This is the "developing business" competency. It involves sales and marketing knowledge, skills and techniques to generate speaking engagements and expand the impact of speakers' messages through product sales. If mastery involves wisdom, and wisdom involves the capacity to make finer and finer distinctions to discover uniqueness, that's what mastering sales and marketing strategies is about. Mastering this Competency results in comprehensive sales and marketing strategies for speaking engagements and products.

Techniques for Sales and Marketing Contacts
An important part of a sales and marketing strategy is the process used to initiate and maintain contact with clients. Contacts may be for qualifying/prospecting, selling, arranging a presentation/performance and follow-up or service. Mastering techniques of sales and marketing contacts will include traditional approaches (telephone, mail, person-to-person) and approaches evolving with new communication technologies.

Sales Strategies
A sales strategy depends on what is being sold, to whom and how the sale is accomplished. Developing sales strategies for speakers requires making distinctions between several strategic components to build on the uniqueness of a sales opportunity. Mastering this Competency begins with a speaker's knowledge of five strategic components of a sales strategy, their numerous elements and the skills needed to work with them.

Marketing Strategies
A marketing strategy depends on what is to be marketed, to whom it is marketed and the marketing techniques employed. Developing marketing strategies for speakers requires making distinctions among several strategic components to build on the uniqueness of a marketing opportunity. Mastering this Competency begins with a speaker's knowledge of five strategic components of a marketing strategy, their numerous elements, and the skills needed to work with them.

Designing Brochures and Promotional Materials
The design of promotional materials of all types is the first step to successful direct-mail marketing and advertising.

Market Penetration
Many speakers fall into the trap of seeking their "riches" in far-flung places when "diamonds-a-plenty" are within reach. They are missing the opportunities of market penetration, developing what they have already "staked out."

Developing a Celebrity Image
Being a national or international celebrity elevates the image of the speaker to a plateau above former peers. Personal qualities are important, but proper positioning is essential to acquiring national or international acclaim.

Selling and Marketing Product
Product sales have become an important part of many speakers' businesses. For some speakers, products sales are restricted to seminar manuals and other program support materials. Other speakers have developed extensive product lines with books, audio-and videotapes and other ancillary items that result in major sources of income.

Client and Customer Service
Customer service, customer loyalty and partnering with customers are frequently heard terms in all industries. What do these mean in the speaking industry for speakers' relationships with clients who hire them to present/perform and customers who purchase their products?