Everyone’s a speaker, how do I get booked?
There are so many speakers, everyone’s a speaker, so much competition. But if you look closely not everyone is getting booked. Many speakers don’t get booked very often. We assume that because people call themselves speakers, they are making money speaking. I made an assumption myself, I assumed that 80% of paid gigs went to 20% of speakers (our friend Pareto). I was wrong about that. Very wrong.
Here’s how I found out. In 2019 I had the opportunity to analyse speaker booking data from London Speaker Bureau, one of the largest international bureaus. I was looking to see if 80% of the business had gone to 20% of the speakers on the bureau roster. At that time there were 4500 speakers on the roster, not an excessive number when you consider the size of the bureau. I was expecting to find that 900 speakers accounted for 80% of the turnover. I was way out. The actual number was 45. Yes, you read that right, not a typo. 45. Wow! That caused me to stop and think. What is it that these 45 speakers have in common that makes them so bookable? And no, they weren’t the celebrities and big names as you might have expected.
On analysis we discovered that the speakers excelled in four key areas and those four then became the foundation for the work we do at Speaking Business Academy.
The four areas are:
- Relevant: They are relevant to a high paying market and relevant to the audiences
- Known: They are known for one or two things and by the right people, they are visible
- Memorable: Of the 4500 they come to mind, time and time again
- Easy: Easy to book, easy to work with, easy to listen to
And of course, it goes without saying that they bring value to every client event. All do-able and replicable. Right?
Definitely doable. To help you, I have a couple of resources so that you can apply the four keys to your speaking business. The first is a checklist so you can see where you are and what might be missing. Once completed you’ll know what to focus on and can go for it. If on the other hand you’d like a bit of guidance, Mary Tillson-Wharton, and I can work with you one to one and help you get there. If however the purse strings are a bit stretched after Christmas and New Year there is an alternative for you, you can grab our video course here: https://speakingbusinessacademy.thinkific.com/courses/howtogetbooked
Let me know how you got on with the checklist and what actions you’re going to take, you know I love to hear what you’re up to.
*Source: The London Speaker Bureau,"the only global speaker bureau" according to the International New York Times, with 25 offices offices in 18 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America.
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