064 Michael Port | There is Nothing MORE Valuable Than Understanding Your Target Market

Laser-like focus on your ideal client is essential to your business and your success.  You must take the time to understand the inner workings of your audience so that you can serve them and add value to their lives.  Most people believe they know their target market, but with exploration they see that they don’t have the depth required to book yourself solid.

Well, speaking of that, our guest today is Michael Port, NY Best Selling Author of “Book Yourself Solid” and other books too. Michael talks about selling and generating leads, public speaking and much more.  Check his practical and actionable tip too as it is really important if you are “in the trenches” of your own business.

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Michael’s Target Audience: Michael’s target market is people who want to think “big”, whatever their own unique big means to them.

Growing up, Michael wasn’t a big fan of school when but he always applied himself and tried hard to improve.

Later he discovered he disliked working for others just as much as he disliked school! Even though he had a good job in the corporate world for the last five years, he left. He also explored acting which he enjoyed very much except for the waiting around part.

Sensing none of those paths were exactly “it” for him, he opened a consultancy business and began writing books to promote himself. Since these books were not academic, he could express in his own words whatever he wanted to say to the people he most wanted to serve. Finally, things started to come together and success found its way to Michael.

TWEET THIS: "The greatest single act of thinking big is helping others do the same." Michael Port

Today, Michael shares with us the power of thinking big. He believes when we help other people to achieve, produce, have and experience the things that they want, we get the same for ourselves. It is important to find a balance in terms of rewards for the people we serve and for ourselves.

Michael also talks about his book, “Book Yourself Solid”. He talks about how you can get more clients by following certain steps. One surprising thing that he tells us is that marketing doesn’t get you clients, but instead it creates awareness. And there are the several things you can do after you get the attention of clients. One of the most important is to earn your clients’ trust, people will buy from you based on the level of trust you’ve earned.

TWEET THIS: "Service doesn't mean you are comprising yourself.” Michael Port

In addition to being an author, Michael is a highly sought-after speaker. On this episode, he shares about the links between speaking and acting, how his experience as an actor helped him perform.

He gives us insights about voice, speech and breathing techniques to express yourself confidently. As an added bonus, you’ll learn about Michael’s personal methods of organizing his schedule while staying highly productive. He gives an example of how he plans his week right from the inside out!

This episode also features a plethora of Michael’s other experiences, including his publishing methods. We dive into his expertise on how to self-publish with the aid of proposals and why he is sticking with traditional publishing for the distribution of his books. If you’re a writer, you’ll want to listen closely especially if you are choosing between these two methods.

TWEET THIS: "We perform every day, all day long." Michael Port

In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:

• What does “thinking big” mean?
• Why it’s important to find a balance between serving others and ourselves.
• What’s different in “you” selling as a business owner?
• The four modules of “Book Yourself Solid” and how they apply to your business.
• What are the six core self-promotion strategies to earn trust and make sales?
• Rehearsals and performance: why these are critical to any business.
• The secret to staying organized: Michael’s weekly scheduling method
• Traditional publishing vs self-publishing: the pros and cons.

TWEET THIS: "I love living the no-plan plan." Michael Port

Practical & Actionable:

Michael’s most practical and actionable tip is to prioritize. We need to clean up our organization methods. It is necessary to get rid of other things and be laser-focused on the most productive and profitable tasks.

When we do this, we streamline our activities, while ditching the ones that don’t help us. You can then just focus on the most important one that has the maximum effect on your bottom line.

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS SESSION INCLUDE:

• Michael’s web site
• Michael on Twitter
• Book Yourself Solid, Michael’s book
• Michael’s course on Creative Live
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To give Michael a shout out for being on the show, follow him and send him a message: Michael Port. Connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter at @genehammett and let me know what you liked about the episode!

Do you have questions about today’s episode!?!

Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable.  Apply Now!

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