The business of being a motivational speaker is not easy. You cannot just show up and say "Hello, I am a motivational speaker, please hire me to speak at your next business event" and expect the clients to line up at your door. (although, while you are here reading my blog... let me say - "Please hire me to speak at your next event!")
It is a word of mouth industry. Unless you are already a celebrity you cannot just assume that people will be interested in hearing your presentations, especially when you expect to be paid. It can several hundred presentations before you begin to see the rewards. Having been on stage hundreds of times the last few years and talking to over 10,000 professionals, I know that word of mouth takes time and you cannot force a viral campaign of getting people to refer you to opportunities.
It is like going to Hollywood. Why does Brad Pitt receive over $20 million per movie, -- meanwhile there are thousands of handsome, talented actors (with great abs) who are waiting tables on Sunset Boulevard? Pitt has established a platform and a reputation for delivering a great performance, which did not happen over night. He started by taking acting classes, modeling, getting small parts in soap operas and other shows, then supporting roles in movies long before his name was on the marquee.
People view newcomers in any industry as an "overnight success" - but what they fail to realize is that they have spent years perfecting their skills and doing all the right things that have lead them to the levels of fame that they suddenly have achieved. Often five or ten years of work goes past before they reach the top.
The same is true with a professional speaker. Just as a movie producer would not give a novice the lead role in a big budget film, those who hire speakers do not want to just select anyone to address their conference. They are looking for experience and expect that their audience will be educated, engaged and entertained.
I have spent over five years focused on the craft of speaking. I am very fortunate to have built my business, and now I get to work with interesting clients in a variety of industries. Speaking at corporate, law firm and industry conferences is for me the most rewarding part of my writing, speaking and consulting career.
If you are interested in talking with me about speaking at your next event, please contact me for a discussion to determine if my presentations and speaking style are a match for your audience.
Have A Great Day.
thom
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