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Have you been
able to land your "dream" speaking engagement? Where you
could actually get paid to do three of your favorite things at the
same time? It happened to me! I love solar
eclipses. I love speaking.
I love trains. And I just came back from Africa, where I was an enrichment
lecturer on a train tour to see the June 21 total eclipse of the sun; for me, life
doesn’t get much better than that!
I'm
writing this to share my experiences and what worked and what didn't, in
the hopes that you find it interesting and entertaining, and maybe
even generate an idea or two that you can use in your own speaking business.
Besides... you never know when you might get a gig on a train!
The
Tour
First, a quick
description of the tour. Eighty of
us intrepid eclipse chasers began with a few days in Cape Town then flew
to Bulawayo Zimbabwe, where we boarded our chartered train. It was a
paneled, older, charming version of the "Orient Express."
Our tour vans also came along for the ride on their own flat car.
Prior to our eclipse destination in Zambia, we took game drives and walked
the mists of Victoria Falls, among other things. Our train served as
a mobile hotel, travelling slowly at night leaving us free for activities
during the day. It was really a spectacular trip. If you'd
like to know more, you can check out http://www.mayhugh.com/train/train.htm
whose niche is travel that is related to astronomical events.
The
Lectures
I was fortunate
enough to be one of three enrichment lecturers.
I am not a scientist, just a layman with lots of eclipse experience
(this one was my 8th). The
others were both Phd's: a research astronomer at Cal-Tech and a
professional astronomer/educator.
The tour operator introduced the three of us via e-mail which
enabled us to correspond before the trip so we could get to know each
other and review our materials so there was no duplication.
Originally, the
plan was to have a conference room at a safari lodge where we
would give the lectures between morning and afternoon game drives.
There was considerable planning involved because, ideally, we all wanted
to use Powerpoint and I needed sound as well.
(Remember that we were in Africa where
everything is different: video formats, electrical current, plugs and
connectors, etc. and we were out in the middle of a game preserve which
was in the middle of nowhere.) After
all this planning, the train was delayed
and there was no time for the lectures, so we
scrambled to figure out how to do them on the train the next day.
A MOVING TRAIN.
A MOVING TRAIN ON VERY BAD TRACK.
A MOVING TRAIN ON
VERY BAD TRACK IN A VERY SMALL LOUNGE CAR.
We rose to the
challenge! We had to give each lecture twice because the lounge car was
too small for everyone.
I told my client that I'd have to
double my fee... we both laughed! (He first, then me...) There were several computers
used on the train so we set up one of the monitors on the
counter of the bar
of the lounge car, which meant that they had to serve the tea/coffee for
our meals elsewhere. Fortunately,
they were still able to
sell soft drinks, water,
and beer through a rear door.
Plugs
were a problem because we needed so many (laptop, monitor, speakers) but
we found a power strip on the train that accommodated their plug-styles.
(Even that was a problem, because they didn’t know what we meant
by “power strip”… they called it a “multi-plug”. Once we
figured out the communication problem it was ok!) I
knew it was going to be noisy, but I set up the speakers anyway (what are
the odds that an African train would have computer speakers that I could
use?). Wouldn’t
you know it… when I got to the video portion of my program, the train
happened to be stopped, so it was quiet and the
speakers were perfect!
The car was
jam-packed for the talks, but people had to walk through the lounge car to
get to the dining car. Do you think it’s distracting when waiters are serving or
clearing dishes during your programs?
How about someone
picking their way through an overcrowded lounge car with people sitting on
the floor and standing against the walls, while the train is moving on
track that’s so bad that they can only go about 10 to 20 miles per hour
and the car is rocking so badly that it is difficult to stand still, much
less walk through a crowd without falling or stepping on anyone!
To add to the scenario, the car was long and narrow, the monitor
was relatively small, it was very noisy (remember, the train was moving!),
and there was no microphone or amplification.
It was one of the
highlights of my life. And, I
have footage! (Do you think I
should put it in my demo?!?)
Adding
Value
How do you add
value to your offerings? Here are some things that I did to add value
and to promote myself; maybe you can adapt these ideas for your own
clients!
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Thanks to the
suggestions of friends and SpeakerNet News subscribers, I had a
different handout every day that took the form of a bookmark.
One side contained “on this day in eclipse history” plus a
map of a previous eclipse of some interest, such as eclipses in the US
in 1923, 1925, 1970, and 1979. The
other side had information about my speaking services, contact
information (including website and e-mail) for myself and my client (the tour operator).
Look at a sample. (If you'd like some
free samples, send me an e-mail below.)
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The last
day’s bookmark had a map of the next eclipse and information about
what my client is planning for that eclipse.
-
The first
day’s bookmark was generic (not date-related) and had a list of all
of the eclipses that would occur through 2024. I brought enough for the tour operator to distribute to
another tour group that he had organized.
(He left our group for two days to check on the other group.)
-
My lecture
concentrated on the particulars of how to properly view a solar eclipse.
I printed a pamphlet which, when unfolded, had a Viewing
Guide on one side and an crossword puzzle (eclipse terms only) on the other.
The viewing guide had a timetable showing what to expect at
certain times during the eclipse, do’s and don’ts, and what to
look for. (Since there is
very little time during an eclipse, it is critical that you understand
what will happen so you can see what there is to see.
It’s over before you know it and if you’re not prepared
you’ll wonder, "What just happened?"!) Naturally,
each one had contact info for my client and for myself.
-
I also made
extras of these Viewing Guides to be distributed to my client’s
other tour group, and more copies were set out on the counter of a
game lodge where they were snapped up by members of several other eclipse groups who happened
to be passing through!
-
Before the
trip, my assistant appeared one day with a pack of
"Eclipse", a new sugarless breath-freshening chewing gum from
Wrigley's. I thought it would be fun to hand some out before the
eclipse, so I called Wrigley's marketing department and told them what
I wanted to do. The next day 108 packs of gum were sitting on my
doorstep. I brought it all with me and when the tour group
arrived at the eclipse viewing site I videotaped a short
"commercial" that went something like this:
(CLOSE-UP)"Hello, my name is Dave Balch, 'The Man in the Moon
Shadow', and I'm coming to you from Africa where we have assembled to
see a total eclipse of the sun. This will be my eighth eclipse
and believe me when I tell you, the last thing I want to worry about
during an eclipse is my breath. That's why I chew (HOLD UP
PACKAGE OF PRODUCT) Eclipse! Not only does it freshen my breath,
but it tastes great and it's sugarless, too! And, thanks to
Wrigley's, I have enough for everyone... (ZOOM OUT TO SHOW ABOUT 25
PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND ME AS I OPEN MY BACKPACK WHICH STARTS A FEEDING
FRENZY AS EVERYONE GRABS FOR SOME GUM)
The tour operator is a former broadcast engineer and he was shooting
broadcast quality digital video; he will put this together for
me into a professional looking 10 or 20-second spot. I do not
expect them to use this footage for anything, but I do want them to
know that a) I did what I said I'd do and passed it out at an eclipse,
b) I gave them credit for supplying the gum, c) we had some fun and I
hope that they do too when they watch it, and d) it would be a
great idea for them to be a corporate sponsor for my eclipse programs.
-
Golly,
wouldn’t you know it… I "just happened" to have some
extra bookmarks and viewing guides, which "just happened" to be in my
carry-on bag for the flight home, which "just happened" to
be FILLED with eclipse-chasing folks.
What a coincidence!
Hmmm… maybe these people would like my bookmarks… do you
think I should hand some of them out?
DUH! Oh-oh… I
don’t have a complete set of the bookmarks to give everyone.
What a shame. Golly…
they can send me an e-mail asking for the ones they are missing!
The best part is
the conversation that I had with my client on the last day of the tour:
CLIENT
I sure have enjoyed having you on this trip!
DAVE: I’ve enjoyed it too, we’ll have to do it again…
CLIENT: DEFINITELY!
Hooray!
What
Worked
The
bookmarks were a smashing success. They would be a useful idea for
any multi-day event in which you are participating; it doesn't have to be
an African eclipse train trip! If you
ever plan to do such a thing, consider this:
-
People
looked forward to getting them every day, and even asked me for them
before I had a chance to pass them out. Some wanted extras sets
for family or friends, and some wanted extras of only a specific day
to replace one that was damaged.
-
It
was a good idea to carry a few from each of the previous days in case
someone missed a day.
-
The
client loved the fact that he got some extra advertising value because
his name and info was included. And, the mention of his future
plans on the last day's bookmark was especially appreciated.
-
Make
plenty of extras! In this case, the client had another group and
giving him extras added value to his offering which, of course, adds
value to mine. And, not only did he have enough for his other
group, but he was able to put some out for competing tour groups which
gave him more exposure in his market, at no cost to him and very
little cost to me. Remember, too, that every piece distributed
outside your group is more exposure for you as well!
-
Having
extra bookmarks and viewing guides on the plane worked well also,
making it known who I was and what I did. There are, however,
some things I'd do differently in that situation, which I'll mention
below.
-
The
crossword puzzle was also very popular not only because it was fun,
but because going through the exercise was educational for the tour
members.
-
FYI,
the bookmarks were created using Word. Set paper to landscape
and divide it into five equal sections (or columns or table
cells). Fill 'em in and print 'em up! Then cut them and
your finished. I used a local printer who used some nice, heavy
card stock that is glossy on one side. I provided masters that
were printed on my Inkjet printer and he did the rest. A total
of 1500 bookmarks printed on two sides (one color): about $120.
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It
was very helpful to coordinate with the other speakers before the
trip.
My
efforts to secure a commercial sponsor has yet to bear fruit. Stay
tuned! But keep in mind that there may be a connection for you with
an existing product that doesn't, on the surface, seem to fit.
What
Didn't Work
Speaking on a
train is a challenge! The problems are not insurmountable, but you
may need to be super-creative to solve them!
-
It's very
noisy (if the train is moving at the time)
-
There is a
lot of motion and commotion (again, if the train is moving)
-
There will
probably be limited facilities for projection, lighting, and
amplification, and limited resources such as electrical outlets, etc.
-
There is
limited space for your audience.
-
Need to
display Powerpoint? The chances of an LCD projector and screen
are not good. Until we realized that we could use a
monitor from one of their on-board computers, we were going to use a
TV which they had in the car. But how to get the computer image
onto the TV? We didn't have an adapter of any kind, no video
output from the computers. Here's what we came up with:
put a camcorder on a tripod and point it at the screen of the
laptop. Then hook the camcorder to the TV and use it as a
monitor! We would have needed someone to hold the camera/tripod
so it didn't change position from the motion of the train, but it
would have worked just fine. You need to be creative!
-
The middle of
your audience will probably be a walkway for non-participants, due to
the physical realities of a train. You may be lucky and have use
of the dining car (not likely because they need to constantly work
that car) or at least a car that isn't on the way to or from the
dining car.
-
If you have
no amplification and the train is moving, you will have to allow time
to properly rest your voice, definitely more time than you normally
do. Since I had two separate (but identical) sessions of 50
minutes each, I tried to get them as far apart as possible, didn't
talk much except during the two sessions, and took a nap between them!
What
I'd Do Differently (and other considerations):
-
When handing
out materials on the plane to eclipse chasers from other tours, there
was a risk of putting my client in a bad light by
"promoting" to his competitors' clients. Next time, I
think I may print different versions of everything without my client's
contact info, just my own.
-
When handing
out bookmarks on the plane, I didn't have enough to give out complete
sets, so I invited the recipients to send me their addresses via
e-mail so I could send them the missing items. In retrospect, I
should have been proactive and asked for their contact info myself,
rather than waiting for them to "do something", i.e., contact me.
-
I will have
to be careful with the names of the members of the tour, because they
are the clients of my client. Since I will soon become famous as
an eclipse tour lecturer (!) I may be hired by a different tour
operator, and "stealing" clients may become an
issue. I view this as a sticky situation and will deal with it
if and when it happens. One tour planner has already told me
that I would need "a following" in order to be hired by her,
but that would mean taking some clients from one to the other.
Frankly, I don't know how to handle that one. I can develop that
"following" by means other than past tours, but there will
still be some that fit that category.
-
Since I spent
a total of about $250 of my own money on handouts, I may ask the
client to pay for them next time, or at least split the cost.
-
I have
eclipse-related T-shirts and mouse pads and didn't really promote
them. They are available on my website, which is plastered on everything
I gave away, but I should have made more of an effort. I
did wear my T-shirt conspicuously a couple of times on the train and
got some great comments, but I told them to buy one from the web instead
of taking their money and address, then shipping them after I
returned. (There's that proactive thing again!) Next time
I'll do better along those lines.
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My bio (taken
from the web) was included in a booklet that was sent to everyone
before the trip, but I was unaware that this was going to
happen. Next time I will be more proactive in getting him a bio
that is more specific to the gig.
-
I should have
made more of an effort to contact everyone before the trip to see if
there were any specific questions or issues that I needed to
cover. I finally did get an insert into his last mailing to the
group, but it was really sent too late for them to respond in a
meaningful way.
Other
Things...
The next eclipse
is December 4, 2002 in Southern Africa, the Indian Ocean, and Western
Australia. Where will YOU be?
Oh yes, and there
was this: a full-grown male lion urinated on me... but that's
another story.
I hope you
enjoyed this, and maybe even got an idea or two that you can apply to your
own speaking business.
I'd love to hear
your suggestions, comments, and/or questions. If you'd like free
samples of my bookmarks and/or Eclipse Viewing Guide, just ask! Send
me an e-mail!
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