The Top 10 Marketing Tips for Every Humor Professional

by Roz Trieber, MS, CHES

How does a Humor Professional spell SUCCESS? MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING!  That means building relationships – positioning not competing. It’s not about what you know.  It’s about how you’re known.  You’re only as good as your last presentation.

According to Godin (2003) and Sanow (2001), marketing today is not what it was just a few years ago.  In the past, marketers targeted consumers (anyone who could use their product or services).  Smart ad folks and entrepreneurs made sure their promotional material was appropriate for the target market and that it ran in media that would reach that market. That type of marketing was based on the theory that marketers decided who would pay attention and when.

Today, the opposite is true.  It’s the Consumers who choose. You need to let the consumer know how you can solve their problems. This is known as relationship marketing; understanding the wants and needs of your customers. Great service, more needs met, yields maximum business from your customers. Your promotional material needs to be relevant to the person(s) who will most likely act on it. Put yourself and your information in front of interested people with influence.

The following list contains time tested proven strategies, specific contacts, and techniques you could do to increase your humor business.  It doesn’t matter whether you are a humorist, psychologist, educator, counselor, clown, nurse, physician, or business executive. You can implement these strategies, add passion and personality to them, and whalla: you will laugh all the way to the bank!

From the home office of Jest 4 Success, located in Lima, Peru, home of the Chicago Bears, here are the Top 10 Marketing Tips for Every Humor Professional.

Get Ready, Get Set, GO… Don’t Think About It, Do IT!

• Have A Great Presentation Style:

• Open with a hook
• Engage the audience
• Tell relevant stories
• Use anecdotes
• Tell real life experiences
• Smile often
• Use humor
• Exaggerate your body language and expressions
• Have a strong closing
• Always look for ways to improve

9.  Write A Great Proposal:

• Be succinct
• Customize your program
• Identify the client’s needs
• Define exactly what you will deliver: exact number of strategies, methods etc.
• Mention the benefits of your delivery skills
• Identify where you have presented similar programs
• Tell exactly what the investment includes
• Give options for additional services
• Include a Speaking or Training agreement that requests a deposit and signature of acceptance

   8.  Write And Publish Articles and/or Books:

• Offer a disk of articles to everyone free of charge (make sure appropriate credit line is given for this material.)
• Use your articles as handouts
• Send articles to trade, professional journals, and magazines

   7.   Connect with Champions:

• Make a list of your relatives, friends, and clients who can tell everyone about you. Your mommy who’d be your best PR agent. Stay in touch with them monthly and ask what you can do for them. Tell them more about what you are currently doing. The more they know, the easier it is for them to see opportunities for you.
• Make a list of speakers you like and trust, such as Donald Trump, Martha Stewart, and former CEO of Enron. Help these people get jobs and offer referral fees when they get you a job

   6.  Create a Credible and Great Website:

A Website is a necessary credential in today’s marketplace. It also provides an instant opportunity for a potential client to view your abilities and confirm you can meet their needs.

• Get a domain name
• List your sample programs
• List your services
• List and display your publications
• Provide an easy subscription “opt-in” for your newsletter
• State contact information on every page
• Provide practical and topical information that sends the message “You Need To Hire Me!”

•   List Yourself in Key Sources:

• Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons – 202-333-4904.    This is a directory that goes out to 1000s of TV and radio stations in the USA and Canada
• National Press Club’s Directory of News Sources. -  202-662-7525. A great way to get your name out to the press
• Partyline  - 212-755-3487. This newsletter lists various media sources that are doing stories on different topics and that need people like you to interview
• Write and send your own media release for every presentation

   4.  Networking:

• Attend a minimum of 2 - 3 networking meetings a month
• Go to meetings attended by decision makers in your target market, but not your competitors: e.g. Chambers of Commerce, Business Networking International, Leads Clubs, Leadership organizations, Regional, National Education conferences, American Health Care Association, and the National Association of Water Companies.
• Prepare  an agenda wherever you go, such as go to a networking event armed with information you are willing to give away and information you are searching, which opens up opportunities for you as you small talk. With agenda in hand, you can connect with others, build relationships with an exchange of a phone number/email, a business lead, or an idea.

   3.  Have A Promotion Kit That Contains the following:

• A description of your programs and services on one page
• Letters of recommendation
• References (the more the better)
• Biography
• Copy of your book
• Reprints of articles
• Video-tape or CD of a live presentation
• Presentation outlines
• Testimonials
• List of previous clients

  2.  Have Unique Business Cards with A Prominent “Signature Line” and Your Picture. 

• There needs to be a “benefit” statement describing you or your services; e.g. “knock your socks off humor strategies for the humor impaired!”

The number one, super-important marketing tip:

  1.  Have a “20 – Second” Commercial That States Very Clearly To Everyone What You Can Do For the Client. 

• This is your single best opportunity to persuade people to hire you and refer others to you as well 
• Focus your services or products on helping your client.

 “Market yourself well means doing remarkable things, what makes you standout from the crowd?  The leader is the leader because he [or she] did something remarkable. And that remarkable thing is now taken…it’s no longer remarkable when you do it.  Execute remarkable ideas.”                                                                                                         __Seth Godin

Now after reading this list, what did your score card look like? How many are you REALLY  doing right now?  How many need attention right now? Now where do you need to go next?  If you need guidance such as book sources try Speak and Grow Rich by Dottie Walters, Wake 'Em Up! : How to Use Humor & Other Professional Techniques to Create Alarmingly Good Business Presentationsby Thom Antion, and Shameless Self-Promotion by Arnold Sanow and Judith Byrne.  These authors tell you exactly how to develop and market your business and are available for consult.

References

Baber, A. and Waymon, L. (1992). Great connections, Small talk and networking for businesspeople. Manassas, VA: Impact Publications

Godin, S. (2003). Purple cow. New York, New York: Portfolio, a member of Penguin Group.

Sanow, A. (2001).The money making speaking for big $$$ system. Vienna, VA: The Business Source.

Giggle, U. and Profits, C.  (2015). Laughable marketing tips for humor professionals. Timbucktu, WA: Funny Lady Publishing.

 

Roz Trieber works with organizations to reduce stress and increase productivity using humor and improvisation. For more information on Roz ’s speaking programs, books, cd's and learning programs contact HUMORFUSION at 410.998.9585 or Roz@humorfusion.com. (www.humorfusion.com)

© 2004 Copyright by Roz Trieber and Trieber Associates, Inc.

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