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Marketing Out of Town Speakers
By Mary Gardner

The business of professional public speaking is a booming business. Companies and corporation around the globe are willing to pay big bucks for those individuals who will come into educate, inform, inspire or motivated their audiences. The American public is hungry for easy ways to make their life better and are attending lectures, seminars, and workshops on everything from business topics health and well-being to spirituality. There is a seminar topic for everyone!

For sever years I was a celebrity agent at Keppler Associates in Washington, D.C. I marketed hundreds of speakers to colleges across the nation and learned a lot about marketing out of town speakers. I have seen major celebrities draw a tiny crowd, and "no names" draw hundreds of people. The difference between a successful program and a flop is definitely in the preparation and the public relations. I have seen the same program draw thousands of people in one city, and less than a hundred people in other locations. The trick is to convince the public that this program is the hottest ticket in town, everyone will be there and if they don't go, they will be the ones missing out!

To successfully market a speaking event, it is important to start marketing your speaker as soon as possible using three essential media outlets --- print, television, and radio. When dealing with the print media it's best to allow about two months lead time. Start by faxing the information and then call again to follow up. Sometimes it takes give good connections for them to take you seriously or for the reporters to take action. You are not being a pest until they tell you, "we're not interested." Until then, you are just giving them friendly reminders. Also, call all of the local editors of the newspapers and weekly magazines who may carry a calendar of events and ask them if they would be interested or willing to run a story. Be prepared to overnight a black and white photo, information on the speech and bio to them.

It's a good idea to pitch radio and television at least one month in advance. Most radio stations can interview your speaker over the telephone so the speaker should be able to work the radio interviews into his/her schedule (it's always a good idea to add a few lines into the speaker's contract where they agree to be available for radio and print interviews). These radio interviews are important because not only are they cost-effective but they reach many thousands of people who could be interested in coming to our event. If your speaker is coming from out of town on the same day as the event, there may not be as many advance TV opportunities as in radio. But it's still a good idea to pitch the TV stations and encourage them to cover the event. Even though TV coverage of the actual event won't bring in more people, it is great PR for your organization and helps you develop media relationships you can use in the future.

Before you start marketing and calling the media, put together a written plan of action. Then ask yourself these questions:

1. What groups of people are automatically going to show interest in the topic?

2. What groups of people, if any, will hate the topic or protest it? (Controversy sells!)

3. How does this topic relate to the news right now?

4. How unique or different is this speaker or topic from the competitors?

5. Will the media be open to interviewing the speaker?

No one can have a standing room only, sold out event everyday of the year. Even the super stars sometimes speak to only a few people. But the more creative you can be and the more people that are reached before the big event, the better chance there is of having a successful program.

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Contact Info:
Lifestyles Communications, Inc.
P.O. Box 1716.
Winter Park, Fl 32790-1716

Email: mary@marygardner.com
Phone: (407) 644-4046
Fax: (866) 264-6405