How I became a paid public speaker ... and how you can, too

How I became a paid public speaker ... and how you can, tooHow I became a paid public speaker ... and how you can, tooPublic speaking is big business. And its a business that doesnt have a formal on-ramp for breaking into. In the past three years, corporate training and public speaking has become the biggest revenue generator in my entire business model. And, I have to admit, I love this kind of work mora than anything I do.I get such a podium high from feeding off of the energy of a room full of people with whom Im creating an electric environment of learning and growth for both of us. I learn something new every time, and make it my mission to hone my craft and clarify my message with each opportunity Im given to take the stage.Heres what Ive learned about breaking into the industry and becoming a paid public speaker1. Develop your voiceBefore anyones going to think about booking you for a speaking gig, they need think of you as a thought leader or expert. What kind ofscholarare y ou? What issue areas have you made it your mission to master?Whether ansicht subjects are directly related to your work and career or mora of a hobby, it can take a while to prove that youve got a unique perspective to share.For me, blogging and writing became my first avenue to develop my voice and my unique perspective on issues relating to gender in the workplace. Creatingonline courses, developing curriculum for in-person workshops for individuals likeBossed Up Bootcamp and even developingthe Bossed Up podcastall helped me showcase my unique perspective while providing value to readers and listeners for free.If I didnt show that I had something to say first, it would have been unlikely that anyone would give me a chance and just put me on stage in front of their employees or their conference attendees without having an idea of what I was about to share.2. Tailor your messageIts one thing to come up with a message that speaks to workers, but its a totally different thing to cons ider how your message will be of value to the people whoactuallypay for public speakers.For example, one of my favorite ways to help individual women get bossed up is to provide training and coaching on salary negotiation. Its an art form Im obsessed with and I absolutely love helping more women talk positively about their strengths and get paid for all theyre worth. But what company is going to PAY for me to come in and train their employees on how to negotiate? Ill tell you NONE.So I had to think about which components of my message really speak to what companies and conference organizers care about. My most popular training is on Assertive Communication. The reality is, my assertive communication workshop helps women make their voices heard in a world thats not always listening to women, but the other reality is, it also helps with leadership development, employee retention, and cutting down on passive-aggressive behavior in the office. Thats the kind of framing that makes manag ers and HR directors alike see the value in what I can bring to the table.My second most popular talk is all about burnout prevention. Ive opened conferences with my Beat Burnout keynote across the tech industry, legal field, and even medical industry. Why does that one work so well? Because its not just about helping the individual, its about a collective consciousness-raising for an entire industry to do better.So for anyone thinking about entering the ring of public speaking, know that your message needs to resonate not only with members of the audience, but with their bosses and their conference-organizers, too.3. Start for freeSpeaking is a weird business. Figuring out your pricing for workshops and keynotes can feel like venturing into the wild, wild west. But in order for me to get my speaking sea legs, so to speak, I was more than happy to speak for free.Id show up for any nonprofit or association or womens empowerment group that could fill a room. Id barter to make sure tha t everyone who attended could sign up for my email list, at the very least, and saw these engagements as opportunities for me to try out new material and see what landed.Stand-up comedians are known to do the same thing, and lets face it theyre superhuman public speakers and total masters of the craft.Whenever I speak for free, my goal is the room with a handful of leads for future speaking opportunities, too. Right after you wow an audience is the best possible time to focus on new business development. If youve done your job and people are feeling fired up and impressed, its time to ask them who else they know who needs to hear your message and ask for their help to make that happen.4. Rock those referralsOnce I come down from my stage buzz and re-enter earths stratosphere, the real work begins. Leads are just that a fhigkeit for potential business. Those leads take serious nurturing and further networking to actually turn into business. But over the past year especially, Ive act ually really come to love that process.100% of my speaking business comes in from referrals. Good old fashioned word of mouth people whove seen me speak or seen my stuff online and want to see if I might be a good fit for their team of their upcoming event. I also get business from picking up the phone and just catching up with my friends in the industry or past clients whove brought me in before. What are they up to this year? How is gender playing a role in their workplace these days? Is there any way I can support them or their colleagues this year? I find that when Im genuinely interested in staying friends and keeping up with people, more business comes my way from spending lots of time simply reconnecting with people and seeing whats up.Plus, even when those phones calls dont necessarily lead to paid gigs, theyre still a great opportunity to hear more about whats happening in their industry and keep up with workplace trends.5. Hone Your CraftI view public speaking as something of an art form a performative practice all about inspiring and informing others with your message. To that end, every artist needs years of practice to go from good to great.Thats how I view my public speaking practice these days especially as a craft I want to hone to really take it to that next professional level. As such, last year I joined the National Speakers Association to rub elbows with other folks who can make me better. I joined at the strong recommendation of a terrific speaker,Linda Swindling, with whom I shared the stage at a recent conference. Linda completely blew me away with her delivery, style, humor, and content and was kind enough to berater me a bit over the past year as she shared some secrets with me about how to build a career in public speaking.Im all about lifting as I climbAnd thats why Im thrilled to share everything Ive learned about making a career out of public speaking. For folks who want to go deeper with me on this topic, I just re-opened applicat ions to join theBossed Up Trainer Team,a cohort of business-owners, public speakers, and coaches who join me for an intensive, 8-hour Certification Program all about developing your public speaking and then afterwards join me for ongoing quarterly mastermind calls. These are the trainers I then feature on Bossed Up webinars, guest blog posts, and even Bossed Up Bootcamp, too.Learn more and apply nowto join me at upcoming Certification Programs Im hosting in Denver and DC in February and March.This article first appeared on Bossed Up.