BOOSTING YOUR RESPONSE 100% OR MORE
(September/October 2002 Issue)

Before showing you the 100% response booster, I'll briefly review a topic I addressed some time ago in this newsletter: how to make a "home run" out of a "single" speech. With some planning you can get four benefits from one speech: pre-publicity, post-publicity, database expansion, and ongoing connection with the attendees and possibly their associates.
Pre-publicity and Post-Publicity: make a deal with the sponsoring organization to include your own words announcing, and then following up the speech.
Database expansion: see the 3x5 card strategy below.
Ongoing connection: ask to be given a free lifetime subscription to the association newsletter if they have one.
As happy as the thought of covering those four bases is, here's an even happier one: Imagine making a grand slam out of that "home run."

You're probably thinking, "Sure, but how?" You've "been stuck on first base" many times already: you've given a rousing speech, handed out 50 business cards, waited for the phone to ring, and... nothing's happened. Why? Because you're doing it backwards. When you speak, don't give your cards to attendees; make them give cards to you. Each speech, hand out blank 3x5 cards. Blank? Yes, blank. Pre-printed cards cost extra, add an additional "logistic" to handle, and tend to encourage audiences to be more passive and less involved when filling them out. You want action from those attendees, pass those cards out blank, show them a diagram, and lead them step-by-step through filling it out themselves.

On your overhead (or newsprint posted up front for easy reference), first draw a rectangle with four quadrants just the way you want your attendees to draw them on the card. Then have them fill in information on the left side and enter words on the right side. You mark each quadrant as follows:

In Quadrant 1, write the words: "Name," "mailing address," "zip," "home phone," "work phone," etc.;

In Quadrant 2, write the words: "Most recent company," "title," and write a code for your presentation;

In Quadrant 3, write the word: "GOODIES" and under that, have them copy the words "newsletter Y N," "call me Y N," "CAP Y N," and

In Quadrant 4, have them put a circle.

Before the speech begins, when people are milling around and engaging in idle chatter, here's what you'll say: "While we're waiting to get started, please fill out this card half way. Left half... put your name, mailing address and phone numbers in quadrant 1; put your most recent company, title, and the code _____ (a designated code of your choice for this presentation) in quadrant 2. Print your e-mail address in block letters across the bottom of the card.

"For the second half of the card, don't enter any information, just copy these words. In the upper right corner, copy the words:
Goodies, Newsletter Y N, Call Me Y N, CAP Y N, [and if you have any other "goodies" you want to give out, include them: free passes to a seminar you're doing, perhaps "12 Biggest Mistakes..." or other goodies.]

"Lastly, in the 4th quadrant, put a big circle; later, a few minutes before time's up, I'll use that circle to give you a little gift.

"This card will be a way to facilitate communication between us. It's possible that I'll answer all your career questions tonight—that would be great. But it's also possible that you'll have some questions; if so, this will help us get those answered."

Then move on to your presentation. All the while you're speaking, they'll be thinking, "Hmmm what's that circle all about? What gift can s/he be giving us?"

As you speak, you're keeping careful track of time so that you can collect the cards 10 minutes or so before the end of your presentation. At the 15-minute mark, get yourself to a point where you can say:

"Well, we have only a few minutes left, so please take out the cards you filled out earlier. On the back of the card, if you have any questions, write them down. On the front of the card, please circle Yes or No for the following [three] things.

"One. I have a newsletter I send out with information about getting ahead in your career and [locality] job market information. It's free. If you'd like to receive it, circle 'yes' and I'll send it to you. If not, circle 'no,' and I won't send it to you. By the way, I maintain strict privacy on my list.

"Two. If there's any reason you'd want to talk to me, say, to ask me a question on the presentation, or perhaps a question about your career or my services, and you want me to call you, circle 'yes' and I'll call you, otherwise circle 'no' and I won't call you." Continue with the rest of your goodies. When you get to the "C.A.P. Y N" selection tell them that this is linked to your little gift.

Now, here's your "punch line."

"Put your attention," you say, "on the circle for a moment. We all have goals and desires in our careers, and we all have things that hold us back. Think for a moment about what your goals are, and what obstacles you face. Name the biggest obstacle and write it in that circle—then be prepared for a surprise."

Once they've got that circle filled in, say, "Okay, here's the gift. That obstacle? The one you wrote in the circle? You don’t have to worry about that. What I mean is... that's probably not really the biggest obstacle.

"Often in my work with people I find they're focusing their attention on the wrong problem. They're changing the spark plugs when the problem is in the carburetor. They say their problem is 'not enough time' when actually it's learning proper delegating, or taking a stand with the boss about workload, or something else. They say 'I'm too old,' when actually what they mean is, 'I'm not sure how to sell my experience.'

"So, the little gift is that you don't have to worry about what's in the circle. Granted, you may have to worry about something else, but at least you don't have to worry about that any more. You can worry about other things instead.

"This also leads into the remaining 'goodie.' I have a session called a Career Action Plan session, or C.A.P. session. In an hour or two we can get to the root of any career problem and make a practical plan to solve it. If you'd like to learn more about that session, circle 'Y' after C.A.P., if not, circle 'N.'

"Please pass the cards up front. While we're doing that, if anyone has a burning question—you can ask it now."

What have you just done?

Well, instead of hoping someone will call you, you've created an awareness of a career problem, you've positioned yourself as the path to a solution, and you have an invitation to call many of the people you're talking to -- along with their phone numbers.

If you've covered the pre and post publicity bases, you now have a Grand Slam Home Run: names and phone numbers of people in career distress whom you can call today, people who may just "cross home plate" and become your clients.

Jack Chapman is author of:
Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute
He is a career consultant in private practice and runs ongoing support and training teleconference sessions for career consultants in private practice.
He can be reached at 847-251-4727 or jkchapman@aol.com.