Why your advocates can’t help you
You two go back a long time, both professionally and personally. The other person is in a position of power and well connected – it’s quite logical that they can get you in to speak at the next conference. You ask about joining forces and the reply is “sure – no problem.” And then…nothing happens.
What’s wrong with this picture? Many times, your best advocates can only do so much. Here are a couple of common scenarios and ideas on doing things differently.
Nothing after the referral
Your advocate has heard you speak and also knows the program chair. He/she passes your name along with a strong recommendation, and tells you to follow up with the appropriate buyer. You try several times and…nothing…the decision-maker won’t return your calls. What happened?
First, your advocate’s referral got your foot in the door. Then one of three things occurred: The buyer already has someone else in mind, your identity and topic doesn’t generate enough interest to warrant further consideration, or your lack of visibility put you in the “free expert who wants to get paid” category. Given that, your advocate can’t do any more to help you.
The moral: In this competitive market, your advocates can’t make up either for a bad fit or weak packaging. Your positioning and visibility has to help close the deal. Either be glad that you’re not in front of the wrong audience or take this as a hint for improvement.
Failed sales pitch
Getting a meeting with your advocate is easy. You meet, make small talk, and ask for help getting more speaking engagements. The advocate is enthusiastic about your message but doesn’t have any meetings that need a speaker. You leave empty-handed or with a promise to “keep in touch.”
What went wrong? You only looked at established venues - those speaking opportunities for retreats, annual conferences, etc. that are already planned. By focusing on those few options, you set up a “yes/no” situation that limited your advocate’s radar. Once you got a logistical objection such as “we’ve already selected the speakers” or “we cancelled those meetings,” the conversation was over.
The moral: Approach your meeting as a brainstorming session with a focus on the value and application of your work. Keep the conversation broad at first, looking for the “fit” rather than the venue. Once you get agreement on how your work or content will help solve a valuable problem, a venue will “suddenly” appear. Also discuss industry implications, and how your work can help your advocates cement relationships in their target markets. This is a great segue into sponsorship opportunities.
Bottom line: In this changing economy, your advocates need all the help they can get. Want more ideas? Check out this newsletter’s Summer 1999 issue “Helping Your Advocates Help you” article
How to Get Paid (or Competing with Free Speakers)
With budgets tighter than ever, buyers are tempted to use free experts instead of paid speakers. How can you get around the “we are using free speakers” objection? Below are three suggestions for ways to get paid:
Come with a sponsor.
Do you have a consulting client who wants to create good will to this audience? Or know a sales/marketing exec who loves your work but has no training budget? If so, ask them if they are interested in a marketing opportunity. Find out if getting in front of an audience in their target market is worth your fee. Then, approach the executive director or the convention chair with a packaged deal.
Combine your services.
Are you already consulting or coaching an organization? If so, offer to expand the scope of your project with a speech to their upcoming meeting and more follow-up work for an extra fee. Your fee won’t be taken out of the meetings budget, making you the same as a free expert. And the follow-up work will help cement more relationships that can result in - you guessed it - more speaking engagements. This technique can also work with products – that is, if you pre-sell hundreds of books at more than wholesale, is it worth it to throw in the speech for free?
Conduct a workshop.
Instead of going for a keynote or concurrent session, check out the post and pre-conference workshops. Many of these events require a separate registration fee and most groups will share the proceeds with the faculty. If a group wants you to speak for free, agree only on the condition that you can conduct one of these sessions. (Also ask for travel expenses and free registration for the conference.) This technique only works if you are already known in the industry or have a hot topic that will draw a crowd.
Remember, there are different colors of money. If you can’t find funds in one budget, don’t stop looking. Look for funds elsewhere. Work with your advocates to know where the money is and how to access it. You’ll be surprised to learn how many ways you can get paid
We’re doing this again…
I’m pleased to report that the first Speak to Sell™ retreat was a smash hit. Not only did we get rave reviews from attendees, these heavy hitters also got a lot from each other. Marcia Reynolds and I have dozens of great ideas for the upcoming December event. We have reduced the class size from 10 to 8, so we can have more interaction. Check it out – you won’t regret it!
My advocates love me but they are all saying that budgets are frozen and they are only using free speakers. What do I do now?
This happens a lot to speakers who have a strong following but not a strong identity in the marketplace. When you are not visible, you are vulnerable to free experts because, like them, you are less likely to generate a draw.
Whatever you do, don’t give up and start cold calling. Cold calls take even longer to close and can be expensive in time, effort, and money. Instead, start generating leads with media, especially with trade publications. And leverage that coverage by sending the articles to those who use paid speakers. It might be slow going, but the leads will be warmer and easier to close.
Another idea: Conduct your own showcase and invite speakers bureaus and other buyers. Think about joining forces with a charity and make the event a fundraiser. The more qualified folks who see you, the more leads you generate.
And don’t forget keeping in touch with your allies, as their situation is usually temporary. Timing is everything in the speaking business…
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