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.
An Entrepreneur of 16 years, Kerry is the President of Book.Speak.Repeat. She is a sought-after Speaker on topics such as Leveraging your Publicity to Close More Deals, Bodies Don’t Lie-Body Language Basics, The Significance of Color in Wardrobe and the Psychology Behind It, The Network Game – Making Networking “Work” for Your Business, and The Fortune is in the Follow-up.
Kerry owns Kerry’s Studio an online boutique for women who like classic elegance. She currently works with professionals who wish to add speaking as a paid marketing tool for their businesses.
