Last year I was a guest on a teleseminar with the fantastic Patricia Fripp. Never one to shy away from a difficult question, she asked: “What is the biggest mistake speakers make?”
The answer was clear to me. No matter where you are in your journey as a speaker – from beginner to veteran – the biggest mistake I see is a lack of leverage. By that I mean, looking at every speaking engagement you have and asking yourself how you can use this success to get more opportunities.
Ask yourself:
- Who are the client’s customers?
- Who are their suppliers?
- Are they a member of an association or trade group?
- Who do they know who could use my services (and pay)?
- Where would a testimonial from this client have an impact?
You may think this is obvious, I’m telling you it isn’t!
A great way to have a conversation with your client about this is by doing a follow-up call after your speech. The conversation could go something like this:
“I’m calling to say thanks again for bringing me in to speak to your group. I had a great time and wanted to make sure the feedback continued to be as positive as what I heard at the event. If you could put some of that feedback on your letterhead as a testimonial I would sure appreciate it! If you prefer to do a testimonial on LinkedIn that would be fine too. I really enjoy working in your industry and would love to seek out more opportunities. May I ask a few questions? “(See above list!)
This approach allows you to warm up cold calls! By referring to your happy client, you’ve created a touch point for the prospect.
So keep in mind the “L” word and leverage your way to more success!
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Lois 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
Phone: 314.822.8225
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!
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