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How
to Become a Motivational Speaker
How
to Get Employers to Approach You
If
an employer approaches you and is seriously interested
in working with you, getting the job can be easy.
EXAMPLE:
One
day I received an email from a woman who was chairing
a conference. She briefly described the event and
added: “We are looking for a keynote speaker who is
available on both October 19 and 20. Could you let
me know if you are available and what your fee
structure is?”
I
phoned and reached her voice mail. While some speakers
might have kept calling until they could speak with
her in person, I happened to be too busy for telephone
tag. I left a brief message saying I would be delighted
to speak and told her my fee. A few days later she
phoned back to say the conference committee had met
and decided to hire me.
In
this case I got a high-paying keynote speaking
job without giving the employer an information package,
a video, or any other materials. I didn’t have to “jump
through hoops,” attend meetings, or make follow-up phone
calls.
It
was not the first time I have experienced this. I have
been approached a number of times by employers who were
seriously interested in working with me. In each case,
my effort to get these jobs was minimal because the
employers had already decided to hire me.
These
employers heard about me through a number of different
means. In the example above, the decision-maker had
read a newspaper column I had published in the Saturday
business section of a daily newspaper. There are a number
of other ways to get approached for a speaking job.
The
most effective ways to get an employer to approach you
include:
- Get
interviewed on radio and TV
- Get
published
- Put
up a website
- Network
with decision makers
- Give
free speeches
- Present
your own seminars
- Get
newspaper coverage
The
reason most of these methods are so effective is because
they establish you as “an expert.” As a result,
the employer may decide you are the only choice or the
preferred choice for the job. The information in this
part of the guide will give you some ideas on how you
can use these opportunities to promote yourself for
future speaking engagements.
The
Importance of Being Seen as “An Expert”
As
was explained in chapter 2 of this guide, in many cases
it is possible to become an expert on a topic within
only two weeks.
However,
being an expert is not enough to get you hired. What
is just as important is to be seen as an expert.
Here’s why:
Imagine
you are speaking with a potential employer.
EMPLOYER:
What do you speak about?
YOU:
I speak about Interpersonal Communications.
EMPLOYER:
Great! That’s what we’re looking for. What are your
credentials to speak on this topic?
YOU:
Well, I’ve been studying Interpersonal Communications
for the past two weeks ...
Would
you hire someone with these credentials?
Of course not!
Now
imagine instead that you could say any or all
of the following in response to, “What are your credentials?”
- “I
have spoken on this topic numerous times
to groups like yours.”
- “I
am the author of How to Improve Your Interpersonal
Communications.”
- “As
an interpersonal communications expert I have been
interviewed by media outlets in New York, Los
Angeles, Houston, Chicago ...”
- “More
than 100,000 people have heard my advice on this
topic.”
Wouldn’t
you rather hire someone with credentials
like these?
So
what if your own credentials look nothing like these?
Well that’s one of the many areas where this guide can
help you. Read on to discover how you can get similar
credentials as quickly as possible.
Get
Interviewed by the Media
Imagine
being able to tell potential employers that you have
been interviewed by media outlets across the country.
Getting
interviews is easier than many people imagine. Whatever
topics you give speeches on are probably good topics
for media interviews. And the good news is that you
don’t have to travel to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago,
etc. to speak with the media in those cities. You could
sit in your kitchen in your bathrobe and slippers and
give interviews to radio stations over the telephone.
And
if you’re booked on a major TV talk show, your travel
expenses may be covered by the show.
The
Low Budget Way to Get Interviews
The
low budget but time-consuming way to get interviews
is to contact stations directly to let them know you
are available for an interview. The people to contact
are talk show producers, news directors, or morning
show hosts, depending on who you think would be most
interested in your topic.
When
you contact them, be sure to emphasize how much the
show’s audience will benefit from an interview with
you. Remember, shows want dynamic, interesting
guests.
Also,
keep in mind that many radio station employees are overworked
and underpaid. If you can make their job easier
you are much more likely to land an interview. The best
way to make their job easier is to include a list
of “frequently asked questions” with the letter
or news release you send them. This is a list of questions
that you think listeners might like the answers to.
For
example, to promote my workshop for singles I prepared
a list of questions like "What are the best places to
meet people?" The questions I prepared were usually
the ones I was asked on the air.
There
are a variety of ways to find contact information for
radio and TV outlets. An excellent one for radio is
Radio Locator's online directory of over 10,000 radio
stations which you can search at:
For
contact information for the top TV talk shows, you can
visit About.com’s page on
Talk
Shows and Hosts
http://talkshows.about.com/entertainment/
talkshows/blcontact.htm
The
Easier Way to Get Interviews
A
faster and easier, but more expensive way to
get interviews is by placing an ad in the Radio-TV
Interview Report: The Magazine Producers Read to Find
Guests (RTIR).
Shortly
after I advertised in RTIR, I had long-distance interviews
with dozens of radio stations, and was able to tell
potential employers I had done media interviews “from
Alaska to Alabama.”
RTIR,
which consists of ads promoting people who are available
to be interviewed, is distributed 3 times per month
to more than 5,000 radio and TV talk show producers
in the United States (there are a few Canadian shows
on their list too) .
As
a result of such interviews, offers of speaking engagements
may follow. For example, James Malinchak, whose
website bills him as “America’s Hottest Young Speaker,”
says he could not get on radio or TV until advertising
with RTIR. His very first interview after advertising
generated three paid speaking engagements.
James
Malinchak
http://malinchak.com
Even
if your media appearances don’t directly result in speaking
engagements, it can still enhance your credibility
with potential employers. Add up the audiences of all
the shows you appear on, and you may soon be able to say
that more than 100,000 ... half a million ... or even
millions of people have heard your advice.
RTIR
advertising rates start at $497 for a single half-page
ad, or $297 each for 3 half-page ads. Their experts
will write the ad for you at no extra cost.
To get a free media kit with a copy of RTIR and information
about advertising, call 1-800-553-8002, ext. 408. As
an advertiser, you can also get a listing on the RTIR
website.
Radio-TV
Interview Report
http://www.rtir.com
The
following websites also list guests who are available
for interviews. All of these charge a fee to advertise,
or be listed.
Authors
and Experts
http://www.authorsandexperts.com
Experts
Registry
http://www.experts.com
Guestfinder.com
http://www.guestfinder.com
Yearbook.com
http://www.yearbook.com
No
matter where you advertise, if your topic isn’t interesting
to the media, you may not get results. In some cases
you may want to advertise because you feel a listing can
give you credibility by itself. For example, if you advertise
with Yearbook.com, you will also be included in the impressive
sounding Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons.
However,
if getting interviewed is your goal, you may want to
check with others who have advertised to see
if your type of topic is one that actually gets interviews.
Send a polite email (you’ll find contact information
at the site) which includes the question, “How many
interviews have you had as a result of your ad at _______?”
This article is
an excerpt from the fabjob.com How to Become a Motivational
Speaker. Visit www.fabjob.com
for information.
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