A Surer Path to Paid Speaking

"Meeting planners don't pay you for what you've achieved; they pay you for what you can help their audience achieve." - Sam Horn, The Intrigue Expert

A potential client contacted me to say he'd like to kick-start his speaking career.

I told him, "Great, we can do that" and asked about his background.

He was a highly successful entrepreneur who just had a lucrative exit.

That was good news, but he'd never spoken before.

I told him, "First things first. The first step is to craft an excellent presentation that leverages your EEE - Experience, Expertise, Epiphanies - so you have a one-of-a-kind talk that inspires people and moves them to take tangible action.

Next step is to hone that talk by speaking pro bono to select groups to earn the right to charge for your speaking."

He pushed back. "But I didn't think I'd have to 'start at the bottom' and speak for free because of who I am."

I told him, "You're not starting at the bottom. A good basketball player wouldn't expect to jump directly to the NBA. S/he would expect to pay their dues by playing in college so they've put in their 10,000 hours (thanks, Malcolm Gladwell) and proven they got what it takes to get paid to perform at that high level.

Same-same with speaking.

Speaking pro bono (in the beginning) is simply understanding that getting a lot of 'reps' is the key to becoming a student of the craft so you can master your craft."

I added, "Naomi Rhode, past President of National Speakers Association, told members that "My theme for the year is 'The Privilege of the Platform.'

Agreed. It is a privilege - and a responsibility - to ask people to give us their valuable time, mind, and dime.

We earn that right by investing the sweat equity to become a speaker decision-maker can trust to earn our fee by delivering real-world value for their audience."

My client understood this, and we're in the process of developing a relevant signature talk that delivers original, memorable, actionable insights.

How about you? Would you like to get paid to speak?

If so, please understand, it's not enough to think:

* " I wrote a book."

* "I’m an expert on this topic."

* "I ran a successful business."

* "I achieved something extraordinary."

* I'm a thought leader or social media influencer."

Congratulations to you for doing that.

Next step is to develop a one-of-a-kind talk that will:

* affect change in your audience

* inspire people to stop, start, or do something differently as a result of hearing your message

* motivate people to want to be a better person, parent, partner, or leader - and to have specific ways to do that.

* be an ROI for program planners who see changed behavior in their attendees for weeks/months after you speak

The next step is to develop your stage presence by getting stage practice.

You can do that by reaching out to groups that are a match for your message and offer to speak for free.

The good news is, once you have stage presence, stage practice, and stage proof (testimonials from meeting planners thanking you for delivering real-world value for their audiences), you can go from free to fee.

I share ways to do that in my upcoming master class.

My friend Bud Gardner, (co-author with Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul), said, "When you speak, your words echo across the room and down the hall. But when you write, your words echo down the ages."

If you commit to designing and delivering a world-class presentation, your words echo across the stages and down the ages - for years to come.

And that's a win for everyone.