3 Things that will jump-start your speaking career

Whether you are starting out, have decided to turn the occasional speaking engagement into a career path, or have been doing it for years and feel you’ve hit a rut, here are three things to do if you want to jump-start your speaking career:

1. Look at how you market yourself from the perspective of an event planner

I read recently that 53% of meeting planners find their speakers through web searches on the topics they want to cover at their event.

If a meeting planner was looking for a speaker with your expertise, would you show up in their search?

And if they found you, would your SpeakerHub profile and speaker website provide them with what they need to consider you? Is it meeting planner friendly?

This means it includes a page where meeting planners can find all they need if they are interested in considering you for a speaking engagement:

• speaker one sheet,
• bio,
• Photos,
• video reel(s),
• topics with descriptions,
• media information,
• articles,
• list of past speaking engagements,
• and more to intrigue them.

2. Be open to all opportunities.

I hear too often from speakers they will only speak under certain conditions: they get paid a certain fee, there are a certain number of people in the room, they can sell their products.

I can tell you so many stories where being open-minded catapulted careers of of the speakers I have worked with.

Two quick examples: 

One speaker I know can close on average 40% of a room into her consulting program without being at all sales-y. She has amazing content and tips that work, therefore people want to learn from her. She accepted a speaking engagement on the East Coast of Canada (she lives in California) where she paid her own expenses and spoke for free. She came home from that engagement not only recouping her expenses but also with a profit of $10,000. 

Another client was told that there were only 10 people signed up for her speaking engagement. As her manager I encouraged her not to cancel, reminding her that she made a commitment. Well, turns out one of the people in that group worked for a large corporation, and told her HR department about my client. Several months later the corporation brought her in to speak for a very nice speaking fee.

3. Remind yourself why you became a speaker. 

Was it for the audience? To share an idea? To teach? 

Keep that approach when you connect with meeting planners. Especially as speakers become more well-known, ego can take over. 

If you start telling yourself, “I will get booked since I have four bestselling books” rather than “I am passionate about sharing this incredible information with your audience” you may want to take another look at your purpose for being out on the circuit in the first place. 

It will make a difference.

Wishing you tons of success!

About the Author:

Jennifer Ellis is the Owner of Life Enlightenment, a management and consulting company for Speakers, Authors, Athletes and Celebrities. Life Enlightenment was established in 2001 out of a desire to enlighten the lives of others through avenues that are uplifting and inspired. Website: www.Life-Enlightenment.com.