Getting booked as a speaker is a dream come true many times!
As someone who has both been booked (and paid) as well as booked (and paid) speakers, I’ve found a few trends among the gigs that I land as a speaker, as well as the speakers who land gigs with me (And trends among the speakers I toss in the “Never gonna happen” pile!)!
For the first time, I’m sharing that insight publicly!
Here’s 6 things to do if you want to get paid as a speaker.
#1: Add The Producer/Coordinator Email Address to Your Address Book
Adding a contact to an email address book means that their email will actually hit the inbox rather than get caught in a spam or promotions folder. The last thing a speaker wants to do is miss an offer from a booking producer because it got caught in a spam filter because the producer will move on to the next person on their list.
(To clarify, do not add them to a mailing list without permission. It reeks of disrespect, and a speaker who's so desperate to build their list that they have to add people who didn't ask to be there.)
Inside the Producer’s Mind:
As the producer of my event, I know I only have so many slots available. Every single person I book needs to bring something spectacular to the stage to ensure the event is a success. My success as an event producer and ticket sales for future events relies on it. If someone shows me that they are disorganized, disengaged, dishonest or a mess in general during the review process, I’m not going to be comfortable risking putting that on stage. There’s a saying I live by: “When someone shows you who they are the first time, believe them.”