If you want more bookings and higher speaking fees one of your most important tools is your speaking demo reels!
Do you need one? Or maybe time for an upgrade?
We sat down with some of our Las Vegas NSA Rockstars who are getting book and asked them what really matters.
This week we sat down with Maureen Zappala, Impostor Syndrome expert and former NASA Engineer. Maureen shows high achievers how to overcome the self-doubt that haunts them.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL “MUST HAVES” DEMO REEL?
- Great audio
- Clear video
- Storybrand elements: The client’s problem, your solution, the promise of change, the vision of growth, the pain of no change, why you, your credentials/expertise…
- Clips that show your energy, your skill and audience reaction if possible.
- Attention getting opening! If it drags or is boring, potential clients won’t watch more than 20-30 seconds.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL “MUST AVOIDS” DEMO REEL?
- Too much interview with you (talking head) and not enough of you speaking on stage
- Too much “This is me, I’m great, here’s my background, I’m great” and not enough WIIFC (what’s in it for client)
- Too long! (But there’s not a magic length. Get feedback and listen to people if they say it’s too long.)
WHY IS A DEMO REEL IMPORTANT?
Anyone who hires a speaker should be able to see the speaker speaking before they hire them. Even if they’ve seen you in person, seeing a demo video that has other footage, more backstory, more “promise” and “solution” will help sell you and lead them to choose you. If you don’t have a demo video, you won’t get hired nearly as often, and certainly not at a higher fee.
ADVICE FOR EMERGING SPEAKERS about their first demo video?
- Invest in pros, both for recording you on stage and for creating the actual demo video. You don’t have to spend a fortune. Just don’t spend zero.
- Stick to StoryBrand structure. Use StoryBrand guides if possible. (https://marketingmadesimple.com/)
- If you have to create your own stage to get a recording, do it. Nobody needs to know there’s nobody in the audience.
- Find demo videos that have great quality video clips of the speaker. Have your videographer review them to show them the kinds of shots, angles and views you are looking for.
- Realize that the hardest part of creating a demo video is capturing quality footage of your speaking events. Something often goes wrong. Someone walks in the frame. You walk out of frame. The lighting is awful. The audio is bad. There’s a lectern in the middle. Camera is too far away. Camera moves. Just keep trying.
- Get a decent video out there to start.. A bad video is worse than NO video. And it doesn’t take much work to go from a bad video to a decent video, if you hire an affordable editor.
- Review and update the video as your speaking frequency increases, your fee increases, and you get older. Invest more money in the subsequent videos. A great video WILL pay off!
Want more insights from Las Vegas in-demand speakers? Join us at our next NSA Las Vegas Meeting. Get details: https://nsalasvegas.com/events/