SOS For The Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless
Mike Rounds
Published by: CPM Systems 6318 Ridgepath Court Rancho Palos Verdes CA 90275-3248 United States www.CluelessMike.com Nancy@RoundsMiller.com 310-544-9502
Buyers of this book are licensed to use the material contained in the is book in the course of conducting their own business. The contents of this book, however, may not be reproduced for sale. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form with the intention of reselling such copies without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations included in a review. This book is written with the understanding that the authors are not engaged in rendering legal services. The information included has been carefully prepared and is correct to the best of our knowledge as of the publication date. If you require legal or expert advice, the services of professionals should be used. The authors disclaim any personal liability, either directly or indirectly, for advice or information presented in this book. The information as described herein has been used successfully to obtain profitable business for some of the people who have used it. Although all efforts have been expended to supply you with the latest in complete, accurate and up-to-date information, it must be understood that your ultimate success is dependent upon market conditions, efforts expended by you, and other variable factors that are beyond the control of the author. Neither your actual expenses or profits are guaranteed or implied. Trademark: Throughout this book, Trademarked names are used. Rather than put a Trademark symbol after every occurrence of a Trademarked name, we used the names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the Trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the Trademark. Copyright 2006, by Michael F. Rounds
Portions of this book previously appeared in Marketing The One Person Business and the Professional Speakers Marketing Handbook
ISBN 1-891440-53-3

Mike Rounds Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved Welcome to the world of professional speaking After Cro-Magnon man stopped throwing rocks at each other, they started communicating with the spoken word. The worlds first professional speakers were probably religious and philosophical speakers who mesmerized the masses with their insights, wisdom, and charisma regarding the worlds problems, challenges, and opportunities. Hasnt changed much, has it? However, the world of professional speaking has developed with professional speakers appearing on a daily basis in everything from corporate training sessions to talk radio interviews to workshops and retreats all designed to enlighten, inspire, and motivate us to lead better, more productive, and more fulfilling lives for a fee of course. If that sounds a little cynical, it wasnt meant to be its simply an observation that points out that the world of professional speaking has been with us a long time and by all appearances, its going to be with us a for a long time to come. And thats where you come in as a professional speaker youll become a member of this illustrious group of world class citizens who learns, experiences, feels, applies, and then shares the knowledge, wisdom, and pitfalls of your experience and learning with others. For a fee of course! Dont get upset theres nothing immoral, illegal, or unethical about getting paid to speak. In fact, 60 Minutes said Its a six-figure profession. People work hard at acquiring their knowledge and wisdom and in todays world of fast changing technologies, business climates, and social atmospheres, lots of other people want to learn how to cope, adapt, and operate efficiently and are willing to pay for that knowledge. And that brings us to the world of professional speaking a magical, mystical place where you will be willing to share everything you know for a fee!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Topic What makes me the expert? Why speak? The three questions for speaking success The seminar and workshop companies The Rubber Chicken Circuit The Rubber Band Circuit The Radio Talk Show Circuit Bureaus and agents Self Sponsored programs The Professional circuit Promotional materials Fee setting Products for speakers Contracts and agreements for speakers Audio visual and staging Cons and caveats Resources Page 5 7 11 29 43 53 63 67 81 89 97 123 133 151 165 173 179
Chapter 1 What makes me the expert?

My background Hi Im Mike Rounds and I am a full time, professional speaker. I didnt start out to become one but fate moved me in the direction and Ive followed it successfully to a high six-figure per year occupation that takes me places I never dreamed Id go. Ive delivered programs all over the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, Singapore, Hong-Kong, the Philippines, and my own home town of Palos Verdes California. Ive spoken before the CEOs of the largest construction companies in Latin America and for the distinguished veterans of the United States Military at the VA hospitals. I introduced my wife to the business and now as a fellow speaker, we travel the world together speaking and sharing its wonders side by side. This year, as I have for the past 20 years, I will stand before an audience over 150 times and enjoy the privilege of the platform a rare opportunity to share my knowledge, insights, and wisdom with thousands of people, and actually get paid for having the most fun Ive ever had in my life speaking. So what makes me qualified to tell you about the speaking business? Experience and success in it, thats what. Im living proof of what you can accomplish in this business if you want to follow it. I suppose Im what the world calls a renaissance man. Thats a person who is either vocationally dysfunctional or who gets bored with one profession and moves to another hopefully, being somewhat successful in each one. Ive actually done a lot of things in my life including becoming a graduate engineer, working as a design engineer, field engineer, project engineer, program manager, and director of engineering for a Fortune 500 company. Ive been in sales, marketing, advertising, trade shows, and sales engineering. Ive worked as a cook, dishwasher, assembly line factory worker, and proudly, as a United States Marine. I hold one patent, two trademarks, and about a bazillion copyrights.
Ive written books, recorded audio, interviewed successful people, stood before TV cameras and made videos, studied a little comedy, and actually performed at the famous IMPROV in Hollywood California. Ive worked for one-person companies and multi-national corporations for brilliant industrialists, futurists and complete jerks. Ive managed projects from a few dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars and throughout it all, Ive learned from what I was doing and from the people I was with and thats how I became a speaker I decided to share what Id learned from others, in an entertaining and informative manner, for a fee. I got into public speaking when I was a kid, kept it up though my college years used the skills whenever I could in my jobs, but I didnt become a pro until about 1986. It was then I discovered that I had a lot of stored up knowledge and experiences that other people wanted to know about and were willing to pay good money to learn about it! Bingo a star was born! Well, at least, a twinkle because it took me a few years to figure out how to make a lot of money with the business a process that Im going to share with you in this product. There is no fluff, hype, or BS in this program just straight shootin, real world information about what it takes to establish and maintain your career as a six-figure speaker. Honestly, I havent yet done it all or won it all but Ive done a lot of it and having been involved with the National Speakers Association for fourteen years including a year as Los Angeles Chapter president, National Chair for the Seminar And Workshop Leaders Professional Experts Group for two years, and an integrally involved participant at regional conferences, national conventions, and local retreats, Ive been exposed to the best speakers, the most famous speakers, the most highly paid speakers, and conversely, some of the worst, least paid, and ridiculously misguided individuals Ive ever seen in my life. Since professional speaking is a performance arts business, it attracts its share of aspirants or wannabes just like the acting and music professions. And like those professions, we have our share of bad actors that are getting paid big bucks to do a poor job. Make no mistake about it this is a full time job not a hobby or a lark - but it can be lucrative, rewarding, and life-changing, so hang on for a lot of nuts n bolts info on how to make it in the world of professional speaking. This is my world and I proudly and humbly welcome you to the world of professional speaking.
Chapter 2 - Why speak?

Why speak? There are three reasons to speak before an audience: 1. To fill an immediate need such as delivering an oral report. 2. For pleasure like telling a story. 3. For profit like a fee paid engagement.
Always remember: if your speaking is NOT profitable, based on results, youre speaking for one of the first two reasons!
Were going to assume, for purposes of this book, that youre interested in making a profit from speaking and turning it into a business. If thats not the case, its OK and we sincerely hope that you enjoy your hobby of speaking or as part of your work. So what exactly is a professional speaker? Its a person who delivers information and knowledge in a verbal format to an audience. Technically, its any speaking or training business that sells speaking services to a client. More importantly, a professional speaker is a person who makes a living through speaking not by speaking! This is a CRITICAL element that Ill explain in detail so pay attention its the crucial difference between financial success and failure in this business! For all of the rhetoric and rhubarb thats been said about this business, the reason that most aspiring speakers fail comes down to not understanding the two parts of the business and the three questions that must be answered before you get into the business as a profession. The two parts of the speaking business The two parts of the business are: getting and doing.
More specifically defined, they are your talents and skills as a platform professional and marketing your speaking services for a profit.
The reality is that most of the people who decide to enter the industry are, or think they are, dynamic and charismatic platform presenters and given their choice, would rather speak and work on improving their speaking skills than anything else. Platform skills are important but this is professional speaking which means ya gotta get paid or it aint a profession its a hobby! Period This boils down to what this program is all about getting the business, and making money with what youre good at doing because without it, youll end up back doing whatever it was you were doing before you decided that speaking was how you wanted to make a living. There is a practical hierarchy in getting hired as a speaker and the most powerful form of selling your services is sample selling, which really isnt any different from selling a car by offering the prospective buyer a test drive. Im going to show you how to not only let prospective clients test drive your skills but ways to get paid for letting them sample your knowledge. After all, you cant un-ring the bell and once youve shared your knowledge with others, you cant take it back so why not get paid for the sample as well as the product itself? The Speakers Hiring Hierarchy of Success Doesnt that sound eloquent? Maybe, but its a reality that as a speaker, youre going to have to live with. Remember that people respond best when what theyre being offered is familiar and non-threatening. As an unknown commodity to a potential buyer of speaking services, you are both unfamiliar and consequently, a threat to the program that they want to become a winner in order for them to look good. By understanding this hierarchy, you will see that the most powerful form of marketing your skills are, in order of importance are: 1. Personal experience If the person hiring you has seen you perform, its a no-brainer. Theyve experienced your platform skills, depth of knowledge and understanding, and your ability to connect with their audience. In other words, theyve sampled your skills first hand and as far as theyre concerned, youre the speaker for their next program. 2. Referral from a peer Every profession, like meeting planners and convention/workshop chairs, has a peer group a group of individuals who do what they do and have the same level of responsibility as they do. Obtaining a referral from another member of your group helps to reduce
the possibility of making a mistake in hiring a speaker because the peers criteria is most likely, similar, if not identical to their own. 3. Referral from a speaker they trust As you progress in the speaking profession, youll likely meet and interface with other professional speakers who address the same, or more likely, different topics from your own. As your own skills and reputation grow, youll form opinions about other platform presenters as to their level of competence and ability to effectively address an audience. Many people who are required to hire speakers turn to speakers that they know and trust to give them solid referrals about others in the profession knowing that their reputations and judgments are at stake as well 4. Media kits and other promotional materials Ive only listed this as #4 because its the next number in the sequence. Frankly, its about #99 on the list behind getting arrested and written up in the National Enquirer. Lets get real you can write anything on a piece of paper you want and readily available audio/video technology has made it possible to make the village idiot look and sound good. People who are in a critical decision making position regarding speakers for an event are reluctant to trust the success of the event, along with their reputation, to promotional material that was most likely prepared by, edited by, and enhanced by, professional specialists whose business it is to make people look good to a prospective client. The bottom line to this hierarchy is that if you want to get booked, stay booked, get rebooked, and make money, youve got to invest your own time, money, grief, and aggravation in sampling your skills to prospective buyers otherwise, youll end up supporting printers who make up your media kits and the postal services who deliver them rather than putting money in your own bank account. This doesnt mean that you dont need media and promotional materials - you do but by themselves, they probably wont get you booked or even seriously considered for that matter. In this program, were going to explain to you what it takes to get booked, stay booked, and make money so you can stay in the business and not end up as a professional chicken plucker living from hand to mouth and being an aspirant to greatness and success.
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Chapter 3 - The three questions for speaking success

As a professional speaker, past-president of the National Speakers Association in Los Angeles, and an active participant in the speaking industry for over 20 years, Ive seen countless people with tremendous platform talent, delivery skills, and great passion for their topic fail miserably as professional speakers. Answering these three questions honestly and objectively will help you succeed in this business rather than fail. Question #1 - Are you planning on being a keynote speaker or a skills trainer?
KN
Who What 20%
First a review:
ST
What How 80%
Keynote speakers primarily tell people what to do, trainers primarily tell people how to do it. Keynote speakers are generally known for themselves and their personal reputations, trainers are known primarily for their topic or area of expertise and secondarily for their proficiency in that area of expertise.
Big deal, huh?
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Actually it is because if you dont decide what you are going to focus on, youre going to have a very difficult time promoting your self and getting booked. Theres ego involved in this business and most of the people who are entering the field want to be known as a dynamic keynote presenter who motivates the audience to greatness. Thats great, but there are some practical realities to consider before you stand up and tell the world that youre a keynote speaker. First and foremost, if you make a living through speaking, youre a speaker. The subtleties are another story but technically, youre a speaker and can, and should, refer to yourself as one. Thats who you are and what you do. The format you utilize, keynoting or training, is another category of rhetoric and doesnt necessarily have anything to do with your primary title. Im often asked, Are you a motivational speaker? To which I reply, I certainly hope so! Id hate to think that any of the programs I deliver de-motivate people. Another thing is that you can, and probably will be, is a skills trainer who occasionally delivers keynote presentations or a keynote presenter who occasionally delivers skills training. It really doesnt matter which format you choose to promote because theyre both relevant, important, and lucrative. The important thing to remember is to pick the one where you can make the most money, fastest, and promote that format first. The secondary choice will be just as viable when youre making money as when youre first starting out. Here are some considerations to think about as you make the decision to be a keynoter or a trainer: Keynoters fees for a 1-hour session are generally higher than a trainers fee Keynoters are usually paid more for a 1-hour presentation than a skills trainer is for a 3-hour training session Keynote speakers usually attain a much greater level of personal notoriety and name recognition than skills trainers Keynote speakers are often hired for their reputation as opposed to their topic and focus. Keeping this in mind, the meeting planner will probably: Promote the name recognition values of the keynote speaker to draw people to the event 12
Not allow any substitution, without severe penalty, if something catastrophic happens and the speaker cannot make the event after he or she has made the commitment. Unless the meeting planner has a pre-determined person in mind, keynoters compete against 10 to 100 times as many other speakers as trainers do for the same engagement In a given venue (for example a convention), there are usually 10 to 100 times more training sessions than keynote sessions. Hence, there are lots more opportunities for trainers and keynoters Some audiences do NOT want a lot of substantive material and would prefer that the meeting planner bring in a keynote speaker with a message that motivates, inspires, or entertains, but does not require a specific action on the part of the audience Some meeting planners are tasked with acquiring skills trainers to address a specific area of concern and keynote speakers are usually not considered for these programs Conservatively, there are probably 1,000 times more venues for skills trainers to promote and at least a dozen product areas that are far more viable for trainers than keynoters
There are probably a bazillion differences between being a keynoter and a trainer but the bottom line for you is to ask the question, Where can I get the greatest level of credibility, fastest, so I can start making money? If youre looking for a recommendation, its to look at your background and cache of stored intellectual information and ask yourself the following questions: What do I know that people would be willing to hear me speak about? What is the most effective manner for delivering that information?
Once youve answered those questions, youll be able to make a sound decision even though it might not be the answer you wanted to hear. Most of the people that Ive met entering the National Speakers Association are primarily suited for skills training (and about 80% of all the money made in professional speaking comes from skills training not from keynote speaking). Not because theyre not great speakers, because they are. But because the material theyre delivering tends to be more focused on an instructional session rather than an emotional program.
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Their ability to take topics, like customer service, cultural diversity, and negotiation skills, and interweave stories, humor, and interesting anecdotes to capture the attention of the audience makes them an invaluable part of the industry, I suspect that some people who prefer to be known as keynoters do so because their prime motivation for being on the platform is to be entertaining and they believe that trainers arent entertaining. My experience tells me that if asked if they or their programs are entertaining, many trainers will tell you that their programs dont need to be entertaining. After all, their programs are content driven and the audiences come for the subject and its inherent content and relevance to their needs. Actually, technical and heavily content laden programs, more than anything else, need to be entertainingwhatever that means to you and your presentation. Never feel that because the audience enjoyed themselves while learning something important, new and different, that they dont appreciate its value and usefulness. There are many ways to be entertaining and still deliver content. Back when Sister Mary Holy Water at Our Lady of Perpetual Guilt High School ruled with the rod, we were taught that this knowledge would affect our lives and laughing at it was a no-no and probably deemed sacrilegious. Back then; she would probably faint at the thought that someone should actually laugh at the Sacred Material she was presenting. Today, things are different and humor is not only appreciated, its expected. Dont confuse stand up comedy with humor. Why? Because they aren't the same thing, thats why! Just because you dont do stand up comedy, dont tell yourself that youre not a humorist. You might not have to be funnybut your material does. And if it is, and the audience perceives it as humorous, guess what? Youre now a humorist! Heres an important reminder as quoted in the famous question once asked Cavett Roberts, the founder of the National Speakers Association: "Cavett, do I have to be funny? To which he replied, "Only if you want to get paid!"
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Also remember that while keynote speakers might be able to do humor that is relevant to just about anything that closely approaches their topic, trainers have to be topic specific with their humor. All humor in presentations, especially for the hard skills or technical trainers, must be topic related. Having a joke die and then saying: "I guess you had to be there" wont work and copying jokes from Readers Digest wont eitherunless they pertain to the topic youre training on that day. Some of the BEST humor for trainers comes from experience gained from events you have actually experienced while training, working, or consulting. Since you're probably dealing with an audience that has a comparable background to the one where the humorous incident took place, recounting the incident, in a structured manner of course, will probably produce similar or identical results. Humor that is organization specific usually works well anywhere in that industry and even translates to other languages and cultures. Things that frustrate and confound people in one organization will probably have the same result in other organizations that do the same thing. Look for stories and incidents that struck you as funny and got a laugh from others. Practice telling the story to colleagues in the same line of work as the one where the incident occurred and see if it gets a laugh. If it does, practice that style and timing over and over again until you can deliver it and get a laugh most of the time.
If it doesn't work, try having somebody who's a proven humorist work with you to determine what needs to be changed. The material WAS funny at the time and probably still is. Now the question is what changed? After you find out, change it back so its gets a laugh. Our audiences love to enjoy themselves and humor helps promote that atmosphere. Remember Mary Poppins? "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." No matter how difficult the topic or the audience humor will make it easier to get your message across, effectively. I had the privilege of being counseled by the great Larry Wilde (www.larrywilde.com ). (Actually, he threatened to repossess my microphone unless I changed my program.)
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Larry is one of the most brilliant humorists that the industry has ever spawned. Hes written more books that most of us will ever read, interviewed the greatest legends in comedy and humor, and opened for most of the major acts in Las Vegas. His two tips were (and still are): 1. Slow down 2. Add more humor to the program. Like all good egotists, I tried to defend what I was doing and lost miserably to two of the soundest pieces of logic Ive ever been given: 1. First, I argued that I had a lot of material to cover and talking rapidly was the only way I could get it all into the allotted time. Larry reminded me that the audience only knows what we put into a programnot what we leave out. When we talk rapidly, it actually makes some of the audience tired because they cant process the information fast enough to be useful to them and results in a kind of frustration fatigue. He also reminded me that I could always put the additional information into a recorded format and sell it to the attendees for more money. (DUH!) 2. The second argument, that I didnt need more humor, was one of the most enlightened statements about the speaking profession I have ever heard. He said. Everyone loves to laugh. If we can bring the audience to laughter, theyll listen harder in the hopes that we will bring them to laughter once again. Between these laughs, you can insert valuable information and because the audience is listening intently, theyll actually learn and retain more than in any other situation. Notice that none of the sage pieces of advice segment the speaking profession into keynoting or skills training because in reality, it simply, doesnt make any difference. What does make all the difference in the world is for you to understand what the audience really wants and needs and delivering your material in a manner that best serves them, not our egos. Keynoters and skills trainers are all speakers. No two keynoters or any two trainers will deliver their material exactly the same way and its a good thing too, because not everybody likes the same delivery style.
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What you call yourself and how you deliver your material is far less important than you actually imparting your knowledge, wisdom, and experiences with an audience that can benefit from you sharing them in a manner that they understand, feel comfortable with, and can apply to their lives in a positive way. Question #2 Who is your target market? I can speak on any topic, at any time, to any audience Twenty years of experience in the speaking business including four years as a lead trainer for CareerTrack has taught me that although this might be a true statement (and its often made by many fledgling speakers) that the meeting planner or person who is buying speaking services simply doesnt believe it. The most successful speakers in the world have established and developed a niche market and unless something drastic happens, they fight like crazy to stay in the middle of that market. The word niche comes from a French word that means to nest. Niche marketing is targeting a speaking service to a small portion of a market that is not being readily served by the mainstream marketers. Nearly every speaking business, CareerTrack, The American Management Association, The American Bar Association, and Internet training firms were begun to fill perceived voids in the market place. However, niche marketing usually refers to small or moderate size speaking businesses that produce a specialty presentation for a limited segment of the market. For example, one of my students, Hector Escarcega, is bilingual, and produces OSHA safety seminars for vineyards in California that hire Spanish speaking workers. As a result of his efforts, Hector has created three niche areas for language, topic, and industry. In 1992, I toured with CSP, CPAE John Patrick Dolans seminar firm. His company, Lawtalk (www.lawtalkmcle.com ) targets the legal profession and provides information required to complete mandatory requirements to renew licensing as an attorney. Market niches can be geographic areas, a specialty industry, ethnic or age groups, or any other particular group of people. Sometimes a niche speech can be a variation of a speech or training topic that is not marketed by the main marketing firms.
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Find Your Own Niche Market In the book, The Millionaire Next Door, The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley, and William D. Danko, the bottom line seems to be that the people who are making the most money are tightly targeting a niche market that has a defined need and the money and willingness to satisfy that need. OK. So what is your target market? When I ask speakers that question I usually hear something like: Small Business Owners Opportunity Seekers Doctors Homeowners
Do you define the targeted market for your speaking business in a similar manner to one of these? If you do, you're working harder and spending more money than necessary to promote your speaking business, and you're enjoying only a fraction of the sales you should be getting. Most speakers recognize the value of targeting a market. But when you target a broad audience like those listed above, you're only targeting prospects that CAN use your speaking services. You have to narrow your focus if you want to target prospects that are LIKELY to use your speaking services. One of the best ways to do this is to find a niche market. What Is A Niche Market? A niche market is a narrowly defined group that includes all of the following: 1. 2. Individuals in the group have the same specialized interests and needs. They have a strong desire for what you offer.
3. You have (or you can create) a compelling reason for prospects in the group to do business with you instead of with someone else. 4. 5. 6. You can easily reach individual prospects within the group. The group is large enough to produce the volume of business you need. The group is small enough that your competition is likely to overlook it.
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Why You Must Narrow Your Focus A niche market enables you to target your sales messages with great precision. The more narrowly you define your niche market the easier it is to cater to the specifically defined interests of people in that market. For example, Ive seen some speakers who define their market as opportunity seekers. Unfortunately, this is too broad an audience. You cant cater to specifically defined personal interests of individuals in this group because it may include all of the following: Executives who want to get out of the corporate environment and start their own business New mothers who want to start a home based business Students who want to generate some extra income.
Any promotional or motivational presentation to this group would have to be very general. But people usually don't respond well to general talk. They respond only when they feel you are talking directly to them about their individual needs. However, a highly defined, small niche market can insulate you from competition. Other speakers or trainers are likely to overlook it and big training organizations will find the market segment too small to bother with. How To Find Your Own Niche Market One way to find a good niche market is to evaluate your existing customers. Can you uncover a segment of customers with similar characteristics? For example, I recently had a student who speaks to obtain clients for her MLM health products company. About a year ago she noticed that many distributors in her down line were health or physical education teachers. She now has a lot of success targeting a niche market of female physical education teachers who are married, have children and are members of the same professional association. Another way to find a niche market is to work backward from the benefits you offer. Start by listing all the benefits provided by your specific speaking skills or the topic that you address. Then list some of the characteristics of prospects whose current situation can be dramatically improved by those benefits. You should begin to see a narrowly defined group emerge as a niche market.
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Its Your Bottom Line Is your target market specific enough that you can you develop sales messages so sharply focused that prospects believe you're talking specifically about them? If not, use the information in this section to help you find a niche market of your own. Then tailor your sales messages to the specific interests and needs of that niche market. You'll see an immediate increase in your sales and profits. Recognizing Niche Marketing Opportunities There is often little difference between recognizing a potential business opportunity and recognizing a niche marketing opportunity. Sometimes people find themselves in a niche market without planning it. Maybe theres a topic you need to understand but that is difficult to obtain in your area, so you begin doing research and providing the training service for yourself. You might soon find that others are asking you to provide it for them. Examples are Internet training, specialty sales training, customer service seminars, and motivational seminars for industries that are affected by activities and events that are outside of their control. One way to recognize the potential for a niche market is to think about those topics and programs that you personally need. Perhaps other speakers come to you for advice, help or a certain kind of speaking service. Do you seem to be recognized as the expert at something everyone needs? Is this something you could present for a fee? An example is Internet training courses (Thats how I got started doing them). You might also recognize a niche marketing opportunity from speakers you hear, articles you read, or other events that grab your attention. Someone may have offered you an opportunity to provide a speech for a specific market. You may have heard a speaker, such as an industry specialist, discuss niche-marketing activities. You may have seen articles in magazines or newspapers focusing on the shortage of or need for information for a certain part of the market. This type of information could trigger an idea or vision that leads to the development of a niche-marketing venture. An example might be Coping with the problems of downsizing in the XXX industry.
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Many people have hobbies they enjoy, or develop special skills. Sometimes these hobbies and special skills can evolve into a niche market. An example is, How to write poetry for profit. Getting Started Getting started and establishing a strong niche business requires certain steps: Identify the specific niche market you want to serve, and all its characteristics. These could be demographic (types and characteristics of the people in the market), geographic area, pricing structure, costs of servicing the niche, expected obstacles, and required credentials Write down your goals and then decide if becoming a niche market is compatible with your long-term goals Decide what resources you have for undertaking niche marketing Determine any resources you lack, and how you will make up for them Develop a business/marketing plan Implement the business/marketing plan
What Is Targeting Your Market? Your target audience is a very narrowly defined sub-segment of the total population that has characteristics in common. Its important to clearly identify the market segment or niche that you will market to. To sell to small businesses or to females is not refined enough. What kind of small businesses? Where are they located? How small? What age females or with what interests etc.? You need to be specific; otherwise you cannot develop your focused marketing initiative. Winnie Ary (www.arygroup.com) has a great 6 step process for gaining insight and understanding into your own niche market: 1. Identify, learn, and speak their language. Learn the acronyms, position descriptions and their product and service technology. 2. Understand their markets. Who are the leaders? Who is the competition? How well are they doing and what impacts their business or success? 3. Get on their mailing lists and subscribe to trade and association magazines.
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4. Know when they meet, where they meet, and who to contact to be considered as a presenter. 5. When you have done a good job for them, ask for referral letters that state exactly that. 6. Make sure you have a good match. Make sure you have topics that once customized, are of interest and/or value to the niche market you are targeting. Why Should You Target Your Market? None of us have unlimited resources of time and money. To get the best results, we want to focus that time and money where it will do us the most good. Experienced marketers have learned that you get the best response when you offer something that the person is interested in. We are all inundated with advertising today. We simply screen out everything except that which interests us. As marketers, we need to send very specific messages that will be of interest to our target audience. Don't be afraid to narrow down your target market. The wider your targetthe less you can focus on the specific needs of your customers. With a wide target you speak to them in generalities. People don't like general and universal talkthey don't respond to it. They respond only when they feel that you are talking with them, about them, and about their needs. When you try to talk to everyone, you actually talk to no one. Choose a niche small enough that you can dominate. If you can send your sharply focused message to people who identify with the message and catch their attention, the chances of a favorable response is much greater. Marketing is ultimately a numbers game, with varying probabilities of success, depending on the methods used. You do want to maximize the chances of your success, don't you? FIND A NEED AND FILL IT Regardless of your area of expertise, you have one or more prime markets where your speaking skills are perceived as indispensable. Once you locate these markets, it becomes a matter of mechanics, rather than magic, to find the clients. There are a variety of situations and conditions that actually determine who your prospect base is and how to get to them. These questions will show you step-bystep how to target your market and get contacts. Answer the questions as diligently as you can. You want to ask an associate to assist you with the process
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to keep you focused. After youve completed the task, set the answers aside for a day or two and then answer them again. Most people find that by the time theyve completed answering the last questions, the first ones have changed because theyve thought more logically about the overall market theyre targeting. 1. What is your area of expertise in terms of its title, content, appeal, and benefits? Title of your servicethe grabber that gets their attention. Contenta sub-heading that describes in some detail what you're going to provide. BenefitsWIIFT, what immediate usefulness does the service have?
2. Who would be most likely to benefit from this service? Does it apply primarily to an occupation, a hobby, legislation, etc.? 3. What leads you to believe that this industry or group is the best target market for your services? Explain. For example, will you use a survey, personal knowledge of industry, media, government legislation, or industry legislation? What have you read and where did you read it, which leads you to believe that you have a service that will sell? 4. Where would the most likely candidates look to find this information? Is the service or topic geared toward a specific physical locale, country, or culture, or does it lend itself to a particular type of organization? 5. How do you go about locating a list that service the needs of these individuals? Can you define and locate a directory or listing of the clubs, organizations, or industries that fit into your definition of the perfect client? Where and how do you get this directory? 6. How do you go about making initial contact: mail, telephone, fax, personal visit, e-mail, web, or free presentation? 7. When is the best time to contact these organizations? Are there calendar considerations, yearly considerations, daily considerations, weekly considerations, or time of day considerations? 8. What materials and customization will be needed to close your deal workbooks, handouts, A/V materials, or industry research? 9. How do you research the prospects needs so you can tailor your materials industry survey, specialist survey, company survey, legislative research, or industry research?
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10. What is the best way to solicit and follow up with these prospectsmail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or personal visit? 11. What industry standards, words, or information will you need to include in your materials and presentation to convince the prospect that you are knowledgeable and credible? 12. What type of credentials or experience will you need to convince the group or organization that you are the best person to present this materialformal credentials, industry credentials, hands-on industry experience, personal referral, showcase, or demonstration? What Do You Do With Your Target Audience? You find out what is of interest to them, and you craft your offerings to those interests. You develop your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that uniquely qualifies you to be the source of help to them or source of solutions to their problems. How do we find out what is of interest to them or what their needs are? Well, there are two basic ways. The first is so simple that most businesses overlook it: go ask them. The number of businesses that do not do this astounded Tom Peters, in his book, In Search of Excellence - Lessons from Americas Best-Run Companies. The second is to try many different messages, measure the responses and eventually you may find out what works best, and by deduction, conclude that whatever it is that they are responding to must be what interests them. Some marketers take the first approach to a next logical step. They believe that you need to identify a narrowly defined target market, and then find out what that group ultimately wants and needs. Then and only then, do you go find the solutions to the target market problems and offer those to the group. Thats a total reversal from the way most businesses work which is, This is what we make. Now who are we going to find who will buy it? Above all else, you MUST ask yourself the question: Who in the organization is authorized to pay for my speaking services? This is neither a simple nor an easy question to answer because it depends on your topic and your target audience. For example, if you are offering a public seminar on how to use the QuickBooks software program, just about any
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employee of a company who has been ordered to use the program can authorize their own attendance. Why? Because its a part of their job requirements and the company will probably reimburse for the training or at a minimum, the employee can use the cost as a tax deduction. In this instance, the target market is the end user of the software program or the accounting department head of a company that is using it. On the other hand, if you are a motivational humorist addressing the topic of effective executive communications, the target market is a lot less defined. If you are targeting corporations, the Human Resources (HR) department is one possibility while the VP of Operations or the CEO are yet another two. If you are working with an association, the meeting planner or committee chairs are possibilities. How do you know? The answer is simple, but not easy. You ask the organizations you have targeted, through a variety of survey and inquiry techniques, who is most likely to be the person, group, or committee to utilize and authorize the payment for your services. Once you have determined who the most likely candidate for hiring you will be, its time to go about promoting your services to them. Market pull or finding a need and filling it is a sure fire way to get more business and youll find that business more easily in a niche market. Question #3 How will you make money from your speaking business? The answer to this question is NOT as obvious as most beginners think especially if youve been to one of the smoke and mirrors seminars that talks about the bazillions of dollars that speakers get paid for a one hour presentation. The statement is true but NOT for beginners. Generals Norman Swartzkoff and Colin Powell get $75,000 and a private jet for a presentation and Jay Leno gets $125,000. These are seasoned platform professionals with an impressive track record and a name recognition factor thats guaranteed to draw people to an event.
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Although youll be paid for your speaking services, dont expect to become overly wealthy from your platform fees especially when youre starting out and probably forever if youre a skills trainer. The real answer is to look at the golden triangle of speaking revenues and learn how to exploit it for the success of your career. Financially successful professionals in the speaking business make their money three ways: 1. From speaking fees (Known as the front side) 2. From the sales of products like books, CDs, etc (Known as BORS Back of room sales) 3. From any ancillary or residual business achieved as a result of demonstrating and promoting yourself from the platform (Known as the backside) Heres the bottom line: You MUST figure out how to get the money out of any speaking market you target before you get into it or anything you get out of it will be nothing more than luck! Period! In short, not all speaking venues will pay you (or anybody else for that matter) the full fee that theyre asking for. Not because theyre cheap (although it may be true) but because they dont have the money in the budget or because the policy of their organization prohibits it.
Fees The Golden Triangle of Professional Speaking
BORS
Back Side
When the prospective client wants you and doesnt have the cash, you need to be creative and find other ways to generate revenues from the opportunity rather
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than tell them youve got fee integrity and wont speak for anything less than your stated price. This last attitude is stupid, arrogant, asinine and puts a lot of great speakers out of business especially if your calendar isnt filled with full fee engagements. Heres a true example from my career: I received a phone call from an organization that knew me by reputation and wanted me to speak at their national convention. They advised me that their efforts raised money for their charities and not for the speakers that they booked, and that their organizational policy only allowed them to pay me about 12% of my stated fee. After checking my calendar I determined that I had the date available and agreed to speak for them with two conditions: 1. They put both me and my wife up in the Hyatt Hotel where they had their convention for two full days and nights. They told me that was fine because they had booked a large block of rooms anyhow and could simply include us as a part of the group 2. The 2nd condition was that I be allowed to sell by books, CDs. Etc. They advised me that all the speakers did that and they would even give me two people to assist me in my sales efforts The group as a whole was cheap but its members were not. They bought enough products to make up my full stated fee plus about 20% extra PLUS they rebooked me for their three regional conferences with the same terms and conditions. The moral to this story is that if I had not been in a position to capitalize on the sales of BORS, it would have been a low paying engagement. Because I was prepared to take my money out in ways other than fees, it turned out to be a very lucrative client. Another great example comes from the free speaking that I do for the libraries in California, the charity of choice that we support. I delivered a FREE three hour workshop and sold enough products at the event, even after donating 25% to the library, to make about 35% of my stated fees. One of the attendees was impressed with my skills and knowledge and hired me for four times my stated fee to consult for his firm.
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Notice that these all go together with the earlier definition that states that a professional speaker makes a living through speaking, NOT by speaking. When you structure your speaking career, look at delivering your message and knowledge in all three ways if you want to make, and keep on making, six figures a year.
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Chapter 4 - The Seminar and Workshop companies

If you have proven platform skills in a marketable area of interest, you may want to seriously consider working for one of the existing seminar and workshop companies as an independent contractor supplying training services. Although this is a powerful tool for establishing your reputation, making money, and launching a great career, my first commentary about this venue is a wonderful quote from fellow speaker Steve Kaye PhD, (www.stevekaye.com): Public seminar companies are NOT havens for the unemployable. Ive heard many speakers make the comment that their business is slow so theyd be willing to give the seminar companies a few days of their time to fill the gaps. Lets get realthe seminar firms are in business to make a profit and they are a real, full-time business to themeven if they arent to you! This means that they, not you, will decide on who works for them and under what terms and conditions they will use your speaking servicesif at all! The world of public seminars has come a long way in the past 50 years. Some of the great speakers like J. Douglas Edwards and his sales motivation programs pioneered the industry with organizations like CareerTrack and the American Management Association moving them to the status that they enjoy today. The venue for the public firms is straight forward, but its not something that most speakers want to attempt for several reasons that will be come apparent as we describe the lifestyle and the fees. Youll find a partial list of the public seminar firms later in this section of the manual. The ones listed are currently active and might be looking for trainers. The reason for the ambiguity of terms here is that the companies listed come and go and although theyre active now, they might not be when you contact them. I spent four years as a lead trainer for CareerTrack, which means I created training programs as well as delivered them. The time I spent with them was a precious experience because it allowed me the opportunity to experience, first hand, what a Road Warrior goes through to deliver high content programs to the public.
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So that you better understand what this venue is all about, Ive included a typical tour itinerary for you to consider: I live in Los Angeles and the tour Im going to describe is in Florida (My counterpart, Brian Gibson, lived in Florida and he did the California tours go figure!) Sunday morning, 4:00 a.m.get up and go to the airport. Sunday evening, 7:00 p.m., after a long set of plane rides, airport luggage hassle, rental car, etc., I arrive in Melbourne, Florida at the hotel. The coffee shop is closed so after checking in and making sure that everything I need for the next days presentation is there (Sometimes the airlines actually lose things you need for the program. Can you imagine that?), I go for dinner at a mini-mart. 8:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.I go out to a mini-mart or a fast food stand for my dinner. Somewhere in here, I call home to talk to my wife, press my suit which has been redesigned by the suitcase, and actually get some sleep 7:00 a.m.I drink a can of Slim Fast because its fast, nutritious, and it doesnt fill me up to the point where Im uncomfortable. 8:00 a.m.I must be in the room getting set up for the days program. 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.I conduct the first half of the training session. 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.I drink another can of Slim Fast because its fast, nutritious, and it doesnt fill me up to the point where Im uncomfortable, I check out of the hotel, and put my clothes in the rental car. 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.I conduct the second half of the training session. 4:00 p.m.-4:20 p.m.I pack up, finish up paperwork, and get on the road for Daytona Beach so I can repeat the same routine for Tuesday. On Wednesday, I repeat the program in Orlando. On Thursday, I repeat the program in Tallahassee. On Friday, I repeat the program in Jacksonville. On Friday night, at about 6:30 p.m., I board a plane for Los Angeles and arrive home about 1:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. 30
If this sounds like fun, youve either got a warped sense of humor or you really aspire towards the life of a road warrior. I will say this in all sincerity, if you can make it for four to six years as a road warrior, youll be as good as anybody on the platform and will have really paid your dues. Im a U.S. Marine (Semper Fi), proud of my service, and relate to any other person who has served in the Corps. I think the years I spent as a road warrior make me just as proud and Ive noted that when several of us get together, theres a special bond borne from the time we spent being totally in service to our audiences and the profession of speaking. Qualities public seminar companies look for in trainers 1. Lively, compelling training style speakers with excellent platform skills. 2. High content information to provide audiences with skills and insights, and the motivation to apply them. Public seminar attendees want lots of how-to's as well as entertainment and motivation. 3. Seminar companies are looking for individuals that can provide their real-life stories to fill in the material from the seminar companys manual. 4. Love of the show. You must LOVE to get up in front of an audience, and BE THE SHOW, day after day, four or five times a week, delivering the same program. You must have the ability to make the program sound fresh and new each time you present it. 5. Ability to sell. Most of the public seminar companies sell back of room products (audio/video CDs and DVDs and books) and/or in-house programs generated by the interest in the public seminar. Anyone who has ever been involved in this industry knows that revenues are generated two ways: BIS (Butts in Seats) and RPA (Revenue per Attendee)
The overhead of the organization is primarily covered by the BIS but the real money in profits comes from the RPA achieved through back of the room product sales. Since these avenues of sales are highly profitable, and the ability to consistently sell these products is so important that if your sales revenues drop, your chances of the firm rebooking you decreases rapidly.
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Fees Honorarium: $220 to $1,000 per day. Most companies pay for your airline ticket, hotel, and car rental. Per Diem: $40 to $60 per day for meals, tips, and any other incidentals. On-site Programs: The same honorarium as a public seminarsome companies pay $100 to $300 more. Product Sales: Between 5 to 20 percent commissions on sales of back-of-room product. Programs Per Month: You will be required to commit to deliver between 8 to 15 public seminars a month, and between 2 and 5 on-sites each month. The Procedure for Hiring Trainers Hiring procedures differ from company to company. However, almost all public seminar companies request the following in order to consider you for a position as a trainer. 1. A one-page letter stating the topics you present, your training experience, and the reasons you wish to train for that company. 2. A standard resume listing your educational background, professional credentials, and work-related experience. Some companies ask you to submit a color photo. 3. A 90-minute to a 6-hour videotape (companies differ in length of time they want) showing you in action. Some companies will want to see you in action. 4. If the company is interested after reviewing all you have sent them, they will call you for a phone interview. After the phone interview, you may be invited to company headquarters to audition, or you may be asked to prepare another videotape using one of their workbooks. 5. If your audition goes well, or your second video is reviewed favorably, you will be offered a contract. Go over the contract carefully, point by point, to make sure you understand and agree to everything in the contract. It is written for the protection of both you and the company.
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Partial List of Public Seminar Companies SEMINAR COMPANY ADDRESSES AHRD Association, Inc Project Mgmt Mentor Div 2082 Union St San Francisco CA 94123-4103 American Biographical Inst Inc 5126 Bur Oak Cir PO Box 31226 Raleigh NC 27622 919-781-8710 American Mgmt Assn 1601 Broadway New York NY 10019 212-586-8100 American Productivity and Quality Ctr 123 N Post Oak Ln Houston TX 77024 713-681-4020 Assn of Natl Advertisers Inc 155 E 44th St New York NY 10017 212-697-5950 Boston Center of Adult Ed 5 Commonwealth Boston MA 02116 617-267-4430 x 715 Brookings Institute Ctr for Public Policy Education 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington DC 20036 202-797-6000 Bryant College The Ctr for Mgmt Development 450 Douglas Pike Smithfield RI 02917-1283 401-232-6200
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Burke Institute; The 805 Central Avenue Cincinnati OH 45202 800-543-8635 513-684-4999 513-684-7733 fax http://www.burkeinstitute.com BurkeInstitute@BurkeInstitute.com CA Institute of Technology Industrial Relations Ctr I-90 Pasadena CA 91125 626-395-6592 Center for Business Development 2409 Villa Ln McHenry IL 60050-2969 815-344-2500 Center for Creative Leadership 5000 Laurinda Dr Greensboro NC 27410 336-288-7210 Center for Creative Learning 2437 N Booth St Milwaukee WI 53212-2930 414-873-6040 Clemson University College of Commerce & Industry PO Drawer 912 Clemson SC 29633 864-646-2130 College of St Thomas The Mgmt Ctr Mail Station 5058 Saint Paul MN 55105 651-962-5860 Columbia Executive Programs Columbia University 324 Uris Hall New York NY 10027 212-854-3395 Computer Security Institute
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600 Harrison St San Francisco CA 94107 866-271-8529 Conference Board 845 3rd Ave New York NY 10022 212-759-0900 Cornell University NY State School of Industrial & Labor Relations 16 E 34th St 4th Flr New York NY 10016 212-340-2800 Ctr for Accelerated Learning 1103 Wisconsin St Lake Geneva WI 53147 Dimensional Reading Inc 98 Main St Ste 539 Tiburon CA 94920 415-435-3875 Disney World Seminar Productions PO Box 10000 Lake Buena Vista FL 32830-1000 407-824-7997 Evolving Technology Institute PO Box 60010 San Diego CA 92106-2095 800-325-1289 Federal Publications Inc 901 15th St NW Ste 1010 Washington DC 20005-2351 Foundation for Credit Education RD 1 692 Brandywine Rd Nazareth PA 18064 Fred Pryor Seminars & CareerTrack 9757 Metcalf Ave Overland Park KS 66212-2219 800-780-8476 trainerinfo@pryor.com
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Human Dynamics PO Box 7241 Greensboro NC 27417 336-854-0120 Institute for Professional Education PO Box 756 Arlington VA 22216 703-527-8700 Institute of Mgmt Consultants 2025 M St NW Ste 800 Washington DC 20036-3309 202-367-1134 800-221-2557 202-367-2134 http://www.imcusa.org Interface Group Inc; The 300 1st Ave Needham MA 02194 508-746-2907 Intl Business and Mgmt Inst PO Box 3172 Tustin CA 92681-3271 Intl Business Information Services Drawer 4082 Irvine CA 92716-4082 Intl Registry of Org Development Profess 11234 Walnut Ridge Rd Chesterland OH 44026 J L Kellogg Graduate School of Mgmt Northwestern University 2169 Sheraton Rd Evanston IL 60208-2800 Karrass Negotiating, Mgmt and Sales Seminars 8370 Wilshire Blvd Ste 300 Beverly Hills CA 90211-2333 323-951-7500 Kepner-Tregoe Inc Research Rd PO Box 704
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Princeton NJ 08542 609-921-2806 Kroeger Associates 3605-C Chain Bridge Rd Fairfax VA 22030 703-591-6284 Lakewood Conferences 50 S 9th St Minneapolis MN 55402 612-333-0471 Leadership Development Associates 2255 Fields McGrage Dr Canton GA 30114 Learning Annex 16 E 53 St 4th Flr New York NY 10022 212-371-0280 212-319-1623 fax Learning Connection 201 Wayland Ave Providence RI 02906 401-274-9330 Market Data Retrieval 1 Forest Pkwy Shelton CT 06484-0947 800-243-5538 Mgmt Directions 1250 Old Henderson Rd Columbus OH 43220 MTS Systems Corp 1400 Technology Dr Eden Prairie MN 55344 952-937-4000 National Businesswomen's Leadership Association 6901 W 63rd St Shawnee Mission KS 66201-1349 913-432-7755 National Seminar Group
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Rockhurst University Continuing Education Ctr Inc PO Box 419107 Kansas City MO 64141-6107 913-432-7755 800-258-7246 913-432-0824 http://www.natsem.com Natl Assn of Credit Mgmt (NACM) 8840 Columbia 100 Pkwy Ste 100 Columbia MD 21045-2158 410-740-8311 Natl Crisis Prevention Inst 3315-K N 124h St Brookfield WI 53005-9932 262-783-5787 Natl Seminars Group 6901 W 63rd St 3rd Flr Overland Park KS 66202 800-258-7246 Ned Hermann Group; The 2075 Buffalo Creek Rd Lake Lure NC 28746 Northwestern University 1936 Sheridan Rd Evanston IL 60208-4040 847-491-5665 Novations Consulting Group 5314 N 250 W Ste 320 Provo UT 84601 801-375-7525 NTL Institute 300 N Lee St Alexandria VA 22314 703-548-1500 NY University School of Continuing Education Ctr for Direct Marketing 48 Cooper Sq New York NY 10003 800-346-3698 Organizational Consultants Inc
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55 Child St Ste 301 San Francisco CA 94133 Padgett Thompson (AMA) 800-255-4141 Penn State Executive Programs 0 Business Administration Bldg University Park PA 16801-9975 814-865-3435 Personnel Decisions Inc 2000 Plaza VII Tower 45 S 7th St Minneapolis MN 55402-1608 612-339-0927 Pope and Associates Inc 1313 E Kemper Rd Ste 350 Cincinnati OH 45246 513-671-1277 Power and Systems PO Box 388 Prudential Station Boston MA 02199 617-437-1640 Princeton Research Institute PO Box 2702 Scottsdale AZ 85252 Psychological Associates Inc 8201 Maryland Ave Saint Louis MO 63105 314-862-9300 Rice University Office of Executive Development Jesse H Jones Graduate School of Administration MS 531 6100 Main St Houston TX 77005 713-348-4838 Robert Yourzak and Associates 7320 Gallagher Dr Ste 325 Minneapolis MN 55435 952-831-2235
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SkillPath Seminars Faculty Trainer 6900 Squibb Rd Ste 300 Mission KS 66202 660-646-9933 mailto:recruit@skillpath.net http://www.skillpath.com Southern Illinois University Ctr for Mgmt Studies Edwardsville IL 62026-1251 618-650-2166 Swan Consultants Inc 420 Lexington Ave New York NY 10170 212-517-9818 Teleometrics Intl 4567 Lake Shore Dr Waco TX 76710-1814 Thomas Wilds Associates Inc PO Box 11120 Greenwich CT 06830 Trancorp 20200 Governors Dr Olympia Fields IL 60461 708-481-2900 TREC Software Enterprises Corp 31220 La Baya Dr Ste 110 Westlake Village CA 91362 Tri-Unity Wellness Ctr 629 Spruce St Madison WI 53715 Tustin Technical Institute Inc 3887 State St Ste 210 Santa Barbara CA 93105 805-682-7171 UCLA Extension 10995 Le Conte Ave Los Angeles CA 90024
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United Communications Group CCMI 1300 Rockville Pike Rockville MD 20852-3030 800-487-4824 Univ of AZ Engineering Professional Development PO Box 9 Harvill Bldg Tucson AZ 85721 Univ of MI; The MI Business School Executive Education Ctr Ann Arbor MI 48019-1234 Univ of Pittsburgh Joseph M Katz Graduate School of Business Ctr for Executive Education 253 Cathedral of Learning Pittsburgh PA 15260 Univ of Richmond Mgmt Institute E Claiborne Robins School of Business Richmond VA 23173 804-289-8019 Univ of WI Mgmt Institute The School of Business 432 N Lake St Madison WI 53706-1498 608-262-3089 Univ of WIMilwaukee University Outreach 161 W Wisconsin Ste 600 Milwaukee WI 53203 414-227-3320 University Continuing Education Association 1 Dupont Cir Ste 615 Washington DC 22036 202-659-3130
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Wright State University College of Continuing and Communications Education 140 E Monument Ave Dayton OH 45402 The Pitfalls As with everything else in life, this is not a perfect venue. It has two serious considerations when you think about your speaking career: 1. When you are on the platform for a seminar company, all leads and referrals that you get from these public seminars must go back to the seminar company. You cannot use these leads. However, you can list the in-house companies that you worked for in your promotional materials. This is because when you are on the road for the seminar company, you ALWAYS represent the companyit is not you and your company. If a seminar company hired you to do the initial program, the business is known as spin-off and it belongs to the seminar company, not to you. If you get a lead while doing a public program, you are required by your contractual obligation to the company to turn the lead over to them. If you dont and you get caught, youll probably never work for them again. 2. The other concern is that constant travel can be very fatiguing, leaving you no time or energy to market yourself. This leads to the situation of lagging behind on the skills necessary to promote yourself when you do venture out on your own.
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Chapter 5 - The Rubber Chicken Circuit

Free speaking for exposure is commonly called the Rubber Chicken Circuit and includes such organizations as Rotary Clubs Lions Clubs, Kiwanis, Chambers of Commerce, senior retirement communities, civic events or any organization that meets on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, every other month or quarterly) and which typically does not have a budget to pay speakers and is willing to provide a meal for you when you speak. It got its name from the sumptuous meals of chicken that are served to the guests (and the speaker). The cheapest banquet meal is chicken and chicken is one of the most difficult meats to serve to multiple people with the meat being done perfectlysometimes over-cooked and sometimes under-cooked. Once you become a regular on this circuit, you will soon understand why its called rubber chicken. Its currently estimated that in the state of California alone, there are over 250,000 opportunities each year to speak for a free meal and if you structure your program to meet their needs, it works well for both keynote speakers and trainers. Traditionally, other than the free meals (Yecch!) they do NOT pay anything, may NOT allow you sell your materials, and usually object to you asking for their mailing list. Why then, you ask, would you ever want to speak before a group like this? The answer is lots of reasons including: 1. A live audience to practice your new material on 2. A place to demonstrate your material for a meeting planner in the area in front of a live audience 3. A place to get audio and video recordings with a live audience 4. A place to make your services known, either directly to the attendees or through referrals 5. Sometimes, you can offer products for sale
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6. And sometimes, you can get the organizations roster and mail your materials to them. Most speakers go back to the Chicken Circuit at different times in their career to practice new material. You can imagine if Tom Peters or Zig Ziglar were to offer a free program, whether it was untried material or not, what kind of attendance the organization would get, so its a win-win situation for everyone. If you have pre-defined or potential clients in the audience, the program is technically known as a showcase and its primary purpose, other than to dazzle the audience with your skills and knowledge, is to demonstrate or sample your skills to the potential client so they can be impressed and hire you for scads of money. There are a lot of full fee speaking engagements that result from the exposure that people have gained on the Rubber Chicken Circuit so its not as worthless as you might think. Remember that sampling your speaking skills is the most valuable tool in your arsenal and this is definitely a way to let people get a free sample. Testimonial Letters for Your Media Kit A fact about the service organizations is that the program chair is a member of that club/organization and is also employed by a business. As part of your fee for speaking for free, ask at the conclusion of your presentation if you could have a testimonial letter on their company letterhead. Talk with the individual to see if instead of saying, Thank you for speaking to our Rotary Club, that a more generic Thank you for your presentation to our group today be provided. There are several steps you can take to increase the likelihood of a testimonial letter. In your initial contact, suggest that if they are pleased with your presentation that they write a letter to you stating their pleasure. The day of the engagement, ask for the letter at the point of ecstasy. I really appreciate what youre saying. Would you be willing to write that in a testimonial letter for me? Ask that they address the letter to To Whom It May Concern. Listen closely at the point of ecstasy for the words the person used. When preparing the testimonial letter, use as many of the same words as you can.
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Keep their business card in your pocket and when the individual walks away, jot down the words that were used. Within the next 24 hours, write a handwritten thank you note saying how much you appreciated the opportunity, how fun the group was, etc. If a letter doesnt arrive within two weeks, you should call as a follow-up. Be sure to mention that you are still waiting for the testimonial letter. If they are pressed for time, offer to write the letter on their behalf, send the letter to them, have them edit any wording so they are comfortable with the wording, and then print the letter on their letterhead. If you are writing the letter, start with a grabber opening and end with a power closing and limit it to one page.
Points of a Good Testimonial Letter (Good is defined as one you can actually use as a reference) 1. It is on letterhead stationery. 2. It contains a statement in the letter about: The audience response to you and your program If there were evaluation forms, a specific positive comment or two from the participants How you fulfilled the objective of the presentation What made you special or different from all the other speakers?
3. Bonus: suggesting that they will be using you again in the future 4. Bonus: any reference about what you said that has now been implemented 5. Bonus: that they recommend or refer additional people for you to contact, or that they have passed your name and phone number along to other individuals 6. Signature and title Back of Room Sales (BORS) Because the Rubber Chicken Circuit frequently hears speakers (weekly in some instances), they tend to grow thick skin and they dont like to be hustled.
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If you have a product to sell, ask the program chair if you can have it available that day or if you can pass out a flyer. Let the chair know that this will not be a 20-30 minute commercial about how great you are. Another way of encouraging the program chair to say yes to your selling product at the meeting is to offer (and let the group know) that 10 to 20 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the clubs favorite charity. Getting Experience If you are a beginner in front of a group, or if you have only given presentations to the Toastmaster Club or within your organization, by using the Rubber Chicken Circuit, you can get experience speaking before a live audience of people who dont already know you. The booking process is simple but not easy because you have to play by their rules. You can get my complete video that explains the process and all of the benefits in detail at www.RoundsMiller.com (Look under the products section for Talk, Talk, Talk) but in the meantime, heres the short course on getting booked: First and foremost remember their rules: 1. 2. 3. This is NOT an infomercial for your skills. You are their entertainment for the meeting. Follow their rules, regulations and guidelines regarding promoting products and services. You will be given approximately 20-25 minutes to speak, answer questions, and finish up. After that, youll start to see the members walking out on you because youre encroaching on their time. Always arrive early, get set up, schmooze the people who attend, and plan to stay for 10-15 minutes after the program to schmooze some more. If possible, collect business cards, survey cards with contact information, or anything else that will allow you to get in touch with the attendees.
4. 5.
Before you start looking for the ten tips, six secrets, and four ways to get the mailing list, let me say that I dont think that the lists from these organizations are all that valuable as a general resource. In short, this is a lame group for hustling business. Since the attendees dont pay anything extra to hear you, they tend to value your skills at zero because thats what they paid for them.
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Ive even had organizations tell me what an honor it was to speak for their group and I should probably be paying them for the privilege. (Im not making this upit really happened!) If you have a product or service that you would like to offer to the organization, dont ask the program chair for the clubs roster. Many are unwilling to give the roster out for purposes of junk mailing or telemarketing. Stop by an office supply store and buy a 9"x12" envelope. Choose an envelope with a bright color. Then, at the beginning of your presentation, let the group know that youre going to have a drawing for a book or CD related to the program. Use your own product if you have one, or stop by a bookstore and purchase a book that is closely related to the topic that you are speaking on that day. Ask those that would like to participate in the drawing to simply drop a business card into the envelope. About 5 minutes before you close the presentation, draw a winner. This is a wonderful technique for several reasons. 1. The first thing the person who won the book will do is to open it up and start looking at it (during your presentation). When the winner gets back to the table, the people on both sides and around the table will strain to see what the book is about. You might just create a feeding frenzy for book buying. 2. The remaining business cards are carefully put in a pocket and will be followed up. This is better than the full roster because the people that attended the presentation now know you and hopefully they will love you. Just so you dont suddenly get overly enamored with this technique, I think you should know that Ive used just about every gimmick I know to get the full mailing list from the attendees, including raffling off stuff from business cards dropped in a fishbowl. One thing I know for sure and that is if the attendees dont want your goods or services, mailing a whole bunch of stuff to them isnt going to change that. When I was program chair for my Rotary club, I had some great speakers from the National Speakers Association who came and spoke for free as a favor to me. Some of the most entertaining and enlightening speakers as well as the bestreceived speakers didnt get any interest or leads at all. Some of them got a couple of leads and some of them were swamped with requests for additional information about their availability, fees, and additional programs or consulting services.
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This is no different than any other advertising or promotion venueits a numbers game and sometimes the numbers are higher than others. In other words, dont expect miracles! Now for the mechanics: Look in the local phone directories for the clubs that you want to address. If you prefer to not use the paper version, go to www.yellowonline.com and type in Rotary www.rotary.org/services/clubs/index.html Lions, or whatever youre looking to book. One of the great things about these organizations is that most of them use post office boxes for their mail because the officers and directors change each year. This means that your mailing list will be accurate and you wont get a lot of returned material. Make a mailing to the clubs and organizations announcing your availability and topic. One option for mailing is to prepare a one-sheet description on your talk thats specifically designed for a 20-minute talk. Make sure that you include all of your contact information so they can get a hold of you day or night. Recently, weve found that full color postcards work about as well as the full one-sheet and theyre cheap (500 full color cards for $95). I recommend that you check out the video Marketing with Postcards by Nancy Miller at www.roundsmiller.com . Its a great $40 investment thatll give you a ton of information about design, content, and all the resources for graphics and printing youll ever be need. Sit back and wait for them to call you because you cant follow up with a PO Box.
Churches This is one of those places where you might not get paid and then again, you might. Ive never personally spoken for a church group but my partner and a lot of the speakers that I know haveand done well with it. Churches have groups of people who are interested in lots of things that speakers address. The key is to find the right topics and the right audiences.
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Like the rest of the Rubber Chicken Circuit, churches offer meals and the potential of clients in the audience. Unlike the rest of the venue, they usually encourage you to offer your books and materials to their congregation and to stick around and schmooze with the attendees. I have a couple of associates, like Lola Gillebaard, who have spoken in the world famous Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove California. Lola uses a picture of herself on the platform at the cathedral as part of her advertising and promotion materials. This is public relations and notoriety that is worth its weight in gold. The venue isnt limited to the pulpit either. Churches are deeply concerned about childcare problems, drug abuse, relationships, and just about anything that affects the family unit. Theyre ripe for programs that address their current concerns so theyre strong candidates for the right programs. Churches often pay for training, but not as well as a Fortune 500 company does. Their budgets are smaller and sometimes, if you speak for the congregation, youll receive whats known as a love offering. (Theyll pass the plate and if the audience loves you, youll get a few bucks!) If you have related products or consulting services, theyre as good an audience to address as anyone because after the service or the program is over, its up to you to promote yourself to the attendees. The process for booking them can be one of two ways: 1. Use the exact system described above for booking the Rubber Chicken Circuit 2. Use a modified version of the technique by locating the churches and calling to qualify them before you send out your materials. 3. Get a letter saying how good you were from the senior pastor. Put this in your media kit. Libraries Yes boys and girls, libraries are still with us even though the Internet has threatened to dominate the world with its electronic libraries. Contact the local libraries in your surrounding area and see if they will sponsor your program. Contact the local media and see if they will tape the program for local PAT (Public Access Television or cable if you prefer) airing, and make sure that you get a copy of the edited videotape from the program. Ive done this for the several libraries over the years including the Los Angeles Public Library, Burbank Library, and the Newport Beach Library.
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The Los Angeles library records every program Nancy Miller and I do and gives us the master CD. We also get to sell our products in the library bookstore, collect names of attendees, and have done thousands of dollars worth of business as a direct result of the exposure on the platform. I also arranged with the biggest cable show in Los Angeles, LA CityView, to tape one of my programs. They made the library look like the Tonight show with a five camera shoot. Of course, we got the master tapes and the rights to reproduce it as our own product and they got the rights to air it locally. The Burbank Library had us present four separate programs, did three camera shoots at each session, ran the programs on local cable, and gave us the master tapes. I can also track over $35,000 in business directly to those Saturday shows. My partner, Nancy Miller, was paid to deliver her Clutterology program at a Southern California Library and was allowed to sell books and tapes. The librarys meeting room could only hold 85 people and they had an overflow of 50 additional people. She ended up doing a second fee paid program, and once again sold books and tapes. Senior Citizens Communities With the graying of the baby boomers, more speaking opportunities for retirement communities are becoming available. Contact the local senior citizens communities (Like Leisure World or Sun City) and see if they will sponsor your program on a Saturday or an evening. Contact the video club in the community and see if they will tape the program for local PAT (Public Access Television or cable if you prefer) airing. Make sure that you get a copy of the edited videotape from the program. My partner, Nancy Miller and I both did programs for Leisure World, sold tapes and books, and got a fully edited video of the program. The senior citizens made sure the video got aired on local cable and we got the notoriety. When you book one of these programs, contact the local newspapers, bureaus, meeting planners, or anyone you think might be a possible client and invite them to the program. Youll never know when one or more of these will open up the floodgates for a raft of speaking or training leads and the publicity is always good for your media kit.
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Speaker Showcases Many of the speakers bureaus sponsor showcases where the bureau gets several meeting planners to attend and the speakers each do a 10-15 minute presentation to display their skills and topics. There are also municipal showcases for different kinds of organizations that allow the meeting planners the opportunity to see whats available for them, to use in a variety of venues. Some of these opportunities are free from a cash standpoint but do require that you invest your time and whatever travel expenses are required to get to the event. Others charge an outright fee from $200 to $1000 plus your travel expenses with the logic being that its a great way to expose you to a lot of people who hire speakers. The key to these opportunities is in evaluating how many people are actually going to be in the audience that are in the position of hiring speakers. Ive seen many of these end up as a money making proposition for the person or organization putting on the showcase and a total waste of time and money for the speaker because there werent enough people in the audience, other than the showcase speakers, to fill up the back seat of a Volkswagen. Conversely, I invested $2,000 and two days of travel to do an industry showcase, got a 15-minute video demo, and booked over $25,000 worth of business from it. The key to success in showcases is to determine, in advance, who is going to be in the audience. If there is little or no guarantee that people who can book you are going to be there, Id pass up the opportunity unless you want to get some recorded material in front of a live audience. There are some other options and if you play your cards right, you can do a showcase program and get product or video demo tape material out of it for free. Here are a few and Im sure that you can get creative and add local organizations of your own: 1. Many smaller organizations cant afford to pay for speakers or trainers. You can offer to do a program for free if theyll tape you or if theyll let you tape yourself. This will give you a live audience and theres the possibility that one or more of the attendees will be in a position to hire and recommend you. 2. Contact the speakers bureaus and see when, if, and how much is involved in participating in their showcases.
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3. Contact local colleges and adult schools and see if theyre holding showcases (some dosome dont). 4. Offer a free program and a lunch to local business people and videotape the program. Its a combination of promotion and once again, it gets you a live audience for your promo material.
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Chapter 6 - The Rubber Band Circuit

I have been presenting seminars and workshops at colleges and universities in a venue known as the Rubber Band Circuit for 20 years. These are the adult schools, community colleges, colleges, and universities where, if you have a winning class, will continue to book you and book you, until they feel you have been stretched to your limit, which is why its called the Rubber Band Circuit. If your training program is appropriate for the venue, its relatively easy to get booked here. However, most schools have a 9-18 month delay from the time you submit your class outline until the date you give the seminar. Trainers can use the Rubber Band Circuit very effectively. If youre looking for paid bookings, but dont have a large budget for advertising, this circuit provides the opportunity to get before people and still make some money for the effort. However, the students are not your prisoners. This is not a promotional effort as much as it is a training event and the information in the seminar must be able to stand on its own. Dont lock the students in the classroom until they make an appointment with you or hire you. Instead, show them how simple it is by how much knowledge, confidence, and experience you have, and how much easier it would be to hire you rather than do it themselves. Fees Each school does things a little differently, but there are some basic similarities: Some institutions pay an hourly rate (between $25-40/hr). Typically, the more education you have, the higher the hourly rate. Payment is received from 30-90 days after the class. Commonly, the schools write checks at the end of the month, which means that with the mail, you should receive payment the first part of the following month.
If the seminar was the first two weeks of the month, this seems like a long wait. If the seminar was the last week of the month, it seems like they pay immediately. Professional Speaking for the Clueless 53
Fee Split The other method is a split of the class fee. The school and the presenter split the income of the class. The range is from 35 percent to 60 percent and 40 percent to the instructor is common. For example: if there are 20 students @ $40 per person, that's $800 in fees. The instructor gets 40 percent or $320. The schools have become more sophisticated in their accounting and have begun to deduct certain fees and relevant expenses before calculating and paying out the split. Ask the school what expenses are charged to the seminar. Recently, theyve started to deduct insurance, room rental, catalog space, etc. Materials Fee The back of room sales (BORS) is what really makes the classes worth the time. In the above example, add a $20-$30 materials fee. For example, if the books are $20 each, an additional $400 is part of the fee so your actual compensation for the three hour event is $720. Also, depending on the organizations policies, BORS can be optional or mandatory. Class Cost Usually, the continuing education or community service department will ask what you think the cost of the class should be. We usually defer to the experience and knowledge of the school. Ask what is common for the school, the area it serves, and the types of people that they typically attract. The schools are in business and know what their attendees are likely to pay for a class. For instance, we have had the same seminar at different locations and the seminar fee varies. At an adult school, the price might be $29. At a community college, the price might be between $39-$79. At a state college, the price might be between $79-$99. And at a university, the price might be $129. The booking process is simple but not easy because you have to play by their rules. You can get my complete videotape that explains the process and all of the benefits in detail at www.RoundsMiller.com and order the video Talk, Talk, Talk but in the meantime, heres the short course on getting booked: This is NOT an infomercial for your skills. You are there to deliver a training program as advertised. Follow their rules, regulations and guidelines regarding promoting products and services.
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Do not withhold any information in the hopes that it can be sold later as a consulting service. Be forthcoming and give people more information than they can possibly use. Regardless of what the school provides in the way of a roster or sign in sheet, always pass around your own and get whatever information you can that will allow you to get in touch with the attendees. Be prepared to provide free copies of any material to the school administration that you are going to require the students purchase as a part of the application process.
Credentials Even though this is an academic or teaching environment, the instructors or trainers are primarily selected on the basis of their work-related experience on the topic that theyre addressing. Formal college education and teaching credentials are usually not required unless the program you are specifically offering requires it. What to submit to get booked The best list of what to submit will be provided by the specific institution when they send you their requirements package for proposing your programs. However, heres a generic list of the things that youll most likely end up providing at some point in the process: 1. Cover LetterIn the cover letter; include any additional information that is currently not on any other paperwork. Have you given this seminar previously? If so, how many people attended? What fee per individual was charged? Why is this topic relevant to their clients? Are you willing to do additional advertising above and beyond the schools advertising?
2. Class Title and Description. More important than what it is, is what it is called. The first paragraph should be about 30 words in length. The maximum description should be a half-page. 3. Author Biographical Information. One paragraph about what makes you an expert. Some people sign up for a seminar just by the title (they dont read anything else). Some people sign up for a seminar just by reading the
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description. Some people sign up for a seminar because of the instructors name and some people sign up for a seminar because of the instructors credentials. Program Titling Heres a scary statistic: Of the people in the world who read, 80 percent are skimmers. This means that all they read are the headlines and the bullet points! An exciting title will draw more people to a session than a dull one. The best titles are short, action-oriented, and use concise and powerful words. Try to make the title as short as possible. Avoid those colons, as in A Westerfield Happening: The Life and Times of J. Arthur Westerfield, Jr. Pick the title on either side of the colon. Make the title action-oriented. That is best achieved by including a verb or its equivalent in the title. For example, for a session on the founding fathers of the town, a Nebraska teacher called it Who's buried on Boot Hill? Use simple words, and try substituting a powerful word for a more commonly used word. Power words are those that excite people, such as save, free and discover. Instead of interesting, try savvy. Instead of meaningful, try significant. To find thousands of simple and power-packed words, consult Roget's Thesaurus. A good title can mean the difference between a program that fills a room and one that doesn't live up to its potential. The title is one of the most important components of our program description and is your first chance to catch the reader's interest. Make the course title interactive. For example, a course title such as Dental Facts effectively describes the course content. But the same course called Everything You Always Wanted to Ask Your Dentist immediately forces the reader to become involved with the course description. Ask the reader a question. What Do We Really Know About Cholesterol? demands an answer and is an excellent way to get a mental response from our readers. Use this technique sparingly, or our readers will become befuddled by too many unanswered questions. Make the course title personal. The easiest way to do this is to use the word you in the title. It's Up to You to Lose Weight is an effective description for a class on taking personal responsibility for weight management. What to Say After You Clear Your Throat is an innovative and personal title for a class on dating. Cautions with titles: 1. Dont get too clever with the title or it may miss the point
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2. Dont create deceptive titles. The attendees will get upset and feel cheated. 3. Some organizations object to the use of certain words. For example, my class on How To Sell Your Ideas And Inventions For Cash was re-titled by the University of California to Marketing Inventions Profitably because the UC system doesnt like the words sell or cash in the title. (Dont question the logicthere aint none!) 4. Watch for titling conflicts with credit classes that the organization currently offers. Use familiar phrases that have positive connotations. This is an effective technique because the reader immediately makes a positive association with the class based on recall of the phrase used in positive situations in the past. One good example is Movers and Shakers, a title for a dance-exercise class. Identify the target audience in the course title. Coping With Change: The Sandwich Generation focuses on life management skills. However, instead of marketing to all who experience change, the title identifies those who find themselves becoming the caretakers for both their children and their parents. Create a sense of reader identification. By writing titles that recall universal experiences, the reader will feel a personal identification with the topic and is more likely to respond to the program. The One Minute Manager speaks to the universal experience of today's high-pressure, hectic society. Use quantitative titles or state the specific outcomes of participation in the program. Ten Ways to Turn Out Terrific Kids and Fruitful Friction are some examples. Notice that a title implying or stating an outcome includes a verb. Use humor. Making people laugh is a good way to get them involved and to create a positive feeling about a program. Create a sense of curiosity and fun or a sense of discovery and unique experience. Are There Skeletons in Your Closet? is an interesting title for an anatomy refresher. Don't Drink the Water turns the reader's attention to water pollution issues. Keep program titles simple, non-threatening, and positive. Promoting Cardiopulmonary ResuscitationLevel B can be potentially intimidating. Instead, You Can Save a Life with CPR avoids jargon and puts the course in everyday terms. Writing the description Keep the description as short as possible. Write in short sentences, and when you find yourself writing extended sentences, simply put in a period and turn your thought into two or three sentences. After writing three sentences, start a new paragraph.
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If you have a series of ideas or points, count them. Then include the number in the description. For example, Find out the five latest theories on the formation of the universe, or Discover the advantages of the seven most-used managerial techniques of executives in the Fortune 500. Edit and rewrite the description once or twice to polish it and fine-tune the wording. It is well worth the effort. Avoid starting the description, In this session or This session will. Try not to refer to the participants in the third person, such as the participants will; instead, use You will learn ... Don't start by referring to yourself. Instead focus on the content of the session (WIIFT Whats in it for them). Eliminate unnecessary or unconvincing information. For example, Using the flip chart, we will By making the session description short, action and benefit-oriented, and geared toward your participants and their needs, youll find more people attending your session, and theyll have a clearer idea of the session's objectives and end results. Varied Description Lengths The description of your program is the second most important marketing element after the title. Depending on the school and the type and size of catalog they distribute, your program description may end up being longer or shorter to fit their physical needs. If you dont want somebody else editing your program descriptions, I strongly advise you to write the three different descriptions yourself to ensure that they say what you know to be crucial to get people in the room. The best way to write the descriptions is to do the long form first and then edit it back to the medium and short forms. There are no hard rules about length but you can generally expect that the following word counts will be relatively accurate: Long Description: 200300 words total Medium Description: 100-150 words total Short description: 25-50 words total.
Obviously, the short description is nothing more than a few bullet points about the program content but properly listed, they are more than enough since most people only read this portion anyway.
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Evaluation or Feedback Sheets Many of the schools provide evaluation sheets for the attendees to complete and turn back in at the end of the program. Even if they dont provide the sheets, you might want to provide your own so you can look for areas of interest and improvement because youll want to get peoples opinions and overall feedback about the programs you present. Im going to get personal about this one and say that if you are having a tough time handling criticism, get someone else to review the sheets and summarize the feedback. They can be very cruel especially if someone is having a bad hair day and decides to unload on you. Always remember that there are certain things that are, and will always be, outside of your control, and these go into the comments on the feedback sheet. However, every time you are evaluated it will help to improve your presentation skills and make changes in your programs that the audience prefers to see. Develop an evaluation tool for every session. In a oneto three-hour session, the evaluation instrument should be short. Keep it to five questions or fewer. And to make it look concise and easy to fill out, make the evaluation forms less than a full page. Use short answers for all but the last question(s), which can be open-ended. Quick answer questions can be yes/no or a rating scale: 1-5. One of the best uses of the evaluation form is for referrals or quotes that we can use in our promotional materials. External Training For A College Many of the colleges that offer Community Education classes also offer whats known as Contract Education or simply Contract Ed for short. This is a local version of what the seminar companies provide with their on-site programs and normally consist of specifically designated skills training programs that are custom tailored for either the clients specific needs or a defined topic thats appropriate for the geographic locale where the college is located. Like the seminar firms, these bookings are NOT full fee, do not belong to you, and generally prohibit you from promoting yourself or your services as a speaker. All referrals and spin-off business is technically the property of the school and any leads obtained from these bookings should be referred back to the organization that booked you in the first place.
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The BEST way to find the Contract Ed Department is to look up the Continuing Education Department and ask them who is in charge and how to reach them. Youll find that their requirements for trainers differs greatly from the public seminar side and theyll require that you submit a completely independent set of materials for serious consideration. This particular venue might require specific credentialing because many of these programs grant full college credit of CEUs (Continuing Education Units) and depending on the topic or industry, the trainer may require some form of certification in order to teach the classes. One thing I know, you cant go wrong by getting your materials and your topics listed with these groups. Like the bureaus, they become a source of found money because you dont have to do any active marketing to get the business. If a client calls the schools with a topic area that you can address, the school will offer you the assignment. Your responsibility is to prepare and deliver the material to the best of your ability. Keynote Presentations From Your Public Presentations Public seminars will put you in front of a lot of people in a hurry. Its therefore logical to assume that a percentage of the people who see you in the public arena will have opportunities for you to present your program for their organization. Heres the basic characteristic of these engagements: If the program you delivered is for the Rubber Band circuit (colleges, universities, etc.), it is ostensibly your program and you are entitled to any business that results from it without having to be accountable to anyone If its your own program and your own pricing, you will be able to promote the program at your full fee or at whatever rate you feel is appropriate. Sales of products or additional business are all up to you and can be negotiated at whatever rates you feel the client will accept If the booking comes thorough, the fees you are paid for an on-site or private presentation will probably be higher than for a public program, but there are generally no commissions for back of the room sales so it might work out to be the same amount of money for the day The presentation can be either a variation on the public seminar training that you offer or it can be a keynote presentation based on the skills that you have to offer in the clients area of need 60
You will probably be required to create some form of customized materials for the program. Whether you get paid for this customization is a negotiable item and varies from event to event
I recommend that you keep an active mailing list database of all the people who attend your programs and when you have another program, you notify them immediately. Since youve appealed to them once, and have probably done a great job, the likelihood of them attending another of your programs, hiring you to do a program, or referring you for a program are greatly increased. If you have created a built-in up-sell, such as additional products or consulting services, the best time to look to getting additional business is immediately after youve done a presentation (7-14 days max) while your dazzling skills are still fresh in their minds. Because e-mail is so popular and prevalent, we recommend the following method of follow up: E-mail all attendees a thank you as a plain text announcement with an attachment in PDF format Include a hyperlink to a web page that has all the information, graphics, and ordering information on it Offer the client the opportunity to obtain additional information or a telephone call by e-mailing you a reply Follow up and close the business.
If you prefer conventional advertising methods, use letters (the standard technique) or postcards. Either way, youll be staying in touch with potential clients and selling more products and services.
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Chapter 7 - The Radio Talk Show Circuit

With the advent of remote interview capabilities, the radio talk show circuit has become a viable market place for speakers to become known and to sell your products. There are currently over 600 radio stations in the United States that feature a talk show format, with experts being interviewed by telephone from wherever they are located. The interesting part about being a guest on radio talk shows is that it not only gives you the opportunity to talk about and promote your own skills and talents, it also gives you a venue to sell books, and other information-based products. Many guests appear regularly with the objective of promoting their latest book or CD series, or their speaking services to the listening audience in an informative fashion. I personally appeared on 257 talk radio shows over an 18month period and sold over $87,000 worth of books and tapes. On 256 of them, I was the guest from my office and never had to physically visit the studio. I recommend this medium for those of you who have your books and CDs ready to deliver because the BEST use of this medium is to sell your products and its secondary function is to get you notoriety. The complete, step-by-step procedure for getting booked is included on the my video, Talk, Talk, Talk available from our website at www.RoundsMiller.com. In the meantime, heres the short version of how to locate the stations and get booked. The first thing youll need is a listing of all the talk radio shows from www.aim.org/join_us/radio_talk_show_directory.pdf. (You can also order a complete electronic list with pre-qualification categories thatll save you a lot of time from the author for $99. E-mail him at Mike@RoundsMiller.com ) Youll find the complete listing of the Radio Talk Show Directory listed online. If you prefer the paper version, you can order it from Accuracy in Media, Inc 4455 Connecticut Avenue NW #330 Washington, DC 20008 Phone: 202-364-4401 Fax: 202-364-4098
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The directory has links to the radio show web sites and you can get a good idea of which ones would be most likely to interview you. There are also some great tips about how to position you on the Radio Talk Show Directory web site. Pay close attention to them because they are the basic ground rules for getting people interested in you and your topic. As with other lists, this one will become a numbers game so use the contact management software to create your database. Approaching the stations is a mechanical process that works because the stations are always looking for guests. Heres the procedure: 1. Prepare a mailing piece for the stations. A gold colored, oversize post card seems to work the best. It should be a real advertising piece on the backside and have teaser copy on the front side. Be sure to include all of your contact information to make it easy for them to get a hold of you. If you have no idea about how to design a card or if you need help creating this post card, get a copy of Solid Gold Newsletter Design by Sheryl Roush (www.solidgoldmarketing.com) or contact Sheryl to do it for you. 2. The postcard is supposed to get the attention of the talk show host and because of its size; its limited to how much information you can include. You should have a web site so the stations can reference additional information without having to request that it be faxed or mailed. You can create a commercial web site for about $5.00 per month from hosting services like www.1and1.com and www.godaddy.com. 3. I highly recommend that you create a list of 20 to 40 of the most commonly asked questions, along with a short version of your answers, for the show and make them available to the host from your web site. There are several reasons why these are valuable: The hosts really dont like surprises when it comes to whats going to happen on their show. They would like to know, in advance, what kinds of questions are likely to be asked and what your answers will be. Not all of the shows will be call in shows and the host will appreciate a list of questions that they can ask you. The shows sometimes bog down and dont get any callers and the host will appreciate a list of questions that they can ask you when the phones die. You can make a hero out of the host by occasionally letting them field a question and since they have the answers in front of them, itll be easy. 64
4. If youre going to be offering your books, CDs, and other materials for sale (Why else are you doing this?), be sure to have an 800 toll free number or youll limit the number of callers. Also, give the listeners a special pricing deal for allowing you to visit them via the airwaves and youll sell more stuff. 5. After youve made the mailing, start calling the hosts on the phone. I learned that if you only mail and do NOT follow up by phone that youd end up with abysmal results. On the other hand, by persistently calling the hosts or the shows producers back repeatedly, I was able to get myself booked on a lot of shows. 6. Once youve booked the show, make sure to include the complete instructions for the show in your day planner or electronic calendar. No two shows are alike. For example: Some will call you at a pre-determined time Some want you to call them at a pre-determined time Some will ONLY book you if you can physically come into the station Some will tell you in advance how long youll be on the air Some will not know how long theyll have you on the air Some will want you for a minimum amount of time with the option of keeping you on longer if the callboard really lights up.
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Chapter 8 - Bureaus and agents

Speakers Bureaus Bureaus are an interesting enigma for people starting out in the profession. You probably need them most when youre first starting out and thats the time they wont work with you. By the time youve established a mature career and dont really need them, theyre anxious to do business with you. Confused, are you? Dont be. Once you understand how they operate youll have a much better appreciation for your relationship with them. What Are Bureaus? For all practical purposes, they are a form of search firm that locates speakers and trainers for clients who need them, are willing to pay for them, and prefer to let an outside organization (like a bureau) find them. This may be a little simplistic but itll make life easier if we keep to the basics. First, last, foremost, and above all else, bureaus work for the people paying the bills, the clients, not the speaker! The speakers and trainers they represent are the commodity and as such, are treated as a resource in a card file or database. If that upsets you, Im sorry, but thats the simple unvarnished truth about bureaus, whether it fits with what you wanted them to be or not! Heres how the bureaus work: 1. They actively market their services (not the speakers they represent) to potential clients like associations, corporations, meeting planners, and the like. 2. When a meeting planner decides that a particular type of speaker is needed for an event, they may decide to let a bureau do all of the recruiting, auditioning, and negotiating. 3. The meeting planner contacts the bureau with the requirements including topic, fee ranges, dates, locations, and other pertinent logistic elements. 4. The bureau then locates speakers that they feel will satisfy the clients needs and collect promotional material from the speakers including video
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demo tapes, copies of articles the speaker has written, testimonials, current fee schedules, and availability for the dates in question. 5. The bureau then decides on 3-4 of the speakers and forwards the media materials to the client for review. 6. The client then selects the person or persons they prefer. 7. Depending on the event, the organization, or their preferred level of involvement, the client may or may not ask the bureau to have the speaker contact them directly for questions, surveys, and customization. 8. Once the client has decided on a speaker, the bureau issues two contracts: one to the client for the full fee of the speaker and one to the speaker that states that in return for having located the speaking engagement that the bureau is entitled to retain 25 percent of the speakers fees. Pay special notice to the following: 1. The bureaus do NOT actively market speakers or trainers. Their function is to stand in the middle of a supply and demand process. 2. Beginning speakers are generally not of interest to bureaus because they do not have an established reputation. This would require that the bureaus actively promote them, a task that the bureaus simply arent equipped to do. 3. Bureaus generally look at their database of speakers and trainers that they have personally experienced as the candidates that they refer to the client. 4. The bureaus get 25 percent of the speakers fees. Therefore its in the bureaus best interest to get the client to hire the most expensive speaker that meets the clients needs. 5. Beginning speakers simply dont command the top fees that experienced speakers do. 6. When youre hot youre hot, and when youre not, youre not! One of the levels of speaking is called celebrity status. When an individual gets a lot of notoriety for something (Like Norman Swarzkopff in Desert Storm), they become a hot commodity, everybody wants to book them, and they can command top dollar fees. After a few years, even though their platform skills get better, their reputation fades and no one wants to book them. 7. Bureaus like to work with speakers who are hot, now! If youre not hot because of a topic, event, or reputation, theyre probably not going to be all that interested in you.
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8. Beginning speakers are a potential liability to the bureaus because of their lack of experience and the fact that the bureau has probably never seen them perform. Because their reputations are at stake, bureaus dont like to refer or book speakers that dont have an established track record. All that having been said, bureaus are a wonderful source of found money because most experienced speakers have found that their cost of sales (what it costs to get a booking) is over 50 percent. Simply stated, a $5,000 speaking engagement will cost you $2,500 in advertising, promotion, and marketing costs. On the other hand, a bureau only charges you $1,250, so its financially expedient to have as many bureau bookings as possible. OK, so do you get involved with the bureaus? (Dont say you havent been warned!)
How Bureaus Work
Client has $4,000 budget for a speaker
OR
Client: 1. Locates Speakers 2. Auditions Speakers 3. Hires speaker for $4,000
Client Contacts Bureau who:

1. Locates Speakers 2. Auditions Speakers
3. Hires speaker for $4,000 BUT Takes 25% Commission
1. There is a set of audiotapes available about how to work with bureaus. They were recorded by Dottie Walters of the Walters International Agency (www.walters-intl.com ) at 626-335-8069 entitled Everything You ever Wanted To Know About Working With Speakers Bureaus But Were Afraid to Ask. 2. If you want a list of the major speakers bureaus, go to www.igab.org (now renamed International Association of Speakers Bureaus) and do a bureau search. To get all of the bureaus in the database, search for the letter e because EVERY bureau name and description has a lower case e in it.
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3. If you subscribe to Dottie Walters Magazine, Sharing Ideas, (www.waltersintl.com ) at 626-335-8069 shell give you a list of all the speakers bureaus in the known world as a free gift. (That makes it worth the price of the subscription alone!) 4. Different bureaus specialize in different areas of expertise and different kinds of speakers. For example, some only handle religious speakers while other handle only big name celebrities. If youre smart, youll call every one of them and ask them the following questions: What What What What type of speaker/topic do they handle? fee ranges do they handle? industries do they specialize in? materials do they want you to provide for consideration?
After youve made contact, stay in touch with them every 90 days or so by sending them a postcard, flyer, or some other piece of material so they know youre still alive and actively involved in the profession. An excellent item to send them is your current speaking schedule. This will help convince the bureaus that you are actually working and will give them a reference base to work from. If youre going to be speaking near a bureau, be sure to invite them to hear you speak (taking them out for a meal and getting to know them socially at the same time is highly recommended since they are going to be promoting you). As you start to contact the bureaus youll discover that theyre about as easy to speak to as opening a hole in a mountain with a pocketknife. Every time Ive heard bureaus address a group of professional speakers, they wax eloquent about how and when to contact them, when not to contact them, what and what not to send them, and a myriad of other rules and regulations that appear confrontational to the speakers who just want the bureaus to notice them. Pay special attention to the fact that the bureaus stand in the middle of the client, their requirements, the speakers, and their skills and knowledge on a particular topic. Both of these are real people, not machines, and they have two responsibilities: 1. Sell the client on their expertise and ability to locate the best speaker(s) for their event and 2. Locate speakers and trainers who can help them achieve their objectives.
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Lets make it even simplerpart of the time theyre selling their skills to the organization that they report to and part of the time theyre buying the services necessary to make it happen. In other words theyre functioning in both purchasing agent and marketing roles and they MUST divide their time between the roles to be successful. Because of the complex nature of this relationship, bureaus have gotten a bum rap for trying to be in service to all the parties involved while maintaining a professional posture and fairly representing and servicing the needs of all the parties. Several years ago, the speaking profession and in particular, the bureaus that represented the speakers and the clients, was a fragmented group with each bureau sort of making up its own rules, regulations, guidelines, and code of ethics. What was needed was a common organization to set standards for everyone so the industry and its participants would be treated fairly and equitably. To answer this need, The International Association of Speakers Bureaus (formerly known as IGAB) (www.IGAB.org ) was started by Dottie Walters, the author of Speak and Grow Rich, (www.walters-intl.com ) and reflects a great many of her ethics and standards. You can get a complete list of all the wolrds bureaus at www.IGAB.org but in the meantime, here is a partial list of the bureaus in California:
Speakers bureaus in California:

African American Speakers Bureau Allen Agency, Inc. - Speaker Booking Service Allstar Alliance Americas Top Performers & Aviation Speakers Bureau American Governance & Leadership Group http://www.athleticappearance.com Athletic Appearance http://www.bayareaspeakers.com Bay Area Speakers http://www.aasb.net
http://www.speakerbooking.com http://www.allstaralliance.com/speakers/bureau.htm http://www.aviationspeakers.com http://www.americangovernance.com/speakersexpress.html
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http://www.ibaspeakernet.com Bernstein & Associates, Inc. http://www.BigSpeak.com BigSpeak / Consciousness Unlimited Speakers Bureau Black Speakers On-line http://www.kenblanchard.com/speakers/index.cfm Blanchard Speakers Bureau http://www.visionaryvoices.com Blue Feather Management http://www.barnesmarketing.com/speaking/index.html BMI - Barnes Marketing Inc http://www.bravospeakersbureau.com Bravo Speakers Bureau http://www.treelinetraining.com CCT, Inc. - Contracted Computer Training http://www.celebritytalent.net Celebrity Talent International http://www.christianyouthspeakers.com ChristianYouthSpeakers.com http://www.cleancomedians.com Clean Comedians http://www.speakersrus.comhttp://www.conventionconnection.net Convention Connection & Speakers R Us http://www.damonbrooks.com Damon Brooks Associates http://www.dynamicspeakers.com Dynamic Speakers, Inc. http://www.galaxymall.com/services/leadership_training Excellence in Presentations http://www.extremeconnection.net
http://www.blackspeakers.net
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Extreme Connection http://www.ggisb.com Golden Gate International Speakers Bureau http://www.GreatSpeakers.com Great Speakers! http://www.hallstar.net/about.html Hall Star Speakers & Talent http://www.speakersearch.com/html/aboutframes.html Hudson Agency http://www.thinksmart.com Innovation Network http://www.internationalcelebrityimages.com International Celebrity Images http://www.jostensspeakersbureau.com Jostens Speakers Bureau http://www.justiceforallspeakers.com Justice for All Speakers http://www.keyspeakers.com Key Speakers Bureau http://www.keynoteresource.com Keynote Resource http://www.keynotespeakers.com Keynote Speakers Inc. http://www.lectureagent.com LectureAgent.com http://lookalikes.net/home.html Mulligan ManagementCelebrity Look-Alikes http://www.nationwidespeakers.com Nationwide Speakers Bureau http://www.ocspeakers.com O.C. Speakers Bureau http://www.pattersonandassociates.com
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Patterson & Associates http://www.primetimespeakers.com Prime Time Speakers Bureau http://www.rothtalent.com RTA- Roth Talent Associates http://www.sacspeakers.com Sacramento Speakers Bureau International San Diego Speakers Network http://www.speakersnet.com http://www.speakingpros.com SBSB - Santa Barbara Speakers Bureau http://www.sgcelebrityproductions.com/contact.html SG Celebrity Productions http://www.smenet.com/keynote_list.php SME: Sports Marketing & Entertainment Inc. http://www.speakinc.com/index_alt.html Speak Inc. Speakers & Trainers Bureau http://www.speakersandartists.org Speak Out - Institute for Democratic Education and Culture http://www.speakerservices.com Speakers Services: Speakers, Authors and Entertainers Speakers Corner http://www.speaking.com Speakers Platform Prometheon http://www.speakerssource.com SS - Speakers Source http://www.barclayagency.com Steven Barclay Agency http://www.strictlyspeakers.com/
http://www.speakerscornerbureau.com
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Strictly Speakers, Inc. http://www.teientertainment.com Thats Entertainment International http://www.speak.com World Class Speakers Bureau http://www.zcentertainment.com Zaring-Cioffi Entertainment, LLC
The standards that IASB maintains are a pretty good criterion for the way all bureaus are supposed to operate. Heres what they look like: IASB Standards for Professional Conduct (Code of Ethics) Overall Represent fairly and accurately the extent of my background and that of my firm and services in all oral and written communications. Remember it is an obligation to be completely fair with speakers, clients and bureaus and to maintain rapport. Whenever appropriate, promptly inform the International Association of Speakers Bureaus of any organization or individual who is engaged in acts of omissions contrary to the provisions of the code. Speakers Use best efforts to provide accurate information about the speaker to the client. Honor all commitments both written and oral, in spirit and intent, and strive to assure clarity and mutual understanding of all contractual relationships, provided that no member shall be prevented from seeking redress or filing any grievance in accord with contractual terms or otherwise. Except in co-brokering situations, disclose to speaker the gross fees quoted to and/or received from clients. When requested, maintain the confidentiality of clients, speakers and member bureaus. Share ratings of performance provided by clients with the individual speaker when appropriate.
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Remit all agreement(s).
monies
due
to
speakers
promptly
in
accordance
with
Keep speaker appropriately informed of any changes decided upon by the client that might affect the speaker's presentation. Take reasonable steps to ensure that both client and speaker have a worthwhile and positive experience. Release "holds" on speakers' calendars promptly when the client decides upon another speaker, or at the point the bureau determines the sale is lost, by phone and/or in writing. Receive confirmation of availability from the speaker before committing such speaker to a client. Obtain permission from the speaker before using their name, or their company name, in bureau promotions. Communicate and secure agreement with speakers regarding mutual expectations on direct or indirect spin-off business. Clients Use best efforts to provide accurate information about the speaker to the client. Honor all commitments both written and oral, in spirit and intent, and strive to assure clarity and mutual understanding of all contractual relationships, provided that no member shall be prevented from seeking redress or filing any grievance in accord with contractual terms or otherwise. When requested, maintain the confidentiality of clients, speakers and member bureaus. Share ratings of performance provided by clients with the individual speaker when appropriate. Remit all monies due to clients involved promptly in accordance with agreement(s). Keep speaker appropriately informed of any changes decided upon by the client that might affect the speaker's presentation. Take reasonable steps to ensure that both client and speaker have a worthwhile and positive experience.
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In negotiating between bureau and client, use best efforts to notify clients about such items as: fees, advance deposits, expenses to be billed and selling product from the platform. Obtain permission from the client before using their name, or their company name, in bureau promotions. Receive confirmation of availability from the speaker before committing such speaker to a client. Bureaus Restrict myself to fair and truthful statements when asked to comment on fellow bureaus. Honor all commitments both written and oral, in spirit and intent, and strive to assure clarity and mutual understanding of all contractual relationships, provided that no member shall be prevented from seeking redress or filing any grievance in accord with contractual terms or otherwise. In the event of a complaint or grievance against another member, as a first step, I shall notify the other member involved so all parties may have the opportunity to amicably resolve the matter. Work out a commission share in co-brokering situations without additional charges to the client when possible. Avoid working for, supporting or lending my name to organizations, which indulge in practices contrary to the code. Sharing information about such organizations with other bureaus is encouraged. When requested, maintain the confidentiality of clients, speakers and member bureaus. Share ratings of performance provided by clients with the individual speaker when appropriate. Remit all monies due to co-brokering bureaus promptly in accordance with agreement(s). Thats probably not what you thought bureaus were going to be, was it? Regardless, thats what theyre all about and how they operate in the world of professional speaking. Ive heard countless speakers complain about the fact that bureaus dont work the way that they would like but believe me folks it doesnt make any difference.
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Bureaus are what they arenothing more, nothing less, and whether you like or approve of the way they do business doesnt change who they are or how they operate. The bureaus have their own business to run and the key to successfully working with bureaus is to learn their rules and play by them. Period! Agents Websters defines an agent as: one who is authorized to act for or in the place of another as a representative, emissary, or official of a government. A speakers agent is a horse of a different color and since Im writing this book, Im going to give you my definition of a speakers agent: A speakers agent is a person or organization that actively promotes a specific speaker to a potential client for a fee. The operative phrase here is specific speaker, which differentiates the agent from the bureau because the bureau is looking for a speaker to fill a clients needs and usually doesnt care who the speaker is. Note: the exception to this is when the client specifically requests that a bureau obtain the services of a particular speaker. Whether your agent operates totally on your behalf or not is a business decision that youll get to make based on the overall proficiency of the person you hire and train. Agents are usually hired directly by a speaker to look for opportunities for them to speak and the speaker pays the agent directly. The agents compensation may be salary, hourly, commission, bonuses, or a combination of any or all of these. This is the exact opposite of working with a bureau because the speaker is paying for the direct efforts of the agent, whether the agent finds them work or not. What are being paid for are the efforts and not the results. Agents may be either exclusive to a particular speaker or they may represent an ensemble of speakers with non-conflicting skills or topics. Agents may also represent keynote speakers only, trainers only, or may specialize in a particular target market, such as a given industry or a specialty topic area such as sports celebrities.
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IASB (www.igab.org ) is ostensibly the place to find an agent but I wouldnt count on it. My experience tells me that the BEST place to find an agent is to create one from scratch. Using an established agent might be a great idea if you can find one that meets your standards, understands your topic and your marketplace, fits your budget, and really wants to handle you. If you put all of those requirements in a cup and shake them up, youve got about as much chance of winning the lottery as you have of finding a pre-qualified agent to handle you profitably. Most of the successful speakers Ive known have failed their way to success by hiring and firing several people until they finally found one that they could work with and who would put up with the idiosyncrasies of both the profession and the speaker. Remember that this is a marketing effort and a numbers game, pure and simple. Lots of cold calls, surveys, qualification sessions, follow up, rejection, and general nausea are involved in finding a potential client who we can even send a proposal or a media kit to. Then theres the matter of competing with other speakers, negotiating fees, developing program topics, agreeing on travel arrangements, establishing an expense reimbursement program, allocating audiovisual resources, establishing and maintaining constant contact with the meeting planner, and generally being a wet nurse to both the client and the speaker. This is one of the places where speakers do not work alone. You and your agent must be a team or the relationship and the efforts are doomed to failure from the onset. Heres what I have found to be the MOST effective way of getting an agent: Precisely define your area of expertise in terms of topic and its benefits. Decide who your target market will be. Get a list of the organizations that you believe will most likely be a candidate to hire you to speak to their people on the topic youve defined. Create a set of qualification questions to ask the people you are going to call. Create a telemarketing script.
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Conduct the qualification questions via telephone YOURSELF to prove that the system works. Do the telemarketing and qualification YOURSELF. Close the deals yourself. After youve defined a system that works for you, hire someone to clone your system and turn em loose. If you feel that no one can close you like you can close you, have them turn the hot prospects over to you for further action like additional conversations, sending materials, and actually closing the deal. After youve proven that the system works to your satisfaction, you can begin to have the agent do things like following up, sending out media kits, and eventually closing the deals for you. If youre confident that they can handle your entire process, let em run with it but do check up on them occasionally to make sure that everything is being done the way you need to have done. Dont forget, youre the one who has to perform and whose reputation is on the line.
Be careful to not overload the individual too soon. Ive blown out several people over the years by expecting too much from them at the start. The speaking business is tricky and time consuming. Voice mail, answering machines, and the ability to hide from people calling has made it difficult to contact the people who are potential clients and its a frustrating job to stick with it until you actually connect with someone. The ultimate key to success lies in persistence and consistency in your efforts. If you agree that success in marketing is strictly a numbers game, then youll have to agree that both bureaus and agents are a part of your marketing mix and at the end of the year, when you check your bank account, youll find that theyve all contributed to your economic growth.
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Chapter 9 - Self-Sponsored Seminars

IMHO (geek talk for in my humble opinion), youre not really a real member of the speaking community until youve sponsored and conducted at least one seminar or speaking event one your own. Its kind of a way to pay your initiation dues but its also an excellent way to gain understanding and insight into everything that goes into putting you on the platform in front of a revenue generating audience. Rather than reinvent the wheel regarding the variety of things that need to be considered when conducting your own seminar or how you can make the most money from them, Im going to share a terrific resource with you.
Ive included some basic material below but if youre serious about maximizing your profitability by conducting your own seminars (those that you control and are NOT booked by a seminar firm for you), Im going to recommend that you get a copy of Fred Gleeks book, Marketing and Promoting Your Own seminars and Workshops or even his complete seminar promotion package at Marketing and Promoting Your Own Seminars and Workshops by Fred Gleeck www.seminarexpert.com.
Like me, Fred was a trainer at CareerTrack and was a top sales producer in his topic area. Hes a really talented guy (a little more than slightly egomaniacal like me, but thats probably a good thing). One commentdont expect miracles from the courseyou still have to do the work. Fred has simply put down, in one convenient program, the things you need to consider when doing your own seminars. Hes one of the best and hes made enough money doing this to where I believe that hes a resource that you can utilize to help you hit the sixfigure mark in this business a lot quicker. Its really an instruction manual in disguise, albeit, an excellent one. His material breaks down the nuts and bolts of milking seminars for every nickel that there is to be had. Self-sponsored is when you put up the money, advertising, promotion, etc., for the seminar. You also get all the rewards. This is the area where there is the highest risk because you pay for all advertising up-front and then wait for people to attend your seminar.
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Ticket sales or 2-Step is when you give a free presentation (or you might get paid) and during the presentation, you mention that you have a seminar coming up next month (or at the next scheduled dateweekly, monthly or quarterly). The attendee pays prior to the seminar.
Meeting Location
A most common meeting location is a hotel but there are other places to conduct seminars and workshops. Some banks have a community room available to the general public. However, before accepting their offer, there are some questions to ask about the meeting location: 1. Is the meeting room easy to find? 2. Is parking good? 3. Are there restrooms available? 4. Is the neighborhood safe? There are meeting rooms available at libraries, chambers of commerce, churches, golf courses, corporations, funeral homes, schools, universities, colleges, apartment complexes, movie theatres, restaurants and look in the Yellow Pages under banquets and/or meeting facilities. Dealing With The Hotel When calling the hotel, ask for the catering or sales/marketing department. Do not ask for reservationsthey dont handle these requests. The key to negotiating with the hotel is to understand where the hotel is making its profit. Is it in meeting rooms or in sleeping rooms? By knowing this, you can ask for concessions that will not cost much. Often, a hotel will ask if you are planning to serve a meal with the function. If you do, then the cost of the meeting room might go down (Sometimes to zero). Mornings For seminars prior to 11:00 a.m., coffee is usually provided. Fred Pryor Seminars eliminated coffee service from its seminars and saved $1 million per year and antagonized people who were return attendees and expected to have it for free. If you are not providing coffee, talk to the hotel to see if the restaurant can provide to go coffee for people that want/need coffee or see if the hotel will provide a coffee bar just outside the meeting room for the first hour of the meeting.
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More people drink regular coffee (with caffeine) than decaffeinated coffee. Estimate about 2 to 1 regular vs. decaffeinated. If the session is after 7:00 p.m., then increase the quantity of decaffeinated. Also, the older the group the more consumption of decaffeinated coffee there will be. Watch the words that are used when asking for more coffee. If there is an hour for registration plus an hour of the presentation and then a break, some hotels will remove the urn of coffee and replace it with a newly brewed pot. Others will add additional coffee to top off the urn. If the staff replaces the coffee, you will be charged for the urn that was dumped down the drain plus the new urn of coffee. With a morning session (anything before 10:00 a.m.) you may want to provide a little something to eat like bagels, muffins, fresh fruit, and juice. It is also customary to provide tea (some herbal) and soft drinks are usually not provided in the morning unless the meeting location is very upscale or the price of the seminar warrants it. Meals When the attendees are registering in the morning, ask if they will be staying for lunch (even if they have paid for it). Some individuals will take the opportunity at lunch to call back to the office and handle the day-to-day matters, or if it is a sales group, a sales person might take a client/vendor/customer out to lunch since they were in the neighborhood. Allow about 1 hour for lunch for over 60 people. There are some things that can reduce the lunchtime, but you need to work very closely with the hotel staff. To reduce serving time: 1. Choose a dessert that can be placed on the table to begin with (cookies, cheesecake, cakes) rather than desserts that need to be served (ice cream). 2. Have the hotel staff place the salad, and bread and butter on the table before the attendees arrive. 3. Finish the meeting session exactly at the time stated so the hotel can service exactly on time. Vegetarian Dishes As more and more individuals are becoming concerned about what they eat, vegetarian plates are frequently requested. With the meal selection, also choose a vegetarian plate. Many hotels are uncreative when preparing vegetarian plates; they simply remove the meat and substitute cheese.
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When sending out notification of the meeting, on the registration form indicate if the attendee would like a vegetarian plate. The hotel prepares only the amount of plates requested, so watch for walk-up registrations that request vegetarian plates. Also watch that when the food is being served, if the vegetarian plate looks better than the regular plate, that attendees arent asking the servers to switch their plates. The hotel requires a final count on the meal 48-72 hours before the meeting. Hotels will prepare 10-20 percent more than requested. Check the contract for the exact number. If you guaranteed 100 people, you will be charged 100 meals, even if only 5 people show up. If there are 117 people, then you are charged for 117 meals. Groups have personalities. There are some groups where if the guarantee is 100, 100 people will attend (no more, no less). Other groups, only 75 show up. If you have the registration/meeting pre-paid, you are not out of pocket, but the food is wasted. Other groups have a large number of walk-up (walk-in or daily) registrations. When selecting the meal, if the group tends to have a large walk-up registration, choose meals that can be stretched such as a buffet, pasta, meatloaf, etc., not steak or lobster. The hotel charges for each plate that goes out the kitchen door (or each plate that is placed at a table seat). You (and perhaps another individual) might want to count heads. In haste, sometimes a meal is placed at a chair where no one is sitting. Or if someone is away at the restroom, they dont get served. If you dont want to do a head count, the other method is a ticket. Provide each person in the meeting with a lunch ticket. The easiest is if the tickets are numbered and we pass them out. If you have ticket #98 in our hand, you know that you have 97 for meals. No Food If you are not going to be providing food with the seminar, check the nearby area to see what eating facilities are available. You might want to provide a map and walking directions for people. Also, you might want to break for lunch at 11:30 instead of 12:00/12:30. If appropriate, inform the hotel restaurant that there will be 100 people coming in for lunch at 12:00. Some hotel restaurants have special plates for seminar attendees or have a buffet to help speed up the serving time. If the group is small (under 30), another option is to have menus provided at the seminar and have the attendees pre-order their meals at the 10:00 break and provide the restaurant with the list.
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Afternoons Sessions that start in the afternoon (1:00 PM or later) dont usually need refreshments but you might want to consider coffee or a little piece of hard candy to keep them awake. It is also typical to provide soft drinks in the afternoon. Meeting Rooms When scheduling a meeting room, there are several questions to ask, in addition to the basics (whatever those are to you). 1. What type of walls does the meeting room have? Meeting rooms with air (moveable) walls provide for greater flexibility, but air walls are not as soundproof as some other materials. Is there is a meeting in the next room? Set up the meeting so the back of the room is the common wall. (I once did a program in Memphis where there was a high school marching band playing for a celebity behind the next air wall) 2. How high is the ceiling? A 7-foot-high ceiling is great for a small group. However, a larger group (100+) would require that the screen and the presenter use a platform. With a large group and a short ceiling, the people in back cant see (and may request their money back). 3. Are there any other events being held at the hotel that day (what number)? If a large group is in the building, sometimes it is more difficult to get the attention of the hotel staff and your attendees might get lost in the shuffle. The more activities going on that day, the less flexibility the meeting has. Watch the serving of food. If your meeting and the other meeting sit down at exactly the same time, there might be a delay with hot food. 4. Are there any pillars, posts, or low lighting fixtures? No matter what their layout says, reduce the number of chairs. People still cant see behind a pillar. 5. What facilities are there for parking? In larger downtown metropolitan areas, parking can get expensive. Talk to the hotel to see if a discount for meeting functions is offered. If you are also giving this meeting in another location, price the downtown metropolitan meeting $5-$10 less than other locations. People will expect that you pay for their parking. At that point, we can explain that if they had chosen the other location, they wouldnt have had to pay for parking and the price was reduced to accommodate the parking. Does the hotel own the parking or do they contract the services? If they own it, they have greater flexibility with prices. Another detail to consider in the meeting location is the signage for the seminar. Frequently, the hotel will simply take the company name off the signed contract and put it on the sign-board/daily events. However, consider what the attendees remember about the seminarand your company name might not be what they remember!
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Set Up of the meeting room A common meeting style is classroom style (table and chairs). This is also the minimum number of chairs in a room. The maximum number of chairs in a room is theatre style (just chairs). For long periods of time where people are required (or want) to take notes, this style is the least effective. However, once you know the minimums and maximums of the room dimensions, heres how to put this to work. A room that is three-fourths full is ideal. It doesnt look or feel empty and yet people arent crammed in and there is room to spread out just a little. Lets say that you are sponsoring your own private seminar. The whole method of advertising is to take out ads in the local newspaper. Free seminar on creating a successful financial future. Tuesday, January 32, 2020. Seating limited. Call to reserve your seat today. Register before January 22 and get a free gift. Assuming the room holds 18 people classroom and 50 people theatre, if 22 people call and register, switch the seating to theatre. If there is a cancellation clause in the contract with the hotel, tie-in the January 22 date with the cancellation date. If you dont get your minimums, cancel the event. Realistically, expect between 5 to 10 percent no-shows and note that a free seminar will have even more noshows than a pre-paid seminar. Best times for corporate meetings Monday is not a good day because people are coming back into the office after the weekend. Typically, managerial people will work the weekend and put work on associates desks and there is also a larger volume of mail on Monday. This makes Mondays difficult to leave the office. Friday is not a good day because people like to think that they are going to get out of the office early to start the weekend. The last week of the month (or last month of the quarter) is not a good time if the industry has month-end close outs or quarterly reports due. The legal industry has billing that must go out at the end of the month and sales departments have commissions tied to monthly sales. Avoid those weeks if your attendees are involved with those activities.
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Weeks that have holidays are not a good time. Workers are still required to do five days of work in four days. If you ask them to be out one more day, some will sign up (and pay) but not show up because of the time crunch. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are good days. A 9:00 a.m. start with an ending at 4:00 p.m. is good if the person attending the seminar works 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. looks like they can be late compared to a normal day. The reality is that that extra hour gives the attendee the time to fight morning rush hour traffic and get lost a couple of times before the seminar starts. Typically, registration will start at 8:00 a.m. If you are dealing with managerial individuals, then you can start the day earlier (7 a.m. or even 6 a.m.). Also, if the training is conducted over several days, it is possible to use the weekends. Watch the age of the attendees (whatever that means). If the group tends to have small children or children in school, the flexibility is not as great. Best times for non-corporate meetings Monday evenings are not good (especially in the fall) because of Monday Night Football. If you are designing a program/meeting that would be 99.9 percent nonfootball watchers, it might be okay to try. Super Bowl Sunday might provide an opportunity for non-bowl watchers to do something! (I had 53 paid attendees at an Internet seminar on Super Bowl Sunday and no, not all of them were women!) Wednesday evening in many communities is still church night. Friday evening is date night, family night and a religious observance. If you could be considered entertainment, Friday night might be good. Tuesdays and Thursdays are good evening weekdays. Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. is the single best single meeting time. 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. is a common meeting time. If you are planning a meeting away from your home base, find out what time the late local news is on. In California, the late local news typically starts at 11:00 p.m. So 7-10 is fine where the late local news airs at 11 p.m. The media know that people are just getting ready for bed at this time. Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. is a good time for seminar attendees. Again, watch their age and if they have children of soccer, football, or basketball age, then Saturday afternoon might be a little better.
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Exceptions Daylight Savings Time: watch the starting time of a seminar the first week of Daylight Savings Time. People become uncomfortable with the day getting darker so quicklyespecially if they are unfamiliar with the meeting location (campus or hotel). Hotel meeting rooms that are converted sleeping rooms located in an upper floor are not a good for meeting with females. That type of environment does not encourage safety. If your attendees are entrepreneurial and run their own small business, a seminar in the afternoon is good. Although they have assistance with the business, they may not trust them to open or close the business. If your attendees have school age children and are the primary care givers while their spouses work, a seminar in the afternoon is good. They can squeeze in the seminar while the kids are at school, and still be home for dinner and the evening activities. If your attendees are elderly, a seminar in the afternoon is good. Many elderly people (whatever elderly is) are uncomfortable driving at night.
Pre-Meeting set up Arrive at the meeting room at least 60 minutes before the start of the meeting. Frequently, even if you have sent a layout of the room setup, the room setup is not what it should be. If you have provided a room setup and we are doing several seminars with similar setup, have the directions translated into Spanish because many times the people setting up the meeting rooms cant read English.
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Chapter 10 The Professional Circuit

A.k.a. Keynote and Training Sessions For An Independent Client First and foremost, read the section on niche marketing. If you dont follow the advice and guidelines given in that section, youll go crazy trying to figure out who and where your market is located. If you are offering skills training or any kind of a program that explains the methodologies of doing something, youre technically delivering training rather than a keynote presentation. The seminar firms and schools are not the only places where organizations have their people learn skillsmany of them hire independent contractors to deliver these topics at conferences, workshops, or directly for them at a site either on or off the premises. The most expeditious process weve found for booking this venue is as follows: 1. Review your program and determine the following answers: What is your program all about? What kind of group or organization would be most likely to need what it is that youre conducting a seminar about? Be as specific as possible. Who in an organization would be most likely to attend the program (who needs it). Who in an organization would be most likely to authorize payment for the program (who controls the money).
The next step is to get a list of the organizations that fit your definition of the most likely candidate to spend the money to hear your program. If youre targeting the corporate marketplace, youll need to get a directory of the businesses that are in that particular business specialty so you can conduct a survey, make a mailing, or start making phone calls Corporations A little known but very powerful resource is located in your local library at the reference desk. Its called Directories in Print by Gale Publications. Its the master reference set for over 19,000 different directories on every conceivable subject ranging from abstract and title companies to zoology that are available for your use. Professional Speaking for the Clueless 89
Directories in Print lists product and service directories under three different headings: 1. Specific industries and lines of business. 2. Title and key word index. 3. Subject index. Once you've found the correct subject, title, product, etc., look up the directory or directories that service the buying arena for your speaking or training services. The lists contain the name, address, phone number, directory price, and a detailed description of what's in the directory. Once you locate the directory that you think has the best chance of containing the information youll need, order it. When the directory arrives, find all the firms who currently appear to fit what you have determined to be the most likely candidate for your speaking services. Make no mistake about itthis is a numbers game and youll have to contact each of the firms on your list to determine their needs and your suitability to fill those needs. Since youre going to be contacting a lot of firms, you need to keep track of both their contact information plus a running record of what you send them, what you say to them, and what the responses were to the proposals you made. You can do it the old fashioned way and create a Rolodex full of index cards or you can do what the professionals are doing and put it on your computer. The software industry has a variety of options for doing this so you can pick the one that works best for you. My partner Nancy Miller and I had the opportunity to evaluate several different software packages and found that ACT is probably the most versatile for a professional speakers needs. However, tastes differ so although I recommend that you look at all three of the top contact management programs which are Outlook (www.microsoft.com), ACT (www.act.com) or TeleMagic (www.powertime.com). I strongly suggest that you try each one and see which of them is best suited for your needs. If you dont have the capital to invest in one of the top of the line programs, go to www.tucows.com and look up contact management software. They have a variety of freeware and shareware programs for both the Windows and Macintosh environment that will get you up and running with your database in no time.
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After youre selected and installed the software, enter and contact all of the firms that seem to fit your criteria. Don't prejudge or pre-qualify any of these firms based on hearsay or rumors from other people. Remember, the more possibilities you examine, the greater the chance of you being reviewed and booked. Heres a real example of how to do it. Lets suppose that your target market for your speaking skills is the toy industry. You look under the word toys in the index and find that there are several directories available. The one you decide on is PlaythingsDirectory Issue #2259. After you look up #2259 you find the following information: PlaythingsDirectory Issue See PlaythingsWho Makes It Issue (2259) 2259 PLAYTHINGSWHO MAKES IT ISSUE Geyer-McAllister Publications, Inc. 51 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10010 Phone: 212-689-4411 FAX 212-519-7434 www.playthings.com Publication includes: Lists of toy manufacturers and their suppliers, designers and inventors, manufacturers representatives. Entries include: Company name, address, phone, and description of products manufactured or lines carried. Arrangement: Separate alphabetical sections for manufacturers and their suppliers; manufacturers representatives are geographical. Indexes: Manufacturer product, supplier product, trade name. Frequency: Annual, June. Editor(s): Frank Reysen, Jr. Advertising accepted. Former title(s): Playthings Directory Issue (2002). Price: $28. Also includes: Calendar of trade fairs. Contact Playthings and order the directory. Once the directory issue arrives, you can look up toy manufacturers by name and get information like this: Binney and Smith Inc.-Crayola Products Art Materials Div 1100 Church La, PO Box 431 Easton PA 18042 215-253-6271 www.binney-smith.com Founded in 1885, Binney and Smith Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of privately held Hallmark Cards, Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri in August 1984. CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
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1100 Church Lane Easton, Pennsylvania 18044-0431 MANUFACTURING FACILITIES Easton, Pennsylvania Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bedford, England Mexico City, Mexico INTERNATIONAL SALES AND MARKETING FACILITIES Canada Australia France England Spain Germany Singapore Mexico Italy Argentina You can visit their web site to get additional information and based on the information listed, you should be able to make a judgment as to whether or not you think theyre a candidate for your speaking services. If youre in doubt, contact them to be sure. If youre like me, youve found that the best business opportunities come from the most unlikely places, which makes it an imperative to contact anyone who looks like a prospect even if you think they might not be the best candidates for your speaking skills. Associations One of the most popular places to look for speaking opportunities is the trade association. Associations are prime candidates for a lot of speakers and trainers for two primary reasons: 1. They are focused on the concerns of their industry and look to use the conventions and workshops as a place to address those concerns and 2. They dont have a permanent staff to address the concerns so by virtue of their nature; they look to outside speakers and trainers to address those concerns. The directories for locating associations are know as the National Trade and Professional Associations directories and come in both National and Regional versions: 1. National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States Lists 7,500 national trade associations, professional societies and labor unions. Five convenient indices enable you to look up associations by subject, budget, geographic area, and acronym and executive director. Other features include: contact information, serial publications, upcoming convention schedule, membership and staff size, budget figures, and background information.
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2. State and Regional Associations of the United States Lists 7,300 of the largest and most significant state and regional trade and professional organizations in the U.S. Look up associations by subject, budget, state, acronym, or chief executive. Also lists contact information, serial publications, upcoming convention schedule, membership and staff size, budget figures, and background information. They are $199 each and are available from: Columbia Books, Inc. PO Box 251 Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0251 Phone: 888-265-0600 Fax: 240-646-7020 Email: info@columbiabooks.com www.columbiabooks.com Once again, you must make selections based on the criteria that you think is most appropriate and contact the organizations to see what their needs are. Most of the associations have terrific web sites with lots of information about the organization and their upcoming events. Id look up and research, as much information as you could on any association that you think is a candidate for your speaking services. Regular contact with the meeting planners by phone, mail, and e-mail along with subscribing to their newsletters, magazines, and trade journals will help you to keep abreast of whats going on and what they need in the way of speakers and trainers. Destination Management Firms Another source of Management Firms. potential speaking engagements are the Destination
If youve never heard of them, Im not surprised, but there are a lot of them and they do hire speakers on an irregular basis. First of all, you need to know what they are and what they do. Basically, theyre party and event planners that supply everything including chairs, tables, napkins, food, drink, and occasionally, speakers. They normally work with meeting planners from corporations and associations to provide a complete theme for an event like a Western Days Motif, Star Trek, or carnival atmosphere. This is another one of those cases where after you send the firm your material, youll have to sit and wait because you become another resource, just like the
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chafing dish or the champagne fountain, that is used if and only if the client is interested in your skills and decides to rely on the event management firm to locate the speakers for the event. My personal experience with these firms is that they usually only call for a speaker as a last minute effort and even then, you are usually one of several last minute choices when something else that they planned falls through. Remember that meeting planners normally have the entire event planned well in advance of the event date and will normally locate the speakers they need themselves or utilize a regular speaking bureau. When the destination management firms are called into play, there is usually extra budget money (a rare occurrence!) or something that was pre-planned failed to materialize. My partner, Nancy Miller, was in consideration by one of these firms and lost out to a magician. I have another speaking associate who lost out in favor of an ice sculptor who carved a statue in front of the audience. You can get a list of the members from the Association of Destination Management Executives website at www.adme.org. There are about 600 members nationwide and if you think that someone, somewhere, someday might request your skills or topic, Id find out who maintains their resource database and get them a media kit as soon as possible. Database Marketing There are two more resources that will give you a lot of organizations to enter into your database of potential speaking clients. One is the local yellow pages and the other is to use a mailing list brokerage house. The regular yellow pages are a wonderful resource for locating firms in your specific geographic area that are in the business you are targeting. If you want more details, even faster, use the look in www.yellowonline.com and type in the category of business youre looking for. The other resource is to use a mailing list brokerage firm like Info USA. (www.infousa.com) These firms maintain databases of literally millions of firms and organizations and can cross reference and select organizations based on a wide variety of criteria. For example, if you are looking for manufacturers who have over 250 employees, utilize fork lifts, and have had workers that belong to trade unions, you can get a list that covers just those specifics.
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Sales and marketing people have used these organizations for many years with highly successful results. Since this is about marketing you, why not use the same tips, techniques, and resources that other successful marketers utilize to improve their client database? The National Speakers Association If youre serious about the speaking business especially, if youre looking to work in the professional circuit, you need to check out the premier trade association of the speaking industry. Youll find their complete information at www.NSASpeaker.org Its been stated by countless members that active involvement in the NSA will cut five years off your rise to success in the speaking industry. And although you probably dont qualify initially for a full membership, you can attend their functions as an affiliate member and learn from some the top professionals in the speaking industry. They have chapters throughout the nation and a quick trip to their web site will provide you with all the information to locate and attend the local meetings.
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Chapter 11 Promotional Materials

Advertising, by definition, is creating the awareness that your speaking service exists. And sales of your speaking services is the only reason to advertise because if you dont tell people about your speaking services, they cant buy your speaking services. Even though the best ways to promote our services are sampling and products, you still have to use conventional materials because you live and work in a conventional world. There are four critical factors to consider when deciding what to create and send to someone to get booked: 1. More is NOT necessarily better. The people that were marketing our services to are just like ustheyre up to their eyeballs in junk mail, e-mail, snail mail, and ads for everything from steam powered prune pitters to self-tying shoelaces. Most of us stand in front of our microwaves yelling, hurry up and dont have time to look at most, let alone all, of the stuff were sent, and our potential clients are just the same. This is NOT like high school where the term papers with the most pages flew the farthest from the English teachers balcony and got the best grades. This is a case of getting the most pertinent material into the hands of our prospective clients. Anything more than that is not only a waste of our money but tends to overwhelm the client and may actually turn out to be a negative marketing element. 2. What you send someone depends on what youre trying to accomplish. Look carefully at the variety of objectives and steps youre taking to get booked and send ONLY whats appropriate for that particular step. Dont jump ahead and send everything youve got on the first delivery of materials. Itll overwhelm the recipient and more than likely, waste time and money in the process. 3. Remember that you still only get one chance to make a good first impression. Ive personally dumped thousands of dollars worth of promotional material in the trash because it was poorly printed, improperly targeted, or basically, didnt work to get me booked profitably.
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Im one of the people who fell prey, early in his career, to buying desktop publishing software and trying to do it himself. Guess what? It didnt work! Im not good at creating promotional materials and the end result reflected that lack of capability. I learned my lesson the hard way and now let professionals who have the talent and capabilities create the promotional material that I need so I can concentrate my efforts where I have talents, not where I dont. Whats this entire section mean? Simpleif youre not skilled at creating your own promotional materials, bite the bullet and hire somebody who is. Period! If you want my recommendation, Id contact Sheryl Roush at www.SolidGoldMarketing.com. Shes had more success than anyone I know in creating brochures and other promotional materials and is brought in by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the National Speakers Association to teach their aspiring speakers how to properly create materials that work. 4. The fourth caveat has to do with those who create and produce promotional material for a living. Remember that its in THEIR best interest for you to have them design and create more materials than you really need. Whether its good for your career or not is highly questionable. Remember that if it were your business that youd probably recommend that everybody buy more than they need. Now that weve got that out of the way, lets look at the different stages of advertising that youll probably engage in: General Awareness This is where youre going to send the same material to a large number of people who are potential buyers of your services but who you havent specifically qualified. A typical example would be when you send a mailing to 300 speakers bureaus or 500 meeting planners announcing that you now have a new talk to offer them and their associates. It might include a post card or an envelope containing a cover letter and a description of the program. Targeted Audiences This is where you have narrowed the focus of your efforts and need to get some type of material that is pertinent to their needs into their hands to let them know that youre now making it available to them.
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This might include a cover letter, promotional piece for the program, and perhaps, a couple of testimonial letters from known entities in the target market. Specific response This is where you are responding to a defined topic or area of expertise that has been specified by the potential client. An example would be if you are a sales trainer and are responding to a request for a program for a sales meeting. This might include a promotional piece, a cover letter, some testimonials from credible sources, a video demonstration CD, and perhaps a price sheet. Customized Materials This is a program where you are attempting to convince the client that you are the best choice for their program based on the materials you have elected to send them. In addition to your standard materials like program descriptions and demonstration materials, these packages will generally be specifically related to the clients defined objectives and may include commercial books, CDs and other audio-visual materials that qualify you as the expert for this program. Next, lets look at all the different kinds of materials you can generate and send. Make no judgment about their merit or value when you review what they are save that for later on when you determine whats appropriate to get the prospective client to consider you and your speaking services. Email In todays fast paced world; e-mail has become the communications medium of choice for most busy meeting professionals. Its fast, convenient and with the more sophisticated systems, allows for the instantaneous delivery of just about everything that a meeting planner might want or need to make a decision. Its an excellent tool when you are sending out material to people or when you are responding to someone you know. If they know you or have asked to be on your list, its called an opt-in list and its an effective way to stay in touch on a regular basis. Its a questionable medium for sending out bulk mailing to an untargeted group especially if they have never heard of you. This is whats technically known as spamming and its usually not too successful. In fact, it tends to antagonize the recipient to the point where they might put your e-mail on their automatic screening list.
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Post Cards For as long as theyve been around, as simple as they are, its really hard to fault or improve on the good old postcard. Theyre inexpensive to create, print, and mail, and even if they get tossed out, theyre read by at least three people because theres no envelope to open. Postcards are great for making bulk announcements, sending out updates to schedules or programs, and just generally keeping in touch with clients who are interested in your products or services. Nancy Millers videotape Marketing with Postcards (www.RoundsMiller.com) is an excellent resource for learning what you can effectively use postcards for and how to create them inexpensively and quickly. For the BEST deal in town for actually crating, printing, merging, and mailing the postcards, you cant beat the U.S. Postal services NetPost program. Youll find all the information at www.USPS.gov. This amazing system provides you with blank postcard templates via the internet so you can create your own postcard designs in any combination of colors and sizes your find appropriate. Once the design is complete, you simply upload the card design along with your mailing list information to the post offices site and theyll print, merge, and mail them for you at prices that are cheaper than anyplace else weve found. If you need mailing lists, they even have a direct affiliation with www.infousa.com, the largest mailing list database broker in the world. You can work with them to create custom mailing lists for your own usage. One Sheet By definition, a one-sheet is a single sheet of paper, printed on one or both sides, that contains information about a person, product, or an event. Cool! Now what? First of all, one-sheets are the basic medium of advertising for both speakers and their programs because theyre only one-sheet of paper and doesnt burden the reader with a big commitment of time. Remember what we said at the onset time is our enemy because neither the meeting planner nor we have enough of it to read all the material we receive. For many successful speakers in todays marketplace, a one-sheet coupled with a cover letter and maybe a price sheet is all they use to get lots of bookings. Im a big fan of NOT reinventing the wheel so Im going to recommend that you go to the National Speakers Association web site at www.nsaspeaker.org and look up some of the top speakers in the industry.
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Visit their web sites and see what theyve done on their one-page layouts and perhaps contact them and ask them for a copy of their current one-sheet materials. Look and see what theyve done. Dont copy their material but do look carefully at what theyve included and how theyve targeted the audience. Sheryl Roushs book, Solid Gold Newsletter Design, has a ton of information about one-sheets and heres an excerpt for a basic layout. www.SolidGoldMarketing.com Heres one of the most important tips I can leave for your one-sheetsmake sure that you have a one-sheet thats faxable! Lots of organizations and events run short of time and must have your material immediately. A web site is great but lots of people prefer to receive your information though the fax machine. The fax is a simple black and white scanner/printer system and does NOT recognize sophisticated colors and half tones of gray. To be sure that what the client receives is what you want it to look like, create a black and white ONLY version of your one-sheet so it can be faxed and received the way it's supposed to look. Your one-sheet just isn't a bunch of words pushed together to make that sale. It is an actual memory you are trying to implant. Don't necessarily write your one-sheet to leap out at the meeting planner, sometimes it's better to have the meeting planner dive in. Either way, you want it to be something that the meeting planner walks away with, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Remember that MOST marketing and selling of speaking services is NOT an impulse purchaseit is a calculated investment (at least the meeting planners believe that it is) and may require multiple contacts and infusions of knowledge on your part to get the booking. Also keep in mind that your one-sheet is NOT supposed to impress the meeting planner as much as it is supped to influence their decision to hire you. This is as much an argument against, as it is for, paying big dollars for four color one-sheets, glossy paper, and fancy graphics. If they're appropriate and work for you, OK. If not, for example in low dollar markets where the slick look might be perceived as being out of their budgetary reach, don't do itit aggravates the PIG!
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You really have 3 steps to conquer with your one-sheet: First, you must first grab the meeting planner's ATTENTION!! In a sea of advertising it seems nearly impossible to catch the quick eye of the meeting planner. You are not only in a shark pool of competition, but the meeting planners of the new millennia are skilled at tuning it out. The most important point is that if you can't grab their attention, you can't leave a message behind. But what will cause your one-sheet to grab their attention? The answer is one or both of the following: Your timing is great and you are addressing a current concern where they believe that you have the answer. Your message or topic is consistent with their needs, planning or thinking.
Ok, you have grabbed their attention. Now what happens? The meeting planner becomes consciously aware of you. Your one-sheet now has a glimmer of life. In Raleigh Pinskey's book 101 Ways to Promote Yourself she terms this "imprinting." We may need to imprint our topics and ourselves several times before a meeting planner calls us or even acknowledges us. A meeting planner may not click with you the first time they see your one-sheet, but they may the second, third or twentieth time. It could be a matter of days or even years, but that long, not forgotten memory has built a foundation of familiarity. What's Next You Ask? They form an opinion and react one of three ways. 1. They react positively and most assuredly shift into the final stage. 2. They react negatively. 3. They have absolutely no opinion at all. These are the most important readers. The others have already opted to continue or abort. These people remember you but you have not drawn a strong enough opinion to pull them through the third stage.
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This requires you to re-assess your one-sheet. You ARE catching their attention, but you have not gained their complete interest. Go back and speak with as many of them as you can during your active follow-up period. See what catches their attention and what comes off as the weak link of your message. Rework your one-sheet and try again. Now (assuming they reacted positively) your reader is in the last stage of the process. They are required to take action: Yes, I'll go with your speaking services or No, I don't think so at this time.
Your potential client now decides to take that final step of action. It all comes down to this: They buy your speaking services or ask for more information. But no matter what, your potential customer is now a legitimate sale or lead. They have now decided against you.
Either way, it's GREAT because you now know which potential clients to pursue and which to drop. Cover letterThis is your personal interaction material with the prospective client and contains whatever is necessary to acknowledge the relationship and verify what is supposed to occur next. If youre unclear about the actual structure and composition of this document, Im going to refer you back to a book on basic letter writing on this one because thats all its supposed to bea cover letter unless, of course, the letter has a contract and other information included in it. Price sheetThe current wisdom says to call the page that contains your speaking fees an investment sheet. I don't know whether it's better to call it my prices, my fees, or your investment in Jane Doe, Speaker extraordinaire, but here's what it's supposed to contain: 1. Your name 2. The effective date 3. Your fees for whatever variety of programs you offer including keynotes, training sessions, breakouts, panel participation, or whatever combination of services you have elected to offer.
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If there are discounts for full fee payment in advance, multiple program discounts, or other variations, be sure to include them along with your standard policies and procedures for terms and payment. Just so you have a reference point, most speakers require 50 percent of their fee to accompany the contract and the remaining 50 percent the day of the program. Deposits and cancellation policy Travel expenses and accommodations Support material policies Audio and video recording Books and tapes Guarantee
Price is, of course, still a sensitive issue with a lot of people and its exact discussion is forbidden by some organizations because of federal antitrust rules and regulations. Nevertheless, you still have to get paid and to do that; you have to include a price sheet. One of the gray areas is how you structure your fees for an event. The section of this book that shows you how to set your fees will help but the other issue is where you charge for the time or the event. One approach says that you itemize everything and charge separately for each item. For example, if you supply a keynote speech, thats one price. If you conduct training, its another price and if you sit on a panel, thats a third price. There are also people who structure their fees for local and out of town programs because the travel usually requires at least one additional day of their time. My own preference is to charge for half day, which is anything, up to, and including, 3 full hours and for a full day which is anything, up to an including, 6hours of presentation of training plus an hour for lunch. This way, I can offer clients a two for one deal with a combination of a keynote and a breakout training session for the day price. The choice is up to you and what your ultimate client base is most comfortable with. Ive included part of my Investment Sheet for your reference. Please feel free to use any of the material in creating your own if you think its pertinent to your own program.
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Your Investment in Mike Rounds Effective Date July 1, 200X Half-Day (30 minutes to 3-hours) $XX,000 Full Day (up to 6-hours) $ZZ,000 DEPOSITS AND CANCELLATION POLICY The deposit is 50 percent of fee and is required upon confirmation of booking. In the event of program cancellation, we will re-book on a mutually convenient date. If program is canceled by client and not rescheduled, deposit will be full and complete settlement. TRAVEL EXPENSES AND ACCOMMODATIONS All fees are as quoted, plus travel expenses. Full coach airfare will be booked by Rounds, Miller and Associates. Travel and expenses will be invoiced after the program has been completed. Accommodations will be billed directly to your organization. SUPPORT MATERIAL Materials for participants will be quoted, supplied, and invoiced as quoted. AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING Any non-profit distribution of the program within your organization is permitted. A master copy of any recording will be supplied to and approved by the by Rounds, Miller and Associates. All other recordings and rights of reproduction and/or distribution must be cleared, in writing, with the speaker prior to the engagement. BOOKS AND TAPES Educational support materials can be made available if there is a written agreement to do so with Mike Rounds. CONTACT: Rounds, Miller and Associates 1-800-757-7671 Our Guarantee We guarantee that the performance of Mike Rounds will meet or exceed both your standards and your expectations or your money will be refunded
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Reference lettersNo matter what I say here, Im going to get a lot of controversy because there doesnt seem to be any sort of consensus about what or what not to do about reference letters. Ive even heard them referred to as testa-balonial letters because everybody can find three friends to write a good testimonial for them and nobody in their right mind is going to send a prospective client a letter that says that theyre inept or incompetent. The one thing I do know is that you should ask the clients for reference letters, even if youre not planning on including them with your standard promotional materials. Over the years, Ive needed them for a lot of things other than general promotional material so Im glad Ive got a box full of them. For example, if youre a member of the National Speakers Association and are working towards your credential as a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), you have to save them as proof of having serviced a specified number of satisfied clients. Every now and then, like when I applied for an Associate Professorship for the University of California, I need to refer to people that Ive done programs for over the years and the letters make a great reference file for that as well. Also, you dont have to use the entire letter if you dont want to. These letters can be a great resource for accolades that you can use in your advertising materials. Ive used excerpts from reference letters, as well as the good comments on the bottom of review sheets, in many of my promotional and advertising materials. Ive included a sample of the follow up letter I use to obtain the letters. Please feel free to use it or to craft your own. Whatever you do, be sure to follow up and ask for the letters within 10 days of the engagement or the client will have forgotten all the wonderful things youve done for them.
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Jane Doe Manager, Sales Communications 21555 Anywhere Street Los Angeles, CA 91367 MARKETING PROGRAM Dear Jane Thanks for the opportunity to have been of service to both you and your organization. The program was fun (Youve got a GREAT group of people there!). I hope that you and the attendees received the information you needed to help your sales and marketing staff to achieve their goals in the coming season I want to especially applaud your EXTRA efforts, and the efforts of your staff, on behalf of the attendees. Because of your efficiency and overall attention to details, it has been a pleasure to work with you. My years of experience tell me that most of the attendees will never appreciate the efforts that you went to make the program a success. Nevertheless, they received the benefits and results that you created. Hopefully, your associates will understand how committed you were to making the program as content rich and meaningful as possible and acknowledge you accordingly. Regardless, please accept my acknowledgement and endorsement of both your skills and efforts towards the success of the program. I would like to ask for a favor. I am currently working towards a National Speakers Association award known as the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). As a part of this program, I need to obtain letters of reference or testimonials from the organizations that I address. I would sincerely appreciate a paragraph or two from you, as the representative of the association. My personal address (shown above) is where the letter should be sent. Thanks again for the opportunity. I hope we get the chance to work together again soon. Sincerely, Mike Rounds
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Program Descriptions Obviously, youre going to need a description of your talk and what its about to present to the client, but theres more to the description than that. First, theres the promotional version of the presentation that youll want to include with the package of information you send to the prospective client. This will probably be a generic description of the program written in your best advertising style. Many include the speakers picture, some glowing accolades about your speaking experiences, and perhaps some background about you and the program. If you are going to be a part of a massive convention youll probably need a 50-80 word shortened description for the clients convention program. If you are conducting training sessions, youll need a different kind of format that itemizes the features, benefits, and take away tips that the audience will receive. Once again, Im going to recommend that if youre not good at writing descriptions that get people clamoring to hear you, that you spend a few bucks and hire somebody who can write a description that will get people to break down the doors. Introductions We never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Part of your promotional materials includes the introduction that will be used to precede your program and set the mood for the presentation. However, as a general rule, we dont get to say the words we write for ourselves. Remember that before you ascend the platform, there will be somebody who is going to precede you and prime the audience before you speak. Fortunately or unfortunately, this individual has the capability of making our life on the platform hard or easy because they prep the audience for us. In Las Vegas, they pay professional entertainers big bucks to warm up the audience for the headliners to make sure that the audience is in the right frame of mind when the celebrity arrives. As speakers who travel to the clients event, we usually dont have the latitude of bringing along our own introducer so the client usually assigns someone to perform the introduction for us. Experience tells me that the two biggest problems youll ever encounter with your introductions are:
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1. People who cant read your introduction. Ive run into four different reasons for this phenomenon. They need glasses and wont wear them They cant pronounce the words on the page They dont have the skills to read something aloud Theyre functionally illiterate.
2. The introducer that thinks that he or she is a stand up comic and is determined to put on their own comedy act using your introduction as the foundation for their material. Of the four problems listed, the easiest to overcome is the introducers need for glasses. Print your introduction in black ink, 18-point serif (the ones with the little tails) type on white paper and make sure that its not more than one page long. Period! Unless the introducer is legally blind they should be able to see the words clearly enough to
Big Black Text 18 Points High Serif Font

read them.
Second, be careful about what you put into the introduction in the way of exotic spellings, foreign words, or technical clichs that the introducer may not be familiar with. As a speaker you probably take pride in being able to phonetically pronounce a lot of material that would befuddle others, but the chances are that your introducer is not. The more simplistic you can make the introduction the less chance the introducer has of making mistakes with it. If you can get the introducer to rehearse with you itll help a lot. Try to appeal to their ego about it being a part of the show and how you want to work well with them. I also suggest giving the introducer a gift like a book, tape CD or something youre authored and personalized. Itll help get them involved and practice before the program. Dont take a chance on the introduction, which is a part of your program, getting lost and allowing the introducer the chance to do their own thing. The procedure for making sure that your printed introduction gets into the hands of the person doing the introduction is as follows: Mail it with the promotional package after you are booked 109
Fax the meeting planner a copy of introduction as a backup Carry a copy with you as another backup Post it on your web site so you can download a copy if all else fails.
Many years ago, a famed speaker introduced himself at a National Speakers Association (NSA) Chapter meeting using a tape-recorded presentation, cassette tape player, and a microphone mixer. When I asked him why he did his own introduction, he cautioned me about the day when I would get the introducer from hell. I laughed and said, This sounds like a control issue to me. How bad could it be? I found out in San Francisco when my introduction was given as a reward for something that one of the attendees had accomplished. The individual who had won the honor was not only functionally illiterate (couldnt read) he thought he was a stand up comic as well. Ill let you imagine how bad it was but if youre ever in doubt, I have an audio recording of the session complete with the introduction. Come on over and be prepared to be appalled. Heres one of my best tips for stopping this problem an inexpensive microphone mixer from Radio Shack (www.RadioShack.com). Youll probably be using your own wireless microphone system and I suspect that youve got a portable tape cassette or CD player. The combination of the three elements will give you the ability to pre-record your own introduction and make sure that they turn out the way you want them. This isnt about egoits about the quality of your performance, which include the introductions. If youre serious about your introduction I strongly suggest that you pre-record it yourself, with whatever copyright free music and special effects you believe that youll need and play it through the house sound system using the mixer. Reply Cards In Nancy Millers program on Marketing With Postcards (www.RoundsMiller.com), she talks about using a postcard to make it easy for a prospect to reply. If you havent noticed it yet, one of the most difficult things that people have to do is to say NO! Giving people bad news is distasteful to most people and it makes them emotionally apprehensive. Their preferred choice is to say nothing believing that you will somehow figure out whats actually going on.
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Anyone who knows me understands my buy or die philosophy. Simply put, I want to know if were going to do business together or not. If yes, great, lets do it. If not, please tell me so I can pester somebody else who has the money to hire me. I need to know so I can plan my business calendar so to make sure were getting an accurate message of their current needs, weve developed a non-confrontive method of letting them tell us whats happening without them having to get emotional about it. Ive included a copy of the one that we use to give you an idea of what they are and how they work. Youll notice two important things: Weve selected a hot color to make sure that it doesnt get overlooked Weve made it as simple as possible
Although you cant see the front side in this example, we did NOT include prepaid postage. Our experience has taught us that the statistical difference between
getting them returned because the postage was paid doesnt justify the costs. Most meeting planners can simply throw the card in their outbox and have the organization post it for them. Photographs
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Since youre the product, you need to supply photographs of you for both the promotional material before you get booked and the clients organizational materials after you get booked. There are several key questions to be answered so lets get started: Question: Should the photographs be black and white or color? Answer: Both. You have no control over the printing medium the client will utilize to promote your program so having both color and black and white will assure that the best format is utilized. Question: Should it be a full-length shot or a headshot? Answer: It depends on what you do on the platform. If youre an enter-trainer that juggles, it should probably show you with the props flying in the air. If youre a skills trainer speaking on customer service, a headshot will probably be best. While youre getting the photos taken, see if you can arrange to have a variety of different poses done so youll have whatever you need. For example, Nancy Miller does a motivational program called The Power of One. Nancy has one leg so the full length shot of her on one leg, high heel, and a single crutch dramatizes the effect shes trying to achieve. When she does her program on Clutterology, Getting Rid of Clutter and Getting Organized, she uses a head shot derived from the full-length shot. (www.clutterology.com) Question: What about the Glamour Shots? Answer: They may be OK if your persona on stage is a New York runway model. Otherwise, theyre really kind of a misrepresentation of which you really are when you appear before an audience. Question: Should my photos be film or electronic? Answer: Both! But make sure that the electronic shots are high rsolution so they can be reprinted without loss or degradation Caricatures Im going to get on a soapbox here and say that I think caricatures are great for promoting your image as a platform professional.
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When I first joined the NSA, I learned that a line art caricature was outstanding for inserting into printed documents because its black and white with no gray half tomes. This means itll reproduce properly no matter what medium is used. These are relatively inexpensive (usually less than $100) and can be used for years. For example, heres Connie Yambert, the Dean of American public Speaking Coaches. This is the same caricature that appears on the famous crystal ice Connie Award and she uses it in her brochures and publicity pieces. The other kind of caricature is the cartoon caricature and Ive had more fun and success with these than anything I ever got for Christmas as a kid. When I did my Internet and web site programs, I had a caricature done of me surfing the net wearing jams and riding a surfboard on the telephone lines. It became my trademark for the programs. My current favorite is the one of me holding a microphone and theres a variation of the image with me pointing. These are great for literature, programs, and a variety of printed material (including the book youre reading) as markers to point out the end of each chapter. You can look for caricature artists in your local phone book. Mine are created by the printing press in Carson, California. Contact Leslie Sears at 310-538-3321 for specific details and costs. Pocket foldersOf the many things that the speaking industry uses and abuses, I think that pocket folders rank near the top of the list. Theres an entire industry built on the mindset that literature, promotional materials, and other support items will be cursed and spat upon if they are not delivered to the client in a pocket folder. The simple truth about pocket folders is that they are an inexpensive and relatively attractive cover and holder for a whole bunch of unrelated materials that are used to try and make them look like a logical assembly of random stuff. Sounds pretty harsh, huh? Well, dont panic because Im not on a crusade to outlaw pocket folders. In fact, Im still supporting the industry with the ones I purchase, but I do think you need to know their relative value in the grand scheme of things.
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First, lets drop back to our favorite word, appropriate. Whats appropriate for this particular delivery of materials? It might be that the pocket folder loaded with materials will overwhelm the client and they wont read anything. On the other hand, it might fit in with the rest of the material theyve received and without it, you might not have been considered. Lets get realspeakers use pocket folders for practical reasons: They look good They attract attention They hold a lot of stuff Theyre not permanentwe can vary the stuff we put in them.
You can make them as attractive as you want, have them printed with theme materials that form a marvelous continuity of thought, and cause us to sell the cat, couch and car to pay for them. Since these reasons are logical and make sense, sooner or later youll probably end up using pocket folders for your media materials so its best that you understand the realities of the delivery medium in that they are a disposable delivery carrier. As speakers, we use them because its easy to slip materials into the pockets. This same ease of entry allows for the same of exit. In other words, the materials fall out. If the meeting planner is serious about your materials, theyll probably remove them from the pocket folder and staple them together in a file folder. Another little observed facet is that pocket folders do NOT fit into file cabinets. Theyre designed to be oversize so theyll hold standard papers and forms inside of them. Consequently, if the meeting planner is serious about keeping your material, theyll probably remove it from the folder and transfer it to a standard file folder for retention and storage. So whats the verdict? Simple, plan on using pocket folders but dont invest your life savings in them. When youre first starting out, (www.Staples.com) will work fine. a simple pocket folder from Staples
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As you become the industrys spokesperson and need the upscale materials, consider getting a thematic folder designed to be a part of your overall image complete with matching insert materials. Video Demo Materials After twenty years of being around the thousands of members of the National Speakers Association, I finally figured out that your video demo is important to your career, but the different styles, formats, lengths, and techniques used for creating them are so diverse that nobody really agrees with what should be provided or included. Heres what Ive really learned from my experiences and what I strongly suggest you follow in the way of advice regarding your demo material. First and foremost, your video demo is a sales tool that is supposed to be selling YOU and getting you business. If its not getting you the business, then its not doing its job, is it? If its not, then why not turn it into a sales tool thats GUARANTEED to work for you? Look closely an the following ten questions and pay attention to the answers: 1. What is a speakers video demo? Its an infomercial and more specifically, a series of spot ads that are used to sell you and your speaking skills to a potential client. 2. Why dont most video demos work? Because theyre used as a showcase for speaking skills. Thats OK, but theyre not usually structured into a selling format. Look at the 30 and 60-second spot ads on TV. Theyre designed to get your attention, demonstrate the benefits and desirability of something, and close you on the spot. Does your video demo do that? 3. The people who shot my video are GOOD! How come it doesnt work? The video producers, camera people, sound engineers, editors, etc. are great technicians but the process doesnt end there. Look at a commercial produced for television. It has staging, lighting, sound, camera, props, makeup, and at least 25 other elements that go into making it a successful 60-second spot ad that costs millions of dollars to air on broadcast television.
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The most important component of the successful commercials is the creative design process that establishes the format; target audience, desired results, and directs the full production and editing of the material. Good camera work and sound will NOT make up for a misdirected piece of video and, editing wizardry will NOT make up for bad platform skills. If the raw video footage doesnt show you doing your best, no amount of special effects is going to make up for that. All it does is demonstrate the technical skills of the editor and it does NOTHING for your salability. On a somewhat negative note, many of the people who shoot speakers video demo materials have never studied proper techniques or worked professionally in the field. They simply purchased equipment, practice a little bit, and then set themselves up as a resource, and not a very good one at that. Shooting a wedding is one thing. After its over, the footage is for memories and the event is complete. A speakers video demo is used to get future business, so the thought and production work that goes into it is entirely different from simply capturing memories on tape. The professional video and film industry knows this and very soon, the speaking industry will understand it as well. 4. Do I have to re-shoot all of my material? Maybe but probably not! The material you have presumably contains much of what you need to have in your final video. What is needed now is the definition of a target audience, selection of material that appeals to that audience, and the assembly and formatting of that material into a demo tape that excites the viewer to the point where they pick up the phone and book you. If you need more footage, you can get lots of good video by donating a speech or presentation to a library, Rotary club www.rotary.org/services/clubs/index.html, or other organization and taping it. 5. What about the video quality? Dont I need " beta or high-end video? Lets face it, the better the original material, the better the end product. But, " camcorder footage can be enhanced and made to work for you.
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6. What about sound? Sound is critical! Youre a speaker. If the video is mediocre and viewable, it may be all right. But if the sound is poor, youre dead in the water! Youre a speaker and people want to hear how you sound and how the audience reacts to you. Use good sound equipment and make sure that you have an audio feed that goes directly to the camera. If youre looking for a great deal on a good (Not great) wireless microphone system, check out www.DAK.com and for less than $100 you can have a system that will work for both your platform presentations and your taping requirements. DO NOT USE THE MICROPHONE ON THE CAMERA! There is an echo quality to the room, no matter how small, and youll pick up every distracting background noise in the room. 7. What about showcase videos? It depends. Some showcase video with a canned audience is OK, but meeting planners and bureaus want to see how you look in front of a real audience, not a room full of friends who will give you a standing ovation for clearing your throat. Dont forget, theyre in the same business you are and after they see several videos with the same audience (and they WILL see them), theyll give less credibility to your material because they now recognize that its been preplanned and heavily edited. 8. What about testimonials? You mean testa-balonials, dont you? Dont bother cluttering your video with them. They dont have much credibility. Meeting planners are NOT interested in having somebody that they dont know or respect tell them how great you are. NOBODY in their right mind is going to put a BAD reference in any kind of marketing materials and most people at a seminar will say something nice about you if you offer them a peanut butter sandwich or a free copy of your book. Let your skills, as demonstrated on the video, say it all for you. After all, its you and your skills that are the product, so why clutter the demo tape with unwanted footage? 9. What about full-length presentations? Great ideaAFTER the meeting planner has seen your spot ads and is sold on your abilities. Now that this
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question has been asked, lets look at a real example of why MOST video demos dont work. Imagine that youre a meeting planner. Youve just been given the assignment of obtaining the speakers for your organizations next event. Its nine months away and the theme has been selected. (This is like giving birth!) The event will have three keynote speakers, morning, luncheon, and dinner. There will be six split sessions that require an additional 12 speakers and/or trainers. Being a conscientious person, you decide that you should locate and review 10 candidates for each of the speaking positions. Considering that you are going to hire 15 speakers, thats 150 media kits, demo videos, and related collateral material you have to review. Heres your criterion for selection: The speakers topic. (If its not the right topic, and is NOT demonstrated on the tape, it gets trashed!) The speakers reputation or demonstrated skill on the topic. (If its not demonstrated on the tape quickly, it gets trashed!) The speakers fees for the event. (If the speakers fees are not within the events budget or an effective negotiation point cannot be reached, the speaker is not considered). The speakers availability. (If the speaker cannot make the event, or is too far away to make the travel expenses reasonable the evaluation is over). Now, look at the process and notice that the FIRST TWO ELEMENTS have to do with the video and demo and THEY ARE CRITICAL! With 150 video demos to review, how long do you think a meeting planner is going to watch before they make a decision? 15 minutes? Hardly! How about a minute or two? More likely! Thats why you video demo MUST hit them hard, right off the spindle, and get them involved, interested, and in a mindset that says, "Hey that was GREAT! I wonder if there is any more footage on the tape like that?" When a meeting planners mind asks these questions, youve got a winning video demo! 10. How do I get a video demo like this and how much does it cost? Actually, its not all that difficult or expensive. Here are the details: Professional Speaking for the Clueless 118
First, find a firm that can turn your raw footage into a commercial that will get you business. The fees should be reasonable too. If youve got all the footage you need, the firm should be able, after you fill out a detailed questionnaire and description of what you want and who youre targeting, assemble, edit, and produce you a final product for less than $2000. If you need footage, get a professional to videotape you with 1, 2 or 3 digital cameras and provide sound and whatever else you need. The fees are dependent on the number of people needed, the equipment used, and the time involved so its a custom quote for each shoot. The prices charged are anywhere from ridiculous to reasonable so dont be afraid to call and ask for an estimate. Demo Video DVDs Video Tape is Dead! Period! The latest in a never-ending line of technologies is the DVD. Now that just about everybody has, or has access to a personal computer with a DVD reader installed, theyre a viable distribution technique for your demonstration material. Demo audio CDs This section exemplifies how fast technology is changing and shaping our lives as speakers. Even though DVDs are the in thing, believe it or not, there is still a strong case for sending an audio CD to a prospective client instead of a video. Why? Simplebecause were speakers, thats why, and what the meeting planner hears is what they believe their audience will hear. Of course theres a visual component to our presentation but in the end, unless youre doing a program thats predominately visual aids, the heart and souls of the program is going to be the words that you speak. If you question the logic, think about the number of audiotapes youve listened to in your car while driving. You cant see the speaker but you are still deeply affected by the words they say and how they say them. Audio recordings are a powerful tool for both promoting your speaking skills and for supporting your programs with the material that you wont have time to deliver.
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Where a video demo may be viewed in haste, your audio recording might be played from start to finish and if the planner likes what they hear, they might listen to is a second time, keep it as part of their personal tape collection, or pass it along to another colleague who has the potential of hiring you. Honestly, I cant think of a single video demo that I would want to keep and replay but Ive got a box full of audio tapes and CDs by speakers that I replay on an infrequent basis and wont give away for the worldtheyre just too valuable a commodity to risk losing. Since audio material will most likely be listened to in the car or in the background, you can probably get away with 20-60 minutes of demo material without wearing out your welcome. You can record your own audio and edit on your computer with dynamite $25 software program that has 64 channels of mix down capability called Acoustica MP3 Audio Mixer. (www.acoustica.com) If you have recorded material that you want professionally edited, packaged, or converted to CD-ROM, I suggest that you contact Dave Morten at Sound Choice 714-838-0520 and have him make the conversions and the copies for you. Thank You Notes Of all the things in the world that cost very little and says so much, the humble hand written thank you note tops the list. In todays world of computer generated material, the willingness to write someone a note by hand, whether its a blank 3 x 5 card, or a Hallmark card, will set you apart from the masses of people who send the meeting planner materials. If you want to make life a little easier and still make an impression with your clients and potential clients, seriously consider having your own postcards custom made with your picture, topic, or speaking theme as the front side and add hand addressed thoughts and addresses to make it a personal greeting.
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Electronic Greeting Cards Having waxed eloquent about the handwritten cards, you might think that the electronic cards dont matter, but they do. In addition to the fact that theyre clever, musical, and colorful, most of the FREE services all allow you to add your own personal greeting and some of them even allow you to add in a picture or small video clip. Ive seen some wonderful examples in the past couple of months where the recipients didnt care that it was an electronic card (birthday, holiday, or thank you), they just simply appreciated the fact that someone thought enough of them to send them a reminder of the fact that they were remembered in a special way. There are several places to register and use these free services including Blue Mountain (http://free.bluemountain.com), e-cards http://g3.e-cards.com), and 1-2-3 Greetings (www.123greetings.com). Your commercial materiallast, but certainly not least, is to send the prospective client copies of your commercial material, be it a book, booklet, video or CD. Never forget that all of this material is supposed to position you, in the mind of the meeting planner, as the most viable expert they can use on the topic they have selected. What better way to prove your capability than by supplying them with commercial material that proves to them that you are acknowledged by the public at large as an expert in your chosen field? After you check out the costs of all your other promotional materials, youll probably discover that your commercial material gets you more recognition, establishes more credibility, costs less than your other materials, and gets you more bookings than any other item you can send.
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Chapter 12 Fee Setting

Being a PROFESSIONAL speaker means you get paid for your speaking There are three reasons to speak: 1. To fill an immediate need 2. For fun 3. For profit. Heres the bottom line: If youre not getting paid for your speaking, youre doing it for one of the first two reasons. Period! Remember that there are three ways a speaker makes money: fees, product sales, and residual business. What well be discussing here is an integrated technique that focuses primarily on fees but incorporates the other two elements. This integrated approach has proven to be the most lucrative method of selling speaking services because its flexibility allows you to accept speaking engagements that may not initially appear to be lucrative but which will generate big revenues in alternate ways. How To Establish Your Value If youre confused about this, youre not alone. Youve probably never sat around a table with a bunch of friends and asked the question, I wonder how much a speaker makes each year? This is NOT a common business. In fact, the standard response when you tell people that youre a speaker is, People pay you to do that? Since the first day I attended a National Speakers Association Convention, I have been told that we are not allowed to discuss our rates as speakers because it violates FTC rulings for price fixing and unrealistic expectations of returns. Unfortunately, most speakers entering the field are unsure as to what kinds of fees are paid to speakers and more importantly, how they are to go about establishing a basic fee schedule, whether it is realistic or not. Following a series of inquiries at the 1994 National Speakers Association Western Educational Workshop in San Francisco by novice speakers, I felt that something needed to be set down in writing as to how a neophyte should go about setting his or her fees. What I discovered was that the ground rules have already been set by the consulting profession.
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The Accounting principle for setting fees Actually, speakers are really no different than any other consulting or service business, so the place to start is to understand how a service business sets its fees. Remember that speakers are complete, stand-alone service businesses and are subject to the three elements of cost that enter into any business. These are: labor rate, overhead, and profit. Added together, these make up what is known as the daily (or hourly) billing rate. Heres the equation: Daily Labor Rate + Overhead + Profit = Daily Billing Rate. Speaking services must be correctly and fairly priced, or you'll never be profitable. Below is a simplified method to help profitably price your speaking services. Daily Labor Rate The first element in costing your services is to calculate our daily labor rate. The daily labor rate is defined as your worth as a labor commodity. 1. To accurately define this worth, start by looking up your labor classification by checking the reference section of your local library in the American Almanac of Jobs and Salaries by Avon books or The American Salaries and Wages Survey by Gale Research or simply go to www.salary.com. Heres an example of how to calculate your worth as a labor commodity, providing speaking services, based on current industry accounting standards: After looking up a sample of a corporate trainer (a speaker who is captive to an organization) classification in the almanac, you find that the job title pays $75,000 per year (12 months or 260 days). Remember that as a speaker, you represent yourself as an authority in a particular category of expertise. Every category of expertise (job description) has a current, relative value attached to it. Your worth as a labor commodity in this area of expertise has been established by published norms. Statistically, a speaker works approximately 30 percent (78 days) of the time for their money. $75,000 /78 = $961 per/day, or $120 per hour. Overhead is calculated at 90 percent. Profit is calculated at 10 percent.
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Calculating Daily Billing Rate Daily Labor Rate Overhead (90% of $961) Profit (10% of $961 + $861) Daily Billing Rate Overhead and direct expenses
$961 $865 $183 $2009 or $251 per hour
People who provide speaking services generate two types of expenses. Overhead is the cost of being in business, and includes all expenses that are incurred in running your business, regardless of how many clients there are or how much business youre doing. Rent is an example of overhead. Direct expenses are those incurred for a particular client or a particular client's project. They are called direct because the client is charged for such expenses directly. For example, the cost to fly to another city to speak for the client is billed to the client. Overhead is calculated on an annual basis and is a simple equation. It is the estimated total annual expenses for the business divided by the estimated total annual revenues for the business. In the example below, the anticipated cost of running the business is $67,500 and the revenues generated from speaking engagements are anticipated to be $75,000. The equation is then: $67,500/$75,000 = 90 percent Category of Expense Part-time secretary Office rent Telephone and postage Automotive Personnel benefits/employment taxes Equipment and supplies Marketing costs Dues and subscriptions Business licenses and taxes Insurance Accounting and legal Miscellaneous Total Monthly $1,000 1,000 550 300 600 300 1,000 100 75 300 200 200 $5,625 Annual $12,000 12,000 6,600 3,600 7,200 3,600 12,000 1,200 900 3,600 2,400 2,400 $67,500
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Profit Profit is whatever is left after we have paid ourselves and paid for the operating expenses of the business. We have assigned a nominal 10 percent profit to the equation, but can use any number that makes sense to you and your speaking operation. Of all the elements, this is the one with the most flexibility because it is not essential for your speaking business to operate. It may be essential for future growth, but based on pure mathematics, it is not necessary for the project under consideration to be successful. Dont ignore profit. Speakers are entitled to make a profit just like anybody else, but its the first place we start to cut and make concessions in a proposal without affecting the payoff and actual operating expenses. One final notewhen calculating profit, take the percentage from the sum of the overhead and the daily labor rate. The overhead is money that is NOT earning interest in the bank, so its acceptable to make a profit on the money were using to run the business to compensate for the interest we are not earning on it. Using the above example, in order for you to be profitable in the speaking business, you need to be making $2009 per day, regardless of how you generate the revenues. Value Considerations Regardless of your financial calculations, many factors affect the actual fees that speakers charge and receive. Some of the common factors are: 1. Reputation affects the fee a speaker can command and may be based on how noted the speaker is in the field. The more distinguished, the more you can charge. Fees are a function of value, and value is a function of reputation in the eyes of prospects. 2. The Prevailing Rate is a compensation factor dictated by tradition within a given field, for a given event, by a particular agency or organization, or in a given area of the country. 3. Value Added Fees are based on the results that the speaker expects to achieve and their worth to the client in real dollars. The speakers track record and reputation play heavily in this approach. 4. Expenses and Income Fees are determined by what you, as the speaker, need to earn. This is the flexibility area that you as the speaker and the owner of the business must consider. This is your business and not someone elses.
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Dont be afraid or ashamed to speak at a reduced fee or at a prevailing rate. Many speakers who have inflexible policies about their rates go bankrupt waiting for someone to pay them what they think theyre worth. The best advice about setting fees Ive ever heard is this: When your calendar fills with full fee speaking engagements, you cant afford to take reduced fee engagements. But until that day arrives, take whatever you can get for the engagement rather than staying home and complaining that youre not making a living in the profession. Dollars are dollars and if you make yours a nickel at a time, thats OKthey still pay the bills. BORS Back of Rooms Sales The other green stuff! There are many reasons to create back of the room products like books and CDs that impart additional information about your topic, but money is the best one Ive ever found. Creating information products gives you credibility as an authority in your field and provides you with an additional or more importantly, an alternative way to generate revenues from a speaking engagement. Products are explained in detail elsewhere in this book, but right now, lets look at what kind of leverage having your own information products give you. This is a true example: 1. A speaker quoted his fees for a program at $4,000 2. The meeting planner informed the speaker that their policy was to pay $500 plus expenses 3. The speaker agreed to the engagement on the condition that he could offer his books and tapes for sale at the program 4. The meeting planner agreed and even offered to supply an individual to assist the speaker with the product sales 5. The engagement generated $5,000 in product sales 6. Because of the speakers flexibility in setting the basic fees, he was rebooked for three additional engagements with the same terms and conditions
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7. The initial program generated $5,500 in revenues and all four engagements combined generated $17,500. This is NOT an unusual situation. Many of the organizations that are in a position to hire speakers have a restricted budget. However, the attendees DO NOT! What the attendees decide to spend on books, CDs and other materials is up to them and your ability to convince them that they are better off having them than not. Another example is when an organization has a limited budget for the actual speaking services but have additional funds available for educational materials. Offering them your books, CDs and other reinforcement materials for distribution to each of the attendees allows them to tap into other sources of revenue that will fit nicely into your bank account. Another method of establishing a relative range for your fees comes from the chart on the following page. The basic criteria for assessing proficiency level as a speaker is based on a survey that was conducted by Juanell Teague (www.juanellteague.com). The rates are from a survey of speakers bureaus conducted in 1994. The fees shown are an average and represent a single program, whether the program is 45 minutes or a full day. As with anything else of this nature, nothing is to be construed as being absolute nor is anything shown here intended to represent what you should be charging as a speaker. It is simply a convenient reference base for determining where you are with respect to the industry. Speakers Levels and Criteria For Development
LEVEL 1. Beginning Speaker Part-Time Speaker Toastmaster 2. Part-Time Speaker NSA Toastmaster. 3. Beginning Professional Speaker Full Time NSA Credential/Attainments Profile or Occupation High achiever Successful Representative of company or industry Consultants College Professors Another job; some speaking Jobs through direct marketing Development of marketing tools, brochures, audiotapes, etc. Beginning to write a book Needs and audio tape for demo Has one support person Length of Time in Level Experience 1-20 years Civic Assn. Association mtgs. Service clubs 1-5 years High Fee $500 Low Fee $0
$850
$100
3-5 years Solid client list must be established Must build a heavy momentum before advancing to the next level
$2,000
$1,000
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LEVEL 4.Established Full Time Speaker Full-Time NSA
5. Accomplished Professional Speaker Full-Time NSA
6. Celebrity Speaker Full-Time NSA
7. Famous Speaker, Part-Time
Credential/Attainments Profile or Occupation Book being published Make or break time Requires great amount of momentum Referral business (they know you before you know them) Needs a video demo and other sophisticated marketing tools Starting development of passive income products Building office staff of 3-4 people Specialist, nationally recognized expertise Extremely good speaker Becoming a best-selling author Referrals; indirect marketing Spin off and repeat business Strong image; in great demand Requires sophisticated marketing tools Heavy into passive income selling Book on best seller list Nationally known Becoming TV personality Becoming business or household name Developing other businesses to build on fame TV and movie personalities Political speakers Famous celebrities
Length of Time in Level Experience 3-5 years Most critical time frame for the professional speaker to advance
High Fee $3,500
Low Fee $2,500
Indefinite for professional speaker Can move to celebrity status
$9,000
$4,000
Can be short lived
$25,00 0
$10,00 0
As long as famous
$75,00 0
$25,00 0
What you call your fees and your program will have a distinct bearing on whether you get your full-posted fee or whether you have to get creative and negotiate either it or your services. Custom keynote speeches and custom tailored trainings carry more value and are easier to obtain full fees from than general speeches that are applicable to virtually anybody, anywhere, at any time. In addition to the mechanical considerations shown above, there are also three distinct schools of thought about how a speaker should handle the negotiation of his or her fees: 1. Fee or FreeThis philosophy simply says that you do not waiver from your set fee structure. If you cannot get your full fee, you either decline the opportunity Professional Speaking for the Clueless 129
or do it for free. Period! For those speakers who are in a position to operate within this context, this is great. If, on the other hand, you're not in a strong leveraging position or cannot afford to be so altruistic as to say full fee or free, there are two other alternatives. 2. Negotiated Full FeeWith this technique, you are actually negotiating your value to the person booking you and the persons they represent rather than negotiating your fee. This technique requires creativity in negotiating because you, as a speaker, will have to find creative ways to work with the person who wants to book you, but who doesn't have the full amount of cash in hand to pay your fees. There are many ways to collect fees such as trade-outs for goods or services or offering to give a little more time for an additional presentation as long as you're in town and getting another group or sub-group to pay for that presentation. This technique assumes that you are a good negotiator, have lots of creative ways to augment your speaking services, and that the person who's interested in booking you has the time, resources, and inclination to assist you in developing a program that is orders of magnitude more complicated that the original intent of simply booking you for a speech or training. 3. Negotiated FeeFor most of us, until our calendar fills up with full fee engagements, we're going to have to take a lesser fee with promises for the future, whether they actually occur or not. This doesn't necessarily mean that you are compromising your fee structure as much as it means that you're flexible and working towards a win-win relationship with the client. Dr. Terry Paulson, PhD, CSP, CPAE (www.terrypaulson.com) has a technique for offering services at a reduced fee. Establish one or more reduced fee days for your speaking calendar and advise your client of those days and when they are available. This way, you are offering special budget days that are your way of making your services available to those who are not in a position to pay your full fees, but the number of presentations you're willing to discount is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. Keep in mind that speakers new to their field with little reputation generally cannot charge what more accomplished and experienced speakers can charge. However, there are exceptions to everything. Common sense, ethics, and your own needs will weigh heavily on the decisions you make regarding fee integrity and negotiating your rates.
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Calculating your fees and publishing them for all to see is not a guarantee that you're always going to get what you published. Many times clients simply do not have the budget to match your fees and the choice of accepting a lesser amount is strictly up to you. Make sure that the fees you're charging and the speaking services you are offering are appropriate for the market you are targeting, for the geographic area where you're located, for the group that you're addressing, for your perceived value as a speaker on your topic, and for the budgets involved. Requesting a fee of $5,000 per day plus travel and expenses may be an excellent rate for a meeting planner with a million dollar budget, but it's not going to be acceptable to a local women's club who is trying to raise funds for a local charity and only has $500 to spend. Period! This doesn't make your fees wrong nor does it make the women's club a bad client. The fees requested may be either inappropriate for the client or the client may be an inappropriate place to be offering your services, whichever perspective or viewpoint you choose to take. One Last Observation By doing some conscientious research (Whats conscientious? I asked a lot of people, thats how) I discovered that there is a direct correlation between revenue generation and audience attitude. Each speaker and every presentation has an audience. The mental attitude of the audience or their mindset will determine how you are able to make revenues. The table below lists the seven basic attitudes that we encounter. Depending on the organization, the degree of commitment, etc., the attitudes change and the ability to garner revenues as a result of the engagement changes with it.
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AUDIENCE ATTITUDE Forced
EXAMPLE Mandatory continuing education units Company mandated training Meeting entertainment Mandatory continuing education units Company mandated training Business growth Service club entertainment Trade shows Personal interest Business growth Service club entertainment Trade shows Association meetings Meeting entertainment Association meetings Personal growth and development Business growth and development Entrepreneurial skills for growth Association meetings Personal growth and development Business growth and development Entrepreneurial skills for growth Personal growth and development Business growth and development Entrepreneurial skills for growth
Willing
Curious
Interested
Enthusiastic
Anxious
Desperate
F = fees or front side. P = products or BORS B = back side, consulting, sales and referrals
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Chapter 13 - Products
What do products have to do with marketing your services as a speaker? Plenty, because they serve the multiple purpose of positioning you as an expert in your field, provide the most credible marketing materials you can create, and serve as a revenue generation system that can double or triple your speaking income! First and foremost, I need to admit that when I was a kid and filled out those surveys that asked what I wanted to be when I was growing up, that the word writer was conspicuous by its absence. Yet here I am, writing like crazy and getting paid for it. No, I didnt change my career or go back to school to improve my writing skills (although I could probably use it), but I did do something importantI packaged what I knew, and what people in my programs question me about, in a format that allows them to take a piece of my knowledge and experience home with them so they can relate and absorb the material at their own pace and reinforce the learning experience when they need it. Fundamentally, there have always been credibility reasons for speakers to create information and support products. The motivation behind this concept is exemplified in the old adage: publish or perish! Youll probably recognize the clich as coming from the world of academia because teachers need to publish if they want to become tenured and promoted to positions in the hierarchy of education.
Publish or Perish
Speakers have the same concerns as teachers because we both deal in the same commodityintellectual informationthat cant be felt, touched, or physically experienced after the program is over. Packaging your knowledge and information in written form is the classic form of embodying information in a fixed or tangible form to establish your credibility as an expert in your field. However, depending on your market, you might have even better luck with audio CDs, DVDs, CD-ROMs, and e-books.
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The bottom line is that sending your book, tape, or other material to a potential client positions you as a published expert in that area and provides greater credibility on the topic than a person who doesnt have published materials. I can speak from first hand experience about the credibility of having published on a particular topicboth positive and negative. Ive landed clients because of the materials Ive published and sent as samples and lost speaking engagements to others speakers who werent necessarily better or more knowledgeable, but who had published specifically on the topic that the meeting planner wanted. Once you get past the advertising and promotional value of your products, youll find that they allow you flexibility in setting your fees and alternate ways to generate revenues both at your presentations as BORS (Back Of Room Sales) and as SWIS (Sells While I Sleep) money. Speakers are service providers and when were not providing services, were not making money. The answer to this dilemma is to provide information products that generate revenues when were not on the platform and even while were sleeping. As mentioned above, books are the classic technique but in todays rapidly changing world, there are a variety of economical, profitable methods available that will enhance and increase your revenue stream. The reason that this variety of venues works so well has to do with the word appropriate, which loosely translated means correct and proper. For example, it might be appropriate for an attendee to listen to audio recordings of your presentation because they spend a lot of travel time in the car whereas a book might be of little value because they dont have the time to read it. On the other hand, many people prefer the written word so they can highlight the parts that are important to them. Notice that its not about right, wrong, good or bad, but it is about your packaging technique being appropriate for the needs and learning styles of your audience. By offering a variety of products in an array of media types youll enhance your credibility and improve your revenue stream. Another key element of product development is the support of the five-point program for generating revenues. Speaking is not, and should not be, a stand-alone projectnot if you want to make money, that is. Speaking, especially if you are providing some form of skills training, offers a variety of ways to generate revenues from the same client by refocusing and
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repackaging your knowledge in different ways to accomplish a variety of objectivesall of which are paid for by the client. Here are the elements of the five-point program. Look at the chart below and notice that reinforcement materials that the client will pay for can be used to support all five of them. 1. Needs assessment including pre-assessment tools 2. Program development including customized programming 3. Delivery of the program (ILTinstructor led training) 4. Post program testing and assessment 5. Post training reinforcement and aftermarket recommendations The chart below shows a variety of products and their utilization within the fivepoint program. Notice that all five areas can be supported by a variety of delivery techniques. Also take careful note of the fact that these are simply guidelines and not intended to represent all of the possibilities. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to create new products, in new delivery mediums, for different areas of need. Reinforcement Materials and Support Services
Needs Assessment Program Development Program Delivery Assessment and Testing Aftermarket Recommendations
Book/Workbook Booklet Notes/Worksheet X Newsletter Audio Tape/CD Videotape (DVD) CD-ROM Games/Exercises Field Research X Interactive Exercises Tests and Reports X Additional training/ coaching Media materials (Print/audio/video)
X X X X X X X X X
X X X
X X X X
X X X X X X X X
X X X
Each element has a variety of products that can be developed and sold for each of the different components of the presentation. If you can sell additional materials
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and dont, youre leaving money on the table. Lets examine each of these in detail so you can decide for yourself which ones will best suit your needs. Books Of all the information delivery vehicles you can create, a book still gives the most credibility and opens the most doors for profits. One thing Ive found over the years is that the audience is primarily, if not exclusively, interested in themselvesnot us! If youre writing to sell books and make money, make sure that the focus and benefits are for the audience. Someday when youre rich, famous, and people care about the way you vote, you can write your memoirs and have a best seller. In the meantime, seriously consider writing how to books that tell the reader, step-by-step, how to accomplish something that they want to achieve. You can weave your personal experiences and philosophies into the book, but make the focus reader centered and youll have a book that you can use for a variety of applications. My friend, Dr. Marv Marshall, wrote a great book for academicians called Discipline Without Stress, Punishments or Rewards. (www.DisciplineWithoutStress.com). Its based on his experiences and successes as a teacher, principal, and educator and its primary market is academicians who are having disciplinary problems and who cant figure out how to handle the situation short of calling in the U.S. Marines. Marv is primarily a motivational keynote speaker and is considered to be one of the best presenters in his field. He also does training sessions as well as custom tailored coaching sessions for selected clients. Even though the book is based on Marvs extensive experience as an educator and principal and the success hes had in getting students to concentrate on getting an education instead of harassing the teachers and wasting their formative years, Marvs focus is to show others how they can apply the same principles and be successful. Marvs approach is brilliant, well structured, and applicable for all levels of classroom and learning environments. (I think it should be required reading for all parents too!). The book does several things for Marv:
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1. It gives him credibility as the worlds leading authority on the topic because hes the one who wrote the book. 2. It gives him a pre-sale item for all the attendees. 3. It gives him an aftermarket sales tool for people who attend his presentation. 4. It can actually be used as a reference book, textbook, or workbook in a variety of training programs. Workbooks or how to books are among the best selling types of books in the world. Following our concept of follow the money, it makes sense to author this type of book to obtain maximum return on your investment of time. My partner and I have authored several books. They, like this e-book, are how to books, workbooks, manuals, or guidebookswhichever term you prefer. We create them because they position us as experts and authorities in the topics we have selected to address. When we offer our programs at college seminars and workshops, they provide us with a revenue-generating tool that makes the venue viable because most continuing education programs dont pay much (typically, $30 to $50 per hour). However, when we require a $30 materials fee for our book and CD, the cash flow increases dramatically. (For example 25 attendees at $30 = $750 plus the $150 = $900 for a 3-hour local program with zero marketing costs). (If you do 200+ of these a year like we do and see how fast the cash adds up.) One of my students, Kyle Thorsen, is a handyman. He charges $50 per hour for his work and decided to offer seminars in college community education classes on how to become a handyman. He titled his book, How To Make $50 Per Hour Screwing In Light Bulbs. (No Kidding folks!). He charges the attendees $20 for the book and has recently raised both his handyman and consulting rates to $65 per hour because hes now the published authority. Here are some simple secrets for writing profitable books: 1. Get a copy of our CD called Self-Publishing for the Clueless. (www.CluelessMike.com). Itll explain everything you need to know about self publishing for profit.
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2. Write workbooks with scholars (2 wide) margins. These wide margins are great for taking notes or for adding your own special tips during the writing process. 3. Use a 12-point serif (the ones with the little tails) font or larger. Kids may be able to read little type but older adults cant see. 4. Write your books using standard 8 x 11 pages on a word processor like Word or WordPerfect. Theyre widely used, easy to learn, powerful, and provide all the elements youll need to create a good looking finished book. 5. Write in 16 page signatures. Printers use a master sheet of paper that has 8 pages per side which when printed, is folded and trimmed to make a 16-page signature. Youll pay for the 16 pages whether you use it or not so be careful and write in even 16 page increments. To make the book appear substantial, make sure that you have at least six signatures (96 pages). 6. Get yourself an ISBN number so you can individually identify all of your books (and other products too). Places like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble will insist on it so you might as well do it right away. You can obtain the ISBN Number from R.R. Bowker at www.Bowker.com. After you get your ISBN number, put it on all your books and other products along with a UPC bar code so you can offer the material for retail sales. You can get software to add it into your back cover design or have your cover designer do it for you. 7. If youre going to offer your book at retail, consider having a four color cover designed so it stands out on the retail shelf. If youre only selling it via mail order or as a workbook for your programs, use a two-color cover for cost savings. You can have covers designed, complete with camera-ready artwork, for $150-$600 depending on colors and complexity by the Printing Press in Carson, California. Contact Leslie Sears at 310-538-3321. 8. The best printing prices available for books and workbooks are from Short Run Solutions. You can print a 112 page workbook, 8 x 11, for as little as $1.84 workbook in a 2,000 piece quantity. Contact Reg Frechette at 310640-0668. 9. Keep ALL graphics and clip art to 300 DPI. If you need higher resolution and detail, the cost will go up rapidly. 10. Make the Suggested Retail Price (SRP) $20 or multiples of $20. This is ATM money and in a seminar where there is some confusion and rapid purchasing of product, $20 bills are very easy to handle and dont require making change. Booklets Based on results, the best credibility enhancer is a book, but if you want to create a more definitive focus or expand your area of expertise, Ill highly recommend
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doing a series of tips booklets to demonstrate your expertise on a related topic without having to write and publish an entire new book. For example, my partner, Nancy Miller, wrote the book on getting rid of clutter and getting organized called Clutterology www.clutterology.com. She has created credibility on the topic and although the book is superb and gets rave reviews, it doesnt go into depth on any particular area of concern and might not get her the notoriety and attention she wants from a targeted market. She enhanced the book by doing a tips booklet called 101 Tips For Organizing Legal Office Filing Systems. Now, shes established herself as an expert in that specific business arena and stands a greater chance of getting bookings in that industry as well as having a product and sub-product targeted at that industry. She inexpensively creates 16 page booklets (85 each) for a variety of markets and position herself as an expert in each one of them by adding it to her generic book on eliminating clutter and getting organized. Each booklet is 4 x 8 and contains 16 mini-pages and a coated stock cover with a contrasting color of ink for the titling (for example black and white). You can create them in Word or any other computer program that lets you work within the physical guidelines and send the camera-ready copy to the printer. The guru of tips booklets is Paulette Ensign and her web site is www.tipsbooklets.com. Everything you need to know about writing your own booklets is available from this site. The printer who specializes in printing these mini-gems is Kirkland printing. Contact them at (619) 583-3676 to get a quote, samples, and delivery information. Notes and worksheets Most speaking engagements especially those that are classified as training sessions, will require some form of notes, handouts, or worksheets. Ive never seen any client who would pay for these outlines (although many of them will photocopy them for the attendees) but youll be required to invest your time to create them for the audience. Heres where you can get clever and make money with your handouts by using them as the foundation for your workbooks. Simply expand the notes, outlines, and guidelines to create your workbooks. Youve got the outline complete and all you have to do is fill in the specifics. If you really want an easy way to do it, tape record your presentation and have the notes transcribed. You can bind them up, create a cover, and have them spiral bound for couple of bucks at Office Depot (www.OfficeDepot.com) or other similar locations. Once
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they are bound, they can be sold for $20-$100 depending on the content, volume and perceived value. Reports and reference material If your business career has been anything like mine, youve probably generated more reports than you care to remember. The reason we generated them was because the job required it and money, though highly overrated, was a driving factor in keeping our job so we decided to capitulate and do what the boss dictated. And, just like my reports, yours were probably greeted with a thanks what took you so long? and thrown onto a pile with other material that never actually got read, utilized, or implemented. But now as a speaker, you can actually charge your clients for the hard work and diligence you put into those lengthy volumes of creative material. My friend, Dr. Pete Johnson, (www.strategicplanning.com) charges his clients for a combination of research, training sessions, and the reports he creates as a part of the program. Pete is one of the most successful speakers Ive ever met and knows that his reports, and their implementation, will make the difference between the success and failure of his clients. Here are some ground rules for successfully creating reports that you can sell to your clients: They must be 100 percent accurateyour clients are not only paying for the accuracy, theyre going to use the material in the report to adjust their actions so it must be accurate. They can be lengthythis is probably the one place in your career where you cannot write too much. Reports, by their very nature, are supposed to go into as much detail and minutiae as needed to get the points across and to explain everything that needs to be done to achieve success. They can be self-generated or a compilation of others material (as long as you have permission or they are public domain). They can contain or include interviews of experts in the field. They can be sets of useful materials (for example sample sales letters or sample contracts). Steve Stewart (www.steve-stewart.com) is the best real estate speaker Ive ever known. Steve discovered that there are a ton of sales letters, forms, agreements, and other materials that real estate professionals need to support their sales efforts. Steve bundled up everything into several 140
packages that have audio instructions and all the materials in both Windows and Macintosh format. They can be or contain: o Statistical reviews o Databases o Mailing Lists o Resources. Newsletters This is one of those areas where two people will give you four opinions as to whether or not its profitable to write newsletters. Remember that projects like newsletters take time and as a service provider, thats what youre selling. Make sure that theres a positive return on investment before you embark on one of these ventures. Heres my opinion about newsletters based on observations and cash flow. 1. Newsletters are a good idea if: You can get people to pay you for a newsletter Youre writing and distributing newsletters to keep your name and speaking services in front of clients who are actually hiring you Youre using your newsletter as a forced method of compiling information that you plan to publish in the near future You can get sponsors to pay you (either cash or some form of trade out) to write and distribute your newsletter Your newsletter is getting you orders for your products or services
2. Newsletters are not a good idea if: Youre writing them because your ego says you should Youre not getting any business or referrals from them Your not making enough money to pay for the newsletters hard costs plus your time
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Somebody else who doesnt have to do the work said you should do it because its cool to publish a newsletter.
Notice that I did NOT discriminate or differentiate between paper or e-mail newsletters. The uninformed will tell you that an e-mail newsletter is OK because its virtually free to distribute compared to the printing, handling, and postage costs of a paper version. The reality is that the publication has to show a profit for you or its not worth writing and distributing it, regardless of the delivery method. Even if you break even on the hard costs, youre still throwing away your time and as weve already noted, its the most valuable commodity youve got. Tom Antions e-mail newsletter, available at www.antion.com, is a great example of the right way to do it. He uses it to sell lots of products, advertise his world famous Butt Camp, and get loads of people to sign up for his tele-seminars. His return on investment is outstanding and his reputation as an expert in this field is growing with each issue. One other thought on newsletters I learned when I studied How To Write Good Advertising Copy with Gary Halbert. You can actually bind up a year or two of back newsletters and sell them as a collection for those who believe that you know what youre doing and would like copies of all your past thoughts on the subject under consideration. Gary ended up in Club Fed for tax problems and kept writing his newsletter while he was incarcerated. After he got out, he reinstated his business and offered complete sets of his past newsletters as a signing bonus for those who wanted to subscribe to his newsletter service or who bought one of his training courses on writing. Articles Heres another area of questionable return unless its done properly. Youll notice that it doesnt appear on the chart above and for good reasonIt doesnt have a formal place in the money making scheme unless youre a highly paid writer who produces a regular column. Writing articles is time consuming and seeing your name in print is a poor return on investment unless youre getting cash business in return. Ive written monthly columns for fee and free, and both have had mixed results. Editors, especially trade journal editors and those who publish industry specific newsletters, are always in need of experts to write good, meaty articles that will enhance the credibility of their publication.
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As a general rule, they really dont care about your investment of time and will appeal to your ego saying that your efforts will enhance your credibility because youre now published. OK. I know I said that getting published is critical, and that the articles can serve as foundational information for your book, but give me a break, theres a limit as to how much you can afford to give away. Ed Rigsbee (www.rigsbee.com) taught me several years ago how to make writing articles pay off. Hes made his fame and fortune with his partnering techniques and freely shares the techniques with others. Heres his secret to success with articles: Write articles for trade journals that represent the industry or discipline where you are likely to get hired After youve written them for a specific target audience, try to generalize them and put them on your web site with permission to reprint them as long as you get the credit for authorship. Notify anybody you think will be a good source of notoriety that the articles are available for reprint for FREE Dont jump at the chance to write articles for somebody unless you can justify the investment in time.
Public Domain Materials Theres a whole world of material thats FREE to use but that you can charge for by compiling it and using it as support material for your programs. Under the Copyright laws, all material that is generated by the government, whether federal, state, or municipal, is paid for by our tax dollars and is officially public domain. Simply stated, you can reproduce and distribute it without any restrictions whatsoever. The price that a client pays for this material is for your efforts to research, compile, reproduce, and make it available for their convenience, and not for the original creation or authorship of the work. For example, I offer a course on obtaining U.S. Government Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants. The course material fee is $30 and includes 30 pages of class notes plus a CDROM that contains PDF files with over 300 pages of directly applicable material
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plus links and references to an additional 8,000 pages of reference, financial, and support material. I spent weeks researching the material and compiling it into a simple, easy to use, CD-ROM, that the attendees can use as a complete reference base for their own efforts in researching and applying for SBIR grants. The material is well worth the $30 price because the attendees would have to invest weeks of their own time in locating the materials. My charge for the public domain material covers my efforts in researching it for them plus the reproduction costs. Matthew Lesco (http://www.governmentgrant.com) has been making a fortune for many years with his books on government giveaways. His technique is to write an outline of what the government has to offer the public and the business sector in the ways of grants and other government sponsored programs. He then researches whats currently available, where to find them, and the basics of how to apply for them, and includes material that the government has generated in his manual. Matthew actually writes very little of the material other than the outline, recommendations and conclusions, but hes allowed to reproduce and distribute the governments material in his book for free because its public domain. Just like my SBIR materials, hes charging for the research and reproduction rather than the original authorship. Audio products First, we need to clear up a misconception about audiotapes vs. audio CDs audiotapes are NOT going away at least not anywhere soon. According to the latest statistics, the average U.S. household has 3.5 cassette players. If you want to record your information on audiotape, there will be a market and a lot of players out there for a long time to come. On the other had, if you decide to use the CD format, do some research to make sure your target market is predominantly CD based or youll have a lot of high tech coasters on your product inventory shelves. That being said, second to books, audio is the best information product you can generate because its a non-intrusive medium. If you think about it, even though books are highly revered and respected, they require that the reader dedicate time to read. Video based material requires that you dedicate time, special space, and unique equipment whereas audio can be multi-tasked while working, driving, or jogging.
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What you record on audio is pretty much up to you but the best material doesnt need a visual component. That means that if the audio has to be accompanied by pictures, a workbook, or something that requires an effort other than listening, its not quite as effective as something that stands alone naturally. The most common audio products are live recordings of your presentation so the audience can take a piece of you back to share over and over again. Digital recorders are under $200 and small enough to fit into your pocket or clip on your belt. With a digital master, you can create any other medium you want including CDs and high quality audiotapes. One of my favorite techniques requires a little more equipment and an interviewer, but its fun and highly saleable. Its basic format is an interview but its different because you write down 100+ questions about your topic and then have another speaker ask you the questions in a Larry King style interview. When its over, youll have 101 of the most commonly asked questions about the topic that youre most expert in as answered by you, one of the countrys leading authorities on the topic.
Three Hour Q & A CD
These are especially good if your audience follows you to the rest room to ask you questions after the program is over or if you are a trainer and have more material than the program allows time for. The third technique that seems to sell well is taking your material, dividing it into 12-18 modules, and recording it as a training set. Look at everyone from Tony Robbins to Steven Coveythats what theyve done and theyre making money doing it. Current statistics say that the average driver spends about 20 minutes on a commute, so 20 minute cassettes or CDs are the most expeditious length. Im not sure I buy either the statistics or the logic but I do know that if you break up any material into short sound bytes, whether its practicing telephone techniques or psyching yourself up to be a better person, that youll keep the attention of the audience longer than if you just ramble on forever. The media has proven that sound bytes work best so if you were doing this kind of project, Id stay with the short tape concept and make the product conform to what the public says it wants.
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DVDs If you want to be your own video producer, director, and distributor, remember that handheld video camera systems can be had from $249 (new), $99 used, and wireless microphones start at about $100 bucks. Whats even more exciting is that the world of computer technology has made it super cheap and really easy to convert tape to DVD using your computer. You can get a DVD burner for about $100 and software packages to convert and copy to the DVD format for anywhere from $20 to $100. The Studio digital editing software is available for $99 or less from Pinnacle Systems at www.pinnaclesys.com and allows you to digitize, edit and create a variety of digital mediums including CD-ROMS and DVDs. Microsoft has the Windows Media Recorder for FREE at www.microsoft.com. This amazing piece of software allows you to take your video files and convert them for play on everything from a 28.8 modem on a web site though direct play from a CD. Of course, if you dont want to do it yourself, I strongly recommend that you contact professional videotape production specialists like Bob Chesney at www.videocc.com. Theyll tape, edit, and produce the material for you under contract. Now that weve satisfied your techno-lust, lets look at the actual material youre going to put on the medium. Remember, first and foremost, this is what makes up the value component that the audience is really buying. The first place to start, just like with audio, is with a recording of your live performance. If the audience loved you in person, theyll probably want to take home the video so they can experience you over and over again. For those of you who are strictly keynote speakers, its time for you to take a coffee break because thats it for you. The trainers, (or keynote speakers who also do training sessions) however, should stick around because weve got a lot more in store for you with the video medium. Training programs usually have a high visual content, so the use of video helps to reinforce that concept especially, if youre using graphs, charts, props, or other visual aids. If your audience needs pre-training to get them ready for your big day, you can pre-record the material that they need to know and understand before you arrive to dazzle them in person.
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Of course, video taping the training session so the attendees can use it as reinforcement material is a natural. Next comes the material that you wont have time to cover in the training session (sound familiar?). Seriously consider taping the extra hours of material that are needed but that the organization just cant spare the time to have you deliver in person. If the training requires ongoing or updated sessions, consider using video to stay in touch or to conduct training without having to jump on an airplane and show up in person. This one sounds strange but you might be surprised at how well it works. Gather up 10-20 questions from the attendees, answer them on videotape, and send the primary client the tape together with permission to make as many copies as necessary. This is the next best thing to answering their questions from the platform plus it gives the added benefit of conducting a one-on-one session with the client. I have mixed emotions about putting the games and exercise that you do in person on DVD. I have an associate that says its the worst idea anybody ever came up with unless youre selling training on how to conduct games and other interactive exercises. Im not sure I agree completely especially, if the exercise helps to reinforce the training that will be or has been given. When my friend Jim Zinger, CSP, brought the Hypmovation Training Institute (www.hypmovation.com) out of retirement a few years back, I had the privilege of working with him on the project. During the first training classes, Jim had an associate tape all of the hypnosis exercises as reinforcement tools for the attendees. Having spent as much time as I did with Jim and the project, I can attest to the fact that the tapes are an invaluable learning aid to assist people who didnt understand everything during the actual training session. In fact, Im pretty sure that many of the people needed the repetition to become proficient in the craft and the taped exercises went a long way towards supporting that need. Take a close look at the games, exercises, and interactive elements of your presentation. If any or all of them could assist a client or an attendee in increasing their proficiency in the selected topic area, think about creating a videotape of the activities and offering it to them. Field Research This is also known as pre-program questioning and is a key element in the preparation of both keynotes and trainings.
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Ive conducted innumerable surveys, conference calls, and pre-program questionnaire exercises to focus and tailor my programs. (Havent you?) In some cases, the meeting planners were more concerned about including the topics that the industry participants had voiced concern over than the quality of my delivery and presentations skills. In many industries, like research and technology, publishing the results of questionnaires, tests, reports, panel discussions, and other related activities is an integral part of the process because it explains how the topics that were addressed, rose to the importance of being needed to be addressed. In other words, it justifies and explains why the material that was presented, was presented, the way it was presented, and how it was selected. The video medium seems to work best for this type of delivery because it contains the visual component and according to the latest theories regarding NLP, the way people react, look, move, squirm, fidget, and avoid eye contact while being queried can be as significant as the verbal answers they give. Internet and web based products In the unlikely event that you've been living under a rock for the last fifteen years, you'll be pleased to know that your telephone line can now be used for something more than generating a busy signal. OK, bad joke, but then, Ive never billed myself as a humorist (good thing too, huh?). In all seriousness though, the Internet really is a great place to deliver high volumes of material for very little money. Its principle function is as a high-speed information delivery vehicle that reaches most of the world at the speed of light. Since were in the information business, its a natural vehicle for supplying our clients with reinforcement material that they both need and are willing to pay for. There are a variety of software programs and firms who can set up your speeches, training sessions, and support material to be offered online, in both a lecture format and an interactive participant venue. Check out www.payloadz.com for a pay as its used version of pay per download services. Many speakers are using the web to deliver short video demonstration clips of their speaking and training skills. These are a fast way to give a potential client a demonstration of your platform skills without having to wait for your video demo tape to arrive.
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You can also create video training clips using the Windows Media Recorder (www.microsoft.com/media.htm) and deliver them, online, when the client needs them. A great example of commercializing the entire process is Education To Go (www.ed2go.com) who currently offers their entire catalog of programs at over 750 colleges, universities, and adult schools, as a text only, semi-passive course. (Sort of like an online correspondence course). Several other firms can create courses with graphics, multi-media, and interactivity if your material requires those elements to be effective. Since this is fast paced technology, Id check out whats currently the hot technology before I started to convert my material to their format. Then, theres always the sweat equity method where you create your own course using PowerPoint, Producer, or other multi-media presentation programs that allow the web site visitor to control the presentation material like an automatic slide show program. Whatever software delivery system you choose, youll be making time, money, and technology tradeoffs regarding the effective delivery of text, graphics, audio, video, and software. The Bottom Line on Products Im using all of these techniques to generate revenues and create credibility, and that Ive encouraged my clients and students to do the same thing. Its probably the best example Ive ever had in my life for walking the talk. Ill frankly admit that when I started my speaking career that I didnt have much in the way of product. Notes, handouts, and a little booklet were the entire inventory. There were many speaking opportunities that simply didnt justify the time and effort to speak because they client didnt have the dollars for speaking fees to make it worth my while. After I started creating products to offer to the organizations and attendees, I discovered that there are a lot of dollars to be made by collecting nickels, dimes and quarters from the sale of material Id generated and made available.
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Chapter 14Contracts and Agreements

If you want to lose money in the speaking business, do business on a handshake instead of a written agreement.
Mike Rounds
Speakers Proposal and Contractual Agreement To ensure that all parties in an arrangement understand everything that is involved, a written agreement of some form is a necessity. These agreements are not intended as much for litigation purposes as they are for the purpose of clarification and understanding. Whenever you agree to do a speaking engagement, you must insist on working with a written contract. Aside from the obvious legal protection with a contract, it has many other advantages. One of the important advantages of a contract is that it demonstrates to the client that we take our own business responsibilities seriously and professionally. Types of Contracts Your client may prefer to use his or her own agreement for the engagement. If this is acceptable to you, be sure that you review the agreement carefully and seek the advice of learned counsel on any matters that you do not understand or agree with. These samples are included here as a foundation for your speaking business and I encourage you to use them, in any form you find expedient, as often as possible to ensure that all the parties involved get what they want and need out of the consulting arrangement. These contracts and agreements are: Letter of Agreement. Formal Contract or Legalese Style. Contingent Commitment Agreement. Work-For-Hire Agreement.
These are sample forms and agreements that you can use. Use these agreements as the basic form for your needs, and then take the completed filled-in form(s) to legal counsel. Counsel then can watch for specifics that apply to the situation. Generally, it costs less to review a document than to create it.
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Letter of Agreement The letter of agreement can be informal or formal. With some clients, simple is better. Youll want to use it to break down the essence and particulars of the speaking assignment so both of you remember more clearly and behave more predictably. In this sample agreement, there are fourteen important elements that need to be clarified and agreed to. This is a sample that contains what is needed for this particular engagement but the actual proposal that you prepare and submit may be of different formats and lengths and should contain anything that is of importance to the both you and the client. Keep in mind that everything in this agreement is negotiable and that the validity of this, or any agreement, is only as valid as the integrity of the persons who are involved. The important elements to look for are: 1. Promotional material included 2. Where and how to obtain additional material 3. Content and focus of proposed program 4. Date of program 5. Length of program 6. Time of program 7. Fees for program 8. Travel arrangements 9. Taping of program 10. AV requirements 11. Handouts that are included at no charge 12. Additional materials that will be made available to the participants for a fee 13. Terms of payment 14. Conditions of acceptance
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Sample letter of agreement John Doe ABC Company 123 Anywhere Road Anyplace, CA 12345 Speaking For Your Upcoming Program Hi John, Thanks for the opportunity to be of service to you and your group on February 30th, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. As requested, I have included a copy of my video demo with this letter. The material is focused around the Marketing for the Clueless program that I currently offer to a variety of audiences. There is also a complete media package, audio demo, and some program descriptions for your review. If I am favored with this assignment, I would like to get some more details about the focus of the conference so I can tailor the program to meet your exact needs. Since my business is marketing services based on practical principles, this program is a natural fit for my areas of expertise where marketing, and its future, are blended with the elements of technology, to demonstrate the advantages of integrating technological advancements into the marketing efforts, as a critical element in saving time, saving money, and making money. My web site www.MikeRounds.com has material that you can use as a reference and our corporate web site www.RoundsMiller.com has even more material plus a 3-minute streaming video demonstration piece. The program will tentatively cover the role of the currently available technology, ranging from the palm computers though desktop computers, cellular communications, the Internet and the web, integrated into the practical philosophies, as productivity tools in marketing that will help the individuals, and their organizations, make money, save money and save time. I will prepare custom handouts with resources and references that the attendees can utilize to enhance and reinforce the programs contents. I will supply these as a set of master handouts that you can reproduce and distribute to the attendees. Please note that my fees are the same whether you have me present for 1 hour or 3-hours (which is a half-day fee) or up to 6-hours (which is a full day fee). If this flexibility appeals to you, what we may wish to consider is a combination of
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speaking and feedback questions followed by a panel discussion that I would moderate. Since I will be there the evening before the program, you may wish to consider an up sell to an additional event on How To Become an Internet Search Expert. This is a program based on my CD and will require 1-2 hours. If you are interested in adding this program, I will do the program for free as a part of your program and sell the CD as a way of making some revenues. My AV requirements are an LCD projector that provides 1600 ANSI Lumens (minimum) and supports an 1024 x 768 video input from an IBM PC compatible laptop computer. I use a wireless lavaliere microphone and will bring my own as a backup. I will arrive the day before the event and will stay the night, flying home the following day after the program has been delivered. My room is to be a single room, non-smoking room with a double bed, and my airfare is to be coach class, round trip, plus a rental car from the airport. I would prefer that the hotel as well as the round trip airfare be direct billed to your organization. Additional expenses will be invoiced net 7 days. My fee for this engagement is $XXXX or $ZZZZZ if you elect to have me present for the entire for the entire day. My terms for this engagement are 50 percent in advance, to accompany a signed copy of this letter of agreement and the remaining 50 percent to be paid the day of the engagement. I understand that you are interested in videotaping the program for your training archives. You may tape my program, at no additional charge, for in-house usage only providing I receive a digital master for my own, unrestricted use. If you accept the terms and conditions Ive outlined, simply sign one copy of this letter and return it with a check for 50 percent of the programs and well consider it as a firm agreement. I will call you in a few days to make sure you received the material. In the meantime, if there are any questions or if you require any additional material, please give me a call. Thanks again Mike Rounds Enclosures:
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Formal contract or legalese style Many people who have transitioned from large corporations and the military aerospace world prefer these because they include contingency provisions for just about anything that might go wrong. The caution in using these lengthy and complicated agreements is that if you are not comfortable with them or do not understand the exact meaning of the terminology used, seek the assistance of someone who does. These contracts are not intended as an instrument to cheat you. If you inadvertently sign and agree to something that you do not understand, you may be committing yourself to performance that is either not what you intended, or that is outside your scope of capability to provide. This is a more comprehensive type of agreement that actually incorporates a consulting contract of work, confidentiality agreement, terms, conditions, and time-line all in a single document. Sample Formal Contract THIS IS A TRAINING CONTRACT BETWEEN: John Doe 123 Main St Los Angeles CA 98765 213-555-1212 AND ABC Company 0 Main Street Central Valley, CA 99999 312-555-2121 SERVICES: John Doe will perform the services to develop and deliver a comprehensive training program that includes recommended texts and reference materials to be offered to the employees of ABC Company in the area of customer service. TASK 1: Develop and administer a needs analysis program to determine the actual needs and competencies of the employees of ABC Company in the area of customer service. TASK 2: Create a complete customer service-training course for the employees of ABC Company that can be delivered in six, three-hour increments.
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TASK 3: Deliver the customer training course, as outlined in Task 2 above, to the employees of the ABC Company, on six consecutive Monday mornings, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., commencing on Monday, February 30th, 2020, and continuing for the following five Mondays. TASK 4: Following the completion of the sixth training session, and within two weeks of the last session, at a mutually agreed upon time, administer a formal review and analysis of the progress of the attendees in the area of customer service. TASK 5: Within ten working days of the completion of the analysis of the employees proficiency, deliver a written report to the management of the ABC Company outlining the proficiency gains of the employees who attended the customer service training session plus recommendation for additional training sessions required to ensure that the employees of the ABC Company maintain the highest level of proficiency in their customer services skills. COMPENSATION: As full compensation for the services to be performed by John Doe, ABC Company shall pay John Doe per the terms and agreement as outlined below: 1. The sum of $XXXXX shall be paid to John Doe at the onset of work, which is to be coincidental with the signing of this agreement. 2. The sum of $ZZZZZ shall be paid to John Doe upon completion of the five tasks as outlined above. In support of this effort, it is mutually understood, and agreed to by both John Doe and ABC, that ABC will supply to John Doe full and complete description of all goods, services, contracts, and/or related items that are to be included and/or incorporated into the services as proposed. If requested and required, at the completion of the project, John Doe shall surrender any and all documents and/or articles loaned to him by ABC in support of this project. DELIVERY OF ITEMS/COMPLETION OF TASKS: All task items, #1 through #5, as delineated herein, shall, to the greatest extent practicable, be completed and accomplished to the satisfaction of ABC on the days agreed upon above. TRAVEL EXPENSES: Reasonable, out-of-pocket travel expenses (tourist-class transportation, hotel, and meals) incurred by John Doe in connection with any trip made by John Doe at the request and with prior approval of ABC will be paid by ABC. INCIDENTAL EXPENSES: All mutually agreed upon expenses, which are either initialed or agreed upon in writing, actually incurred by John Doe, incidental to the services performed, will be paid by ABC.
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INVOICE AND PAYMENT: John Doe shall submit invoices for services and expenses incurred (including receipts for items in excess of $25) and ABC shall make payment within seven days of the date of the invoice. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: John Doe agrees not to disclose or to induce ABC to use any confidential information that may be acquired from any third party during the term of this agreement. John Doe represents that he is free to disclose to ABC, without breach of any obligation to a third party, any and all information needed to perform services under this agreement. John Doe further agrees to indemnify and hold ABC harmless from and against all losses, liabilities, damages, expenses, or claims against ABC based on a breach of obligation by John Doe to a third party in disclosing any third party property to ABC during performance of the services under this agreement. During the course of performing services, John Doe may become aware of and receive confidential information, including data, designs, ideas, methods, reports, plans, or other proprietary matters of ABC. John Doe agrees to receive and hold in strict confidence for and on behalf of ABC all information that John Doe creates in connection with or as a result of performing services under this agreement, including data, designs, ideas, methods, reports, suggestions, or other confidential information. John Doe agrees not to use, or disclose, any of such information to any person either during or after the termination of this agreement unless such information is, or becomes, public knowledge. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: All inventions, innovations, discoveries, improvements, ideas, and suggestions (rights), whether patentable or unpatentable, conceived, made, reduced to practice, or created by John Doe, resulting from or arising out of the services performed by John Doe under this agreement and relating in whole or in part to the business of ABC, will be promptly communicated in writing by John Doe to ABC and shall become the sole property of ABC. John Doe represents and warrants that John Doe has no obligation to any third party that would be breached by the disclosure and assignment of rights to ABC. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR: John Doe, with respect to the services performed under this agreement, is acting as an independent contractor, and not as an employee. Other persons, firms, or corporations during this agreement may employ John Doe. Any employees or other personnel engaged by John Doe shall be under the exclusive direction and control of John Doe. John Doe shall assume and discharge for his own account all costs, expenses, and charges necessary or incidental to the performance of services (for example mileage, telephone charges, fax charges, etc.). TERM AND TERMINATION: This agreement is effective from the date first written below and shall terminate when the terms and conditions on the attached Statement of Work have been completed. This agreement may be terminated by ABC by giving three days notice to John Doe, in the event of death, illness or injury that will permanently prevent the performance of service required under
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this agreement, or if for any reason John Doe fails to perform any services as delineated in this agreement, after request by ABC, for a period of four consecutive weeks. Either party may terminate this agreement on breach of any of the terms by the other party by giving three days notice to the other party. In the event that John Doe is in breach, and ABC cancels the contract, any advance monies shall be returned to ABC. In the event that ABC is in breach, and John Doe cancels the contract, any and all monies paid to John Doe shall remain the property of John Doe and shall not be required to be returned. Termination of this agreement for any reason shall not affect John Doe's obligation under paragraphs regarding Intellectual Property and date is the date of receipt, since such date cannot be easily proved by the sender. ENTIRE AGREEMENT: This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter contained in it and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous representations, agreements, or understandings between the parties. No amendment or supplement of this agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties. No waiver of any one provision of this agreement shall constitute waiver of any other provision, nor shall any one waiver constitute a continuing waiver. In the event suit is brought to enforce or interpret any part of this agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover as an element of his costs of suit, and not as damages, a reasonable attorneys fee to be fixed by the court. The prevailing party shall be the party who is entitled to recover the costs of suit, whether or not the suit proceeds to final judgment. A party not entitled to recover his costs shall not recover attorneys fees. No sum for attorneys fees shall be counted in calculating the amount of a judgment for purposes of determining whether a party is entitled to recover his costs or attorneys fees. No waiver shall be binding unless executed in writing by the party against whom the waiver is asserted. The terms, conditions, and statements contained herein are hereby mutually agreed upon as being the full and complete tasks required for the successful completion of this contract. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have set their hands and seals on the day and year hereinafter set forth. __________________________________ ____________________________ John Doe Date 123 Main St, Los Angeles CA 98765 __________________________________ ____________________________ ABC Company Date 0 Main Street Central Valley, CA 99999
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Description of Contingent Commitment Agreement A Contingent Commitment Agreement is used to establish a mutually agreed upon value, and a potential payment, for knowledge and information that will result in a certain level or standard of performance, prior to divulging the specific information regarding the precise method for obtaining the desired result. The alphabetic code (AA, BB, etc.) on the description page describes what this variable is. The code on the agreement page in then replaced by the variable. For example AA is the ABC Company School. In the agreement, replace all the AAs with ABC Company. AA: BB: CC: DD: EE: FF: Date of the agreement. Person or organization who is offering to divulge the information. Person or organization who is agreeing to receive the information. Describe the relative merits and/or benefits including, any sub-points. Describe the mutually agreed upon compensation, including any sub-points. Independent, disinterested, third party who will attest, by signing the document, to the veracity of the statements contained in the document including the willingness of the parties involved to sign the document without coercion (for instance, a Notary).
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Contingent Commitment Agreement AA This is an agreement between BB and CC, which outlines the basic guidelines for a Contingent Business Agreement. The purpose of this agreement is to allow BB to disclose an idea and/or product to CC for the purpose of review, discussion, and the possibility of a mutually beneficial business relationship. The basic tenets of this agreement are as follows: 1. 2. BB represents to CC the following: DD. CC agrees to the following: That if the representations presented by BB are, in fact, truthful and are of interest to CC, that CC agrees to compensate BB in the following manner if, and only if, CC elects to use the information, products, or materials presented and discussed by BB and CC during this meeting. EE. That in the event that CC elects to not use the information, products, or materials presented and discussed by BB and CC during this meeting, or if the information, products, or materials presented and discussed by BB and CC during this meeting were known to CC prior to the disclosure referenced herein by BB, that CC shall be under no obligation to compensate BB and that CCs sole obligation shall be that of confidentiality of the information, products, or materials presented and discussed by BB and CC during this meeting or meetings with the exception of the following conditions: Information which, at the time of disclosure, had been previously published or a matter of public record. Information which is published after disclosure, unless such publication is a breach of this agreement. Information which, prior to disclosure to CC, was already in its possession as evidenced by written records kept in the ordinary course of business by or by proof of actual use by CC. Information which, subsequent to disclosure, is obtained by CC from a third person who is lawfully in possession of such information, and not in violation of any contractual, legal, or fiduciary obligation to BB with respect to such information and who does not require CC to refrain from disclosing or using such information. 160
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In the event that CC violates any term or covenant contained herein, BB, at any time thereafter, may pursue legal action in both law and equity, including injunctive relief. This agreement represents the entire understanding and agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, either oral or written, between them, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Any modifications of this agreement must be in writing and signed by all the parties hereto.
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Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of: BB: CC FF
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Description of Work-For-Hire Agreement WorkForHire Agreements are used when a sub-contractor performs work for you, on what you consider to be proprietary development, and which may produce derivative works or products that might be of interest to you. WorkForHire Agreements spell out, in as much pertinent detail as necessary, the terms and agreements of the employment agreement and what rights, if any, the employee would have to new works that were derived from the original work that was contracted for. AA: BB: CC: DD: EE: FF: GG: HH: Name of contractor. Name of employer. Date work is to be completed by. State in which contract is executed. Signature of AA. Date signature was affixed to agreement. Signature of BB. Date signature was affixed to agreement.
Attachment APayment Schedule: In this Attachment, you must describe, in exact detail, when AA will be paid and in what manner AA will be paid or compensated. You must also define what will constitute a mutually agreed upon milestone or task that will signify that a particular payment is, in fact, due and payable. Attachment BDuties: Here you must insert what AA has to produce in order to get paid by describing the work in detail. Besides the actual work, AA may be expected to deliver detailed specifications, documentation, and so forth. Describe in detail exactly what is expected. BB will be responsible for: List here what BBs responsibilities, other than payment, will be. For example, is BB expected to provide hardware, technical specifications, a workspace, etc.? Attachment CWork Schedule: Here you must describe in task-by-task detail the payment of the monies described in Attachment A and the work described in Attachment B, in a time oriented task outline.
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Work For Hire Agreement 1. Introduction. This is a Work-For-Hire Agreement in which AA, an independent contractor, agrees to provide services to BB. BB shall pay AA according to the payment schedule set forth in Attachment A of this contract, which is incorporated by reference herein. 2. Duties. AA agrees to provide the services for BB as per the specifications set forth in Attachment B to this contract, which is incorporated by reference herein. BB shall supply AA all items listed in Attachment B prior to CC. Ownership. In consideration for payment as set forth in Attachment A of this contract, AA hereby assigns all rights in the work performed under this contract to BB, including the right to apply for any and all appropriate Copyrights, Trademarks and/or Patents that may result as a result of the work performed in BBs name. AA understands that the work contracted for and described herein is a Work-For-Hire which shall be the exclusive property of BB. Consistent with AAs recognition of BBs complete ownership rights in the work described in Attachment B, AA agrees not to use the work created under this contract for the benefit of any party other than BB. 4. Completion Date. AA agrees to complete all work as per the schedule set forth in Attachment C of this contract, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Trade Secrets. All types of information relating to the work described herein and contracted for, including this contract and its Attachments, are to be considered the Trade Secrets of BB. AA shall keep all Trade Secrets of BB confidential, and shall sign NonDisclosure Agreements when requested by BB. 6. Arbitration. Any dispute relating to the interpretation or performance of this agreement shall be resolved at the request of either party through binding arbitration. Arbitration shall be conducted in the State of DD in accordance with the then existing rules of the American Arbitration Association. Judgment upon any award by the arbitrators may be entered by the state or federal court having jurisdiction. The parties intend that this agreement to arbitrate be irrevocable. General Provisions. AA may neither subcontract nor hire persons to aid in the contracted work without the prior written consent of BB. Any 163
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modifications to this agreement must be in writing and signed by both parties. EE GG FF HH
The Attachments would each start on a new page. ATTACHMENT APAYMENT SCHEDULE AA shall be paid in the following manner: ATTACHMENT BDUTIES AA will be responsible for: BB will be responsible for: ATTACHMENT CWORK SCHEDULE AA agrees to complete the work described in Attachment B according to the following schedule:
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Chapter 15Audio, Visual and Staging Requirements

Remember that customer service is anything we do to get or keep a client. Repeat business is a factor of not only our performance on the platform, but how the audience and the meeting planner react to that performance. The arrangement of chairs, the sound system, the lighting and the overall climate of the room can make a big difference in the way a public speaking engagement is received. You may not think you have much control over these items, but you do. If you have prior access to the room where your speech will be held you should always get there as early as possible. In the four years I spent with CareerTrack, doing programs in the same hotels where countless numbers of speakers and trainers had spoken before I did; I rarely had a speaking engagement where everything about the room set-up was perfect. There is always something amiss, so expect minor problems to occur. Lighting Unless you are using slides or video projection equipment, you want the room lights at maximum intensity. Half your effectiveness when speaking with humor or other emotional material is realized when the audience can see you. Even if you think that you look better in the dark, the audience wants to see your face. They want to see your expressions. They want to see your body language. Its easier to establish a bond when you and the audience can see each other, which is one good reason to avoid reading your speech from behind a lectern. Since a lot of my programs involve a video projection system, I try to work with the in-house engineering people to dim the lights that are over the screen and give me a down light or spotlight to illuminate me so I dont appear to the audience as a voice crying in the wilderness. Sound Youre a speaker so it should come as no surprise that the audience must be able to hear and understand youclearly. Ive seen professional speakers who wont use a microphone unless theyre forced to use one. Their logic is that they have a voice that projects, carries, and displays the degree of emotionalism they need to convey without using a mike.
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This might be true because I have one of those voices. My grandmother sang grand opera (without amplification) and I have a voice that will sterilize frogs, upwind, at 30 paces. Nevertheless, I always use a microphone to ensure that everyone in the room hears me, clearly, evenly, and without distortion. I even use a small mike and amplifier in the classroom situations when Im using an overhead or video projector that roars and might keep the audience from clearly understanding the information Im delivering. Test the sound system and locate the hot spots (the places where your microphone picks up feedback and squeals) as well as the best overall level for the sound system during your presentation. If youre doing audience interaction programs with two or more microphones, be very careful to place the microphone stands where theyre easy to get to and do not create feedback. Seating Seating arrangements are a critical part of any successful public speaking engagement and are especially important for humorous or emotional presentations. As a professional speaker you must consider not only interaction, but safety and comfort parameters as well. After 20 years of giving training programs in colleges, universities, and adult schools where were assigned to regular classrooms, I can attest to some really bad seating arrangements (I never realized how hard those seats in high school weredid you?) Obviously, the best situation is when you have total control over the seating style and set-up of the room. If you want to really get good at this, Dr. Paul Radde (www.thrival.com) has a book called Audience Centered Seating. Its become the bible for the best meeting planners in the world to create the most effective setup of meeting and speaking rooms.
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The following are the seven basic room setups that the catering and convention services for Hyatt Hotel chain uses. Theyre listed here along with the pros and cons of each configuration. Theater style and herringbone Looks like: Rows of seats facing presenter, chevroned (tapered in) at sides. Pros: Allows for maximum number of people per room; brings audience closer to presenter. Cons: More seats will fit in straight rows; not good for extended periods (hard to get in and out); no workspace for reading or writing; attendee interaction severely limited. Variation: Set rows schoolroom-style (with tables) to improve comfort and provide workspace. However, this takes up more space and puts attendees farther from the presenter. Triple U-Shape Herringbone Looks like: Three sections of classroom-style seating at 45-degree angles. Pros: Ideal for small to mid-size groups; conducive to conversation among attendees; allows for easy viewing of presentations; easy to get in and out of seating. Cons: Not feasible for large groups U-Shape With Schoolroom Looks like: Standard U-shape, with internal rows of classroom seating. Pros: Brings audience closer to presenter; allows for larger groups than traditional U-sshape. Cons: Can be awkward determining who sits on outside and who sits inside; sight lines can be a problem; audience interaction can be difficult.
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Rounds Looks like: Round tables set throughout room. Pros: Provides work space; allows maximum interaction between small groups. Cons: Participants might be far from presenter; some tables might have poor interaction; can be loud due to simultaneous discussions; sight lines can be difficult. Variation: Limit seating to six per table, leaving an open section facing the presenter, for improved sight lines.
Hollow Square Looks like: Classroom-style rows set in a square. Pros: Presenter can sit anywhere in the square and see all participants; provides comfortable workspace. Cons: Not conducive to audiovisual presentations; interaction somewhat limited; not recommended for groups larger than 35. Variation: A royal set square, with curved corner tables, increases sight lines by 33 percent and makes the room setup look much more comfortable. V-Shape Looks like: An open triangle of classroom-style seating. Pros: Allows for easy interaction; speaker can be seated or standing inside the setup. Cons: Not recommended for groups larger than 27. Variation: Set computer monitors at tables to allow for close study of detailed material. T-Shape Looks like: A row of classroom-style seating, with a row of double classroomstyle seats set perpendicular to form a T. Pros: Allows for good interaction, particularly between facing rows; provides clear sight lines to A/V placed at bottom of T. Cons: Can be difficult for interaction between perpendicular rows; not recommended for groups larger than 30.
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Just so youll have some information to start with, semicircular and straight theater style arrangements both enjoy one advantage. Both these arrangements have the audience members sitting very close together. This togetherness allows laughter and emotion to pass immediately from one person to the other. You will even see audience members elbowing and slapping their immediate neighbor on the knee. By far the best seating arrangement for laughter is semi-circular. When public speaking audience members are seated on a curve they can look to their left or right and see the faces of each person in the row. Laughter is contagious. My personal favorite is whats known as the horseshoe setup where the attendees have a table in front of them and the whole arrangement is in a U shape. This provides a writing surface, audience interaction, and a central area where I can walk and talk without actually walking around to the rear of the group. The prime disadvantage is the maximum number of people you can seat at the table. Audiences over 60-70 people are usually out of the question for most meeting rooms and if its a smaller breakout room youll probably be limited to 25-30 people tops. Audience comfort is another advantage of horseshoe or semicircular seating. The room can be set to face each chair directly toward the area where the presenter will be standing. This is much better than straight theater style where the audience members at the end of a row must turn their heads sharply to see the presentation. This creates an uncomfortable audience member in a very short time. One prime caveat is included here for anyone who is going to conduct a seminar, workshop or training where the participants are going to be taking notes: You must have writing surfaces for the attendees or youre going to have a room full of unhappy people. Period! When I was with CareerTrack, I presented six-hour technical seminars, complete with workbooks, and the requirement that the audience take a lot of notes. Some ding-dong in the accounting department discovered that we could get more people in a smaller (cheaper) room if we didnt put up writing tables plus the added bonus of saving $125 on the room rental. Wow! What a deal! Right? Wrong! I remember an event at the Flamingo Hilton in Reno where six teachers arrived, took one look at the theatre style seating, and announced that for $150 per person, they were NOT going to write on their laps for six hours.
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They walked out, demanded a refund of $900, and left with a bad taste for the company. Not only did CareerTrack lose money, they started to achieve a poor reputation for customer service, something that they had never had before. An uncomfortable audience member is less likely to laugh and participate and more likely to tune out all together. Since the bulk of many of my presentations consist of looking at a screen, I try to point all the chairs at the screen instead of where Ill be standing. In other words, do whatever it takes to keep your audience comfortable. Another concern is proximity to the audience. Always attempt to be as close as you can to the first row in whatever seating arrangement you have. Distance between you and the audience is a definite barrier to interaction. Don't hide behind a lectern and dont use a riser unless it is absolutely necessary for you to be seen. You may get some resistance from room set-up personnel who are not used to semi-circular or other different seating arrangements, but don't give up. If you get to the presentation site early you can usually make changes yourself. Rememberyou are the one who will look bad if the speech doesn't go well. No one will ever blame the set-up crew. John Patrick Dolan (www.lawtalkmcle.com) includes a diagram for setting up the room when he sends his material to the meeting planner. Its printed in English on one side and Spanish on the other to help ensure that the people who are actually setting up the room understand what needs to be done. Sometimes changing seating arrangements wont be possible, so shoot for the best you can and be persistent. On the other hand, don't be distracted if you end up with a poor seating arrangement. If youre prepared and have a powerful message, you will still do a good job. If you have to speak in a situation where the seats are fixed, don't despair. If the seats can't move, you can. Be more animated and move around. This will cause the audience to move their heads to see you, thus creating more interaction and increasing the chance they will see another face that is laughing. Another trick you can use if you're stuck with fixed seating is to ask the audience to choose a new seat after they come back from a break. Anytime you use this technique you must tell the audience why you are doing it and you must give the instructions before the audience takes a break.
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Audiences have a homing instinct for the same seat they started with and you'll upset them if you snatch it away for no reason. For example, tell them that part of the reason to come to a seminar is to meet and interact with new people and by changing seats this goal will be accomplished easier. Additional Seating Tips When possible set the presentation to the long side of the room so the last row is as close to the speaker as possible. Avoid long narrow rooms that put audience members far from the presenter as if they were in bowling alley. People prefer to sit by aisles. Avoid chairs next to walls. Audience members will feel trapped. Aisles should get bigger as they get nearer the exits because they must accommodate more people. Seat for least distractionno audience member should have to cross more than six people to get to a seat. Make people sit as close as possible to the front. Force them to front with reserved signs on back tables or keep chairs stacked until all front rows are full. Don't tip chairs up to reserve seats or force people forward because they may trip over the legs of the chairs.
Here are some actual examples of room layouts so you can make your own judgments:
Boardroom Style
Rounds Style
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Theater Style Seating
Multi-Media Room Seating
Classroom Style Seating CLIMATE
Lecture Hall Classroom
You always want the audience to be focusing on you, not on their bodily discomforts. Uncomfortable people will not be listening to you. The unwritten rule is that meeting rooms are always too hot or too cold so you'll have to do your best. When setting air conditioning levels, the room should be cooler than you think it should be. The body heat of the audience will bring the room to the comfort level. Make sure it does, and be ready to make adjustments as you go. If you can't get the right temperature, make sure you acknowledge the audience's discomfort and encourage them to make the best of it. Your care for them will automatically make things a little better.
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Chapter 16 Cons and Caveats

Considering all that Ive said about the wonderful, exciting, and lucrative world of professional speaking, there are always elements of the dark side that have to factored in. After all, life is a balancing act so for as good as the profession is, there are bad parts too like: Hey there, how'd you like to get in on the ground floor of a great new speaking, training, web marketing opportunity? We're starting a new speaking business enterprise that can't miss and we'd like to have you get involved Of course we dont have any money but wed like to gamble with us. We have a new web based seminar company and we think you'd be just the perfect person to offer programs in your area of expertise We're looking for a radio talk show host in your area of expertise. All you have to do is get a bazillion dollars worth of sponsors and we'll put you on the air Were a non-profit organization so naturally you wouldnt expect us to pay a speaker, would you? We don't pay speakers but you'll get great exposure We'd like you to create a complete program on speculation that we might be able to get someone to pay for, but don't count on it. Weve created this great new marketing plan thats never been done before. We cant tell you what its all about but if youll give us bazillion dollars a month, well promise to represent you with our best efforts.
Are you getting solicited to get involved? Are you tempted? How many of these great opportunities have you become involved with in your career and how many more of these financial sinkholes can you afford? As a speaker or trainer you're going to get more public exposure than an employee would ever consider and coupled with the fact that you're an entrepreneur and a risk taker, the chances of you being hustled increase exponentially.
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It really doesn't matter whether you are being offered a multi-level business or the opportunity to get involved in a new web based training company, here's something to consider before you say yeas or no: Based on results, over 99 percent of these ideas and plans for a miraculous new business are doomed to failure even before they get started. With the demise of the dot-com businesses, which were touted as the "pot of gold at the end of the rainbow" people are finally beginning to understand why the U.S. Postal Services says, "If it seem to good to be true, it probably isn't." Think about this: The SBA reports that over 95 percent of the new business ventures that are started or attempted fail in the first five years of operation. 99 percent of all business plans never get funded Less than 5 percent of the stock market investors make a profit.
Why the extreme failure rate? Are the people involved, stupid? Lazy? Uncommitted? Uncaring? No! Not really. A study of what happened usually uncovers the simple truth: The people who dream up these wonderful speaking and training opportunities don't understand what it really takes to create and operate a successful business, so they create glowing stories of uncountable wealth and undiscovered opportunities. Here's the reality. If you currently make a five - or six-figure a year living and are interested in moving that number up to a six or seven-figure income as a speaker or trainer, you must replace the tasks that you're using to generate a five - or sixfigure income with six or seven figure income tasks. Period! A diverse business background covering not only the speaking profession, but also engineering, manufacturing, and business development and planning, operations, and marketing gives me a unique perspective on new business opportunities and ideas because I have been involved with virtually all phases of what it takes to make a new idea successful. Over the past 35 years, I've been offered, and become involved with, a variety of projects. Some were successful, some were not, and all of them took my time, of which I only have a limited amount. The number of new opportunities especially, online training and web based seminars, is increasing at an alarming rate.
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My current reluctance to get involved in new offers these days is based on a past history of involvement in projects that wasted my time, cost me money, and were doomed due to inequities that were built into the project from the onset. The high tech arena and most specifically, the dot-com phenomenon, has provided us a myriad of great new opportunities to get involved with technology or support programs that appear to be the "answer to our prayers." Fortunately, there is a litmus test that you can perform to determine if the opportunity is really viable or simply another scheme with no hope for success. The first step is to remember the statistics and start out by being skeptical. Consider that few projects are really viable for any of us to get involved with, so before you get involved in any new speaking, training, or Internet based training program project, you need to be convinced: That the project is viable That you can make an intelligent and valuable contribution, and That your return on investment is far greater than you can receive on the other speaking related projects that you currently have in process.
Experience tells us: There are an unlimited number of ideas for new speaking, training, and product related projects, products, and businesses. Very few of them are well thought out to the point where they are even viable for consideration.
To be viable for consideration, a new project must have a written plan that includes: A clear idea of what the project will look, feel, and operate like when it is completed Detailed market research proving that there is money to be made Commitments to the project from individuals experienced in this specific line of endeavor Specific details about how revenues will be generated, used, and distributed A definable goal in terms of time when the project will be completed A financial plan or budget that includes money and staffing required. 175
Now comes the bottom line. MONEY! ALL projects require funding to be successful. This is usually a combination of seed capital to pay for the start up efforts, sweat equity, which is usually the work provided by the originators to prove the viability of the idea, and operational funding to make the plan work and turn it into a reality. Following the initial infusion of start up capital, the general assumption is that the project will generate the needed money to grow and produce cash flow through its own efforts, repay the investors with a generous profit, and become self-funding. When you are offered the opportunity to get involved, look at what you are being asked to commit to in order to make the plan viable. Is it cash, your speaking expertise, time to create new programs that are as yet unfunded (any probably never will be), referrals, or a combination of all the above, and what is your guaranteed return on investment? Remember that there are only three ways that a project gets funded: 1. The money needed is in place before the project begins. Examples of this are self funding by the initiators of the idea or outside investors who already know and trust the capabilities of the initiators and who will invest blindly based on a proven history of knowledge and performance. The initiators do diligence and create a viable business plan to raise venture capital. These plans MUST PROVE, on paper, that the project is viable and will provide the return on investment that the investors require. The most important parts of this plan, in order, are: The project, preferably in writing, and A detailed cash flow projection with well researched information, documentation, and references that show how the money that the investors provide will be utilized to make the idea become a profitable reality.
2.
3.
The third method is, unfortunately, is what happens to too many new projects. The initiators present a clouded or inaccurate vision of what will happen if they are funded and simply mislead people in investing in the plan based on the vision.
The primary reason that most new ideas in the speaking and training industry never become viable is a lack of competent personnel at the onset who are capable of and willing to, put together a viable plan.
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For example, the web specialists are generally uncomfortable with marketing people and distance themselves from their skills. As the project progresses, it fails to be successful because the web designers cannot market effectively and they refuse to ally themselves with the marketing people who could make the project a success. The project or dream doesn't have to be a multi-million dollar business start up either. New ideas for special interest training, consortiums of trainers, online training, new seminar and workshop companies, and religious causes all have the same parameters. A perfect example of how bad it gets is to look at the projects where speakers are asked to donate their time for a specified charitable activity (such as a start-up or local organization). Visionary and altruistic projects to help the less fortunate generally fail because those who have the vision do not have the practical business sense to understand what's involved nor do they want to hear the realities of what it's going to take to make it happen properly. They feel that looking at the realities of the world of business and interspersing them with the project clouds the vision and when the plan fails, they simply tell the faithful followers that those involved did not have a clear picture of the vision. Most of the campaigns for these altruistic new ideas are doomed from the onset because one or more of the individuals involved spew forth a lot of rhetoric and simply confuse everybody else. The uninitiated believe that because the individuals have represented themselves to be credible and knowledgeable on the topic that they must know what they're doing and since they don't understand what they're saying, it's because they're not as knowledgeable as the experts are and it would be better to trust them. Any comments like this are total rubbish! The truth is that the project was doomed from the onset because it never had a clear plan, goals, budgets, or competent people to make it viable, and the individuals espousing the rhetoric are as ignorant as anybodythey simply refuse to admit it! The records of successful projects shows that they succeed ONLY when the image is clear, the plan is complete, and that the individuals involved have an unambiguous understanding of what it is that they, and the rest of the project's team, are required to accomplish to make it successful.
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The Bottom Line Think about Regis when he says, "Is that your final answer?" When you're offered one of these marvelous new speaking or training opportunities, don't be totally negative but remember that for a project or opportunity to be viable, you need to see a clear definition or understanding of the goals, the funding necessary to compensate you for your efforts, and a nucleus of personnel who have the competency, background, or capability of making the idea a reality. You have a finite amount of time available to you to do whatever it is that you feel will make you happy and achieve you financial goals in the speaking business. Remember that although you can always get more money, you cannot get more time. Don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed or intimidated by the fact that it's a friend, relative, or business co-worker who offers you the opportunity. As soon as they make you the offer, it's your time, money, involvement, and commitment that are under consideration-not theirs! If you don't find all of the parameters needed to satisfy your needs, respectfully decline the offer of involvement. If the situation changes in the future to the point where your concerns have been addressed, take another look at the opportunity. Heres my take on it: Its possible that tomorrow, you could purchase a lottery ticket and win more money than you could ever need to live in luxury for the rest of your life. Just remember that there are NO lotteries for even one more hour of time. Use and invest your wisely and youll have a profitable and rewarding career as a professional speaker.
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Chapter 17 - Resources for Speakers

No man is an island Thats a famous quote by somebody, but I cant remember who said it! (OK, so I looked it up -Its byJohn Donne, Meditation XVII) If you need to locate a quote, find an artist, locate a publisher, or any one of a variety of things that have to do with the overall marketing of your speaking services, youve come to the right place. In developing this book, as well as my career, Ive come across a lot of resources that are necessary for the success of my speaking business. I believe that knowledge is to be shared and that if itll help someone make money, save money, or save time, its my duty to share the wisdom with him or her. This list of resources will never be complete, because some come, some go, and all will change. In the meantime, I sincerely hope that you find everything that youre looking for to make your career a success. Product development resources Covers Designs For Books and other AV Products The Printing Press; Leslie Sears 310-538-3321 Karen Ross 310-397-3408 Martin Archer 323-874-6278 Audio and Video Supplies including CD Cases Shop 4 Tech www.shop4tech.com 1-866-907-3626 Audio Video Distributing Rick Knight
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800-538-6409 Info on Writing Tips Booklets: Paulette Ensign www.tipsbooklets.com Booklet PrinterKirkland Offset Printing (619) 583-3676 CD Duplication (all services) Diskmakers www.discmakers.com 866-707-0012 Soft Cover Book and Workbook Printing Short Run Solutions Reg Frechette 310-640-0668 www.celebratelove.com/authors.htm Larry Jamess resources for everything from publishing to getting a speech coach. This list contains all resources for printing, book cover design and a variety of products and services. Public speaking tips

Toastmasters Speech Directory and Treasury of Resources Public Speaking Links (self improvement online) SpeakerNet News newsletter Presentations magazine Presenters University (Resources for presenters, including clip art, audio clips, articles and PowerPoint templates.)
Quotation sources Your Quotation Centre Inspiration Peak (Small in quantity but high in quality) Bartlett's Quotations Quote collections Dictionary of Quotations The Quotations Archive Success Net quotations Aphorisms Galore Quotes of the Day Resources Roget's Thesaurus Refdesk (the single best source for facts on the net) Library Spot (a great overall resource) The Internet Public Library (an excellent resource) National Library of Australia
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Stories Heroic Stories This is true Funny information The Barber Shop Bookstore is the oldest online bookstore specifically stocked with useful resources for speakers, trainers, and sales professionals. www.thebarbershop.com Great Speaking Ezine This is the newsletter to read if you want to be a speaker, already are a speaker, or just want great tips and humor to help you give better presentations. Highly recommended. HumorMall.com If you're looking for great humor to add to your presentations and speeches, stop by here and subscribe to John Cantu's weekly humor ezines. In addition to providing tips on delivering humor, he offers copyright-free jokes that anyone can use. Great stuff! Highly recommended. Speak & Grow Rich by Dotty and Lilly Walters This is THE bible for professional speakers. Get it, read it, re-read it, then read it again. Highly recommended TeleClass.com Why travel to offer your presentations and training programs? TeleClass.com allows you to teach your classes over the phone! Bridge rentals, class listings and more. Toastmasters Perhaps the most well-known and popular private organization helping people learn public speaking skills. 1800MyLogo.com Fantastic, low-cost logo designs. Every business needs a great logo! Highly recommended. Guru.com One of the best websites for free agents, great articles plus comprehensive job listings for freelancers of any variety. Organizations and Associations Toastmasters Weekly, international meetings for public speaking techniques. National Speakers Association A professional organization for emerging and experienced speakers.
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International Group of Agents and Bureaus The International Association of Speakers Bureaus IASB (formerly the International Group of Agencies and Bureaus) is the worldwide trade association of speaker agencies and bureaus, with members in Canada, England, Spain, Australia and New Zealand as well as the United States. Founded in 1986, IASB is to the speakers industry what MPI is to meeting professionals. IASB member bureaus subscribe to a Code of Ethics, take part in on-going professional development and adhere to a high level of professional standards. Coaching Organizations International Coaching Federation The International Coach Federation is a non-profit, professional organization of personal and business coaches. We exist to build, support and map; preserve the integrity of the coaching profession. Coach Referral Service To locate a coach for your needs. Publishing Organizations American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ASCAP is the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, a membership association of over 100,000 composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers. ASCAP's function is to protect the rights of its members by licensing and paying royalties for the public performances of their copyrighted works. Small Publishers Association of North America home of authors, self-publishers and independent presses. Your one-stop online resource for publishing profits and book marketing know-how. Seminar Finder Easily locate and register for public seminars, continuing education courses and online learning on a variety of topics, in cities throughout the world. SpeakerNetNews A weekly email newsletter for exchange of tips and advice for speakers The Innovative Professional (Tip's) Filled with inspiration, motivational nuggets, and proven, practical tips for building your business, making money, and living the life you really want! Publishing Poynters Dan Poynter's book and information-marketing news and ideas biweekly newsletter.
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Successful Meetings Magazine Educates about meetings, conventions, and incentive travel industries. Hot news about industry events, issues and people, destination and package-deal updates, and how-to information for meeting planners. Meetings & Conventions Online Offers how-to stories, destination reports, industry news, career strategies and coverage of personal issues that make the demanding job of planning meetings a little bit easier. Meeting Industry Associations International Association of Exhibition Management The Mission of the International Association for Exhibition Management is to promote the exhibition industry throughout the world and to provide for the education and professional growth of its members. American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Is the largest international association of travel professionals. sales and marketing
Destination Marketing Represents over 1,100 professional members from over 480 bureaus in 30 countries. Meeting Professionals International (MPI) the world's largest association of meeting professionals with more than 18,000 members in 64 countries. National Association of Catering Executives Serving caterers and their vendors, everywhere. Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) The leading association for meetings educations. The Society of Corporate Meeting Professionals A community of corporate meeting professionals committed to serving its members and employers. Presentation Tips for Public Speaking. Short summary of major points to remember when speaking in public. Toastmasters International. A fun and non-threatening way to improve listening, thinking, and speaking skills. Over 8500 non-profit clubs meeting in more than 60 countries. Look for a club near you.
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Meeting Directories Association Meeting Directory Washington DC 202-296-7400 Association Meeting Planners & Conference/Convention Directors Directory of Corporate Meeting Planners (both available by state) 800-253-6408 Directory of Conventions Successful Meetings Data Bank 800-254-6408 Encyclopedia of Associations Gale Research, Inc. http://www.galenet.com/servlet/AU 800-977-4253 313-961-2242 Descriptions and contact information for 142,000 non-profit organizations of U.S. national, regional, state, and local standing. International or multinational organization information is also provided. Provides a concise profile of each association, including full name, address, fax/telephone, group publications, history, and size. (GaleNet is sold only to libraries, primarily for use on library Internet stations. Some libraries also arrange for their patrons or students to access GaleNet databases from home. You must check with your local library to find out if they offer GaleNet Internet or CD databasesand how and where you can access the databases.) National Trade & Professional Associations (NTPA) 202-898-0662 http://www.columbiabooks.com/home.html A directory which lists over 7,500 organizations, focusing on major U.S. national trade associations, labor unions, professional or scientific societies, and technical organizations. Address, fax/telephone, and budget information is provided. Related speaking and training products from Rounds, Miller and Associates www.RoundsMiller.com (www.RMACart.com) for the direct link to the shopping cart) Talk, Talk, Talk ISBN: 1891440489 Mike Rounds Your Guide To Making Money Through The Rubber Band Circuit, Rubber Chicken Circuit, and Radio Talk Show Circuit Three (3) Video CD's that show you: How to speak for free and still make money on the luncheon circuit. 184
How to present seminars and workshops at local colleges and universities to sell your services, promote product, and improve platform skill while getting paid. How to get on talk radio shows to sell products and promote yourself into a nationally recognized expert in your field. (www.roundsmiller.com
Self Publishing for the Clueless By Mike Rounds ISBN 189144036-1 Now you can write and publish your own book for less than $2.00 per copy, in less than 90 days. From life changing novels to how-to manuals, this CD shows you how to get it into print -FAST! The CD contains complete information, examples, and resources for everything you'll need including how to get bar codes, typing and transcription services, cover designs, and low cost printing sources. Includes complete bonus information to show you how to create CD's from the material as a second line of products (www.roundsmiller.com Marketing the One-Person Business - 2nd Edition ISBN: 1-891440-29-2 Mike Rounds and Nancy Miller A one-person business is different from any other! As a one person business, you have to do the business PLUS get the business. This book is devoted to helping you develop your skills in getting the business plus, spectacular tips that will assist you in doing your business more effectively. Contains Complete Information About: Business Setup and Operation; Independent Contractor Criteria and Forms; Fee Setting, Consulting; Public Speaking and Seminars; Talk Radio and Public Television Promotion; Contracts and Agreements When youre the business, you do things differently. This book focuses on getting and doing the business without the need for employees and big budgets. A comprehensive manual dedicated to the selling of consulting services with special sections devoted to public speaking, one of the most lucrative methods of promoting consulting services. INCLUDED IN THIS MANUAL are special sections about Public Speaking, one of the single most lucrative ways to promote your career, establish yourself as an industry expert, and generate revenues at the same time. (www.roundsmiller.com)
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Thats it gang now its your turn and I look forward to seeing you on the platform
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SOS For The Clueless

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Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Chapter 1 What makes me the expert?

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Chapter 2 - Why speak?

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Chapter 3 - The three questions for speaking success

Big deal, huh?

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Fees The Golden Triangle of Professional Speaking

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Chapter 4 - The Seminar and Workshop companies

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Chapter 5 - The Rubber Chicken Circuit

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Chapter 6 - The Rubber Band Circuit

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Chapter 7 - The Radio Talk Show Circuit

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Chapter 8 - Bureaus and agents

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

How Bureaus Work

Client has $4,000 budget for a speaker

Client Contacts Bureau who:

3. Hires speaker for $4,000 BUT Takes 25% Commission

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Speakers bureaus in California:

http://www.speakerbooking.com http://www.allstaralliance.com/speakers/bureau.htm http://www.aviationspeakers.com http://www.americangovernance.com/speakersexpress.html

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Remit all agreement(s).

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Chapter 9 - Self-Sponsored Seminars

Professional Speaking for the Clueless

Professional Speaking for the Clueless