Professional Speaking
Stop Listening to Typical Advice About Professional Speaking
Here's the typical advice given to beginning speakers, and why I didn’t buy it when I got started.
Typical Professional Speaking Advice #1: Give a hundred or so free speeches so you can prove you’re a wanted speaker.
I didn’t buy it. Businesses and organizations are desperate to fill speaking slots for meetings. Everyday in an average sized city you could speak free at breakfast, lunch, and supper. I’m not against speaking for free. I encourage you to do two free engagements. But that’s it. You can do more if you like, but it’s not necessary.
Typical Professional Speaking Advice #2: After you’ve proven your worth you can begin to charge $25 - $100 for an event. Wow! That much!! ;-)
I didn’t buy it. Certainly a life experience, or information that can change lives is worth much more than one Ben Franklin. Isn’t there an experience in your life, or knowledge in your head, that’s much more valuable than that? Of course there is.
Typical Professional Speaking Advice #3: Once people are paying you tiny sums, you need to invest large sums. You’re expected to put together a media kit with a glossy photo, studio quality demo tape, professional one sheet, letterhead with logo that matches your positioning, classy designed brochure…(Can you hear the cash being sucked out of your account like water up the trunk of an elephant just so you can look like a professional speaker?).
I didn’t buy it. Having all that gear does not guarantee a single booking. And how many bookings would you need to get to pay back all the expense? It’s just not worth it.
Typical Professional Speaking Advice #4: Make hundreds of cold calls and send one of those fancy media kits to anyone who acts remotely interested. Pray for a return call.
I didn’t buy it. Do you like telemarketers? Do you like people who you don’t know calling and trying to sell you something? Me either. There had to be a better, easier, way.
Professional Public Speaking
Here's the typical advice given to beginning speakers, and why I didn’t buy it when I got started.
Typical Professional Speaking Advice #1: Give a hundred or so free speeches so you can prove you’re a wanted speaker.
I didn’t buy it. Businesses and organizations are desperate to fill speaking slots for meetings. Everyday in an average sized city you could speak free at breakfast, lunch, and supper. I’m not against speaking for free. I encourage you to do two free engagements. But that’s it. You can do more if you like, but it’s not necessary.
Typical Professional Speaking Advice #2: After you’ve proven your worth you can begin to charge $25 - $100 for an event. Wow! That much!! ;-)
I didn’t buy it. Certainly a life experience, or information that can change lives is worth much more than one Ben Franklin. Isn’t there an experience in your life, or knowledge in your head, that’s much more valuable than that? Of course there is.
Typical Professional Speaking Advice #3: Once people are paying you tiny sums, you need to invest large sums. You’re expected to put together a media kit with a glossy photo, studio quality demo tape, professional one sheet, letterhead with logo that matches your positioning, classy designed brochure…(Can you hear the cash being sucked out of your account like water up the trunk of an elephant just so you can look like a professional speaker?).
I didn’t buy it. Having all that gear does not guarantee a single booking. And how many bookings would you need to get to pay back all the expense? It’s just not worth it.
Typical Professional Speaking Advice #4: Make hundreds of cold calls and send one of those fancy media kits to anyone who acts remotely interested. Pray for a return call.
I didn’t buy it. Do you like telemarketers? Do you like people who you don’t know calling and trying to sell you something? Me either. There had to be a better, easier, way.
Professional Public Speaking
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