Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’ve arrived at a speaking engagement, you’ve done all the prep work, made copies for handouts, you look your best, you’ve been driving for a while to get there, and made arrangements to ensure you’re there early, only to discover that the experience fell WAY short of what you wanted?

I have. Several times through the years, sad to say. But I’ve learned my lesson and want to pass it along to you.

From time to time we will be asked, “can you deliver a talk on ‘x topic’ to this type of group?”

And for the most part, we are flattered and excited at a new opportunity to present ourselves and our business to a fresh group of contacts.

But do we say yes to all of them? I used to, but I’m pulling back.

Even though I have at least 5 really fantastic presentations at the ready, and don’t have to do much ‘creation’ work, I still weigh the value of that speaking request.

First I must clarify that speaking really excites me! The in-person connection with a new group of people, delivering an interactive experience while I share information that they’ve been seeking is exhilarating.

BUT – I am running a business -not an entertainment service- and must examine the long term concrete value of the TIME and ENERGY I’m about to hand over to this speaking engagement.

I can remember quite vividly several instances where I was happy to say ‘yes’, only to determine afterward that it was a shameful (as in shame on ME) waste of my time.

Both have involved a drive of more than an hour each way, and one had an embarrassingly low number of people in the audience. And can I add that I didn’t receive compensation, didn’t get a new client, nothing, so I drove for hours AND I paid for the gas for nothing in return??

Lesson Learned!!

As a result, I’ve developed a checklist of questions to ask myself before I say “Yes” to a speaking request.

First, if you know me at all, you’ll know that I confirm that speaking is the Number One way to get more business (if you do it right). So definitely seek out lots of great speaking gigs!

But – do it purposely and carefully, because none of us get more than 24 hours in a day or more than 7 days in a week. As an entrepreneur, time is precious, so we want to be crystal clear on the potential value of that speaking engagement.

Make sure that you

  • Ask what type of attendees this event is being targeted for. Are they your ideal prospects? Are they in the market for what you offered or are they coming out for their monthly “entertainment”?
  • Outline clear responsibilities for marketing this event on both your part and theirs so that enough people will register.
  • Check on the number of registrants the week before and 2 days before the event. Ask whether the event can be rescheduled if the number is blatantly low.
  • Are allowed to distribute your business cards and marketing materials to the audience, tell them what you offer, and deliver a very brief call to action after delivering your educational material.

Now I will share 2 instances where success defied logic:

  • I created a workshop in my local area, and only 1 person registered; I was on “home turf” so instead of canceling it, I went ahead and gave what turned out to be a custom experience for the attendee. That person hired me not once but twice – so it’s up to you to determine your criteria for minimum number of attendees.
  • At a special event, I was given only 5 minutes to talk and wound up with a client who hired me for a project. Not too shabby.

However, these are not scenarios you can bank on, so do be careful what you say yes to.

My last tip is the most crucial: treat this engagement as any important project – with a service agreement or other written document that clearly outlines who is responsible for what, what the minimum criteria is, and what determines a go / no go decision.

Now go get ‘em!