6 Steps to Getting Paid $5,000 + Per Speaking Engagement
I’ll never forget the first time I was paid $2,500 to speak at an event for only 45 minutes.
I was 23 years old at the time and I was BLOWN away by the fact that a company was willing to pay me just to speak!
Crazy right!?
For most professionals, the jump from going from free to fee is as wide as the Grand Canyon with fears that lay just as deep.
Now, many entrepreneurs, authors, consultants and speakers routinely call for my help when it comes to assisting them in getting access to paid speaking engagements in which they can command anywhere upwards of $5k.
But interestingly, very few of them have a working knowledge of how to ‘Package’ themselves up as a speaker that can command these kinds of fees – and fewer still know exactly why they aren’t getting booked in the first instance.
The truth is, unless you have a natural x-factor (read chapter 7 – The X-Factor Decoded,’ page 173 of my latest book, CLICK – The New Science of Influence for the full psychological breakdown of how to craft a compelling personal brand) your chances of commanding such fees are simply unrealistic.
So, today I want to help you get paid $5k plus, per speaking engagement
The reality is that as a speaker (and more importantly a paid one), you get access to business opportunities that wouldn’t normally slide across your desk, such as; High paid consulting work; Bulk product / service sales; National Media opportunities; The ability to charge more for your services; High profile connections that take you seriously; Ability to convert prospects to clients with greater ease; Clients seek you out instead of you having to seek them out; Your credibility allows you to out-shine and out-sell your competition; You can command fees of $5k plus (with a solid marketing strategy); Not only that, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
As the ‘Agent of Influence,’ and your advisor, I want to help you establish 6 different strategies – just like your payment and inventory systems – that will become a critical step in you building your profile, getting publicity and generating phenomenal profits.
But before we get into this week’s critical lesson…
And to continue our article series dedicated to building your profile, getting publicity and boosting your profits to coincide with my recent release of The No. #1 Secret To Receiving Your Big Pay Day As a Professional Speaker Guide, go here to learn more…
…today we continue your series by focusing on how to convert prospects to paying customers with greater ease.
Over the past two weeks, I have covered critical subjects and marketing strategies to enable you to get on television and generate 1000’s of leads for next to nothing in next to no time. See here for past lessons;
Week #1: Why Your Personal Brand Will Get You On TV Faster Than Your Press Release
Week #2: How to Get 2,700 New Leads In Just Days Not Months
Today we continue the series by focusing on how to get paid speaking engagements to enable you to profit from your passion.
STRATEGY #1: You Are The ‘Product’
“YOU” are the product and your look, style and content is the wrapping that pulls it all together and makes it marketable.
Like any product, a book, CD, magazine or even newspaper, you have to ensure that you’re up to date and packaged in such a way that compels event organizers to pick you off the shelf over others.
To do so, clearly find a position in your marketplace that you can become known for, i.e. a solid niche that stands out from others. A niche / title serves to put your keynotes in context for those looking at hiring you.
If they can’t get a grasp on what you do – they will find someone else.
My best advice, niche within a niche, i.e. business coaching is far too broad to compel anyone to find out more about you. Uncover which key area you are great at within this area and become known as the authority on the topic – whatever industry you are in.
When you take this step, your value increases immediately when it is one of great interest to your target market.
STRATEGY #2: Increase Your Perceived Value
People will pay what they believe a product or service is worth (including speakers).
If you are just like ‘everybody’ else in the marketplace, your perceived value drops significantly.
I recommend that ‘ALL’ speakers, authors, consultants and entrepreneurs aim to attract media coverage because it is one of the most cost effective means of pushing up your perceived value and gaining exposure on a mass scale.
Leverage this exposure on your website, speakers kit and blogs to continually educate event organizers on your ‘status’ and credibility. After all, if the media thinks you’re worthy of being put in front of thousands of readers / viewers / listeners then an event organizer will think so too (so as long as the media coverage is credible).
If they don’t perceive you as ‘high value’ they will attempt to get a reduction on your speakers fee or even worse, want you to do it for free.
STRATEGY #3: Telemarketing
Many speakers simply do not want to hear this – but you have to get on the phone and start marketing yourself as a speaker to become successful. The phone only rings when you are out there on the speaking circuit (and doing a great job), if not, people forget about you almost immediately.
Continually introduce yourself to organisations that you could potentially speak at their conference, provide training or host a function. Send them a speaker’s kit with your keynote details and always, always follow up.
Be consistent with your marketing and your cash flow will be consistent with you.
If you’re not a fan of telemarketing and you would love to learn other strategies of becoming a high profile, high paid speaker, go here to learn about my The No. #1 Secret To Receiving Your Big Pay Day As a Professional Speaker Guide.
STRATEGY #4: Your ‘Talkabillity’ Factor
Each and every presentation you do is an opportunity to create word of mouth and generate further paid speaking opportunities.
95% of my speaking engagements in my first two years purely came through word-of-mouth simply because I utilized key messages consistently throughout my presentations that got the audiences talking.
Identify the one or two key messages that get people to remember you well after you have left the stage. This will see you get booked consistently and command top dollar for your presentations.
STRATEGY #5: Write a Book & Create Feature Videos
Many people believe that to become a professional speaker you need a book.
This is absurd.
I was being booked to speak at over 60 events per year within my first two years on the circuit and I didn’t have a product to my name – instead I had a message.
There are many ways to obtain credibility and yes, having a product does help greatly however it isn’t the be all and end all. Obtaining media exposure will help get around this and assist in catapulting your profile into the stratosphere and change how people perceive you.
Another way to get around this is by producing quality content on a regular basis, i.e. articles that demonstrate your value.
Secondly and most importantly is to record little snippets of your content direct to camera and upload to Youtube and your website.
STRATEGY #6: Never Give Up!
As the saying goes, “You won’t get struck by lightning if you aren’t standing out in the rain.”
You have to be in the game for the long haul to command $5,000 plus per speaking engagement. Yes, there are exceptions to the rule. They are however far and few between – don’t be the exception be the rule is my rule.
It takes persistent effort and focus to garner enough exposure in the right arenas to get booked regularly.
Is it possible?
Absolutely, especially when you have the groundwork completed and your marketing systems in place that allow you to build your profile, get publicity and generate profits with ease.
Here’s this Week’s Task for Getting Paid $5,000 + Per Speaking Engagement
The business model for a speaker is spending 95% of your time marketing yourself and the other 5% of your time delivering your presentations.
The enjoyment is in the process and the rush when you walk out on stage or take the step off the diving board, which makes all the hard work you do even more worthwhile.
Plan your marketing strategy by taking these key steps as outlined above and you will be well on your way to a successful and high paid speaking career.
And, if you’ve ever dreamed of speaking from stage and getting paid for doing what you love, but simply don’t know where to start, how to charge $5,000 plus per engagement and how to get booked solid within a few short months being paid to travel the country speaking about what you’re passionate about…
…go here to learn about my The No. #1 Secret To Receiving Your Big Pay Day As a Professional Speaker Guide.
Within this carefully laid out and easy-to-follow and even easier to execute guide, I’m going to show you how in my first year as a speaker I was paid to present at over 60 events alone.
I’ll share with you strategies that are designed to get you paid time and time again and that are easy to replicate within moments, all whilst simplifying this complicated process down to a few simple steps you can apply within minutes of reading.
Go here to learn more now and be one of the first 100 to get access to an exclusive 60 minute audio in which I map out for you the comprehensive new marketing strategy that reveals powerful little-known techniques to becoming a high-paid and highly influential speaker in no time.
Until next time,
Ben Angel
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Thank you Ben for an amazing insight! Deepak
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