Lead Generation from Your Cruise Speaking Bookings

Cruise speaking is the best gig on the high seas. Not only can you trade your talents for free luxury cruises for yourself and a traveling companion but there is a potential to grow your shore-side business by using the opportunity to collect sales leads. This article is intended to describe how this strategy works:

• Obviously you must first be approved to cruise free using the cruise line enrichment programs. (If you are not yet approved check out my “Speak on Cruise Ships: 8 Easy Steps to a Lifetime of FREE Luxury Cruises at http://www.SpeakersCruiseFree.com/ )

• Next, understand that you may not do any overt (or hard) selling while onboard. Doing so will likely get you scratched off the approved list.

• Be that as it may, it is permissible in most cases to collect names and email addresses of those people who may want to sign up for your e-zine that is, of course, related one of the topics you’re presenting onboard. (You have an ezine, don’t you?) You will need an auto-responder system to make this work. To see my recommendations on which auto-responder I like, see http://www.DanielHallEsq.com/Recommend

• In actuality you don’t necessarily need an e-zine but you do need a valid reason for people to give you their names and email addresses. For example, one of my clients gives everybody that opts-in a free download of one his topic related ebooks. See http://www.cruisewithvictor.com/

• The best way to do this is to pass around a sign-up sheet about two-thirds of the way through your presentation (earlier if it’s a big crowd). The reason behind this timing is it gives your audience a chance to warm up to you; to like you.

• Of course, you must tell (sell) people about what they get when sign up.

• Important: Always clear your plans with your cruise line contact or the person who booked you in the first place. This will keep you out of hot water.

• Once you have these leads, it goes without saying that you must monetize them. This is a subtle process that goes beyond the scope of this article. But suffice it to say that you must use this opportunity to continue to build a relationship: The relationship you started with your in-person presentation. The best way to do this is with a mix of high quality content and laser-targeted offers over the course of week, months and even years.

I hope it’s obvious to you that this same strategy can be used for just about any speaking gig. The first step is obviously one of the most important and if have not already been approved to cruise free as a speaker, you should get started.

Daniel Hall is the author of the critically acclaimed eprogram “Speak on Cruise Ships: 8 Easy Steps to a Lifetime of FREE Luxury Cruises” Go to http://www.SpeakersCruiseFree.com/ and get his Special Report “The Top 5 Cruise Line Enrichment Programs and How to Use Them to Get FREE Luxury Cruises.