A s an influential speaker and an engaging coach, you’re part of an elite group that understands the importance of securing more engagements and making a dramatic first impression that keeps event planners hungry for more. This is the essence of our story. It all began with a beautiful yet cunningly simple tactic born out of an interview with Sherri Salata, Oprah Winfrey’s executive producer in 2009. It honed over time into what we now call the exclusive and coveted Speaker Swag Box. Before delving into the crux of my strategy, let me share more about that enlightening interaction that changed my perspective on branding as a speaker. While chatting with Ms. Salata, I discovered the golden nugget of her selection process for Oprah’s book club. It was less about the merit of the words within a book’s pages and more about its packaging. Books sent in more creative packaging went into one pile, and those in the standard manilla envelopes went directly
to the janitor’s closet. Once again, proving that first impressions matter. Taking that seemingly simple but significant revelation, I began to ponder its potential application beyond book publishing. Could a speaker like myself use this same strategy to make a compelling impression on event planners? As I soon discovered, the answer was a resounding ‘yes’. The Speaker Swag Box concept was conceived as a dynamic means to carry forward my
speaker profile – not as a mere collection of DVDs or business cards – but to include a personally curated combination of a magazine, book, one-sheet, and distinctive ‘Lea’ swag. Each item, carefully selected, told a part of my story and brought the essence of my brand to life. This thoughtfully packaged personal brand offering provided an impressive introduction before I took to the stage attracted rave reviews and significantly increased my bookings. It left an indelible mark on the minds
Speaker Life
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