Profile by Brad Balfour
With a torrent of Texan trauma in the news, the Lone Star State is under the microscope. Whether one leans left or right, there’s a constant bipartisan battle on the tube. From such issues as voter suppression and absent congresspeople to Covid concerns like masking or not. To vax or not to vax.
As a dedicated resident of Dallas, Jeff Klein represents the suburban Texan, that new generation which has been trying to transform the decidedly rural red state into some shade of shared suburban purple. As part of that community, this Chicago-born Texas-transplant reaches out by using his skill with words and audiences. If public speaking is an art, this master articulator has been a practicing artist for a long time.
Since 2004, the UTD (University of Texas-Dallas) graduate has spoken to over 700 audiences which included tens of thousands of business professionals. A clear, concise communicator, Klein has a proven track record of brainstorming initiatives, tracking referrals, making presentations, facilitating negotiations, spearheading projects, and closing deals. His extensive background in creative services, sales, training, and management enhances his work in both for-profit and non-profit arenas.
This 50-something excels in dealing with people both individually and in small groups as a communications leader and skill-builder. He helps clients turn the right prospects into loyal customers. By keeping them happy, they tell their friends to become his customers as well. And having lived in Dallas, TX, Schenectady, NY, Wayne, NJ, Shreveport, LA, Baton Rouge, LA for LSU (and then back to Dallas), the mileage has lent him travel-worn experience.
A recognized expert in the importance of the words we use when talking about our businesses, this 50-something has been telling the world what other people do for the past 35 years. This is, in no small part, thanks to having a dad who was a Jewish professional, a social worker at BBYO, several JCCs and the Jewish Federation.
Never intimidated by the spotlight, this articulate communications master has received rave reviews speaking to trade associations, sales organizations, national conventions, corporate teams, and business groups. His individual and group programs assist other professionals who are responsible for generating revenue and creating great opportunities to sell. Klein’s training programs include new messaging, maximizing business speaking opportunities, identifying valuable target prospects, creating campaigns that drive traffic, getting results through existing and new relationships, and creating language that attracts the people his clients want to meet.
In addition, as a contributor to the welfare of others, Klein served on non-profit boards for the Dallas Jewish Community, the SwimPlus Foundation, Team Networking, and the Young Professionals of Plano — part of the Plano Chamber of Commerce. His volunteer work includes the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure, the Anti-Defamation League, and his Synagogue in Plano.
Having graduated with a BA in theater, Klein spent 20 years working in the motion picture and TV industry as a prop master and art director. With his background in the business, along with his experience in professional sports production, association management, and solo entrepreneurship, Klein represented The Studios at Las Colinas — the largest sound-stage facility in the Southwest. He engaged with the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and Dallas Stars Hockey production teams. Then, in the late ‘90s, he served as the executive director of the Texas Association of Media Motion Professionals representing the Texas Motion Picture Industry.
Klein’s film, TV, and video clients have included American Airlines, PepsiCo, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Southwest Airlines, EDS, Ford, WISHBONE!, Goodyear, Frito Lay and JCPenney, Adolfson & Peterson Construction, and Sign-A-Rama. Having done such a range of activities, Klein has noted, “I’ve made Emmitt Smith walk on water and helped Wishbone the Dog teach kids about the great works of literature.”
Though he has an uncanny ability to reach people, Klein can’t be everywhere. That’s why he founded the Speaker Co-op, a cooperative community of business and professional speakers, which has grown to over 5,000 members across the country. Offering access to savvy people who can talk about anything, this entrepreneur has created a forum where there are speakers to be discovered and audiences to be reached.
Q: Why did you see a need for a speaker clearing house?
JK: We began as a networking lunch for subject-matter experts who spoke. Fifty people showed up at our first meeting in January, 2006, so we knew right away we were on to something.
Over the next few years, the attendance stayed steady every month and I found myself speaking more often. From once every couple of months to once a month to three or four times a month. Most of these were word of-mouth bookings where someone said, “You need to call Jeff to schedule him to speak at one of our meetings.”
I set a goal to speak once a week in 2007, did that and aimed to speak twice a week in 2008. Did that for two years. In 2010, I looked back and had spoken over 250 times in a 3-year period. And I figured some stuff out.
In 2010, I closed the ad agency and turned SpeakerCoop.com into my business. I had some coaches show up and help me systematize what I was teaching.
I’ll cite some stats. There are over 33,000 Rotary Clubs worldwide, so assume that’s 20,000 in USA x 40 weeks which equals 800,000 Speakers. There are 4,000 Chambers of Commerce in the US with at least one full-time staff person and thousands more established as strictly volunteer entities. That times 10 months equals 40,000 speakers.
There are more than 92,000 trade and professional associations in the U.S. Assume half have monthly lunches, so that’s 46,000 opportunities x 10 months which equals 460,000. 285 U.S. cities have populations over 100,000 people.
Business Networking International has over 3,700 chapters in the United States alone. That’s 10 groups for every BNI — which means at least 37,000 networking groups in America 3700 times 10 months equals 370,000 events.
Though there are 1,670,000 speaking opportunities every year, many will never pay an up-front fee. But they will allow an offer in exchange for valuable, usable information.
We spend 18-19 minutes giving value to an audience in order to earn the right to make an offer that takes only one or two minutes. We offer books, audios, training, assessments, coaching, and consultations.
Q: How has the company changed from when you started?
JK: Now, we’re on the second version of the video class, “Pathway to Profits,” teaching speakers how to turn a 20-minute talk into clients and leads.
The website came along organically after a couple of months and then vendors showed up to sell to our audience. So we offered them a Resource Membership to add to the 3 levels of Speaker Membership: Platform, Spotlight, and Premier.
Q: Have you created new approaches with the pandemic in mind?
JK: There’s lots of new tools. We’ve had to educate audiences on using virtual programs like Zoom. We’ve worked with our speakers since speaking virtually is very different from speaking in person.
Everyone is tired of being on Zoom for meetings and a lot are very uncomfortable with it. So I teach people how to be engaging and informative when presenting, whether virtually or in person. From the elevator pitch to keynote speaking, I help people overcome their fear of public speaking.
Q: How localized or international is what you do?
JK: Since we’re primarily an online directory of speakers, and virtual speaking is here to stay, we can work anywhere in the world where there’s a reliable Internet connection.
Q: How do the other aspects of your career serve you here?
JK: My background as a freelance professional in the film business made me fearless about asking for business. Working in a variety of locations taught me how to manage events and work with a wide variety of people.
When I’m not working, you’ll find me talking about movies, playing poker, or being the most Awesome Uncle in the world. My two younger sisters made me an uncle to my two nieces and nephew. And I have the T-shirt to prove it.