With the end of the year looming, we are again hearing from people who are looking to turn their speaking experience into a business. Or maybe they want to leave their day job in the new year to focus on speaking as a career.
We’ve all read stories about celebrities, ex-politicians and others who make Big Bucks as paid speakers. If you do any speaking at all, you’ve probably been targeted by organizations touting programs which will help you if:
- “You’re tired of speaking for free and want to know how to get paid to speak.”
- ?“You want to hear how “I” went from speaking for free to making $20K per speech.”
- “You have done any speaking and want to know how to turn it into a thriving business.”
Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of terrific trainers and experienced speaker business coaches out there but there are also more predatory organizations which make big promises regardless of the speaker’s experience level, the topic the speaker covers and how much the speaker is willing to invest of their own time and effort in the process.
If you are thinking about a speaking business, here are ten questions for you to ponder
- How experienced a speaker are you? And how good are you really? Is this something you have done a few times, and your friends clapped you on the shoulder and told you it was great? Or do you regularly get invited to speak, AND get invited back? Do you get invitations to speak from the audience? (I.e. Someone saw you speak and hurried up to the stage to hire you to speak to their group.) Reality check time.
- What’s your business model? Most professional speakers have a business model that involves more than simply getting a check from an event organizer. Maybe they are authors and sell books, and their speaking supports book sales (and usually vice-versa.) Maybe they teach classes or offer workshops, whether in-person or online. Perhaps the workshops include the purchase of a workbook or other materials. Maybe they offer consulting, or they facilitate group discussions. Maybe they have a product or service they are selling. Few professional speakers make a good living JUST speaking right off the bat. On our weekly Speaker Friends Zoom calls we talk a lot about speaker business models (see the image at the top of this page.)
- Do you understand who is your perfect audience? What kinds of events and conferences are a good fit for you and your presentations? Are these the kinds of events that pay speakers like you? Lots of events pay only the keynote speakers (or no one) while industry speakers and subject matter experts are expected to speak for visibility.
- How will you acquire paid speaking engagements? Do you have a sales process? A speaking business is just that – a business. Someone must sell the product and if you are just getting started, it is usually you. How will you acquire leads and paying customers?
- Speaking of selling the product, do you understand how speaker’s bureaus work? Many inexperienced “speaking as a business” people think that all their problems will be solved if they get picked up by a speaker’s bureau. Reality is… few bureaus will be interested in you until you are regularly pulling in $5000-7000 per gig, or more, on your own. Bureaus get paid when you do, a percentage of your speaker fee. They aren’t going to do the hard work to get you trained and promoted. You do that first and then, maybe, they might be interested in you.
- Do you have a unique concept and foundation for your speaking? If you are spitting out the same concepts others do, there’s no reason for an event manager to choose you over the person who wrote the book, did the research, or did the original work.
- Why do you speak? If you are speaking to impart knowledge or teach, do you have evidence that your speaking accomplishes the goal? Do you have testimonials, outcomes or research that shows you can move the needle for your audiences?
- Why do you speak? Part II. If you are speaking to “share your story”, I want to give a shoutout and point to Tricia Brouk. Tricia was one of the first people to share the “Speak from the scar, not the wound” theater adage with me. As a speaker, you have a responsibility to your audience. It’s your job to help them, not yourself. If you are still going through drama or trauma, wait. Wait until you can speak from a place of health and healing. Your audience wants to hear lessons and know it is coming from a place of health and safety…for you.
- Do you have all the tools you need to book paid speaking engagements? Do you have a speaker sizzle reel? Do you have a speaker one sheet? A professional headshot? Professional photos of you onstage, speaking to an enthusiastic crowd? How about a speaker website? Do you have testimonials and recommendations?
- What’s your signature talk? What’s the speech that you are known for giving? If you don’t know, you likely aren’t ready for this to be a business.
I spend a lot of time with speakers, event managers and speaker bureaus. Like any business it shouldn’t be entered into lightly. Make sure you are prepared before you give up your day job.
Bobbie Carlton is the founder of Innovation Women, an online "visibility" bureau, directly connecting event managers and speakers/subject matter experts, and offering weekly drop in conversations with speakers.
