How To Get Public Speaking Engagements As A Business Coach
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Public speaking engagements are one of the best ways to grow your business. You may not realize that these speaking engagements are another form of networking. The benefits of public speaking can be numerous, including establishing your credibility in your industry and growing your platform.
If you are not sure how to find and get the best public speaking engagements, we can help. Read on to learn how you can acquire great paying public speaking gigs to empower your success.
How A Business Coach Can Get Public Speaking Engagements
Decide What Your Goal Is, and Work Toward It
The first step in this process is deciding your ultimate goal for your business. You need to discover your primary purpose for getting into public speaking. For instance, do you want to establish a side gig or second career as a public speaker, or do you want to increase the sales of your product or service?
Outline Your Speech
Draft an outline of your speech with your main topics highlighted. Create one or more topics with outlines that include catchy titles and subheadings. When you approach a venue to book a speaking engagement, you should come to them with some added value for your speech. For instance, when you approach the venue manager, you could say, “I am a great public speaker. Here is an outline of the speech I would like to present.” This will let the manager know that you are confident in your abilities and have specific ideas.
Join your Local Chamber of Commerce
Besides the local chamber, you could also join a civic group like Kiwanis or Rotary Club. Look for places where people speak publicly on a regular basis. After joining and attending some gatherings, you will be asked to give a presentation on your expertise. This is a great way to get public speaking practice and even make some contacts for speaking gigs in the future.
Establish Your Presence Online
The next step is to create a professional, dynamic website and a page on a social media platform to promote your public speaking. This is how you can generate leads on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Make sure the website and page contain plenty of contact information so those prospects can reach you easily. Steer all potential clients to both of these pages. This is where leading with your brand will help you get those speaking gigs.
Start Small and Locally
Find places locally that host speakers. Then find the contact person and either call or email them an inquiry. Try to find local networking events, conferences, and meetups locally. This is a great way to get your feet wet with public speaking, where you start small, and as your confidence grows, you go to bigger venues and events.
Regional Conferences
After you have spoken several times on the local level, you can now move up to regional conferences. Do some research and find conferences that are relevant to your industry. For instance, those in the travel industry may want to attend a related trade show and try to secure a speaking engagement there. Bear in mind that competition for speaking at this level is fierce, so you will have to up your presentation game to secure yourself a slot.
Make a Demo Reel
To get booked at a national speaking level, a demo reel is a must. Hire someone to film one of your speeches. Then find a consultant to edit your best moments into a 5- to 10-minute showcase of your public speaking. Once these are finished, add these to your website and all relevant social media platforms.
Set Your Goal For the Year
A good goal to set is 12 speaking engagements in one year. This is not as easy as it sounds. On average, you will have to approach maybe 60 venues to secure those dozen gigs. Early on, make a list of venues to approach. It is a good idea to have a varied selection of venues for proposing. These can include:
- Previous local and regional venues
- Potential local and regional venues
- Regional conferences in your industry
- Charities and nonprofits
Promotora Systems Inc. can show you how to develop your business with our various coaching programs that can take your business to the next level. Contact us today to empower your success.