Speakers, are you using this strategy at live events?
Recently, I was speaking at PENCON 2016 and there was something I noticed in the sessions I attended. There was one mistake I saw may of the speakers making. Therefore, I wanted to share this tip with you today.
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The Mistake
One of the best times to be growing your email subscriber list is when you are speaking at a live event. Your target audience is right there with you and they’re getting to know, like, and trust you.
When you’re speaking to them at a live event, you have an incredible opportunity to add them to your tribe, your audience.
But, one of the mistakes I saw speakers making this weekend is simply putting a link on their slides to sign up for their free gift (or lead magnet).
What typically happens when you get home from a conference is you catch up with all the things that you’ve missed while you were gone. Therefore, you tend to forget about the link and the free gift that was offered during the conference.
What could have been the perfect opportunity to add more people into your tribe is wasted.
What should you do instead?
Are You Using This Strategy at Live Events?
There are several tips that I want to share with you for adding new leads to your email list at a live event.
I believe your email subscriber list is your number one asset in your business and is important to make sure you are building it whenever you can.
Here are the things that I do when I speak in conferences to get your audience to sign up for your free gift offer and email list.
The Gift
Before anything else, think about the free gift you will be giving during your speaking engagement.
Give a gift related to your topic. It should be something that they’re really going to want and would make them sign up for it.
A Sign Up List for Your Free Gift
First of all, make sure to get a clipboard.
Then, what you would want to do is to pass around your clipboard at your event for attendees to sign up for your free gift. Have them put in their name and their email so that you can give them your free gift after the event.
I usually give out a digital gift; however, I put a full color 3D image of the gift they will be receiving on the top lefthand corner of my sign up list.
By far, the biggest thing you want to include on your signup sheet is a blurb that gives you permission to add them to your subscriber email list.
My blurb is at the bottom of my sheet and says, “in addition to your free eBook, you’ll also be subscribed to receive my newsletter for authors. You’re welcome to opt out at any time. I will never sell or share your name, email address, or other personal information ever. I promise.”
Why do you want to have this little paragraph at the bottom?
I keep all of these signup sheets. I will then add these names into my list and send them the gift I promised. I also follow up with them and send them what I promised, but then I keep the actual, original sign up page.
This is to serve as a proof of permission if my email subscriber service ever questions me if I have permission to add those emails to my list.
I have the printed copy with the blurb therefore they were fully aware that they were also signing up to my subscriber list when they signed up for the free gift. If you use something like this at a speaking engagement, don’t forget the blurb at the bottom.
If you’re interested, you can download the Word document I use within Author Audience Academy. It will be in the BONUSES module once you sign up here.
Using Text to Email Services
You can also have them take out their phones and have them text to a certain number to sign up to your list. This will then register their number to your list.
Serivces like LeadPages offers this feature.
Keep the Rapport Going
The other thing I recommend is to send follow up emails about specific promotions to that specific audience. 
For example, when I speak in Colorado (I’ve spoken a couple times this year already at author events in Colorado), I can email them about my Colorado Writing Retreat.
Do something like that. Send emails specific to a location or the type of audience there is on that list and choose a topic that you can share that would interest them.
Just invest a extra little time in this strategy at live events and it will yield much better results.
Have a System Set Up For Emails
I’m all about systems, about templates, and I’m all about working smarter, not harder.
So one other little tip I can tell you, is that for my sign up list I use a Word template.
Then, I simply change a couple things and I can make the sign up list for specific events really quick.
So create a template one time and voila! You have a template that you can use and can change for every single presentation that you give in minutes.
In face, you can download the Word document I use within Author Audience Academy. It will be in the BONUSES module once you sign up here.
Just change the template whenever you need it and don’t forget to print it off.
Conclusion
In conclusion, make sure that you’re taking the best advantage you have when you’re speaking at events.
Make it an opportunity for gathering your audience, your tribe, and building what I believe is your number one asset in your business, your email subscriber list.
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