Do These 3 Things When Your Speaking Calendar is Empty
You're amid your slow season… and just looked ahead at your calendar.
Holy smokes. It's practically empty!
No speaker likes experiencing despair twice a year when things slow down. That's why I want you to remember two things… 1) it's normal, and 2) you can take action.
In Part 1, we outlined these three action tasks…
- Reach out to "lost" gigs.
- Reach out to "won" gigs.
- And "Field Test" a new speech.
Today, I will share more details about each of these tasks. This includes email templates to reach out to event organizers so you can contact them at the right time… and in the right way. I'll also share some key things you need to track to do this effectively and efficiently.
If you do this right, your actions during these slow times will pay dividends when the next busy season rolls around.
Let's start at the very beginning… (a very good place to start!)
A "Lost" Gig Isn't Permanently Lost
Every event organizer who reaches out saw something in you that sparked their interest. Maybe they heard a great referral from a colleague… they were impressed with your ideas… or felt inspired by your sizzle reel.
Regardless, they reached out because they liked you. So, there's an excellent reason why you ended up losing their gig.
- Maybe you couldn't agree on a price.
- Maybe you weren't available for their date.
- Maybe the speech you were offering wasn't suitable for their audience.
But they liked you!
That's why I want you to use this slow period to reach out to these "lost" gigs so you can reignite that relationship.
Focus on gigs that are going to be 6 to 9 months away. During my slow December season, I'll reach out to lost gigs for June through September.
For each gig, you must know precisely why you didn't book the gig the first time around. It's helpful to address that reason in your email to the event organizer when you reach out. Make sure you add a column to your tracking data to make note.
Track why you lost a gig so you can address it when reconnecting with an event organizer
Here's a template for what this message would look like. (Be sure to adapt it, so it's your own.)
