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Would you hire you to speak? by @KerryHeaps

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by Kerry Heaps  | Featured Contributor

Taking inventory of how meeting planners can connect with you.

Sometimes we try to protect ourselves from an onslaught of unwanted calls, emails and solicitations, however, when we place a protective shield up, it can make the process difficult for others to do business with us. After a recent Speaker selection process, these were the top four items that deterred us (not by choice) from moving forward with certain candidates.

  • Website contact page. Your site should have all the information about how to connect with you.  Its fine to have a contact us form, but make sure it works.  You should have your phone number, email and mailing address.  Take it a step further and add social media buttons.
  • It should work, period.  Have a dedicated phone number for your business.  You can get a phone number with an answering service for under Twenty dollars a month.  Don’t use your home number unless you have a professional voicemail for meeting planners to leave a message.  Again, look like the professional that you are.
  • Always check your junk file, sometimes messages get missed because they get flagged.  You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity and find the email months later.
  • Have a professional message for your business, even if you work from home, keep your phone numbers separate.  Always make sure you check your voicemail and delete messages, nothing is more frustrating than hearing a voicemail and you can’t leave a message because the voicemail box is full.

These are things to mindful of, remember, there are more speakers than paid events, so if you make it difficult for the meeting planner to reach you, they will move on to another prospect.

Secure more stages in 2020 with these 3 Tips by @KerryHeaps

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by Kerry Heaps  | Featured Contributor

If you want to secure more speaking engagements this year, make sure that you are not only providing great content that solves a problem, ensure that you are helping the meeting planner make the event as successful as possible. These three tips can be implemented with very little effort and will go a long way in your favor.

  1. Help fill the room. One way you can help the meeting planner fill the room for the workshop or keynote that you are speaking at is to create a video under one minute, share a tip that you will be teaching. Make sure this is something that highlights one of the issues or concerns the attendees are facing in their industry.  If you are speaking at a workshop for at a human resource show, you may want to share it tip to help attendees recruits the best talent.  The video does not need to be fancy, it can be shot from your cell phone or laptop, it’s the quality of the advice that you’re offering not the background or fancy music.

  1. Have a conversation with the audience. Make sure during the event that you are having a conversation with the audience, talk with them not at them. Show up 10 minutes early and meet and greet people as they fill the room, you can always ask them why they signed up for your workshop or keynote and make them feel welcome. It is much better to be approachable as a Speaker those tend to get better feedback.
  1. Create audience retention with video. Audience retention is something every meeting planner is facing these days. With so much packed into a two or three-day conference, sometimes it’s information overload for the Attendees. When they return to work most of what they learn goes to the side and is never picked up again. Create another video that can be shared a month or two after the event as a refresher. If you don’t want to create another video, you can create online quizzes, a review sheet or even an audio clip.

 

What’s Media Got to Do with It? by @KerryHeaps

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by Kerry Heaps  | Featured Contributor

Gaining media exposure can help you during the speaking process immensely. From helping you to get booked as a speaker, to increasing the number of attendees that sign up for your keynote or workshop, media plays an important role. We’ve listed the top three ways getting interviewed will help you during this process.

Building Brand awareness. First and foremost brand awareness, getting interviewed means more people hear your name, your book or your company. Even smaller interviews on podcast or small radio stations will help build your brand online and offline. Most shows today are recorded and typically saved to the radio station site. This can help with Google searches and it’s an opportunity to use the interview when you are corresponding with a meeting planner via email. Share the link of your latest interview or podcast, they will listen and it can increase your chances of getting booked.

Submit media samples. Meeting Planners will ask in a call for speakers form for a link to any recent media engagements. I strongly suggest submitting a link to a podcast or article that you have written that relates directly to the audience that you would be speaking to. It helps to showcase your expertise and how you can help people in that particular industry.

Opportunities for success stories. When you are interviewed, always try to work in a success story. For example, if you are asked how your topic relates to what’s currently happening in the workplace, you can answer the question in a success story and talk about how you recently spoke at an event and were able to help a business owner or attendee with that same issue or problem.

Always make sure that you are maximizing your media opportunities, have links on the press or media page of your website, put it in your newsletter, or email and always change out your signature line in your email to reflect your latest interview article. The more opportunities people have to see this, the more likely they will read it.

I’ve applied, now what? by @KerryHeaps

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by Kerry Heaps  | Featured Contributor

The process of applying for speaking engagements can be tedious, and frustrating because it does have a long turnaround time for a response. I’ve compiled a few tips on how to create a follow-up system after you’ve had a conversation with a meeting planner. Keep in mind after you apply for an open call for speakers, it can take a month or two before you hear back. Sometimes the email will be a “thanks but no thanks” email or they’re interested in your topic and would like to talk to you further. After that initial conversation it’s good to apply some of the techniques listed below, these are especially useful when you apply to colleges, universities, and private companies.

  1. Send a handwritten Thank You note. Sending a handwritten thank-you note in the mail is a lost art, it’s the little things that can make the biggest difference and help you standing out. You can buy thank you notes in bulk, so sending a note in the mail should be costing you less than a dollar per card including postage. It takes just a few minutes to say thank you for taking the time to speak with me, I look forward to establishing a relationship with you and your company. Then drop it in the mail. Meeting Planners get so few sentiments, especially in the mail so this is always a nice touch and it’s not forgotten.
  2. Send a copy of your book. If you have not written a book, I recommend that you do so, as we are asked 95% of the time if a potential speaker has written a book, more so than a request for video. Sending a copy of your book, not an electronic copy but an actual copy in the mail is a great way for you to establish a relationship with the meeting planner and it gives them the opportunity to learn more about what you do.
  3. Connect with them on LinkedIn. Another step to take is to connect with them on LinkedIn, do a quick search and see if they are listed and send them an invite to connect along with a personalized note.
  4. Pick up the phone. This last one seems to be a task that most speakers don’t want to do, however you will find out more when you pick up the phone and talk to the meeting planner then you ever could from an email or text. Having a conversation with them, just finding out more about their event, what’s going on, do they need additional information, etc. If you can’t reach them definitely leave a voicemail, I would recommend reaching out once a week until you get them on the phone, you don’t need to leave a voicemail every time, just once.
  5. Keep track of your results. Keeping track of your results is crucial, that way you know the date and time when you sent a thank-you note, when you connected with them on LinkedIn, and each time that you’ve reached out via phone. A follow-up system can be as simple as pen and paper or Excel, your choice. This will also give you an idea of the timeline for each event that you are pursuing.

Top 5 ways to find PAID speaking gigs for FREE by @KerryHeaps

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by Kerry Heaps  | Featured Contributor

Here is a list of resources that you can use when searching for speaking engagements online. Some of these resources have an upgraded option, however I find that the free versions work just fine. When utilizing these resources, it’s important that you put together your own database, you can use these resources to start building your own. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, Excel spreadsheet is just fine or if you are a paper and pencil person, that will work just as well. Do what works best for you in this process.

Sign up for Google alerts.   One of the first things you should do is sign up for Google Alerts  using the phrases, “call for speakers”, and “call for papers”.  This way, you save time searching on a daily basis which shows have opened their call for speakers portal. Check out the call for papers because they often are accompanied by a call for oral presentations that don’t always show up in a call for speakers search.

If you want to speak at Colleges, search for the Director of Campus Activities.  You can do a simple search on Google just type in “Director of Campus Activities at *” then hit enter.  This will bring up certain contact pages on the Colleges site that will have the contact person listed. The *  search doesn’t always work with all titles, you have to play with the wording a little bit. For example, if you want to speak to the College staff, your best bet is to find the VP of HR. You can do a Google search for that title as well just to make sure you put  “at *” after the title.

If you want to speak or train at company engagements,your best bet is a list.   If you are a member of your local library, you can access databases online at no charge. Every library is different, however if you go to their website, click on the database link and see what’s listed under the Business section. A lot of libraries will have access to databases such as Reference USA, LexisNexis, etc. This way you can download a list a businesses in a targeted area, with titles. For example, if you want to speak to a company’s sales team, you will want to target the VP of Sales, if you want to do training for customer service or interoffice communications, you’ll want to target the VP of HR. It depends on the type a company, your topic and who it serves best within the organization.

Get a list of Associations and target their state chapters.   The library can also give you a great resource for Association lists. Each Library will have access to Gale Publications. There is one for associations and you can do a search to target specific associations, by location industry type, etc. These lists are downloadable at no cost. I also recommend for each Association to research their state chapters. They also booked speakers and can be an easy way to gain entrance to the National Convention.

Bookmark Events in America and Events Eye.    These two sites list upcoming events for the US and overseas. It’s a great resource to find out what is coming up in your area, or in areas that you’d like to target and you can easily go to the show’s website and find out if they are looking for speakers. Events in America also gives you the opportunity to list yourself as a speaker at no charge.

Stay tuned for my next column, I will be discussing best practices for reaching out to these organizations and how to create a solid follow-up system for each.

 

5 things you need PRIOR to applying for speaking engagements by @KerryHeaps

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by Kerry Heaps  | Featured Contributor

Almost every event that you apply to will require the five following items. Any topic that you are an expert on, you should have the following items in place.

A Topic(s) that is eye catching.  The topic of your speech is very important. It’s the first thing most Meeting Planners see in your submission.   Your topic should be catchy, drive home a point and should be applicable in today’s market. If you’re struggling creating a title, start jotting down a few samples on paper. And try replacing some of the words with buzz words or action words. This will get you started on creating a topic that stands out.

A Summary. Your summary is just that, a few sentences or short paragraph describing what you are going to talk about. It’s important to note that your description, should you be chosen to speak, is typically copied verbatim into the marketing materials of the event. Meeting Planners typically will not change anything that you have put in, as you are the expert on this topic. Your description and 3-5 takeaways should match what you teach at the event. Attendees typically will complain if they sign up for a workshop and the instructor teaches everything but what was in the workshop outline. Make sure whatever you put in your description is what you plan on teaching.

3-5 takeaways. Finally, for each topic and description you will need to provide three to five takeaways or learning objectives. What will the Attendees learn by attending your keynote or Workshop? Meeting Planners like to see a specific format, such as:  attendees will learn how to, attendees will walk away knowing how to implement, or attendees will learn the difference between, etc. Have a minimum of three and no more than five takeaways, it’s very rare for a meeting planner to ask for more than five. Make sure the learning objectives that you built into your description match the takeaways.

An updated Bio.  Your bio or Entrepreneurs resume should be kept up-to-date, highlighting your great achievements, you should consistently be adding to it throughout the year. If you haven’t added anything to your bio this year, start looking at potential achievements. For example, if there is an award or contest within your industry that you can apply for and win, compete. If you can get a writing column, or the potential to get featured on a major media outlet, go after it. These are the things that you should be adding to your bio on a consistent basis. Try to review your bio every 6 months, adding new accomplishments and deleting items that are over five years old.

A current head shot.  Finally, your head shot. Meeting Planners want to see an updated head shot, when you walk through the door you should match your photo. Meeting Planners do not like to receive photos that are not recent, as this can cause confusion when you’re being introduced, and you look nothing like the photo in the brochure. I recommend having head shots taken once every 6 to 12 months, it’s an investment in your speaking business.

Top 5 myths about the speaking submission process by @KerryHeaps

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by Kerry Heaps  | Featured Contributor

Top 5 myths about the speaking submission process

 

  1. Its complicated. Many people feel that the submission process is complicated, however nothing could be further from the truth. The submission process if anything can be tedious. You are basically submitting the same information to multiple events. Once you start the process, you will find after a few submissions that you pick up the pace of the process. If you have all your information in one location where you can just copy and paste, the process moves fairly quickly and easily.

 

  1. If nothing is listed about payment, they don’t pay Speakers. If you are on an event website call for speaker’s page, and you don’t see anything about payment or compensation, don’t assume they won’t pay you anything. You should still apply, it is typical that most events will want to find out what your fees are and negotiate from there, so there is no need to post about fees. You will miss out on a lot of opportunities if you don’t apply to these events. Typically, events that don’t pay anything will list on the site that they are unable to compensate or cover expenses.

 

  1. You only submit once; the event staff will save your information. This is false, each year they will post an open call for speakers on most event sites. This is for you to apply for the current year only. If you apply and you are accepted to speak for the current year, and they asked you to come back a second year, you will still be required to submit your information again. Most event websites receive several hundred/thousand entries for calls for speakers. They are unable to retain that information and use it for the following year. Every year the needs of the conference will change, so therefore the open tracks for the call for speakers will change as well.

 

  1. Email is a better way to send in your information. This is also false. If an event has taken the time to set up a call for speaker’s page and submission site, then you should respect their wishes and submit the information as they have requested. By sending an email and ignoring their process, you are sending a negative signal that you won’t follow direction. Which will raise a red flag for the meeting planning staff. Some speakers feel this will make them stand out and it will, but in a negative light. They have the process set up for a reason, follow it.

 

  1. They rejected you once, so don’t reapply next year. Just because your topic was rejected this year, don’t take it personally. It could be they had a similar topic in the past year or two, or it could be that they have a certain agenda that they want to fill, and they just didn’t feel your topic would be a good fit. When you receive a rejection letter, it’s just part of the process. You will always receive more no’s than yes’s is in this industry.  Should you decide to reapply the following year, take a closer look at the open tracks, go ahead and resubmit your proposed topic. You never know what will happen, and you can always submit more than one topic. Events do not retain your submissions on a year-to-year basis as their needs change from year to year.

Speaking…is it relationship building or just a numbers game? by @KerryHeaps

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by Kerry Heaps  | Featured Contributor

The answer is simple, it’s both.  To get booked as a speaker, Meeting Planners need to know you, for Meeting Planners to know you, you must get in front of them every chance you get. That’s not to say that you should be calling them or emailing them on a daily or weekly basis. You should be getting in front of them via the media, submissions, and yes, an introductory call. As a former Meeting Planner, choosing the Speaker is less than 5% of what must be done to ensure a successful event. Content is extremely important, who they choose to educate on that content, is another story. The speaking industry has changed so much just in the past 5 years, there are more Speakers now than paid events. It’s about putting out great content, but it’s also about being easy to work with, being negotiable on fees and playing by the rules.

If you want to be a successful Speaker, (someone who is working consistently) you need to address the numbers game first. There are so many ways to find speaking engagements, there’s call for speakers that are abundant and year-round. Then there are the private events such as company trainings and events at colleges and universities which will require you to reach out directly to the corporate Meeting Planner or Director of Education. Although these events are scheduled earlier, there is still a lot of competition. If you can find 5 hours during your work week to dedicate to finding and applying to speaking engagements, you will start to see great success over the next three to six months. Keep in mind for every workshop, keynote or breakout session a Meeting Planner can receive up to 200 submissions from Speakers, so again it’s a numbers game. Working the numbers consistently and applying every week will work in your favor.

If you prefer to reach out to Meeting Planners directly, there are a few simple rules you should follow. First, reach out with a phone call, if you don’t reach them don’t leave a message. Try to call back the next day at a different time. If you try a few times during the week and you can’t reach them directly, then leave a voicemail. Try to talk to them first before sending an email, they may have a different process that you will need to follow such as a form to fill out or a separate website they want you to visit first, so again follow their lead. If you reach their assistant or another person in the office, you can always ask them what their process is, and ask if it is okay to email over your information, always try to obtain permission first. Having a conversation with a Meeting Planner is twofold, it’s an opportunity for you to discuss your speaking topic, then find out about their upcoming events and needs and what their process entails. If a few weeks have gone by and you have not heard back from them, find out if they’re on LinkedIn and send them a connection request. The trick is to not overdo it with contact, as a Meeting Planner has so much on their plate you never want to come across as someone who is going to be difficult to work with, that will take you out of the running much quicker than anything else. Keep in mind, when they receive your information if there is an interest, they usually will place your information in a file for follow up. For example, you may submit your information in January, but they won’t be interviewing speakers until August more than likely you will not hear back prior to that. Again, it’s not that they’re not interested or that they are trying to avoid you, they have other things going on with the event that are much more pressing. In order to start building a good relationship with the Meeting Planner, keep these things in mind.

As a Speaker, I know that the process can be frustrating at times, however it’s important to trust the process and follow it. When I re-entered the speaking arena a few years ago my first instinct was, “This industry has changed… A LOT!”  It took about six months before I started to see results, but I kept working the process continuously each week. If you treat your speaking business the same, you will start to see positive results as well.