Memphis, Tenn. (PRWEB) January 20, 2014
Executive Speakers Bureau, a full service booking firm for professional keynote speakers, celebrated its 20th anniversary recently. Founded in Memphis in 1993 by Angela Schelp, Executive Speakers Bureau has prospered over the last two decades to become a leader in the field of professional speaking. Schelp, a former sales rep for IBM, started Executive Speakers Bureau in an effort to stay closer to home with her children.
“I was working full time for IBM and traveling all over the Southeast. Because I had a young child and wanted to grow the family, I knew things had to change. Starting my own bureau would allow me to work from home as I grew the business, which gave me the flexibility I was looking for,” Schelp said.
With the sales, customer service and organizational training she received at IBM, Schelp was able to focus on a client-first approach to the business, which she attributes to the company’s success.
“I believe the thing that really helped me starting out was that I was very disciplined in cold calling and finding new clients. I was quick to respond and very thorough in follow up. I worked hard and had the belief that the client is always right and I will do whatever it takes to make them happy. I have had many clients over the years tell me that we are the quickest at response time,” she said.
Since starting out with just a handful of speakers and clients, Executive Speakers Bureau has grown to represent hundreds of speakers for thousands of clients across the globe. Today, Executive Speakers Bureau books speakers covering topics including business, healthcare, sports, entertainment, technology and many more.
The staff at Executive Speakers Bureau work with corporations, associations and other clientele to assess their needs, determine budgets and find what they’re looking to get out of a speaker. They then conduct extensive research to match the client to a suitable speaker. Executive Speakers Bureau ultimately serves as a liaison between the client and speaker, charging no fee to the client and instead collecting a commission from the speaker upon completion of the event.
Schelp attributes the company’s success to an unwavering devotion to customer service and extensive research to ensure speakers are professional, knowledgeable and talented.
For the future, Executive Speakers Bureau is committed to the continued growth of the company and its roster of speakers.