How to Boost Sales: Reflections from a Speaker Coach

Is it true that you have no control over attendance?

Not entirely true.
While you don’t control the agency’s mailing list, ad spend, or registration system,
you do influence at least 50% of the attendance outcome — through your own positioning, follow-up, and strategic relationship with the agencies.

In other words:

“You may not command the troops, but you can influence the battle plan.”
(Sun Tzu: “The skillful commander shapes the battlefield before the fight begins.”)

What You Cannot Control (Accept These)

• The agency’s marketing budget and schedule

• Their email database quality and response rates

• Their internal priorities (they may push other trainers more that week)

• Their final decision on course title, pricing, or date

So yes, there are limitations.

What You Can Influence (and Should)

Below are 7 powerful levers you can pull to increase attendance — even when you’re not in charge of the marketing.

1. Strengthen Your Partnership with Each Agency

• Don’t wait passively — act like their strategic ally.

• Send them ready-to-use promotional copy, eye-catching posters, and LinkedIn blurbs before they ask.

  • Make it easy for them to promote you.

  • E.g. “Here’s a 100-word LinkedIn caption and a 30-word version for WhatsApp.”

• Ask them for insights on past campaigns (“What got best response before?”).

👉 Sun Tzu parallel: “Those who prepare the battlefield win before the war begins.”

---

2. Drive Traffic from Your Own Channels

You can legally and ethically drive sign-ups through your own circle even if registration happens on the agency’s site.

• Share their registration link on your LinkedIn, Facebook, WeChat, email list, and WhatsApp groups.

• Frame it as value, not marketing:

  “I’ll be speaking at this session on Win Without Fighting. It’s a powerful lesson on leadership and influence — limited seats, register here (link).”

• If you have video snippets or past testimonials, use them.

• Mention that “It’s subsidised/agency-organised,” which gives credibility.

---

3. Build a “Star Trainer” Image Inside the Agency

Agencies push courses from trainers who:

• Are easy to work with

• Attract repeat participants

• Give them high evaluations

➡️ You can actively:

• Share short post-event reports with them (attendance, highlights, participant feedback).

• Give them participant testimonials they can quote.

• Offer to run a special preview session for their corporate clients (5–10 mins).

Once they see results, they will push you more.

4. Create Cross-Promotion Momentum

• If one agency has your event listed, tell the others.
  (“CCISG’s run is full — would Aventis want to open another?”)

• When they sense demand, they promote faster.

• Mention on LinkedIn: “Due to popular demand, this course with CCISG is running again next month with Aventis.”
  → builds perceived success and social proof.

5. Activate Alumni

You have many past participants from Yijing, SuperME, and Sun Tzu programs.
Send them a warm message:

“Hi [Name], I’ll be conducting a new Art of War leadership session with [Agency] next week. I think it’s highly relevant for government and management teams. Would you like to share with your colleagues?”

They’ll often forward or even bring colleagues.

6. Convert Your Talks & Posts into Enrollment Magnets

• Every talk, podcast, post, or short video can end with:

  “If you’d like to experience this live, my next workshop Win Without Fighting is happening on [Date].”

• Keep one always-active bitly link for easy reference (you can update the destination behind it).

7. Use Your Feedback Scores as Marketing Fuel

When you get a strong evaluation (e.g., 4.8/5 from 36 participants), ask the agency:

• “Can we use this quote or testimonial on next campaign visuals?”

• “Would you like me to do a short LinkedIn article summarising the success story and tag your company?”

They’ll appreciate the publicity — and next time, they’ll feature you more prominently.

4. Quick Checklist Before Every Course Launch

Stage	What Andy Can Do
4 weeks before	Send agency 3 ready-made captions + 1 poster
3 weeks before	Post on your own social media with agency link
2 weeks before	Message past participants personally
1 week before	Share short 30-sec video: “What you’ll learn”
Post-event	Share results & testimonials (for next round)

5. Leverage Your Unique Edge

You’re not just another trainer — you’re the bridge between ancient Chinese wisdom and modern leadership.

Your distinctive blend of Sun Tzu + Yijing + SuperME (PLG) gives you:

• Deep intellectual depth (appeals to government & professional audiences)

• Practical frameworks (appeals to managers)

• Heart-based humanism (appeals to HR & L&D)

That’s a marketing goldmine.
Agencies often don’t know how to frame that, but you do. So give them your words and tone.

Summary: Your True Influence Over Attendance

Type of Control	Example	Impact
Direct control	Your own marketing, alumni, LinkedIn posts	Medium–High
Indirect control	Quality of your content, feedback, and agency relationship	High
No control	Agency’s budget, email database	Low

So, you don’t control the battlefield, but you can shape the terrain — and that’s exactly how Sun Tzu wins without fighting.