Landing speaking engagements, especially as an entrepreneur who is in the business of selling themselves, is vital to your business. The speaking engagements open up opportunities in other areas, where networking and referrals have the ability to further progress your career. The credibility that being a speaker offers you as a professional is almost unparalleled because not only are you establishing yourself as an expert on the particular subject matter, but the event organizer is vouching for you as the expert that you say you are. Getting speaking engagements as a newbie coach or consultant is possible, and here’s how.

“…research from Weber Shandwick should do the trick. The public relations firm reports that a full 60 percent of women who speak at executive conferences also have a seat on boards, which the firm says demonstrates a “direct ‘speak and sit’ correlation.”” – Tina Vasquez, The Glass Hammer

So what does it boil down to? Your message. As a coach/consultant setting up your own practice, not many know of you and can vouch for you. Therefore, a strategic approach must be applied in order to land the speaking engagements that you want to use to grow your business. It starts with what you are trying to say. Perhaps you are a Digital Marketing Consultant and would like to share your ideas on content marketing – your first step is to figure out what you want to say and how it is different from the rest. Always offer unique information that can help your audience learn something new. Standing out is the name of the game here.

Secondly, find the market for the message you want to give. There are various events held in Nairobi; events that focus on fields and industries across the scale. Log into eventbrite.com and find out which events are focused on your niche area. Attend some of these events, network, and meet with the organizers. This helps you build rapport with them and opens up the door for them to consider you as a speaker next time. Show them your ideas/past work in order for them to believe you can deliver. In other circumstances, networking and telling others around you that you are looking for speaking engagements can do the trick. Simply ask and ask some more. Here’s a great piece on the power of asking for more speaking engagements.

“The future belongs to the askers. The future belongs to people who confidently ask for what they want, and especially to speak to a company or organization.” – Brian Tracy

5 methods you can use to get more speaking engagements as a newbie

1) Target industry associations

Targeting coaching federations or coaching centres is one of the ways you can get to mingle with decision-makers and those whose influence can land you the role of speaker. One way is to join these associations or to take a short course. This alone exposes you to other coaches and consultants, both seasoned and starting out. Not only will you find opportunities to be mentored on how to go about getting speaking engagements as a newbie, but you position yourself and your skills to be discovered and respected by professionals in your field. They are, therefore, able to recommend you to others. Such associations such as the International Coach Federation or Destiny Life Coaching are great places to start.

2) Target related associations

On top of your industry associations, there is an array of related industry associations wherein you can make your mark. Rotary Clubs, Toastmakers, BNI, Centonomy and Country Clubs are but some of them. Here you have quite a number of options as well. You can join these clubs as a member and therefore build relationships over time with other members or you can go Brain Tracy’s route and just ask for opportunities to speak. For example, some Country Clubs host member-only events where they invite member-only speakers to give a talk on entrepreneurship or business. If joining an association as a member seems excessive, you can simply call up the marketing or event organizing departments and ask for speaking opportunities. However, keep in mind that joining exposes you to a wealth of networking opportunities and allows you to build solid social and business relationships over time. If you’d like to know more about the art of building business relationships, click here.

3) Target Events

This option is for those who do not want to commit. There are numerous events that are focused on whatever your niche is, and more importantly, events that attract your audience. If you are starting out as an independent Cyber Security Consultant, keep an eye out for upcoming events such as the Africa Women in Tech 2016 Conference, or a related industry event such as Social Media Week Independent Nairobi. Attending these events exposes you to professionals like yourself and potential clients who fit your buyer persona. It’s an easy way to find out their needs and to think up ways you can meet those needs. Talk to the organizers of such events and stay top-of-mind so that the next time they are looking for speakers, you are the first person they call. Here you can also target social media hashtags and find out what your audience likes to attend.

4) Outside consulting

Leveraging outside consulting is a great way to find opportunities from the inside. As an independent contractor, you are able to find out what events/sessions are held by the organization that you offer your services to. You are in a much better position to be given opportunities to speak to their employees because they already trust you and your expertise. If you offer corporate branding expertise to a company, then you are likely to be the first person they call when they are holding an employee training on image or business etiquette. Moreover, you shouldn’t wait to be asked. Take a chance and ask if you can give a talk to their employees for free!

5) Register/hold your own

Why put off till you are asked, what you can do yourself. Not quite how the saying goes? Well, you get the point. Register your own event on Eventbrite and showcase your skills as a speaker. As long as you are delivering valuable information, your prowess and knowledge of the subject matter will sell you. Needless to say, make yourself available. Make it clear on your LinkedIn profile/website that you are looking for speaking opportunities and provide clear details on how you can be reached. This passive method is bound to get you a few calls while you are putting your effort in the aforementioned.

As you get noticed and speaking opportunities present themselves much easier, your exposure as an excellent entrepreneur, coach or consultant will grow. This calls for better personal branding. Even as you are starting out, your personal branding plays a major role in landing the speaking engagements that you seek. If you’d like some help with yours, book a free consultation with us.

As a speaker, you should house all your experience online. Upload the videos on YouTube and embed them into your website. This shows you are a credible public speaker and makes it easy for potential organizers to see what they are getting upfront. List your previous speaking engagements on your CV and display them on your LinkedIn Profile.

Tools: The Speaker Pack

What are some of the tools that speakers need? Preparing yourself with the items mentioned below will make you look professional and worthy to be given a speaking opportunity. Here are some of the most important tools you need in your speaker’s pack.

• Speaker’s Bio, with achievements
• Business Card
• Proof of your past speaking engagements e.g. video links or video if in a flash drive
• Professional head shots
• Social media information, including website and LinkedIn profile
• List of publications
• Awards and certifications
• Testimonials
• Detailed contact information

For tips on how to engage your audience, watch this video. If you’d like more ideas on how to grow your coach/consulting business, and especially how to market your services, take a look at this. We also have a Sales Growth Training Program that is practical and hands-on for those looking to learn and see results!