Article: Five Tips to Make Speaking Engagements Pay Off
For Communication World, May 2003
By Vickie K. Sullivan
Public speaking delivers powerful marketing opportunities. Like any other tool, public speaking works only when it's done effectively. Here are five tips for leveraging every speech into an income-producing event.
Tip #1: Deal with the Fear Factor
Effective leverage never comes from a place of fear. So before you even accept an invitation, you must address your own Fear Factor. How? Reframe your "predicament" (public speaking at conferences and events) from being a fearful leap of faith to being a sure thing.
First, remember the audience is on your side. They are there because they want to be there. They are interested in the topic. They are giving you the benefit of the doubt. If you look relaxed and eager, they will relax and look forward to hearing your words of wisdom.
Second, keep in mind that attendees don't have your speech in front of them. Did you forget to tell that great story? No problem because they'll never know. Did your attempt at humor fall flat? Go to Plan B. Professional speakers have "saver lines" they can trot out if something goes wrong.
Tip #2: Be Selective and Negotiate
Many speakers set themselves up for failure before they even get to the podium. How? By accepting all invitations. It's the biggest myth in the speaking business: any "exposure" is enough to generate leads and sales.
Because they have to cut costs, meeting planners depend on more people like you to speak at no charge. They won't hesitate to use the promise of "exposure" to cut their program expenses.
Do your homework. Two pointers. Determine the group's ability to pay for your company's services, and make sure the group will be interested in your topic. Find out about past attendance, demographics, interests, history, patterns, problems. You can discover plenty from a qualifying conversation before saying "yes."
Another way to get the inside scoop is to get the names of previous speakers. Then ask for their feedback. They'll tell you the truth because you are rarely competing with a previous speaker.
Tip #3: Use the Power of the Invitation
You are no longer just another participant or vendor. You are the visiting dignitary - one of the reasons for attending the meeting.
Once you've accepted, your host has a vested interest in filling the room. The group sponsoring you needs to promote your speech, so they will go all out. If they're professionals, they'll mail brochures, alert the media and send email to their members.
To see this dynamic at work, look at Hollywood. Have you noticed that when actors become "stars," many people assume that celebrities are also brilliant about unrelated things, such as global warming, terrorism or medical research?
Use this compelling dynamic to enhance your stature within your current network. Extend an invitation to those fence sitters or to current clients. Put your speaking schedule on your Web site.
Tip #4: Use the Power of Demonstration
The more something is demonstrated, rather than merely told, the more the audience buys in. Why? Because by showing it to the audience, they can come to their own conclusions. By telling them why they should work with you, you're pitching from the podium - and that's the quickest way to destroy the credibility that came from the power of the invitation. Create word pictures. Offer examples and stories. Common sense says that when we learn through experience, we hold on to lessons, even in the face of conflicting facts or other hard evidence.
Your experiences (the good ones, anyway) are what you want to share in your speech. Yet many experts blow this chance by gathering information from best-selling books or well-known people and presenting a message that features the obvious. Professional speakers call these "book reports" - the kiss of death when it comes to attracting anyone to your company.
To use speaking to get more results, your content must prove your uniqueness. Make sure there are plenty of those little nuggets of "Aha!" to differentiate you. Dig deep to find the hidden truth that everyone knows but no one is talking about. You'll know when you find it - and so will your audience.
Tip #5: Create the Next Step
Speaking skills and content are important, and great speakers get more invitations. But there has to be more reason than entertainment for the audience to give you permission to contact them.
Focus on two outcomes after your speech - name accumulation and permission to proceed. Giving away free articles and newsletters will get you names for your database and are great for long-term marketing efforts. But to get immediate appointments and sales, consider creating a "next step" to attract those who aren't yet ready to make the investment. Great "next step" examples are offers for limited services like audits or assessments. The key is to make sure these services give personal attention rather than just information. Design your audits to start a relationship.
Open the Marketing Toolbox
Public speaking can be one of the most effective tools in your marketing toolbox. Industry sources estimate that in the U.S. alone there are over 100,000 speaking opportunities per year. And the number one source to fill the agenda? Experts like you who can bring products or services to the attention of an audience.
Experts who deal with their public speaking fear factors in advance will benefit. They are selective and negotiate when it comes to accepting invitations. In fact by using the power of the invitation, the power of demonstration and taking the time to create the next steps, they will create more opportunities than they ever imagined before. We'll see you on the circuit!
Check out http://www.iabc.com/cw for related articles and information.
Since 1987, Vickie K. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker Services, has generated millions of dollars in speaking fees, book advances and ancilliary income for her clients. Sign up for her free market intelligence at http://www.SullivanSpeaker.com
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