Why now is the best time to start your speaking career?

Why now is the best time to start your speaking career?

You may have been thinking of becoming a speaker for a while, but never really got around to putting your attention and focus on public speaking. I get it, it takes dedication and time to do anything you want to succeed. 

Professional speaking can be quite a time-consuming activity, but it can also become another side to your business, revenue stream and whole professional career that reaps great rewards. 

Just imagine speaking on a stage for 10-15 minutes and walking away with new valuable connections, opportunities and sales made just from you sharing value on stage and making one call to action. Wouldn’t that make you want to set aside some time and take your public speaking more seriously?

So why is NOW the best time to start focusing on your speaking career? 

According to the recent Gender Diversity & Inclusion in Events Report (read here) by Bizzabo women only represent approx 31% of the professional speaker’s industry. This creates a huge opportunity for women to enter the speakers market and bring more diverse voices to the various events and platforms. It is time we have more representation within the events sector and sees more diverse voices on stage.

Well, the best time was yesterday, but let’s start today. ? 

1. Start your speaking career today because event organisers are seeking unique voices, experiences and perspectives 

What you may not realise is that your uniqueness is a gift and there are event organisers who are looking for your gift, your story or your unique perspective. If you always thought that you are quirky and you do not seem to fit in, this is exactly the reason why you need to speak up. Chances are there is a whole tribe of people who ‘get you‘, who have also never been able to fit in and they are looking for someone to speak up and invite them to be part of the ‘quirky club’. Do not deprive them of your greatness. 

2. Start your speaking career today because events are seasonal and applications open in advance 

Many industry events as well as large conferences take a while to organise, therefore the search for speakers and speaker applications/speakers intake starts early, this could be anywhere between 1-6 months ahead of the event. This allows the event hosts to select the right speakers, prepare their marketing materials and promote the event. Think of their digital as well as print media that may need to be prepared 6-20 weeks ahead of the event. 

By being prepared and positioned as a speaker when these opportunities arise you will have a much better chance of being selected as a speaker and featured on large stages. 

 3. Start your speaking career today because your speaker credentials & experience matter 

Yes, your speaker credentials and the experience you have do matter. This means event organisers are looking at your experience, expertise, track record, your online presence and overall personal branding. Preparation is the key in order to win speaking opportunities, attract them and be recommended in the future. 

Public speaking is the key to raising your authority and positioning yourself as the go-to expert in your niche. Your audience will love seeing you on stage and following your speaker journey, so they can always learn something new from you. This helps build trust, authority, visibility and a further track record of success. 

4. Start your speaking career so you are not missing out on a new audience & potential prospects  

If you have never spoken on stages of live or virtual events, what you may not know is that public speaking is a fantastic lead generation and way of attracting a new audience to your products and services. When you are seen on stage you are immediately seen as an expert and an authority. If you are seen on stage then surely you are vetted and recommended by the host, so there is a good reason why you are speaking on stage, such as a track record of exceptional success. This immediate trust and authority help you attract a new audience and bring people into your digital world. 

 5. Start your speaking career today because success is where preparation meets opportunity 

You can never start preparing for speaking opportunities too early. This means making sure your online presence is presentable and contains some of your speaking videos. Make sure your speaker bios and other marketing collateral are ready when speaking opportunities present themselves. Have your keynote talks ready or presentations designed for the best outcome. 

Some speaking opportunities may come with just a few days’ notice. Would you be ready to say YES? Preparation, practice and experience are truly the keys to success when it comes to having a successful speaking career. 

6. Start your speaking career to add a new revenue stream to your business

Public speaking can be a profitable activity and add an additional revenue stream to your business. When you are starting out, you may not be able to charge speaker fees for being on stage just yet, but it does not take long for that to happen.

Making money from speaking can also come in many other ways, such as selling your book, your product or services, generating new sales leads, being sponsored as a speaker and creating social clout and influence to further your career or business, so overtime you can become a paid speaker and recommended expert in your niche.

Do you have a plan for your speaking career?

Just like with your business, your speaking career needs a plan. How do you plan to leverage every speaking opportunity? How will you be able to convert your audience into paying clients? What does your funnel look like? Many speakers forget the business side of speaking, therefore often wasting the opportunities away and not serving the audience, by not having a plan.

As a professional speaker, you need a plan to help you become a paid speaker faster, helping you not only convert new leads into paying customers but also be paid for speaking on stages. 

Are you ready to become a sought-after speaker in your industry? Join the Women Thrive Speaker’s Academy, where we help accelerate speakers’ success from being unknown to sought-after speakers in their industry. Helping you create your signature talk, prepare your speaker profile and digital assets and show you how to pitch yourself so you can start attracting speaking opportunities regularly.