By Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE
In 31 years of full-time speaking, I've accumulated hundreds of hats, T-shirts, vinyl folders, carry bags, pens, and luggage tags. Like many convention goers, I often give these to friends, coworkers, charities and relatives as they accumulate.
Meeting planners spend thousands of dollars at each meeting on these specialty items in hopes of:
- Pleasing the recipients
- Driving home their theme (“team work”, “quality”, “doing fine in 2009”, etc…)
- Building loyalty and gratitude among the recipients
Trouble is ... it rarely works.
Out of over 2,600 conventions I've attended, I've received a book or recording of the featured speaker on less than 20 occasions (that's under 1% of the time). Yet in each case I have read and kept the book or listened to the recording. On some occasions I’ve played the recording for my family! In other words, I continued to learn from the author/speaker on my own time, long after the meeting was over. So, which message reached me better and influenced my performance more: the giveaway items or the learning materials?
If you are paying thousands dollars to bring in a speaker, let's make sure the message hits home. Encourage all your colleagues to acquire a book or audio tape for every attendee, every time!
The benefits of books, instead of hats, carry bags or T-shirts, etc. are many:
- Audience members love to get autographed books (and speakers love to sign them!).
- The meeting chair is a hero for getting them all a book.
- Books build celebrity value for your speakers and audiences listen better.
- The learning continues (for about the same price as the other giveaways).
- Quantity discounts save you a lot of money.
- The speech goes better from the start and the announcement of the free books builds enthusiasm in the audience.
- People keep the book for years and often share them with their family.
- Fewer notes need be taken.
- You can honor your sponsors or host organization with a sticker or custom cover on the book.
Tell all your colleagues about this. Let's make it a standard part of every convention! Conventions ought to be the beginning of a learning process, not just a one-time celebration or gathering.
Just ask, "What are we giving attendees as a reminder of this meeting? How about an autographed book or CD?"
For more ideas like this, drop us a line at jim@cathcart.com.
To see Jim Cathcart in action visit this website http://www.Cathcart.com or contact your favorite Speakers Bureau.
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