🐐

Let’s be honest: If you’re charging $5K–$15K per talk (or want to)… and you’re still not booking consistently… It’s not your talent. It’s how you’re running your business. After working behind the scenes with 50+ speakers and spending almost 2 years obsessing over the industry, these are the biggest patterns I see—over and over again: STRATEGY & POSITIONING - 🎯 No clear niche—they try to be everything to everyone - 🔄 Focusing on multiple audiences at once - 🧩 Messaging is vague and hard to remember - 🧪 Building offers before validating demand - 🧠 Trying to solve every problem for every audience - ✨ Shiny object syndrome—chasing trends instead of establishing authority - 📊 No repeatable system for outreach or visibility SALES & STRUCTURE - 😬 Fear of raising prices—still saying yes to $500 gigs that require travel and lodging - 🧾 Not charging for the real time, prep, and emotional energy it takes to deliver - 📅 Assuming a gig is locked in before the contract is signed - 🔒 Not focused on securing recurring corporate deals or longer-term training opportunities - 📋 No clear offer = no urgency = no action - 💼 Doing free gigs without collecting social proof assets (logo, video, testimonial) -If you’re speaking for free, cool. Just don’t do it empty-handed. MARKETING & COMMUNICATION - 📣 Talking about themselves instead of the audience’s problem - 📺 Overwhelming planners with long reels, cluttered websites, too many options - 🧠 Leading with technicalities instead of transformation - 📢 Saying too much instead of making the message land - ❌ No urgency in their positioning—no reason to act now - ⚡ Spending money on branding/tools before securing clients (I know $10K speakers still running off Google Sheets!) BRAND & ASSET GAPS - 👻 Ghosting social proof—no fresh content, no testimonials, no logos - 🧱 Weak online presence: no clarity, no consistency, no authority - 🗂️ Relying only on referrals with no strategy for growth - 🧭 No clear destination for decision-makers: “What am I hiring you for again?”

Your speaking fee isn’t based on anything real. This isn’t a product with hard costs or a service you bill by the hour. Speakers try to justify their rates with prep time, slide design, or travel. But if you’re giving the same talk repeatedly—as you should—those sunk costs are already baked in. You’re not a consultant. You’re a performer. Think Taylor Swift. Her “fee” is just what the market will pay. Yours is too. So here’s the truth: The easiest way to raise your fee is to ask for more. If you’ve done three paid gigs and have proof you delivered—testimonials, ratings, or logos—double your rate. If you’re at $4K, start asking for $8K. Worst case? You land at $6K after some negotiation. That’s still a raise. And don’t just negotiate on price. Ask for B-roll footage. Headshots. Testimonials. Content rights. Get more than a check. You’re underpaid because you’re undervalued. And you’re undervalued because you’re invisible. So speak more. Post more. Be everywhere. Because in this game, visibility = value. Don’t sell out of your own wallet. Raise your rates today. What’s stopping you?

Your speaker website isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s your digital stage. (Ha) It’s where event planners decide if they want to book you. It’s where your leads go to learn more. And if you don’t have one yet? This week’s priority = Get one up! Even a simple, free site is better than nothing. You can add it to your email signature, social media, and even put it on a QR code for conferences. The goal? Convert visitors into booked gigs. Here’s what your site NEEDS: ✅ High-quality photos & videos (your demo reel front and center!) ✅ Your keynote topics & a short bio ✅ A way for event planners to contact you ✅ A media kit & downloadable speaker one-sheet ✅ Links to your social media ✅ A way to collect emails—yes, even if you’re not sending a newsletter yet! Now, let’s network. Drop your speaker website & social links in the thread. You never know who might have a gig or opportunity for you! 🎯

Great speakers know success isn't just about your talk—it's about The Halo Effect. This psychological principle explains why we think beautiful people are smarter. And it applies to your speaking brand too! Every piece of content shapes perceptions of your value. Low-quality content? People assume low-quality speaking. What is quality? Why is Apple quality? *Information *Visuals *Audio The solution? Record your high quality keynotes and share them widely. *YouTube *Instagram *LinkedIn This works because: *It establishes your expertise instantly *People feel they already know and trust you *Event planners need to see you in action before booking People who want to hire you WILL look you up Check out these speakers we’ve worked with: *Robyn Thompson - Instagram *Denis Boudreau - LinkedIn *Christine Miles - YouTube Being invisible means being unbookable.