How to Get more Keynote Speaker Bookings – Getting more Gigs and Conferences

David Staughton CSP CEO B.Sc(Hons)

Growing Your Speaking Business – Best Ways to Get More Bookings

  • Want to get started on becoming a Professional Speaker – moving from FREE to FEE?
  • Need to get more Speaking Bookings or ‘Gigs’ to make more income?
  • Would you like to grow your Speaking Business and Make the BIG BUCKS?

Well you have found the right Blog – Big Dave will EXPLAIN all the Speaker Secrets and SHARE the best Resources to help you!

 

get More Speaking Bookings

Peter Fitzsimons is an AWESOME Australian Celebrity

Peter Fitzsimons the great Australian Rugby Player, Author and Speaker tells a story about every professional rugby player wanting to be a paid speaker and always being asked by other rugby players “how do you get onto the speaking circuit Pete?”.

He tells them the same thing – “Go out from Sydney to North Western NSW to places like Orange, Nowra, Dubbo etc and do laps on the sports club speaking circuit – and more laps – until you are GOOD ENOUGH to come back and speak in Sydney!” 

Developing your speaking ability takes practice and developing a lucrative speaking career takes WORK.

Shep Hyken – Famous NSA customer service speaker and speaker success expert in USA says “the number 1 job of a speaker is to get more gigs as a speaker”.

Speaking is the EASY part – Your Speaker Business takes WORK.

Fredrik Haren – International speaker on Brands says “aim get 2 to 3 more gigs every time you speak”.

Remember – Doing ALL the WORK needed as a Speaker justifies your Professional Speaker Fee!

Why Should A Buyer Choose YOU for Their Event Bookings?

  • WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? Why should they choose you? – Know your answers to that question
  • PROVE YOU ARE AN EXPERT ON THE TOPIC – Read, Write and Create Content – Promote your Achievements, Accomplishments, Awards, Media, Books, Social, Podcast, Videos
  • BECOME MORE FAMOUS – Be a well known and recognisable name and personal brand (positioning) – known in media and online. Build a tribal following online.
  • LEVERAGE YOURSELF – With products and back end offers beyond speaking – webinars, retreats, consulting offer etc etc
  • SUIT DIFFERENT SPEAKER BUYERS IN THE MARKET? – SCHOOLS,  Not for Profits (NFP) GOVT, CORPORATE Small Biz Etc at different levels – organisations, leadership, teams, personal development.
  • OFFER A RANGE OF HOT TOPICS & TITLES appealing to the market but not too Many (See hot speaking topics list)
  • HAVE AWESOME SIGNATURE STORIES (just like #1 hit records on an album)
  • HAVE MEMORABLE  CATCH PHRASES & UNIQUE IP that is tweetable and postable
  • BE FUNNIER – Add more appropriate humour and comedy to your presentations

SIX BEST WAYS TO GET MORE SPEAKER BOOKINGS ASAP

1. START & LOOK GOOD

  • HAVE GOOD SPEAKER COLLATERAL – The best Marketing Collateral you can assemble & Afford – Biz Cards & Flyers, Pics, Bio, Intro, Flyers, Downloads, Videos, Custom Video messages, Props, websites
  • SPEAKER POSITIONING & DIFFERENTIATION – FIND YOUR NICHE – Analyse similar speaker Competitors in your Category and differentiate yourself from others (Don’t copy – innovate!)
  • DEVELOP YOUR CONFIDENCE and IDENTITY – YOUR “WHY” – Know Why a Buyer Should Choose You
  • PRACTICE YOUR PITCH (WHY THEY SHOULD CHOOSE YOU) – Practice your key pitches to bureaus and buyers – by Webinar, Showcase, Key Conferences, TEDx, (make or break) – study sales for speakers and powerphrase
  • BE FRIENDLY & WELL PRESENTED – IMAGE COUNTS

2. BE GOOD

  • BE BETTER ON & OFF STAGE – Be Amazing on stage and offstage with client connection & relationships. Aim to get Rebooked and lots of Spin-off work.  GET 3 BUSINESS CARDS with Booking Dates on them! Look for more buyers! Study the ebook “platform selling – Selling from the stage” techniques by Paul McCarthy
  • GET MORE PRACTICE & FEEDBACK- Get more Feedback after each presentation and practice more offstage

3. BE GRATEFUL

  • FOLLOWUP & THANK PEOPLE – Bureaus, Buyers, Speakers
  •  GIFTS, GIVEAWAYS & FOLLOWUPS – Merch, Swag and Books to give away and send to prospective clients, thank organisers, bureau consultants and send cards & gift

4. BE AN EXPERT

  • MAKE GREAT CONTENT – Write Blogs, Make Videos and Post Your Content on Website and Social Media
  • DO A PODCAST – Create an expert podcast and interview key people in your field
  • WRITE BLOGS & A BEST SELLING BOOK – Write a Book that positions you – (your manifesto/ story) and a smaller book that is a self published book about your keynote topic (extended notes)

5. GET KNOWN

  • STAND OUT & BE MEMORABLE – Emotional connection with Signature Stories, Catchphrases, Be Sticky and memorable for the right reasons
  • GET SEEN – MORE SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORT  – Do more Social Media – Build a bigger following on Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

6. GET FAMOUS

  • PARTNER WITH A SPEAKER BUREAU to get really well promoted – consider exclusivity
  • BE AN AMBASSADOR – Become an Ambassador for a big brand organisation / charity
  • WIN & PROMOTE YOUR AWARDS – Enter and Win Awards – speakers, business, community, government (finalist/winner)
  • DO MORE PR – Get more famous, recognisable and known in MEDIA – Be a regular commentator on media – Radio, TV, Column in Paper (Randal Killip or Media Stable)

 

 

Speaker Success Development

 

Read these Great BOOKS for Speakers to Get More Bookings

  1. Book more Business – Make Money Speaking – a book and website written by Lois Creamer (PA to Shep Hyken USA Speaker )
  2. The Speaker Author by Cathy Fyock and Lois Creamer
  3. Ebook – The Art of Platform Selling by Paul McCarthy – Rules of stage speaking for success
  4. Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port

For a BIG reading list of Books for Speakers click here

Best Speaker Development to Get More Bookings

  1. ATTEND SPEAKER GROUPS – CONVENTIONS, WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS – Join a Speaker Association – Professional Speakers Australia – PSA Conference & meetings  https://www.professionalspeakers.org.au/  and Overseas Speaker Associations – NSA USA Conference or GSF – Global Speakers Federation
  2. JOIN A  SPEAKER GROUP – Some Speaker Development Groups (Speaker Masterminds or Private Groups) can help
  3. GET A SPEAKING COACH OR MENTOR – Get a Speaker Coach to help improve an aspect of your presentation – depends what you need – More Confidence, Body language, Voice, Better Stagecraft, Storytelling skills, Humour, Content Design, Graphics, Video, Showreel making
  4. LISTEN TO SPEAKER PODCASTS – listen to Julie Masters Podcast – Inside Influence and many more for speakers

MORE RECOMMENDED BLOGS for developing your Speaking Business

  1. BEST SPEAKING COACHES and MENTORS – Get a COACH!

  2. GETTING MORE SPEAKING BOOKINGS NOW

  3. ASKING BETTER QUESTIONS to convert your Speaker enquiries into bookings

  4. LIST OF the BEST BLOGS For Professional Speakers