Clients are looking for a solution – to relieve their pain, leverage an opportunity, or to make their lives better. So it is more than just a speech. It’s a package of value-added services. Gone are the days when you fly in, do the same speech you do for any and every audience, and fly back out.
The more focused speakers are on presenting solutions, the more clients will value their services. As President of the National Speakers Association, I commissioned a “white paper” to explore the myriad ways speakers can convey value to their clients before, during and after their presentations. Here’s a sampling from the white paper, The Professional Speaker’s Imperative: Bringing Value to Today’s Global and Tech-Savvy Marketplace.
Before the Meeting:
- Assess the culture, skills and abilities of their audiences or organizations
- Advise meeting planners about meeting and speaking logistics
- Connect with other speakers (internal and external)
- Meet with client leadership and stakeholders
- Assess technologies to ensure optimum delivery formats
- Start a virtual conversation
- Coach leader(s) and meeting planners before the speaker’s presentation
During the Meeting:
- Provide a presentation that inspires employees
- Provide a training or breakout session in new skills, models and tools
- Moderate or participate in a panel discussion
- Facilitate a roundtable discussion among peers or diverse stakeholder groups
- Consult leader(s) on various paths to take and/or consider
- Moderate or participate in the event
After the Meeting:
- Facilitate the leadership team to create meaningful plans of action
- Assist clients in implementing these plans
- Coach individuals through implementation
- Provide online follow-up resources
Ongoing Services:
- Create or provide learning tools and systems to continue or enhance the value of the meeting
- Participate in company meetings
- Become an expert spokesperson for the organization
- Provide additional services, such as assessments, customized training, retreats and special events
- Mentor specific people within the organization
- Serve as an ongoing adviser or consultant to the organization
