Speakers: Speak Nationally, Sleep Locally!
Sound too good to be true? It isn’t. What I’m talking about is marketing to your local Convention and Visitors Bureau or Convention and Visitors Commission. If you don’t live in a larger city, pick one close to you. You may even want to belong to more than one.
I say “belong” because most of them make you join to see the goods. What are the goods? The Convention Calendar. It is a beautiful thing! It lists all companies, associations and organizations coming into that city to meet, when they will be meeting, how many will be attending, where the meeting will take place and even give a contact name. (Don’t get excited by the contact name. It’s never the person I want you to call.)
The Convention Calendar lists meetings of all sizes and shapes. You will even see family reunions listed! Most CVC’s only allow you to access this information if you join. There are some exceptions to the rules, so check it out.
Look at meetings that have, say, at least 75 attending. Then go for it. If it’s a company or corporation, sell to them the way you would any company. (See my earlier post on selling to corporations.) If it’s an association, sell to them as you would any other. (See my earlier post on selling to associations!)
You’ll want to customize your sales-speak a little. I would say something like this. “I see you’re coming to my hometown for a meeting. I’m a professional speaker who (insert positioning statement I helped you create here!). I live here. You’ll love meeting here! If my program would be a fit realize there would be no associated travel expenses. If there is bad weather, it won’t affect me being there on time. If I’m not a fit, keep my information handy in case you have a cancellation. If I’m not booked, I can be there fast!
Worst case scenario? They don’t need you this year. You know this is a group that meets and so you can contact them the next time around to see if you may be a better fit. So it’s in a different town? It’s a great lead and could be a great booking!
Does it get better than speaking to a terrific group and sleeping that night in your own bed?
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Copyright 2012, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes! She can be reached in the following ways:
Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
Twitter: @loiscreamer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BookMoreBusiness
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/loiscreamer
For more information on Lois’ business check out http://www.bookmorebusiness.com as well as http://www.bookmorebusiness.tv
Sign up for my blog posts so you don’t miss any at http://www.BookMoreBusiness.com/blog
Speaker Bureaus, Agents and Mixed Breeds .. Part Two
This is part two of this blog post. Working with speaker bureaus was part one. The next question we will address is:
Should I hire someone and pay them a percentage of my fee? I hear this so often! A speaker will want a part time or full time employee to sell and pay them a percentage. Whenever anyone brings this up I always say … forget it!
Speakers who pay commission only will not have a very long relationship with their employee. Lead times in the industry are shorter now, but consider this. If they started selling you right now, it could be months before they get a booking. Why would anyone want to sell speaking services for you based on the promise of a percentage coming months down the road? Also, this arrangement can lead to misunderstanding. Don’t ask the employee to do other duties, administrative stuff, if they are not going to be paid for it. An employee hired and paid a percentage will not last long. By the time you train and they learn your business, they will be gone.
The best scenario for a staffer? Pay an hourly fee to honor the other duties they do for you as well as a percentage based on your fee. If you want an employee to really stick around, offer a year end bonus consisting of a percentage of what the business net profits are for the year. Doing this creates a staffer who is just as concerned with what is going out as what is coming in! You will have a real partner in your business.
Pay for Play. That’s what I call the solicitations we all see from companies wanting you to pay a monthly fee in return for leads. My best advice? Forget it. Most of these types of businesses are in the business of collecting fees, not speaking engagements or leads! Will you get some leads? Yes. Will they be quality leads? Maybe …. but. I have heard too many examples where they send the same leads to anyone and everyone who sends them a monthly fee. This results in some poor soul getting hundreds of calls from speakers asking about a meeting. (A meeting that may or may not even exist.) Are all companies that do this the same? No. I just have yet to hear about one that is worth your monthly fee. Next time you get a solicitation like this, ask them to take their fee out of the bookings they procure for you. You’ll hear a lot of silence.
Remember, you are responsible for your own business growth. Don’t abdicate that responsibility to anyone else you don’t know and trust!
Copyright 2011, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes! She can be reached in the following ways:
Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
Twitter: @loiscreamer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/loiscreamer
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/loiscreamer
For more information on Lois’ business check out http://www.bookmorebusiness.com as well as http://www.bookmorebusiness.tv!
Speaker Bureaus, Agents and Mixed Breeds .. Part One
My next two blog posts are going to address some questions I’ve been asked constantly ever since I started my consulting practice for speakers. They are:
- How can I get a bureau to book me?
- I’d like to hire someone to get me bookings and give them a percentage of my fee. Is this a good plan?
- I receive solicitation emails from companies offering me leads if I pay them a monthly fee. Is this a good deal?
I’m going to talk about bureaus exclusively in this post, and the next two questions on part two of my post. If I had a buck or two every time I’m asked one of these questions, I’d be enjoying an umbrella drink on a beach somewhere.
How can I get a bureau to book me? My short answer is .. you can’t. Don’t waste your energy. Use your energy towards getting your own bookings. Bureaus are interested in working with “working” speakers. Speakers who are in demand. Those who are getting great reviews out in the industry for delivering great information in a compelling way.
If you don’t work with a bureau, you may want to see if one of your colleagues would offer an introduction for you. Your colleague will want to have seen you and really believe that what you have to offer is a fit for a particular bureau. Your friend may contact the bureau and ask his or her bureau representative to take a look at your material and see if he thinks your information would be a fit for their clients.
All bureaus don’t work with all types of businesses. This is an epiphany to some some. There are bureaus that work primarily with corporations, associations, health-care, agriculture, financial services and more. Your program must match the bureaus emphasis and their clientele.
Some bureaus host “Speaker Showcases”. They invite speakers to do 15-20 minutes of their best stuff in front of bureau clients and reps. Some charge for this, some do not. It is a great way to get in relationship with a bureau. It is only effective, however, if bureaus reps show up at the showcase.
Also, be aware that bureaus will expect you to provide what they call “bureau friendly” marketing materials for them. This simply means that your contact information should not appear on the material. The bureau wants the client to contact them, not you. You will want to have printed and PDF’s bureaus friendly.
Bureaus ask for a percentage of your speaking fee as payment for getting you the engagement. Current average is 25-30%. Some speakers think this is too high, and that bureaus are greedy. I don’t. If a bureau brings business to your door, handles all of the details for you, I think it’s worth every penny. Whenever I hear a speaker begrudging paying the percentage I always say, “Don’t work with them!” Bureaus can open doors that many would not be able to open themselves. If you work with a bureau for pete’s sake don’t whine about what you are paying them!
Besides paying the bureau a percentage, you are expected to promote the bureau during your visit and encourage the client to return to the bureau for future meetings. Also, audience members who enjoy the speaker and may want to use him/her are to book through the bureau. This is considered “spin-off” business. If not for the bureau, you would not have gotten the opportunity.. You are expected to contact the bureau and let them do the paperwork,contact the client and take care of the details.
Some bureaus even have “exclusive rights” or an “exclusives” with the speaker. This is the same as having an agent. It means all business goes through the bureau or agent and they take their percentage. Even if they didn’t get the business, if you have an exclusive arrangement, you must run it through them. I suggest to my clients that they never agree to an exclusive arrangement. It will actually cause other bureaus to lose interest in you. They will be expected to split their percentage with the other bureau, and many don’t think it’s worth it. Ultimately it may cause other bureaus to stay away from you.
Because bureaus get paid by percentage of fee they aren’t interested in working with speakers who are real beginners. It only makes sense! They have to make money too.
I always encourage my clients to work with a bureau if a situation presents itself. It’s a great addition to your own efforts to grow your business. You can learn a lot from bureaus about the business of speaking. I have. Some of my clients have been bureaus who hired me to work with their reps to sell speaking services more effectively.
All in all, working with bureaus can help you cast a wider net and that’s what it’s all about!
Copyright 2011, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes! She can be reached in the following ways:
Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
Twitter: @loiscreamer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/loiscreamer
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/loiscreamer
For more information on Lois’ business check out http://www.bookmorebusiness.com as well as http://www.bookmorebusiness.tv!
Speakers – Using QR Codes for Fun and Profit!
It’s always a privilege to be asked to present at the National Speakers Association. Last July I did it for the seventh time. Each time I present, whether at a national meeting or a chapter of NSA, I try to make sure I’m bringing newer ideas that can be applied immediately in a speaker’s business.
I introduced the use of QR Codes on business cards and marketing material. We have all seen these codes used in advertising, but I had not seen any speakers using them. I illustrated two ways to use them that day.
I shared a business card that had code on the back. Anyone who read the code saw a video of me pop up saying “If you have this business card I will give you 30 minutes of free consulting. I bet I can help you book more business in 30 minutes!” I had many take me up on it.
I also used two codes on my “one sheet” marketing piece. One code led to video testimonials of my clients saying what they accomplished by working with me, another led to a client list. Both good examples of how a speaker can use these codes on their marketing materials. Perhaps you may want to link to your preview video?
There are other ways speakers can use QR codes. I suggested to a client who works with bureaus to create a video on code that said “I’m presenting at your meeting on behalf of ABC Speakers Bureau. They are a terrific bureau and I urge you to contact them the next time you need a speaker. Of course tell them you want me back too!”
What do you think the bureau’s reaction to this was? They knew that they had a real partner in the meeting business. I predict a long and healthy business relationship between this speaker and this bureau!
If you have written a book, QR code can be a great way to promote it! Put a chapter from the book, perhaps a list of chapters and have it lead to an order link. You’ve made it really easy for anyone to get a taste of the book and order it. I also tell speakers to put that chapter on your website as well.
When I see authors on talk shows like the Today Show, the host always says to the audience that they can read a chapter from the book by visiting the show’s website. Why don’t you do the same thing? You can put it under a “media” link on your website.
What other ways can you think of to use QR codes in your business? Share with us!
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Copyright 2012, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes! She can be reached in the following ways:
Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
Twitter: @loiscreamer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BookMoreBusiness
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/loiscreamer
For more information on Lois’ business check out http://www.bookmorebusiness.com as well as http://www.bookmorebusiness.tv
Sign up for my blog posts so you don’t miss any at http://www.BookMoreBusiness.com/blog
A Simple Formula for a Successful Speaking Business!
One of my heroes in the speaking business is Glenna Salsbury, CSP, CPAE. I first met her in 1994 and have had the pleasure of hearing her speak several times over the years. I had to the joy of seeing her in July as she was the opening keynote speaker at the National Speakers Association convention. What she said in that program changed everything for me.
Simply being able to see Glenna on the platform is a teachable moment! She has such warmth, such connection, such authenticity. But she shared a formula she has used for years and it really hit home with me. She gave me permission to share it with you. It’s a formula for creating and organizing a speech. Here it is!
P = Point
S = Story
A = Application
Simple isn’t it? What point are you making? Spell it out. Story. Tell me a story that illustrates the point you are making. Make the story one that is meaningful to your audience. Even better, make it a personal story so they can relate to you. Finally, application. How does this point and story apply to me, the audience member? Simple formula, awesome result!
It really makes sense doesn’t it? Point, story and application! Another great thing about this formula is that it is easy to listen to and follow if you are an audience member. That should always be a goal as a speaker.
The thing that I have discovered since becoming a fan of the formula is that it can be used when writing too.
There you have it! Three simple steps to a successful speech, a successful business. And thanks again to Glenna for allowing me to share this with you. Hint – if you ever get the chance to see her on the platform, run, don’t walk! You won’t be disappointed!
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Copyright 2012, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes! She can be reached in the following ways:
Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
Twitter: @loiscreamer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BookMoreBusiness
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/loiscreamer
For more information on Lois’ business check out http://www.bookmorebusiness.com as well as http://www.bookmorebusiness.tv
Sign up for my blog posts so you don’t miss any at http://www.BookMoreBusiness.com/blog
