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Working Effectively with Speakers Bureaus Marita Littauer As I have lived the last twenty-five years in the world of speaking and writing, I am continually amazed at how much there is to learn. One of my greatest sources of education in the world of speaking and publishing is my attendance at both the National Speakers Association and the Christian Booksellers Association's annual conventions. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to speak at many writers' conferences and direct one of the largest Christian writers conferences in the country which has given me an increased perspective in writing and publishing. This ongoing accumulation of knowledge, combined with my years on the platform as a speaker and my position as a trainer of speakers and writers, puts me in a mentor position to many of the speakers represented by CLASServices. We frequently get calls from the speakers and authors who are represented by CLASServices asking for information on a variety of topics relating to the field. Because I collect information in the area of speaking and writing, I am able to pass it on to others. A few years ago the National Speakers Association's monthly publication, Professional Speaker, devoted almost the entire issue to speaker/agent/bureau relationships. Since CLASServices has a speakers bureau-which we call a speakers service-it was with great interest that I read the various articles it featured. As I read, I realized many of the speakers we represent at CLASServices do not have the same level of learning that I have. Being new to speaking, most are not yet a part of a professional network which offers helpful educational insights such as the National Speakers Association. I realized that if the professional speakers within this national organization had enough need to be reminded of the speaker/agent/bureau relationship to devote a whole issue's editorial content to the subject, perhaps you, too, would benefit from some insight into how our relationship works. By combining comments from Professional Speaker with my own observations and experience, I hope to shorten the newcomer's learning curve and bring some insight toward building a successful speaker/bureau relationship. You know who a speaker is: the person who is invited to present a program to an audience because of that person's expertise or eloquence on a particular subject or family of subjects. One becomes a professional speaker when one is compensated for their time through monetary rewards. A full-time professional speaker is someone who earns their entire living from their speaking fees. An agent is the individual who represents speakers or other talent. A bureau is the organization where the agent works. A bureau may have several agents representing many speakers. The bureau's job is to be a link between the group or organization who needs a speaker and the speaker who needs bookings. Bureaus can save a meeting planner a lot of work by providing somewhat of a one stop shopping service. Bureaus can save a speaker a lot of time and money by providing the speaker with an entree to many new groups. Together the speaker and the agent/bureau form what the National Speakers Association's article calls a "Platform Partnership." Both are committed to making the meeting planners smile and keep asking them back. Each wants to perform such a valuable service that their clients will hire them repeatedly and also refer their services to their colleagues. For most beginning speakers, working with a speakers bureau is not an option. The fact remains that until a bureau hears about a speaker from colleagues or clients, new speakers will have a difficult time convincing the bureau that representing them will be profitable. Trying to sell an unknown, unproven speaker is too big of a business risk for the speakers bureau. "You're ready to work with bureaus when your clients think you're wonderful and you're already getting referral business," says Annette Alexander of the Alexander Agency. While CLASS' Speaker Services is basically a speakers bureau, it is in this area that we differ from most others. This is one of the reasons we call ourselves a speakers service rather than a bureau. We are here to work with the speaker as a "partner" in developing a speaking career/ministry. Once a speaker has been to CLASSeminar and has "Put In Time" we help beginning speakers-as well as established speakers. As a service, we aim to serve our speakers by answering questions, helping develop promotional materials and determining fee structures-and by opening new doors for our speakers! "Bureaus are not in the business of creating careers, however we do become partners and facilitate a speaker's career" says Marolyn Wright of Program Resources. The traditional speakers bureau gets involved only after a speaker is established and only by placing their name in front of meeting planners. "The demand from clients is not for good speakers-it is for great speakers," says Ed Larkin of Speaker's Guild. "Ultimately it's the marketplace that decides which speakers sell; the bureaus are the gatekeepers." While CLASServices hopes to serve you and enhance your speaking career/ministry, there are some things you can do which will develop a strong "platform partnership" between you and CLASServices. Realize that we have speakers calling us everyday hoping that we will represent them and that we have file drawers full of information on the speakers we already represent. Those speakers who make it easy for us to work with them are more likely to be remembered by our staff when someone calls looking for a recommendation. No, this is not a form of blackmail, just common sense. Marolyn Wright says, "I like to work with a speaker who has a good attitude about working with me and my clients." This "good attitude" is displayed in many ways. One of the most important ways is to begin to think of CLASServices as your "partner." While we are a ministry, we are also a business with employees, postage and printing costs to pay. Therefore the service we provide for you must have a cost. Speakers report their cost for an inside employee marketer can be 65 percent of fee or even higher. We do not charge you any up front or set up fees but we do ask you to provide us with the needed supplies and assist in covering our cost by collecting a 20% (or $100 minimum) commission in the form of a deposit. Within the professional speaking industry 25 to 30 percent is average. Mike Frank of Speakers Unlimited points out that if your fees are net to you rather than truly commissionable to the bureau, then your fee structure in not bureau friendly. At CLASServices we request that the fee structure you provide for us to quote be commissionable rather than net. Therefore if you list your fee for a luncheon as $300, that is what we will quote for you with CLASS' commission being $I00 and $200 going to you. If you must have $300 as your percentage than list the fee as $400. If your fee is $500, CLASS' commission is $100 and your percentage is $400. With a $700 quote, our commission is $140 and your percentage is $560. If you need any additional help understanding how this works, please call we will be glad to discuss it with you. We are happy to provide you with samples of promotional materials which will meet our standards. Mike Frank encourages speakers to develop "bureau friendly" materials. Primarily this means printing your materials in such a manner that there would be no indication of the speaker's address, phone number or website. When we incur the expense of sending your materials out and/or maintaining your information on our website, it is important that the booking comes through us. When you do receive a booking from CLASServices-or any speakers bureau, it will be best if you use our phone number or website address on your handouts. In fact, many bureaus require that any handouts have only the bureau address and phone number on them. When handouts have the speaker's contact information on them it creates the same problem as when it is on the brochure. At CLASServices we will be happy to provide you with a master logo and address line to use when you print your handouts. This is important because of what is called "spin-off business." Professional speaker Mark Sanborn says, "As I talk with agents, they continually emphasize how much they appreciate-and book-speakers who create spin-off business. Few things can more quickly cement a long-term relationship between speaker and bureau than fulfilling the engagement and in the process, generating more business for the bureau." Spin-off business is created when an event is booked for you, you speak, and someone in the audience hears, you, loves you and decides that they need you to speak for one of their functions. Since the original booking was generated by a bureau, the "spin-off business" should go back to that bureau. Obviously we can't follow you around to be sure that you do send those bookings through CLASServices, but as Mark said, we do appreciate it when you do. Dottie Walters of Walter's International Speakers Bureau encourages speakers to send the booking bureau a comprehensive report of their event with leads for future work from their client for you and other speakers, plus audience leads. .. .handle spin-off leads and track incoming calls to ascertain where the client heard you so you can report the lead to the originating bureau. The bottom line is we want to work with you for a long time. We want to develop a "platform partnership" with you. Help us help you by staying in touch and keeping us informed of what you are doing. Mark Sanborn recommends that speakers make it easy for the bureau to sell them. Among many things, that means providing first-class marketing materials, keeping bureaus updated on your speaking schedule and fees, making sure that they have a good sense of who you are and what you do, and responding immediately to their phone calls or e-mails and requests for information. Professional speaker Elmiree Farr Walter adds, be aware of your personal preferences. Let bureaus know what days you will or will not work or travel, any special dietary requirements, whether you are available for social events with clients, etc. We have put this information together to help you understand the overall picture, to help us help you. "Contacting bureaus needs to be part of a speakers overall marketing plan," says Renee Strom of The Speakers Bureau Inc. "Speakers should not rely on bureaus to be their primary source of income: They must continue building leads, working with a marketing representative." In addition, I encourage those who are serious about professional speaking to join the National Speakers Association. While it is not a Christian organization, there are many Christians in it and its local chapters. NSA workshops, conventions and tapes of past conferences offer a wealth of information inaccessible through any other means. Additionally you should be subscribing to the Christian Communicator. It is the publication for aspiring and professional Christian speakers and writers. Each monthly issue features interviews, marketing tips and industry news for both the speaking and writing field. You can contact the National Speakers Association by calling 408/968-2552 or visit www.nsaspeaker.org and the Christian Communicator at 800/21-WRITE or www.acwriters.com. Annette Alexander encourages speakers by saying, "Be patient. The sales happen slowly. This is a relationship business. Bureaus are interested in developing mutually beneficial relationships." Help us help you. Marita Littauer is the President of CLASServices Inc. You can reach CLASServics by calling 800/433-6633 or visit www.classervices.com. Many concepts in this article where originally presented in the National Speakers Association's Professional Speaker.
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