Grant Baldwin’s Blog

(If you haven’t had the chance to read How I Become A Speaker Part 1 & Part 2, check it out.  It will give you some background on how I got into this business.)

While I am certainly no expert on speaking, I have learned a lot about this business and am happy to share any knowledge I’ve got.  Here are a few things I’ve learned…

1. What’s Your Motivation? – Too many people are in this for the wrong reasons and will just end up burning out.
2. Pick Your Audience – You can’t speak to any audience, anywhere and be good.  Be focused.
3. Be An Expert – Don’t be a jack of all trades and a master of none.  Pick one or two subjects you really know and are passionate about.
4. Why Are You Different? – If someone was at a conference and heard 10 different speakers, why would they remember you?
5. Make Your Marketing Materials Sexy – You only have one shot to make a first impression.  Don’t blow it.
6. Be You – Learn from other speakers but don’t try to copy what they do.  Be you.
7. Tell Stories (Your Stories) - Don’t tell 3rd person stories.  Tell your stories that connect you to your audience.
8. Use Humor – If you’re not a comedian, then don’t try to be one.  But a few funny stories or funny one-liners will help the audience let their guard down.
9. Outwork Others – Be disciplined to stay at it and work hard.  People won’t line up to book you.  You have to work hard to find them.
10. Have A Long-Term Mentality – Go after long term relationships and not one-time “gigs”.
11. Avoid Powerpoint – Too dated and not every place you will speak at has the capability to use Powerpoint.
12. Meet Other Speakers – Contact the speakers who are in a similar industry and build a relationship with them.  You’ll be surprised how friendly and helpful most speakers are.
13. This Is A Business – It’s not a hobby.  Run it like a business.
14. Keep A Paper Trail – Peoples’ memories get fuzzy when it comes to details such as money.  If you didn’t get it in writing, it didn’t happen.
15. Manage The Money – Avoid debt.  Pay cash.  Build it slow.  Keep your business finances separate from your personal finances.
16. Hire Smart People - I’m not a good graphic designer or web guy, but I’ve got people who can do that stuff.
17. Have A Video – It doesn’t have to be perfect, but people want to see if you can at least speak. The audio and lighting for my first demo video were horrible, but it at least gave people a feel for how I communicate.
18. Ask For Referrals – If the host liked you, they probably know someone else who would like what you do.
19. Get Recommendations – Gives you credibility and gives others confidence in scheduling you.
20. Understand Why Someone Booked You – Usually hosts will book you because (A) they’ve heard you OR (B) someone recommended you.
21. Have A Consistent Brand – Have the same look and feel to all your stuff.  Don’t use 47 different colors and fonts.
22. Be Better Off Stage Than On – If you’re an incredible speaker but a jerk to be around, people will stop booking you.
23. Give Away Stuff – People like free stuff.  I give away postcards at events.  Costs me next to nothing.
24. Write A Book – When you write a book, you’re the expert.  And it’s also a good source of revenue.
25. Have An Incredible Website – It doesn’t need to be flashy, but people will make assumptions about you as a speaker based on your website.
26. Get The Word Out – If you have the best looking website on the block, but no one knows about it, who cares?
27. Say Things People Will Remember – Have a couple of lines you repeat throughout your talk that people can grab onto and will stick in their minds when they leave.
28. Practice and Rehearse – Before every presentation, I still practice in my room just like I’d do it on stage.
29. Invite Others – If people will book you because they’ve seen you, who can you invite to your next event?
30. Write Thank You Cards – I always give the host a hand-written thank you card at the event.  They didn’t have to book you, you know.
31. Wait On Bureaus – A speaker’s bureau won’t get you business if you’re not already booking stuff on your own.

That’s all I can think of at this moment, but I know there are plenty of other tips out there.

If you’re a speaker, what tips can you offer?  If you want to become a speaker, what questions do you have?

Related posts:

1. The Power Of An Audience
2. 10 Time Management Tips For Teens
3. Having to Say Something VS Having Something to Say
4. 6 Tips For How To Rebound When Life Sucks
5. More Knowledge Isn’t The Answer To Your Problems