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An article on speaking professionally by
Patricia Fripp CSP, CPAE
For professional speakers, there
is always the debate: should you sell YOU or your TOPIC? If
the topic is hot-hot-hot, like a best-selling book, go for
the topic every time.
But
MY long-term approach has always been to sell ME. Many repeat-business
clients book me well in advance, never asking what my subject
will be. They are confident that my message will be appropriate
and adapted to their current needs.
If you
want to change what you're selling from your topics and expertise
to YOU, here's how to start.
1. Be
sure you're totally comfortable with who you are. Top speaker
Larry Winget said it perfectly: "Find your uniqueness, and
exploit it in the service of others."
2. Have
an ongoing, consistent, and relentless strategy for your marketing
and client contacts. But always be available to refer others
and give free advice. (NOT getting paid for everything you
do can be invaluable.)
FRIPPICISM
"You don't close a sale, you open a relationship if you want
to build a long-term, successful enterprise."
3. Make
yourself interesting to others. Here are just a few FRIPP
examples.
At a
large convention, where I was the only General Session speaker,
I held the sign that directed everyone to the Board of Directors
bus. (The staff thought it very entertaining, but it also
gave them another body to make things run smoothly and made
me look like a good scout.)
I visited
the sponsor's booth at the convention trade show, wearing
a Rhinestone Cowgirl outfit. This boosted interest and attendance
to the booth, and the client BEGGED to be my sponsor the following
year.
In addition
to doing the closing talk at a Women's Program, I emceed another
part of the event, wearing a Wonder Woman costume. I was billed
on the program as Diana Prince (Wonder Woman's mortal persona).
FRIPPICISM
"If they expect you to be a character, don't disappoint
them."
4.
Acquire a reputation for being sincerely interested in your
audience before you speak. Wander around and talk to them
informally long before you get introduced. Be your own "warm-up
act." (I call this my schmooze factor.)
FRIPPICISM
"There is no point going anywhere unless people remember
you were there."
5.
Create your own interesting sound bites of wisdom — I call
mine 'Frippicisms' — so your audience and other presenters
quote you all through the convention.
6.
Help people remember you.
Mention
your own name in your stories to help them remember who you
are. (I reinforce my audience's memory by emphasizing that
FRIPP is an acronym for Frequently Reinforce Ideas That are
Profitable and Productive.)
Merchandise
yourself. Give out buttons (Mine say, "I've Been Frippnotized")
or sell tee shirts (mine have Frippicisms on the back).
7.
Have an information-rich website. Emphasize to your audiences
that all this information is constantly updated and FREE
for their use. (You can get conference attendees started
by suggesting, in the pre-conference materials, that they
refer to your website for more information on the keynote
speaker).
8.
Offer your clients real value. Don't be attached to doing
only the keynote slot. Show them how they can use you in
additional ways, and they'll be delighted to pay your fee.
(For example, I offer "speaking schools" before the convention
for the industry speakers. These people are often subject-
and experience-heavy, but nervous and lacking confidence
about their delivery. After my sessions, they are excited
and confident, and their sessions go much better. With another
client, my willingness to "double in brass" has made me
a fixture at their annual convention. I started as a general-session
speaker, but now I also do breakouts and vendor programs.
This can go on forever!)
9.
Appreciate and repay client favors. For example, if they
sell your products in their store or help promote them,
give them a very healthy percentage or write a check to
their charity or foundation.
10.
Cultivate PR partners. Have famous pals talk about you in
their presentations. (Susan RoAne and I both got positive
feedback from clients when we began referring to each other
in our talks. We now use this as a STRATEGY. She always
talks about me. I always talk about her.)
And
attend the client social events with someone who will talk
you up while you do the same for him or her. (At a recent
ASAE convention in Nashville, Al McCree was telling people,
"Fripp is one of the best speakers in the country," while
I was saying, "Al McCree wrote my jingle for me — he writes
theme songs for many of my Association clients." Al swears
he will never go to a networking event without a '"partner"
again.) Al McCree wrote and produced my famous FRIPP jingle
that I use on every audio tape. Topics can come and go in
popularity, but when you make YOURSELF the product — a
stimulating and valuable one — you'll always have an eager
market.
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