Motivational Speaking for the Inspired Athlete and Executive
Week Seven – Additional Income Streams for the Speaker
WEEK SEVEN
ADDITIONAL INCOME STREAMS FOR THE SPEAKER
SpeakerNet News Compilations
Back-of-Room Sales
I'm seeking advice on increasing back-of-the-room book sales while speaking at service club
meetings in which I'm given approx. 15/20 minutes to talk. My talk is near the beginning of the
meeting and I am unable to move it to the end of the meeting. The meeting ends and since it's
during business hours, most attendees rapidly exit the meeting. I make my talk as content-rich as
possible and only give one mention that my book is available for sale during the meeting. I use a
handout that has ordering information, but this has not proved effective in generating sales.
Could anyone offer any tips on how I can subtly increase my sales pitch and have people stop
and buy my book after the meeting instead of rushing out?
Note: We have an earlier compilation on back-of-room selling here.
-- Larry James
An extension of the speaker's ability to reinforce his/her message is through the written word and
audio/video learning systems. If I meet any resistance from a meeting planner about offering my
books at the back of the room, I offer (in writing) a guarantee. Here is one key paragraph from
the signed form I send:
"You have my personal promise that if I spend more than two minutes mentioning the books and
audio learning systems that I have available, I will decline acceptance of the balance of my
speaking fee from your organization! You have my word on it!"
My two minutes begin when, after my presentation, the meeting planner (the timer) asks me to
return to "tell a little bit about Larry's books." I make this offering carefully, tastefully and
briefly. It's a very fine-tuned, 1-1/2 minute product presentation with book props. So far, I've
never had to turn down my fee.
Mary Gardner Communications, LLC PO Box 244, Winter Park, FL 32790
www.inspiredspeakersacademy. Com Mary@marygardner.com
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Motivational Speaking for the Inspired Athlete and Executive
Week Seven – Additional Income Streams for the Speaker
Bonus Tip: Sign some of your books ahead of time. All you'll need to add is the person's name.
This helps prevent "walk-aways;" the impatient would-be buyers who might walk away because
the line is too long or is moving too slow.
Be sure to add some special words to them above your signature. People love the personalization
and really appreciate being treated on an individual basis instead of watching you just scribble
your name the same way for everyone.
-- Susan Fee
I've added a free ezine sign-up to my table. If they drop their business card in my box, I'll add
their name. That encourages traffic to my table even if they had not intended to buy. I am able to
start conversations and up sales. You can also make it a free drawing.
-- John Fuhrman
I would suggest giving a book away at every program. Here's the best way to do it. Try and find
a reason to pick on someone furthest from where you are speaking. Ask them to give you an
answer, a question, or otherwise engage them in conversation. DO NOT bring them to you. Let
them stay at their seat. Then, as a token of appreciation, give them a copy of your book. The key
is, hand it to the closest person to you and ask that it be passed to the back of the room to the
winner. Others will see it and be interested in stopping by to purchase. Also, offer to bring the
book to them during the remainder of the meeting and let them pay as they leave.
-- Ron Rosenberg
It's difficult enough to incorporate a sales pitch into a 60-minute keynote, and it's virtually
impossible to so effectively in a 15-20 minute talk.
I try to work with the meeting planner to select the best time slots for my programs to provide
maximum value to the audience both during the program and after they go home. If you talk to
them for 15 minutes, and then they hear other speakers, and then they're running out the door, it's
no wonder your sales are suffering; frankly, it's amazing you sell anything at all.
My speaking agreement states that I will make additional educational resources available at the
end of the program and requires a break of at least 15 minutes immediately following my
program. I recently turned down a full-fee program -- partially because it wasn't the right
audience, but also because as soon as my program ended, lunch began. Product sales will lose
out to hunger every time.
More serious problems here. First, you're selling a book. Books are bad. They have no margin.
Your first book is only good for credibility (so you can say, "author of..." in your bio.) After that,
they're only good for lead generation, or as the front end of a continuity product (like a
newsletter or "CD-of-the-month" product) tied to the initial purchase of the book. I'm not sure
Mary Gardner Communications, LLC PO Box 244, Winter Park, FL 32790
www.inspiredspeakersacademy. Com Mary@marygardner.com
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Motivational Speaking for the Inspired Athlete and Executive
Week Seven – Additional Income Streams for the Speaker
how many buying entities are in the rooms youÕre speaking to (three people from one company
count as one "buying entity" because all three aren't going to buy the same thing) but even if they
all bought your $13.95 book, how much will that make for you? In contrast, I sell a Marketing
System for just under $1,000. Do the math on that and you can see why I think books are bad.
Second, you have to give them a reason to buy the book NOW instead of taking the order form
back to the office to "think about it" where they'll put it into a stack of papers never to be heard
from again. Also, you can incorporate a "table rush" strategy, offering some special bonus items
to the first n people who buy your book. Of course, again with a $13.95 book as the main
product, your options become limited.
Third, I'm assuming you gather the contact information of your attendees, particularly their email addresses. At least this way, you can put them on a follow-up autoresponder to continue to
deliver them helpful information...along with additional offers to invest in your products.
One area concerns the topic of your material. You're speaking at service clubs with local
businesspeople, many of whom probably own or manage their own companies. And yet, you're
trying to sell them on a "soft" topic with "fluffy benefits" like "success" and "move towards your
goals." How about recasting the material (and the book) to more of a "hard" topic with benefits
like "getting more customers" "increasing profits" and "making more money"? This will make
the sale a whole lot easier.
But the big question I have for you is this: Why are you even speaking at these kinds of events in
the first place? I can't imagine they pay very much to have you present, they don't give you
enough time to speak, and they give you the worst possible environment in which to sell your
products. Any one of these would be cause for alarm. All three of them together would send me
running for the door.
Unless you're getting solid business leads that turn into paid speaking engagements or consulting
deals, what possible reason could you have to waste your time preparing for and presenting at
these events? Your time would be much better spent researching more appropriate venues,
writing sales letters to promote your book, or creating higher-priced products that will really help
your audiences successfully apply what you're teaching them in a way that will truly make them
more successful.
As I'm rereading this message, it occurs to me that my comments might be coming across a little
harsh -- if this was your perception as well, I apologize; this wasn't my intention. You are
making many of the same mistakes I've made in the past, but fortunately, they're fairly easy to
correct.
-- Steve Stewart
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ABSOLUTELY MOST IMPORTANT TIP: Give a really tremendous talk so they'll want
your stuff!
Mary Gardner Communications, LLC PO Box 244, Winter Park, FL 32790
www.inspiredspeakersacademy. Com Mary@marygardner.com
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Motivational Speaking for the Inspired Athlete and Executive
Week Seven – Additional Income Streams for the Speaker
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Make sure your product is directly tied in to your topic and that there is a close direct
connection.
PRODUCT CLOSE: 3 minutes.
Put product close during 1st break -- almost all sales are made here.
If sales aren't high enough (note to you from sales staff as to amount sold), take another
break! (20 minutes later!)
Tell audience about book-writing experience
Read from book.
-- Roger Dawson
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Scrunch people together to create an atmosphere conducive to buying.
Give them LOTS of material but don't give them enough time to write everything down
so they'll want to get book
Say "When I was writing my book, I....," walk over to where book is (slowly), look at
book lovingly, point out it was a labor of love, read from it, look at it lovingly, etc.
-- Marla Benson
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"We only have 3 hours and can't cover everything, but you'll find more info about this on
side 2 of tape 3."
"Lots of other stuff we could discuss, but you'll find it in book."
When selling stuff to techies, ok to make table layout with printed price sheets, but when
selling soft skill stuff, she packages stuff with rubber bands, writes a package name and $
amount on it, and color codes packages: Personal Power Package, Professional Power
Package.
-- Patricia Wiklund
Fred Gleeck is not only a master at selling from the platform, but can teach others how to do it.
Go to www.fredgleeck.com/ebooks and download the free ebook "Selling Products from the
Platform."
Note from Ed Smith: Don't overlook this link, it contains a large quantity of outstanding info.
-- Jeff Dobkin
I've created a sheet with 85 tips on marketing -- it's actually a booklet: 2 sheets folded in half and
nested. I give these out, and no one throws it away. It has an ad for my books on the back page,
and all contact info for both direct book sales and to contact me.
-- Merit Gest
Mary Gardner Communications, LLC PO Box 244, Winter Park, FL 32790
www.inspiredspeakersacademy. Com Mary@marygardner.com
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Motivational Speaking for the Inspired Athlete and Executive
Week Seven – Additional Income Streams for the Speaker
Could you ask the event organizer to arrange a 10-20 minute break immediately after your talk to
allow people to purchase books before the next segment? Can you do a business card drawing for
a free book and collect the cards to market to them later?
When I do biz card drawing, I tell them at the beginning that we'll do drawing at the end of my
talk. In your case you might have everyone get cards out for drawing right after your talk, but do
the drawing at the end of the lunch. Tell them to put YES or NO on the back of their card. Yes
means they want to talk to you further, NO means they just want to win the book, but no need to
talk more at this time.
Rather than doing the drawing immediately after you talk, you might hold off until the end of the
luncheon/ It can serve as a reminder about your books and the event promoter will like that
there's a hook to keep people to the end.
-- Ned Parks
Make the buying exercise as EASY as you can.
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Sell the book for an amount that is even like $10/$15/$20. It makes the transaction run
smoother.
Take checks
If they have neither hand them the book for a business card and send them an invoice Ed Peters says he rarely gets shorted with this method.
Offer to the group that is speaking that THEY handle the sale and give them some of the
take to raise a few bucks. One thing for sure is that you will have better sales if YOU are
not selling the product.
-- Russell Roy
Give one away as a prize during your speech -- bring the person up to receive the book.
-- Dick Dale
You might mention during your talk that "Several people have inquired if I would autograph my
book." You, of course, would be happy to after the meeting." This lets people know that you
have a book available and now is the time to get it autographed.
-- Sally Strackbein
I collect cards for a drawing for a product. My main purpose is to add to my mailing list and to
get everyone excited about winning. When others see the excitement of the winner, they are
more likely to be interested and to read the flyer I gave them with my handout.
I've used this successfully to promote my public workshops and/or book sales.
Mary Gardner Communications, LLC PO Box 244, Winter Park, FL 32790
www.inspiredspeakersacademy. Com Mary@marygardner.com
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Motivational Speaking for the Inspired Athlete and Executive
Week Seven – Additional Income Streams for the Speaker
-- Michael Mercer
It is best to have time immediately after your presentation for your BOR selling table. But, you
do not have that option. So, here is how I modified my method for your situation:
End your speech on a "high note" -- with audience laughing. That results in your desired impulse
purchases of your book. After the laughter ends, say thank you for 2-5 seconds (very quick -- so
you do not lower the mood).
Then, say, "Please turn to the last page of my handout. It is an order form. You might notice that
if you buy my book today, you get a discount. But that discount is available ONLY if you obtain
my book today. So, please take out your business card, write "Book" on it, and pass it to [center
aisle or 1 person at your table], and I will pick up your business cards RIGHT NOW. I'll
autograph your book during the rest of the program, and it will be waiting for you as you leave
today -- so please pick it up from me. As you leave, you can give me cash to pay now or I will
send you a bill. I'll collect your business cards right now."
Then, walk to a table -- and put your hand out to collect business cards.
Keep in mind:
1. Buying at a speech is an "impulse purchase"
2. Audience members make more impulse purchases within 1 minute after they stop
laughing
3. You need to get the cards/sales immediately -- even 2 or more minutes later, and barely
anyone will buy
4. Point out that "TODAY ONLY -- AT THIS MEETING" your book is cheaper than
normal. Example: If your book normally is $25, then today it is $20.
5. Act enthusiastic -- so the audience "catches" your enthusiasm for you -- and your book.
SpeakerNet News is produced by Rebecca Morgan and Ken Braly. It is not affiliated with the National Speakers
Association. Send comments or suggestions
Mary Gardner Communications, LLC PO Box 244, Winter Park, FL 32790
www.inspiredspeakersacademy. Com Mary@marygardner.com
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