Speakers are rarely paid what they need. Or you’re expected to do it for free.
On top of that, technology and opportunity moves fast. So if you’re trying to build a business, or start a new career, you’re probably feeling lost at the down time between events. Or the roller-coaster feast-and-famine cycle.
And most of the time, you can’t even get the attendee list to follow up.
Case in point: one client I worked with had an amazing series of courses, books, and been giving conferences for decades. But he still struggled to find a way to generate income between events.
When the winter months came around, there was little to do. Stuck in ‘off season’.
I lived that life – that speaker was my dad.
He did all kinds of things; he cut deals, he donated time, created content, networked with influencers. All of this before social or internet.
Today, a ton of speakers are still working from that mindset, and it’s only getting harder. More speakers are starting up, and audiences are more discerning with their time. Everyone wants more video, more social proof, more of you in their own time.
Pair that struggle with what Event Planners are going through. They already have the 6th hardest job in the world, and they don’t intend to go out of business. Their challenge is to create the right audiences and spur enough interest.
That’s why being generic doesn’t cut it any more.
Razor-niching – with a ton of proof – does.
But, to last long enough in this space, especially if you are doing it full time, you either need to be making 6 figures from all your events, or have a business plan that captures the energy you’re stirring up.
Now let’s clear up a point.
You may be amazing. You may have watched every Youtube tutorial out there on how to improve yourself on stage. You’ve likely practiced in the mirror until the mirror quit and walked out.
So that’s not the problem.
The problem is in how we’re thinking of events.
Point #1: We think that getting up on stage and wowing an audience is the goal, the focus. The endgame.
But it’s not. Not today.
Today, it’s the invitation.
It is fully possible for you to build a public speaking business where you spend time doing what’s exciting, crafting your message, and make the income and relationships that sustain you.
The three pillars to make this work:
- Capture your captive audience.
- Convert your efforts from speaking to coaching.
- Turn your knowledge into products you can sell.
Point #2: Anything you can do to make event planners’ lives easier will make them love you, invite you back, and help you get more events.
Most importantly, they want to know that you can create lasting transformation.
You’re much more exciting and valuable as a speaker if you have an existing community of people. This helps your new audience join an existing tribe – which is far more appealing.
Point #3: The whole goal of this book is to help you build a business that can sustain you, so that you’re not desperate for every event, but able to build ongoing training and consulting, as a thought leader, influencer, and expert.
Here’s what we cover in this ebook:
- The new media answer to a common public speaker problem: Many public speakers still haven’t tapped into the power of new media, and what it can do for them. Today has an incredible volume of speakers, not to mention online influencers, so the focus needs to change. Focus on your tribe.
- The speaking world is no longer about paid events. And that’s your opportunity. Stop thinking about public speaking as a way for people to buy from you. It’s their chance to buy into you. When you can’t sell from stage, use it as a platform for ongoing consulting.
- How public speakers need to think like digital marketers: build a tribe. Shift your focus from purely filling your funnel, to spending as much time focusing on your service, and on the affinity and referrals from your clients, fans, and tribe.
- Change from transactional to transformational speaking: why you need to help your event manager. Event managers are under pressure to prove that you’re worth their audience’s time. Recognize that the kind of transformation they’re looking for needs follow-up to stick. Create that followup so that event planners see your value beyond the stage.
- Impress your next event planner: tailor your speaker page to their event. Instead of sending a general speaker page to your event planner, personalize it to their event, with their logo and name, and speak to the specific issues they want you to address. Improve your chances by standing out from the crowd.
- Build Your Premier Speaker One Sheet: Your Speaker Sheet is your foot in the door to your next event. Put your best foot forward, look credible, and ready for your next keynote.
- Ideas for Onboarding and Connecting with your Audience, while the event is happening. Capture your captive audience with standalone webpages with your details and upsells – that your audience pulls up during your talk. Help them share about themselves, ask questions, and share the event. Gather their information so that you can follow up. Upsell them with your coaching, products, or a course. This section has a ton of suggestions and scripts.
- The 3 phases of an event: how to help everyone get more value at every point. Create short videos welcoming people, going live with them during the event, and thanking them afterwards. Provide it as content that your event manager can email out. The magic is in the followup, and helping people go deeper and do more now that they’re excited about your message.
The first few chapters are all about mindset and strategy. Tactics start later on.
See you there.
