Lead generation

[Spider]

Thanks, Patrysha. When you refer to statistical insignificance, do you mean small list and some become new clients - or do you mean huge list and a very small percentage become new clients. I think a list of 20 producing 10 new clients is very significant, and a list of 10,000 producing 25 new clients is only 0.25 percent but 25 new clients might be quite handy to have. 25 new clients in one go would totally overwhelm me!

Regarding your speaking - Do your mean, like, just talking to people, networking, perhaps - or do you mean public speaking and presentations to groups. I'd like to know more about your success in this area, because I keep saying I must do more of this and I am certainly capable.

[Patrysha]

In my case I mean small list :-) It's a list of just under 100. One of the problems is I can't remember with some if they were subscriber's first or customers first. I know at least three sales in the past couple of months were people who have been on my list for a while...

I suppose it could mean networking, but I was speaking of presentations...

[Spider]

Regarding your presentations, then, how do you get invited to speak?
Do you charge a fee for speaking or treat it as a group sales pitch?
How long are your presentations?
Do you "perform" - do demonstrations, Powerpoint - or just speak?
What do you speak about?
To whom do you speak?
What else can you tell me to help me do something like that in Houston?

TIA

[Patrysha]

It varies...lol...but I will try :-)

My most recent one and my next scheduled presentation were/are paid presentations. Last year I was doing them for a meal and the chance to speak :-) On average they tend to be about an hour, but I have visions of workshops. My very first public presentation to business owners was about 7 years ago and I charged $75/pp...that was a three hour session that included a buffet dinner...

How did I get invited to speak? Last year I got two engagements through another speaker, in one case she had to pull out after committing and in the other she recommended me off the bat when she couldn't do a date. This one coming up in Ontario, they found me through my website and the one I did last week, they asked me to speak at their annual general meeting during a project I was doing for them late last year and into the beginning of this year (web copy and a new brochure) which came about because on of their members is a local client.

My most recent session I took my television and a DVD player because the hotel wanted more for the projector and screen day rental than the group was paying for the session! So when the organization president contacted me a week or so before the event with that news, I improvised with my own equipment. Had to go with DVD because the new laptop I've got doesn't have an s-cord outlet...grrr - My first session in Ontario will be in a restaurant so that will be flip chart style.

Now this is mostly for live speaking, I've done a fair bit of online interviews, podcasts and webinar type thing (and I'm gearing up to do more of those when I can tame my schedule again) those are more visual. I personally try to be more of a facilitator than just a speaker...I like my audience involved and engaged as much as possible.

I speak about marketing, publicity and other topics of interest to small business owners serving a local market....non profit organizations would be an offshoot market...if you PM me your email addy I can send you the PDF I created of my current topic suggestions that I sent to the group that hired me in Ontario. I need to edit it up some to be a decent speaking catalog but I had to pull it together quick because the invitation was unexpected and I did not want to miss the opportunity.

I don't know about specific advice in Houston. I've poured over tons of books and bought an expensive speaking course when it went on a supersale as part of a launch for another speaking product from a vendor I already sort of knew through a prior coaching freebie...truthfully I still haven't properly worked through the lessons and homework. I've had more success outside of my immediate local area than within it.

[Harold Mansfield]

You can also go through a 3rd party. I don't know a lot about this, but I do know that there are companies or "agents" that book public speakers for various functions in a variety of areas and niches.
I'm sure that there has to be such an agency in the Houston area to get your feet wet locally or around TX.

When you do revamp your website, you may want to add that you are available for public speaking to your contact information and market yourself.

[Spider]

Thanks to you both - most helpful.

Patrysha - you might want to consider investing in a projector that can run off your laptop. I have a Viewsonic projector that plugs directly into a USB port on my laptop and will project whatever is on the computer monitor. And most venues have somewhere white or light-colored (like a wall) that will serve as a screen. Or buy a screen, too. Then you are independent of the facilties, but for a power supply. I never obtained Powerpoint but did purchase Swish - a Flash video creator that was quite easy to learn to a rudimentary level, enough to make Powerpoint-type presentations.

I'll PM for your speaking catalog (great name for it, btw.) Thanks.

[Patrysha]

Yeah, I have been considering a projector or projector/screen combo. It wasn't an issue until recently because I had access to borrowing when I needed to. And because my old computer could hook up directly to the tv and I could rig up extra sound with external speakers, but then I had to go fry it with coffee...

We just had a new laptop arrive yesterday...I haven't checked it out yet as it is intended to be hubby's new computer...