by Leisa Reid

The following is an excerpt from my book, Get Speaking Gigs Now. Everyone has a story to tell. We all have experiences, memories, expertise and lessons we have learned that can benefit other people.

But not everyone knows how to tell their story to a group of people for the purpose of attracting their clients in a heart centered way.  

The good news is…now, more than ever, is the best time to learn how to make an impact with your message. Why? Because you can carve out your own way in the speaking world. All you need is the willingness and courage to go for it.

Oh yeah, and a message that is worthy of sharing!

Below are 7 Keys to Attract Clients Through Speaking. These are the exact steps I’ve utilized to book over 600+ speaking engagements. 

Key #1: GET YOUR TALK READY TO ROCK: In order to know what direction you’re going as a speaker, it’s critical that you design a talk that is in alignment with who you are and the services you provide. You don’t want it to sound salesy or pushy in any way, but you also need to be strategic about your talk so that you can utilize your message to build your business. When you are ready to announce to the world that you are a speaker (yay!), the first question will be, “What do you speak about?” and you want to be ready with an answer.

Key #2: CREATE YOUR IDEAL SPEAKING GIG PIPELINE: Many times speakers come to the table with very little sales experience. This can be detrimental to a speaker, because even with an amazing talk prepared, it won’t do any good if nobody hears it. So in the Speaker's Training Academy, one of the modules is completely dedicated to helping speakers build their speaking gig pipeline. In other words, it’s a list of places that would be ideal to speak. You want it to encompass the contact details and links that are pertinent so that you get all of the information in one pass. This can be as simple as a spreadsheet, or if you already have a CRM (Contact Relationship Manager), then simply enter the information into your favorite software program.

Key #3: MONETIZE YOUR SPEAKING: Here’s the bottom line – if the business isn’t monetized, then the business will not survive. You need to have a monetization plan that is aligned with your purpose. This is particularly important if you are a heart centered business owner. Without a monetization plan as a speaker, you risk getting burned out and giving up. There is a balance of giving and receiving, and many times heart centered people want to give, give, give, but have a harder time receiving. In the Speaker's Training Academy, the speakers create a monetization plan that includes VISION + STRATEGY and a monetization menu to choose from given different speaking scenarios, so they can receive financial compensation with grace and ease.

Key #4: CREATE SYSTEMS TO GET ASKED BACK AGAIN & AGAIN: It is a lot easier to get booked a second time, than the first time. Why? Because you’ve already established your trust and credibility. Or did you? Oftentimes, speakers are so concerned with the “talk” part of speaking, all of the “other stuff” takes a back seat. The “other stuff” includes things like checklists, equipment, reliability, audience engagement, respect, flexibility, asking for a speaking referral, following up, posting on social media, and many more details that have nothing to do with the actual talk. There are a lot of details to manage, so having systems in place to manage them are your best bet. Then your mind is clear to focus on delivering your message and giving to the audience.

Key #5: GET A SPEAKER SHEET: A speaker sheet is basically a sales page for you as a speaker. It highlights things such as your speaking topics, headshot, biography, contact information, testimonials, and past speaking experience. I highly recommend you have one, even if you are a brand new speaker, because it is one way to demonstrate credibility in the booking process. Of course, you will need to back it up by delivering a great talk, but it can help get your foot in the door.

Key #6: KEEP YOUR SPEAKING GIG PIPELINE FULL: Keeping your pipeline full will be an on-going activity as a speaker. BUT it doesn’t have to be hard! In fact, you can tap into your warm market (e.g., friends, family, colleagues) to get direct speaking referrals. Start listening for key words like: association, chamber, society, institute, conference, convention, just to name a few. Once you know who your target market is for speaking, you can learn what to listen for and reach out to upcoming events. And when you let the people in your social circle know what to look for, you will be surprised with how many speaking engagements can land in your lap.

Key #7: SCRIPTS FOR GETTING BOOKED & STAYING BOOKED: The phone can seem REALLY heavy when you are not prepared to ask for what you want. If you’ve never been in sales, the idea of prospecting for speaking gigs can seem impossible. 

Here are a couple of tips to help ease the anxiety of prospecting. 

First, have your talk title and description in front of you when you are making your calls. This way, when they ask, “What do you talk about?” you have it handy. It will get easier the more times you do it! 

Second, remember that you are talking to another human being. This is the biggest mistake people make in sales – they think following the magic script will get them the sale. But people can tell when you are reading or speaking from memorized scripts. 

Yes, I share scripts in the Speaker's Training Academy that have helped me book over 600 gigs, but it is more like a conversation guide. It’s a reminder that “IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU.” Rather, it’s about seeing if your talk is a fit for the event. And when you come from that place of service rather than sales, you will have more win-win scenarios than if you try to “sell” yourself to an audience just because you want to speak. 

I believe that if you feel that you have been called to speak, then listen up! You wouldn’t have thought about it if it wasn’t a part of your path. Speaking is an incredible way to make an impact in the world. If you have a book, then speaking is a tool you can use to sell more books and attract more clients. 

If you are looking to get booked on more stages (virtual or otherwise) as a speaker, get the free 5 Top Tips to Get More Speaking Gigs Now HERE!