Tuesday, July 30, 2024
One of the biggest challenges we face is finding and talking with qualified prospects. Nobody likes to be sold to, but many people like to talk. Research is your opportunity to get people talking. You gain access, establish credibility by asking good questions, and gather content to use in your speaking. For me, this has been a valuable use of time.
If we are experts who speak professionally, then anything we can do to deepen that expertise is worth our time. We remain current, get new examples, and elevate our visibility while doing it.
Writing a new book, a research report (this is my way), or a regular podcast are ways you can gain access to and information from people you might do business with.
Perhaps you speak about rocket surgery. You were an actual rocket surgeon when you graduated from college and had good success in the role. You then moved into supervision and again had success. At some point, you transitioned to being a speaker, and your talk “10 Tips to Be a Better Rocket Surgeon” was very well received. You refined the talk, became a better storyteller, and honed your presentation. Revenue was rising, life was good. But the phone isn’t ringing as much.
Perhaps you should diversify. You could modify your talk to be “10 Tips for Rocket Science” OR “10 Tips for Brain Surgery.” It’s close to the original talk and it could work. In fact, it often does work. But you have another option.
Use research to reengage with your core audience and your core message. You decide to write a book, a research report, or start a podcast titled “Best Practices in Rocket Surgery.” Instead of turning your life and keynote into the book, you could reach out to the top 25 practitioners of rocket surgery in the world. They are the scientists and CEOs who are doing it today. They are listed in the World Book of the Best, perhaps they got an award from their trade association. You already know who they are, now all you have to do is reach out to them.
Getting in touch might be a challenge, so you might need to go down the chain to a VP or HR or Ops. Social media, direct email, or an introduction are all ways to get in the door of these organizations that excel in rocket surgery. You are not selling them anything; you are asking insightful questions that will help you keep your message current, give you content that positions you as an expert, and provide material for regular social media posts. Your “Tuesday Series on Rocket Surgery,” with appropriate tags, gains momentum. You can also support your interviews with a survey. This gets you more data from people you might not have time or access to talk to, increasing the data set and yielding more credibility.
Another benefit of these “research” interviews is that people often ask you more about what you do. They did a quick scan before they agreed to talk to you, but during the call, your industry insight was compelling, and they want to know more. This can lead to real work or an introduction to another decision-maker. Nice bonus.
With the research completed, you sort the data and create a report of some kind. Or you write the book. Or you have plenty of content for your podcast. Whatever you choose, now you go public.
Maybe there is a press release. Perhaps you send a letter to the trade associations you are targeting, telling them your new talk, “10 Tips for Successful Rocket Surgery in 2025,” based on cutting-edge industry research, is ready.
The first time I sent the 15-page glossy research report to 20 select trade associations, three booked me to speak. That led to spinoff from the audience and increased my credibility with other trade associations. It is an upward spiral.
Another reason I like this approach is that I can do it in my slow time. My business has a seasonality to it, and this allows me to get new information I can use in the coming busy season.
Let’s look at the money side of this. Your cost will vary depending on how you decide to publish your research, but the big cost is your labor. I prefer a research report. My hard costs were for an assistant I already had on staff, SurveyMonkey and LinkedIn subscriptions, printing and postage of $4,500, and press release support of $750.
Whether you are an emerging speaker or a true expert, research is an effective way to connect with prospects, learn new ideas, and enhance your credibility.
Final note: I learned everything I did to make this happen as a member of the National Speakers Association.