Get More Gigs: Are You Using Your CRM?

 

For successful Speakers & Entertainers making a business from the stage ~

Do you ever sit there and wonder why the emails & phone calls aren’t coming in to hire you for the events you’re hearing everyone is doing?

You are faithful in your social media postings, sharing all the great you’re doing, you keep a consistent blog, your videos and web site are up to date, and yet it seems there is nothing on the horizon.

Want to know the secret to getting hired consistently forever?  Here it is…

Let’s say you have already been hired to present to audiences for months or even years, some of us for decades, and now it seems your popularity has dried up.

I’ve been there, I assume you have as well.  It’s called The Cycle of Showbiz if you’ve been through my online course.

The next question is, if you were lying on my couch in my office crying about it:

How often are you in your CRM working your past list of clients?  

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management.

Some people use their email inbox, others use their Google Calendar, and some still use a FranklinCovey Planner.  Whatever your system is make sure it works for you and you work it!

I use Highrise.  There are many options out there for speakers (in fact mine isn’t even listed on the best of 2018 link here), but I have found Highrise to be best for us.

Here’s the secret to utilizing your CRM:

You have to use it! 

That sounds like the dumbest advice in the world but it’s literally the truth.

Just do this –

1. Client information and history of our conversations is collected and entered in the CRM.
2. All agreements, contracts, data, and individuals are connected to the client/business.
3. Set up one reminder that is ANNUAL: The first date they contacted you for their event.

If you will be faithful to this one practice of contacting them annually on the date they originally contacted you, you wouldn’t believe the amount of work that will remain on your calendar for years to come.

I receive every morning 5-20 reminders of those I need to contact that very day from the thousands of events I have done through the years.

If I’m a good business person I will contact that client that day and just say,

“Hello, hope all is well.  When are you starting to work on your next event?   I loved the event in Miami, FL we did in April 2015…has it really been that long?  I still laugh about Frank from HR who was so drunk he came on stage and sang Michael Jackson with me.  If I can be of assistance to help you find a speaker or entertainer, or if you’d like to know about what I’ve created for 2018 let me know.  Give my best to everyone!”

I have literally had clients call me immediately following that type of simple email and say,

“Are you psychic?  We were just getting ready for our 10 AM meeting to begin work on finding our event speaker for this year’s event and you sent me this!” 

And I say, in my best Will Ferrell voice from Elf,

“YES!  I am psychic.  And I have an incredibly cool software called a CRM and I just did what it said I should do today.  Can you send me the contract and we’ll be on our way?”  

Actually, I don’t say that, I just say,

“Oh, wow, how fortunate!   How can I help you this year?  Need someone new I can recommend?  What’s your theme and what are you creating for your event?” 

Now I become their partner in planning the event and it leads to relationships in business which that event planner will take me to every company they work for from then on.

Amazing.

How are you using your CRM?  Is it working for you and are you working in it?

It’s all about relationships.

That will lead to a healthy business for the rest of your career.