Training: Your Personal

Strategy

What the “Experts” say?

1. Connect with your network of people to find speaking opportunities

2. Just ASK…that one comes from the famous Brain Tracy (love this guy, but this is not a strategy)

3. Use your LinkedIn account to make it read like a speaker’s account

4. Send out X number of emails per day if you are serious

5. Create a PR (Public Relations) style email that can be sent to every meeting planner you can find

The Psychology of the Selection Process…

1. Begin with “Who do I know?” 2. Ask others, “Who do you know?” 3. Look Inside the community 4. Search online 5. Look at Call for Speakers

2 Main Approaches to Book Big Opportunity Stages…

1. They discover you.

2. You build a relationship with the event planner.

• Speak at an event they are attending — speak on stages where the event planners are looking for talent

• Be found on GOOGLE (65%) under your topic area e.g., leadership speaker or SEO speaker or social media speaker or sales speaker

• Write the BOOK that gets everyone talking about you — books matter for paid speakers, but it helps for any kind of speaking

Being Discovered…

The BEST WAY to Book Big

Opportunity Stages

• Establish a cohort of other speakers that willing to refer you to event planners

• Search Your Network for mutual connections — e.g. LinkedIn

Get Introductions to the Event Planner.

BuildingRelationships

Huge lesson in business…

Building Relationships

1. Awareness

2. Rapport

3. Connection

Ineffective Approaches to Booking Big Opportunity Stages

1. Speaker Submission Forms

2. Sending Pitch Emails

Speaker Submission Forms…

The Call for Speakers is not best way.

The “Pitch“ Email TemplateDescribe You and

Company

Provide Experience

Your Speech

Why they should want the speech

Social proof and great speaker

Making Your Submission

The “Pitch“ Email TemplateDescribe You and

Company

Provide Experience

Your Speech

Why they should want the speech

Social proof and great speaker

Can you spot 3 mistakes?

Making Your Submission

3 Common Mistakes

It’s all about you! (You are awesome) It’s a template…blast (Lacks personalization) Lacks value to them or audience

321

The “Pitch“ Email

Template

What Event Planners Say…• “I’ve never picked a speaker from inbound before.” ~Lloyd

• “I don’t really consider the pitch.” ~Tim

• “The pitch is not a good way to get attention.” ~Bill

• “The more they pitch me, the less likely to be selected.” ~Amanda

• “Standard PR pitch is a problem. It is all about them.” ~Greg

• “I almost turn down everyone I’ve never heard of.” ~Steve

• “I’m so amazing is not a good pitch. I don’t like that.” ~Joe

• “Most pitches try to sell me.” ~Stephen

• “[About pitches] They all suck a lot. ” ~Chris

• “Never selected nominated speakers. We get about 1000 for one spot. Pitching is not the best way.” ~Kera

The “I’m Awesome” Email Template

Reasonable Description of Awesomeness

List of your AWESOME Stages

Pitching your awesome speech

More AWESOMENESS

Piling on the AWESOMENESS

The TRUTH hurts…

1.The Behaviors : Daily/Weekly Progress

2. Create a system

3. High level of focus

Here is the opportunity…• “Standard PR pitch is a problem. It is all about them. Instead give us a tailored

and thoughtful pitch.” ~Greg

• “Be more strategic and thoughtful.” ~Breanna

• “Make a much more personal approach.” ~Frank

• “I’m so amazing is not a good pitch. I don’t like that. Better is to be the underdog proving you deserve a chance to share your talk.” ~Joe

• “Most pitches try to sell me. I prefer the show not tell approach.” ~Stephen

• “[About pitches] They all suck a lot. It is better for the relationship to start organically.” ~Chris

Be thoughtful, meaningful, provocative, unique

• Do your homework • Prepare before you hit send • Get to know us • Tailor your emails • Get to know what our event is

about

How to be thoughtful, meaningful, provocative, unique…

Your Personalized Strategy

Find a way to GIVE to them first…

What do event planners value? 1. Promotion that drives awareness 2. Recognition within the market

place 3. Services that move the needle

You must know where you want to

speak first.

You must know who you want to contact.

Promotion

Use your current email list, podcast, blog, or social media to do something that will promote the event.

Tips:

1. Be creative to ensure you get their attention.

2. Share it with them with email or social media. It may take more than once.

3. Get the “branding” right…people get bent out of shape if you don’t have their logo and name just right.

1

What will move the needle for them?

Difficulty1

Value1

Creative Factor5

Solo Article

Write a blog or article about how _______ conference is serving their audience. Find something interesting and different to write an article about. It may be hard to get this on Entrepreneur or other major media.

Tips:

1. Be creative to ensure you get their attention

2. Share it with them with email or social media.

3. Get the “branding” right…people get bent out of shape if you don’t have

2

What will add value or move the needle for them?

Difficulty2

Value2

Creative Factor3

List Article

Write a list article about the conferences in an online publication they would know — Industry associations, major publications, LinkedIn Pulse, Medium, even your blog Examples:

INDUSTRY: “10 Best Conferences for the Healthcare Executives”

EGOIC LABEL: “7 Top Conferences for Women Entrepreneurs”

JOB TITLE: “11 Conferences for Brand Marketers”

3

What does your ideal prospect identify with?

Difficulty3

Value3

Creative Factor2

Deep Research Article

Write an article that dives into the depths of one area to uncover insights and myths. This is super powerful if you are writing about something they care about.

Examples:

“Why Female Diversity Matters to Event Planners”

“How Best Hospitals to Work For Are Using Servant Leadership”

“How Social Selling is changing the Real Estate Market”

4

Find something that can’t be GOOGLED.

Difficulty4

Value4

Creative Factor4

Utilize Your Talents

Are you great at social media? Branding? Experiences at events? Do you have talents that you can give to the meeting planners that will add value to the event? Reaching out to them via email to discover how you can serve them without pitching.

Turn them into a strategic partner.

Examples:

Website design or messaging

Video Editing

Social Media

Volunteer

5

Give to GIVE…not to receive.

Difficulty5

Value5

Creative Factor5

Sage Summit 2017

Ron Dod at The Imagine Conference

Be Proactive. Do the Work.

Build Relationships.