Whether you’re well-known, not well-known, a beginner, or you’ve been around for a long time, whether you’re expensive or not expensive yet, one thing is for certain. You’ve got to know who you are competing with, because that’s who you’re going to be doing business with.
And you’re going to come before them, after them, even speak with them at events — but here’s the thing. You need to know what they charge, what they talk about. You need to know how you’re similar, how you’re different, because here’s what I’ve learned over the years: you need to know where you can insert yourself.
Many times when I’ve been on the phone with a company, they’ll say something along the lines of, “Last year we booked [insert name of your competition here].” Do you know what I’ll say to that? “Well, if you like [insert name of your competition again], you’re going to love us.”
You need to be able to make those comparisons and have the confidence to say, “I belong here, I know my stuff, I’m up to par with who you have booked before.”
In the beginning, you can start as simple as doing a cursory Google search of other speakers in your field. Find out their names, websites and fees. Keep it that simple. (I’m constantly still collecting this information years later!) It’s important to be able to say, “I know who they are,” if it’s someone in your field. It’s a good practice to be in.
Now, how do we take all of this and put it into practice in a good old-fashioned speaker press kit? First, let’s define what a press kit is and what it is not.
A press kit is one thing: an online sales tool. What many people get wrong is that it is not a listing of every single thing that you do. It’s not a bio; it’s not a picture of your background. This is a sales tool that makes it very easy for a person or a committee to know you and understand you.
It is selling your topic as much as it sells you.
And it is helping them understand why you are unique and different from the other 12 press kits sitting on their table.
I’ve seen press kits where I immediately can tell, “Wow, this is a $50,000 speaker.” That’s what you want someone to say about you, right?
You want someone to immediately know you are professional and that your kit and your speech are representative of you and all you can do.
Here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to make for you to charge an arm and a leg for your services.
Watch my other videos on my YouTube channel to find out more about how to make your speech, your kit and your brand look as expensive as you should be!
