Associations Can Be Goldmines
One of the strategies speakers use to widen their marketing reach is to speak to associations. Presenting to associations gives you a natural link to their member organizations.
Thw following interview is with speaker Elizabeth Jeffries excerpted from http://www.nsaspeaker.org article bank discussing how to make those connections and develop clients from association audiences.
Why should speakers target association audiences?
Elizabeth: Relationships with associations can be the entry into the organizations. Hopefully you are booking regularly with associations, have built relationships, created alliances and you are adding value. You can also co-sponsor programs for which you split the profits.
How would you narrow down which associations to target?
Elizabeth: If your market is healthcare, you might choose hospitals, nursing homes or home health and really concentrate on that one industry. For example, my husband and business partner Stephen Tweed, CSP, continues to niche in home health and has built a very good business in just that one industry. I don’t go there at all, because they don’t have the money for seminars and coaching like they do for strategic planning.
You might also want to consider the “who” of your audience. Who do you best relate to? It’s hard to move from the front line to the executive suite in the same organization. We can get positioned and branded before we know it.
How can speakers perform specialized research on one group or industry?
If you want to do research, consider your association audiences. Create a questionnaire and ask for their help in the program. Give them something for their time, such as a special bookmark. If you want to do research with executives or a certain professional group, do it with those you know. Today, people are swamped with surveys, questionnaires and information that infringe on their time. They will more likely to respond if they know you or your name.
Is there any other advice you can give us about working with associations?
Elizabeth: Mostly, remember this entire industry of speaking has changed so much. We are all reevaluating our materials, market, sales techniques, passion and uniqueness. Each industry has its own set of challenges with staffing and regulations. People want solutions! If you can show them how you can provide solutions, you’ll be ahead of the game. People need learning today that they can use tomorrow.
One more thought: if you aren’t in a mastermind group, you might consider forming one. It could benefit you to have three to four other speakers to bounce ideas off of, help you through transitions and generally support you in your business.
Elizabeth’s Top Ten:
1. When setting up work with associations, ask them for a list of attendees and the privilege of making your learning materials available to them. (Some speakers do this in exchange for “an association fee,” which is somewhat less than regular in-house fee).
2. Go through the list after the program and send e-mail notes to the ones you want to get involved with. I usually summarize key points from my program.
3. You can also send the group to your Web site with a password for follow-up handouts, “10 steps to…” or a multitude of take-aways.
4. Pepper your association program with comments about your in-house work, stories and examples to teach as well as to let people know you do in-house work.
5. Have something you can e-mail or send to people. Ask for business cards for those interested, send them the information and follow up.
6. You can also tell people in your audience that you offer in-house programs, and if they have a conference coming up or want more information, to give you a business card with a note on the back such as Send newsletter.
7. Have articles and tip sheets on a back table. Anything you provide should also have your name, credentials and contact information.
8. If you really want to niche, customize your materials with that industry’s language and examples.
9. Do your pre-work. Talk with and interview the association president and board members at their facilities. If you plan to do any research, you will want to talk to this level of folks. This is also a great way to find out about changes in the industry, regulations and staffing issues.
10. Use the Web! Research not just the association, but the organizations of the board members and leaders. Know who the big players are in that business and just call them.
Elizabeth Jeffries, RN, CSP, CPAE, works with organizations that want to put their mission into action and with leaders who want to multiply their performance. She is a keynote speaker, seminar leader, executive coach and the author of The Heart of Leadership: How to Inspire, Encourage and Motivate People to Follow You. www.tweedjeffries.com
