Answering a Question You Didn't Ask
How do I overcome 'pitchfest phobia'?
Note: these articles are supplementary to Niche Seminar Secrets, available for a 30-day trial for just one dollar, HERE.
I'm sure we've all been to events where at least one of the speakers did little more than pitch their product or service, where the information you got was all about them and their company.
Equally, I know some excellent 'teachers' who tell you loads of what you need to know and don't manage to sell a thing. That's great for you when you're a delegate but not so good when you have your seminar promoter's hat on.
Most experienced speakers will get it about right, of course. Natural selection will see to that. Meaning, you don't get to gain experience if you don't get the gigs because you don't sell anything...
I usually suggest about 80-85% good, unbiased content to about 15% or so spent promoting yourself and your product. Delegates mostly see that as acceptable. So about ten minutes out of every hour can be 'pitch'.
You might still get some resistance, of course. What you don't want is people spreading the word that your event was just a 'pitch fest', especially when it wasn't. So here's a way to get your delegates to look at it (and the sharper ones will see it this way, anyway)...
...it's all part of the education process.
Learning how to pitch is as important as anything else in business, and seeing someone do it right is an education in itself. Actually, seeing people get it badly wrong is even more instructive, but you can't afford too many lessons like that at your event!
When we were learning the seminar business (not that we'll ever stop learning), seeing how smoothly or otherwise each speaker segued into his or her pitch was fascinating. Seeing inexperienced speakers struggle a little and then make rapid progress was actually quite a thrill, while hearing a few of the delegates' grumbles taught us a thing or two.
And we were keen to learn.
So you can make a virtue out of the speakers' desire to sell by including at least one session, perhaps near the end of your event, where you explain what the presenters were doing and why.
As I said, it's all part of the education process for your delegates and it might help them appreciate just how much thought, effort and experience goes into the average presentation.
Most of us are used to being sold to by now. As marketers, we probably keep swipe files and acquire countless books and ebooks about 'how to sell'.
Your event could be the example 'par excellence'!
Roy
PS. Many people take copious notes during an event but most of them stop writing once the speaker goes into his or her pitch. Imagine the boost to your DVD sales when people realise the lesson you just gave them, and that they won't find in their notes.
PPS. The One Dollar Trial is still available, directly from this blog, here.
Note: these articles are supplementary to Niche Seminar Secrets, available for a 30-day trial for just one dollar, HERE.
I'm sure we've all been to events where at least one of the speakers did little more than pitch their product or service, where the information you got was all about them and their company.
Equally, I know some excellent 'teachers' who tell you loads of what you need to know and don't manage to sell a thing. That's great for you when you're a delegate but not so good when you have your seminar promoter's hat on.
Most experienced speakers will get it about right, of course. Natural selection will see to that. Meaning, you don't get to gain experience if you don't get the gigs because you don't sell anything...
I usually suggest about 80-85% good, unbiased content to about 15% or so spent promoting yourself and your product. Delegates mostly see that as acceptable. So about ten minutes out of every hour can be 'pitch'.
You might still get some resistance, of course. What you don't want is people spreading the word that your event was just a 'pitch fest', especially when it wasn't. So here's a way to get your delegates to look at it (and the sharper ones will see it this way, anyway)...
...it's all part of the education process.
Learning how to pitch is as important as anything else in business, and seeing someone do it right is an education in itself. Actually, seeing people get it badly wrong is even more instructive, but you can't afford too many lessons like that at your event!
When we were learning the seminar business (not that we'll ever stop learning), seeing how smoothly or otherwise each speaker segued into his or her pitch was fascinating. Seeing inexperienced speakers struggle a little and then make rapid progress was actually quite a thrill, while hearing a few of the delegates' grumbles taught us a thing or two.
And we were keen to learn.
So you can make a virtue out of the speakers' desire to sell by including at least one session, perhaps near the end of your event, where you explain what the presenters were doing and why.
As I said, it's all part of the education process for your delegates and it might help them appreciate just how much thought, effort and experience goes into the average presentation.
Most of us are used to being sold to by now. As marketers, we probably keep swipe files and acquire countless books and ebooks about 'how to sell'.
Your event could be the example 'par excellence'!
Roy
PS. Many people take copious notes during an event but most of them stop writing once the speaker goes into his or her pitch. Imagine the boost to your DVD sales when people realise the lesson you just gave them, and that they won't find in their notes.
PPS. The One Dollar Trial is still available, directly from this blog, here.
Labels: back of the room, how to sell, information products, making money from seminars, marketing seminars, Niche Seminar Secrets, niche seminars, one dollar trial, selling from the stage, Seminar Secrets
posted by Roy Everitt at
03:40
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