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Laughter is the Key to bringing in the Riches!
Most Sales People you run into just try to sell and jam stuff down your throat! They usually never find out who they are really talking to… don't be one of these guys or gals!
These are a few things I use that help make for a great conversation and then turn into a Sale!
1) I always ask first… “Are you having fun today”? and say it with enthusiasm… This always gets the person telling you what kind up mood they are in. This is important so you know what direction the conversation needs to go to… Are they in a good mood or bad mood, etc…
2) Mirror the person you are talking to… You probably heard this before but it works! If that person is talking slow, you talk slow…if that person is talking fast you talk fast. Mirror their energy if you can…If they are way too depressed then there isn't any hope for them and don't bother! You get the point right… Happy Happy
3) Smile… Check yourself to make sure you are smiling when you are talking to a prospect. When I used to teach inside sales people how to get there sales up, I had them put a Mirror on their desk to see themselves on the phone… It made them smile and give energy to the person on the phone, and that person can feel the energy too and will buy from you more. If you are in person you probably don't want to bust out your mirror!
I always try to make people laugh while talking to them… tell them a story about your kid (if they have kids) or a trip you went on that turned out to be so horrible it makes them laugh at your misery! If someone can relate to you better by one of your stories they will feel like they can trust you better and will buy from you….
Facts Tell, Stories Sell… Try to stay away from boring your prospect with a bunch of facts on what it is that you are selling (this widget or solution is the best, look at theses features...blah blah blah) Tell a story about your solution or service, something personal. People like to hear what happened to someone else, it's the 3rd party validation that makes your sale golden!
Hopefully you liked some of the things I have said. If so, I have many other techniques that have helped me and many others make thousands of dollars online and I can show you how to use them to build your business.
You're out of town for two days. You manage the stress of airports, coach seating, unpacking for security checks and double tipping at hotels and airports. You're away from your family for two days at a time, adjusting your sleep patterns through time zones and enduring restaurants that others select.
You love the two hours that you spend speaking and you have the satisfaction of knowing you've given the client exactly what he/she requested. But you spoke for expenses only and of course, no fee.
Is it enough?
What you can do to make it worth your time:
1.Sell your products and services following your presentation. The reason that it gets a little testy with speakers bureaus is that they don't get a percentage of your product sales, don't want to police it and don't want you to possibly damage their relationship with the hiring entity. Some speakers pitch their products throughout their entire presentation, close hard and long and offend the audience. You can avoid that.
2.In your standard program agreement, if you have reduced or eliminated your fee, state that your ?$7,500 fee is waived due to ?? (professional courtesy, services exchanged, as a showcase opportunity, etc.)
3.Have the client record (either video or audio) your presentation at their expense. You can utilize the footage or the recording in multiple ways.
4.Get referrals to other organizations with a recommendation from the meeting planner.
5.Promote your own event or boot camp at the end of your presentation.
6.Pre-sell products to the organization that will be distributed at the event.
7.Get a list of all attendees and their contact information. It's not often the practice of meeting planners to do this, but it happens. At the very least, reserve the right to have a free drawing at the event to receive a set of your products. In order to be eligible for the drawing, you will have to have the business cards of participants. Don't be shy about telling them that their name will be added to your mailing list. 8.If you're a seasoned professional speaker and this is your ideal target market and most importantly you have an extensive line of products and services to sell, offer the meeting planner a percentage of your sales.
9.Treat yourself to an Internet marketing boot camp. It should be required continuing education for speakers because there are always new ways of making money with your intellectual capital. Speaking at a particular event is only one of those.
If you are creative with developing products and services to build your information empire, you may be one of the few who'll never miss a speaking fee.
In my experience of booking speakers since 1982, most organizations will pay your fee and allow you to sell products. It's all in the way you position yourself.
When the applause isn't enough, evaluate the system that you use to secure engagements and do what it takes to secure those paid engagements. Assess your objectives and reaffirm your goals for your speaking career. Take the next step in building your information empire.
Mary McKay is a booking strategist for speakers, authors, experts, leaders, top producers and cultural heroes who want to secure paid speaking engagements. She systematizes the booking process to uniquely position the speaker, optimize the appearance, generate referrals and enable more revenue potential through product sales. Visit or call 949-429-6646.