How Pre-Speech Marketing Got Me Hired Over Better-Known Speakers

The education coordinator of a trade association had a single opening for a speaker in a four-day program. She used the National Speakers Association directory to find speakers who spoke on database marketing. My directory description caught her attention. She called and said I was a long-shot as she was also considering better-known speakers.

In spite of my relative obscurity and my lack of a video or audiotape and website at the time, I got hired. My first question to the coordinator was, “Why did you pick me?” Her response, “You were the only speaker who used marketing techniques from your presentation to market yourself to me.” She elaborated:

·       Your pre-speech idea to send postcards and letters to participants is unique and will help us sell the seminar

·       Your communication to me during the decision-making process (2 months) was professional, non-invasive and educational rather than selling me. I communicated every other week and never tried to sell myself or ask the status of the decision-making process. My method consisted of articles I found about her industry and a letter about an earlier conversation we had -- about the importance of continuing education for retailers. My letter praised her ideas AND as announced that I had just been named “Dean of the Profit Institute of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.” (a program of continuing education for retailers and business owners)

¨       Your proposal was first-class (among other things I spent $14 on a leather presentation kit and used lots of color)

I got hired because I demonstrated to the meeting sponsor the very relationship-building techniques I’d be teaching her attendees to use with their customers.