Quick Tips For Building A Speaker Press Kit

The first thing you need to start building your speaker press kit is an expert bio. Many people may already have a generic version of their bio, but you’ll need one that is also tailored to you as a speaker for these purposes.

First, we’ll recap what an expert bio really is — then I’ll show you the five or six elements you will want to add in to your own step-by-step. An expert bio for your speaker press kit will be a slightly altered version of whatever bio you currently have. It should highlight your past speaking engagements, who has hired you and when, and what topics you speak on.

Then we need to focus on your program. Your signature program is the one you will be leading with, the one you want to be known for. It’s the one you want to do a thousand times. You may have three or four other ancillary programs as well (I know I still do to this day!), but your signature program is the one we want to focus on. For instance, the leading keynote we promote Rory with is “Take The Stairs.”

Next, you’re going to want some professional headshots. There are many other types of pictures you will need as well. (Pre-COVID, this meant getting pictures of you speaking onstage). Having photos of you speaking, even if it’s not truly during a speaker event, is important for your press kit.

Don’t think you have to wait until you are doing a presentation! Not that I would encourage breaking any laws per se, but many times you will find that your local ballrooms are open. We all live in cities that have hotels and convention centers. If you find one open, hop on up there! Local tip: if you are here in Nashville, our Nashville Public Library downtown has a beautiful stage that no one knows about within the library. If you live in a metropolitan area, use that idea. Or maybe you have a friend who has access to a stage or a speaker setup.

Regardless, some of the best pictures you are going to get aren’t necessarily of a real speaker event in front of a huge audience, so this is a great way to be photographed! I don’t know about you, but when I get professional photos of me speaking to audience, I wind up getting caught making a bunch of funny faces because I’m being expressive and trying to teach. It’s much easier to focus on posing if you’re on an empty stage!

There are a few other things you’ll need, but that’s a great start. Find out more about what you’ll need in a speaker press kit by visiting our website at www.brandbuildersgroup.com and signing up for one of our 2021 events!