Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to be one long, giant commercial for yourself all the time? If maybe your products and your name did the promoting for you? When someone hires you to speak at a high profile event, they are taking a large gamble on your ability to engage an audience's interest, and the extent of your knowledge. That said, it is important to have some credibility to your name, or you'll be speaking at every pitiful engagement that comes along.

I use a number of different techniques to sell my products; that way when an engagement comes along the person hiring me already knows what to expect. You can't just buy a website and expect people to start calling with offers to hear you speak. Besides, selling a book or downloadable tape is much easier to do because less money is at risk to the buyer.

Let your product do the work for you. A happy customer is always a returning customer. Since the profit is very high in information products, you will enjoy a hefty cash flow while your good name grows.

When your product sells well, you then have the ability to accept only the most prestigious speaking offers. Being selective about the engagements that you speak at will allow you to build your celebrity status, and in turn, raise your speaking fee.

Your products are a reflection of yourself and the knowledge that you have to offer. Treat every sale, no matter how small; with the same integrity you would treat a larger one. You never know what connections or responsibilities your customer may have for hiring speakers.

Tags: credibility, money, integrity, extent, audience, risk, reflection, information products, cash flow, speakers, happy customer, celebrity status, engagements