In-House Speaker

Be an In-House Speaker.

You not only get paid well to come and speak, but you also position yourself as the authority. It's also a terrific opportunity to promote your goods and services, just like your free local mini-seminar, this is your time to showcase your knowledge (if you are the product your’e marketing) or your product. 

It has been said for years that many people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of dying. 

If you have any talent or enthusiasm in this potentially profitable job, the advantages outweigh the challenges. Increasing your frequency as a public speaker can increase your book sales, establish you as an authority in your industry, expand your platform, and advance your career in a variety of other ways. 

How to Find Speaking Opportunities 

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to begin.

Step 1: Determine Your Speaking Objective 

Every subsequent step in this procedure will be influenced by your justifications for scheduling speaking engagements. Most people who speak in front of groups do so for one of three reasons: 

• To market books. 

• To promote their coaching and consulting services. 

• To establish a speaking career.

Actually, the majority of people are driven by a combination of all three, but it doesn't matter. 

The crucial question is: Why do you want to start speaking? 

Do you intend to benefit your audience? acquire fresh opportunities? Get recognized as a thinking leader? More books sold? Leaving your day job to speak all around the world? 

Take some time to reflect on this. Speak to your friends and mentors. Before continuing, make sure this is resolved so that you won't have to redo any work.

Step 2: But it's quite challenging. 

The majority of places want you to introduce yourself by saying, "I'm a terrific speaker and quite smart, and here's the lecture I'd like to offer for you." 

In other words, they want you to be prepared to provide value right away—to demonstrate that you are knowledgeable, self-assured, and that you are familiar with their program and audience well enough to have specific ideas of what you can do.

You don't have to compose the entire speech at first; just come up with one or more subjects that have bare-bones descriptions. Offer them some intriguing headings and know the answers to the simple inquiries. 

Considering the kind of locations where your talks would take place can be helpful at this point, but put that concern on hold for the time being.

Step 3: Join your Local Chamber of Commerce.

Kiwqnas Club, Loins, and Toastmasters are other great options. Join any other interest group, service club, or networking organization that regularly hosts speakers that you appreciate. 

After attending a few meetings, you will be required to present on a subject in which you have expertise. This presentation is the ideal opportunity to hone your public speaking skills and make contacts for later, more important jobs. 

Also, it's a fantastic method to collect feedback on what aspects of your topic and delivery are effective so that you can keep enhancing and developing your speaking skills.

Step 4: Create an online presence.

You will require a speaking page on your primary social media account or website. Although you don't have to be active on every social media platform, it's ideal if you are on both. 

This page ought to contain:

• A striking image of you speaking.

• Your name. 

• The titles of a couple of your lectures.

• An explanation of what you are talking about.

• The area which you would like to speak in.

Follow all guidelines for professional web and social media profiles; build a respectable website with lots of contact information and simple navigation. 

When asking someone to talk, you should direct them here. Make it polished and businesslike as possible because it will serve as your lobby and front page.

Step 5: Reserve a Spot to Talk in the Area.

Begin contacting locations that sponsor speakers by phone and email. Set up a reading if you're selling books in your neighborhood library, bookstores, coffee shops, and bars. Look to regional meetings and conferences as you develop your coaching career. If you wish to talk merely for the purpose of speaking, start by looking at generic lists of nearby forthcoming events.

Keep your schedule set out for a minimum 3–4 month delay between being booked and presenting, and if the event has certain dates, plan your approach accordingly. There may be unique rules for speaking proposals at some locations (just like publishers and agents have for writing submissions). For the others, all you need to do is write down your contact information and your offer of assistance. Before you book one, you might need to contact a few hundred locations, but that's good. If you were terrified of a little rejection, you wouldn't be in this line of work.

When you go through the other venues on this list, continue approaching them. After giving your first lecture, you should immediately move on to Step 6, but while you're doing so, keep approaching nearby venues. As you attempt to go up the ladder, doing this will increase your experience, skill, and confidence.

Step 6: Speak at a Regional Conference.

Choose a significant regional conference or convention relevant to your field of study. 

If you're advancing your career, it's simple to understand how to do this: attend the conference for your industry. Book a writing conference or a fan convention if you're a writer. Generic speakers should look into local conferences and contact them with specific presentation ideas. 

Renting regional venues for conferences works the same way as booking local ones, although there will be greater competition for better slots.

Ensure the quality of your web presence. Provide a rundown of the engagements you've already won. Be sure to include reviews from attendees. 

Similar to the local venues, you will first hear a lot more "nos" than "yeses." But don't be concerned. Very few affirmative responses precede the turning point in that.

Step 7: Get Video!

Start planning on "making the show" and moving up to those national events with the high speaking fees as you're sharpening your talents at the local and regional levels. 

You will require a demo reel in order to be hired at that level. Decide how you're going to be recorded while you're still honing your skills on these beginner stages. 

Alternatives that I've observed working are:

• Bring a friend to record your conversations. 

• Hiring experts to record your speeches. 

• Asking conference planners to record your speeches. 

• Choosing the finest perspectives from among those taken by three to four persons using their phones.

Getting your speeches filmed is crucial, as is using professional assistance to edit the raw material into 5–10 minutes of your greatest moments and a few 30- to 1-minute clips of you being particularly awesome. 

Post them on your website and social media once you have them. From that point forward, whenever you pitch, you will refer to them.

Step 8: Book 12 Speaking Gigs in One Year

Once your film snippets are online, aim to book 12 speaking engagements over the course of the following year. Make a list early and make proposals to a minimum of 60 locations, as this requires. 

Make sure to mix up the types and scopes of the venues on your list of probable locations. Use a combination of the following methods to find potential locations:

• Target local and regional venues since they are the most likely to say "yes." 

• Go after local and regional venues where you haven’t yet spoken.

• Create a wish list are significant national venues. 

• Regional gatherings have a tenuous connection your preferred topics. 

• NGOs, churches, and charities that could benefit from your experience.

Make every effort necessary to achieve that goal for yourself. It's okay if it takes 13 months. But if you can get through life in nine, the better. Booking increasingly influential gigs and boosting your profile in Steps 9 and beyond are directly related to the choice you made in Step 1. 

Remember that even moderate keynote speakers can earn thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars for an hour-long presentation. But we'll cover those options and specifics at a later time. Start with Step 1 for the time being. Choose your "why" and let the rest to follow.