In 2014, I was in the thick of managing a successful speaker in the healthcare space. My number one responsibility was walking with clients before, during and after their events.
And I loved it.
The speaker I managed was responsible for how the audience felt. I was responsible for how the client felt. And I took that seriously.
At that time, we were working with a Chief Nursing Officer who had brought him in for her entire hospital. Over months of emails and calls about logistics, we got to know her.
Not just her title. Not just her budget. But her.
Somewhere along the way, she mentioned she loved those inflatable men you see outside car dealerships. The ones flailing in the wind, folding at the middle like they have no bones. She could not drive past one without laughing our loud. It was a small detail. Easy to overlook.
After every event, we had a rhythm of Aftercare.
A thoughtful, branded handwritten thank you card was a part of this. But this time, we pivoted.
We found a card with one of those inflatable men on the front instead. We wrote our thank you and tucked a tiny, table-sized inflatable man inside that she could keep on her desk. It cost less than lunch. It was simple. But it showed we were listening.
Years later, she told us she still had it on her desk. And yes, she brought us back again. And again. And again.
She even referred us to an association she was part of.
Now, I could tell you that happened because an incredible program was delivered every time. And that would be true.
I could tell you it happened because we were responsive, organized and professional. That would be true too. Those things matter.
But if I am honest, I think it also happened because she felt seen. She felt important. And understood. She felt like more than a name on a contract.
So many speakers focus, rightly, on how the audience feels in the room. That matters.
The room should feel changed. Challenged. Championed.
But there is another room that matters just as much. The one with the client.
Where decisions about budgets, repeat bookings and referrals are made long after the applause fades.
And…how did you make them feel?
- Did they feel supported?
- Cared for in the process?
- Like you were a partner?
It is easy to obsess over content and funnels and positioning. I teach those things too. They matter.
But the business between stages is built in the moments most speakers rush past.
- Thoughtful touchpoints.
- Listening for the small details.
- The way you show up along the way.
At the other end of every agreement is a human being. And when they feel valued, they come back.
They remember you.
They tell other people.
Not because you were perfect.
But because you cared.
Your Turn
Take out a piece of paper and turn it horizontal.
Draw a straight line down the middle.
On the far left, write Inquiry.
On the far right, write Aftercare.
Now ask yourself:
What are the touchpoints a client moves through when doing business with you?
From the moment they inquire…to the experience they have long after the event is over.
Have you ever intentionally mapped that journey before?
If not, give it a try today.
If you have, take another look.
Where is one place the experience could be elevated?
Sometimes the difference between a one-time booking and a long-term client isn’t the talk itself.
It’s the experience surrounding it.
Celebrating your success,
Tay