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by Michael Scott Karpovich, Certified Speaking Professional
KARP’s ABC’s of
marketing for the beginning professional Speaker:
- Get Good and then be good on the platform! (Bill Sanders suggests that
100 presentations earns a person the right to be a "professional" speaker.)
- Find a list of at least 200 people in a specific industry or a specific group who are in
the position to recommend you or better yet, hire you as a speaker.
- Find a dozen or more creative ways to be in front of these 200 target people within
a year’s time: call, mail, e-mail, TV, radio, web presence, articles, books, gifts,
small speaking engagements for "exposure." Always focus on benefits and support
that with features (most of us are doing the opposite). Do what you can to get noticed by
your 200 target people, and regularly ask them if they know of an opportunity for you to
present.
KARP’s 1,2,3’s of
Marketing for an experienced professional Speaker:
Become actively involved in the state / regional / national
associations of your industry. (On one side, there are the meetings industry associations
like NSA, ASAE, MPI, and ASTD; on the other, there are your niche associations.) Your active
involvement will position you as an industry expert. Don’t just sell yourself in
these environments; in fact, don’t sell yourself – just be a "PARTNER"
and offer help, leadership, guidance and suggestions. Giving back equals visibility-- and
appropriate visibility will lead to business.
- Become prolific with the development of products and supplemental materials. Write
articles for your associations, write articles for national/international publications,
create an on-line newsletter or a regular newsletter, write books, record audiotape
albums, record video courses. Make them available to your expanding network of contacts.
- Say "NO" to more speaking requests. This would be a good time to raise your
fees. Scarcity increases perceived value; therefore, as it becomes harder for people to
book you, your value and the value of your presentations goes up. At this stage, never do
a program that cannot guarantee a home run. Do what you do well and what you love to do.
Do not do presentations that are not the best type of programs for you and your career.
Your products, articles, and books provide all the "exposure" that you
will ever need. Never do a program for "exposure" alone – perhaps
for exhibit space or for a regular column in the national magazine – but never "exposure."
KARP’s Do, Re, Mi’s of
Marketing for the accomplished and established professional Speaker:
Do) Have your own radio or TV program in which you a) find sponsors
to pay for it, b) interview the established pros and experts in your niche market and c)
distribute it either to radio/television stations for broadcasting or to leaders in your
niche market. Whether it is ever broadcasted or not really doesn't matter -- your
interviews will position you both in front of those you interview, and in front of those
in your niche with whom you share the tapes. (Another idea – you may broadcast your
programs on the Internet!)
Re) Focusing on your main niche topic or your main niche audience, create a book tour
(and the book that goes with it). Hire a public relations professional with the expressed
assignment of getting you press -- ideally, television and radio interviews by which you
may sell your book. It would be grand if you can get articles written about you in
newspapers and magazine – orchestrate that!
Mi) Create a self-propelled marketing program! Take small space ads out in your
niche publications – selling not you, but promoting a free report - which leads
people to call an automatic message machine or fax their information or fill out an
on-line survey. Provide the free report, which sells your products. Create your product so
that it draws people to use your speaking / consulting / training services. (Dan Kennedy)
Remember that these must focus on "BENEFITS," not "FEATURES." (Randy
Gage)
Now we know our A,B,C's... so let's jam!
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