photo credit: Domain Barnyard
In sales we all know that quality leads are the key to our success, and we all are on the hunt for new ways to generate these quality leads in order to boost our sales numbers. I came across an interesting article located on Duct Tape Marketing that suggests speaking for free at conventions in order to create these quality leads.
Instead of charging a couple thousand dollar fee for speaking at a conference and maybe selling one product at the end, why not speak for free and walk away at the end with 20 or more quality leads that could end up turning into 10 or more sales? When you do the math, that is a lot more money in your pocket when you speak for free and walk away with more leads to follow up on.
Set up some sort of deal with the sponsor of the event, let them know you are willing to waive your usual fee for speaking in return for them allowing you to request the audiences information in order to make sales at a later date. Also offer the customers some free items in exchange for allowing you to take their information with you.
At the end answer questions, make free offers, and, almost as an afterthought, agree to let them also bring a friend to the event you mentioned at the same price if they sign-up today. (You’ve just made the event half price in their mind, turned them into a recruiter, and given your potential attendee a valuable tool to offer to a friend or colleague) So, all of a sudden, anyone considering the offer is now highly motivated by this compelling change of events.