Monetize Your Message: HOW to profit WILDLY in the new world of Speaking - Part TWO

PART TWO:  Mining your clients for TOP needs - Once you have an idea of what YOU bring to the table as a solution, the first step in becoming MORE relevant and having your clients see you as a completely indispensible part of their success "arsenal" is getting to know your clients better.  Even if you have known your clients for YEARS, (or if you haven't spoken to them in years... a big "no no" in the NEW world of speaking where ONE NIGHT STANDS should be forbidden!!)  when you are approaching them with a "solutions" mindset vs. a "speaker" mindset, you will be amazed at what valuable information they will reveal.   The goal is to find out what are they hungry for.  In other words:  What problem will they pay to have solved? 

Having this type of OPEN conversation requires a shift in purpose.  No longer are we asking questions to figure out "if they want to pay you to speak". (P.S. These conversations almost always end quickly with some line about "cutting the training budget.")  Instead, we are seeking MUCH more relevant information.  We are finding out what they are going through, what problems they are facing, and what specific solutions they are seeking.  Here are some suggested ways to start this "NEW WORLD" conversation:

•  "I am attempting to be responsive to what the statistics tell us is a changing and shifting market and want to learn more about what YOU are experiencing.  Would you be willing to speak with me a bit about the changes you are seeing in your company?  What problems are you running into most frequently?  Which are most compelling?"
•  "We know that EVERY industry is in transition right now and I have committed to offering solutions rather than just speaking...  Would you be willing to have a candid conversation with me?  You have been a client of mine for X number of years and have hired me for X number of your events.  How beneficial have these investments been?  I recognize that NO one-time solution will ever solve ALL of your problems, but where did you find the keynote or workshop "fell short" of achieving your goals at the time?  In what way could we have extended the benefit of that keynote to better accomplish the goal?"

  Remember, these conversations do not diminish what we do in a keynote address or workshop facilitation.  Instead, it is recognizing - and being willing to address -  the fact that even after an exemplary keynote or workshop, each audience member will go back to work and meet "REALITY". The more we know about what happens AFTER the keynote or workshop or seminar, the better we can truly serve our clients and create profitable solutions for them.

 These conversations will allow you to gain a lot of ground in becoming absolutely RELEVANT to your existing market.  PLUS, this will alert your clients that you are REINVENTING to meet their needs.  So, they will expect and welcome further communication about how you have incorporated what you have learned into your business model.  In other words, your career as a "solution" is being birthed and marketed simultaneously.  Now, that is a profitable conversation.  (So, be sure to take some notes.)

PART THREE:  Uncovering New Profit Centers - Now you have a winning foundation for setting yourself apart from any other speaker out there.  Rather than operating under "the old business model" (or the existing business model) you now have the skeleton to build an innovative menu of services that respond to the pressing needs of your clients in TODAY's economy. 

Developing a "Menu of Services" beyond the traditional keynote, workshop, or seminar immediately makes you more compelling, more relevant and more valuable than any of your competitors.  Essentially, you are moving away from the "one -night stand" mentality of "speaker meets event" and moving INTO a position of becoming an indispensable resource for your clients' success.  It is HERE that the future for speakers resides.

Of course you will keep offering "the Keynote"... and your menu will still position it profitably and in a way that does not diminish the power in the "hour". =) However, the beauty of a "menu of services" is that it allows you to follow up with the client to propose a more profitable extension of what began on the platform.  Here are some suggestions on what you may decide to ADD to your current menu:

•  TRAINING.  But I already offer training for my clients.  Great.  Keep doing that.  But be MUCH bolder in your "solutions" language and EXTEND your training to ALWAYS include multiple "touches" and a follow up to see how it is working.   Position yourself as a PARTNER to your client... not a hired hand. 
• CONSULTING / COACHING.  Years ago, you couldn't walk in a local WalMart without running into a "Speaker, Coach, and Author".   Now, the economy has "thinned the herd" a bit, but since many speakers are actually coaches and consultants, why not capitalize on and profit from it?  Offer consulting or coaching packages allows you to provide ongoing services to your clients.   

 P.S. A great way to parlay a great "keynote experience" into an ongoing consulting / coaching package begins with THESE words, "Do you want to continue what we started with __________ and your organization?"

•  PRODUCTS . You can respond to all the information you gathered from your conversations with your past clients and others in your market AND respond to the "budget - aware" training models by creating your own products.  This will extend the benefits of your most-requested keynotes and / or to provide a solution for one of the most compelling and frequent "issues" identified by your clients. 

In Part THREE of this article series for aspiring and experienced speakers, we will uncover EXACTLY what to do with the information you have gathered in parts one and two....