Written by: Vickie Sullivan | May 11, 2021
The Hard Truth of Professional Speaking
In-person events are gearing up to return later this year. As they do, the speaking circuit is filling up. The sad thing is many of the newcomers will wash out within a year or so.
They won’t succeed because of one key thing: misplaced confidence. They think they’re ready for these events, but they really aren’t.
Hard-learned Lessons of Professional Speaking
Here’s what these new speakers don’t know that the rest of us learned the hard way:
• Inspiration is everywhere. A lot of speakers focus on last year and think audiences need inspiration to move forward. They miss the bigger question about market exposure. If everyone is being inspirational, why is your inspirational message any different? This is where market strategy comes in.
• Launching a speaking business requires hard work. Too often, people think their strong background will generate enough interest from buyers. They believe their passion for a topic and their style will get rave reviews. Nope. Speakers have to stand out in a sea of talent and insights. And that requires hard work and planning in areas not related to speaking.
Listen: How Buyers Know You’re Not Ready for Prime Time
When your market is crowded, you must do more. Compelling stories are everywhere, and good speaking skills are ubiquitous. What you have is often good, but it isn’t always compelling. Unless you stand out in the sea of competing speakers, you will fade into the background.
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