ROCK THE ROOM®
GETTING BOOKED AS A SPEAKER
CONGRATS ON YOUR INTEREST IN PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING!
It is a remarkably meaningful endeavor—an opportunity to share your expertise and passion, influence countless lives, and in some cases get very highly paid.
People often ask me about the industry. Below is some information that will help you get going…
A FEW RESOURCES:
No matter what country you are in, these resources are valuable as part of your research…
National Speakers Association
nsaspeaker.org
Local chapters AND the larger conventions.
If you are in the U.S., you can look up your local chapter. Most states have a local chapter and some of the larger states have different regions.
Canadian Association of Professional Speakers
canadianspeakers.org
If you are based in Canada, also look up CAPS—Canadian Association of Professional Speakers
A FEW STEPS I RECOMMEND:
RESEARCH SPEAKERS IN YOU FIELD
I recommend you study/look up other speakers
in your field/industry by looking on NSA and CAPS sites and also by doing some research on the bureau
websites. (See list below.) Study how other professionals position themselves, what they cover, what
they charge, etc.
BOOKING GIGS
Whether via bureau/agents or directly with a client/conference committee, you will need most of the following on your website or at the very least, on a “one-sheet” or electronic brochure:
- Video – demo reel of you speaking. This must be top notch: excellent sound, excellent venue, excellent editing. The competition is so fierce and you are judged on your video in about 30 seconds at which point they think about whether they even want to watch more…so make sure in these opening seconds you are positioned well and rocking it. Look at some of the speaker demo reels on bureau sites – both in your field and in others
- Speech and/or workshop titles
- Speech and workshop descriptions – what people in the audience will learn (a few sentences) and a bullet list of outcomes
- Your defined area of expertise
- Bio – why you are the go-to person: your experience, education, published books, any honors/awards, results from high profile clients.
- Testimonials – it’s best when they are from recognizable organizations and reputable clients as they will carry more weight.
- Photos/Headshots – professionally done but not too stiff.
- Contact info, website, etc.
GET BUREAU REPRESENTATION
A “bureau” is essentially an agency that represents speakers. If you are booked by a bureau, they will take a 25% cut of your fee. Sometimes they will only take 20% but that tends to be for highly paid speakers (in the $30,000-$100,000 range). If they want to take 30%, they’re not playing fair.
Most speakers are not signed exclusively with an agency and instead opt to freelance and let a variety of bureaus represent them. Below is a list of some of the more well-known bureaus.
Please note: I’m not endorsing these bureaus below, nor am I able to provide introductions. This list is here primarily to give you an idea of a few different bureaus so you can research how people in your industry (and area of expertise) represent themselves re: keynotes and workshop titles, descriptions, bios and fee range.
To get represented by a bureau, it usually requires (a) a referral or two from reputable speakers already represented by that bureau, (b) the bureau seeing you live somewhere where you crushed it, (c) that bureau losing a lot of business to you (i.e. someone they frequently represent keeps getting “out-booked” by you so they come find you to represent you as well…) or (d) having “celebrity status” – a big bestselling book, TV show/film, significant claim to fame, piece of major news coverage.
In general, you do not want to cold call or hassle a bureau nor do you want to be seen before you have crackerjack material such as a great keynote and/or a great demo video. Why? Because if they see you
before you’re really ready, word gets out and when someone tries to recommend you again, they’ll think, “Yeah – I saw him/her…Ehhhh. Not so good.” It’s very hard to get a second chance.
So be ready and then blow them away..
HERE ARE SOME BUREAUS TO RESEARCH:
- Keppler
- Premiere Speakers
- BigSpeak
- Speak Inc.
- Gotham Artists
- Washington Speakers Bureau
- Harry Walker Agency
- AFB - American Program Bureau
- AEI
- The Sweeney Agency
- GDA - Gail Davis & Associates
- Rave Speakers
- Leading Authorities
- Executive Speakers
- Speakers Spotlight (Canada)
- Convention Connection
- Eagles Talent
HOW TO WORK WITH VICTORIA
Are you ready for even more support and guidance?
If you’re looking for…
COACHING
For more information on crafting an unforgettable presentation that will lead to repeat and referral business, I highly recommend my Rock The Room program.
It includes 70+ video tutorials, 30+ checklists plus trascriptions, audios, articles and downloads—all from Victoria’s 20+ years of experience.
PRIVATE CONSULTATION
Studio@VictoriaLabalme.com
HOW TO WORK WITH VICTORIA
Are you ready for even more support and guidance?
If you’re looking for…
COACHING
For more information on crafting an unforgettable presentation that will lead to repeat and referral business, I highly recommend my Rock The Room program.
It includes 70+ video tutorials, 30+ checklists plus trascriptions, audios, articles and downloads—all from Victoria’s 20+ years of experience.
PRIVATE CONSULTATION
Studio@VictoriaLabalme.com
HOW TO WORK WITH VICTORIA
Are you ready for even more support and guidance?
If you’re looking for…
COACHING
For more information on crafting an unforgettable presentation that will lead to repeat and referral business, I highly recommend my Rock The Room program.
It includes 70+ video tutorials, 30+ checklists plus trascriptions, audios, articles and downloads—all from Victoria’s 20+ years of experience.
PRIVATE CONSULTATION
If you still have specific questions and would like to have a paid consultation call about the speaking industry, please email our team:
