So, for an introvert to consider displaying at a vendor table at a conference is putting ourselves out there and WAY beyond our comfort zones. However, I decided that I wanted to do just that.  A little over a year ago, in addition to attending a conference, I signed up for a vendor table.

On the Friday afternoon of the conference (from 2:00 – 6:00, I had a 2′ x 8′ table (alongside 12 other vendors, including a coach for professors, a nationally-known consultant for universities, and many publishers of materials for professors).

Here’s what I displayed:

• A huge sign for a special summer workshop I was planning;
• Letter openers to give away;
• Postcards – every single one I’ve ever sent out to members of this group;
• Various items that I give out in my workshops (signs, etc.);
• Handouts about the various free resources I have available;
• Oh…and since it was close to Halloween, I brought candy in my suitcase. Who doesn’t like M&Ms, Snickers, etc? Lots of people stopped just to get some candy…and it gave me an opportunity to step out and offer it to people and make light conversation that way.

To display the various items, I had purchased these nifty little wooden stands from Wal-Mart and Bed, Bath, and Beyond so that my postcards weren’t just lying flat on the table. They were standing right up there so people could see them. That caused people to stop by just to see what I had.

To top it all off, because I was an early (maybe the first!) person to sign up for a vendor table, I had the table that could be seen the minute anyone walked through the door. So as long as I didn’t run away, I was able to see everyone who came through the door (and they could see me whether they wanted to or not!)

And it worked! For the first time, in no uncertain terms, I had sense that all my marketing over the years has been worth it! People remembered what I had sent out! They caught sight of one or more of the postcards and said, “I have that postcard on my refrigerator,” or “I have that postcard on my office door.” Some people said, “Oh, you are the person who sends us all these cool things?!” There were comments on how colorful my materials are, how well-designed they are, how much they like them….and oh, “What do I do, by the way?”

It was awesome! I got to talk to people about why I send what I send, the different workshops I have that I could do at their colleges or universities, ways that they could get in touch with me if they want to, and so on and so on….

By the end of the four hours, I was about to fall over, but when I got to my room, ordered a glass of wine and some room service, and called my husband, I was exhilarated, too. I told him, “This is exactly what I was hoping would happen.”

Lessons for introverts (and others, too):

• Marketing over time works. It especially works if whatever it is that you do somehow fits together. Mine does and people recognized it.     

• Building relationships in this 21st century world is different and interesting. People felt like they knew me because they subscribe to the Top Ten Productivity Tips or Keeping Chaos at Bay. And then when they found out others standing around also subscribed, they were a little community and they talked about which ones they like the best and what they do with them when they arrive in their in-box.     

• Getting to put a real face/person with the marketing materials was positive. Now they really can see who it is that is sending them things and realize that I am a real person and that I do want to assist them as individuals or the professors and staff at their colleges and universities.     

• Getting to actually talk to people F2F allowed me to know them better and gave them the opportunity to find out more about who I am and what I might be able to bring to them. It did it in a way that no flat piece of mail could.     

• We are marketing ourselves. Make no mistake about that. It doesn’t matter if you’re a professor, a teacher, an entrepreneur, an author, a coach…you are marketing yourself. Our materials have to match who we are and what we represent.
  

Suffice it to say, I learned a lot and will continue to sign up for a trade show booth – as long as I have plenty of time to gear up this introverted personality – and to be able to rest afterwards!

Sometimes, I do have a flat fee, but rarely. For example, for me to do a Productivity Power Day(tm) in someone’s office – in the area where I live – then it’s a flat rate. If I have to travel, it goes up some because I will be spending the night out of town, etc. Productivity Power Days are quite similar in scope and process, so it’s one of the reason I can quote an exact fee right on my website or when someone calls me. For essentially all other endeavors (speaking & consulting), there is much more involved in making the determination.

For speaking engagements even within my own area, I have a base rate and then I make a final determination based on some (or all) of the following factors:

1. Is this a brand new workshop (speech, etc.) or one I’ve done before and will be able to offer in essentially the same way or with minor modifications?      

2. Are the people ones who will be easy to work with (or difficult to work with)? Often, I don’t know this until I’ve worked with them in the past…and then I know, believe me!      

3. What is the expected number of participants? It takes far more energy to work with a group of 100 or 200 (for a workshop, for example) than a group of 35. So, I need to know the number of people who will be in attendance.      

4. Is this part of a series of workshops/seminars I will be doing for this group or is it a stand-alone? I prefer to work with people over longer periods of time – developing relationships and building community and trust. When people are interested in that as well, they receive a different price than those who want a one-shot event.      

5. If I am going out of area, then I take the following into consideration, as well:

• Time zones crossed (more of an issue as I get older!) I add a certain amount for each time zone I hop.
• Ease or difficulty in travel (flying all the way across the country in one plane vs. hopping 3 different planes, taking a bus, then renting a car to even get 1/3 of the way across the country).

So, these are issues I take into consideration, but each person needs to determine what it is that makes the work easier or harder for him/her.

Sometimes, one factor to consider is whether you are trying to build up a market — and in order to penetrate that market, you choose to price yourself a bit lower than you will later on…I have certainly done that (and continue to) in certain markets.

Always, always, always, however….remember the value you’re bringing to your clients and price yourself accordingly. And to go back to the title, for heaven’s sake, don’t call what you do ‘gigs’! Unprofessional and unworthy, in my opinion, which is what you got in this article, of course!

And, to make sure you are productive in your personal and professional life, you’ll want to access the resources at

**http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com

(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm)

Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do via seminars, workshops, writing, coaching, & consulting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meggin_McIntosh

Here are some of my answers, based on my experience as a speaker and consultant for MANY years…

First, remember, we are doing work with the idea of making a difference–and making money. And sometimes, the getting paid part is easy and sometimes it’s not.

There is no way to predict who is going to be fast and who is going to be slow to pay. I have had companies, government agencies, universities, and school districts who have taken FOREVER it seemed to pay. I’ve had to resubmit invoices (up to 3 or 4 times) and call and check and follow up, etc. There are times I felt like it was costing me more to get the money than it was if I just let it go. However, I certainly remembered this extra effort because, and if and when that group hired me again, an additional fee was tacked on. I think when we are determining our fees, one of the considerations is ‘ease and timeliness of getting paid.’

That being said…I have had these same types of groups pay me within a month (which is pretty much record speed). Over the years, I’ve learned that is reasonable to expect payment (after the invoice is submitted) in approximately 30 – 60 days. If it falls anywhere under 2 months, I call it “good.” After that, I start following up, and in the cases where it’s someone I’ve worked with and have usually gotten paid promptly, I might even follow up sooner since it’s unusual for that group to take longer than 30 days.

I tried (for awhile) to indicate on my invoice that payment was due within 30 days or 2% would be added to the invoiced amount. It made no impression whatsoever–and mostly that’s because I have no way of enforcing it and mostly I was dealing with schools, universities, and government agencies. So I gave that up. If the groups you work with will go for that, then use that on your invoices.

A great idea that I have used with success (and that has encouraged fast payment and no hassle) was offering a 10% (or thereabouts) discount if it was paid up front. I’ve done that with non-profits who are happy to save some money and I’ve done that with fairly large speaking agreements. Two examples that come to mind: A $1000 keynote was paid prior to the event by a non-profit for $900 and a $12,000+ contract (which involved travel to another country) was discounted and I received early payment. So, consider using this when you are discussing your fees with a client.

Big name speakers/keynoters can demand that at least 50% of their fee be paid up front to hold a date. It’s non-refundable if the client should cancel. I’ve never even considered this because I’ve always been so busy (either as a speaker who also had a full time job or just within my own company when I went full time), that if someone canceled, I was almost relieved to have the time back. The only expectation I would have would be if I had already purchased materials, then I would need to be refunded the money I had spent on those.

With all this said, put into your speaking agreement that payment is preferred on the day of the event and expected within 30 days. And be ever-hopeful.

And, to make sure you are productive in your personal and professional life, you’ll want to access the resources at

**http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com

(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm)

Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do via seminars, workshops, writing, coaching, & consulting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meggin_McIntosh

I have come upon a great website.  The format of this website is providing free short (about 3-5 min.) video clips from speakers with a particular message, from relationships to career to  entertainment. The organization does have a Christian faith value system and presents itself in a very professional and respectful manner. I have personally met one of the speakers at a conference named Jennifer Rothschild.  I encourage you to visit the home page and explore.  http://www.iquestions.com

Posted by Kelly J. Eveleth | 6/28/08

Folks might check this out and think about ways of using video to let people know about who they are and what they do.  YouTube and all its companions have changed the ‘face’ of how we can get our message out. 

Meggin