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Article - How Planners Choose Speakers
(c) 2003 Lilly Walters, Claremont, California

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How Planners Choose Speakers

ALL QUOTES FROM SPEAKERS IN THIS ARTICLE ARE USED WITH EXPRESS PERMISSION FOR the Book by Lilly and Dottie Walters, and must be reproduced only if the "2nd Edition of Speak and Grow Rich" is cited as the source.

Just as real estate buyers often have many choices of types of houses in one particular area, buyers choose from hundreds of speakers in one field. Just as a home buyer looks for exactly the right dwelling, the buyer searches for the perfect speaker for an event, meeting, or convention. To get a booking, you must convince the buyers that you are the speaker he or she is seeking. How do buyers book speakers? The most popular ways were determined in the Walters Speaker Services 1996 Exclusive Survey of Professional Speakers, for "2nd Edition of Speak and Grow Rich" (Prentice-Hall Simon Schuster) -
Here is a sample of the replies:

I rely on my books and word of mouth - no searching
- Philip B. Crosby, Author and Professional speaker on "quality" related issues

Client referral, other speaker referral, agent referral, friend referral
- Deanna Berg, trainer, speaker, President, Innovation Strategies International

I use direct mail to a targeted group with a customized letter as my primary marketing tool. This method allows me to put it on "autopilot" with a secretary while I am on the road.
- Stephen T. Waterhouse, Professional Speaker, Author and Trainer

Public presentation/speaker bureau promotion/publishing visibility/direct mail
- Dr. Tony Alessandra, speaker and author on relationship strategies, non-manipulative selling


The Figure below shows you just the top (most popular and effective) methods used by speakers to market themselves.


(c) 2003 Lilly Walters, Claremont, California

Do note that there is a great deal of overlap in "word of mouth and referrals" and the "presentations themselves." Word of mouth comes from .... For more about books by Lilly Walters

from the "2nd Edition of Speak and Grow Rich" (Prentice-Hall Simon Schuster) - Book by Lilly and Dottie Walters, considered the Handbook of the Professional Speaking Business. The first edition was a best seller, ad was selected in an industry wide survey - by over 200% - as THE most valuable book ever written for professional speakers. In the "2nd Edition of Speak and Grow Rich" releases in Summer of 1997 and includes the results on many, many industry wide surveys, up to date information on how speakers can market on the WEB, use Fax on Demand, video conferencing, mail bot, virtual seminars, email newsletters, etc.

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