"I think often we confuse strategy with activity, and we can get stuck in this kind of flywheel of just like, well, I feel busy, I look busy. I did a lot of things today, but what did I actually accomplish?"

If you really want to build a successful speaking business, you have to follow the right processes — and be consistent in doing the little things well. Everyone wants to book more paid speaking gigs, but what are the simple, practical things that most speakers miss?

Dan Irvin knows a thing or two about building processes to scale your speaking business — in just a few years, he's gone from a full time corporate job to 60 paid gigs in 2023. This week, he's sitting down with Grant to share 7 strategies you can use right now in your speaking business to get more gigs.

No matter where you are as a speaker or how many gigs you've booked, you'll get something out of this episode to help you move to the next level.

"Find what can you do each and every day consistently, even if it's just one tiny little step that you can do every day versus these massive kind of leaps that I think people oftentimes want to create."

Looking for the highlights?

• 02:29 How to build long term relationships in the speaking industry
• 08:35 Why having a strategy is more important than being busy
• 10:39 How to overcome the challenges of building a speaking business
• 11:38 Why consistent lead generation and follow up is the key to success
• 23:33 How to level up your communication with event organizers
• 27:39 Why your audience (and clients) are craving more from you
• 32:26 The power of referrals in building a speaking business
• 36:05 Why you should give yourself grace in the process

Episode Resources:

• Dan Irvin's Website
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

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"You can get rid of that limiting belief that you have to have a talk fully ready before you sell it."

One of the hardest things for new and aspiring speakers is putting together a compelling talk. It's hard to move forward until you feel like everything is perfect — but what if you could sell your talk before it even exists?

Your best marketing is a great talk — but you don't necessarily need to have that talk fully developed before you pitch it to event organizers.

This week, Erick Rheam is back to break down the four main reasons developing your talk first can actually be problematic, along with advice on how to test the market, why prospecting is a superpower for successful speakers, and much, much more!

If you're feeling stuck or you're not sure how to get things rolling as a new or aspiring speaker, this is the episode for you.

"When you're on the phone with an event planner and you're discussing what their needs are, if you're too rigid and you have this talk already developed, and you've got too much time invested in it and too much energy, it's harder to adjust and a little demotivating if you spent all this time building something that the event planner doesn't exactly want."

Looking for the highlights?

• 02:58 Four reasons why speakers shouldn't finalize talks before selling them
• 03:54 How to adapt your presentation to meet the event planner's needs.
• 07:00 How to draft a rough idea and adapt it based on feedback
• 10:10 Why you should be flexible with your topic and develop assets around it later
• 13:29 Why it's easier to pivot when you're already in the game
• 18:47 Why you don't need a dramatic story to speak
• 25:51 Why consistent daily prospecting beats sporadic efforts
• 28:05 Why success in speaking requires aligning passion with demand
• 33:01 How deadlines will force preparation and commitment

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"Two things have to be true: one, you have to offer enough value so that they're paying attention. And two, you've got to communicate that value in a believable way, either through a third party or somebody they trust or you directly."

It might be cliché, but it's still true: speaking is a relationships business. If you want to be a successful speaker, you have to invest in building relationships every single day — with event planners, with industry leaders, and with other speakers.

This week, Grant is sitting down with Mo Bunnell to talk about how to overcome some of the most common obstacles that speakers face in making connections — being "too busy," fearing rejection, and more.

Mo recently wrote a book called Give to Grow about how to invest in relationships to build your business and your career, and he has a lot of practical advice that will help you get out of your comfort zone and start building relationships like a pro.

If you're struggling to get traction in your speaking business and you're looking for a spark to get things going, this might be the episode you need to hear!

"I'll be really bold on this. If somebody is thinking 'I'm too busy to do the next piece of work,' that is a massive excuse and you just need to flush it."

Looking for the highlights?

• 03:53 How to fall in love with the process of building relationships
• 07:08 How limiting beliefs can block speakers from achieving success
• 10:20 Why many speakers struggle with promoting themselves
• 15:23 How to maximize face time with key decision-makers
• 20:40 Ways to balance service with getting gigs in conversations
• 25:06 How to understand client needs and stated vs. unstated problems
• 33:01 Why you should reach out quarterly to maintain important relationships

Episode Resources:

• Mo's Website
• Give to Grow Book
• Give to Grow Live
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.