Book high-profile people

To be your clients, speakers, partners

In this blog post, we are going to touch these points:

  • What you can achieve by booking high-profile people
  • The method I used to get in touch with Apple, Tesla, Forbes, Economist
  • The four steps of the process

Watch my 40-min talk on the subject here. (You can read an extract below the video.)

What can you achieve? 

Clients

You can have clients; big clients at big companies. London Marketing Academy is an example for them. I reached out to them, I didn’t sit and wait for them to reach out to me. 

Partnerships

I had events with the London Marketing Club at Apple, Tesla and Hay Hills. I didn’t pay for these events it was a partnership and it was a perfect experience.

Speakers

 I had fantastic speakers from Adidas, Google, Uber. 

Press

Yes, you can also get into the press even if you don’t pay them or if you don’t have a PR. If you have a good story it means you can be published in the press. I or my clients were published in Forbes and Economist. 

The four steps of the process

  1. Mindset 
  2. Preparation
  3. Contact 
  4. Follow up 

Mindset

Without the right mindset, it won’t happen. Never forget this: as human beings we are equal. Some of the people have a higher reputation but they are still human. So it doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to the directors or people who have achieved something good. You have to believe in your proposal. You have to believe that you are at the same level as human beings. Also remember, never apologise for reaching out. Be confident. Don’t miss the opportunities while you’re thinking they won’t get back to you. Because they will. When you have a big name it’s easier to reach out to others. 

Preparation

Simply, copy-paste emails won’t work. You should know these people’s perspective. Imagine how many emails they receive and try to fit in there. Try to see their needs, their wants. Also, buy from them. In some cases, it can really help that you can approach them based on something that you have already tried. If you can’t, then at least read, watch, listen from them. The most dishonest thing is when somebody is telling you they love everything you share but never engage with it. It should be visible that you are supporting them. A fantastic way is to attend conferences. Always easier to reach out with this opportunity, highlighting something from the conference and complimenting on that. 

Contact 

Cold E-mail

Don’t start it like everybody else. When you want to grab attention, cliches won’t work. Don’t be too formal, not too chatty. Write as you speak. Start with telling them briefly who you are and why you want them. Be honest. Make a value-led proposal. Don’t forget these are all companies and they all want clients. If you find out how they get clients, how they get business and how you can help them with that it will help you with this process. Keep this in mind: High profile people want to be in front of people and you are offering them this. You can add an optional CTA at the end of your e-mail. In some cases, it would be pushy but offering some options may also be good.

The Trojan Horse 

I’d like to call this a Trojan Horse but of course, we are not being the enemy here. You can always invite those people to an interview. Tell them who is listening, what are topics, why you want them. You can ask them to speak or contribute to a book. If you want to approach specific job title like HR directors you can ask them for research or ask them for their insights to validate your product. Always think with their head. 

Follow up 

You have to follow up several times. People are busy. Lots of emails got forgotten. You can reach out to them again and it won’t hurt anyone. Refer to potential bad timing, ask them to confirm what they think about your invitation. You can also tell them how you proceed. Ask for contact or tell them to refer you the right direction.

You shouldn’t invite people just for the brand. The audience is always first. 

This article was written by Timea Kadar, Chief Marketing Strategist of Francis Cooper based on the thoughts of other professionals duly quoted. Timea has 21 years of experience in marketing working as a marketing lead at large corporations and a marketing mentor at smaller ventures and start-ups. If you’d like to know more ways to find high-profile people and invite them for your business, contact her at tk@franciscooper.com