Getting booked on more stages starts with the one thing almost nobody does, which is asking. Pat runs a conference, so he sits on the other side of that inbox, and today he walks through what makes him say yes to a speaker and what gets the email deleted. Point of view, the takeaway for the audience, video of you speaking, references from other organizers, and a weekly system so the asking actually happens. Then the Idea Slam mailbag on what you should have stopped doing months ago, and the AI story of the day: Claude Opus 5.5 landed, and the new Projects changed how Pat works in a single afternoon.

Businessing is the daily live show where small business owners figure out what to do next. Hosted by Pat Miller, founder of the Small Business Owners Community: owners only, nobody pitching, $9 a month.

In this episode:

00:00 - Cold open and welcome

01:01 - Big story: how to get booked on more stages

02:08 - Nobody is going to chase you, so ask

03:20 - Have a point of view, not just a topic

04:34 - Tell the organizer what the audience walks away with

05:31 - Have video of you speaking

07:41 - References from other event organizers

08:24 - Systematize the ask and collect testimonials

11:39 - Idea Slam: what you should have stopped doing months ago

13:25 - Prune the rooms and events you go to

15:17 - AI story: Claude Opus 5.5 lands

17:15 - Claude Projects, live show and tell

24:45 - What is coming next in AI

26:36 - New members and this week in the community

28:24 - No show next week, back October 5th

Resources mentioned:

Talkadot - https://talkadot.com

Wispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai

Claude - https://claude.ai

🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessingShow

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen

📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

🤖 Your AI should know what we know. Add The Small Business Library to your AI tool: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com/library

#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #PublicSpeaking #SpeakerMarketing #AIforSmallBusiness

They liked the whole thing right up until the number. Then came "I can't afford it," and the first instinct is to apologize for the price and start cutting. Don't. That sentence usually means one of two things, and there are two questions that tell you which one you're dealing with. Today: those two questions, five ways to save the deal without giving up your profit, and how to walk away clean when it really is a no. Plus the Idea Slam mailbag on following up after a prospect goes quiet, and the fight between Meta and Amazon over who owns the recommendation.

Businessing is the daily live show where small business owners figure out what to do next. Hosted by Pat Miller, founder of the Small Business Owners Community: owners only, nobody pitching, $9 a month.

In this episode:

00:00 - Open and what's on the show today

01:55 - Big Story - they just told you they can't afford it

02:46 - What "I can't afford it" actually means

03:27 - The two questions that tell you which problem you have

05:41 - Five ways to save the deal without cutting your price

09:28 - When to walk away from a client who can't pay

10:58 - Idea Slam - how many follow-ups before you look desperate

16:03 - AI story - Meta's Muse agent and Amazon blocking it

23:31 - Vegas, new members, and what's on this week in the SBOC

Resources mentioned:

Grab an Idea Slam spot: https://event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/idea-slam-pat-miller

🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessingShow?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen

📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

🤖 Your AI should know what we know. Add The Small Business Library to your AI tool: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com/library

#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #Sales #SalesObjections #Pricing

A small business conference is either worth the money or it isn't, and the answer shows up in the hallways, not the sessions. SBOC26 is in the books: about 125 owners, three days in Brookfield, and 45 first-timers who walked in nervous and walked out with a table full of people who knew their name. Here's what stuck with me, what the keynote did when he went off script, and the part you can steal whether you were in the room or not. Plus an Idea Slam on the question you're scared to ask, and an AI story about turning history class into short-form video.

Businessing is the daily live show where small business owners figure out what to do next. Hosted by Pat Miller, founder of the Small Business Owners Community: owners only, nobody pitching, $9 a month.

In this episode:

00:00 - Open, and what's on the show today

01:17 - Looking back at SBOC26

02:55 - What Mike Michalowicz did when he went off script

04:32 - Why the first-timer night is the one that matters

06:05 - The education lineup, from professional presence to AI

06:53 - Are we going to have a job in 12 months?

09:35 - The Friday VIP session with the Hug Sleep founder

11:18 - Idea Slam: should you ask the question that feels dumb?

14:25 - AI story of the day: turning history into short-form video

18:41 - The homework: make what you sell snackable

21:32 - New in the community, and what's on this week

Resources mentioned:

SBOC26 and next year's conference: https://event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/26conference

The Small Business Library, so your AI knows what we know: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com/library

Money Masters Bookkeeping: https://www.moneymasters4biz.com/

Athena Legal Solutions: https://athenalegalsolutionsllc.com/businessingwithpatmiller

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessingShow?sub_confirmation=1

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109

Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen

Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com

Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com

Your AI should know what we know. Add The Small Business Library to your AI tool: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com/library