Ep. 253 WHAT TO ASK AN EVENT PLANNER AFTER THEY SAY YES

Hey there, Mark Brown. We've talked about before Rapport before.

We have. Very good. Yeah, that's good. That's good. Yeah.

I'm creating a new workshop, one that I've never done before, about customizing your keynote like a pro. How do you really do it? How do you really connect with them and create that bridge between your world and their world, between your content and their data, day to day life? And I realized some of this I did, I learned early on, some of it I picked up from mentors, but I realized I got a process, I got an actual questionnaire. So I want to dive in and Mark, please, you know, obviously add your experience. But what do you ask an event planner after they say yes?

Anyone can give a presentation. Few deliver unforgettable presentations. What's the difference? You're about to find out. Welcome to the unforgettable presentations podcasts with your hosts, world champion speakers and coaches, Mark Brown.

Mark Brown, your life tells a story and there's someone out there who needs to hear it.

And Darren Lacroix. And Darren Lacroix.

Stage time, Stage time. Stage time.

Ready for some powerful presentation. AHAs. Let's dive right, right in.

All right, Mark. I take for granted what I've learned over the years. When I was putting together this idea for customizing, I realized not everybody probably knows this. And even if they do take inventory, maybe there's one question that could help you ask an event planner to get that. That we want no surprises and we want to understand them. Their language, their world, their terms, their acronyms. They're there.

They're lingo. And their jargon. I should say jargon, but they're linked. Their language.

Yeah, jargon works. So I dusted off this thing that I use all the time and I updated it for what I asked now. But I thought it'd be very important to take the time to dive into what do you ask an event planner? And this is after they say yes, after, you know, they're bringing you in and it's all good. So. And Mark, next week I want to talk into what do I ask participants? Because as you know, Mark, I actually asked the event planner to get a list of 10 names. I ask them to call and get permission from these people that it's okay for me to call them. I usually do it about two weeks before because that's when I kind of start in on my focus on that event. Because I don't focus on that event if I got other events going on. And I want to focus on the Most topical right in front of me. AUDIENCE so Mark, I have a word document that I use as my guideline. What's the, what's the Mark Brown process? After they say yes, the meeting and.

Planner questionnaire can be a very key document because that way they'll send you information about what they think, what they need, who's been there before, what their most pressure pressing issues are. And it's interesting, I went to a particular National speaker association meeting as a guest speaker recently and I mentioned the pre program questionnaire and it was interesting to see how many people had no idea what that document was. And I've seen various kinds and I don't want to get off on a tangent, but be careful you don't overload your questionnaire with 98 questions that they don't want to spend time with because meeting planners and event planners and even those within the organization don't want to go through a questionnaire. They don't want to fill out an applicant for a passport or driver's license. You know, they don't want all those, those questions. But a pre event questionnaire allows you to find out from them in their words what your biggest concerns are. So I do have that. Yes.

Yeah. And I would never send something ahead of time and ask them to fill it out. I, I just wouldn't because I would be a little put off if somebody asked me to do that, however, in a conversation because I want to hear their tone, I want to hear their emotional response to things because that can sometimes when you read between the lines, it's even more telling. And Mark, we won't mention specific clients in this little conversation here, but obviously some of these may be obvious, but I would have a prompter, I would have a word document in front of you that you don't send to them, but you kind of read off.

Right, right.

And have to prompt you to questions. And obviously if there's industry specific questions that you don't understand or terms you don't understand, well, you got to ask those for sure. But we're going to focus on the ones that typically I ask all of my clients ahead of time and first starts we, we take the time. I try and try and just have fun and casually connect before I start diving into questions. And Mark, you've seen me and my dorkiness that by the way, if you're listening to this, if you check out the YouTube version, you'll see some of the forms we're talking about and you'll see visually what I'm talking About, but I have a screen behind me and almost all the time I put the client's name on there. Let's just say Jody Jodifan, you know. Cause I appreciate, I mean it, because I appreciate the fact that they're taking the time to talk to me, that they care about their audience. And sometimes, Mark, I've even done it with one client that, you know, called them up and had another pre call and I put hashtag still a Jody favorite.

Right, right, right, right.

So it's not the same old, same old. It's just like, hey, I didn't forget, I've updated this. And Mark, I almost always get an elicit of emotion. I get a chuckle, I get a smile. And I can tell the moment they notice it and they read it and it seemingly, look, I'm a dork, I own it, I don't care, think I'm a dork. But look, it works for me and it's authentic to me. So you may or may not do this, but everything Mark and I are talking about, make your version of it, how would you do it? What would your process or your words be? So you've got to almost translate it to keep it authentic. But Mark, one of the first questions after the rapport, after the hello is why me? Why me? Why did you choose me? How did you find out about me? I had one client, international client, that found my YouTube version of OUCH 20 from 20 years ago.

Wow.

And. And they literally hired me. It was like within two months I was out of the country speaking to their group. But what they loved was my energy and what they loved was, you know, my humor. So my humor, my levity, and then the importance of the message. Of course that's what they said. And that's hard to just have. We need to show that and express that in our, in our demo reels, our demo videos, whatever you choose to call them. But why me? Why did you choose me? Because we want to know if they said, well, we, you know, we saw your video, we love your fall. Well, I darn sure better do the fall if that's what they saw and what they want. So yeah, first question, simple, why me? But we got to remember to the all important part. Listen, listen. Between the words, what was it? What was it, Mark?

I like the last point, Darren, because very often we have an agenda. Quite honestly. We want to get through these questions, we want to hear what they say. But sometimes when they're given answer, you want to go to your next question, but within an answer may be A clue to what you can do, modify, adjust, change, or customize to meet that specific audience member's needs. So the questions are not simply a list. So you get information. Okay, they had that person last year, they told me because of my bald head, whatever the case may be. But listen closer to what are they saying, because sometimes there are clues embedded within the answers that are not obvious. The first time you communicate with an event planner or a client.

Yeah. And you kind of tipped off the next one. Who did you have last year or in recent years? And what did the audience think? Did they like them or not like them? Because I can learn from both. Oh, they love this part about them. And they didn't like. So one client again remained nameless. They had someone who was a indie driver from years ago and plays in a band, so he brought his band with them and they just loved his stories and loved his energy and he connected with the audience incredibly well. Now they didn't mention the content or the insights and I don't know. Then they told me about a professor they had the last year and she didn't end on time. She kind. I don't want to get too specific, but basically they weren't happy with her. She went way over time and apparently she was not very interesting. So combine not interesting to going way over time. Not good. But the problem is that reflects on the event planner. You know, it goes back. And Mark, when you and I are at ypo, we were talking about this, about vetting speakers to people who are event planners, are new to the event planning and choosing that it's so important to vet it. I also had a referral from someone. Mark, I haven't told you about this yet. For a keynote in October and they saw my demo reel. They were interested. They wanted to see a full program unedited. Well, when I found out some of the backstory, I found out that they had hired somebody last year based on a great smokin demo reel. They showed up and they were kind of, let's just say, not happy at all that the demo reel was misleading.

Oh, good point, good point.

Anyone could put together and edit a high exciting demo reel. I get it. Which, that's why I understand that's literally got a text while you and I were starting from Jennifer, my agent, our agent and she, same thing. The client loved the demo reel but wanted to see the full, the full program. So I thought, oh, okay, I gotta have that ready to go. And anyway, the point is, that's why we need to read between the Lines. So this person last year went too long. I gotta be careful of my time because they have other things planned. They had a ban coming up after me, etc but I wanted to know why they loved the other guy, you know, not that I can reproduce. I don't have a band. I tend not to have a band.

I tend not to. Yeah, I haven't heard you sing it, Darren.

Yeah.

Please don't want that.

Ain't nobody wants that. So asking and not maybe just not last year, but past couple years because what was great is I got the dichotomy of the difference between the two. Any other thoughts on that, Mark?

Yeah, I. It's. I've actually had that conversation with event planners and I asked who they had the last previous I think two or three years and they say two years ago we had so and so. They're pretty good. Last year so and so came high recommended but they didn't really understand our audience. I've had that answer. I've also heard well they didn't come across with the right energy. They were kind of just flat. And we need somebody who's going to energize the audience. Which is why I appreciate when someone says to you, can we see you in a fuller length video? No, no one has asked me for a fuller length video, to be honest. And most of what I've gotten is referral business that ends up in the hands of my agent. That being said, it's important to understand the landscape in which you're going to present, particularly with associations who have different presenters every year. And I've had very little difficulty in getting them to tell me who they had. Last year I did my own research, saw some video and I get the idea for the feel the atmosphere they want in the room for those occasions. Also be aware sometimes you get asked to do an event but they have a special event at. The event is annual but the one you're speaking at has a particular significance. For example, very quickly I did have an event several years ago for a trucking, a statewide trucking association and they told me that it was a special annual event because it was like a hundred year anniversary. These little details are useful for you to ask. So you need to ask who did they have? What's special about this particular event this year that I need to be aware of so I can customize and accommodate you and serve you in the best way possible. Bottom line, knowing who previous speakers were, knowing what worked and what didn't gives you as a presenter a feel for the atmosphere. They're looking for the vibe of the organization and what you can expect when you get to the event. That's been my experience.

And then, Mark, people we've trained, we always ask this question when you're trying to create a presentation. Same question, though. I'm asking the event planner, when I'm done presenting, what do you want the audience to do, think, or feel? I want their answer because I want to know. Not only that, but then my second question after that is, how will you know if I've done a good job? How will you know if I've done a good job? Is it smile sheets, you know, people turning in feedback sheets? Is it hearing conversation in the hallway? If it's hearing conversation in the hallway, I want to make sure I encourage that. Talk about this content in the hallway, have deeper conversations or. Or sometimes, Mark, we did an episode about this. What's that one thing you want him saying in the hallway after?

Right, right.

Because then the event planner hears that. But more importantly, now you're taking your keynote and expanding it, that it's the. The after, behind the scenes, going deeper, you know, creating it. Their own debrief, if you will.

Yeah, yeah. Because I also ask the same question in a different way. I sometimes ask, what would make this a huge win for you? Or how do I make you the hero of the program? What would I do to make you shine? Because as we said before in previous episodes, we really have no clue. The intricacies that go through an event planner's mind as they lead up to the event and on event day, the balls that they're juggling in the air, the fires that they're fighting, we have no idea what they're going through. But if we know upfront a win looks like this, the audience would be expected to have. If they're showing me that at least we now are putting in the effort. And this takes work, friends. We are putting in the effort to find out how to best serve the audience we're going to be with and in so doing, serve the event planner as well. This is critical to make sure that what you do serves them. Here's why I say critical. And I've told a story before, Darren, where I spoke in a foreign country. I was a closing keynoter. They had brought in an opening keynoter from another foreign country. We're both foreigners. And at the end of the event, I was asked to have dinner with the planner. And they sat with me and said, you know, the opening person was okay, but everyone really liked your presentation. I Said, why? Well, first of all, you use our language, you put our title, our theme in your presentation. The other individual, when they came, we could tell they came with their back pocket. Standard presentation they do all the time. Which said technically they hadn't really paid attention to what the audience needed and what would create the win for the audience. I asked those questions, had those conversations, and I customized my remarks to include their theme, to address this in specifically and to address issues they were concerned about. And that's what made me stand out. I wasn't trying to upstage the first presenter. Didn't matter to me. My goal was to serve. So I implore you, think less about how much you're going to wow the audience, but more about how am I going to serve the audience. Which is why these questions are critical for you to understand the mindset, understand what they will see as a success. Because here's my last thought on this point, Darren. Many of us view success as I nailed it. I got my points across. I was good on stage, had everything together and I did well. Nothing wrong with that level of confidence, but it has to be within the framework of how you serve the audience.

Yeah. And remember, who is your client? Your client is not the audience. Your client is the event planner. Sometimes we may be brought in to say something that's going to make us not liked, but that's why we're being brought in sometimes. Maybe we are the fall guy or fall gal. And so, Mark, I always hear Alan Weiss in my head, the economic buyer. Who's the person paying for you to come in? It's the audience of the audience. But Mark, I just thought this. A lot of us guilty are people pleasers. But we've got to change our mindset from people pleasers to planner pleasers.

Ah, be a planner pleaser. I'm going to write that one down. I like that. I'm going to digress just for a second here. Darren, a planner pleaser. There have been times when I've had conversations with event planners, but something about the conversation tells me that they may not have all the information that would help me to serve the client in a better way. And there have been times I've been able to get an event planner and also someone from the organization who was involved in the process on the same line for a call just to make double, triple sure that I'm serving them in the best way. And there's nothing wrong with asking for a second meeting if you think it is necessary. And you may think it is necessary because when you ask the right questions, you may not get the clear answers you need, which is why asking the questions is important in the first place.

Yeah, Mark, here's a new concept. You know when you're in a presentation room, when you're in the convention, we say read the room. Well, I'm going to encourage you to read the Zoom.

Man. You're waxing lyrical today. Darren, what's happening here? Just so not like you, man.

We've got to thank you. I'm usually boringer. Appreciate that. So, because you got to understand that they have so many stresses and our job is to relieve their stress. If you see them looking at their watch, being fidgety, I have these questions in front of me and I know when I've got to curb them and get to the really critical ones because they have two more meetings right after this, back to back, they need to go to the bathroom, whatever that is. I had one of my international clients, I wanted to keep talking to them because it wasn't just international, it was many people from many different countries, so multinational. But they didn't have the time. They did not have the time to help me with that. There's so much else going on that I had to almost let go because last minute they said, hey, we can't do the meeting tomorrow. Got it. No problem. I need to show my intention, but I also need to read the Zoom Room.

Read the Zoom. Read the room. Love it, man. This is good.

That's why I say don't send this to them because then you're going to get that. You're not going to be able to hear the intonation in their voice. You're not going to be able to. They're not going to type out, you know that's true.

And please, if you have already a pre event questionnaire to talk with the event planner about and you may do exactly what we're saying now in front of you or behind beside the screen and you have a list of questions to ask. When Darren said earlier, listen to the answers list by listening carefully to the answers. What you may find yourself doing is you may skip two or three questions and get to a different question based upon the answer you got. So please don't be confined to an agenda that says, I have 12 questions to ask. I'm going to ask all these 12 questions in sequence. Because sometimes an answer to question number three may set up question number seven. So please be aware in the conversation how they respond. Because sometimes ANSW question three may also cover question four and five. But you have to get to seven when you're mindful of the time. The conversation based upon the questionnaire is not going to be pristine and perfect. But you have to make sure. I invite you and encourage you to make sure that the goal you have set in serving them well is accomplished in the conversation. So while you have a sequence of questions, be aware of where a response sets up a different question, which is a great segue, which might in turn give you more than you expected and really help you and set you up to serve them.

Thank you, Mark. So here's some. Here's the critical question I always ask. So this is one of those, you know, you can bold it, you can highlight it, whatever. Whatever you want, but use this. You want to make it simple in the moment that when you have to scan because you're in the zoom room or whichever format, you're on teams or whatever that, you know, I got to ask this one. I got to ask this one. I got it. Now, obviously, you can edit in the process. That's why, you know, these are your questions. But one that I always make sure I ask is, are there any taboo topics I should be aware of? Are there any taboo topics I should be aware of? And the standard answer I get is, stay away from sex and politics. I get that.

Religion. Yeah, the big three.

And they might have had a bad experience. One time they said, yeah, don't talk about airplanes. And I was like, what? Because sometimes I always look. Look around the airport when I'm coming in, because everybody else flew through that airport, so what did they notice that I could tie into? And they said, well, last year, our whole board of directors died in a plane crash.

Wow.

So I could have been intentionally, lovingly joking about something, and I would have stepped on a landmine and totally disconnected. Yeah, that's that critical question. Critical question, taboo topics that I should be aware of. And look at. They know what's taboo. That's why you're asking them. This is like insider information. Mark, what else you got?

No, I think that I really appreciate that particular question, Darren, because like I said, as you say, it could be disastrous. And asking what's happening in the moment, I also ask, you know, is this is the last time we spoke, has there any been any development in the company that I need to be aware of? Because I went to an event one time, and mind you, it wasn't in a conversation with the event planner. But when I got to the event, I realized the CEO I've been dealing with for several weeks was dismissed by the board before I got there. And if I hadn't asked the question, I would have probably said something about them. Maybe jokingly.

Yeah. What a great person. What a great guy.

Yeah. Or gal wouldn't have landed well at all. So it's really good to ask what are taboo topics? What Are there any developments that may have occurred since the last time we spoke or any major changes to the company? Just so I'm aware that I don't say the. I won't say. I don't say the wrong thing, but I need to be aware how to best serve you. And I always use a line to serve you best. It'll help me. I'd like to know so and so. So I use that and I use that line deliberately because I mean it. I do want to serve them well. So these are two questions to ask taboo topics. Anything has changed recently that I need to be aware of?

Yeah. I also ask, given the time, how many people do they expect now? The agent's usually going to get that info. But I want to know. Let me ask.

Yeah.

Audience, average age range, demographic.

Yep.

What is the female to male ratio? And here's one that I picked up along the way at the National Speakers association early in my career. What is the content slash humor ratio you are looking for? Or you could say, I haven't asked that one before.

I have not asked that one before.

Content engagement, you know, whatever. Whatever your style is.

Yeah, I generally. And a good question because I don't. I normally, when I hear they want an entertaining speech, I think they want more story, more humor as opposed to on leadership. But I try to insert, not insert. I try to. I always incorporate humor in my presentations. Uncover and incorporate humor. But I'm not Darren Lacroix. You're. You done the stand up routine. I can't even do sit down comedy. People don't laugh with me, they laugh at me. So there you go. I know, I know. No sound effects today, please. I'll do myself for you. Knew it was coming. I knew it was coming. Thank you very much, Darren. But it's good to understand what they expect. Their demographic, what. And it's, it's interesting. I was asked to do a network marketing event one time and I realized that that particular audience was about 99.834-9761 women. So I said, yeah, I got a dog, ladies and four guys here. Awesome. I could use that line. But being aware of what the demographic was, it's, it's careful. It is, it is important for Us not to make assumptions based upon what we think we know, previous experience, or what somebody who we know tells us. Yeah, I know all about them. You walk in the door isn't what I expected. So ask those questions and assume nothing. And I often will, just for a laugh. And it most time it works. I'll say, well, look, tell me like I'm 5 years old about this. So my wife always rolls her eyes at me. I get to laugh with me. But I say, just be. Just so I'm clear. And I repeat what they said in my own words just to be sure I understand what they're saying. I'm also building rapport, having a nice conversation with them when I have the time, but at least I want to be clear on what their expectations are so I can meet their expectations and again, serve them well.

Yeah, Mark, when I call this the profit question, do you plan on any meeting, slash conference? And I'm going to use their language. If they call it a meeting, I'll call it a meeting. They call it an event, I'll call it an event. Conference, Conference. Do you plan on any meeting, giveaways to attendees, the swag.

Okay.

Because I could suggest my book.

You're right.

Mark, you remember the call we were on with Australia. We weren't even done with the call, and I said, had you considered. If you're bringing us in to talk about unforgettable presentations, had you considered our book? And they were the local event planner, she was already on it. She's like looking it up right now. Boom.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Online. Yeah, she saw that. Yeah, I remember that. Yes, I remember that. That call. You're right. Yeah.

And so even though they're gonna buy them from Australia, Amazon or wherever, that's fine. It's one less thing. I gotta carry a lug or you gotta carry your lug or anything like that. So. But boom, now everybody walks away with a book. So they walk in the room, they're probably gonna give them away at the beginning. Now you walk in and, ooh, you're the author of that book, Street Credibility.

Yeah, credibility. That's right there.

Now that I'm doing all in, I can also, if I'm brought in for the all in speech, all in ship.

There you go.

Everyone could get a poker chip and we could put their conference name on it as well. Now they get that solid rock solid giveaway that I connect to. So start the conversation. And that's one of the things, Mark, you and I teach in unforgettable presentations. That. What's your takeaway? What's that? My sponges, my whatever. Which I did at Toastmasters convention.

Oh, yes. Which we're going to have to stamp individually, right? Yeah. Why are you sponging?

I also ask who can I interview two weeks prior to the event? And I asked for a list of 10 names. I really want them to personally contact them, whether it's email or phone, to get permission that they're okay with talking to me.

Right? Right.

Next week we'll talk about specifically what I asked them because it's a little different, but I know I'm going to ask for 10 names. I'm going to call all of them. I'm going to call them, not email them. I'm going to call all of them. And I know I may go back and forth with a couple of them. I may only talk to four or five people. That's okay. Usually I'm gonna get one or two beautiful stories and I'll get some good intel. But what I also get is they start talking about me to their colleagues ahead of time because most people won't do this. Mark. I, I won't mention this name either. But I, I customized so much in the past, early in my career because I didn't have any content. So it was all custom. I was writing all humor and stories about them that I actually had one keynote person who was my. That I looked up to. And they were, they got the call the next year after me and they were mad at me because they're like, you did so much customization now. They expect it. And the problem is sorry, not sorry.

But here's the beauty of that, though, Darren. Yes, you, they did pay you a compliment in a kind of backwards way. But what that speaker was telling you was that your customization for them was so pleasing to them that they're now. You've now set a standard for other presenters who go to that organization to meet that standard. And it applies to all of us who are listening and watching here. When you make the effort, you put the work in to truly let your audience and your event planner know I am here to serve you. They will remember that. And because you do that well, chances are they call, they will call you back. It may not be the next year or the next five, but as you know, Darren, I've gotten callbacks after seven years, after 10 years, after 15 years, because I served well. And as we encourage you to do that when you, when you ask the questions, get the answers and respond before the event, during the event and after the event to those answers, you will be unforgettable.

Nice. So last question I have there is what else can we do to be your favorite? Or what else can I do to be your favorite? That question always kind of throws people, but you can use it. Look, I learned it from fripp. I just pass it along and use it better than most people. But these are the things to ask the event planner. And maybe you have some of your own. Hey, cool. Please add them to our blog about this. Add them to the comment section of YouTube version of this. You can list it on YouTube. I'll show the event planner questions one more time. If you're watching the YouTube version, you see this now, but these are our questions. I ask for newsletters or links, but I want to be careful and I want to make sure I know what is common. I don't want to get a list. Sometimes I if there's acronyms. I asked for a list of acronyms. But then when I'm doing my participant interviews, I want to know which ones are actually being used. I did one mark a few months ago in Planet Hollywood here in Vegas. And there were, I'm not even exaggerating, like 200 acronyms, but I want to know the ones that were part of their everyday language, not just all of them. So what do you ask an event planner? Start a Word document if you don't already have one. If you have one, hope we've given you another question or two to add onto yours. Knowing again, you got to read the Zoom Room. And if they got to go, they got to go. If you know, if you're not critically important at that moment, let them handle what is. Because that could be your audio system they're trying to figure out, and we need that. So join us next week and I'll go deeper into what I asked the participants because it's a very different conversation than the event planner. They don't have the buy in the criticalness to the event. They have a different perspective and I want that Mark, final thoughts.

Yeah. Listen, friends, hopefully you will have these conversations. You will choose the right questions, you will listen to the answers. And if you ask about who you can talk to next week, we'll discuss that in greater detail. You do this and chances are you will be unforgettable. We'll see you next week.

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