Attracting people who have the budget to book you

Q: How do you market yourself to an organization?


This answer is ironically complex. So much so, we spend an hour and a half breaking down my marketing plan at Presentation Power.

Some would like you to believe that just being a “good speaker” is enough to keep your schedule packed. Others believe that if you send a brochure, the recipient will be so delighted to hear from you that they feel compelled to call you and hire you on the spot.

It ain’t that simple.

Marketing your services requires a multi-layered approach. Doing just one thing won’t take you over the top. My friend James Malinchak once said,

“I was asked how to attract 500 people to fill an event. I told them, ‘I don’t know how to get 500 people, but I know 50 ways to get 10 people.’”


The point is, you have to think strategically, think long-term, and measure yourself by how many “drips” you make on every person over a period of time. If someone has never heard of you, they are unlikely to go from zero to “you’re hired” after your initial impression (unless their first impression was when they saw you speak). Otherwise, it takes a little time and know-how. This is why James and I both do four-day bootcamps; so we can break down each step in the process.

Your Marketing Package Must Have The Following:

  • Brochure
  • Web site
  • YouTube videos
  • Presentation descriptions
  • Headshots
  • “Product in action” shots
  • Postcards, business cards, envelopes, etc.

You use these elements to create an ongoing marketing campaign to your list. Never ask for the sale without providing value.

Use your YouTube videos to teach, excite, and fascinate your buyers. Focus on creating pieces that add value to their lives, not just talk about how awesome you are. Solve their problems. Make them laugh. Make them want to hire you so you can do for their audience what you just did for them in the three-minute video clip.

Advancing the conversation slightly, my approach is rather non-traditional. I don’t think like most do. My philosophy is: fish with a net, NOT a hook. If I fish with a hook by calling individual prospects, I can only catch one fish at a time. But if I fish with a net by speaking to many prospects in one place, I can catch many fish at one time. Practically, this means that I target the conferences  where most of my prospects attend and I will meet them there. I don’t want to be a door-to-door salesman. I think strategically. I find out where these people “hang out” and get hired to be a keynote speaker there so I can make a positive mass impression and get booked by them to speak for the organizations they represent.

It’s all about positioning.


If I call you or send you a brochure, it’s met with a certain level of skepticism. But if you see me at a conference, celebrated by the organization as their “celebrity guest expert,” that skepticism is replaced with anticipation to hear my message. Even better, my workshops will be well attended because I will write killer descriptions and I throw in bonuses for attending. The balance of power totally shifts in my favor when I use my net versus my hook.

Teach a man to fish with a hook, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish with a net, he eats whenever he wants because he has the money to pay for it.


–Jonathan Sprinkles