It is rare to have a speaking engagement that does not require you to produce and supply some sort of printed collateral. Collateral is any printed piece of material you supply to your participants. As a minimum, it most likely includes some handouts, and your business card. Collateral is a huge marketing opportunity for you to take advantage of. It provides participants with tangible pieces they can leave the presentation, with and refer to later. To get the most out of your collateral follow these fours simple steps.
1. Make Sure It Tells People How to Find You
The easiest thing you can do and the most forgotten, is to make sure very piece of printed material you give participants, has your phone, email and website information on it. These bits of paper, that may only be a handout or worksheet during your presentation today, are the only tangible items your participants have to refer back to a month from now, when they are trying to remember your name for an interested colleague.
2. Include Opportunity to Connect
When people are learning a new topic or engaging in a rich dialogue during your speaking engagement, with other like minded people, they want to continue that after the session. If you provide the opportunity for them to connect with your material and one another after the session, they will most likely take you up on it. Include a link to your online social community or website on your collateral. Another, fun tip is to include a place for participants to collect the emails and phone numbers of people they connect with during the presentation. If they write that information down on your collateral, they are less likely to throw your handbook away when they get home. This ups the possibility that they will have it on hand to contact you with, when they think about it weeks from now.
3. Maintain Your Branding
You are a speaking brand. As such you should have a logo, a look and feel and tone of voice that represents you and is easily identifiable with you. This lends credibility to your message and creates a professional appearance for your participants. Once you have these things, maintain them throughout your collateral. Collateral is not the place to skimp on your costs. As mentioned, these are the things people will have in front of them long after you are gone. Make sure they represent you, the way you want to be represented.
4. Include Your Own Messaging
Include any marketing messaging you have created like tag lines or frequently used sayings in you collateral. If there is a particularly memorable story, antidote, joke or reference in your presentation, then make sure it has a prominent place in your collateral. Participants will read it later and remember how you inspired them.
