I just returned from Kent Julian’s Speak It Forward Boot Camp in Duluth, GA. Beginning speakers are always concerned about getting a speaking fee from organizations that may be small or non-profit. Did you ever hear about the guy who couldn’t see the forest for the trees?
Last year I met with a local weatherman here in Nashville. He loves educating people – but is confronted with the fact that most people are not going to pay to come hear about the weather. I suggested that he was looking in the wrong place for the income potential. Rather than expecting attendees to “pay” to come to a presentation, why didn’t he get sponsorships from organizations that wanted to gain credibility with the same audience?
He just sent me an update:
“Dan, I hope you’re doing well! I wanted to update you on the success of my second TORNADOSAFE live event in
Murray, KY, last week. I arranged to do my TORNADOSAFE program at the Glendale Road Church of Christ. I was able to sell more than $2000 in sponsorships (I called 14 businesses – many suggested by the church – and 12 of them came on as sponsors). Sponsors included a Chevy dealership, the local electrical utility, the local Interstate Batteries distributor, the local State Farm office and Primary Care Medical Center. 140 people showed up and it was a great evening! My prayer was that it would be a blessing for all involved and I had many positive responses from those who attended, from the church leadership and from the sponsors as well. I used press releases to get the events promoted on both radio and in the newspaper. The church also announced the event from stage on Sunday on the two Sundays prior to the event. I’m working on two more now – one in Madisonville, KY, and one in Huntingdon, TN. I’m continuing to look at targeting more towns and would like to have 4 more scheduled by the end of the year…”
Is that a great model or what? 12 out of 14 businesses contacted wanted to get involved – how’s that for a high closing ratio? And this model is applicable for thousands of other kinds of content. If your expertise is health and nutrition, sports excellence, finding scholarship money, being a great Mom, starting your own business, or basic computer skills, you can use this model to create a profitable venture.
Many of you have a message you would like to share in the non-profit or social sector environment. True, it’s tough to charge those organizations fees for speaking. But look at the advantages you have in getting sponsorships over selling tickets or charging the organization:
- True business promotion
- Sense of obligation because they’ve done business with the organization
- Donation – just consider it a worthy donation
And once you get 140 people in the room, you can promote back-of-the-room products as well.
Speaking and writing open up multiple opportunities for generating income – looking beyond the readers or listeners. I consider my books to be simply fancy business cards. I make very little on the actual sale but then they open readers up to all the other cool things we’re doing at 48 Days – like live events, open houses, special products and more.
What creative ideas have you used to create income with your speaking or writing?
