Sell Your Speech Better with this 6-Step Session Description Format (2 of 2)

Hello, from my home state of Texas…

I'm here preparing for two back-to-back gigs – one for 200 of the biggest consumer brands in the world – and the second speaking at the Circuit of Americas formula 1 racetrack.

(Did you know there's actually a racecar driver named Andrew Davis? So cool!)

Anyway, I'm feeling thankful I was able to land these gigs…

Come to think of it, my speech's session description deserves much of the credit!

Sure, the power of referrals and stageside leads attracted the prospects, but it was a solid session description that sealed the deal.

For many, session descriptions almost feel like an afterthought – like a short little paragraph you throw together at the last minute and dump into an email for your event organizer.

But, when done correctly… this powerful marketing tool can take your speaking calendar from 0 to 60… in about two seconds flat!

(Well, not literally… this 6-step process takes at least 15 minutes. But that doesn't have quite the same ring.)

After all, your session description is your speech's most powerful marketing tool. Its job is to literally sell your speech. So, buckle up! Here are the 6 steps you need to give a turbo boost to your session description…

Step 1: Show Empathy

Start the rewriting process by looking hard at how well you connect with your potential audience. The person reading your session description is most likely an event organizer deciding if they want to hire you for their event.

The event organizer's #1 priority is to give their audience a lineup of speakers who know and understand the real challenges faced in the industry. So, start your session description with a healthy dose of empathy.

Describe what the world is like for that audience right now. Make them think, "Yes! That's me." Help them immediately recognize that your speech's content will address the exact concerns they face every day.

I'll use my Loyalty Loop speech's generic session description as an example…

(I mention the word "generic" because it's a wise practice to customize your session description for every new audience you pitch.)

Remember, the key here is to make connections and show empathy. Here's an example:

We spend a lot of time telling our customers how different we are. But conduct an online search for our products and services, and you'll quickly find that our competitors all sound the same.

The reader for this should be agreeing with the statement and nodding their head as they go. "Yes, we do spend a lot of time doing this," and "Oh wow. You're totally right!"

Once you've established a connection with your audience, it's time for a challenge…