Tired of Cooler Talk?

How to Book Speaking Engagements

This article was originally published in our exclusive Sly Fox email newsletter.

Word on the street is that you’re a networking aficionado. Benefits, banquets, conferences, happy hours…you do it all. The mere thought of building business relationships and making new connections makes you giddy. Small talk is your ‘thang! 

But you’re itching to amplify your voice. Like an eclectic youngster in high school theatre, you’re craving center stage. You’re ready for the spotlight to shine on you

You can see that speaking engagements could benefit your business big time.

Not only can speaking engagements allow you to reach new audiences, but they can also propel your status as an industry thought leader, elevate your brand, and eventually earn your business a new stream of revenue. 

But where do you even start? Read on to find out how to move beyond water cooler talk.

Research.

All good work begins with a little sleuthing! Start by searching for local events hosted by corporations, universities, businesses, and social groups. And hey, you’re a social butterfly—activate that network and ask around! 

Then, once you’ve formulated a list, research the organizations further. Make sure their audience would resonate with your company’s offerings and your key message. 

Do you share a target demographic? Is the organization local, regional, or national? How can their organization benefit from you, and vice versa?

You can also partner with a wicked smart marketing firm (cough cough, Top Fox), to tackle this step for you.

Develop topics. 

Once you’ve found an organization with common ground, it’s time to develop speaking topics. 

What are you particularly knowledgeable about? How can you tie that into your business’s core offerings and goals? Is your purpose is to inspire, educate, or entertain? 

Once you’ve answered these key questions, develop a short list of go-to presentations.

Create a media kit.

To showcase yourself, your business, and your topics, you’ll need to equip yourself with a media kit. Media kits make it easy for organizations to evaluate if you’re a good fit for them. They should demonstrate your strengths, provide social proof, and present your topics. A typical media kit includes:

  • A short bio
  • Social media accounts and following
  • Impressive stats
  • Testimonials
  • Notable works or achievements
  • Speaking Reel
  • Rates
  • Contact information

Pitch it.

Just like that, you’re all set up and ready to pitch your presentation! There are a few ways you can go about this.

The first method is applying through an online marketplace platform like SpeakerHub or The Speaker Lab. This is a great way to start if you’re just testing the waters. 

If you’re ready to wade out to sea, you can pitch desired organizations directly via email. This is where that media kit really comes in handy! 

You can also work with a marketing and PR company to steer the ship. After all, those waves can get tumultuous. Having an experienced captain by your side can better position you for booking success.

Get in touch with Top Fox Marketing if you’re ready to step on stage but don’t know where to start. Our savvy team of marketers can help you find the right setting for you and your business.

And if speaking engagements aren’t your thing, you can also think about guest blogging. In this article, the Tilt shares some great insights on how guest blogging can benefit your business. Keep in mind that the more content you create (ie. blogs, podcasts, guesting on podcasts, videos, etc.) the more likely you are to receive new (and better!) opportunities.

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