5 Foundational Elements of a Successful Speaker Launch Plan
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Many speakers struggle to grab attention because they lack a solid launch plan. To shine, your message must be spot-on, and your marketing efforts must be precision-focused on your desired outcomes. Building an audience takes time and effort, but the payoff is worth it!
This blog post is a reminder that launching a successful speaking business from scratch does not have to be hard. You are invited to create a checklist using the following 5 Foundational Elements of a Successful Speaker Launch Plan.
The foundational elements of a successful speaker launch plan will help you create the perfect speaker brand for yourself, develop content and promotional tools that work together seamlessly and turn them into real results through our proven systems.
Determine Speaker Revenue Streams, Key Activities and Expenses.
There are so many ways that you can earn money as a professional speaker. Options include but are not limited to:
Sponsorship Kits
Speaking Fees
Affiliate Sales
Coaching
Consulting
Pre-Sale Next Event
Training
Digital Products - Tools/Templates
Physical Products
Virtual Events
In-Person Experiences
Determine how much money you would like to earn from the aforementioned activities. The purchasing habits of your ideal client will affect your ability to have a successful launch, so keep this in mind when planning your marketing and sales campaign. Each of the aforementioned options requires marketing before, during and after your launch in addition to a budget.
Run your speaker business with an understanding that revenue minus expenses equals profit. Keep in mind that your speaker budget includes the cost of your speaker website, wardrobe, travel expenses, PR and marketing expenses (20-35% of your revenue), and speaker equipment (phone, camera, computer, software, etc.).
Far too many speakers select a random number, and then discover that they are grossly under-earning. I was one of those people. When I started using Quickbooks, I discovered that I was spending way more money than I thought. This oversight led me into losing roughly $25,000 on my first live event.
Documenting business expenses is a game-changer! Knowing your numbers helps to communicate more effectively with your accountant, tax preparer, tax authority, banker, and/or business partners. It also helps to determine which products, services, programs and experiences are under-performing and in need of release.
Determine Ideal Audience.
Create a list of the people you would like to speak in front of. This may include associations, corporations, small businesses, conferences, educational institutions, clubs, fraternities, sororities, the military, and the government.
Identify which of these audiences is most likely to book you for their event or organization based on who currently books speakers with similar backgrounds, experiences, etc. List your speaking credentials and what makes them relevant to each group of people on your list.
Craft Your Speaker Message.
Figuring out what you want to share with your audience will take the most time and effort. Honor your voice by sharing your life's work and passion. Words are powerful so please use them to educate, entertain, uplift, inspire, encourage, empower and equip others for success. Your message is not just a list of facts, but rather it will contain an experience and ask for action (i.e. sign up for our newsletter, ask me about my story, etc.).
Refine Your Speaker Bio.The audience is dialed into radio station W.I.I.F.M. (What’s in it for me), so talking extensively about yourself is a waste of their time and undivided attention. Craft a 35 word, 75 word and 120 word bio that is relevant to your subject matter expertise. For example, if you are talking about how to be successful in your career as a professional speaker, they might want to know if you have been one for a long time or just started recently. Here’s mine for inspiration.
Create an Eye-Catching Speaker Infographic.This is a visual representation of your talk that is meant to be shared on social media. It should contain the basics of your talk from what you do to how long it lasts, as well as some facts about yourself that are relevant to your work as a professional speaker. If the event is open to the public, create a Carousel post that includes time, date, location and how to register.
Leverage Your LinkedIn Group.
After every presentation, one of my colleagues posts an "informative" LinkedIn post letting people know that she is available for speaking engagements. This is a great way to network and get in touch with new prospects. It's important to note that this should be a group, not a post.
Leverage Networking and Thank You Cards.This is something many people forget about, but your thank you cards are the perfect opportunity for further networking because you have a captive audience of potential clients. I recommend sending virtual thank you cards to all of your contacts before you even leave the room so that if someone is interested in speaking with you, they don't have to hunt down your contact information at a later date!
Embrace the Power of the SNAP and see-me card. As a member of CEO Space, we SNAP. SNAP stands for Super Networking Accelerates Potential. It’s the cousin to the elevator pitch. It works really well if you have the ability to speak with clarity, brevity and authority about what you’re working on and what you’re looking for next. There are two major components to it. The game that we play is that there’s a circle of people and there’s a bunch of circles set up throughout the whole room. There’s one runner in the group and that runner is going from circle to circle and they’re snapping. “This is what I’m working on. This is what I’m ready to receive.”If somebody in the group is either A, the contact, B, knows the contact or C, has an influence on the contact like, “My business coach does what you’re looking for.” They’ll give you a card, which we call See-Me card and you write down the resource. “I have the resource that you’re looking for. It’s my landscaper’s sister.” You collect all these cards throughout the week. We have designated times so that members can connect with one another and follow up on those contacts. “You said that your landscaper’s sister is who I’m looking for, can I get in touch with them?” “Absolutely. Here’s the phone number, website and email address. Let me call first to make an introduction for you.” That’s all taking place, but it’s a way to accelerate the results that you’re looking for and a way to meet all of the people at the event. Oftentimes you’ll go to an event, especially the larger ones. You don’t get a chance to meet everybody. This is a way for everybody to know what you’re working on and for you to know what everybody else is working on.
Build Connections with Influencers.
Influencers are those who have been interviewed by others, those whose opinions have been sought out by the media, and those with a big social following.
Social Media gives you access to these influencers at low or no cost. Start finding your influencers as soon as you decide on a start date for your launch campaign.
Take a look at who has been interviewed by the media outlets that you want to appear in. If you can't find an email address or contact information, use Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook to reach out and ask for a connection.
If they respond and say yes, share their interview with your community before you launch so they know you value the opinions of those who have been interviewed and featured.
If they respond and say no, ask them who you should reach out to instead and gain a new influencer connection.
Make Your Influencers Look Good. When you're showcasing your influencers, the best thing that they can hear is "I want to help". Let them know how their interview answers and opinions will help your launch.Remember, you're not asking them to do anything for free so always offer compensation of some kind if it's within your means.
Let Your Influencers Know the Value They Will Bring. When you reach out to influencers, tell them why their contribution is important and what value they will add to your campaign.Let them know if their contribution will increase viewership, media coverage or social sharing.If you don't have a big community yet, let them know they will be part of an experiment in promoting speakers from small colleges and universities through social media channels.
Ask Them for Advice.Before you reach out to anyone, think about what you would like them to say. Create a list of questions and topics that they will be comfortable answering.Remember that influencers are busy people so give them ample time to respond to your requests. If this is too much work for you, try outsourcing the outreach.
Start Small.Raise awareness before you have a speaker confirmed, and before you have a launch date.You can use images of students, faculty or alumni to start conversations about your upcoming event.Reach out to influencers when you don't yet have an interview lined up with the media outlets that you want to cover your story. Share the interviews once they are available.
