How to Land Your First Paid Speaking Gig

Public speaking tends to be a love-or-hate pursuit. Some professionals loathe the prospect, wishing it weren’t required of them. Others dream of developing a paid speaking career on the side. If you fall into the latter category, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, speaking bureaus won’t help you until you reach a certain threshold of price and popularity. So focus instead on inbound marketing techniques. Ask contacts who already know and like you to recommend you as a speaker. And create content that will attract potential clients to you. Also be willing to speak for free. The more experience you have, the more chances you’ll have to hone your style and become excellent onstage (and worthy of being paid). And free talks, if well chosen, can still be valuable for you for other reasons, such as networking and exposure to potential clients.