Secrets to Becoming a Six Figure 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

Have you started your speaking career and are considering giving it up? Are you spending time and money on your speaking career and not realizing a significant return on your investment? Are you getting advice that isn't working for you? Have you found that some of the people who gave you advice do not actually have a successful speaking career themselves? If you have asked "yes" to any of these questions you are in the majority of those who are trying to launch a speaking career.

The speaking business is a highly competitive with great rewards for the few that succeed. If you are trying to get your speaking career off the ground, beware, there is a lot of bad advice out there. Finding a proven strategy for success is knowing what resources are available and credible. You can shorten the learning curve, and save a ton of money with the proper strategies and follow through. Let me share three of the most important secrets I had to learn before I became one of the few successful speakers that crossed the million dollar barrier.

1. Many speakers fail because their presentation is not engaging and entertaining.
2. Marketing is changing at light speed and it has to be part of your strategy.
3. You can earn money from your speaking career while you sleep.

While having a great presentation is critical, it's not enough. People need to know about what you have to offer, and be willing to pay for it. Word of mouth and networking are good for local audiences; however, you will find those alone are not enough, and local audiences are some of the most challenging customers when it comes to paying for what you have to offer. TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and direct mail are expensive and reach only a limited audience. These strategies are too slow and expensive.

If TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and direct mail aren't the answer to marketing, what is? First of all, it is not that there is no place for them in your marketing plan, they can play a small role in your overall marketing strategy. The Internet is faster, and you will get more bang for your buck. Yet, posting a Facebook page and even having a website will still not reach the numbers you are looking for. The Internet has been discovered and everyone thinks it is easy, so they post on it. However, you have to do a lot more to get the traffic you are looking for to your sites than that. The Internet is vast and growing every day, you have to know how to become visible online or no one will find you. You must learn at least the basics of search engine optimization or hire someone who can help you. The keywords you select for your site are how the search engines will rank you, so take your time in their selection. Knowing how to effectively make the Internet work for you, and acting on it is the secret.

The third secret to a successful speaking career can earn you money while you sleep. This is not too good to be true. In the business we call these backend sales. Books, CDs, DVD's, and coaching are a few of the items you can sell to supplement your income. Don't miss this opportunity.

These are three secrets to success and they are seldom mentioned. You will find that few successful speakers are willing to offer help or advice, however, I believe there is enough room in the field for anyone willing to take sound advice and act on it. And, don't kid yourself, it is work and unless you have lots of money for a staff or marketing firm, you will have to do the work. It is worth it.