Archive for the ‘Workshops & Webinars’ Category
Weird weather day: From Manitou Springs to Lookout Mountain
It was a real pea-souper.
On May 7, I wound my way up Lookout Mountain Road – in thick gray fog – to present my “Nail Your Brand” workshop for the Western Wealth Advisors’ program, called Advisor University.
Creeping toward the Mount Vernon Country Club on that mountain road was a real feat. (Glad I made it – you guys were a great group. Thanks for inviting me!)
Later that day – after paying my respects at the Buffalo Bill grave – I drove into Colorado Springs just after the city had received EIGHT INCHES of hail.
From soup-to-nuts, May 7 was a weird weather day!
A lonely country road on Lookout Mountain. This was AFTER the fog lifted!
I arrived in Colorado Springs after the snowplows had pushed aside 8 inches of hail and, thankfully, after I-25 had reopened.
I get pretty active in my workshops. Here, it looks like I’m running away! 🙂
Mount Vernon Country Club at Lookout Mountain
Buffalo Bill’s grave, located at the Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave on Lookout Mountain Road near Golden.
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A shout-out to CTU’s Marketing Class – Thanks for asking so many great questions!
Here’s a quick shout-out to Jerry Fritz, Professor at Colorado Technical University, and his inquisitive class: students in CTU’s Applied Marketing Management course.
Presenting to – and chatting with – the students was a really positive experience!
We had robust Q&As on each topic I addressed: the marketing team’s top goal in business (lead generation), the roles and responsibilities of a typical marketing team, and how marketing and sales work together to promote and sell products and services.
We also talked about Marketing Communications (MarCom) and the types of promotion or “outreach” strategies you can use to “reach out” to your target market (prospects) to entice them to purchase your product or service.
MarCom is near-and-dear to my heart, because I was Marketing Communications Manager for much of my 25-year career in high-tech corporate marketing.
Throughout my corporate career as a Marketing Communications Manager, I was directly responsible for all strategies, content, design, photography, logistical support, and budgets for a wide range of promotion/outreach activities.
Do you own or manage a small businesses or large business? No matter the size, you can implement these MarCom outreach strategies to promote and grow your company:
- Advertising (online and offline)
- Branding (initial concepts + logo creation)
- Direct mail and e-mail campaigns
- Marketing toolkit: brochures, one-sheets, cut-sheets, stationery package, etc.
- Public relations, investment relations, and government relations
- Sales support
- Social media marketing
- Tradeshows
- Websites and landing pages
- White papers
Today, MarCom is essentially what I provide for my solopreneur and small-business clients.
The specific MarCom support I provide includes:
- Clarifying your brand – My definition of a clear brand is being able to quickly communicate Who you are, What you do, and What they get (the benefits and results your clients receive).
- Project management with my team to create the marketing toolkit – Typically, this includes a strategic and hardworking website, speaker one-sheet or company brochure, stationery package (including business card and notecard), and social media profiles.
- Ongoing copywriting and marketing projects – I’m happy to note that many of my clients call me again and again for all types of marketing projects, from press releases and case study articles to website updates and tradeshow ideas.
After my presentation to CTU’s marketing class, here’s what the professor had to say:
“Patrice, thank you so much. The class got a lot of value out of your presentation and discussion last night. They were buzzing about it long after you had gone. I really appreciate your effort and hope I can call on you again.”
– Jerry Fritz, Marketing Professor at Colorado Technical University
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Shout-out to the Findability Profits Lab: My half-day workshop on website copy that helps you “get found”
Here’s a big THANK YOU to Heather Lutze and the participants of Heather’s October 2014 Findability Profits Lab.
During the 3-day Lab, I presented a half-day workshop on writing strategic, on-target marketing content for websites for solopreneurs and small business.
Heather asked me to present on the topic of website copy, since we both know from experience that writing, updating, and optimizing website content can be a sticking point for many solopreneurs and business owners. Unfortunately, this sticking point can slow or even halt progress on their website update.
If you’re looking to optimize your website – or “get found” as Heather says – I highly recommend Heather Lutze’s Findability Profits Lab.
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Shout-out to NSA/Colorado: Thanks for hosting my workshop on Branding & Marketing Materials for Speakers and Solopreneurs
Photo by M.Rothschild
Here’s a big THANK YOU to the Programming team of NSA/Colorado and the many participants who attended my “Deep Dive” session on October 17. Participants included professional speakers, corporate consultants, business coaches, and other solopreneurs and small business owners.
In this mini-workshop – “Your Marketing Materials: Up-level Your Marketing Tools so They Hit the Mark and Get You Hired” – we covered:
- Why your clear brand and your specific Brand Elements™ are the foundation of your marketing tools
- How to write benefit-rich content that compels your target audience to take action
- The first step to start every marketing project: Clarify your objectives (this is your road map)
- And several before-and-after case studies of websites that (now) sport a clear brand, impactful messaging, and professional design
If you’d like to learn more about these topics or your group is looking for a marketing speaker who specializes in branding and marketing for solopreneurs and small business, contact me at Patrice@BrandingAndWebsites.com.
“Patrice, you did a great job of stepping us through a lot of very good information in only 45 minutes. Thank you!” – Workshop participant
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Mark your calendar for Friday, Oct 17 — Workshop at NSA/Colorado in Denver
Topic: “Your Marketing Materials:
Are They ‘Homegrown’ or Hardworking?”
Presented by Patrice Rhoades-Baum
Friday, October 17, in Denver
Are your one-sheets, postcards, business cards, website, and other marketing tools mismatched? Embarrassingly out of date? Sporting “homegrown” designs? Does the content communicate the results you deliver – or miss the mark?
Many solopreneurs cut corners on their marketing materials, and it shows!
Join my 45-minute “Deep Dive Pre-Meeting Session” to learn how to identify your Brand Elements™, which must be consistent throughout your marketing tools. See before-and-after examples. And get a project plan that guides you through the steps to create a one-sheet, website, and other marketing tools that work hard to get you hired!
Highlights of the October 17 NSA/Colorado program include:
- Deep Dive Pre-Meeting Session with Patrice Rhoades-Baum
- Keynote with Laurie Guest, CSP: “I want to see the jalapeno coming: 93 hot ways to get booked and get paid”
- Expert panel on the topic of “Marketing to Associations and Speakers Bureaus”
To register for the October 17 NSA/Colorado program, visit NSAColorado.org
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Free webinar: “Writing Website Content that Connects and Converts”
Grab a pen and paper – get ready to take LOTS of notes!
In this webinar, my friend and colleague Heather Lutze, SEO expert and owner of Findability Consulting & Speaking, interviews me on the topic of writing website copy that connects and converts.
It’s a lively discussion with oodles of tips, tricks, and hints from us both. We offer guidance for you to write (or edit) website copy that connects with your target audience, is benefit rich, and contributes to search-engine optimization. The goal, as Heather says, is to “get found.” Along the way, there’s lots of laughter and a few myths dispelled!
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Volumes of advice! Join me at the Author U Extravaganza, May 1-3, Denver
The Author U Extravaganza is designed for authors at all levels, from newbie authors to advanced self-publishers – whether you have books in the works, already published, or looking to relaunch.
Publishing pros and writing coaches share the inside track to write, produce, and publish your book – and even position it as a bestseller.
In addition, several marketing experts – myself included – will offer volumes of advice throughout the event.
The stellar faculty includes Stephanie Barko, Tammy Bleck, Judith Briles, Amy Collins, Joel Comm, Kathi Dunn, Mary Jo Fay, Daniel Hall, John Kremer, Amber Ludwig, Georgia McCabe, Dan Poynter, Steve Replin, Patrice Rhoades-Baum, Bret Ridgway, Penny Sansevieri, Justine Schofield, Joan Stewart, and Nick Zelinger.
Topics include:
- The Secret to Marketing on the Internet in Less Than an Hour a Day
- How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech with Your Book
- Audiobook Cashflow Fast & Easy: Step By Step Blueprint
- Are You Fiddling with Social Media while Rome Burns?
- Targeting Potential Customers
- Quick and Dirty Blog Posts When You Don’t Have Time to Write
- Ka-ching!
- YouTube from Soup to Nuts – Getting Started with YouTube Marketing
- Transform Your Author One-Sheet into a Hardworking Marketing & Sales Tool (Patrice Rhoades-Baum)
Meet me in Denver!
Take advantage of this discount code provided by Judith Briles, founder of Author U:
- The discount code gives $100 off the $545 ticket price for Friday and Saturday combined registration. The discount code is AUEX100
To view the agenda, see the list of speakers and topics, learn more and register, visit the Author U Extravaganza web page.
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What do rattlesnakes and storytelling have in common?
As I present more “Nail Your Brand!” workshops, I continually seek to improve my storytelling abilities. While I don’t roll out a 20-minute signature story, I’m learning how to pepper in quick stories to support a point and perk up my presentation.
Photo by Patrice
In one workshop, while supporting a particular point, I mentioned my love of hiking and rock scrambling in Utah in search of rock art and rattlesnakes.
At the mention of “rattlesnakes,” the entire group – EVERY PERSON – recoiled and shuddered. Comments flew around the room:
- “No way! Not me!”
- “Yuck! I hate snakes!”
- “Those snakes can stay in Utah!”
It was great fun! A fresh burst of energy!
“Ah ha,” I thought, “I’m going to sprinkle that story into all my workshops.”
My lesson: Better storytelling = better speaking, better writing, and more fun!
Do you present keynotes or workshops? Do you write articles or author books? If you speak, consult, coach or write for a living, storytelling is a great skill to have.
Looking to improve your storytelling skills? Check out “Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling – Visualized.” We can all learn from these masters.
What’s your favorite, quick story – one that always gets a reaction?
Please share it – we’d love to hear it!
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Don’t miss Author U Extravaganza: May 1-3 in Denver
Imagine one big room with 25 publishing pros, coaches, advisors and marketing experts, including yours truly. Listen. Learn. Ask any question.
Whether you are a budding author or experienced self-publisher, attend the Author U Extravaganza May 1-3, and you’ll be in self-publishing heaven!
Names you might recognize are Judith Briles, John Kremer, Susan Gilbert, Joan Stewart, Dan Poynter, and over a dozen others who have the inside track to write, produce, and publish your book – and even position it as a bestseller.
In addition, several marketing experts – myself included – will offer volumes of free advice throughout the event.
Meet me in Denver!
Take advantage of these discount codes provided by Judith Briles, founder of Author U:
- The discount code gives $100 off the $545 ticket price for Friday and Saturday combined registration. The discount code is AUEX100
- The hotel discount rate of $119 (which includes FREE wi-fi and garage parking) is good through April 9. The number to reserve is 888-421-1442.
To view the agenda, see the list of speakers and topics, learn more and register, visit the Author U Extravaganza web page.
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A “shout-out” to CIPA for hosting a fun day of learning!
The self-publishing authors who attended Saturday’s CIPA program are a dedicated bunch.
In addition to writing and self-publishing their books, these dedicated authors must promote and sell their books.
Not an easy task!
My Saturday workshop (“Sell Your Book With a Hardworking Marketing Website”) offered guidance and tips for these authors. The goal was to help them ensure their website – a vital and strategic marketing tool – will support them on their path to self-publishing success.
Thanks to the CIPA members who attended and for their high level of participation. I really had a lot of fun sharing, and I hope everyone who attended enjoyed a fun day of learning, sharing and networking!
Kind words from Board Members of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA):
“We are constantly bombarded with how-to’s in marketing keynotes and workshops—but often presenters overload the audience with information. Not so with Patrice Rhoades-Baum. Patrice engaged our members with very clear and workable information. She gave us three criteria with which to judge our websites—and she stuck to those criteria! Our members got a ton out of her presentation, and we all had strong workable take-aways. Patrice is a great teacher on stage—and that is a rare thing. Well done, Patrice!”
– Dr. Patricia Ross
President, Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA)
Publisher, Hugo House Publishers, Ltd.
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“While Patrice Rhoades-Baum was speaking to our chapter about creating a hardworking marketing website, our members were madly taking notes, drinking in every bit of her information. All her examples were practical, easy-to-understand, and easy to implement. Patrice’s delivery style is fun, engaging, informative, and paced to give people time to ask questions and really absorb the concepts. I got terrific feedback from CIPA members on her presentation.”
– Leslie Miller
Board Member, Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA)
Developmental and Content Editor
Photo by Mary Walewski
