The Seven Major Industries for Speakers

Who do you want to speak to?

This is a question I often ask speakers, and almost always the answer is “I want to speak to everyone, Grant. Everyone needs my help. I want everyone to hear my story. I want to help anyone willing to listen, anyone who needs my motivation, inspiration, and education.” That’s great. I know it seems smart to cast the net as wide as possible and try to craft a message that appeals to everyone, but it won’t work. This is the fastest way to be ignored.

Speaking to “everyone” is really the same as speaking to no one, because who wants to hear a message that’s for everyone? It’s like buying a coat that’s “one size fits all.” It’s just not true. Either it will be too big or it will be too small, or maybe if you’re lucky it’ll be just right. It is better to say, “This is who my work is for; it’s not for everyone, but it just might be for you.” You don’t want to speak to all people. You want to speak to the ones who need your message, who are waiting to hear what you have to say, and as soon as they hear it respond, “Yes! This was just for me.” The best way to break out as a speaker is to find an audience who needs your message and speak directly to them. In other words, you have to choose an industry.

Make no mistake, though. This is a decision, and like all decisions, choosing what industry you’re going to focus on as a speaker will limit your ability to reach other people. In the end, though, it will make you a more effective communicator and a more successful speaker. Why? Because you will be speaking to specific people, and when they hear your message, they’ll know it’s for them. So which industry is right for you, and how do you know?

Let’s look at the most common industries that have a demand for speakers so you have an idea of what to choose from. It may be that you’re already in a particular industry and you just didn’t know it. Or it may be time to start making some important decisions. Either way, once you focus on an industry, you’ll have a lot more clarity concerning who you’re speaking to and how to reach them.

The Seven Major Industries for Speakers

Knowing who you’re speaking to and what that audience expects is crucial to your success. There are seven major industries for speakers that you should be aware of.

Corporations

Large companies are always looking for speakers to help with ongoing training and education, industry events, and company retreats. These companies are a great source of revenue because they tend to have good-sized speaker budgets every year for events. Once you break into this industry, it can create a significant and consistent source of income for you as a speaker. But event planners are typically looking for a certain kind of speaker who fits their agenda, so breaking in can be difficult, and since these events usually pay well, it can be competitive. But once you’re in, it can be a very steady source of speaking gigs and clients.

Associations

Associations are any group that gathers around a common cause. The American Psychological Association, Future Farmers of America, the National Press Photographers Association, and the Association for Project Management are all examples of associations. These groups meet around a shared interest or profession and often have large conferences or trainings that are well-funded for speakers. Once you become a part of a certain association’s ecosystem, it can be fairly easy to keep getting booked, as many associations have multiple chapters that can refer speakers to each other.

Faith-Based Organizations

Churches, synagogues, and other places of worship are used on a regular basis to gather and have someone deliver a message. This is where I started out speaking, and these venues can be great places to practice and even get paid. Larger religious organizations may have a regular speaking budget set aside for guest speakers, but typically these events don’t pay as well as other industries. However, in this industry there tend to be a lot of events, and if nothing else, it can be a great place to practice speaking. Not to mention, if you are delivering a faith-based message, this can be a very meaningful setting to share such a message.

Nonprofits

This includes local groups like Rotary Clubs, chambers of commerce, or other local civic groups, as well as nongovernment and nonprofit organizations that do community work in areas like pregnancy support, job skill training, and health and wellness. This also applies to groups like energy co-ops and credit unions. And don’t be fooled by the name; just because the organization is a nonprofit doesn’t mean they don’t have money to pay a speaker.

Government and Military

This can be local, state, or federal government departments that bring in speakers for events or trainings. The military also brings in speakers for various trainings at their bases as well as other training and support services for soldiers and their families, and the budgets for these events can be quite large. The military is a great industry to break into, because as difficult as it is to break in, once you’re in, you’re usually in for good. So it can be a place of steady referrals for ongoing work.

Colleges and Universities

Universities are often large entities and hard to get into, so it’s better to be more specific and try to speak for groups that gather on campus. For example, this could be new student orientation groups, campus life activities, Greek life (fraternities and sororities), or even student government. Most schools also have hundreds of clubs and student groups on a wide range of topics that may bring in speakers. There are lots of opportunities to speak and get paid for a college gig other than a commencement speech.

Education (K–12)

There are literally thousands of elementary, middle, and high schools around the U.S. Many of them bring in speakers for back-to-school rallies, pretest encouragements, and general assemblies throughout the year. In addition, plenty of schools have opportunities to speak to teachers and parents.

How to choose your industry as a speaker

Whenever I share these seven industries, people ask me which one pays the best, which I get, but honestly that’s the wrong question. The truth is that speakers thrive in all of these areas if they are good and know how to effectively reach that audience. So the better question is, “Which industry am I best suited for?” And keep in mind, you can’t say “all of them.” Even if that’s true, it just doesn’t work. Remember, every potential client wants someone who is just right for their event.

Once you’ve picked an industry, choosing which problem to solve will become much easier, because now you can narrow it down to a more specific topic. For example, if you’re speaking to a group of military leaders, you can now ask the question, “What struggles do these people have, and how can I help?”

Knowing who you’re speaking to can help you figure out what topic to speak on. So industry comes first, and interest follows.