ouldn't you hate to be forced to TAKE A CRUISE in order to make more money? It's true!
THE GREATEST FEAR OF MOST PEOPLE IS PUBLIC SPEAKING.
I hear that all the time, do you?
I don't believe it for a second, do you?
Most of the people I know absolutely LOVE to present. They love to get up in front of a group or meeting and share what they know with others, or initiate group process learning. They love it so much they'll do it for FREE.
When I tell people I speak on cruises they think the earth has parted. A cruise + public speaking? That's got to be pretty close to heaven, and I'm here to tell you it is.
I'm a personal and professional life coach. Coaches are ideal candidates to be Enrichment Lecturer lecturers on cruises, but so are clergy, retired military, professors, business owners, therapists...and YOU. Anyone who can capture a group, entertain, engage, and has something interesting to say has what it takes!
So get your passport ready, and prepare to increase your profits.
What's that? A cruise + public speaking + increasing your business? Now we're out of heaven and into nirvana.
Let me tell you more about this.
You can do something you love to do, promote your practice to a whole new audience, and have a first-class vacation at the same time. It's a truly unique marketing opportunity: thousands of captive prospective clients you'll be mingling with for 7, 11, 14 days and nights. I'm a coach, I present enrichment lectures regularly for several cruise lines, and am the author of "Presenting on a Cruise."
I got my public speaking experience when I was a fundraiser. I talked 4-5 times a week f or years to every type of group you can imagine -- seniors, children, prisoners, clergy, the Rotary, civic and business leaders, corporation alliances -- you name it!
I learned how to market at the same time - promoting for non-profits.
With a degree in clinical psychology, when I made a mid-life career change to personal and professional life coaching, speaking on cruises was the ideal opportunity.
It may be for you as well.
Here are some tips on how to get chosen for this unique opportunity:
Apply through an agency, not the cruise lines. Cruise lines use booking agencies for lecturers just as they use travel agents to book cruises. It's industry protocol that the cruise line not tell which agency they use, and the booking agent not tell which cruise line they book for. There's help with this in my ebook.
Cruisers want topics of personal (not professional) interest. It's a vacation -- time to get away from the job. Self-help and wellness titles sell, as well as innovative topics only you can think of -- the history of chocolate with samples, or international protocol for instance. Weak in this area? Brainstorm with a marketing coach.
Choose a catchy, fun and upbeat title. Titles are a major selling point both to get you chosen and to get people to your lectures once you're on board. Work on this a lot. Brainstorm with a marketing coach until you get the hang of it.
Use positive promising titles. "Smooth Sailing Through Life's Storms" works better than "Transitions". "Ride the Waves to Fun & Happiness" works better than that.
You're allowed to bring along a guest. Consider bringing along another coach or presenter. It may make you twice as attractive! Some of the cruise lines like the two-fer and you'll have help managing the promotions, logistics, and audience so you can make the most of this marketing opportunity. You'll also get an extra day and a half vacation.
They're on vacation, so be entertaining. Know the rule dress one level higher than your audience? A cruise gives you a lot of leeway. Wear a memorable outfit. Have games and prizes. Have fun and take some risks.
The #1 reason why people cruise is because they can make friends. Now you're a marketer right, so you know to give people what they want. Let your groups interact. People never tired of talking about themselves. It isn't really a "lecture." Make it an EXPERIENCE for the cruise guests.
Be prepared to present under any circumstances, with only what you bring with you. Luggage gets lost. Equipment breaks. What you request may or may not be there. Xeroxes and printers are usually not available. Conditions are quite different from "on land."
Expect the unexpected. A nationally-known celebrity showed up at my talk on "Strengths," to find out how to build her life around her innate talents. More than with any other speaking engagement, you don't know who your audience will be. Get there early and mingle. Elicit responses from the audience early on so you can find out 'who' they are.
Get to know the cruise director and make yourself useful. Have a 4th presentation ready in case it rains a day in port and the guests need extra entertainment. Make sure the staff know you; sometimes they vote on you! All the time they can be helpful to you.
Find out beforehand if you can self-promote. If so, bring exceptional handouts and be sure your name, URL, and phone number are on them and on the pens/pencils you provide. You want them to know how to reach you. Give away a month's free coaching or one of your courses for prizes. Pass around a sheet so you can capture their email addresses. More importantly, you want to be able to reach them.
Prepare. Read all you can about the presenting conditions on a ship and ask around because they're very different.
For more tips, see my ebook "Presenting on a Cruise: The Perfect Working Vacation."
Bon Voyage!
About the Author
Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships, midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting. EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. For marketing services go here.