When I started my first homebased business, I spoke to business associations for free, unless you count breakfast or lunch as payment. I’ve replaced my “speaking for food” days with paid speaking engagements. The result? My client base continues to grow, I sell loads of products (which makes up for smaller budgets) and during my sessions I get to meet folks from around the country who work from home.
If speaking isn’t part of your business and marketing plan, rethink your plan. Almost every industry has an annual conference and the conference organizers are always looking speakers. In her article “How to Get a Speaking Gig: 12 Ways to Charm Conference Organizers,” Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, shares tips for getting on conference organizers’ radar screens and better yet, getting paid to speak. Here are a few of her tips.
Contact organizers how they ask to be contacted. Sometimes, event organizers have a web-based speaker proposal form. Let’s say that you call a conference organizer when the company or the association’s site specifically requests no phone calls You can kiss that opportunity goodbye.
Write a great session proposal. Writing a great session title and description is a bit of an art form: You want to accurately portray what you’ll speak about, but also convey a sense of the personality and energy you’ll bring to it. Keep in mind that you’re competing against other speakers so your proposal needs to be interesting and stand out.
Start small. If you aren’t getting any traction with the bigger events, approach smaller events: Local chamber events, networking breakfasts, association gatherings are all great places to start building your speaking resume. Think of this as the “speaking for food” program I mentioned in the introduction. The more you speak, the more polished you’ll be and the more potential you’ll have for speaking gigs that pay.
Create a speaking page. Dedicate a page on your Web site or blog to your public speaking efforts. Give an overview of who you are and what topics you regularly speak about (or can). My speaking page clearly states what my topics are and lets conference organizers know that each session is tailored to their association. It also includes a few testimonials.
Have you found a good way to book seminars? What’s worked for you?
