The best way to get new business is from people who have seen you speak and know you can help them.  If done generously and intentionally, your interactions on the day of the event will result in additional business from 5% of the audience.  If you’re not reaching that goal, here are seven ways to bring up your percentage.

1. Manage your Mindset: Instead of thinking about getting the audience to buy something from you, think of how you can help them and offer more of what they need and want.  Believe it in your core.  Anytime you talk about what you have to offer your flow, tone and posture should deepen the connection with them, not feel awkward.

2.  Diagnose before you Prescribe: Ask questions, listen carefully and figure out their specific challenges, goals and nuances to their situation. Then you can specifically address those with your solutions.

3.    Use the stage well:  Know who is in the audience and what segment will be your perfect customer. Create a customer persona for that person, imagine their needs and add stories to your talk that show them how you understand their needs and the ways you work to satisfy those needs.

  • Make sure the introduction the event host reads is short, energetic and customized to directly tie to the particular needs of the audience (and especially that persona of the ideal future client that’s part of the audience).
  • Start your talk with a bang to get people paying attention. (Not, “Good morning” or “Thank you for the kind introduction” or vague niceties.  The best strategy for this is to ask a perky question that everyone will answer yes to:  “Do you want ….? Great!  I’m here today to show you how to do that.”
  • When you introduce yourself and throughout your presentation highlight experience that is relevant to them in short phrases that begin your stories of success: “When I spoke to the XXXX, they thought their goal was YYY, but we uncovered that their deeper goals were really ZZZZ and so I was able to ….”
  • Even if you don’t have a detailed story of success to share, remind your audience that you speak and consult: “In my years of XXXXX I’ve learned … “  “As I travel around and give this talk to other (eg: XXX conferences, XXX associations -describe the group you’re in front of or work you want to highlight)
  • Brainstorm 10-20 experiences you’ve had and 10 transitional phrases (such as “As I give this talk to other…” “When financial professionals hear that I can …”) you can work into conversation and from the stage so you begin to practice what it feels like to say them and they come naturally to you.

4.   Lead generation by gathering email addresses from the stage for future marketing come from Calls to Action throughout, not just at the end

  • Tell a story of how your Proven Way has helped others that’s super inspiring and provides an aspiration they likely have.
  • Offer the audience a way to get that PDF of solutions, tips and tricks, best practices, This Year’s Trends

If you’re not set up for them to download it from an app, you could create a Downloads page on your web site where people complete a form (simply provide their email address) and then receive it or they can email you directly and ask for it.

Providing a QR Code or other text option is amazing too, though give the non-techies an option to get it too.

5.      Selling books or other tools from the Stage

  • Read a quote from the book. (Literally open the book and read from it.) It’s ok to mention that the book is for sale at the back of the room.  Or other valuable information they can find in the book.  “I go deeper into this in chapter 6 of my book, but here are the main points:  xxxx”
  • Give away a few books from the stage for people who answer questions correctly or another thing that they can relate to “Who has the most members of their advisory board? Stand up if you have 11 or more members.  Keep standing if you have 15 or more….”
  • For Cards or Masterminds, follow the same structure as the books, though customize it for the item you’re focusing on selling.
  • Choose what you sell where. If you try to sell speeches, consulting, books, cards and masterminds, it’s too much.  Be intentional about choosing to offer the best item for the group.

6.   Manage your time during networking sessions

  • When you meet someone and see there’s a potential for a longer conversation, ask to connect on LinkedIn or by email so you can send them a calendar link to have a phone conversation. “Gosh, that’s so fascinating and I’d love to talk with you more, could I have your card so I can send you a link to schedule a call with me so I can hear more?”
  • Send an email within 36 hours. Use a template to make that easy.

7.    And, as you know, have fun and enjoy yourself.  People buy how you do things and are attracted to activities that will be beneficial and enjoyable.