She let me into her living room cautiously, curiously. I quickly selected where I'd put lamp. If I were to get this dollar-down-dollar-when-you-catch-me account opened, she'd have to find lamp irresistible. It was a gorgeous Chinese red table lamp, selected with demographics and psychographics of neighborhood in mind.

I plugged in lamp. It changed spirit of her ordinary living room instantly. When she heard terms, she got her purse and pushed a dollar bill into my waiting hand. Diamond Furniture had another installment account. (Then a tiny storefront operation, this retailer is now dominant furniture store in Northeast Philadelphia.)

My prospect saw a rosy picture-with her as hero. I, working my way through Temple University, had another sale. My Uncle, owner of store, had an account that might yield many thousands of dollars in repeat sales for long years into future.

Fast forward 10 years: Now representing an office furniture manufacturer to retailers, I convinced Harvey Blank to buy 1000 catalogs of my products with his company name, Blank Desk, boldly printed on cover. His prospects would not toss out this resource because it had durable value. When ready to buy, they'd call him. I painted rosy picture-with Harvey as hero. He secured a great promotional piece at a token cost. I enjoyed mega-commissions for years to come. Treated my family to a pool in our back yard.

Fast forward another 10 years: Now, I was in smog-infested Los Angeles, selling homesites where sky is blue and air is sweet-in sunny Arizona. I described life near great fishing, on healthy high desert, yet only 20 minutes close to Hualapai mountains and tall trees. Smiling, I described what life could be like for my prospects on weekends now and full-time after they retired.

I painted a rosy picture-with my prospects as heroes. The terms were easy enough. He looked at her. "What do you think, honey?" Within 2 minutes we were writing up deal. By now I was enjoying life in Malibu, looking out over ocean view from my dining room. Life was sweet.

When I became a self-marketing speaker, I used same strategies to propel my bookings into six-figure stratosphere.

What has this to do with you enjoying more success as an expert who speaks? Stay tuned and see how you can cause your world to be your oyster. How you can get more gigs and higher fees. How you can soon enjoy lifestyle you long for. Here's how:

I showed up last week, all eyes and ears, scanned their street-smarts, compared their stuff with my front-line findings, captured some correlations. Here they are:

1. Love your clients:

Nothing beats this. Love them, care about them, empathize with them -- all in addition to serving them superbly. Help them feel better. Give them hope.

People today, regardless of their station in life, are inundated with negativity from special interests, from society's underbelly, from wild-eyed radicals with nothing to lose, from downsizings and mergers, from inhumane unprincipled acts in defiance of decency -- and callous disregard for valid interests.

Through your understanding, your presence and your positive ideas, you have a chance to affect attitudes and self-sense of everybody you contact.

This, in turn, impacts productivity, sales and profits. That's one way you make a difference -- difference your clients yearn for.

2. Deliver extra value:

Sweeten deal with unexpected extras. Go extra mile every which way. Do more than is expected, more than is required, more than anyone in their right mind would do!

Dazzle decision-makers with surprising extras. Make yourself absolutely unforgettable. Here's how you do this: Pay resolute attention to every possible detail. Amaze them with extras. Extra thoughtfulness. Extra concern for their interests. Extra care.

3. Build long-term relationships: