“I’m not comfortable selling myself, talking about myself.” I hear this constantly… “I’m uncomfortable and find it hard to talk about myself!” My initial response? Get into another line of work!
I’m not being rude; I am being a realist. To get speaking gigs, you have to reach out to prospects and convince them you can make a difference in their business.
Another question I’m often asked is – “Doesn’t it sound better if I’m not making the call?” In a word, no. And I think it’s a cop-out if this is your thinking. You are the one with the intellectual property. You know how to talk about your information better than anyone else. If you hire someone to make calls on your behalf, you must still be the BEST at doing it.
A reality in the speaking industry is that staff comes and goes. It can be a revolving door. Ask any veteran who has had staff, and they will agree with me – they may not like it – but they’ll agree with me. I won’t go into why this is; that’s another post!
You must always be the best at selling your programs because you are your business’s constant. The closer the client can get to the speaker, the better. If you have staff doing outbound marketing, they must always tell the prospect that you are happy and anxious to talk with them and answer specifics about your program.
So, I’m still uncomfortable selling myself. What can I do? You can review earlier blog posts that I’ve written on selling, positioning, qualifying, and practice techniques. You can hire me to help you do it! (My favorite!) You can read all about it in my book, Book More Business: Make Money Speaking, available on Amazon. (https://a.co/d/8B5VEOr). Another option that works well, and I always suggest when I work with speakers – is to shift your thinking.
Shift your thinking.
Clients hire us to “move the needle” in their organization. They hire us not for a speech but for the outcomes that we deliver.
- Increase profits
- Raise productivity
- Increase employee engagement
- Drive shareholder value
Instead of selling yourself, think of yourself as a commodity. You’re in the intellectual property business. You’re selling your intellectual property. Sell like a commodity, and you’ll become more comfortable with the process. Use phrases like:
- What would it look like if…
- Would it make sense to…
- How would you feel if your people … (Thanks to Phil Jones for this!)
In a nutshell, you need to do everything and anything you can to make yourself not only comfortable but terrific at selling!
The bad news? It’s up to you. The good news? It’s up to you.
Copyright 2023. Lois Creamer. Lois works with professional speakers, consultants, and experts who want to book more business, make more money, and monetize their message! She can be reached in the following ways:
Email: Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
Phone: 314-374-4007
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BookMoreBusiness
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/loiscreamer
For more information on Lois’ business check out http://www.bookmorebusiness.com
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