How to Get Booked as a Paid Presenter



Posted: Thursday, May 22, 2008

by Allison Bliss
Allison Bliss Consulting

A great way to find new clients, and educate potential clients about what you offer is by giving engaging presentations to organizations, corporations, community groups or other private groups. When people start to learn more about you, build a relationship by meeting or discovering your approach to something that interests them, they are much more likely to hire you or purchase what you sell.

Here is a general (oversimplified) outline of how one accomplishes find paid speaking gigs:

  • prepare 3 sample talks, develop presentation materials and graphics (slides, handouts, videos, whatever is needed)

  • identify organizations who pay speakers on your topic. Call the organizations to find the person who books speakers.

  • prepare speaker press kits and videos (where possible or appropriate) of clips of your presentations on your website. Include in your online media kit:

    • media coverage of your talks, any publicity about your company

    • attendee comments or testimonials from those who hired you showing how you fulfilled the audience expectations

    • short description of 3 selected talks
    • length, price, and contact information for booking you


  • pitch the program director (or booking person) at the organization and use influential friends or colleagues to recommend you.

  • make as many follow up sales calls as needed to close the booking. Negotiate the fee, perhaps tailor your presentations to items they identify that their group needs.

  • present as many free workshops as possible so you can invite booking agents/program directors to your free community talks. That way, they'll get to hear you and feel confident you are qualified to present to their organization.

  • promote all free workshops. Let potential booking agents know how large your mailing list is to help promote their talk (unless it's private to their organization). Get well known to their members so that member-demand is created for your talk.

  • conduct active media campaigns to get articles written about your talks.

  • Keep pitching, resourcing new potential groups, refining above items and like anything in life, the more you do it, the better your results will be.

    PLAN B

    Find a speakers bureau who represents speakers on your topic. They will get you booked and you pay them a percentage (ranges 20-50% of your fee). You'll still need to develop speaker's promotion so they have materials to pitch your talks. Generally, a speakers bureau will only be truly interested in booking you if you're already a very in-demand speaker (that's how they make their money), if you have celebrity status, or if they know organizations with a huge demand for your topics-and usually that means it is a completely novel topic. Never hurts to try, though!

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    Allison Bliss  is founder of Allison Bliss Consulting, a Bay Area marketing and communications agency that creates branding, strategies, promotional materials, web development, television commercials, and workshops teaching companies to entice just the business they want. In addition to on-demand consulting and coaching services, Allison offers service packages that include the “Knowledge is Bliss” business evaluation, podcast production, search engine optimization, marketing database training, and marketing plans. 510-864-8500. www.allisonbliss.com


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