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| Looking for A Marketing Message That Sticks? Take the Opposite TestI read Guy Kawasaki's book, Reality Check, for the first time just over a year ago and I now keep it next to my desk for reference -- it's packed with great stuff, presented in quick, easily digestible "bites." One of my favorite lessons from Reality Check (subtitled The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition) is this: "See if your competition uses the antonyms of the adjectives that you use [to describe your business]. If it doesn't, your description is useless." As a speaker trying to stand out in a crowd of hundreds if not thousands of competitors, I hope this lesson hits home. In my 10+ years of working with speakers, I can't count the number of speaker packets that have been submitted for my review or the number of calls I've taken from speakers asking me about representation, and the vast majority of them lead with some variation of this: "I'm a great speaker. I customize my message to each audience. I've got lots of great testimonials. I'll make you look good. I'll get you lots of spin-off business." Of course that's a simplistic take, but it's not too far off from reality. If those speakers applied Kawasaki's "opposite test," they would have to ask, "Am I saying anything different from every other speaker who is seeking representation?" Only if every other speaker is saying: "I'm a pretty mediocre speaker. I just do canned talks -- customization is not my thing. I've never spoken before, so I can't promise you'll come out of this looking very good. People probably won't have me back after they see me once." I can assure you I've never heard that from a speaker! As simple as the opposite test is, it's not necessarily easy. I know. We face the same thing in trying to differentiate The Speakers Group among other speakers bureaus. The classic description of a speakers bureau is "We'll provide you access to virtually any speaker you want and we'll deliver great customer service," and we've been guilty of proclaiming the same thing. Prospective clients, then, can't help but think, "I've heard that before! Why should I work with you over any other speakers bureau?" We know we're different than other speakers bureaus just the same as you know you're different than other speakers. It doesn't matter if we know it, though. Prospective clients need to know it. The key is to define and communicate our uniqueness clearly. So here's your assignment for this week: Look at the headlines of your marketing materials. Look at your leading value statement in your phone and email scripts. Then, look around at the websites or materials of 5-10 of the speakers you consider to be your top competitors. Take the opposite test. How do your marketing messages compare? What adjectives do you use to describe yourself and your services, and what adjectives do your competitors use? Is it easy to see how you're different and why a client should work with you? I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions. Click to comment:
To your speaking success,
P.S. I want you to know how much I appreciate you reading my messages. I value what you do and I respect your time, so I'm really honored that you share a few minutes of your busy week with me. The Succeed Speaking newsletter is just three weeks old now, but communicating with you is a highlight of my week, so... THANK YOU! |
This question was actually not submitted by a reader, but it's one I've heard many times through the years and I thought this would be a good place to address it. Here's why it's not necessary (or appropriate) to ask a speakers bureau to reduce their commission percentage when a discounted offer is presented: Since speakers bureaus are paid based on a percentage of the gross fee, when the fee goes down, the bureau's commission naturally goes down at an equal rate. Let's run some numbers with a sample scenario to make it easier to see (warning: math ahead!): A speaker's standard fee is $7,500. A speakers bureau is paid a 25% commission, or $1,875, leaving $5,625 net to the speaker. Now, an offer comes in for $5,000. That's 33% less than the speaker's standard fee. When the speakers bureau's commission remains at 25% of gross, both the speaker and the bureau will see the same 33% reduction in revenue on this engagement: After a speakers bureau's 25% commission, the speaker will now net $3,750, or 33% less than the $5,625 net on a full-fee booking. Likewise, the bureau's commission ($1,250) is 33% less than the $1,875 commission on a full-fee booking. So everyone's even. Make sense? Both the speaker and the speakers bureau are going to be 33% lighter in the wallet. If you ask the speakers bureau to reduce their commission to 20%, though, the balance is off: A 20% commission on a $5,000 booking is $1,000. That's now 46.7% ($875) less than the $1,875 the bureau would have received on the full-fee booking! You, the speaker, though, would now receive $4,000 net, or only about 29% less than your net on a full-fee engagement. See the inequality? So if a bureau doesn't agree to a 20% commission on a reduced fee booking, it's not that they're trying to be difficult or selfish; they're actually just trying to be fair. -- Shawn E. Have
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ask! |
| Who
is Shawn Ellis? Shawn is the founder and president
of The Speakers Group, a firm that serves to optimize connections
between professional speakers and meeting and event planners.
He has been working with top speakers since 1999 and is known
as a trusted partner to speakers and planners alike, having
booked speakers for hundreds of events over the past decade.
With the Succeed Speaking newsletter, Shawn aims to combine
his knowledge of the speaking profession and the meetings industry
with a passion for entrepreneurship and small business optimization
to help professional and aspiring speakers build successful,
sustainable speaking enterprisees. |
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