I know as an entrepreneur we often cringe at the word “FREE” when it comes to our business, but I’m going to share something that can be very powerful for your long term brand – give away your best stuff for FREE and watch how you can grow your brand as you position yourself as an expert.
Now let me clear up quickly what I mean by what you should give away for free. You are NOT giving away your services to manage an event for free.
- Discounted – yes.
- Offering to do more for the same fee – yes.
- Free – NO way!
Maybe it’s awful of me, but I can’t help wondering if the 
The GSA scandal
Start using Twitter to both follow AND meet industry professionals.
Yesterday, I was catching up with a friend who plans international events and she asked me, “What are you excited about right now? What do you think the big trends will be?”
The No. 1 question meeting planners ask speakers is “Is your fee negotiable?” The least asked question is “How can we make this session successful?” Unfortunately, that’s the one that’s most important.
In college, my theater professor used to reserve Fridays for answering our questions about the business of acting. One of the most important things he ever said was, “Every day, make sure you do something that makes you feel like an actor.”
Most meeting professionals probably agree with Patrick Lencioni, author of “Death by Meeting,” who says that a table is still the most important piece of technology for groups of people who want to get things done. “There is simply no substitute for the basic idea of people sitting down together around a table to resolve the critical issues around their business,” the mission statement of Lencioni’s consulting firm The Table Group says.
Don’t get stressed out from the nine to five grind in the office, take a break once in a while, learn to be social, have fun, laugh and smile. Our society has created a culture of work, work, work and work some more all the time. We are required to stay connected and put in longer hours. Studies have shown being social and disconnecting from the daily grind makes us more productive.
