Why now is the best time to start your speaking career?

You may have been thinking of becoming a speaker for a while, but never really got around to putting your attention and focus on public speaking. I get it, it takes dedication and time to do anything you want to succeed.

Professional speaking can be quite a time-consuming activity, but it can also become another side to your business, revenue stream and whole professional career that reaps great rewards. 

Just imagine speaking on a stage for 10-15 minutes and walking away with new clients, leads and sales from you sharing value on stage and making one call to action. Wouldn’t that make you want to set aside some time and take your public speaking more seriously?

If money isn’t your key goal when it comes to speaking, there are so many other amazing benefits too – like authority building, visibility, impact and helping others achieve similar results or breakthroughs as you. 

So why is NOW the best time to start focusing on your speaking career? 

Well, the best time was yesterday, but let’s start today. 🙂

1. Event organisers are seeking unique voices, stories and perspectives

What you may not realise is that your uniqueness is a gift and there are event organisers who are looking for your gift, your story or your unique perspective. If you always thought that you are quirky and you do not seem to fit in, this is exactly the reason why you need to speak up. Chances are there is a whole tribe of people who ‘get you’, who have also never been able to fit in and they are looking for someone to speak up and invite them to be part of the ‘quirky club’. Do not deprive them of your greatness. Something that is not so ordinary about you is usually your superpower, even if you don’t see it yourself (yet). 

2. Events are seasonal and applications open in advance

Many industry events as well as large conferences take a while to organise, therefore the search for speakers and speaker applications/speakers intake starts early, this could be anywhere between 2-6 months ahead of the event. This allows the event hosts to select the right speakers, prepare their marketing materials and promote the event. Think of their digital as well as print media that may need to be prepared 6-20 weeks ahead of the event.  By being prepared and positioned as a speaker when these opportunities arise you will have a much better chance of being selected and featured on large stages. 

 3. Your Speaker credentials matter

Yes, your speaker credentials do really matter. This means event organisers are looking at your experience, expertise, track record, your online presence and overall personal branding. Preparation is the key in order to win speaking opportunities, attract them and be recommended in the future. Public speaking is also the key to raising your authority and positioning yourself as the go-to expert in your niche. Your audience will love seeing you on stage and following your speaker journey, so they can always learn something new from you. This helps build trust, authority, visibility and a further track record of success.

4. You are missing out on a pool of new audience

If you have never spoken on stages of live or virtual events, what you may not know is that public speaking is a fantastic lead generation and way of attracting a new audience to your products and services. When you are seen on stage you are immediately seen as an expert and an authority. If you are seen on stage then surely you are vetted and recommended by the host, so there is a good reason why you are speaking on stage, such as a track record of exceptional success. This immediate trust and authority help you attract a new audience and bring them into your digital world.

 5. Success is where preparation meets opportunity

You can never start preparing for speaking opportunities too early. This means making sure your online presence is presentable and contains some of your speaking videos. Make sure your speaker bios and other marketing collateral are ready when speaking opportunities present themselves. Have your keynote talks ready or presentations designed for the best outcome. Some speaking opportunities may come with just a few days’ notice. Would you be ready to say YES? Preparation, practice and experience are truly the keys to success when it comes to having a successful speaking career.

6. Do you have a plan for your speaking career?

Just like with your business, your speaking career needs a plan. How do you plan to leverage every speaking opportunity? How will you be able to convert your audience into paying clients? What does your funnel look like? Many speakers forget the business side of speaking, therefore often wasting the opportunities away and not serving the audience, by not having a plan. As a professional speaker, you must have a plan, this will help you become a paid speaker faster, helping you not only convert new leads into paying customers, but also be paid for speaking on stages.

Are you ready to become a sought-after speaker in your industry? Join the next enrolment of the Women Thrive Speaker’s Academy.  Here we support speakers to become ready and positioned for speaking opportunities.