7 Marketing Tools Professional Speakers Need in Their Portfolios

by | Mar 17, 2015 | Speakers

speaker standing at podiumAs a professional speaker there are several marketing items you need in your portfolio in order to market yourself effectively.  These tools, if properly done, will ensure you obtain more and higher paying speaking engagements.  Unfortunately, a surprising number of speakers fail to achieve their desired income because they fail to create a portfolio to properly market their skills and talents.  It is time to reach the income you’ve heard and dreamed about by creating a phenomenal portfolio TODAY!

Speaker bureaus and meeting planners expect to see certain pieces of information in order to ascertain whether you are the professional speaker they are looking for.  These pieces of information include a one sheet highlighting the material you’ll be presenting, a speaker biography, testimonials and/or reviews, a list of the services you provide including educational materials and fee schedule, a sample client list, a demo video and a business card with contact information.  It is also a great idea to include a letter on personalized letterhead stating your interest in the event and why you feel they should choose you.

  1. One sheet – include a general outline of the presentation you’ll be making.  Your material should relate to the theme of the convention or seminar being hosted.
  2. Speaker biography (bio) – highlight certifications and qualifications in your 2 -3 paragraph narrative.  Each paragraph should be about 2-3 sentences long and should give bureaus and planners an idea of who you are and what you’re about.  This bio may also be used as part of the advertisement of the speaking engagement and may be shortened to a short paragraph.  You should also send a professional picture of yourself.
  3. Testimonials and/or Reviews – This information helps to build your credibility as a speaker because it tells what others are saying about you.  In order to build this area effectively, you should also consider requesting feedback after each speaking engagement whether they are free or for a fee.
  4. List of services and products – This section of information includes a price list of books, CD’s or videos that you produce related to your speaking topic.  This section can also include other types of speaking engagements that you do along with the respective prices that you will charge.
  5. List of the clients you’ve worked for – you can combine this with your testimonial and review sections however, keep in mind that not everyone will respond to your request for feedback.  Either you didn’t ask for a review or they didn’t take the time to fill out your review sheet.  You can still keep a running list of the people who have used your services.
  6. Demo video – This should be on the subject you are being asked to speak on.  It gives your prospective planners an idea of what they will be getting should they choose to hire you.  This should also be professionally done.
  7. Contact information – include information on the various ways that speaker bureaus and meeting planners can get in touch with you should they decide to hire you.

A successful marketing strategy which includes your portfolio ensures that you are on the path to becoming a successful professional speaker.  It also presents you as a professional and an established leader in your field.  Now that you know the tools you need, are you ready to create your portfolio so you can start marketing yourself today?

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