What Should I Be Sending to an Event Planner as a Speaker?

How to Maximize Each Planner Interaction

(02:46) First and foremost, you must be VERY intentional when sending proposals. You have to ensure these are the stages you really want to be on. 

I’ve already spoken about the dangers of being on a poorly-matched stage for your speaking business. But, in short, getting on stage in front of the wrong demographic, at the wrong type of event, in the wrong niche will be a waste of your time. 

So before you even start to draft your first email, think long and hard about whether this event is closely aligned with your business goals. 

Carry out some research into the event in question. Look at their socials, research their audience, and see what they’re doing to make sure they’re a good fit. Once you’re confident this is the event for you, go ahead and touch base with the planner. 

So what should you be sending out to them? How can you increase your chances of getting booked? 

Tips for What to Send to Planners as a Speaker

(04:52) There are a few keys to your success here. So let’s deal with them one by one: 

#1: Less is More

(05:06) When reaching out to a planner, it’s always tempting to include as much information as possible so they have the best chance of understanding who you are, what you do, etc. 

However, it’s easy to turn a planner off by overwhelming them with too much “stuff.”

Hit them with maybe one piece of information that sums you up (your one-sheet is probably your best bet), and then use the rest of your email to supply some useful supplemental information. 

And that’s it. 

You can ALWAYS supply as much or as little additional information in subsequent communication exchanges. There really is no need to try and overload them with everything you’ve got in one go. It rarely works.

Oh, and here’s another quick tip for you – don’t attach anything to an email (unless specifically requested), as that increases the chances of your message landing in the junk or trash folder. 

#2: Include Your Event Research and Make it Personal  

(08:16) There’s no question that demonstrating you’ve done the research gives you a HUGE advantage over more generic inquiries. 

If you can demonstrate that you’ve researched this business, including reviewing its mission statements, social pages, event audience, and competition, you’ll be well on your way to convincing them you’re a good fit. 

Of course, including this information isn’t enough. You’ve got to link it back to your skill set and services. Given what you’ve learned about this event, show how you’re better equipped than other speakers to provide value and solutions.

By laying out your proposal this way, you can create a strong case for why they should book you. It will demonstrate you’ve really done the work rather than slightly tweaking a copy-and-paste template. 

#3: Make a Note of Everything to Save Time

(09:53) Not really a tip regarding what you should send a planner, but essential all the same; you should note everything and save it somewhere for a couple of reasons. 

Firstly, you’ll notice that most submissions will be online. By preparing everything in a Word Doc or Google Docs, you have your proposal and other important information (including email addresses and phone numbers) saved should something go wrong with the submission.

That way, you won’t waste any time searching around for dates and phone numbers if you haven’t had a response. You can immediately follow up with the person if they don’t answer your email or if the submission has “got lost in the system.”

#4: Read Carefully and Follow Instructions When Replying

(11:54) If you get a response to your initial email or submission (WHOOP!), read the response carefully and follow any instructions/requests to the letter. 

For instance, they might return to you with a request for your speaker website URL and a demo video. If that’s the case, send them each piece of info with a little summary of the materials and leave it there. 

Don’t go into overdrive and start re-pitching them with your ideas and services you can provide to their event. Don’t send them links to every publication you’ve appeared in or podcast you’ve appeared on. 

Listen to what they want from you and deliver accordingly. Anything more than that will likely annoy or irk a planner (who likely has dozens of speakers to evaluate). 

You’ve already overcome the toughest hurdle by getting a response in the first place. Please don’t mess it up by trying to do too much.

Getting What You Send to Planners Right Will Go a Long Way to Securing Bookings

(13:10) While it might not be the deciding factor, making your planner’s life easier by providing them with precisely what they need to make an informed decision is always a good thing.

And I just want to reiterate this point: less is always more.

Do not bombard your planners with an information overload (no matter how far along the process you get) – they are already stretched thin as it is.

And, of course, it’s a numbers game. You need to consistently contact event planners, preferably daily. Otherwise, you don’t stand much of a chance of securing bookings. You have to let people know you exist! 

That’s it for this training episode. I hope you enjoyed it and I’ll be back with more soon! 

If you want to ensure that documents such as your one-sheet and proposals will hit the mark, then head over to my speaking resources section, where I have created all kinds of helpful templates and speaker marketing resources for you.  

Or why not book a one-sheet audit with me to ensure your one-sheet checks all the boxes?

If you need help in this department, you can book me here.