35 Ways to Get More Speaking Engagements

By Speaker/Humorist Mike Moore

www.motivationalplus.com

INTRODUCTION

My name is Mike Moore and I am a professional speaker. Each year Itravel throughout Canada and the United States speaking to businesses,companies, organizations and professional groups on “ Humor in theWorkplace” “ Humor and Stress Management” and “ Maximizing HumanPotential Using Humor and Recognition”.

As many of you know I have a number of free publications available on theinternet for anyone interested. One is called Profitable Speaking and issent to a few thousand people per month. I also offer a free e-course calledLaunching Pad which deals with the specifics of entering the speakingprofession.

You can access any of these publications by visiting my sitehttp://www.speakforprofit.com I also have a speaker’s website fromwhich I present myself and my services to the world via the internet.Http://www.motivationalplus.com

What I would like to do in this ebook is respond to a question we all haveas speakers: “ How can I get more speaking engagements.?” I am askedthis more than any other question so this is my attempt to share with youthe techniques and strategies that work for me. I usually do between 40 and50 speeches /seminars a year. So something must be working.

I am always looking for new ways to get the word out that I am good atwhat I do and I am available to do it. That is what marketing yourself as aspeaker is all about and that’s what this ebook is going to help you do.

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We live in an age of instant gratification, the magic bullet, the quick fix.I like to compare marketing to the process of sowing seeds rather thanseeking the magic bullet. When you sow a seed you do so with the hopethat it will germinate and eventually bear fruit. That’s what you must keepin mind as you market yourself as a speaker. You are sowing seeds thatwill bear fruit in time. Frequently you will experience rapid germinationand a quick abundant harvest. Sometimes germination is slower and theharvest comes in later than you like. Just stay with it and good things willhappen.

When you are considering the following tips you have to keep this firmlyin mind. They are not magic buttons that you push and the phone will ringwith a job offer. They do work effectively but in their own time. Your taskis to take the ideas that you are comfortable with and start putting them towork for you.

Marketing Strategies

The Importance of Having a Speaker’s Webpage

I feel that it is extremely important for you as a speaker to have a webpresence. It allows people from all over the planet to find you when theyare searching for a speaker. You are invited to take a look at my speaker’ssite at http://www.motivationalplus.com . Both these sites will give you anidea of what I do to get the word out that I am good at what I do and I amavailable. Both are vital tasks for you as a speaker.

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Do I get speaking jobs from my speaker’s site? Yes I do, but not thatmany. I use the site to direct people to who are interested in moreinformation about my topics, availability, testimonials etc. In the threeyears or so that I have had my site up and running I have probably hadabout 15 engagements offered from people finding me on the internet. 15engagements out of 140 enquiries. I recently had a speaking engagementoffered to me by a group of teachers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Of course Ijumped at the chance to work there especially after a cold Canadian winter.I had another keynote speaking job at a state conference in CasperWyoming. They also found me via the internet.

I wouldn’t give up my website for anything especially when you considerthat the jobs I did get from people finding me on the internet paid meenough to cover my web hosting expenses for a few years. So my adviceto you is create a web presence. It doesn’t have to be huge, just two or threepages to begin. It’s a great way for you to tell the world that you’reavailable.

While I don’t get a ton of work coming my way from my website, Iwouldn’t get any if I didn’t have that very important web presence. Havinga speaker’s site is more effective as a promotional and publicity tool thananything else. Since more and more speakers are creating websites I thinkyou should too. You don’t want to be left behind by your competition.

Another bonus of a speaker’s website is its ability to allow you to respondto enquiries and to develop a relationship with people who might be moreinclined to hire you down the road. People are more likely to hire you ifyou have become someone to whom they feel a connection.

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It is important to keep in touch with your contact list so whenever I get anew brochure or have a new product to announce I send a copy to mycontact list via email with a short personal note. It’s all about establishingrelationships and connections. Your contact list is created by writing andoffering a free newsletter and/or ecourse. When someone subscribes toyour newsletter you collect their email address and they become one ofyour contact list.

Your internet site also saves you money on postage. Rather than send apromotional kit to a potential client I ask if they would like to see it on theinternet. If they say “yes” I direct them to my press page on the web orsend them a pdf file of the press kit. You can take a look at my press page at http://www.motivationalplus.com/Mike’s_Press_Page.html

It isn’t a glitzy site but it does get the job done.

80% of a speaker’s time and energy involves marketing. I wish it wereotherwise, believe me, but it isn’t. The sad reality is that the world won’tcome to you, in fact the world doesn’t really care much about you or yourdreams and abilities.

Whoever said, “ You wouldn’t worry about what people thought of you ifyou only knew how seldom they did.” was right on the mark. You have gotto make them take notice and that is done through marketing. Theremaining 20% includes bookkeeping ,paperwork such as invoicing, recordkeeping, filling orders for your products, making travel arrangements etc.

The ideas and suggestions that I will be sharing with you have to beanalysed and evaluated by you and only you. You must decide if you arecomfortable with a specific marketing strategy. For example, I never coldcall. I am just not one bit comfortable with it.

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The thought of phoning a company and jumping through hoops to getthrough to the person who does the hiring just doesn’t sit right with me.So... I just don’t do it. Is it an effective strategy? Yes, it is and it is one thatis advocated by some very impressive speaking coaches. But it isn’t forme. You will have to make the final decision about which of my suggestedmarketing strategies suit you.

Word of Mouth

The number one, most effective marketing strategy from my experienceis WORD OF MOUTH. You have probably heard this a thousand timesbut it is and always has been the best way to get business. The equationfor speaking success and for increased business is “ Be good and beknown”The first requirement is that you get good at delivering your speech. Knowit down cold so if I woke you at 3:00a.m. and asked you to start midwaythrough your speech you would have no trouble doing so. Know yourstories and know how to deliver them well. Know what humor works andstay with it. You might want to include a new one-liner once in awhile.That’s fine. Just don’t change too drastically or too frequently what works.The important thing is BE GOOD at giving your speech.

When you are polished and good and you start giving your speech togroups locally, possibly for free in the beginning, you start seeing results.People will start calling you to give your talk to their group or organization.Word of mouth will do wonders on your behalf but on its terms. Itsometimes takes a year or two for word of mouth to result in a job. Notalways but sometimes. I have had people call me and say that they heardme speak at a certain conference about a year and a half ago and wouldlike to know if I am available. Imagine... a year and a half!

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Never forget that word of mouth is a two edged sword. It will work for youand against you. If you’re good it will spread the word far and wide andyour speaking business will grow. If you’re bad the word will still spreadfar and wide and your business will disappear. SO BE GOOD!!

Business Cards

I like business cards because they allow me to leave my promotionalfootprints wherever I go. I also like the fact that they are easy to carry inmy wallet. I always have a few sitting in the car ashtray that I never use.I have a few in the glove compartment of my automobile and a hundred orso in my briefcase. You never know when and where you will get a chanceto hand one out.

It seems that everyone has a business card but not everyone uses themeffectively. First let me encourage you to have a professional lookingbusiness card. Computer generated cards are nice but they don’t shout tothe world , “I am a professional!”

Here are a few tips on creating and using your business card to promoteyourself.

* Have your business card well designed and professionally printed.

If you saw my business card you would immediately see that it is different.On the front of the card I have one of my cartoon figures. It is a little guyjumping in the air with his hands raised in joy. Above his head I have oneof my two slogans. “ How to create a “ Thank God It’s Monday”workplace” At the bottom of the card is this, “ Humor makes great thingshappen.” The rest of the card has every means available for people tocontact me.

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* Design your card so that it is unique and sets you apart from the rest.

* Use the space on the back of the card. If you have a free newsletteravailable from your website put how to subscribe on the back of yourbusiness card. As you will see later one of the most important things youcan do is build a list of clients and potential clients and a newsletter is agreat way of building a list. More on this later.

* Always carry your cards with you and always be on the lookout foropportunities to give someone your card or post it somewhere.

When I am travelling and I stop at a restaurant or gas station I always lookto see if they have a bulletin board. If they do and it contains businesscards from business people passing through I pin mine up there with therest of them. I will even pin it up in Laundromats if I happen to be in one.You never know who will see your card and jot down your website, phonenumber or email address.

When you are at a social function and you are chatting with someone theconversation often gets around to what each does for a living. When thishappens and you tell the person you are a professional speaker you willoften hear them say, “ That’s interesting. Our company had a speakerawhile ago and he/she bombed.” At this point reach in and hand them oneof your cards and say, “ Well if you are ever looking for a speaker whowon’t bomb I would love the opportunity to speak with your group.”Don’t be afraid to say that you won’t bomb. That’s confidence, notarrogance.

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Give Away Cards

I got this idea from speaker Alan Weiss who, by the way, earns over amillion dollars a year speaking. He suggests that you leave behindsomething more significant than a business card. Alan Weiss calls it his “ Leave Behind”. It is the size of a post card with a few tips from yourspeech on one side and Thanks for Attending and your contact informationon the other. I just had 2000 of them printed with one of my cartoonsintroducing the benefits of humor on one side and my contact informationon the other. Alan suggests that you leave a copy on each chair beforeyour audience sits down to hear you speak. The premise behind this ideais that something larger than a business card containing memorable tipsfrom your speech is more likely to be kept and placed on office bulletinboards for future access. I think it is a very reasonable idea. If you would like to see a copy of mine email me atmailto:mikemoore@motivationalplus.com And I will send you a pdf fileof it. Just put “ Leave behind” in the subject line.

Freebies

During your speech always give away a free copy of your book or manualto someone in the audience. Of course each copy given away has yourcontact information on it thus becoming a promotional item for you andyour service. You can have a draw or just give a copy away to someonewho gave an interesting response or was involved in an audience activityetc.

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If you opt for the draw you can ask audience members to put their businesscards in a hat and make the draw from the hat containing their cards.Doing this gives you the contact information of all those wishing toparticipate in the draw. You can also ask them to put a checkmark on thecard if they wish to be added to your mailing list. Remember what I said,“ Your mailing list is your treasure!”

I frequently have handouts available at my product table at the back of theroom. Near the end of my speech I invite the audience to visit me at theback to pick up their free handout. While they are there they can’t helptake a look at what I have for sale. AND... everything has my contactinformation in plain sight. Everything promotes me and my service. Getthe picture?

Invite people to subscribe to your newsletter during your speech

I always try to include an invitation to subscribe to my Lifeline newsletterduring every speech. I don’t dwell on it too long. I just say something tothe effect that if they liked my ideas, tips, stories, humor and cartoons andwould like more I would love to have them visit my website atwww.motivationalplus.com and subscribe to my free monthly newsletterLifeline. It is a great way for us to stay in touch. Than’s it. I also try toinclude a similar invitation on any handouts I provide. If people like youand your message they want to keep in touch and a newsletter is a goodway for them to do that.

NOTE: People need to be directed to do what you’d like them to do so Isuggest that you ask them to take out their pen and write the followingdown so they won’t forget to visit and pick up their free gifts. At this pointI articulate slowly and clearly my speaker’s website address.

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A Promotional Sell Sheet

A sell sheet is a one page, glossy, professionally designed and printedpromotional item that is sent to meeting planners and potential clients. Itoutlines who you are, what you speak on, what people have to say aboutyou and how anyone interested can get in touch with you. I have minedesigned by a graphic artist and printed by a local printing shop. If youwould like to see a copy of my sell sheet click on this linkHttp://www.motivationalplus.com/new_sell_sheet.html

When I want to make contact with a group of organizations within one ofmy niche markets I send them a copy of my brochure( sell sheet) alongwith a handwritten note introducing myself and saying that I would behonoured to speak to their organization. I like the handwritten part of thisas it speaks of personalism. I fold both neatly and insert them into aregular business envelope. I address the envelope in my own handwriting.I don’t use computer generated labels. They speak to me of massproduction and impersonalism. I want the person receiving my material toopen it - not think it’s just more junk mail and toss it into the garbage.

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Writing and Sending Press Releases

One of the most effective ways of getting publicity for yourself or yourproducts is through a well written and properly submitted press release.And the nice thing about it is IT”S FREE PUBLICITY. When I get a radiointerview or an article written about me in a newspaper or magazine as theresult of a press release I sent out I am saving myself a huge amount ofmoney. Can you imagine how much it would cost to purchase a half hourof radio time or purchase advertising in a large national newspaper ? Lastyear I had a reporter from one of Canada’s national newspapers, “TheToronto Star” call and interview me over the phone for an article he waswriting on “Humor and Health” After it appeared I received a phone callthat resulted in a full fee speaking engagement. And it cost me nothing butmy time for the interview which was about one half hour. Check out theToronto Star article at http://www.motivationalplus.com/Mike’s_Press_Page.html

Whenever you have something interesting or newsworthy to announce tothe world send out a press release. They are simple to write and once youget the hang of it you can write one in ten minutes.

If I will be speaking in a certain city on a specific date I send a pressrelease to their local newspaper and/or radio station telling them when Iwill be in town, to whom I will be speaking, the topic and the localconnection. At the end of the press release I say that I am available forinterviews and give my contact information.

The most important element in any press release according to press releaseguru Paul Hartunian is the headline. He suggests that you use the headlineto catch the interest of the reporter and entice him/her to call you. Theheadline should be magnetic.

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Elements of an Effective Press Release

Paul Hartunian suggests that your press release be written in thefollowing format.

* It should be one page only and double spaced.

* In the upper left hand corner write “ For immediate release” If it is timespecific write “ For release on or before_________(give the date)

* In the upper right hand corner give your contact information such as yourphone number or email address.

* Just below this insert your magnetic headline in bold print.

* Below the headline tell your story in three sentences.

* Next tell the reader what qualifies you to speak on this subject. When Isay, “ what qualifies you” I am not speaking of academic degrees, I amreferring to where you have spoken what you have written-your experienceetc.( Do this in two or three sentences)

* This should be followed by a quote from your writing or your basicphilosophy.

Finally tell the reporter the action you would like them to take. I alwayssay, “ Mike is always available for a lively, informative interview.”

That’s it folks

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Fax or mail your press release to the specific media outlet. I don’t suggestyou email your press release unless a reporter has expressed a desire toreceive it via email. Reporters get tons of emails each day, usually in theirjunk mail boxes, which they delete without ever reading them.

To see a few of the results I have achieved using press releases visit mypress page. ( See above for the site link).

For more information on Paul Hartunian and publicity tips write his namein any search engine and he will pop up.

Marketing Using a Tips Booklet

I have a 16 page tips booklet that I sell on the web and at my talks andseminars for $5.00 a copy. It’s called “ How to Cope with Difficult PeopleAt Work”. While it sells really well, its real value to me is as a marketingtool. The book is directly related to one of my presentation topics and itcontains all my contact information. I also allow a lot of space on theopening page for any company or organization to insert their own logo andcontact information in case they would like to order large quantities of thebooklet for their own promotional purposes. I offer special rates for multicopy orders. When this happens my little booklet, while being usedprimarily as a marketing tool for a specific organization, is also promotingmy services as a speaker. We both benefit.

I often send my tips booklet with a press release when the release is relatedto a human relations topic. The nice thing about my little booklet is thatit fits perfectly into a regular business envelope so I can send it out withouthaving to pay extra postage.

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Get the company you are speaking to have your presentation videorecorded.

About a year ago I was speaking to a group of architects and engineers.During our negotiations the planner asked if I would agree to let themvideo my presentation. I agreed, with a couple of qualifications. I wantedthe right to make duplicate copies of the video and use them in mypromotion and marketing. They paid to have a professional videographercome in with his team and record my presentation. I reaped the benefitsof having a product to use to promote my speaking services and they wereable to use my work to instruct their employees long after I left thebuilding. Whenever someone sees this recording it is great publicity forme. Talk about a win/win situation.

Exchanging Links

A very effective way to spread the word about who you are and what youdo is by exchanging website links with other speakers or with sites that aredirected to your target market. All you have to do is search for motivationalspeakers on a search engine. When you find one that looks interesting visittheir website and take a look. If you like what you see look for the contactbutton and write them a little note saying that you would be interested inexchanging links with them.

Give them your website link to visit with the invitation to get back to youwith their link page and text if interested. If you hear back put their linkup on your own link page and then send them yours.

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Check frequently to see if your link is posted. Give them a week or so topost your link. If it isn’t posted within a reasonable time you will have todecide whether to delete their link from your site or write back asking themwhat happened.

The advantage to having your links on others’ sites is that it allows you toaccess the visitors to another speaker’s website. Hopefully they will seeyour link, and be curious enough to drop by for a visit and stay for awhileto learn more about you and your service..

The basic philosophy behind exchanging links is this: The more links youhave with other sites the more traffic you get to yours. The more traffic youget to yours, the more people become aware of who you are and what youcan do for them. If you have a subscribe button to a free newsletter on yourhomepage the more likely you are to increase your subscriber list.

Make yourself available on short notice.

When I have gathered the names and addresses of specific associations,organizations and meeting planners who might use my services I send themthe following note.

Hi. My name is Mike Moore and I am a professional speaker who speaksthroughout Canada and the United States on “ Humor and StressManagement”, Humor in the Workplace” and Maximizing Staff PotentialUsing Humor, Appreciation and Praise”. If you are ever in need of aspeaker to fill in for one who can’t make your event for whatever reason Iwant you to know that I am willing to help you out on short notice. Justcontact me at ( give phone number)and I will be there on the next flight.Thanks, Mike Moore

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Contact Associations and Chambers of Commerce

Go to your library and/or phone book or look up on the internet the namesand contact information of associations, service clubs and Chambers ofCommerce in your city, county and province/state. Groups like these arealways looking for speakers. Send them your sell sheet with a personal noteoffering your services. You might find that you will have to speak for freeor for a small honorarium but it will give you the chance to speak and thatis what a speaker must do. Speak often to get good and get well known.

Ask for Referrals

Just before you conclude your presentation take a moment to ask forreferrals from your audience. Say something like this. “ As you can tell Ifeel strongly about my message. I am always on the lookout for groups whoneed what I have to say. If you know of any group who could benefit fromhearing my presentation I would appreciate it if you approach me after thetalk. I will take your business card and will get in touch with you as soonas I return home.”

When you return home call the person as soon as you can before theyforget about it.

“ If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

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Ask for the Conference List

Don’t hesitate to ask the event organizers for a list of those attending theconference. Planners always have a master list of the names and contactinformation of the attendees and will often give you a copy if they knowyou want to send them a little “ Thanks for attending my presentation”note.

If you are speaking to an organization or a group of employees theorganizers might not have such a list but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

When you do get the list, select a number of people who you think mightbe in a position to hire a speaker and send them a personal note. You mightwant to send the entire list a note. If you do great. If you don’t want to dothat send one to those identified as managers and supervisors. At the endof the note invite the person to subscribe to your free monthly newsletterat www.motivationalplus.com ( Notice how I just invited you to dolikewise)

Contacting Meeting Planners

Search for Meeting planners in a specific area. For example, type inMeeting planners San Francisco and watch what comes up on the screen.Visit a few sites and if one appeals to you click on Contact Us. Send thema little note and attach your sell sheet/ brochure as a pdf file. Here is thenote I send.Hi. My name is Mike Moore and I am a professional speaker from Canada.If you are ever in need of a quick replacement for a speaker who can’tmake en event I am available about 15 days a month. Would love to helpyou out. Attached is my brochure. Thanks Mike Moore

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How to Market Yourself During a Presentation

It is perfectly acceptable to promote yourself and your products within eachspeech, but in just the right dosage. Too much self promotion and you canturn your audience against you. Too little and they might ignore yourproducts altogether.

During your speech create an on-going need for your services. Forexample, give them the “what” and the “why” of your topic but don’t givethem the “ how ” unless, of course, they have specifically asked for thewhat, why, and the how and have paid you for that content. Near the endof your presentation you can say something like this: “ Wow! How timeflies when you’re having fun. Unfortunately I can’t cover everything Iwould like to in the limited time available to me. Perhaps I could comeback another time to continue our sharing on this important topic. Youcan also find more ideas and activities in some of my books I brought withme, which are available at the back of the room. “ Come to the back of theroom at the end of my presentation and say hello.” ( Tell them there is afreebie waiting there for them.)

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Develop a Marketing Plan

I think it’s important to outline a list of specific marketing activities thatyou will try to accomplish each day or week. Then try to stick to it. Youmight say that each day you will mail out a specific number of copies ofyour sell sheet with a personal note to companies or organizations. Makesure that you keep track of where you send each item and the date onwhich it was mailed. I recently sent my sell sheet to a group in Toronto.When they received it they immediately visited my website and then gotin touch with me. This contact resulted in a full day workshop on “Humorand Stress Management” at full fee. All for the price of a stamp and anenvelope.

Some speakers have an rather extensive plan. Not me. I would rather havea few activities to do each day and then do them than have a huge,impressive list and never get around to doing anything on the list. Keep theplan simple and doable.

Marketing will cost money. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune but it will costyou to market your services. This is what I do to cover the costs involvedin marketing. From each paid speaking engagement I set aside part of thefee to cover marketing. If I receive my full fee of $2500 for up to a 90minute presentation I set aside five or six hundred dollars for marketing.That’s just my number. You can put away whatever you want. Just makecertain that you save some of your fee to cover marketing costs.

***A REMINDER!! Don’t forget... You are sowing seeds with the hopeof a bountiful harvest.

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Mike’s Five a Day Rule

What I try to do when it comes to marketing activities is what I callmy “Five a Day” Rule. Each day I try to send out five promotional itemsto potential clients/ radio stations / newspapers etc. I like five a daybecause it is a number I can live with easily and stay committed to. Youmight have the energy to send out ten a day.

Get lists of your niche market(s) with their contact information and sendthem your sell sheet plus a personal note.

I prefer to use regular post for delivery and remember, address the letter byhand. Perhaps that’s why I like the number 5 so much. I don’t mind handaddressing 5 envelopes a day.

Keep track of what you send, to whom and the date it was sent.

When you consider 5 items a day times five days a week( unless you wantto market on the weekend) that amounts to 25 promotional items a weektimes 52 weeks per year equals 1250 items a year. Even if you receive theusual 1% response rate that is a possible 12-13 jobs a year. If I get 12 jobsa year from my promotions at $2500 per job that’s $30,000.

Even if your marketing efforts result in two or three jobs a year at $2500per job it still makes your efforts worthwhile.

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Writing and Publishing Articles Online

This is one of the most effective ways to market yourself as a speaker. Itdoesn’t take fantastic writing skills to write a series of “ How To” articles.Give each article a catchy title that helps the reader solve a problem andthey will want to read what you have to say. Save each article in a filefolder on your computer and start looking for sites that accept articles.You can also seek out online newsletters related to your niche or area ofinterest.

At the end of each article have a brief promotional blurb with your emailand/or website. This will enable interested readers to visit your site formore information on you and your services.

My Promotional Blurb

Mike Moore is an international speaker/ humorist who speaks tocompanies and organizations throughout Canada and the United States on“ Humor and Stress Management”, Humor in the Workplace” and “ Maximizing Staff Potential Using Humor and Recognition” Mike’sarticles and cartoons have appeared in publications throughout NorthAmerica. Http://www.motivationalplus.com

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Article Submission Sites ( There are many more than these available to you) These are myfavourites.When you are on their homepage scroll down and look for a line or twoinviting you to sign up for a free account in order to start contributingarticles.

http://www.ArticleCentral.com

http://www.GoArticles.com

http://www.IdeaMarketers.com

http://www.ezinearticles.com

Go to these sites, create a free account and start submitting your articles.

People aren’t going to start calling you to speak from your articles butpeople throughout cyberspace will begin to know who you are and whatyou are an expert in. It begins to build your reputation.

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Developing Speaker Appeal

Remember that when people really like you, they want more of you. Theywill buy your books and tell others just how much they enjoyed andbenefited from your seminar.

I was reading recently that 90 percent of all books purchased are neverread. People buy books because they like the author. They also have theintention to read the book at some time but usually never get around to it.

Make the audience want more of you by inserting humor and story intoyour presentations. When we were young we all wanted to laugh and havesomeone read us a story. This doesn’t stop because we reach adulthood.We still want to laugh and hear stories. So if you, as a speaker, can makeyour audience laugh and if you tell them stories you are well on your wayto creating speaker appeal.

I have a 60 minute audio on both of these important topics. One is called“ How to Up Your Platform Pizzazz” and the other “How to UseStorytelling in Public Speaking” Check out my Speaking Store link at theend of this ebook.

** See my article “ How to Be a More Entertaining Speaker” at the endof this ebook.

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Marketing to the Youth Market

Before I started writing this ebook/audio I sent an email to my publicspeaking list asking for content suggestions. One of my readers wrote backasking me to include a few tips on how to market to the young people.( teenagers)

Approaching the Youth Market

High schools throughout the country hire speakers and entertainers duringthe year to inspire, motivate and entertain their students. The pay isn’t thegreatest but it will give you the practice and confidence you require to getyour speaking career off the ground. Usually payment is between $500and $1000. You have to make sure you approach the people with thepower to hire and that isn’t always the principal of the school. In fact whenI am approached to speak to a high school staff by the principal or theprincipal’s representative they usually offer me less than the studentcouncil does when they ask me to speak to the student body.

* Obtain the names, addresses and school website URLs of all the highschools in you area. This will include any area where you would be willingto speak. Most high school computer classes create and maintain a schoolwebsite. Use it to get contact information.

* Visit each school’s website and look for the staff advisor assigned to theStudent Council. I have given two presentations in the past year to highschools in my region and both times the(cheque) check was signed by thepresident of the Student Council and the staff advisor.

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* Send your promotional material to the council president with a personalnote. Use the president’s name. Don’t just send it to Student CouncilPresident. Remember personalism pays.

* Contact friends who teach highschool or who work in a school in someother capacity. They will be able to give you leads re. who to contact.

* It won’t hurt to give a copy or two of your book to the school librarian.She/he will possibly put it on display so that it and you will get moreexposure. Get the name of the librarian and personally send the copies tothem via regular post.

* The teenage grapevine is both active and powerful. If they like you theywill spread the word quickly.

* If you do get a job speaking at a highschool submit an article for theschool newspaper related to your presentation topic. Again use the schoolwebsite to locate the name and email address of the editor and staffadvisor. You can phone the person in charge to ask if they would be opento an article. You might want to use regular mail to send your article asmany email accounts are flooded with spam and your article might getfiltered out.

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One Question to Ask Once you Have the Job

* Will attendance at your presentation be mandated or voluntary? This isimportant for you to know as the answer can determine the outcome ofyour talk. The answer will also impact on how you prepare. Let me explain.When teenagers are told, by those in authority, that they have to be in theauditorium at such and such a time to hear a presentation, they resist. It hasnothing to do with you. It is just the way teenagers are. On the other hand,if you invite them to attend or tease them into attending using creative adtechniques that stimulate their curiosity they will be much more open toboth you and your message.

If the school administration tells you that it is a mandated event then youcan prepare with that in mind.

If you have a group of unruly students in your audience and they aredistracting you walk over to the group quietly and calmly. Stand as closeas you can get. Look at the group and in a very calm voice say, “ I find thatdistracting. Please stop.”

Another thing I do when speaking to a large teenage audience is ask thatstaff members sit among their students. This tends to put the lid on thosewho will try to disrupt your presentation.

The vast majority of your audience will be polite but it only takes a few tothrow a wrench in your performance.

The youth market is a difficult one but it is rewarding so if you are inclinedto give it a try, do so. If you can capture the attention and the interest ofteenagers you can do it with anyone.

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Ask for Testimonials

After each speech ask those who hired you for a written testimonial. Usethese testimonials, or parts of them, in your advertising and publicity. Ihave never had people refuse to provide a testimonial for me. SometimesI have had to remind them, but no one has ever refused.

Start collecting and filing all the testimonials you receive. Put some onyour website, some in your media kit and file the original for possibleinclusion in other speaker/ client communication.

Don’t put the entire testimonial letter on the website. Just select the mostimportant, affirming lines and paragraphs. Check outwww.motivationalplus.com for my most recent testimonial.

Using Speaker Sites Online

You can also use the services of speaker’s sites online to get increasedexposure. I am listed on a few of them and I’m quite pleased with howthey present my services. I don’t get many jobs from having these listingsbut I do get quite a few visits to my website from them.

The one I am most pleased with is called Speaker’s Match ( http://www.speakermatch.com ) On this one you manage your ownprofile page and topic listing. You select the topics you speak on andSpeaker’s Match sends you enquiries from organizations and businessesseeking speakers on those topics. You can list yourself as a Free or Feespeaker and they send you leads based on your selection. You also havea page that lists all the applications you have made and whether they arepending, being reviewed, declined or short-listed. When a request for aspeaker comes to Speaker’s Match in your niche they email it to you witha link. Clicking the link takes you to the login in page. Once you arelogged in you can apply for the specific job.

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Some of the following offer free listings and some charge a small fee.

* Speakers Platform http://www.speaking.com

* World Class Speakers http://www.speakerzone.com

* Speaker Train ( This is a new bureau in Canada. Check it out atHttp://www.speakerstrain.com

* Speakers Spotlight http://www.speakers.ca

Speakers’ Bureaus

I must admit that I am not a huge fan of speaker’s bureaus. Why? BecauseI am not a big enough name for them to be interested in booking orpromoting me. Someone in our business once said that the only time aspeaker’s bureau becomes interested in you is when you no longer needthem. This is so true from my experience.

I still submit my demo video and my press kit to bureaus but I don’t expecttoo much from them.

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Writing information products and selling them as back of the roomitems at your speeches.

I encourage you to write a special report or a manual or a book related toyou niche topic. Each time a member of your audience purchases one ofyour products it becomes a promotional item for you. On each copy youwill have how people can get in touch with you if they are ever in need ofa speaker. Your books, manuals and reports do a lot to establish you asan authority in your field and that certainly enhances your speaker appeal.

About a year ago I was asked to be the keynote speaker at an internationalconference for TOPS ( Take off Pounds Sensibly). It was held at theWestin Hotel in Canada’s capital Ottawa ON. There were 3,700 people inmy audience and I had a table at the back of the room from which to sellmy books , tapes and manuals. At the end of my talk I invited the audienceto take a look at my products and while there say hello to my wife andmyself. Well.... There was a flood of people around that table in no time.We had to get 4 volunteers to help my wife sell my products. When it wasover I had sold $6500 worth of product. The money is one thing but thepromotional value of each sale is definitely another. My name and contactinformation was on each copy sold. And just think of all the new friendsI met. What a bonus!!

Offer a “Finder’s Fee”

I offer a 10% finder’s fee if I get a speaking engagement as a result ofsomeone’s recommendation. All they have to do is let me know that theyhave suggested me to a specific company or organization. I save their emailand if the gig materializes I send them their 10 % commission.

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Free Lunch and Learn Sessions

Some new speakers say that it’s difficult to establish a reputation as aspeaker when many businesses are reluctant to hire unknowns to in-servicetheir employees. I solved this problem by offering to speak free of charge...with certain conditions attached of course.

I suggest that, in order to get good and get known, you considerapproaching a company or organization and offer your services free ofcharge for a Lunch and Learn Session. This involves giving a talk to agroup over lunch. ( Wait until all have finished eating). You give the talkon one condition. If the organizing committee likes your work they willconsider you for a paying gig down the road. Also ask them to write atestimonial letter for you to put in your media kit. I think that’s a fairexchange. Don’t you?

Organize Your own Seminars

This is one idea I haven’t used but I like it a lot and if I didn’t get the workI wanted would try it in a heart beat. I saw an ad in our local newspaperrecently for a seminar on panic attacks. It was going to be given by aspeaker/ author who had conquered his own panic and had prepared aseminar to share his secrets with anyone suffering from a similar malady.The cost of the seminar was $10.00 per person and was to be held in aconference room at one of the local hotels. I think it was the Best Western.( You could probably rent a similar type room at your local library for alot less.)

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The young fellow giving the seminar was from Toronto and what he woulddo is rent a conference room at a hotel in a specific city and beginadvertising his panic attack seminar. He used the local radio shows andnewspaper to tell the world about his seminar.

In each ad he gave out the information re. where tickets could bepurchased and how much each ticket would cost. He also gave a cut-offdate for ticket sales. I think this was so he could possibly exercise ancancellation clause if tickets didn’t sell well. There would probably be acancellation fee but it wouldn’t be as great a loss as not cancelling theevent and losing a lot of money due to poor attendance.

As I said I have never done this but it is an option available for you to tryif so inclined.

Tapping the Grapevine

This works very well for me. Whenever I give a presentation to anorganization or business that has other branches in different cities acrossthe country, province or state I send their Executive Directors a copy of mybrochure with a personal note attached. The note says something to theeffect that I just returned from giving a presentation to their branch in( name the city) and we had a great time. If you are ever in need of aspeaker on a similar topic I would love to make myself available to you.I also include the name, email and phone number of the person who hiredme to speak to the original branch.

People in a specific company tend to know one another because of havingattended meetings and conferences. They are more likely to pick up thephone and say, “ I hear you had Mike Moore as a speaker recently. Whatdid you think of him? (You can get their contact information on theinternet.)

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How to Get Radio Interviews to Promote Yourself and Your Products

Of all the marketing methods I employ to get the word out about myspeaking service and my information products the method I enjoy mostinvolves being interviewed on radio stations throughout North America.The reason they are so enjoyable? They can be done from home over thephone while sitting having coffee in your pajamas. They also give yougreat exposure at no cost to you. To pay for a 15 minute interview wouldexhaust my publicity budget in no time flat.

When I have a new book coming out or I am going to be speaking in aspecific city I immediately send out one page press releases to radiostations in the specific city or surrounding area announcing the fact andinviting them to call me for an informative and interesting interview.

( I tell how to write an effective one page press release and give samples inmy manual " Public Speaking for Profit and Pleasure" I prefer to either faxor snail mail the press release to the media outlets. Emailing them isn't thateffective. Many producers are inundated with emailed releases and usuallydelete them as soon as they come upon them.

I usually get a phone call from a producer or their assistant if they areinterested and they usually are if I have written the press release in anenticing manner. In the past 2 months I have had about 4 interviewsranging from 15 minutes in length to 35 minutes.

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Before the on-air experience a producer will want to talk to you to see ifyou will make a good guest or not. If they want to proceed they'll set up atime for the actual on air interview. If they aren't interested they willusually say that they'll get back to you and you will never hear from themagain. Be enthusiastic, informative and brief with your answers. Don't hogthe conversation. Give the interviewer a chance to get a word in and don'tover plug your book or event.

Ask the producer or the assistant if they would give out the name of yourbook and/or your website near the end of the interview. I have never hadthem refuse and they usually mention my contact information a number oftimes during the interview.

Prepare about five talking points for use in the interview. Write them downso you can stay on track. I find that 5 points are more than enough to directthe flow of the interview.

I purchased a phone microphone. from Radio Shack to record all myinterviews. The one I have has a suction cup on one end that I stick to thephone receiver and plug the other end into my tape recorder. When Ireceive the call from the radio station I press "record" and I am off andrunning. After the interview I listen to it and critique my performance.

If this article has raised a few questions in your mind email them to me at mailto:mikemoore@speakforprofit.com and I will try to respond to them.

One of the most valuable websites to help you locate specific radio stationsis Radio Locator. You can take a look at it and bookmark it athttp://www.radio-locator.com

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Public Speaking and The Law of Expectations

The Law of Expectations states that we move toward and eventually realizewhat we expect from life. If you expect to be successful, if you work hardto achieve success and if you never give up, you will achieve yourexpectations.

When you combine the law of expectations with visualization youcompound your possibilities. If you expect to be successful and visualizeyourself as successful the likelihood of you achieving success is certain.Remember, we tend to become what we expect to become.

When applied to public speaking it looks like this. When you arehired to give a speech expect it to be a sparkling, enthusiastic success.Visualize yourself as an interesting, witty, well informed master of the artwho totally enjoys the subject and the audience. Hold this expectation andvision in your mind firmly. Don’t let go of it for anything. Repeat over andover,” I tend to become what I expect to become and achieve what I expectto achieve.”

If you commit yourself to this process you will begin to see improvementin both your delivery and in your relationship with your audience. You willbe on the way to becoming the speaker you want to become. What’s more,people will want to listen to what you have to say and your charismaquotient will increase significantly..

* This is a brief excerpt from Mike Moore’s 60 minute audio “ Up YourPizzazz” ( How to Become a Charismatic Speaker) ORDER Now from mySpeaking Store. See links below.

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How to Become a More Entertaining Speaker

If you look up the word entertaining in the dictionary you will find that itmeans amusing, interesting and pleasing. So, to become a moreentertaining speaker you must become more amusing, interesting andpleasing to the audience you are addressing.

Here are a few practical suggestions to help you improve yourentertainment quotient as a speaker.

1. Focus on the needs and wants of your audience. Remember that a boreis ME deep in conversation. To avoid being boring be audience centred notME centred. Speak in terms of their desire to be recognized, to belong, tofeel important and to enjoy pleasure and laughter. People need attention.There is nothing more affirming than the undivided attention andappreciation of another. If you want your audience to give you theirundivided attention give them yours.

2.Put a smile on your face the moment you enter the building and keep itthere until you leave. I recall hearing a speaker who was very good whenspeaking but before he began and the moment he finished his smile wasnowhere to be seen. Be conscious of the importance of your smile inmeeting the needs and wants of your audience.

3. Be enthusiastic about your life and your message. Enthusiasm iscontagious and does get attention. Ask yourself if you were a member ofyour audience would you be listening attentively to what you were saying?

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4. Tell stories. A study was done at an American university to observe thefactors that impacted positively on student attention and their retention ofcourse content. It was found that when the professor used humor and storytelling in a lecture, retention of material and attention towhat was being taught increased significantly. There is a good messagehere for us as speakers.

5. Laugh at yourself during your presentation. There is nothing peopleenjoy more than hearing and seeing a speaker laughing at his/herweaknesses and human foibles. It gives the audience permission to laughat themselves when they see their own shortcomings and weaknessesreflected in yours. It promotes a “ we’re all in this together” attitude. I tella story about the time I had parked my car outside our local post office. Igot out to find a beautiful middle aged woman on the step of the postoffice. I sucked in my stomach, smiled as I bounded up the steps like ayoung gazelle and gave the woman an enthusiastic “ HELLO!!” When Icame out after doing my business she was still there so once again I gaveher the time of day and got into my car looking and feeling quite suave.When I took out my keys and tried to insert them into the ignition theywouldn’t fit. I looked in the rearview mirror only to see my automobile twocars behind me.

In my exuberance to impress and look suave I had entered the wrong car.All I could do is get out, look at the object of my attention and say, “OOOPS WRONG CAR” She just stood there looking very amused by myantics. Whenever I tell this story the audience roars and when I finish mypresentation I usually have three or four people come up to share similarexperiences with me. We are all in this together. If you don’t laugh atyourself you leave the job to someone else.

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6. Use your voice as an instrument. Show emotion, joy, intensity,amusement, frustration with your voice. Whatever you do, don’t be amonotonic speaker. They are deadly.

7. Have fun with your audience. Near the end of every presentation onhumor and fun in the workplace I provide a rhythm band experience formembers of my audience. I usually select 8 willing people to participate inthis musical experience. I give each member of the group a rhythm bandinstrument similar to the instruments we all remember from primaryschool. With the instrument comes a brief instruction on how to play it. Idon’t teach them too much as the fun comes from watching them becomecreative in playing their instrument. I play and sing a song on the guitarand my band goes wild. If you can’t play the guitar don’t worry about it.Just select a song from a CD and play it for the band to accompany. Thesong isn’t that important but the fun is. I have had CEOs from largecompanies in the band having a great time. After the concert I’ve hadmembers of the audience say “ I’ve never seen him/her like that before.They were actually having fun.” Such is the liberating power of play.

8. Tell your audience stories. We all love to be told stories whether we aresix or sixty years old. In my audio CD “ How to Use Storytelling in PublicSpeaking” I talk about the importance of storytelling and show you how touse them effectively in your presentations.. Stories amuse, inform, andentertain your audience so use them frequently.

9. Be yourself. Get rid of the masks you hide behind and let your audiencesee and enjoy the real you.

10. Relax and enjoy the speaking experience. The audience is not yourenemy. They want you to be good so their needs can be met and their timeinvestment can be rewarded.

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These are the basic elements involved in being a more entertaining speaker.Take one at a time and try to incorporate it into your presentations. Youwill be pleased with the results. Conclusion

I conclude this publication with the hope that you have found my ideas andstrategies for getting more speaking engagements practical and helpful. Ihave tried not to ramble on to fill up space and make this informationproduct appear bigger than it should be. In these pages you will find thingsthat work when applied consistently. There isn’t a lot of fluff and filler.

If you have a strategy that is working for you please share it with me so Ican share it with others in my newsletter “ Profitable Speaking”. I will giveyou credit for the idea and will give my readers your contact information.

As always I am here to help you in any way I can. Just email me atmailto:mikemoore@speakforprofit.com Summary of Important Links

* Mike’s Store for Speakers http://www.speakforprofit.com/Speaking_Store.html

* Mike’s monthly Lifeline newsletterSend a blank email to mailto:sendlifeline@sendfree.com

* Download a free copy of Mike’s popular ebook “ The Healing Power ofLaughter” http://www.motivationalplus.com

* Subscribe to My free monthly newsletter “ Profitable Speaking”Send a blank email to mailto:profitablespeaking@sendfree.com

* free Public speaking e-course mailto:launching@sendfree.com