Everything You Need To Know About How to Be a Guest Speaker

Dr. Gary Arnold's Book
How the Top 1% of Speakers and Coaches Do Internet Marketing
Paperback: ISBN:978-1-57867-041-3; eBook: ISBN:978-1-57867-043-7

Becoming a guest speaker is not necessarily an easy thing to accomplish, but with a little help and lots of determination; you can get there. Before we get examine the basics, let's look at the kind of work that guest speakers do in general.

Guest speakers are invited to give a talk on particular topics. This includes talks such as keynote speeches and motivational speeches. Becoming a guest speaker is not particularly easy. And it is not because of the complexity of the work that the speaker will do. The difficulty lies in getting the opportunity to speak. As a speaker you have to wait for the opportunity to be invited to events.

Making a name for yourself, and promoting your expertise and talent, requires extraordinary marketing skills. Self-promotion is tough for many people. Try to imagine yourself in the client's shoes for a bit. Would you choose a guest speaker who may not be popular or famous when you could just as easily have access to many other well-liked speakers? The answer is--probably not. Therefore, what you must do as a speaker is to find a way to stand out from the crowd. You will have to build a reputation for yourself before you can expect to receive invitations from companies or organizations.

You have to be very careful about how you package your talents and public speaking skills. Personal branding is a very crucial issue and it should be done only after seriously considering all aspects of how the brand will reflect who you are and what you have to offer. Whatever brand image you decide to go with, make sure that you do so only after you have given it considerable thought. I am repeating myself here to emphasize that your personal branding can make or break your career as a guest speaker. Your branding is like a sound bite that identifies who you are, and what you do, quickly and effectively.

You want to present yourself as an expert on your topic and in your niche. For example, if you make a name for yourself as an expert at motivating young people, then you can be sure that schools or colleges in your area would rather send an invitation to you over a celebrity speaker who is not familiar with students and their special needs. A thorough knowledge of your niche is indispensable. You may have a brilliant marketing campaign, and your brand may be the slickest on the market, but you have to deliver a talk that clearly establishes you as an expert if you are going to truly build a reputation as a sought after speaker in your field. You must do your homework first, learn everything you can. Establish yourself as a subject matter expert.

One of the most important aspects that will help you secure jobs as a guest speaker is the effectiveness of your marketing strategies. The expertise you have established in your field will guide your marketing efforts. It is your knowledge and skills that will help you determine the best ways to get the attention of the organizers of conferences and seminars.

Your special skills and expertise are the foundation for the marketing resources and products you create. The products you make available should demonstrate your expertise and understanding of the field.