October 21, 2022
Read time: 4.12 minutes
Today I'm going to explain how I get leads after I speak to audiences.
I was recently invited to speak to 500 business owners in the moving industry. I jumped at the opportunity.
The result?
Within 24 hours, I had turned that stage into 23 leads.
Because getting on stage is the best way to gain instant authority. As an added bonus, you get a completely captive audience.
But you have to have a plan to turn that authority into leads to make it worthwhile.
Here's how I do it...
Strategy #1: The First Break
I don't pitch our CFO services on stage.
That's not my jam and I suspect it wouldn't work anyway.
But I know that my message resonates and people want to know if we can help them.
I love striking while the iron is hot! And it's never hotter than immediately after you're on stage.
So as soon as the next break starts, I make sure I'm in the lobby meeting people, shaking hands, and LISTENING. I try to meet as many people as possible while still investing in each individual person.
Expect a flurry of people asking for your contact info.
Strategy #2: The Evening
After the event is over for the day, I like hitting the common areas. The lobby, restaurant, or bar.
I'm not super aggressive, so my M.O. is to show up and smile and low key wave at people that smile back. This signals that it's ok to approach me. This is important, because a lot of people want to talk - but they aren't sure if it's ok.
Once they approach, the game is the same:
Shake hands
Smile authentically
Ask them about their company and struggles
Listen. Listen. Listen.
Once the convo comes to a natural conclusion, one of two things generally happens:
- They'll ask for your deets so they can reach out to continue the conversation.
- I'll say something like this "Why don't we connect next week? I'd like to hear a bit more about (issue) and see how I might be able to help you figure it out."
Strategy #3: Oops. I Forgot My Business Cards
"Do you have a business card or....?"
Doh!
I forget my business cards EVERY TIME I go to an event.
It's not that I actually forget them, I just don't like them to I don't bring them.
I don't even own any!
Because when you hand out your business card, the ball is in THEIR court - and I prefer to control my own destiny.
So I stopped fooling with business cards.
When someone asks for my card, this is what I do:
👉 I tell them I actually don't have any cards on me.
👉 Then I pull out my cell phone and unlock it.
👉 I then look at them and say "Let me shoot you an email or text real quick so you have my info."
Now the ball is in my court.
Strategy #4: Energy Management
For me, making a day like this a huge success means that I have to be on my A-game for 12-14 hours.
Not only do I have to crush it on stage which takes a ton of energy. But that's just the first step.
I have to get out there and meet people and have all the conversations and be an active listener.
And that takes a TON of energy. So you have to set yourself up for success.
Here are some tips:
• No alcohol day before and day of
• Get 8 hours of sleep the night before
• Build time in to stretch during the day
• Avoid caffeine and sugar before you speak
• Eat SUPER clean the day before and the day of
Speaking events are one of my favorite ways to land new clients.
I'm investing more money than ever in 2023 on marketing:
• Getting on stage
• Going to conferences
• Attending networking events.
🙋🏻 Do you want to grow in 2023?
👉 Then NOW is the time to start planning your 2023 business development strategies.
You coach,
Michael
Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
1. The Inner Circle - every month my team and I go live and share the most impactful lessons we've learned in our journey to start, scale, and optimize our own CFO firm (including live Q&A). Plus you'll get access to our private community of nearly 150 fractional CFOs.
2. The CFO Academy - This is a 7 week deep dive into the exact playbooks that I use to run my firm, KFE Solutions.
3. If you'd like more amazing (and free!) content about starting, scaling, or optimizing your Fractional CFO firm check out:
→ The CFO Report on YouTube (if you love video)
→ The CFO Report on Apple Podcast (if you prefer audio)
