Whether you have an established business, are an expert in your field, or just have a powerful personal message you want to share with the world, breaking into the arena of speaking opportunities can be overwhelming even if you already have some speaking engagements under your belt.
If you’re here, reading this article, then you’ve already taken the first step (see below), so, good on ya! There are around two to three million (yes, million) meetings and events a year in the U.S. alone that are looking for speakers for their next event or meeting. Here some tips to get you started on that speaking career you’ve always wanted.
- Research: Read articles (like this one). Look at websites of speakers with topics similar to yours. Where do they speak? Research those events to see who else they book. Who will your message resonate with the most? Who will your talk help and how? What types of events do they go to? Watch videos of past speaker talks at those events – What do you like about each talk? What nonverbal cues resonate with you? What is the audience responding best to, and why? Is there anything you would change if this were your talk?
- Topic: What are you good at? What do you love? You can speak about anything you want as long as you are passionate about it and you specialize in it. When you talk about your speech, always talk in terms of the transformation, change, or outcome that will occur when people listen to your talk. You never talk about the material in your talk, you talk about the outcome. Start with three topics and build or subtract from ones that you know aren’t popular or don’t seem to get a lot of requests.
- Brand: Take what you’ve learned in your research and begin crafting your brand. Why would a place want you to come and speak? What benefit can you offer their members? Remember, this is about how listening to you will HELP their members or attendees in some way. Start on your speaker one sheet (an info sheet about you, your background, your topics, audience benefit, and if you’ve done any speaking engagements be sure to highlight them here and in your online presence).
- Online Presence: Combine your research, topic, and brand and begin building your online presence. Create a 2- or 3-page website that speaks to your perfect audience. Craft your speaker bio and media kit based on what you’ve learned. Begin building your social media brand and make it consistent and relevant. This is the perfect spot to bring in some outsourcing, you will need help to craft a professional and appealing web presence. Develop powerful sound bites that resonate with your audience – people want meaningful quotes they can take away from the experience, short yet powerful messages that will trigger the memory and meaning behind your message.
- Events: Start small and local to practice and perfect your message and delivery. Hone your skills and start building your resume. Join an online free speaker bureau, there are several of them that will let you create a free profile and browse through their speaking events. Unless you are already famous there are very few organizations that will pay for a speaker with no prior speaking history. Build your portfolio, record events you speak and have someone edit the videos and post them on your website so that event organizers can see what you have to offer. Keep in mind that just because you are not being paid to speak at an event, does not mean it does not have unlimited profit potential for you. If you’re an author, it can boost sales. If you’re a coach, you’ve just met potential new clients. You may have just booked 3 or 4 more events from this one, gained referrals, started that avalanche of opportunities that every speaker dreams of. Warning – do not make this a sales pitch. Keep your message centered around the benefits or problems your talk can help solve, your focus should be on the audience, not yourself.
Don’t limit yourself. A nutritionist, a sports medicine doctor or a relationship expert could speak at a gym or a spa; a financial advisor or tax accountant could speak during the lunch hour at a restaurant downtown; a contractor, handyman or electrician could speak at a privately-owned hardware store or lumber yard; a life coach or self-improvement expert could speak at a tea shop or a boutique grocer. There are literally thousands of opportunities just waiting for you.
It might seem overwhelming but like anything else, as long as you have a plan and system in place and the right people on your team, you’ll be able to adapt and evolve and before you know it, you’ll be an expert speaker with countless opportunities to share your message and affect, maybe even change, the lives of others. If you are looking to begin your speaking career, Create 2 Sell would love to speak with you and see if we can help you along the way. Regardless, we wish you the best of luck with your speaking adventure, enjoy the incredible journey in front of you!
Until next time … to your success!
Paige Jackson
Create 2 Sell