These terms are tossed around all of the time in the speaking business. Interesting thing is, there is not a single definition for any of them. Some consider a keynote to be 45 minutes, some 90. Some call a workshop a half-day affair while others may call that a seminar. Concerned?
I am. I tell my clients that they should call everything they do by one term. PROGRAMS. They do programs that can run anywhere from 30 minutes to a full day (or whatever your longest program may be).
There is so much confusion in the marketplace with these terms that even the people who plan the meetings define them all differently. This means that you must have the prospect/client define what they need and what they mean. It allows you to make sure you are selling them exactly what they need and delivering within the time frame they request.
A cautionary tale. A few years ago I worked with a well-known speaker who shall remain nameless. He promoted himself as a “keynoter” all over his marketing material and his website. The economy was bad, our industry suffering (it’s now rebounding mercifully) and he decided to work with me to see if I could help him come up with new ideas for growth.
Prior to working together, he sent me all of his material so I could review it. I kept noticing keynote, keynote, keynote. I asked him if when he worked for associations he did any breakouts after his keynote. His reply, “no”. Why? “I was never invited to do so”. And I replied, “And at this rate, you will never be invited to do so!”
I suggested that perhaps they weren’t hiring him to do a breakout because he advertises only keynotes. “Maybe they believe you”, I said. “You’re telling them this is what you do, all you do and they believe you”. This was what Oprah calls “an aha moment!” Prospects indeed hired him for what he said he did.
We changed his materials and website and changed the wording to “Programs” instead of “Keynotes”. It made a difference! It made a difference in the way he talked with his prospects and it certainly made a difference in the way they viewed his expertise. This one seemingly small step made a huge difference in his business!
Does it sound too simple to believe? It isn’t! Try it. Not only will you like it. Your prospects and clients will like it too!
—
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
