Abeginning speaker might
consider becoming a licensee, while an
experienced speaker might become a
licensor. It’s necessary to explore both
sides of this business-boosting coin with
an open mind.
A licensee uses someone else’s intellectual property (IP) to make a profit
and provide enhanced value to a client.
This person also could be called a
licensee, a certified trainer/presenter, an
associate, a regional manager, or a certified coach.
In contrast, a licensor is an individual or company who shares their
IP with a licensee so that both make a
profit and provide enhanced value to a
client. IP may include a broad base of
material or a very small item that constitutes a minimal part of a speaker’s
presentation.
The following are examples of IP:
A complete presentation with all
tools necessary to constitute a topic
offering
A small segment (topic area) of a
presentation
An assessment
A book or workbook
A DVD
A coaching program
A learning tool
A webinar
An e-book
Advantages of Being a Licensee
The main advantage of becoming a
licensee is to increase your content and
topic offerings quickly. Assuming that
the IP is strong and the training pro-
vided is effective, becoming a licensee is
the fastest way to develop and perfect
material and the shortest route to pre-
senting solid content to a new or repeat
client.
Before Taking
the Licensee Leap
Investigate any licensing
program by asking:
When did you begin licensing this
material?
What is your success ratio?
Why are some licensees successful
and others not?
May I contact four or five licensees?
What can I expect to make if I’m
in the top 10 percent of your
licensees?
How can I best see and understand
the content that I am licensing?
Can you tell me about the training,
both initially and later?
What are the restrictions on
licensees?
Some licensing programs create “instant
credibility” for the licensee because of the
name recognition of the founder, author
or company. This is a “door opener” to
meeting planners and a legitimacy builder
for you on the platform.
Experienced speakers often become
licensees, which enables them to return
to their satisfied clients with a valuable
new topic and content. Being a licensee
not only gives you the training provided
by the licensor, but your fellow licensees—who are in the trenches—can be
helpful in sharing valuable lessons they
have learned.
This all sounds great, but before you
run off and become an overnight success
as a licensee, it’s important to be aware of
the negative aspects of licensing.
