The Book Yourself Solid Speaking Strategy can be used by virtually any service professional to get in front of potential ideal clients.
The wonderful thing about sharing your knowledge is that it’s rewarding for both you and your audience. They will leave your presentation or event a little smarter, thinking bigger, and with an action plan that will help them implement what you’ve taught them. You will benefit because you’ll know you’ve helped others, which is the reason you do what you do. And at the same time, you’ll increase awareness for your services and products and get booked solid.
One of the easiest and fastest way to get in front of your target market is to invite them to something that is going to help them solve their problems and move them toward their compelling desires. Events that you produce—not necessarily big workshops or conferences but simple, community-building, meaningful, enlightening events at which you can shine, show off your products and services, and build your reputation and credibility in your marketplace are what I call—the always-have-something-to-invite-people-to offer. Here are some examples.
Conference Calls
Start a monthly or weekly call for clients to learn the benefits of working with you. Prepare a new, timely, and relevant topic every time. Pick up a magazine in your industry and use one of the articles to inspire your topic, invite guests to discuss their area of expertise, and ask your clients to tell you what they’d most like to hear about. The rest of the call will naturally flow into a Q&A session. Here are a few ideas to get you started and to spark your inspiration and creativity for your own unique ideas:
- Any service professional can offer a monthly or weekly Q&A on his or her area of expertise. No planning necessary—just show up and shine.
- Accountants can offer quarterly conference calls on updates on tax law along with planning strategies for decreasing tax liability, for example.
- Financial planners can offer weekly conference calls on the best strategies for building wealth using the products they sell.
- Internet marketing consultants can offer web conferences giving updates on search engine optimization and other web traffic generation strategies.
- Personal coaches can offer conference calls on their area of expertise: reducing anxiety, increasing focus, setting boundaries.
If you’re doing a conference call, or teleseminar, as it’s often called, it won’t cost you a dime. There are 100′s of companies that provide these types of services for free, like FreeConference.com and NoCostconference.com, and others that charge nominal fees, but provide additional features, like MaestroConference.com. Record each call and link to it from your website—all these services have conference recording built in. Those who can’t make the actual call will still have the opportunity to listen to it and benefit from it. Archiving the calls on your web site or blog is also a wonderful way of immediately establishing trust and credibility with new web visitors.
Demonstrations and Educational Events
These opportunities are similar to conference calls except they’re conducted in person. Demonstrations and educational events are an excellent way to reach potential ideal clients if your services are physical or location-based or if the people you serve are all located in the same town or city. This approach is also a great alternative if you feel that a conference call doesn’t speak to your strengths. This format is another opportunity to get creative and express yourself.
For example, you could create some excitement with an open house or outdoor demo at the park or at any other venue. Don’t just invite your potential clients but also your current clients, friends, or colleagues who know the value of your services and are willing to talk about their experiences.
- Fitness professionals can offer a weekly physical challenge for clients and potential clients. Ask clients to bring a new friend every week. Each week a new type of workout would be planned with a social event afterwards.
- Real estate agents can offer weekly real estate investor tours where they fill a van or tour bus with active real estate investors and scour the neighborhood hotspots.
- Professional organizers can offer a monthly makeover where they go to a potential or new client’s office or home, along with a small group of 10 or 15 people (it’s not bad to have a waiting list for these types of offerings), and the professional organizer reorganizes the space and teaches the guests the basics of how to be more productive and effective through an organized office.
- A hair stylist can do something similar with the monthly makeover concept. She could even offer a contest or raffle each month, and the winner would get the makeover.
- Any service professional can host a no-cost or low-cost morning retreat. Be playful and adventurous. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just creative. Allow clients to get to know you and meet other people with similar interests and goals. Make it as simple as serving tea, whole fresh fruit, and scones—and share your wealth of knowledge.
- Start a niche club. Consider cool stuff clients would enjoy. Think about activities that you love. Start a creative brainstorming club, weekly play group, or fun family outing.
- Start a product review club. People love sampling products and trying out new solutions. Give clients a taste of your work and introduce them to fun product overviews that will get them connected to your services. Invite other like-minded professionals to join you if you want to add dimension to the event.
Introduce these offerings at the end of your Book Yourself Solid Dialogue. Add, “I’d like to invite you to ______________”or “Why don’t you join me and my clients for a fun, playful _____________.” Try out different venues and topics until you discover the one that works for you. Remember, the difference between the typical client-snagging mentality and the Book Yourself Solid way is that the typical client-snagging mentality plays it safe so as not to look foolish. The Book Yourself Solid way asks, “How can I be unconventional and risky so as to create interest and excitement for my services?”
You will never be at a loss for different things to try or experiences to create for your clients and potential clients. You want to invite as many people as possible to these events for three important reasons:
- You want to leverage your time so you’re connecting with as many potential clients as possible in the shortest amount of time.
- You want to leverage the power of communities. When you bring people together, they create far more energy and excitement than you can on your own. Your guests will also see other people interested in what you have to offer, and that’s the best way to build credibility.
- You’ll be viewed as a generous connector. If you’re known in your marketplace as someone who brings people together, it will help you build your reputation and increase your likeability.
Written Exercise: Create three ways that you can instantly add value to your potential and current clients by way of an invitation.
