Maximize Your Speaking Opportunities: 3 Ways to Grow Your List!
Post from Lisa Sasesvich, The Invisible Close Queen
Ali Brown says that the fortune is in the list. In that case, many speakers are blowing their chance at riches every time they present.
It’s very common to see presenters speak for a fee or for back-of-the-room sales, but then have nothing in place to collect leads and grow their list.
And then there are others, who speak for free, relying not only on back-of-the-room sales to bring in the big bucks, but also on the leads. They know the value of growing their list.
In fact, building up your list is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your success. Here are a few reasons why.
· It’s a free way to reach your market. Think about it…the people in your audience are usually your perfect target market. Acquiring them with online or other methods would cost a lot of time and money. So, why would you want to squander your free opportunity to add them to your list?
· The math adds up quickly! Let’s say you have 500 people on your email list, and an average of 20% listen to your free teleseminar or webinar or attend one of your talks. If 10% of those buy your $497 offer, that’s $4,970. Now, double your list to 1,000, and, without raising your conversion rate or doing much more work at all, you’ve now made $9,940. With results like that, it’s easy to see why your list is golden!
· Affiliate deals find you. The larger your targeted list, the more attractive it becomes to other experts who will offer you lucrative affiliate deals for the opportunity for exposure.
Growing your list yields terrific dividends, and it isn’t difficult to do. Here are three ways to get started.
1. Flat Out Ask
Many promoters of smaller local events will gladly give you a copy of the sign-in sheet or member roster. Just ask them before the event and be sure to collect it after. Before adding the attendees or members to your list, however, they have to opt in. Just email all of them, offering a free report or audio recording of one of your talks plus a complimentary subscription to your ezine if they opt in with their first name and email address.
2. Grab Them with a Drawing
It’s amazing how many people will clamor to get their business card into a fishbowl for the opportunity to win something. A drawing is a great thing to do whether or not you’re allowed to sell from the stage.
When you announce your drawing, make sure to say that anyone entering will also receive a “complimentary subscription to your XYZ ezine.” That way you’ve disclosed that you’ll be sending it to them in advance of their opting in with their business card. And of course, you have to describe in depth what they will be winning…one of your products, of course!
3. Provide Notes from Your Talk
Using the fishbowl approach, offer to send all of the interested attendees notes from your talk or a copy of your PowerPoint presentation or something of value from your presentation that you know they crave. Then follow the steps above for the drawing.
Note: At larger events, make sure to thoroughly read your contract. Some events prohibit any lead collection, so you have to make sure you are honoring the promoter’s guidelines.
But once you have the go-ahead, follow through. Collect those leads, grow your list, and watch your income–and the impact of your contribution–take flight.
Lisa will be speaking at the Speakers Summit09, May 1-3. Learn how to get results without being salesy.
Sales-from-the-podium expert Lisa Sasevich has x-ray vision for seeing the sales opportunities that exist in every company, and the creativity to convert them into gold! If you’re looking for simple, quick and easy ways to boost sales without spending a dime, get your FREE Sales Nuggets now at www.theinvisibleclose.com.
