4 Things I Learned Up On Stage at the UN

It is one of the most powerful buildings in the world. Peace is kept. Deals are made. Processes and systems are created that impact the future of our world. And there I was, suited up and standing next to Nick going through our speakers for the day, working on the introductions we would say before each one took the stage.

The backdrop screamed power. From the East River outside the window to the flags and the podium, there was a feeling of strength that flowed through my body on that stage. This same emotion was sent through the bodies of all 20 speakers on June 18th.

Perhaps more important than the setting or the backdrop or the powerful grounds we stood on, were the lessons I learned listening to the speakers. Feeling their emotions and translating them into motivation for my own life.

This month I wanted to share four big lessons from these speakers and how you can use them to market your business and motivate others to fight for your cause.

1. We Remember Stories, Not Facts

It’s really easy to cram your presentation with facts. Most experts will play on Google for hours (or days) finding statistics and numbers to support your case.

The best experts spend less time finding facts and more time developing stories that illustrate their point.

Of all the speakers I cannot remember any stats or figures they gave, but I can remember at least one story from every single one of them. This story will stick with me and allow me to remember them for a very long time.

If you are having trouble getting your prospects to pay attention to you, look at the ratio of stats versus stories in your webinars, your live presentations, your pitch decks, your power point slides and even when you talk to prospects over the phone.

I’ve seen this in working with financial advisors, the biggest switch in their conversions come when they stop talking about numbers and start telling stories. Numbers go right over our heads, yet stories last a lifetime. If you haven’t yet, go

read StorySelling by my two compadres here at the Agency as a primer on how to create and tell stories that help you to sell without selling.

2. First Impressions Are Everything

We live in a superficial world. This is not an argument about whether that is right or wrong, but a statement of fact that can work for you or against you in your marketing.

The opening lines of each presentation at the United Nations set the scene and the stage for what was to come.

How they dressed and looked (everyone was dressed to the nines and looked important and impressive) made people pay attention to their story.

The first lines glued us to their narrative.

If you look important, people will treat you as important. The same holds true in your marketing. If your website looks bad, how do you think they imagine your office looks? If you spend years putting together the content of your book, but go to Fiverr.com to create the cover, how seriously can someone take you?

On the other hand when you have done the little things like feeling the paper stock of your letterhead and designing a business card that stops people in their tracks, when you dress as if you are someone of importance, when you have a killer opening line, when your website grabs their attention – they will have a better perception of you and are more willing to work with you.

I encourage you to look at all of your points of entry and look for holes that a prospect would see and be instantly turned off by. These turn-offs are low hanging fruit that can turn into opportunity if you are paying attention.

3. The World Is Bigger Than Our Backyard

As an American with a growing business, I tend to forget about the problems, the poverty and the harsh conditions happening throughout the world. I know I’m not alone in that. We also forget about the booming economies taking shape all over the world.

The speakers at the Global Economic Initiative were truly “global.” Speakers from all over the world shared their origin stories, their stories of hope and the inspirational messages that are shaping our world today.

From Internet Marketers in third world countries, to transformational leaders in the unstable country of Venezuela, to the inspiring messages of a speaker from Gambia, I realized there is opportunity for commerce, philanthropic endeavors and entrepreneurship all across the globe.

When I work with clients on marketing their businesses, we do our best to narrow the market. I help them to find their niche and break down their ideal customer based on their locations, age ranges, ethnicities, income brackets and so on.

Yet, the biggest opportunities for many businesses lie in expanding their markets to overseas and into developing countries. At the very least we should be paying attention to the Chinas and the Indias of the world, reading magazines and trade journals from different countries and understanding how they are innovating and using technology to change the future just as much, if not more, than what we do here in America.

4. Freedom Isn’t Free, Let Us Not Forget

I spent the 4th of July throwing poppers and lighting sparklers with Colten and Ryder this year, celebrating our independence as Americans.

But none of us had to fight for our independence or our freedom. It’s very easy to dismiss the rights and liberties we have here in the US, and many of the countries our clients represent. I often take these things for granted: free enterprise, world-class education (at least compared to third world countries), mentors and teachers and the Internet.

Yet, at the Global Economic Initiative I heard story after story of the real price of freedom, from living in concentration camps and fleeing war torn countries in a boat, to escaping a step-father who was going to sell his daughter, to going back and forth from a home country to the US to get away rom the rations, curfews and the lack of ambition handed down by an elected government.

As an entrepreneur or business owner we have the freedom and the power to create our own reality. We can market our businesses freely. We can create promotions and sales and make the cash register ring. We can create partnerships and utilize resources to impact our tomorrows.

My challenge to you is to really look at the future you want to create for yourself, be thankful for what you have and then put your pedal to the floor and never give up until you get what you want.

Why?

Because you can. Because your freedom isn’t something you should take lightly and just coast through. You can make a difference in your world and the world around you, but it’s up to you to make it happen, just like the 20 speakers at the UN. It was my privilege to introduce you to the stage and speak alongside you at the first Global

Economic Initiative. Can’t wait till next year!

Greg Rollett is the CEO of Celebrity Expert Marketing. To learn more about how Greg can help you to market your business, email him at [email protected] or take a test-drive of his coaching program by going to cxmelite.com.