Speaking Out

By Michael Drew - Jul 11 , 2007

The Key to Building a Marketing Platform You Can Stand On

You know what I would do if I were a publisher?

I would build a closet in my office and stock it full of blue-collared shirts. Then, every time I signed an author, I would lead that person to the washroom and insist that he or she put on one of those shirts before we go any further.

Why such a strange routine? To signify that it is time to go to work. Far too many writers think their job is done when they hit the final keystroke on their manuscript. They all want to become bestselling authors, but very few are prepared to roll up their sleeves, grab their tools, and begin building the kind of marketing platform it takes to realize their dreams.

The word platform has many contexts in today’s world, but historically it refers to some sort of standing surface that provides visibility. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that putting on a seminar is an essential step in assembling a stable marketing platform. In fact, there’s no better way for authors to connect with their target audiences.

In fact, that’s true of all live performances. Why do you think bands go on tour every time they release a new CD? Their managers know that seeing them live and in person creates a heightened experience that oftentimes leads to platinum records (insert “bestselling books” here).

But don’t allow the writers in your world to get too focused on selling books at the back of the room. You’re not looking for one-hit wonders. You’re looking for authors that can engage a roomful of people and turn them into walking, talking brand evangelists for their book.

Self-Hosted Seminars

You and I both know that most authors break out in a cold sweat at the mere thought of speaking in public. The reason they enjoy writing so much is because the written word is their most effective and impressive way of communicating with people. So you can expect a strong resistance to the thought of actually organizing such an event. You might as well be asking them to send out announcements and arrange flower bouquets for their own funerals.

For such authors, the good news is that it’s okay to start small. Eliminate your author’s mental image of standing at center court of Madison Square Garden and replace it with a modest conference room at the local Chamber of Commerce. And encouraging your authors to offer these seminars at no cost buys them the time to hone their presentation skills while building an audience. Soon the performance and material will be polished enough to start charging for gigs aimed at the target audience.

At this point, your author is talking to individuals who already have an interest in the subject matter. This provides the opportunity to become known as THE authority figure in a particular arena, which converts the seminars from simple book promotional tools into products in and of themselves. Believe it or not, I have seen the financial benefits of self-organized seminars outpace those of bestselling books on numerous occasions.

Guest-Speaker Seminars

Being invited to appear as a guest speaker at someone else’s function is a good indicator that your author has arrived. He or she is obviously being recognized as an authority figure—which is not only a key ingredient of a sizable marketing platform, but also demonstrates that there is enough perceived value out there to charge a healthy fee for these appearances. In many instances, organizations may even be using your author’s name to put butts in seats for someone else. You know credibility has been established when this starts happening.

Guest-speaking gigs tend to fall into one of two camps: organizational consulting or industry conferences. Organizational consulting is usually the greater challenge due to the fact that the audience members did not choose to be there. Very often they view the speaker as nothing more than the latest attempt to train or motivate them to do more work and, quite frankly, they’d rather be doing something – anything – else. Try to encourage the author you’re working with to see these as opportunities to shine for groups of people that would have otherwise never been exposed to them. It could be an untapped audience’s first step into a sales Gravity Well that pulls them deeper into your author’s world.

The challenge isn’t quite as steep at industry conferences. People attending these events have usually paid to be there and are excited about the opportunity to gather a wealth of information on a subject matter that interests them. They are much more willing to accept your author as an authority figure, and it is very likely that several attendees will even gather at the podium afterwards to interact one-on-one with the speaker, your author. At this point, they’re essentially begging to be pulled deeper into your author’s Gravity Well.

Regardless of setting and audience, there are definitely risks involved in putting oneself out there in front of a room full of strangers. Not to mention the fact that honing the public speaking craft takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But your author has to be willing to exert some real labor in order to realize the financial and promotional gains of increasing their marketing platform. Besides, after all that time spent cooped up in front of a computer, a little human interaction will do some good.

Questions about using seminars as a way to build your marketing platform may be directed to Michael R. Drew at the Austin, Texas, headquarters of Promote A Book : 512-858-0040. You can also contact Michael via email at michael@promoteabook.com.