a professional speaker.
Wendi – Wonderful, thank you for sharing. My next question is, what have you found to be your most effective marketing tool in growing your business?
Dave – Without a doubt the thing that has generated the most amount of business is actual speaking. Whether I’m doing it gratuitous or whether I’m doing it fee based has been without a doubt. Because I think as speakers the more people see us and the more people can see what we do and the more people that we can impact the better chance we have of being able to pick up more engagements, sell more product, things such as that because they’ve gotten a taste of who we are and what we can really do for them.
Wendi – Do you have any online products that you offer?
Dave – Yes I do. I’ve got three books. I’ve have three audio CD’s. I’ve got a couple of video CD’s and we are actually about to build a site that is going to be selling nothing but product.
Wendi – Wonderful
Dave – Yeah there’s a direction that we are going. I have been speaking a lot lately on attitude and we are literally in the process right now of developing a website called attitoys
Wendi – Oh that’s great
Dave – And it’s going to be a website that’s going to sell toys and gadgets and this that help boost people’s attitudes.
Wendi - Wonderful, in a few sentences Dave what would be your best advice that you could give another speaker whether they’re a seasoned speaker or someone who is just stepping into the speaking arena.
Dave – First thing, come up with…no I can’t do just one.
Wendi – Okay
Dave – Come up with a topic that is truly marketable. If you have this desire that you want to talk about how to motivate badgers, okay kind of stupid example, but you’re catching me off guard. You‘ve got to make sure you’ve got a topic that people are going to pay for. Because you could be the greatest speaker in the world but if you’ve a topic that nobody’s willing to pay you a fee on, it’s going to very hard for you to become a professional speaker. The other piece of advice is to develop and create as much product as humanly possible because I think in our business the speaking fees are good and the consulting is good and the coaching is good but the product is something just is never ending. I would say as soon as you get in this business and you kind of know what you’re doing, develop some sort of product. Write a book, do a tape, do a CD, do a video whatever. But I remember when I got in this business someone said I had to write a book and I said I can’t write a book. Well now I’m three books in so yeah those would be, make sure you have a topic that people are going to pay for and make as much product as possible.
Wendi – That’s great advice. Was there anything else that you wanted to share with us that we haven’t covered?
Dave - No, this in my opinion is the greatest industry you can be in because what other job, what other business can you be in where you know that you are having a massive positive impact on the lives of everybody that comes to hear you speak and to be able to do that every single day is just a joy because there’s people out there that are living, working 40, 50, 60 hour weeks and not doing anything that they consider truly meaningful and I think as a speaker you are living quite possibly the most meaningful I think you could live.
Wendi – For sure and I agree, this was excellent
Wendi- I would just like to thank you again Dave for sharing with us today your great ideas and your advice and once again people can get more information about Dave at www.davidshermanspeaks.com
Dave – Right
Wendi – Thanks again Dave and you have a wonderful day.
Dave – You too, take care
Wendi – Hi this is Wendi McNeill with Charli Jane Speaker Services. Thanks for joining us for another expert professional interview. 
