I probably get this question asked from every client, how do I get speaking engagements? The answer truly is simple. You need to get the speaking engagements. You need to put in some effort. They will not come to you unless you’re well known and have been in the speaker industry for many years.
How To Get As Many Speaking Gigs As You Want
If you roll up your sleeves and are willing to do some work, then you’ll get as many engagements as you can handle.
1. Do your research
You must do your research and clearly identify who is your target market. What groups do you want to speak in front of? You don’t want to speak in front of just any group. To get results, more contacts, and more prospects, you must speak to the target market who is interested in your topic. If you want to speak to women’s groups, then go find them. If your target women but you speak in mixed groups, then your results are going to be diluted. If you target women, speak to women, now every one of them could be a prospect and you’ll get results. Do your research and determine the specific groups you want to speak in front of.
2. Make a list
Make a spreadsheet with as many website links, contact names, email, phone numbers, days and times they meet, and location. Maybe there is a meeting that is your target but it meets at 6:30 am in the morning 2 hours away. That might not work. Personally, I would pass on that one. Make that quality list and leave out those you don’t have an interest in speaking to and those groups that are not relevant to your market or message.
3. Reach out
Now that you’ve done your research and made a list, now it’s time to reach out. There are a lot of ways to reach out to people. There are phone calls and emails. A lot of people don’t answer their phones and they delete their emails, so you need to be creative. Instead, what if you found them on LinkedIn? What if you found them and messengered them on Facebook? Maybe they’re hanging out on Instagram.
We are more connected today than we ever have been. So don’t use the excuse that no one answers their phone. You need to be creative. So, reach out to them.
When you reach out for a speaking engagement, be sure that you’ve done your research on that group that you know what they’re about, and that you do have something to talk about when you reach out.
For example, whether it’s a phone call or something you’re writing, you want to share. You want to let them know that you have been to their website, that you admire their organization, and what they give to their members. Give them some kudos and then you share that you’re a speaker and that you believe that you have a topic that would fit their group. And if you’d like to talk about it, here’s my phone number. Please give me a call back and we’ll talk about it.
Never say, “I want to speak to your group.” That’s offensive to most organizers and they won’t give you the time of day. Your research will allow you to have a brief benefit-driven conversation. That will get their attention and potentially get them to call you back.
4. Follow up
Then follow up. Don’t just spray and pray. Spray and pray is when you email a bunch of groups. Though you feel like you did your follow up, they don’t answer. Many people at this point give up by saying, oh, well, I did what I can. No!
If you’ve done your research, you made your list of quality groups in your market that fit your message, then this is a list that’s worth a million dollars, and you want to do the work for it. So, if they don’t respond to your messenger on Facebook or your LinkedIn message, then follow up. Keep following up. If it’s something important until they do respond.
Your message hasn’t yet created interest. So, change your language, do more research, and find out more about that organization and the person you’re messaging. Maybe that person is all about philanthropy and giving. Then construct your message to that. Maybe you need to give to that organization or donate something or be a guest at their next event. Go ahead and visit them before you ask to speak. The more you find out, the more ammunition you have and the more interest it will create with the organizer.
Most people don’t get speaking engagements because they’re too lazy. They don’t even want to make a list. This takes work. . Think about when you’re in college and you have to do homework to get an A. Think about what it would take you to get a C, B and the extra effort to get the A. When you go the extra mile to get an A, it pays off! Then you can go to that ivy league or get that better job. So just go that extra mile.
Here is where you go the extra mile and you’ll get a better speaking engagement, maybe even paid speaking engagements, or get you into better organizations. With that extra effort, it may lead to these organizations recommending you to other sister or brother organizations (so you don’t have to approach them cold).
In order to get the ball rolling, you have to open that door. And right now, that door is probably made of metal or steel. So this is the key to unlocking that door.
5. Tell everybody
Another thing to do to ignite your calendar, start telling people. Tell them in your elevator speech and your core message. You want to let people know who you are and your title, then add this line: “And I am a speaker looking for speaking engagements. If you know of anyone looking for speakers, please let me know.” This is the key. Because if you just say, “Oh, I’m a life coach and a speaker and an author,” who cares? Everybody can say that. But if you say, “I’m a life coach, author and a speaker looking for speaking engagements..”, that’s going to get their attention.
Too many speakers think that just saying you’re a speaker is enough to get speaking gigs. It’s not. When you say you’re looking for something, they automatically want to help. Do that a few times in the next few networking groups you go to and see what happens.
6. Ask
Start asking groups that you belong to, “How do you get onto the speaker list?” We’re just starting a new year. Some groups are full, but not all groups are full. January is a great month to be asking that question. You are a speaker looking for speaking – how do I get on the speaker list? They will tell you because you’re not asking to be on the list. You’re asking HOW someone gets on the list.
Start asking everyone you know. Start asking for podcasts. Ask, “Do you know anyone who has a podcast or been on a podcast? Would you be willing to introduce me?” It won’t just come. There are too many other people doing the asking, telling, researching, making a list, and reaching out.
7. Do your own events
Another way to build your speaking calendar is to do your own events. Do your own webinars or other virtual or in-person events. You may think you don’t know who to invite. Building a list is important.
If you’ve got a social media following, an email contact list, or a customer list, you’ve got a list. It doesn’t have to be hundreds of people don’t think for a minute you have to do a webinar and have 100 people invite five of your closest friends. Get the experience of doing a webinar. Doing a webinar is different than doing a Zoom meeting or a stand-up seminar.
Get out there by putting on your own small event. Invite five or six of your friends. Everyone has ten friends who will support you. You don’t have to wait until you have 100 people. Some of my best events are small events because the people get to share. They get to speak and meet each other. Put on a retreat and invite-only ten people and see what happens. They will fall in love with you and each other and be connected for life.
Small groups can be if they’re run right, the best to speak in front of. So don’t underestimate smaller groups.
8. Use Social Media and Video
The next and fastest way to ignite your calendar is through social media and video. To speak on social media, do live streams and reuse those videos. YouTube and Facebook both offer live streaming. Go live on Facebook and then you can load them up everywhere else including YouTube and Vimeo.
Send your live-streamed or pre-recorded videos to your clients. The phone is a powerful thing.
Many people think that professional video is the only way to go. There is a place for professional videos, especially for training videos. However, if you are reaching out to get known and get speaking engagements, be organic and use your phone.
Do something that is not threatening, that is authentic, and doesn’t look well-rehearsed but has a great bit of content. As you reach out with video, after your valuable piece of content, simply include, “If you want to get to know more of this content, I’d love to come to your organization, your corporation, or your group and share more of it.” It’s simple, it’s innocent, and it’s organic. Don’t be afraid to pick up your cell phone and do it. One caution, you must know what you’re doing. Do some practice videos. And you MUST practice and rehearse your message first. Be more organic and authentic.
For example, I would say, Hi, This is Arvee Robinson, I’m a master speaker, trainer, international speaker, and author of Speak Up, Get Clients. And I’m here today to share with you the number one tip to get more business fast. And that is public speaking. If you would like to learn more about how you can grow your business with public speaking, I would love to come and speak to your group and share with them some steps that they can use. If that’s something you’d like to do, just put your name in the chat and I will contact you or down below or whatever it is.”
Then, send your video out through WhatsApp, Telegram app, email, LinkedIn, Facebook Messenger, or wherever you find your contacts engaging. There is no excuse. Don’t be lazy. Get it done and you’ll get known.
Here’s an example of how to create a video and what to say to use video organically to find speaking engagements.
Take Action and Fill Your Speaking Calendar in the Next 12 Months
There are lots of other ways to fill your speaking calendar. The above strategies are the fastest and best ways to fill your calendar.
If you want to ignite your calendar in 2022, dive deep into more strategies, get the support you need to take action, join my Passionately Speaking community and we’ll do this together. You deserve to shine, and I’d love to help you build your speaking presence bigger, better, and faster. More info: https://arveerobinson.com/coaching/group-coaching/
