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The Invisible Close Sales Nugget: 5 Questions to Ask Your Host Before You Get on Stage

Guest post by: Lisa Sasevich

Article Overview: If you've been around me for any length of time, you know that I'm a big proponent of free speaking gigs. By that, I mean those opportunities that don't pay you to speak upfront, but that can yield big results from back-of-the-room sales.

The Invisible Close Sales Nugget: 5 Questions to Ask Your Host Before You Get on Stage

If you've been around me for any length of time, you know that I'm a big proponent of free speaking gigs. By that, I mean those opportunities that don't pay you to speak upfront, but that can yield big results from back-of-the-room sales. To profit from those events, however, you have to get some valuable information before you get up on stage. So here are five golden questions to ask your host or promoter.

1. What is the size of the group?

The reason for this question is straightforward: you want to know how much product to bring, how many order forms to print and, if your conversion rate is fairly consistent, what you might expect in sales.

The host of an existing group with recurring meetings is likely to give you an accurate figure. But if you're working with an inexperienced promoter, you may find some disparity between how many people the promoter hopes will show up and how many actually do.

To avoid that surprise, just check back in with the promoter about a week before the event and see how many people have actually signed up. That way, you'll be prepared.

2. Who is the audience?

You want to know if the audience is your market, so find out as much as you can about them. This is important because you can give a great talk, but if you're not talking to your market, you're not going to get stellar results.

Even worse, you may draw the wrong conclusions from disappointing results. For instance, you may have a fabulous talk, but if you're not clear about your market and get out in front of the wrong one and have poor results, you might conclude that your talk isn't good or that you aren't cut out for speaking. You might not realize that if you just discerned more carefully who your market is, and then got out in front of them, then you would have the results you want.

3. What do the attendees pay to get in?

The answer to this question can be crucial for your sales. When people are at an event for free, or if you're the sideshow to the main attraction, such as a networking meeting, you probably want to offer a lower entry-level product. For instance, if you're a coach, you could offer two packages that consist of an hour of coaching or three hours of coaching.

If, however, the audience paid to get in, say anywhere from $1,000-5,000, that's a different story. That audience has not only proven that they invest in themselves but they're also paying to learn about a topic similar to yours. So if I'm given 60-90 minutes on stage, I will go for a higher ticket sale, roughly matching the level of investment that they just made in this event.

4. Does your audience tend to buy products and services from your speakers?

This question is a way to find out if you can sell from the stage without asking directly. The back-door approach may sound odd, but some smaller venues haven't really thought through the question, and if you raise it directly, you may plant the idea in their head for a rule against selling that wasn't there before.

This question sidesteps that problem and still gets you the information. If selling is restricted, your host will tell you right away: "Oh, no, you can't sell from the stage!" But if he or she comes back with any other answer, such as, "People sell a few books," then you know that it's okay to sell.

5. What do you suggest for a price point?

Promoters, especially, can be very helpful, so utilize their expertise. Experienced promoters know what their audience is willing to pay, and they'll tell you, if you ask.

When I was first starting out, it was a promoter who suggested both the price for my ebook and that I presell it onstage. The sales I made that day paid for the book's formatting ~ and gave me a deadline to complete it!

To see the profit that you so richly deserve, ask these five questions and gain the valuable intel that can make all the difference in your back-of-the-room sales.

What questions do you ask before you get on stage? Let us know.

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Article Tags: close sales, gigs, sales



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