3 Keys to Getting More Stageside Leads

Welp… I’m off to Vegas this morning!

And while I’ll have no trouble resisting the slot machines at the airport, I’m sure I’ll be bombarded with all sorts of wild and crazy things in Sin City.  It’s certainly never dull.

But, to be honest, the thing I’m most looking forward to is earning some solid stageside leads after my speech.

A stageside lead is exactly what it sounds like – a lead you often get the moment you walk off the stage. But these important connections also occur in other ways while you’re at an event and in the days following.

Like in the hallway outside the main room… in the refreshment area during cocktail hour… at a restaurant while enjoying lunch… or even in the lobby as you’re dragging your suitcase up to check out.

(Hmm… I wonder if anyone ever got a stageside lead in a restroom?)

Regardless of where it occurs, a stageside lead usually goes like this…

“Wow! I loved your speech. I feel so inspired by what you shared and we’d love for you to come talk at our event in Ohio.  The date is March 25th. Are you available and what’s your fee?”

If you’re regularly getting one or two stageside leads after you speak, then congrats! They are a clear sign you’ve crafted a Referable Speech that will help grow and sustain your career.  (This post is perfect for you, by the way!)

Here’s a question for you, though… How can you get even more stageside leads? How can you maximize your number of stageside leads from every single event?

It seems to me there are three key things you’ll want to leverage…

Key #1: Your Smile - The 1:1

Okay… not your literal smile.  It takes more than a smile to win a gig.

But building a personal connection with another human being face-to-face is hard to beat.  This means getting out into the crowd, shaking some hands, and meeting as many people as you can.

Have as many one-on-one conversations as you can. Build a real rapport with as many people as possible. With each conversation, look for opportunities to relate your session to their business to help foster connections.

This increases the number of business cards you can collect and relationships you can build over time. It also, funnily enough, increases your number of stageside leads. So…

Key #2: Your Lunch - Peer Proof

Again… not your literal lunch.  I’m not asking you to give away your Cheetos.

But think about what it’s like to sit around a table with a bunch of new professional friends chatting over a meal…

When one of those people leans over to compliment your speech, something interesting happens.  They might say: