Last week I received an email from someone looking for speaker suggestions for his organization’s 2010-2011 season. It’s that time of year. Many groups, associations, clubs, and businesses are eager to book speakers for meetings scheduled in the fall of 2010 and even into 2011. If you’re looking to do presentations, which usually brings with them the opportunity to sell books, this is the time to start sending email or making calls to groups that might be interested in your topic.
So whom do you contact?
- Service organizations: Rotary International, Lion’s Club International, and SO many more worthwhile groups. Give it a google and see what you find.
- Business organizations: Check out local print and online newspapers and magazines geared to business owners.
- Associations: There are hundreds, if not thousands, of groups with specialized interests.
- Women’s groups: From NAWBO (National Assocation of Women Business Owners) to The Mom Entrepreneur, Junior League and oh so many more.
- Hospitals: Different areas of hospitals often sponsor lectures. I’ve worked with a veteran’s hospital, for instance, that sponsors a luncheon program for their social workers and other medical professionals.
- Churches & religious organizations: These are plentiful.
- Schools: Districts and individual schools, as well as PTOs, often provide programs for teachers and/or parents.
- Retirement communities
- Writing groups
Keep your ear to the ground and your eye on the local newspapers. Groups of all sizes and sorts abound in almost every community.
Once you find the organization, you have to figure out whom to contact. If there is a Program Chair listed on the website, that’s a good place to start. If not, begin at the top with the president or other person in charge.
I usually send an introductory email asking if the organization hosts speakers (if I don’t already know) and if so, are they currently looking for speakers or will they be in the future? You might add a sentence a two about yourself, other venues at which you’ve presented, topics you address, and endorsements you’ve received. Remember to include the title of your book and the title of your book and your website URL. But best not to overwhelm with information. You can provide more details at a later date.
Remember to set your parameters for speaking arrangements ahead of time. Maybe you request gas money to be reimbursed. Maybe you charge a fee. Maybe you waive that fee if books can be sold in the back of the room.
After the presentation, after you have wowed that crowd, ask for an endorsement. You can share it with the next group you contact.
