Hey, welcome to the Summit Host Hangout Podcast where you'll learn how to host a high converting virtual summit that leads to your biggest signature offer launch yet. I'm your host Krista from Summit in a Box, and today in Episode 206, I want to chat about a topic that I've experimented a lot with over the past couple months and that is landing, quote unquote big name speakers for your virtual summit. I no hesitation and nerves around pitching and lining up speakers is totally normal. Okay, and feeling like there's no way you can land the big names is something I hear about a lot, and it's something I felt a lot. So first, I want to let you know about a few past episodes we have about pitching speakers. So in Episode 17, way back in Episode 17, we talked about connecting before you pitch. In Episode 20, we talked about hearing yes, more than no when you pitch. In Episode 99, we talked about why speakers say yes when you pitch them. And then Episode 111, we talked about the biggest mistakes to avoid when pitching. We'll link to all of those in the in the show notes, so you can dive in real deep on this topic if you want to. But in this episode, we're going to cover why you should probably change the way you're looking at the big name speakers on your list. We'll talk about why the secret to landing well known speakers probably isn't what you think it is. We'll talk talk about of course what that secret actually is, and then I'll share my experience along the way.
So let's start with why you should probably change the way you're looking at the big name speakers on your list, and really, there are two reasons okay. The first reason is that they're all just people. Okay? It is easy to get in the mindset of seeing successful business owners as like celebrities, right? And letting your subconscious mind tell you that they're more important or better than you because of it. But the truth is, these people might have more commitments, they might be pickier about what they say yes to because they need to get bigger results, they might be stricter about their boundaries, but they're not better or more important than anyone else. Right? Like, honestly, there are a lot of times where I get on zoom with people, whether it is for their podcast for mine for a coaching call, and they like fan girl, and I'm like, oh, I am so not a big deal. My husband always gets a kick out of that too. And like keep that in mind, okay, no one is better than you. They are all just people, but they might have different priorities or be busier than you. Okay, so please don't like place someone on a pedestal and look at them as like better as a human.
The second thing I want you to kind of look at a little differently is that big names are actually less likely to promote. Okay, we talked about, you know, just now why big names aren't necessarily all they're cracked up to be as far as how big of a deal they are. But it also comes into play with the results they'll bring to your Summit. Big name speakers are way less likely to promote than people who are still working hard to grow their business and see more value in what you're doing. And this usually comes back to commitments and boundaries again, like I used to send as many solo emails as was required. When I was part of a summit or a bundle, it didn't really matter to me what the requirement was, a lot of times I didn't have my own stuff going on. So I had no problem sending out three plus emails. But now I am way pickier, and I am upfront about it with people, I'm pitched for more opportunities. Now. I don't want to like bombard my audience with summits and bundles and make them tune out or unsubscribe to what I'm working very, very hard to do. And I'm careful around how much I'm pitching or promoting to leave room for my own offers. And that does count for a free thing. So like for me, I'm never almost never I shouldn't say never, almost never gonna send more than one email about something because I have my own stuff going on. I worked very hard for the email list I built. And like, that's a big part of why, again quote unquote, I'm doing air quotes every time I say that big name speakers are less likely to promote some won't promote at all.
So it's an it's not that they're too good to promote, or that there's anything super negative about it all the time, but they just tend to be pickier about what they send to their list. So again, it goes back to commitments and boundaries. Some people have said that they really want like, I don't care if they if they don't promote I just want their face on my registration page. But that really only goes so far. Right? Do people really care that much about their face on your registration page? You know, that's your call, but I personally don't see a whole lot of value in that. My point for this section is don't place more value on landing big name speakers and you should they are just people who have found success animal probably quite honestly be way more difficult to deal with. We have definitely seen that trend with bigger name people, at least when we don't have relationships with them. They're harder to get a hold of because you're going through their team who was very protective of them in their time and what kind of emails or communication they see and it's just harder to get what you need from them and to get like really any results from them participating.
Okay, so now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about what you probably feel like even subconsciously, the secret is to landing big name speakers. So, have you ever felt like being able to land someone who is more successful depends on you being a big deal yourself. Like maybe you've thought something like I'm not a big deal, so I will not be able to land any big name speakers. It's an easy reason to accept, but I've seen firsthand and the summons I've put together recently how much this really doesn't matter. Okay, a summit we're very involved in, right now, the person hosting is a big deal. Multiple seven figure companies, blue checkmarks on Instagram, are over a million email subscribers, I owned their products before I even knew who they were, like, big deal as far as business owners go. But you would not believe the struggle, they have landing speakers. Okay. I never would have imagined the amount of follow up that had to happen, the number of calls that would be involved to convince people, how many no's and just no responses that would happen. For me, usually when I pitch speakers for a summit, I might get like zero to three, like up to three no's, and that's it. For this summit I'm talking about. So far to get 20 yeses, there have been over 80 pitches. This is for someone with over a million subscribers and a blue checkmark. Okay, so if you're doubting yourself because of the size of your following, or the success you've had in business, please relieve some of that pressure from yourself because that is not it. Okay, that is not what matters.
It all comes down to the true key to landing big names and just speakers in general. And that's relationships. Okay. And I know you might hear that and want to just immediately tune out or roll your eyes. But did you hear those stats I just shared I, little old me, pitched some very well known business owners from our last summit, who are extremely picky about what they say yes to and I got one no, because that person was launching at the same time as my Summit. That person with a blue checkmark has gotten 60 noes or no responses As of recording this in the spots are not filled yet. The difference is that I've been building relationships for years. And this person hasn't built any relationships in the niche, there are mentors for. Both of the events are very well positioned. The speakers were pitching target the perfect audiences in both of these events, but I have relationships and this other person doesn't, and it makes a world of difference. Okay, for some of the summit, the summit we hosted in December, we decided to go for some more well known people in the space, I understand that they tend not to promote as much or at all sometimes.
But since we're more successful now than we were last time we hosted a summit we have a bigger audience, we felt comfortable putting strict requirements on our speakers and setting the expectation from the beginning that we only want them to say yes, if they're willing to promote, I literally said that in my pitch. And really, I also looked at that as a major reason they wouldn't be interested, like I'm telling them what to do. They are a big deal. Like they don't need me, right. And I looked at that as a reason they wouldn't be interested. They're already bigger names have a lot on their plate, they see a lot of success. They don't do many summits. And now I'm adding promotion requirements. And I remember like freaking out to my team about it. In the days I was avoiding sending these pitches, saying at least half the people are gonna say no, and I was trying to position it positively, like I know going in at least half of them were gonna say no, we're just gonna do it anyway, but I eventually did it. And one said no. And again, that was because of a launch she had going on at the same time. And we decided on another way to collaborate instead. And everyone else got back to me right away and said, Yes, and was totally fine with the promo requirement. Why is that? Relationships.
And it's not like I've intentionally gone around over the years picking and choosing people I might want to collaborate with in the future and trying to like, weasel my way into being their friend. Honestly, if you have to do that, I don't necessarily think it's bad. As long as like you make sure it's mutually beneficial. Like, if you're someone who has to be really intentional about building relationships, and it doesn't just come natural, that's fine. For me, it has always come really naturally to just support other people. And when I see someone doing something awesome, I share it, or I tell them that I think it's awesome. I invest in other people just naturally like the number of my speakers I've paid for our coaching group programs or a course is like hilarious. It's It's like they're doing awesome things that I truly believe in. And I buy all the things like I have a lot of friends and a mastermind to tease me that my face is on every single sales page as a testimonial, like it's just how I am. Again, that's not necessarily something I do strategically, but it is something you could pay closer attention to. If you have to, like who do you invest in? Can you you know, make more opportunity from the people you invest in and like kind of plan collaborations down the road. I'm sure that won't work for everyone just kind of depending on your niche and stuff like that, but it's something to keep in mind. Even though I was afraid of pitching these speakers. There were existing relationships reps with almost all of them. There was one person in my lineup who I didn't already know. And then the one person who said no with someone I hadn't talked to before. Maybe not a coincidence, right? relationships matter is my point here. Okay, that is the secret.
So, no matter where you are in business, I want you to stop for a minute and consider how you make your decisions about what you participate in. So if you were pitched for what were seemingly the exact same summits, one hosted by someone you know, and one hosted by someone you've never heard of, which one, are you going to be more likely to say Yes to? Which one are you going to want to promote more? Obviously, the one with a relationship, right? And as I've gotten pickier over the last couple years, that's one of the biggest factors at play when I'm making a decision. And I'm always going to look at positioning no matter what ,like how well is this event or bundle or whatever it is put together? Is it positioned well? Is it an audience I want to be in front of? If it is, whether or not I know the person has a big part to play in the way I go about deciding from there. If I know the person I go in wanting to say Yes, right. Like I want to say yes to them. If I don't know that person, I go in looking for a reason to say yes, but kind of leaning towards No. Again, not because I'm like evil or think I'm too big of a deal. Because we can only commit to making so many presentations or promoting so many things. So I have to be picky, right. And that's the way other people look at it as well. That definitely doesn't mean I never say yes to someone I don't know. Over the past couple months, I've been into bundles hosted by people I didn't know and I'm so glad I know those people now. But my approach to making the decision up front is very, very different. And I want you to keep that in mind. Okay, so relationships are the big secret.
What should you do from here? That's kind of dependent on just kind of how you are what you already do. If you're not someone who naturally builds relationships, start being intentional about it. Okay, it will pay off even though I'm sure it will be uncomfortable. Michelle Warner's networking that pays course is amazing. I've gone through it it has helped me so much. Jordan Gill at system saved me also has a Revenue Rolodex training that is pure gold. It's positioned as helping service based business owners or at least it was at first, positioned as helping them get referrals, but it is so good for stuff like this too, and we'll link to those things in the shownotes for you. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode For show notes and resources head to summithosthangout.com/206. I know for some of you you're like not relationships, but also this is something you can work out and control and build on over time. Okay, so let it be exciting to you. You can land big name speakers. In the next episode, I'm going to share some fun behind the scenes stuff with you so be sure to stay tuned for that. Now go out and take action to plan, strategize and launch your high converting virtual Summit.
