The success rate of people within the speaking business is quite small. Bryan Caplovitz, the founder of Speakermatch, (an amazing lead service for speakers), mentions that 31 out of 32 speakers will not make it past their first 12 months in the speaking business. The number one cause of speakers quitting the business is the lack of speaking engagements. The funny thing is that there are over 4,000 paid speaking engagements each day in the United States. The key to success in the speaking industry is knowing how to book speaking engagements!

Simply cold calling meeting planners is about as effective as trying to go deep sea fishing without a guide (it won’t work!) The right mentor is key to creating success as a speaker, author, or sales professional. They will help you navigate the pitfalls and will help you focus on the right direction for your business.

I recently received a note from one of my coaching clients who was telling me about the lack of speaking dates on her calendar. I offered a few suggestions that would solve her problem, and reminded her that magic happens when you pick up the 300lb. phone.  She ended up booking 2 speaking dates! Regardless of if you are a speaker, author, or just want to achieve better results in any area of life; follow this system:

1. Hire a coach or trainer. A huge mistake that many people make is that if they find something that doesn’t work that well, they do more of it expecting different results. Whether it is a personal trainer who shows you that you are off by 3 degrees on doing a bicep curl, a golf coach who teaches you to bend your knees just a tad more, or a business coach who teaches you the 2 crucial words that can make your offer irresistible; you can leapfrog the learning curve by leveraging the experiences of others.
2. Practice the new technique and expect it to be uncomfortable. New things take a bit of getting used to.
3. Push yourself, and find an accountability partner. This person can be your trainer, coach, spouse, or friend. I personally hired a coach who drills me with a “Nag list” (things that I know I need to get done but may not follow through on). She requires me to report to her twice per week. This allows me to accomplish a heck of a lot more than I would if I did not have that accountability.

I wrote a very helpful e-book titled, Tapping the Goldmine of Civic Clubs, which provides the reader with an easy to navigate road-map for booking more speaking engagements. Please contact my office, and we will send you a free copy. We are living in an age of ever-changing technology, expectation, and aptitude. Tap your passions, discover a way to market it, and Always Better Your Best!