Are you a speaker who is fighting to distinguish yourself in a sea of sameness?

For the past few months, I have been engaging in deeper conversations with speaker bureau and management colleagues focused on the current state of market saturation in the speaking industry. From the sea of voices to the newly opened doors of bureaus and management companies, there is no denying this industry continues to grow at an exponential rate.

The question that continues to dominate for all of us is:

How do you stand out in a sea of sameness?"

Two things still remain true for speakers:

New speakers need to get their reps in. And new or seasoned speakers need to figure out their market distinction.

I had a deeper conversation about both of these strategies with two people who have created market distinction through their collaborative partnership. Dave Sanderson is a leadership speaker and Miracle on the Hudson survivor, and Lea Woodford is the CEO of SmartFem Media Group and the Founder of Speaker Life Magazine.

Lea has hired Dave to speak at multiple events because she saw him as a speaker who understood the evolution of a message and the need to be of service to an audience beyond your story. She also encouraged him to consider starting a digital magazine to create additional market distinction, which she and her team have helped him create. We dive into that and more in our conversation, but here are some highlights:

Creating Market Distinction as a speaker

Dave Sanderson is a perfect example of a speaker who could have just grown his speaking career sharing one fascinating story about how he survived the Miracle on the Hudson. But, his natural tendency to be a mentor inspired him to listen to audience feedback differently when he started his speaking journey. He understood that success in speaking isn't about perfecting one message, but about continuously refining your content based on audience response. Dave's approach of treating each keynote as a learning opportunity demonstrates how speakers can evolve from sharing a story to delivering transformative value, that ultimately gets you known as a "spin business speaker" whom clients want to bring back again and again.

Market distinction happens when you pay closer attention to the audiences you serve beyond the keynote.

Here's a clip from Dave.

What's Your Added Value?

Another topic we discussed was the importance of added value. While many speakers are also bestselling authors, like Dave whose newest book is The Limitless Life, he has taken content distribution a step further with the creation of his digital magazine Moments Matter. This provides him with the opportunity to highlight stories from other inspiring leaders and further curate messaging for his audiences, but it also provides a rich streamline of information to keep his talks even more relevant and engaging. Dave routinely offers the link to his magazine to the companies he speaks for, providing lasting value well beyond his initial appearance on stage. You can download a complimentary copy HERE.

There's no question that the market is saturated with speakers right now, but the real question remains...what can you do to really stand out to both agents and their clients?

Key Takeaways:

1. Deliberate Iteration Is Key: Success in speaking isn't just about perfecting one message, but about continuously refining your content based on audience response. Dave Sanderson's approach of treating each keynote as a learning opportunity demonstrates how speakers can evolve from sharing a story to delivering transformative value.
2. Create Multiple Touchpoints: Standing out requires going beyond the stage. Through unique collaboration like Dave and Lea have with his magazine Moments Matter, Dave shows how speakers can extend their impact and create ongoing engagement with their audience long after the keynote ends.
3. Strategic Partnerships Matter: The collaboration between Dave and Lea Woodford illustrates how strategic partnerships can amplify a speaker's market presence and create unique differentiation opportunities.

I have included the full interview below with Dave and Lea who have clearly found a way to partner and elevate their messages in unique ways.

Standing Out as A Speaker - Market Distinction

Ready to elevate your speaking career? Start by asking yourself these three questions:

• What unique perspective do you bring to your core message?
• How are you gathering and incorporating audience feedback?
• What additional value can you create beyond the stage?

What advice do you have for speakers to overcome the sea of sameness? Join the conversation and drop a comment below.

Find out more about Dave Sanderson: HERE

Find out more about Lea Woodford: HERE