Creating New Venues
As 1998 approaches, the market is exploding with growth, giving the impression that anyone coming into the market can be successful. But let’s take a closer look. Because of all of the athletes, authors and others who use speaking to generate ancillary income, professional speakers will continue to be squeezed from existing markets. The solution: create your own opportunities.
Veteran speakers have done this for years – they use existing avenues to find allies that can create new avenues for speaking and training, thus eliminating the competition by being the only ones considered.Creating venues before they exist is a creative, non-linear way of thinking, rather than a step by step approach. It is the process of linking what your "ally" really wants with all the things you offer in a way that the competition has not.
There are three elements to access that dynamic: Information, focus, and timing
Information
The biggest mistake many speakers make is that they jump too quickly into making suggestions in order to get a quick sale. Opportunities come from the client intersecting your creativity and wisdom to solve their challenges. The more information, the more opportunities. Getting the level of information you need is part credibility, part rapport and part trustworthiness. You have to show the potential client that you understand the situation and the industry enough to solve the problem.
Strategies: learn the lingo first and use that language to show your experience in solving similar issues. Include the ally in your discussion so it doesn’t sound like you are telling the "I’m so great" story.
Focus
The second biggest mistake speakers make often takes two different directions. First is focusing on the specific request without looking at any other factors, and not discerning where those factors fit in the overall picture. Second, speakers will focus too narrowly, at only the few solutions they provide. This sets up the "problem, solution, problem" dilemma that screams "major sales job." Result: loss in credibility.
Strategies: Have at least four different ways to disseminate your message in any given situation. Redefine the need by asking broader questions. Ask: "Here’s what I hear you describing … Is that true?"
Timing
Being able to know when to push or to drop the issue is critical in creating new venues. Sometimes you give all the details right away, and sometimes you plant seeds and let the idea blossom. Patience is the key here. Pushing the issue can seem like desperation, which cuts into credibility.
Strategies: Ask these questions "What is your assessment of this situation?" "In your opinion, what would be the obstacles in implementing this?" "I understand this sounds a little different … do you think that if we showed the direct benefits, there would be an openness to trying something new?" Listen to the answers closely, and time your activities accordingly
Insider Secrets to the Corporate Market
Corporate contracts... a dream for speakers who want solid ongoing income. During her 11 year stint in the high-tech and healthcare fields, Marcia Reynolds has purchased almost $750,000 in outside training services. Now on her own for the past two years, Marcia is willing to tell what really goes on with those purchasing decisions.
By Request Only
How did Marcia find possible vendors? Not from direct mail or phone calls. "There was one time in the past 11 years that I explored something that arrived in the mail." Marcia recalls. "If I didn’t request it, the materials got trashed."
What about those envelopes or letters that say "materials you requested?" "Sure, I would open the materials if the envelope or the letter said that. But if I learned after opening the envelope that I didn’t request it, then I would pitch it and vow never to work with that group."
Visibility is the Key
The key to getting the business: visibility. "I would request information if I read an interesting article by or about the speaker, or if an employee or executive heard the speaker somewhere else."
Key phrase: heard the speaker. "I call that person to verify that they actually heard the speaker and ask what they liked best." When looking for a topic, Marcia relies on her colleagues. "We were very blunt with each other," she states. "No one hesitated to say ‘don’t work with this group or trainer. They didn’t deliver."
Credibility Killers
Gimmicky sales tricks are the biggest mistake to make, according to Marcia. "Many times, a speaker would try to go around me and meet with someone higher and then be referred down. It doesn’t work!"
"I had one person call me and say ‘I just spoke with Rick (the CEO) and he told me to call you.’ He acted like they had this long, detailed conversation, when what really happened is that Rick said ‘Oh, I don’t handle that. You need to talk with Marcia.’ That always backfires,!" "People who used dishonest ways to get my attention were immediately disqualified."
What Justifies the Fee
The second biggest mistake speakers make is selling the wrong benefit. "I didn’t hire presentation skills," explains Marcia. "I hired expertise. I can justify getting an outsider, and paying their fee, when they are an expert." And what constitutes expertise? It’s not a Ph.D. or other degrees. It’s focus on a specific topic and experience in a specific work environment, along with the intimate understanding of an industry. "Many people say, ‘I can train on anything.’ But I wanted a focus, in topic and in industry. I can tell immediately if someone knew the lingo of my industry," Marcia says. "I can tell in 30 seconds if they know what they’re talking about."Thanks Marcia for the reality check!
I’m an established speaker who uses telemarketing to generate bookings. Why am I not getting as many bookings from telemarketing as I used to?
Telemarketing efforts are facing a double whammy. First, corporate markets usually talk to the principal for any work other than special events speaking. Secondly, many association markets are using a "call for presentations" format that phone calls can not penetrate. Given that, telemarketing no longer works in a vacuum. Think about changing the scope of telemarketing. Don’t use it to break into new markets, unless you have industry related original research. And don’t use telemarketing to generate leads -- use showcases to create visibility along with a telemarketing effort to convert mild interest into a booking. Marketing calls now support visibility efforts, not replace it.
Bottom line: Telemarketing isn’t the end all or be all. You must extend your marketing effort to include visibility activities to generate credibility and name recognition in order to springboard the telemarketing. Otherwise, you are just running up your phone bills.
|
