Many professional speakers didn’t plan to speak for a living. They either backed into it or the business found them. It’s essential to choose your business model carefully in the competitive business of speaking.

Here is an overview of the basic speaking business models:

1. Freelance subcontractor.

This is where a speaker is hired to do an existing program designed by training companies or other speakers. The advantage is the training company does the marketing and the speaker is paid for delivery. My friend calls this “Show up and throw up.” You don’t need to be an expert but you must have excellent platform skills and a knowledge of the subject matter.

2. Corporate training model.

The speaker delivers his/her own material developed for a particular audience. The advantage is the fees are higher and you own the account. You can also penetrate deeper into a company for more business. Companies continually need to train their workforce and will look for outside experts and consultants to improve performance.

3. Keynote or motivational speaker.

This kind of speaker targets the association and corporate market and is generally speaking to large groups. They speak at a lot of conferences and conventions and must have an inspiring message and or a deep level of expertise. Keynote speakers command the highest fees but the downside is they are always looking for the next gig. A convention will not hire the same keynoter for two consecutive years. They often partner with speakers bureaus to book business. The life of a keynoter is to be a road warrior.

4. Product sales model or BOR (back-of-the-room sales).

Presenters speak for the purpose of selling products. They either stage their own public seminars and events or speak at conferences. This also can be a lucrative model but the speaker must be able to create products that people want and most importantly, be able to sell from the platform. Selling products from the back -of- the -room is challenging and this model is recommended only for those who have excellent selling skills and can move a crowd to action. It requires getting in front of large groups, transporting products, and having a merchant account.

A subset of BOR is internet sales. Some speakers direct the audience to their websites and sell hard copies and digital products. Other speakers have morphed into primary internet businesses and deliver their message through teleclasses and webinars.

5. Enterprise model.

This kind of speaker owns a bonafide business and manages employees. They may own a restaurant, a real estate company, a training company or other enterprise which they can sell. The bulk of their income is derived from the business and speaking is yet another but not the sole source of their income. This is often the most lucrative model because the speaker does not have to trade time for money. Employees or freelancers deliver the product or service. The speaker is positioned as an expert about the business or industry and may speak on business or motivational topics.

When choosing a business model, the main message from the panelists was play to your strengths.

The smartest speakers combine multiple streams of income.

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Diane DiResta is CEO of DiResta Communications, Inc., a New York City consultancy serving business leaders who want to communicate with greater impact – whether face-to-face, in front of a crowd or from an electronic platform. DiResta is the author of Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, an Amazon.com category best-seller and widely-used text in college business communication courses.

For a free newsletter and audio course visit http://www.diresta.com

It’s fun to be a professional speaker. The all-expenses paid travel to beautiful locations, the enthusiasm and appreciation of a happy audience, and the fulfillment that comes from knowing you helped some people during your great speech that you were paid to deliver all add to the glamour and excitement.

Typically, after each speech I give, an audience member will approach me and say something like, “I just love what you did and I’d love to be a speaker too. What can I do to get started?”

According to Rick Butts, who made more than $1 million during his professional speaking career, there are three keys to making great money as a professional speaker. After working closely with Rick for my own speaking business and based on my background and knowledge as a speaking coach, I completely agree with his three keys.

What you need to be a successful speaker:

1. Talent. While almost every business owner can easily speak about their businesses at local networking meetings, for example, not everyone has the talent to become a highly paid world-class speaker. The good news is, regardless of how much natural talent and ability you have, you can practice and hone your craft to become better and better. In a competitive field like professional speaking, you must stand out above the average good speaker. Talent, ability and lots of practice and attention to detail will get you there.
2. Passion. You are going to deliver your one speech over and over and over again. If you are not passionate about your topic, if you’re not excited to share your content, if you don’t care about your audiences, you’ll never make it. Passion draws an audience in like nothing else. It’s that same passion that sustains you in the early days as you work to make it big that will also sustain you after you’ve delivered the same speech for the fourth time that week and allow you to keep it fresh for each new audience.
3. Willingness to work. Being a highly paid and much sought after professional speaker doesn’t happen by accident. Speaking is a business and you need to treat it as a business. You can’t expect your speaking engagements to fall into your lap just because you whipped up a website. You have to work to build your reputation, your credibility, and your platform. You have to write a stellar speech that will stand out above the rest. You have to practice your speech to make your delivery engaging, memorable, and fun for an audience.

When you have these three keys working together, you will create a successful speaking business.

And if you know now is the time for you to become a highly paid professional speaker and make money while sharing your passion, I invite you to visit http://SpeakerMachine.com where you will discover the 5 steps to becoming a professional speaker, including that all-important question: what will I talk about? Absolutely free.

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Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed. is a Chicago-based professional speaker and the CEO of Speaker Training.TV, a partnership with Rick Butts who has made more than $1 million in his speaking career. Together we’ll show you what you need to know to be successful too.

You may be an amazing speaker, but in order for your public speaking business to survive, you will need audiences who will pay to listen to you. Instead of paying for lots of ads to promote your business, you want to spend your marketing efforts where you will get the best results: networking and showing people what you’ve got.

Marketing in this way enables you to do more of what you do best: public speaking. You do not have to spend a majority of your time marketing, which takes away from the time you have available for speaking engagements. Instead, you can sell yourself to 10, 20 or even 100 people in one hour and grow your public speaking business faster.

1. Volunteer to Get Your Business Off the Ground

Speaking for free may sound like a way to not earn money – but in reality, it is a cost-effective way to market your public speaking service. Not only do you gain exposure to several audiences, you can establish a relationship of goodwill with potential clients.

There is no hard selling here, and people are more likely to want to hire you for future paid speaking engagements because they see you a a good person and want to reciprocate the favor. Do not underestimate the power of “charity work.”

2. Meet the Right People Through Organizations

Join trade organizations in your industry; ones that match the topics you speak about. This is a simple way to get connected directly to people in a particular industry that tend to be leaders and decision makers. Many of these people want to excel in their field, network and participate in group activities.

Whether organization members do the hiring for speaking engagements or they know contacts involved in event planning that could land you a job, sharing your skills and getting involved in industry organizations can provide you with lots of speaking opportunities.

You can use the search engines to find a list of trade associations and industry organizations to contact. Joining your local Chamber of Commerce can also connect you with potential clients.

3. Get Listed in Online Directories and Have Clients Calling You

Speaker Services and Speaker Zone are two directory websites that connect speakers with audiences. Organizations and businesses use these sites to find speakers for their events, and it is an easy way to reach new clients that is easy and convenient for them.

For a fee, you can list your speaking service in one of many different categories. Describe the topics you cover, the geographic locations where you are available to speak and the rates you charge. You can also share your experience, skills and even a video of you speaking.

Getting your first clients will be the hardest part. Once you begin speaking to groups, the contacts, referrals and repeat business you get tends to grow exponentially. Instead of going out and searching for audiences for your public speaking business, you will find that people will be calling you.

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Visit HomeBusinessCenter.com to get more information on How to Start a Speaking Business and free public speaking training videos.

Let’s face it times have changed and it’s important for you to keep up! Not only keep up with the changing times but learn how to embrace the younger generation of meeting planners and organizers. When I look back many years ago (and still today) speakers were sending out their speakers kit to meeting planners and organizers in hopes that they would open up their packet of information and hire them to speak at their next event, unfortunately and in most cases, that’s not the way it worked and it became a frustrating struggle and still is for many speakers.

What happens to all those pieces of marketing material your still sending off? All the DVD demos you worked so hard on and invested so much money in, all the material you had printed and copied and spent hundreds of dollars doing so, what happens to all of it once it leaves your hands? The truth is they end up gathering dust on the planners shelf or possibly tossed out… Harsh, I know but true. Why? Because not only have times now changed but planners get hundreds of unsolicited packets of information that makes it impossible for them to get through nor do they want to, plus they have many other tasks on their plate besides finding a speaker for the their event. Best advice on this; do not send out all your marketing material unless requested by the hiring party.

How do you solve this problem and also how can you reach out to the younger generation of planners? First, stop sending your speaker kit information through the mail unless requested, I am not by any means saying not to do mailing campaigns but to do it effectively using simple campaigns such as postcard campaigns to a very targeted group. Second make sure you have a strong online presence and that you’re embracing social media. Who makes up the majority of planners today? Yes, it’s the younger generation and where do you find them? They’re online and hanging out in the social media crowd, they’re interacting, looking, searching and finding their experts online and a lot of them through social media outlets or through social media outlets that lead them back to your strong built platform on your website. Many of your younger generations of speakers are going to have this down to a science already, they are amidst the social media realm, they know how to use it and embrace it to benefit the success of their speaking business.

So, I say to those of you who may think using social media is a waste of time and you prefer to stay in ‘old school’ mode that you may want to really rethink your strategy because if you don’t get yourself online, build yourself a strong online platform which includes embracing social media today then you’re going to find that your speaking business is going to suffer, it will become a struggle for you to keep up with your competitors. You may think you have enough referrals to stay afloat and that’s great but what about new, what about keeping up with the changing times? My suggestion is to hop aboard, enjoy the ride and join the thousands of speakers that have learned to use social media to their advantage, leverage it and build a successful speaking business.

Perhaps you already set yourself up with a Twitter account, a Facebook fan page, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more but you’re not getting the results you thought you would and you just don’t know what the heck to do with it all, so much to do, so much to learn and so little time to do it especially when you’re trying to grow a speaking business. But this part of your speaking business is an important part and it’s called marketing today, something that needs to be learned, something that needs to be done on a regular basis and done effectively to get the results that you want. In my many years of working with speakers I have come to understand the top three important ingredients of speaking success. Be a specialist and know who your audience is…who you’re meant to serve. Know how to market effectively and keep up with the changing times (this builds a strong expert platform) Build relationships and follow up. That’s it, well there’s more to each one, but in a nutshell if you can figure out how to leverage and implement them properly you’re going to see amazing results.

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Wendi McNeill, owner and founder of Charli Jane Speaker Services has been opening doors of opportunity for speakers since 2002. Learn more about Charli Jane Speaker services and get your free ebook & workbook on the #1 Key to Your Speaking Success: Defining your Niche and Finding Your Audience at http://www.CharliJane.com.

Here are two of the most essential and basic first steps when starting your speaking business:

1) Define Your Expertise and Establish Your Speaking Topics

Everything that has been said thus far about positioning yourself as an expert and tailoring your services to a specific market is now your top priority. What will you speak about, and equally (if not more) importantly, who will you speak to? The question is more easily answered than you might think. Ask yourself:

• What are you passionate about?

• What are you experienced in?

• What are you knowledgeable about?

• What have you gone through that is unique or unusual?

• Have you undergone a unique challenge and prevailed?

• What major life failings have you endured, and what did you learn?

• What career success did you achieve? What was special or unique about your career trajectory?

• What valuable insights can you relate to others about your personal life experiences?

• Have you ever overcome life-threatening illness, or triumphed over a life-threatening circumstance?

I could ask you questions like this all day long, but the point is that you have to discover your speaking topics on your own. It has to be something that you have a deep desire to express and relate to others. You need to become very clear about what you want to be presenting on as a professional speaker.

2) Seek Out and Discover Your Niche Market and ‘Desperate Buyer Only’ Audience

The other question of course is who will you speak to? Remember what I stated earlier about ‘desperate buyers only?’ That’s who you need to focus on developing your message for.

• What specific groups or associations need to hear your message?

• Who is the main audience for your information? Is it most pertinent to corporations, philanthropies, colleges and universities, or youth groups? What other types of groups?

• Where do those that need to hear your message congregate — offline and online?

• Do they have the available budget to pay you to speak to them? Specifically, are funds allocated for speakers in their meetings and events?

• Are there multiple similarly-minded groups around the country (or even in another country) that you could continually be hired to speak to?

• What opportunities exist to develop products and other informational materials to sell within your chosen market niche?

• Is your chosen market ‘evergreen’? That is, will the issue or information that you are addressing with them still be valid, relevant, and in demand for many years to come?

• Who could currently be seen as a speaker competitor in your niche market? Does the market seem saturated with other speakers who present on your topic?

• Is your chosen market finding other means of addressing or fulfilling their need for your information in ways other than hiring professional speakers?

• Is your niche market growing and expanding, or is it in decline? What are future prospects? If it is a business, is the industry it is apart of financially stable? If it is an association or philanthropy, are they growing or shrinking?

As you can see, many of these questions require some extensive research on your part. Get online, ask questions, make phone calls, and don’t be afraid to test the waters. You can ask personnel whether they have ever hired professional speakers, or if they have a budget for such things. Don’t hesitate to find out how they have been handling the issues that you wish to address, or even if they are aware of their importance in the first place. NOBODY CAN DO THIS LEGWORK FOR YOU! You have to do this research by yourself, and I suggest that you take this early task very seriously. This is a major aspect of the ‘foundation laying’ stage!

Many great speakers provide a speaking service that fills the holes in for markets that didn’t even realize they had holes that needed to be filled. Nothing is preventing you from becoming this same kind of trendsetting professional, and it’s often easier than you think.

We will be exploring making contact with outside prospects in articles to come, but for the time being you need to work on whittling your message down to a very tightly focused niche. Conducting solid, extensive research is invaluable, and if done thoroughly, it will pay your speaking business huge dividends for years to come!

Look for our future articles, all based on providing you with the internet’s leading training on building a thriving speaking business and becoming an elite, six figure professional speaker. In the meantime feel free to join us at Motivational Speaker Academy while membership spots are still available.

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Want to grow your speaking business into six-figures? It’s only possible when the right combination of internet marketing skills, presentation ability, networking savvy, and offline media mastery come together. Motivational Speaker Academy is the premier online training resource for new and experienced speakers. Visit http://motivationalspeakeracademy.com and learn the advanced marketing strategies that will take your speaking business to the next level.

Richard Andrews owns and operates http://motivationalspeakeracademy.com and helps speakers around the world launch their own successful professional speaking business. Visit the Motivational Speakers Academy today and learn advanced strategies for marketing yourself effectively both online and offline.

Quite often, schools, universities, organizations, and community groups hold events that need guest speakers. These guest speakers may provide keynote messages, motivational talks, or vital information on a particular subject.

Such events are major opportunities for speakers to present their skills and topics while getting paid. Becoming guests at these affairs enhances the speaker’s reputation and expands buyer prospects. Getting into these events is quite challenging though. To become guests, in corporate conferences and universities requires a great deal of self-promotion and credentials.

When you think about it, it is natural for planners or organizers of these events to invite speakers that are known and reputed for their achievements. Speakers that are perceived to be great at what they do are logically prioritized and some groups will favor celebrities in the field. Not only does it attract more people to the event; it will also ensure favorable results and productivity.

So what exactly needs to be done? How does one become a guest speaker at schools, conferences, and events?

The answer relies on the effectiveness of the speaker’s marketing approach. The key here is to establish a reputation of expertise and professionalism. Also, an understanding of the niche is essential so the speaker can be clear about the promotional tactics to be employed to attract the organizers.

That is the basis for your marketing materials and created products. The products you release in the market should provide an impression of authority and extensive knowledge. The niche will not fail to notice this and the speaker will have an imprint in their minds. Thus, they are called upon when they are needed.

Marketing materials should show a speaker’s specialization. If the speaker intends to break into the college market, a speaker should state and emphasize in brochures that his or her focus is on youth motivation and school leadership. Perception is reality. It is important that speakers should be perceived appropriately in the niche.

Personal branding is one way to create better recall and establish a reputation. Once the market labels your professional services, you will begin to get clients easily in specific niches. This is why speakers should carefully plan their branding and labeling.

It may take some time to get to the point where you become a primary commodity as a speaker. Big events require only the best speakers and through experience and strategical marketing approach, you will eventually reach that favorable position. Once you reach that point, you can become a guest speaker at any event.

There are plenty of ways to become a guest speaker at schools, conferences, and events. However, persistence and smart work is imperative to get there. Nothing will happen to people who just wait for something to occur. To get ahead as a speaker, you must get out there and network. Recognize the needs of your market and expand your database of prospective clients.

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Article by James Malinchak. **Attention Readers** Want to Make $100,000 to $1,000,000 Dollars Per Year as a Professional Speaker? Learn to Become A Speaker At Schools and More or send a completely blank email to bmsoptin@aweber.com.

SELL YOUR KNOWLEDGE

This is my overriding principle that came from years of hard knocks trying to get people to hire me to speak. I get more speaking engagements than I ever had before when I quit trying to sell them and began selling my knowledge in as many different formats as possible. The idea is that infinitely more people can buy what you know through books, tapes, CDs, Ebooks and videos than could ever hire you to speak. Your name recognition because of your knowledge distribution makes speaking engagements much easier to come by because the people that could hire you have already heard you and your message on your knowledge based products. In the mean time, the money from the product sales keeps your business thriving.

GET SPONSORSHIP

You can get other companies to sponsor your speaking fee so they can be associated with your message when you speak. Stop and think of what kinds of groups would want to be associated with your message. Let’s say you speak to the banking industry. Maybe mortgage, or mutual fund companies would sponsor you. Maybe bank equipment companies would. Think of anyone who would want to have exposure to your target audience then simply make a proposal to their public relations department.

GET DIRECTLY PAID

This is pretty straight forward. You speak to a corporation, association, civic group, or anyone who would hire you and they pay you directly. Most of the time you should try to get a deposit up front of about 50 percent and the balance either before the event, or the day of the event. You will use various methods to get hired. I have had the greatest success in my career getting hired to speak by promoting myself properly on the Internet.

SPEAKERS BUREAUS

A speakers bureau is a for profit organization that locates speakers for paying clients. The speakers bureau normally takes a percentage of your gross fee. The percentage is usually in the 15 to 30 percent range with the average fee being 25 percent. It is very difficult to start with speakers bureaus unless you are a bonafide celebrity and your fees are substantial. You must remember they get paid on straight commission and the higher your fee, the more they make. Also, unless you have a proven track record, a speakers bureau will be afraid to put you in front of one of their clients because if you bomb they could lose many more bookings from the same client. You must also supply the bureau with promotional materials that don’t have your contact information so anyone that sees the material will contact the bureau directly and not you.

PUBLIC SEMINARS

This is another fairly simple idea, but that doesn’t mean it’s simple to do. Basically you promote your seminar to the public and they buy tickets to attend. You could also promote it to corporate management and get them to buy tickets for their employees to attend. I avoided public seminars for years because of the risk and expense involved in printing and mailing brochures. Now I do lots of public seminars because I can promote them at no cost through my website and email magazine.

TELEPHONE SEMINARS

This can be a form of public seminar, or it can be done for private groups. You arrange for a telephone bridge line (very inexpensive), or a conference call (can be VERY expensive). You have participants call in and you deliver the seminar over the telephone. This saves a tremendous amount of money on travel expenses for you and the participants along with all kinds of savings for the participants (travel, time, etc.) For visuals you can have the participants sitting in front of their computer while on the phone. You tell them what web page to visit to see your visuals. I have produced a CD set on this topic. http://www.antion.com/teleseminarkit.htm

WEBCASTS

This is similar to telephone seminars except you are using the Internet instead of a telephone to hold the seminar.

TRAINING COMPANIES

In this case a company hires you to deliver their programs to public seminar participants, or to participants all from the same private company. Career Track, SkillPath Seminars and Fred Pryor Seminars are examples of companies who hire seminar leaders. In some cases you can develop programs for the seminar company and get a higher fee for delivering that program and a fee each time it is delivered by another seminar leader. You also get a percentage of all the back of room products you sell. These companies can keep you on the road quite a bit so you better be ready to travel and don’t think each event will be in the Bahamas . . .Your events are more likely to be in places like Toledo, Cleveland and Columbus. These are relatively low paying jobs when compared to the kind of money you can get promoting your own speeches and seminars.

SPEAK FREE TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS

Many professionals speak or give free public seminars to help get clients. Attorneys, doctors, dentists, accountants, real estate agents, lawyers, home builders and many other people from a wide variety of professions give seminars to promote their business and to gain clients directly from the seminars. To do this effectively you must not spend the entire seminar promoting yourself. You must give the participants good information with the idea of establishing yourself or your company as the expert. There is certainly nothing wrong with showing people how complicated things are and even though they can do it themselves, it might not be a wise thing to do. For instance, you could be a plumber giving a seminar on how to remodel your bathroom. You tell the participants every little detail of how to do it and also tell them the perils if they do it wrong. No one will complain that you were just giving a sales pitch, but many will think to themselves, “Maybe this is too much to tackle by myself. Maybe I should hire this person to either help me or do it for me.”

SPEAK AS PART OF YOUR JOB

Many companies have their own speakers bureau. Normally the only reason it exists is as a public relations tool to provide a good image of their company to the community. One of the ways you can speak for pay in your company is to volunteer to be in the speakers bureau. As long as you are on company time when you are speaking, you are indirectly getting paid to speak. If they always ask you to speak after hours on your own time, well that’s a different story. You still might want to do it to continue to become a better speaker. Another way to get paid to speak in your job is to join the training staff of your company, or start one if one doesn’t exist. You can simply target a problem the company is having and work up a program to train others in the company on how to solve the problem. Suggest a few sessions to your boss to see how it goes. If you get results, chances are they will want you to do the same program for others in the company.

How do you become a great speaker and get paid for it?

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Learn the public speaking techniques that will create the career of your dreams and change other people’s lives forever. It’s easier than you think!

Tom Antion provides entertaining speeches and educational seminars. He is the ultimate entrepreneur, having owned many businesses BEFORE graduating college. Tom is the author of the best selling presentation skills book “Wake ‘em Up Business Presentations” and “Click: The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing.” It is important to Tom that his knowledge be not only absorbed, but enjoyed. This is why he delivers his speeches laced with great humor and hysterical jokes. Tom has addressed more than 87 different industries and is thoroughly committed to his clients’ needs. http://www.antion.com

“I have to get on the public speaking circuit.”

As a professional speaker, I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that exact phrase from people who would like to add public speaking as either their main or a supplemental source of income to their business or career.

I have been professionally speaking in many capacities since I began my career in 1992, always in front of audiences for one thing or another.  So people naturally ask me all the time,

“How do I get on the speaking circuit?”

Here’s the thing.  It’s a big secret we speakers keep to ourselves so we know when we’re talking to a fellow speaker or just someone who thinks they may want to be on stage somewhere someday.

There IS NO speaking circuit.

None.

Zippo.

Zilch.

Nada.

So unless you want to look like a total beginner, stop saying you want to get on some type of circuit. Seriously there is none.

Let’s look for a moment at the definition of “circuit” according to Dictionary.com:

“a periodical journey from place to place, to perform certain duties, as by judges to hold court, ministers to preach, or salespeople covering a route.”

and

“a number of theaters, nightclubs, etc., controlled by the same owner or manager or visited in turn by the same entertainers or acting companies.”

Perhaps in the acting or preaching industries there may be a circuit.  And in fact, this could be where some of the confusion around the topic comes from, especially because public speaking can often involve travel “from place to place.”  But make no mistake, there are not many professional stages that qualify as a “circuit.”

Every speech you are booked for is usually just for that one stage and that one occasion.  And that’s it.

To others on the outside of the speaking business it may appear there is some sort of speaking circuit.  That’s because in certain niche markets a handful — say 20-30 of the most popular speakers often appear at various events together or in some combination at the events for that niche market.

And how do those same speakers get hired time and again? Simple: results. The information they share gets the audience the results they want.  When audiences are happy, event planners are happy.  When event planners and audiences are happy, speakers get a good reputation.  And that’s what gets you the next speaking gig.

So don’t despair that there isn’t really a speaking circuit. Because as you get hired and continue to market yourself and grow as a speaker, the opportunities will flow to you as easily as if there was a public speaking circuit.

When most people think of getting paid, they think about one thing…CASH! However, there are many other ways to get paid for speaking (and some of them might be even more valuable than cash… I know it sounds hard to believe, but it’s true!).

According to one Member Survey by the National Speaker’s Association, 81.1% of speakers worked for no fee at least once during the last year. Of those, 89.6% spoke for free between 1 and 10 times! A full 21% of the membership surveyed spoke for free between 5 and 10 times. Why do they do this? Because it’s great marketing! There’s just no better way to develop your reputation as a speaker than to be seen speaking. It makes perfect sense.

Anyone with experience in the field of professional speaking can tell you that the key to success in this industry is exposure. As you speak to more audiences, word of mouth starts to build faster and faster. Before you know it, event organizers will begin to call YOU!

Of course, great marketing material helps, but nothing beats great marketing material combined with the far-reaching word of mouth.

That’s where the pro-bono work comes in.

You are knowledgeable on the subject matter, you have gained the confidence to stand and speak in front of hundreds of people, and you finally put a good structure together to keep your audience interested throughout your speech. The problem that many speakers face is that when you are just starting, you can not demand the big bucks that more experienced professionals can.

So… there’s a balancing act you need to play. Paying expenses out of your pocket in order to gain experience does make sense in some situations, but there’s a way to minimize your risk. The objective is to turn any out-of-pocket expense into an investment.

We have put together a dozen tips to make sure that you are getting reimbursed for your speaking engagement in a way that will work for both you and the meeting planner.  So read on – this could make a huge difference in your speaking career!

1. Ask for a professional quality video tape.

Perhaps the best way to sell yourself to a meeting planner who hasn’t seen you before is to let them see you in action.

Tell the planners that you do not require any money for your services, but you want them to have your engagement video taped at PROFESSIONAL QUALITY. Many organizations have the resources in-house to provide this to you. It’s low-cost for them and big-benefit to you. Hiring a professional yourself to record a presentation could run you hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Perhaps the best way to sell yourself to a meeting planner who hasn’t seen you before is to let them see you in action. A videotape is the next best thing to being there.

Today, the recording can be downloaded on a computer and even sent via-email (for free) or burned on a CD (for pennies). You can add a streaming version to your website. So you might not be getting paid for a few hours of your service… but you definitely will be laying the foundation for growing your engagements in the future.

One important note: make sure you use a lapel mike when being videotaped, and do a test run with the person running the camera. There’s nothing that screams “amateur video” like a soundtrack that plays as if were recorded in an echo chamber.

2. Have them buy your product (i.e., book, CD, resource kit) instead.

Some organizations may not have the budget for speakers, but they have a “training” budget.  In my experience in dealing with many different organizations and companies looking for speakers, I often find clients who do not have room in the budget for speakers who DO have various other budgets for the event that they are putting on.

The training budget allows the event planners to use money on any resources that can be used to help train the attendees. Companies, non-profits and various other organizations spend millions of dollars every year to train their employees or volunteers in their respective fields. That is MILLIONS of dollars floating round being spent on training costs, so why not offer training resources?

If you have a book, a resource kit, or any other learning tool that complements or enhances your speaking workshop or engagement, have the company or organization buy some from you.  If you “speak for free” but sell thousands of dollars worth of books or kits, you can make the engagement worth your time.

If you do not have any books or kits, develop some for your presentation.  Not only will it make everyone understand you and stay interested longer, it can also benefit you financially.

3. Request a testimonial on the organization’s letterhead.

Even the top-paid professional speakers will often donate their services in exchange for a testimonial that helps their portfolio.  The more experienced you become, the more recognized and wanted you become for other engagements.  What’s especially interesting is that an organization’s competitors want the same speakers. They don’t want to feel like they’re missing out.

It is always important that you get endorsements and testimonials.  Offer to speak at a venue for free under the condition that if the planner is satisfied with your presentation, they will write a testimonial for you. And be very clear that you don’t expect anything if they aren’t thrilled.

Think about this for a minute: how much does a meeting planner really expect from a free speaker? Chances are they are expecting a lot less than you’ll be delivering. So it’s likely that even if your presentation doesn’t knock their socks off, the planner will feel obligated to put a few kind words about you in writing.

Testimonials are a great way to convince others that you have performed well in the past and will perform well for future engagements. Especially if the organization or company is a reputable and well-known, ask to have the testimonial printed with the organization’s letterhead. You can include copies of your best letters in your media kit. Use selected portions of other testimonials on your website and in other promotional materials.

Having a reputable entity backing you up increases the value given to the opinion. When other people say you’re good, it means about 2000% more than you saying you’re great.

4. Ask for a write-up in the organization’s newsletter.

Almost every type of organization – including businesses, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, religious congregations, and others – sends out newsletters to keep people involved and interested in what is going on. Whether it’s employees, customers, or an organization’s members who read it, you can get some really nice exposure, and it’s a good way to reach others who might also be looking for speakers.

If you speak for one of these organizations, ask to be included in their newsletter. Preferably, they will include an article you write, with your byline and contact information at the end. At a minimum, ask for them to include a feature about you, and the talk you will be doing (or have already done).

You would be surprised at how vast some mailing lists are and how many people read the articles in them.  This is a great way to spread your name and your mission, and could lead to more engagements and publicity for you in the future… and let’s face it: in the professional speaking industry, publicity is imperative.

You never know who the newsletter will reach. One of the readers may need you someday, and realize it just as they’re clearing out old papers from their desk in two years.

BONUS TIP: Ask to also be included in an online version of the newsletter. An online version has real staying power. Most popular search engines will eventually pick up any online posting, which means that web surfers will be finding your write-up for years to come.

5. Use business cards to your advantage.

Almost everyone has a business card, so how can you use yours to help gain publicity? When accepting an engagement for free, tell the planner that you will do so under the condition that they place a business card on every seat in the room. That way, when people sit down and listen to you speak, and like you (I am assuming you are good at what you do…otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this), they can pick up your card and keep it with them for the future.

Next time these people need a speaker or know someone who needs a speaker, guess whose business card they have without ever meeting you one-on-one? That’s right – they have all your contact information in their Rolodex, which will hopefully lead to more engagements and money for YOU in the future.

6. Use your audience as a source for leads.

When other people say you’re good, it means about 2000% more than you saying you’re great.

If you are looking to increase your speaking engagements, one of the most popular ways of doing so is through networking and word of mouth.

Asking friends or others if they know of anyone who requires an engagement speaker can be quite tedious and boring. So next time you are giving a speech for “free,” use the audience to help give you referrals.

The first thing to do is to let the audience know that you are doing this pro-bono. When they hear this, they will wonder why you would be willing to do such a thing. Explain to the audience that you have an evaluation that you would appreciate them filling out. In the evaluation form (which could be placed on every seat, or handed out upon entrance/exit to the venue), ask them to rate you as a speaker.

Many people will be willing to give you constructive feedback on your presentation. Once you have people drawn into your survey, include a question regarding whether they know of anyone looking for speakers. It also helps if you can promise a reward for any referrals that lead to more business.

In addition to the referral section, include a section for people to sign up for your internet newsletter or online e-zine, in which you will keep them up-to-date with your speaking engagements and booking opportunities.

NOTE: When getting referrals, ask for names, phone numbers, and mailing addresses. DO NOT even bother asking for e-mail addresses or fax numbers The last thing you need is to be accused of sending spam or unsolicited faxes. These practices can really tarnish your reputation. Once you have an existing relationship, and obtain permission, e-mail and fax are great communications tools.

7. Don’t give out notes.

When you are speaking, do not print handouts or notes of any type for the engagements.  Let people know that they are more than welcome to take their own notes throughout the duration of the speech, but also make the notes available on your website, and encourage them to visit your site.

Hopefully people will go home, get on the internet, and start visiting your site.  This is a great way to keep yourself differentiated from other speakers and build a fan base.

To encourage visitors, DO offer a promotional item with your contact information to every attendee. Pens and pads are fine, and pretty standard; this is a great place to be really creative. Use your imagination to come up with something that people will want to keep on their desks. Even better, come up with something they’ll want to show to others.

One speaker I know gives out small mirrors with her contact information printed on the plastic frame. The frames are designed to attach easily to cubicle walls. Because she works with customer service professionals who spend their days in a cubicle, these are a big hit. Her message, that “people can actually hear your smile over the phone” makes her gift especially purposeful as well.

8. Sell your products and services before, during, and after the speech.

This one probably doesn’t even need to be on the list, but some new speakers fail to understand that speaking is always about selling. Speak for free, sure, but let your audience know that you are more than a speaker.

You don’t need to do a hard sell. I don’t even think you need a soft sell. But you should clearly communicate that you are an expert, and make it clear that you earn money in ways other than speaking.

No matter what you speak on, you should have a consulting fee. If someone wants to get your professional advice, be prepared to offer it – for a fee! I’m not saying that you shouldn’t answer questions for free, but there’s nothing wrong with working out a day of consulting.

If you do have resources that can be purchased at the back of the room, make sure to ask for permission from the venue coordinator before you make a sales pitch. Any kind of audio or data CD, resource kit, or even a DVD of previous speeches (that can be recorded for free… refer to tip #1) can be sold.

Some items cost pennies to reproduce and can often be sold for hundreds of dollars… that is almost pure profit!!!

9. Use free speaking for tax advantages*.

When making a speech to a non-profit organization, you can actually use your speaking “fee” to your advantage for tax purposes. For example, let’s say that your normal going rate is $1000 per venue. If you are speaking for an organization that the government deems to be subject to charitable contribution deductions, and this organization does not offer a speaking fee, you can “comp” the organization the $1000.

In essence you are speaking for free, but that $1000 comp you just gave the organization is now tax-deductible as a charitable contribution deduction.  The deduction for the charity is capped off at a certain percentage, which is about 1 free in every 20 speeches. Additionally, you have to make sure that your going rate is consistent, and you can not make up a going rate based on where you are speaking. Claiming that your going rate is $250,000 will probably get you an audit and jail time.

* Be sure to consult with an accountant and/or tax attorney before dealing with taxes and invoicing. I’m not a lawyer or an accountant, and I won’t be held liable if you do anything that gets you into trouble.

10. Have them invite you back.

A great way to get future engagements that pay is to work out a deal with a venue that is having you speak for free. Let them know that you are more than willing to speak at their venue for free assuming that if they like you, they will invite you back and pay you for an upcoming event.

This is kind of like a money-back guarantee in reverse. You have to earn the money before they give it to you.  It provides incentives for both parties to enter the agreement, and assuming you perform well, everyone should be happy in the long-run. Just make sure to iron out the details of the possible future payments in advance. The organization holds the upper hand here, but a written agreement will make your life a lot easier.

11. How about a free weekend?

Sometimes event planners are not willing to pay a speaking fee for an engagement, but are willing to fly you in, wine and dine you, and show you a good time. This is a great way to be compensated even though you are “speaking for free.”  Have them pay any travel, lodging, and meal costs for you.

It can’t hurt to ask them if they are also willing to pay for your spouse’s transportation and meal costs (the lodging will not cost any extra).  This is a great way to get a free trip and vacation.  In addition, you can also use the vacation as a business expense in some cases.  For example, if you speak at a venue on a Friday and then spend the rest of the weekend doing the touristy stuff, you can write off the whole weekend as a business expense for tax purposes.

Once again, it is important that you consult with an accountant to make sure that all laws and regulations are upheld, but if done correctly this can save you money on your tax returns while you are enjoying a wonderful vacation.

12. Get a professional photo shoot.

Here’s a tip that the pros know: get some good “3/4 shots. That’s 3/4 audience, 1/4 you. The idea is to show not only audience size, but audience reaction. Those are the images that really sell to a meeting planner, and they are extremely important to have in your promotional materials.

This one is an often overlooked opportunity that has LOTS of inherent value. You need great photos for your one-sheet, your website, your media kit, and other publicity vehicles. Don’t miss any opportunity to get professional quality shots of you in front of an audience.

Very talented photographers can be found in almost any group you can think of. It’s worth it to ask a meeting planner if they can help you to get some good shots.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

The ONLY way to build a truly successful speaking business is to get out there and do what you do best – SPEAK! Remember that even the top level professional speaker will speak for free to try out new material, market themselves, and just stay fresh. Don’t let the lack of a speaking fee be an obstacle to your building a successful business.

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A professional speaker is one who takes up public speaking as a profession. A keynote address is the first speech given at the beginning of a program. This sets the mood of the whole show. If the keynote speech captivates the audience, the whole program will be a success. So, a professional keynote speaker has a great job on hand. There are many tips that can be followed to become a good professional keynote speaker.

The first thing that a professional keynote speaker has to learn is to learn to give good speeches. This can be done by listening to great speakers and observing how they put their views across to the audience. The response of the audience can also be observed and the speaker can try to add all the things that will enhance the speech.

Professional speaking demands practice, practice and more practice. So, the best way to improve is to give a lot of speeches. The main point is to have a passion for speaking. This will definitely fetch results. It is also necessary to read a lot and improve one’s knowledge so that he can talk about the subject on hand – effectively and convincingly.

The dress worn by the speaker is of utmost importance. You should dress in a professional manner. Effective body language should be used to pass on the message to the audience. He should try to be in the audience’s shoes. He should think how they will react to all that he says. This will be the best way to assess oneself.

Professional speakers offer courses, have books and other teaching aids that will help a person become a professional speaker. These teaching programs and aids will make the speaker popular and in demand. This will get him offers to give the keynote address.

Information about professional speaking can be obtained through the internet. A person can get information through newsletters. One can become a member of speakers’ organizations, like the National Speakers Association. There are also the American Training and Seminar Association and The Advanced Public Speaking Institute which give good exposure to people who want to become effective keynote speakers.
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Professional speaking for a targeted audience will in course of time make a speaker, a keynote speaker. The simple reason for this is that the keynote address has to be very compelling and effective. This can be achieved only with practice.

A keynote address becomes very important, right from a conference, a political party meeting to a small function. The main aim of the professional keynote speaker is to motivate the audience in the direction of the organized function and make the person engrossed in the proceedings. So, the keynote address should be interesting. It would be good to start the speech with a quotation. This always proves more effective than a general statement. Then, the speaker should speak about the function, the organization that is conducting the meeting and the host of the day. The speech should be interspersed with quotations, verses and examples to give an overview of the occasion. It should be witty and captivating. The overall mood of the audience should be so uplifted as to be eager to continue to look forward to the proceedings that follow.

Since this is the first speech of the program, the audience should not be bored, but should enjoy the speech. Even if the audience does not respond to the speech at first, the keynote speaker should make it interesting as he proceeds and get the audience involved. Some audiences can prove a challenge to a keynote speaker. Such an audience should also be handled delicately by the speaker and bring them around to listening enthusiastically to him.

The ending of the keynote speech should be in tune with the coming program. It should set the mood for it. The event should be summarized and the conclusion should seamlessly go on to begin the day’s events.

The keynote address being of such great importance, the task of the keynote professional speaker is quite daunting. Practice and knowledge will alone make one a good professional keynote speaker.