Logo

How to approach Event Managers

My Speaker Leads delivers hundreds of leads for paid speaking gigs every month. But a lead is just the beginning of your sales process. To take advantage of our leads’ potential and turn them into jobs, you’ll need to contact event managers.

If you don’t already have a preferred method of reaching out to event managers, get the conversation started using our template below. This is based on outreach emails shared with us by professional speakers.

To get the most out of our weekly lead documents, start by looking through the list and selecting the events that are the best fit for you and your expertise. For more information about how to sort and filter our lead lists, see our page about finding event leads.

Getting paid to speak requires a lot of hard work. You need to create a credible foundation or body of work and a great signature talk, compile your materials and presentation, and practice. Some speakers hone their craft for years before being paid. Reaching out to event managers and getting rejected stings  – but it’s all worth it. All that work pays off. As you establish your speaking business, you’ll start getting referrals and you can be more discerning about which gigs you accept, negotiate higher pay, and ultimately take the stage at the events you really want to speak at!

How to approach event managers about speaking opportunities

There are many ways to approach an event manager. The best one for you will depend on your brand as a speaker and the types of event to which you apply. If you don’t already have a pitch letter – or if the one you’re using now isn’t delivering the results you want – you’ll need to experiment to see what language and perspective lands you the most paid speaking gigs.

Some speakers open communication with event managers with a simple question or two: “Do you hire outside speakers for your events?” or “Are you the contact for hiring speakers at [organization]?” Others use a letter from their business manager or assistant, like our template.

Email template for speakers approaching event managers

Hi [contact first name],

My name is [business manager]. I represent [SPEAKER], a professional speaker and CEO of __________. I would love to have a quick conversation with you to see if SPEAKER would be a good fit for one of your upcoming events, perhaps the [Next Conference Name].

SPEAKER’s focus is business topics like:

  • Word of Mouth Marketing
  • Business Networking
  • Social media intelligence and
  • Video Marketing

 

These topics will show [BENEFIT or SPEAKER TAKEAWAY, e.g. “show your attendees how to turn their contacts and clients into lifelong customers and raving fans.”]

SPEAKER’s presentations include:

  • How to Get More Word-of-Mouth Referrals
  • Caring is The New Connecting
  • Video Marketing: How To Stand Out In The Virtual Crowd
  • The Seven Sins of Networking
  • Social Media Espionage: Understanding Your Contacts

These presentations will provide attendees with [BENEFIT OR TAKEAWAY, e.g. “ a clear understanding of how caring about their clients and contacts can be one of their most powerful marketing tools in their business toolbox.”]

Here’s a quick video to preview if you are interested in hearing SPEAKER speak, [speaker reel link]. She’d be more than happy to work with you to customize a presentation to fit your event.

Are you available tomorrow afternoon or anytime this week to confirm whether SPEAKER would be a good fit for your next event?

Thank you in advance,

[Business Manager First Name]

Tips for public speaking outreach

  • Change and update your pitch letter as you see what your leads respond most positively to. If you tend to pitch a few different types of events, you may find it helpful to prepare multiple pitch letter templates for each industry or event type you engage with.
  • If an event has already booked speakers, ask the event manager if the organization has other upcoming events or offer to be a last-minute fill-in if they have a cancellation.
  • Use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management tool) to help manage your speaking business and keep track of who you’ve reached out to.
  • Don’t use an email platform to send hundreds of identical pitches. Always customize your pitch letters to the event and organizer – the “spray and pray” method of emailing dozens or hundreds of leads at once doesn’t work and can cause you to run afoul of anti-spam laws.
Sign up to receive hundreds of leads a month
The leads I get from My Speaker Leads are invaluable in my speaking business. The consistent leads save me tons of time each week.

Roger G