So much can go right. And on the other hand, the whole shebang can go sideways in seven seconds flat if you’re not careful. And that’s why I’m giving you lots of great training on this topic in the next couple of weeks.
When you fly on your own dime across the country, spend your hard–earned money on nice outfits, and booth goodies, and hotel rooms, the pressure is really on.
Why listen to me?
The #1 way I generate leads, cash and clients for my business, is through SPEAKING.
Not educational talks where I’m teaching, or coachy coaching. I’m talking about speaking gigs where I step to the front of the room, give a talk, and make an offer. Sink or swim.
I intentionally still keep my income tied to my speaking results. And I speak at a lots of different types of gigs from Conference Keynotes, Workshops, and Events big and small, so that I can advise you from “real–world, real–life”, in the trenches experience.
Here are 5 ways a gig can go wonky on you:
1. The Undermine: Your host starts to think that your sales success is competition for their success, and it becomes “either or” when it ideally it should be “and”.
2. The Tech Train Wreck: You get a last minute schedule change, no sound check, or equipment that doesn’t work. ACK!
3. Funked Up Feng Shui: The room set up is not conducive to selling. u-shaped seating, uncomfortably dark, narrow rooms, or hot, dark rooms in late afternoon. These are signs that converting the room is going to be a challenge.
4. Stranded in the Desert: You’ve paid thousands to have a booth, but there’s no time at your booth, no people in the booth area, and your mouth suddenly begins to feel very, very dry. Are we in the desert? Is that a vulture flying over head?
5. The Cowboy Cop: Your expert status is eroded by the host who interrupts your talk, or talks down to you in the room, or otherwiseerodes your expert status. (There’s only room for one cowboy in this town, little missy)
These are true stories from the road. (mine + those of my friends, clients, & colleagues)
And here’s the GREAT NEWS…. not ALL stories go this way!
So how you can stack the odds in your favor? Here are just a few tips to give you a jumpstart:
#1: ACTIONS speak louder than WORDS.
Its easy to SAY you want sales to be a win-win, but those who mean it, back it up with ACTION. If the person isn’t really on board with you, your pitch, and how to make it successful, its a sign of what will come to pass at the event.
#2 TAKE CARE OF YOU
Do not step onto stage without a sound / tech check. Just make it a rule, and stick to it. Don’t ever let someone shove you on the stage unprepared. You need to step on stage, and have what you need, and your host should support you in that too!
If not? You take care of you!
#3: CREATE YOUR SPACE:
You want to know as much as you can about the space, and again if its not ideal, see what you can change. U-shaped seating for instance, does not sell as well as classroom, and it generally only take minutes to shuffle chairs, so take the time sure your room is set up right!
Seemingly small details like this add to your profit or diminish it.
#4 QUALIFY THE EVENT BEFORE YOU SAY YES
I learned this the hard way by “trusting” that an event team would handle things right, and it was an expensivemistake (in time, energy and money).
We could go into lots details here, but here are a few things you want to know.
Where will the booths be? And how will your host help get people there? Get answers before you say yes.
#5 PARTNER WITH PARTNERS
Your host can help seed your sale, set up your sale, and build your expert status, or they can chop you off at the knees.
Look and listen for the signs ahead of time so you’re partnering with people who have your back and speak highly of you.
When you choose the right partner, venue, and opportunity, and you’re strategic about how you handle you can create a HUGE wave of clients, cash, and visibility for your business!
With the right planning, the right questions, and the right strategy you can choose the right events for you, and you can create a BIG WIN for you and your host too!
p.s. the best way to say thank you to your host?
RENEW to speak again + offer a rockin testimonial too!
