HOW TO SET UP AN INDEPENDENT AGENT REFERRAL
SYSTEM AND GET HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO REFER YOU TO
ORGANIZATIONS NEEDING PAID SPEAKERS
by Dr. Jeffrey Lant
For years I've been recommending that people with
specialized knowledge become paid speakers. The benefits are
obvious:
- you get a fee, often a very substantial one;
- you get an audience of people who can buy your products
and services and who, if you speak well and convincingly,
certainly will;
- you build your reputation and perceived value in the
marketplace since it's obvious that only the best people get
invited to speak, and
- you get deference, that magic elixir that is becoming more
and more hard to find (if never less valuable) in our
democratic days.
Yes, I can recommend the benefits of becoming a paid
speaker.
Trouble is, as any paid speaker can tell you, getting these
gigs isn't a piece of cake. In fact, when you enter the
world of paid speaking, either full-time or (as most people
do) part-time, you're entering into one of the most
competitive universes anywhere. Period. This report starts
from a recognition both of the benefits of paid speaking and
of the difficulty in securing paid engagements and offers
detailed information on how you can maximize your chances of
getting the paid engagements you want.
Now, I'm going to shoot squarely here. I'm not going to
advise you to get an agent. The fact is, until you're a
best-selling author or celebrity no agent really wants to
talk to you. Agents make their money by taking a commission,
and the fact is most speakers make too little to entice an
agent to take an interest. What's more, securing the
services of one agent who represents you exclusively or
several who represent you on a non-exclusive basis doesn't
ensure you of anything. Just because you're listed with one
or several agents doesn't mean you're going to get any
business.
Okay, you may not like to hear this, but it's true. In my
greener days when I was a new author, I was listed with a
good agent who had a lot of hustle. I never got one speaking
engagement the whole time I was listed with him -- not one.
Nibbles, but no bites. And since then I've never had a
booking through any agency, although agents regularly
approach me and ask for detailed information packets. I
unfailingly send them; nothing happens.
But if speaking agents either won't look at you or (in most
cases) won't do you much good even if they adopt you, what
are you left with? Cold calls? Tracking down meeting
planners cold and calling them; sending them packets of
information about what you speak about chock full of color
photographs, testimonials, and the like? No way! To use cold
calling and cold contacts alone to develop a series of paid
engagements takes far too long and is far too disspiriting.
Sure you're going to do some of this; all of us do. But to
rely on it for all your paid engagements is not a good use
of your limited reserves of time, money and enthusiasm.
What then? You must set up your own Independent Agent
Referral System (IARS).
What Is An Independent Agent Referral System?
The underlying idea of the IARS is simple. It's based on the
concept of networking and essentially says that the people
you come in contact with collectively know many times as
many useful people as you know individually. They belong to
many times as many organizations as you do; are suppliers to
many more organizations than you are; attend many more
meetings than you do; and know many times more meeting
planners than you do individually. Do you agree?
So what, you say, what does that have to do with getting me
speaking engagements? Simply this, if you can find a way of
motivating these people to help you, you can regularly get
access to their universes -- and benefit accordingly. That
is, if you can put them to work for you, you can benefit
from whom they know... and access their contact networks.
The question is how can you do this. That's where the 8
simple steps towards establishing your own IARS come in.
1) Creating Programs People Want To Hear And Becoming The
Consummate Speaker
If you're going to make money as a speaker you'd better
become a good speaker... the kind of speaker who delivers
useful and up-to-date information in an entertaining way.
This may seem obvious, but always isn't. Over the last dozen
years in the speaking business I've seen lots of "big names"
come and go... because they didn't work on keeping their
products (the speeches they give) current. And if their
products are faulty they not only disappoint audiences...
but make it unlikely those audiences are going to do
anything about referring the speaker to new audiences. (Just
what you need to do to become an effective speaker is beyond
the range of this report. However, you'll find exhaustive
details in my book MONEY TALKS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO
CREATING A PROFITABLE WORKSHOP OR SEMINAR IN ANY FIELD.)
2) You Need To Establish Your Own Desirability And
Credibility
This point is closely allied to the one above. The more
desirable you are... the more credible you are as a speaker,
the easier it will be for people to refer you to others and
make those referrals effective. It's no surprise that I'm
getting virtually daily referrals now; after all, I've been
in the speaking business for over a decade. This is
happening because I continually work to develop my own
desirability and credibility as a specialist who can help
people.
Here are a few ways to help make this happen for you:
i) when you give a talk (even a free one!), place an
article-by-you in the organization's newsletter. Write it
about something of direct and immediate interest to the
readers;
ii) get interviewed in the newsletter of the organization
inviting you. A speaker is a speaker is a speaker... but the
person who gets interviewed is a star.
iii) use your appearance before an organization to seek out
the editors of publications reaching others who would be
interested in what you've got to say. Whenever I'm in a city
delivering a talk to any organization, I ask the
organization to contact local business editors and editors
of specialized publications that may be in the area.
Leverage your appearance to get more ink!
iv) have the organization get the local city council, state
rep or senator or even the governor of the state to declare
the day in your honor or get you official recognition.
(These and dozens of other possibilities for developing your
perceived standing and reputation through free media are
canvassed in my well-known 366-page book THE UNABASHED SELF-
PROMOTER'S GUIDE: WHAT EVERY MAN, WOMAN, CHILD AND
ORGANIZATION IN AMERICA NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING AHEAD BY
EXPLOITING THE MEDIA.)
3) Come Up With A Good Motivational Package Designed To Get
People To Help You
If you want to get people to help you, there are many ways
of doing so. You can ask. You can plead. Or you can
motivate. Motivation works best. But what can you use to
motivate them?
There are many answers to this question, of course, but over
the years I've found that offering your independent agents a
share of the rewards works best. I give people who refer me
to a paying speaking assignment 10% of the money I get from
my speaking fee -- and 10% of the money I make from my
product sales on the day of the program. This is highly
motivational for people... especially once they know they
can make up to $3,000 for just a few minutes work!
Will this offer work as well for you if you don't have a
line of products and don't make up to $30,000 for your
speaking engagements? Frankly, no. But it will work. And
you've got to start somewhere. Maybe the first commission
checks you dish out won't be any more than $50. That's fine.
So long as you realize you're in this business for the long
haul and intend to work on developing a career... not just
giving a few speeches.
4) Develop A Compelling Marketing Piece
All marketing is a numbers game and your success in this
game is predicated on your i) developing a good
product/speech; 2) coming up with an attractive motivational
offer; and iii) presenting that offer to your Independent
Agent prospects (the people with the connections to
organizations, etc) in the most compelling possible way.
In this regard, here's the headline for the flyer that I use
to get a constant stream of referrals: "Get Yourself A Check
for Up To $3,000 -- For Just A Few Minutes' Work." I knew
this headline was a winner when the usually blase boy at the
copy center I use stopped everything just to read this flyer
when he was printing it. Since then it has grabbed the
attention of those who have received it quite as effectively
as it grabbed him... my referral stream proves it!
The rest of the flyer goes on to detail:
. how little work the independent agent has to do;
. what I want him to do;
. the kinds of programs I offer;
. when the independent agent gets paid... and how much he
can make.
On the flip side of this single 8 1/2" x 11" flyer is a
complete page of testimonials from satisfied people who've
attended my programs, sponsored my programs, or read the
books on which my programs are based. Note: I print this
marketing flyer on green page at a cost of around $55 per
thousand.
5) Develop Appropriate Follow-Up Materials For Those
Responding To Your Marketing Flyer
Lots of people, of course, use networking to get assignments
of every kind; what differentiates this program from what
other people do is that it's a system, a rigorously
organized means of both generating and responding to
opportunities. To make it work for you, you've got to be
prepared to respond -- immediately. This means thinking
through the materials you need and creating them before you
need them. Remember, the Independent Agent is ordinarily not
the decision maker for the gig you want. Thus, you've got to
be prepared with materials to convince that decision maker
(and the committee with which he so often is working) to
retain you. Here's what you need:
- an audio cassette. Record one of your life speaking
sessions (60 minutes should do) and don't omit the opening
and closing applause and the question-answer period that
demonstrates conclusively just how good you are with an
audience;
- a video cassette. This should demonstrate your mastery
with the audience and convince the decision maker Quasimodo
was not a relation.
- testimonials from satisfied meeting planners and audience
participants. Anytime anyone says anything good about you,
have them put it in writing. The testimonial document I send
to meeting planners is currently well over 7 feet long and
is packed with page after single-spaced page of outrageously
laudatory comments;
- review copies of books, booklets, and articles. This kind
of stuff shows just what kind of knowledgeable specialist
you really are.
- two black-and-white photos: an action shot of you doing
what you do and a head shot.
- detailed descriptions of the programs you offer and the
benefits participants get from them.
You should also develop a cover letter to accompany these
materials and have it available in your computer so you can
get it out immediately, as soon as you've got a lead. Note:
make sure you send a copy of this cover letter to the person
who made the referral. This lets this individual know you've
taken responsibility for this lead and are doing what's
necessary to foster it.
6) Develop Your Distribution System So You Can Get Your
Marketing Flyer In The Hands Of As Many Appropriate People
As Possible
The success of your system depends in large measure upon
just how many people know you've got a system... which means
concentrating on the distribution system that brings you and
your programs to their attention. Here's just some of what
you should be doing:
- put your flyer in all your outgoing mail;
- stuff it in your book and product packages;
- print it as a page in your information products and
mention it on your audio cassettes;
- distribute flyers at trade shows, and
- make sure every member of all your audiences has a copy.
In short, hustle.
7) Follow Up Leads Swiftly
Depending on how thoroughly you've followed the preceding
suggestions, you'll start getting leads almost immediately:
I get them almost daily now, sometimes, in fact, as many as
five or six a day! Hopefully, you're prepared to act
promptly.
i) Open a file in your computer for your leads. Write down
the name, title, organization, address and phone number of
both the person you've been referred to and the person who
has made the initial connection. Write down any further
details that may later prove helpful.
ii) Append the date you added this information and how you
followed up.
iii) Indicate just what you're going to do next and when
you'll be doing it.
Now do what you say you're going to do. Send the person
you've been referred to what he/she needs. Send the referrer
a copy of the letter you've sent to the person reviewing
your credentials. Then follow up appropriately when you said
you would.
What happens if you hit a snag? Can't get through to the
person making the decision? Can't get your phone calls
returned? The usual business run-around? Why, contact the
person who made the original referral and ask him to call on
your behalf. This person isn't just essential for making the
original contact... but often proves crucial in getting
through the inevitable decision-making log jams. With what
you'll be paying this person, don't hesitate to use him now!
8) Pay Your Commissions Promptly... And Ask For More Leads!
After the splendid success of your speech and the avalanche
of product sales it generated, it's time to report back to
the person who made the original contact and who now, quite
properly, wants to be paid. The first day you're back in
your office, write a report that covers the speaker fee you
were paid, the amount of products you sold, and the
commission which is owing and which should now be paid. If
some portion of the amount generated remains unpaid by the
program sponsor, so note; pay what you can now. Indicate
when the rest will be forthcoming. Also note that if you're
paying your Independent Agent over $600, you'll be sending a
1099 form in January.
Send your report and check with an enthusiastic cover letter
letting your Independent Agent know just how grateful you
are... and that you'd like to hand over any number of other
checks... if only this person will keep making referrals for
you. Each check should provide the necessary fuel for
developing both your relationship with this agent and with
others who want to get their share of the winnings, too.
Which is why your agent literature should include
testimonials from people who have regularly been getting
checks from you! With this Independent Agent Referral System
there should be lots of them!!!
*****************************
If you'd like to start getting checks up to $3,000 for
referring Dr. Jeffrey Lant to organizations needing
speakers, call (617) 547-6372 for details. To launch
yourself on the speaker circuit, use his well-known book
MONEY TALKS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CREATING A PROFITABLE
WORKSHOP OR SEMINAR IN ANY FIELD and THE UNABASHED SELF-
PROMOTER'S GUIDE. Both are $34 postpaid from The Sure-Fire
Business Success Catalog, 50 Follen St., Suite 507,
Cambridge, MA 02138. Don't forget to ask for your free
year's subscription to his quarterly business resources
guide listing over 125 ways to make your business more
profitable now!