Membership Has Its Privileges: Shop Talk

Sandra GurvisLooking for a way to expand your career without removing your butt from the chair? Shop Talk  gives ASJA members exclusive access to industry insiders. Whether it’s “How to Find Content Marketing Clients,” “Amazon Selling Secrets,” or “Trade Magazines: Are You Overlooking This Income Source?” (the most accessed recordings, according to ASJA member and Shop Talk coordinator/interviewer Sandra Beckwith), the mere act of listening – and learning – can put you ahead of the pack. Most often in a conference-call format, these programs let you ask those all-important direct questions to the expert du jour. Programs are available free of charge to ASJA members exclusively and are recorded so you can access them later. ASJA member Rae Francoeur summarizes them for the ASJA Magazine, so those who would rather read than listen can benefit from the interviews, too. Thank you, Sandra and Rae!

Here’s the 411, whether you want to listen to or suggest a Shop Talk recording:

  • Shop Talk takes place monthly, every third Wednesday at 1 p.m. Eastern and is usually limited to one hour. There is no Shop Talk in August.
  • Each event has a specific topic that should interest a portion of ASJA members.
  • Format is casual and conversational. Sandra interviews the guest for 45 to 50 minutes, then the rest of the hour is opened up to your questions. A huge advantage when you are participating live!
  • When they register, listeners ask questions by visiting an online, forum-like environment with a discussion section. There’s also a resource section that houses the bonus download (usually a PDF) provided by the speaker. Content includes additional details about the topic and other helpful information.
  • Shop Talk is free to members and $19 per session for nonmembers. Members can access them at anytime by going to “member benefits” and selecting “Shop Talk recordings.” Nonmembers can click here to purchase previous recordings.

Take a few minutes to meander through past recordings, but don’t be surprised if you end spending a lot more time perusing this vast vault of information. And please send any and all suggestions for guests/topics to Sandra Beckwith  (sandrabeckwith@earthlink.net). Operators (well, Sandra anyway) are standing by!