Arrive Early...Stay Late

Arrive early, stay late.  Not just a recipe for getting the most out of a baseball game, this is the recipe for delivering a speaking homerun!

I learned the truth of this adage years ago when I was scheduled to roll out a new record retrieval process to my company's client, a national insurance company. As is my habit when unfamiliar with a company's location, I arrive in the area as much as an hour early if time permits.  It is important to avoid unnecessary distractions prior to speaking, and feeling rushed is the easiest distraction to eliminate.  On this particular day, I was about thirty minutes early to the assembly.

Arrive Early

As the Southeast Regional Sales Manager it was my job to be the face of the program, and to answer any questions the affected insurance company staff might have.  The paralegals tasked with record retrieval in defense of personal injury claims were my audience that day, and about 50 were scheduled to be in attendance.  By arriving early I was able to meet with the lady who organized the gathering.  She provided invaluable insights as to the general mood in her office regarding the change in procedure her company was undertaking.

After chatting for about ten minutes, I was shown to the auditorium where I would speak.  She briefed me on their sound system, gave me the mic to use, showed me how to use their overhead projector, and the entrance the paralegals would use. All that was left was to walk the room and get comfortable with the stage, which I did.

Five minutes prior to the start of the meeting paralegals began to trickle in.  As they did, I was able to engage them individually, learn their names, and (this is important) not discuss the whole point of the meeting.  Why not mention it?  Well we were about to spend 45 minutes discussing the new procedures with a Q&A to follow.  But I wanted the audience to view me as a person with whom they could relate;  someone there to make their life easier rather than as a bureaucrat with an agenda.

I was able to meet, greet, and discover personal information about five of the paralegals, and as an added bonus these five professionals sat with other of their colleagues.  This gave me five 'friends' spread across the room.   During my remarks I was able to personalize the new procedures by noting how they would help Bob or Nancy, for example, do their job.  For a laugh I poked fun at the guy who graduated from a college known to be a rival of my own school.  Because of the pre-meeting interaction the atmosphere was lighter and the new procedures were more readily embraced.

Stay Late

Having been in the audience of many Q&A sessions, I can tell you that all the Q's don't get A'd.  Plan your allotted time for the speaking engagement so that you can hang around afterwards for at least ten minutes.  It is not necessary to reserve twenty or thirty minutes.  Being available for just ten minutes afterwards shows a commitment on your part to the people who are expected to implement the process, procedure, or program you have just introduced.

The good news keeps coming. If unable to give adequate attention to the remaining questions, you can schedule face-to-face follow up meetings with smaller groups on or offsite the company campus.  If interest warrants you may also address the entire assembly again, further cementing your position as the subject matter expert and reliable partner in the new program.

Now think about 'Arrive Early, Stay Late' in terms of a paid speaking gig....

Bearing in mind the strategies above, by arriving early and staying late at a paid gig, you reinforce your fees, increase back-of-the-room sales, and solidify your relationship with the client.  Word of mouth with Event Planners affiliated with the gig talk, and the talk will be about your willingness to go above and beyond for their clients.  It will be noted that you are a true professional, and your business will increase accordingly.  Arrive early, stay late.  Be the professional other professionals can count on.

Fearlessly,
JD