Boost Your Profile & Your Profits
How To Get Paid $5,000 + Per Speaking Engagement
Growing up as a kid my mum would frequently tell me to be quiet (truth is I did talk a hell of a lot!).
Now she finds it quite ironic that I get paid thousands to speak at business events for only a couple of hours.
I love being a professional speaker as the rewards and experiences I get to encounter are second to none, but being a speaker for a living certainly isn’t for the fainthearted. There are very few speakers that can successfully make a living from speaking at conferences and functions alone.
It takes a solid marketing strategy and a continual refining of your skills so you stay front of mind and don’t suddenly become ‘yesterday’s’ news, which happens a hell of a lot easier than you could ever imagine.
Not to fear, today I have compiled my top tips that the successful speakers do to get booked solid month in month out and command fees of $5,000 plus per speaking engagement.
Let’s take a look.
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STRATEGY #1: You Are The ‘Product’
“YOU” are the product and your look, style and content is the wrapping that pulls it all together and makes it marketable.
Like any product, a book, CD, magazine or even newspaper, you have to ensure that you’re up to date and packaged in such a way that compels event organizers to pick you off the shelf over others.
To do so clearly find a position in your marketplace that you can become known for, i.e. a solid niche that stands out from others. A niche / title serves to put your keynotes in context for those looking at hiring you.
If they can’t get a grasp on what you do – they will find someone else very quickly.
My best advice, niche within a niche, i.e. business coaching is far too broad to compel anyone to find out more about you. Uncover which key area you are great at within this area and become known as the authority on the topic whatever industry you are in.
When you take this step your value increases immediately when it is one of great interest to your target market.
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STRATEGY #2: Increase Your Perceived Value By Getting Media Coverage
People will pay what they believe a product or service is worth (including speakers). If you are just like ‘everybody’ else in the marketplace, your perceived value drops considerably.
I recommend all speakers, coaches and entrepreneurs aim to attract media coverage because it is one of the most cost effective means of pushing up your perceived value and gaining exposure on a mass scale.
Leverage this exposure on your website, speakers kit and blogs to continually educate event organizers on your ‘status’ and credibility. After all, if the media thinks your worthy of being put in front of thousands of readers / viewers / listeners then an event organizer will think so too (as long as the media is credible).
See my article on ’33 Ways To Instantly Appeal To The Media ‘ to get started…
If they don’t perceive you as ‘high value’ they will attempt to get a reduction on your speakers fee or even worse, want you to do it for free.
Speaking for free at ‘some’ events is okay, as long as the audience comprises of your ideal clients and you are able to make some kind of offer to purchase, if not weigh up whether or not it is worth your while.
Having media credits to your name assists in preventing this from occurring as people’s respect for you raises considerably and they are less likely to ask for a price reduction out of this respect.
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STRATEGY #3: Telemarketing
Many speakers simply do not want to hear this – but you have to get on the phone and start marketing yourself as a speaker to become successful. The phone only rings when you are out there on the speaking circuit (and doing a great job), if not, people forget about you almost immediately.
Continually introduce yourself to organisations that you could potentially speak at their conference, provide training or host a function. Send them a speaker’s kit with your keynote details and always, always follow up.
Be consistent with your marketing and your cash flow will be consistent with you.
If you are too reluctant to get on the phone, you have no other choice but to outsource this activity. Ensure that you have a sales process embedded into each telephone call or it will become an expensive activity in futility.
Combine your telemarketing with social media campaigns and a website that effectively demonstrates your skills and makes ‘you’ look exclusive.
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STRATEGY #4: Your ‘Talkabillity’ Factor
Each and every presentation you do is an opportunity to create word of mouth and generate further paid speaking opportunities. 95% of my speaking engagements in my first two years purely came because I utilized key messages consistently throughout my presentations that got the audiences talking and telling others about me.
Identify the one or two key messages that get people to remember you well after you have left the stage. This will see you get booked consistently and command top dollar for your presentations.
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STRATEGY #5: Influence The Subconscious Mind
The subconscious mind literally seeks to find a fit between the way that someone looks and the role they play in our lives. In other words if you don’t look like a speaker, you won’t get booked as a speaker.
I invest time and money in my clothes to ensure that I ‘look like I know what I am talking about.’
Its like Lady Gaga getting on stage wearing Crocs (you know those awful plastic shoes that I swear are causing global warming!), it just wouldn’t happen. It decreases perceived value instantaneously and organizers simply won’t give you a look in.
Groom yourself head to toe, not only on your speaking skills but on your visual engagement practices and you will instantly be treated as a ‘high quality’ individual.
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STRATEGY #6: Write a Book & Create Feature Videos
Many people believe that to become a professional speaker you need a book.
This is absurd.
I was being booked to speak at over 60 events per year within my first two years on the circuit and I didn’t have a product to my name – instead I had a message.
There are many ways to obtain credibility and yes, having a product does help greatly however it isn’t the be all and end all. Obtaining media exposure will help get around this and assist in catapulting your profile into the stratosphere and change how people perceive you.
The first way to get around this is by producing quality content on a regular basis, i.e. articles that demonstrate your value.
The second thing you can do (and most important one) is to record little snippets of your content direct to camera and upload to Youtube and your website.
Event organizers want to see what you look like, your mannerisms and if you will appeal to their audience. This gives them a snippet of what to expect and can lead to getting booked regularly when exposed to the correct individuals on a consistent and ongoing basis.
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STRATEGY #7: Never Give Up!
As the saying goes, “You won’t get struck by lightning if you aren’t standing out in the rain.”
You have to be in the game for the long haul to command $5,000 plus per speaking engagement. Yes, there are exceptions to the rule. They are however far and few between – don’t be the exception be the rule is my rule.
It takes persistent effort and focus to garner enough exposure in the right arenas to get booked regularly.
Is it possible?
Absolutely, especially when you have the groundwork completed and you are marketing yourself on a weekly basis.
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The Secret Ingredient 95% Marketing, 5% Speaking
The business model for a speaker is quite literally spending 95% of your time marketing yourself and the other 5% of your time delivering your presentations.
Olympic divers know this model all too well. They undertake years and hours upon hours of training for a dive that last’s just seconds.
The enjoyment is in the process and the rush when you walk out on stage or take the step off the diving board, which makes all the hard work you do even more worthwhile leading up to it.
Plan your strategy above by taking these key steps and you will be well on your way to a successful speaking career.
For more information on building your profile as a professional speaker, email us at info@benangel.com.au to discover our current training programs that can assist.
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Posted by Ben Angel - Become a Speaker on 14th July, 2011 | Comments | Trackbacks
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