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Top 10 Marketing Trends in the Speaking Industry
By Vickie Sullivan

• It's all perspective. With increased competition for the association market and increased cynicism in corporate, everyone's looking to dazzle. Best choice? Quasi-celebrities, such as sports figures, Olympic gymnasts and professional comedians. Evidence: Second City Comedy Troupe now has a speakers' bureau … and past Olympic gymnasts are going for as low as $2,000 per day!
  
  Interesting note: some decision makers now know that not all celebrities can speak, so they are being more careful.
  
• The search for something different. The biggest complaint heard from many decision makers is that speakers "all sound alike." Stories, although different, are not enough to give a competitive advantage. Sophisticated audiences have heard messages like "do what you love," "change is good" and "the power of the mind." Unless you "own the show," you must have more insightful messages.
  
• The path of least resistance. Decisions on speaker selections are becoming more and more subjective, based on personal observation or top quality referral. Why? Two reasons: One, not only have the number of speakers calling on people risen exponentially, they are all saying the same thing. Everyone's innovative, insightful and a barrel full of laughs. Everyone has a solid track record with double-digit years of experience. Decision makers don't know who to believe anymore. Two, videos are not representing the speakers accurately. Therefore, the feeling is to not trust anyone you haven't seen yourself. Research from National Speakers Association and Meeting Professionals' International show that 94% of the speaker selections are from word of mouth referrals – only 25% from speaker proposals.
  
• The paradox of timeframes. Timeframes are polarizing in the market. Corporate markets are waiting longer before making a commitment (no telling what will change in six months: lengthening timelines for new discoveries (like you!)). For the unfortunate ones on the outside, it can get mighty cold, as some association markets can go for three or more years before using a speaker the committee hasn't heard of before.
  
• Credibility rules. "You have credibility with our people" is the biggest compliment a speaker can get. It also opens the doors quickly (usually with short timeframes) for establishing the trusted advisor relationships. Think quickly and seize opportunities to leverage in longer term contracts (and don't just think speaking!).
  
• It's free!! Don't even think that you are going to get that big proposal without giving something up at no charge. The larger the $$, the more hoops you have to jump through, so be prepared to give demo presentations, spend the day learning about them "on you," and other stuff. Speaker selection committees in corporate markets are now asking for auditions (on your dime) for the finalists. Another interesting development: asking for a 20-25% cut on budget at the last minute – they figure you have so much time invested in the project that you won't walk away.
  
• New kids in town. Our tax dollars are at work in the education business as community colleges and universities join forces to compete against us. College professors are being hired as low as $250 per day to teach classes at corporate universities and for ongoing training in the corporate markets. The good news: many of them are boring and lack experience "in the field."
  
• Corporate universities are expanding services. They now include training for other companies. They have to recoup that massive cost in some way. Companies with a lot of publicity, such as Disney and 3M, are charging $10,000 per week for executive and managerial training programs. (And are getting plenty of takers!) For vertical penetration: certifying inhouse trainers.
  
• Beyond implementation. Interaction is taking on a whole new role in corporate training. The status quo is now developing case studies that match the challenges faced in the work environment, and giving plenty of time for teams to form and come up with solutions. Also new is combining one-on-one coaching and consulting within the project.
  
• Departmental training of front-line people. This is quickly disappearing for external trainers and speakers. Alternatives are computer-based training, corporate universities, inhouse certified trainers (see #8) and public seminars. One idea: head to the Association hills to work with small business owners and others that can't go these routes. But be aware, the springboarding will be similar to that of humorists and motivational/inspirational speakers.

Since 1987, Vickie K. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker Services, has generated millions of dollars in speaking fees, book advances and ancilliary income for her clients. Sign up for her free market intelligence at http://www.SullivanSpeaker.com

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