On the show this week, I talk to Simone Vincenzi.

We chat about playing the didgeridoo, putting together a business purpose strategy and using live events to grow your business.

Welcome to episode 192 of the Marketing and Finance Podcast.

What you’ll hear about in this episode

• Why Simone believes a strategy is important
• What a business purpose strategist does
• Ways public speaking can help you grow your business
• How Simone runs live events to find clients
• The methods Simone uses to market his events
• What encourages people to attend his sessions

Who is Simone Vincenzi?

Simone describes himself as a business purpose strategist. He loves music and plays the didgeridoo, the hanger drum and plays basketball professionally.

Simone speaks at over 200 events a year, including those he hosts himself. He believes that to create a connection with someone, we need more than just the business knowledge they share. We need to know who they are and what’s influenced their lives. That’s why when we watch a documentary, we’re interested in seeing the behind the scenes of the entrepreneur or celebrity’s life.

Summary of our chat

A lot of people want to just get on and take action without thinking about the overall purpose of what they’re doing. But tactics only offer short-term success. We need to look at how the entire business functions.

A consultant who doesn’t help clients with a strategy is doing them a disservice. Simone says that without knowing your ‘why’ you can’t complete your strategy. You need to know the purpose of your business, what you do and your personal and professional goals. Without this understanding, you’re playing a reactive game and chasing shiny objects. The ‘why’ gives you a solid foundation to design your business.

Speaking in front of audiences and being in the right places is a great way to grow a business. Converting people online is a slow process. Being onstage creates human connection, which beats any other kind of marketing. It makes an impact on people and raises brand awareness.

Simone uses his live events to give potential clients a taster of what it’s like to work with him. For B2B companies, he hosts a free event and then offers a three-day advanced course to build on the event. This leads to a three-day conference and subsequent opportunities to work with him. Simone recommends using a range of marketing tools to promote events: speak at other people’s events, ideally those about your topic and with your target market attending. He also suggests joint ventures with other promoters, who have a database of ideal customers.

You can’t rely solely on those relationships, so use paid advertising, and tapping into your business network. The event content varies depending on what the clients want and each day covers a different subject. Sometimes sessions help them find their why. Others are focused on helping people with public speaking. Or developing a strategy. Or how they can make money from events. Simone filters his clients to ensure they get the right training.

One big takeaway

Simone says it’s important to remember that everything you do will take three times longer and cost three times more than you expect. If you want 100 people in the room, aim for 300 and you might get 50. Have a contingency plan, consider your expectations, and understand whatever it is you want to do before you do it. You can’t do everything yourself, so get people to help you and save you time.

A marketing campaign or product which grabbed Simone’s attention

Simone gives an example from a brewery local to him in London. Many of the local businesses are advertising ‘the number one beer’ or ‘the number one coffee in Bermondsey’, but this brewery takes a different approach. Their advertising board reads: “We are not the best, but we promise to get you drunk!” It’s a genius message because at the end of the day people want to have a good time, so they’ll go in.

Recommended business book

The last business book Simone read was The New One Minute Manager. He says he doesn’t enjoy managing people, but as his company has taken on new staff, he needed to develop his skills. Looking for recommendations on how to do this led him to the book. He describes it as one of the best, simplest, books he’s ever read, particularly on management. It’s simple, effective and he loves it.

Links and contact details

• Follow Simone on Twitter
• You can find Simone’s website right here. There is a checklist available there which teaches people how to create events that sell. It includes what to say and when to do each step. There is also an application form for people who want more information about working with Simone, how he can create an event for you or help you improve your professional speaking.

If you enjoyed – Simone Vincenzi on business purpose strategy and running live events – please leave a comment or a review on iTunes.

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