Booking More & Better Business With Bureaus
by Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE
Potential pitfalls:
- flavor of the month syndrome
- over-dependency on a singular distribution channel
- loss of control
- added complexity
- cost of sale
Keys to developing bookability:
- you're in demand; clients ask for you or have heard of you
- you're easy to sell; you have an effective video and marketing materials
- you stay in touch but you don't pester bureaus
- you have relationships; you're familiar and friendly with bureau reps
- you are unique, or at least demonstrably different
- you and your office are easy to work with before, during and after the speech
- you create lots of spinoffs
How to get started:
- ask someone with an established relationships to introduce you
- give the bureau a direct booking to get acquainted
- make warm calls
- wait until the bureaus start to call
- always do a fantastic job every time you speak
How to improve your existing bureau relationships:
- ask for feedback
- analyze your bureau business
- clarify your positioning
- create a bureau-friendly website
- partner in generating and closing business
What to do next:
- determine your cost of a direct booking
- ask several speakers you respect which bureaus are their favorites
- write a position paper you can provide to bureaus entitled "What Makes Me Different"
- develop a brief positioning statement and identify your target markets and favorite type(s) of audience
- put your bureau policy in writing and be consistent using it
- develop a strategy for creating or improving your bureau relationships