I often meet speakers that tell me they struggle to secure gigs. After doing a little more digging with them, the same issue always pops up, time after time. No one knows who they are.
It’s not that they don’t have a good speaking website, or that they don’t have any published articles. It’s about the fact that they haven’t built any trust or credibility within their field. In other words, no one knows who they are or what they represent.
While the obvious solution is to get more speaking engagements. It’s not so cut-and-dry. Many speakers get stuck in a vicious cycle of not being booked and therefore unable to build trust and authority.
However, there is a way forward – being consistent. Consistency is absolutely key if you want to grow your speaking business.
If you’re not sure what I mean, let me explain.
Why Consistency is Everything As a Speaker
Here are the minute marks that cover highlights in this episode:
The Importance of Consistency in Business
(2:58) It’s tough out there at the beginning, but by being consistent you can start to paint a picture to the wider world of who you are, what you deliver, and how you deliver it.
Speaking businesses are like any other. You cannot take a “build it and they will come” approach. You have to be out there everyday reminding people of who you are and what you do.
It means being on top of your social media networks, writing blog posts at least once a week about things related to your topic, and getting “out there” to promote yourself at local events and seminars (YES that includes speaking for free!).
While it’s tough while gigs aren’t coming in, it’s even more important during those months when you’re not speaking to keep yourself relevant.
Why Consistency Is Important for Speakers
(4:05) Consistency feeds into everything you need to be a successful speaker. It builds trust, it builds likeability, it builds visibility, and ultimately, it builds clients and sales.
Consistency is a prerequisite for any successful speaker. Suppose you are all over the place when it comes to subject matter, or you go through prolonged spells without effectively marketing your services. In that case, you’re never going to make any lasting impressions on your target audience.
Clients will want to know what they are going to get beforehand. If you’ve spoken on an eclectic range of topics, they aren’t going to see you as a specialist in your field and won’t be able to predict your ability to speak to a particular topic. However, by being consistent on a specific subject, you can put them at ease since they know exactly what to expect.
Planners looking to book speakers also want to know that the person they hire will deliver valuable knowledge in an engaging manner. They love knowing a speaker has been everywhere and knows a lot of people in their industry. That’s why you must get out there as often as possible and as CONSISTENTLY as possible.
Others may dabble in the speaking game for a few weeks or a few months. But if you go into your speaking venture with a consistent mindset and knowing that it will be several months before you gain traction, you are much more likely to develop a successful speaking business with longevity.
How to Remain Consistent as a Speaker
(6:37) Consistency is a broad term in the context of a speaking business, so it’s difficult to narrow it down to a couple of elements. However, I’ll cover two broad aspects of consistency here: being consistent in your actions and being consistent across your brand.
Do Something Every Day That Moves Your Speaking Business Forward
(7:00) The first element of consistency is doing something every day that moves the needle. If you only work on your speaking business when you have a massive burst of motivation, you’ll never get anywhere. Remember, motivation gets you started, but consistency keeps you going.
The best way to stay consistent in this regard is by doing something every single day related to your business. Even if your business centers on public speaking, blogging about topics that relate to your specialist subject is still helpful. As is posting on social media, recording a podcast, or giving a free speech at a local event.
It doesn’t matter what it is. You just need to be doing something every day, no matter what.
Consistency Across Your Brand
(7:54) As you grow as a speaker, you will eventually become recognized for your personal brand as much as the content of your speeches. That’s why it’s vital to stay consistent across the board, so you develop a specific reputation. Otherwise, planners will struggle to figure out who you are.
When I’m talking about consistency here, I’m talking about everything from your blog to your podcast, social media, branding, and even the way you dress. That way, once someone lays eyes on your branding, no matter what that medium is, they will remember you when they re-encounter it later down the road.
To give you an example, if you use blue banners and a reserved personality on your website, but you use red banners and are rather loud on social media, then that is merely going to confuse every potential follower or client.
So make sure you are consistent in everything from your titles to your taglines, planner page, products, and speeches themselves. You’ll never be able to build a lasting business otherwise.
Enlist the Help of Others To Keep Your Actions Consistent
(9:18) As you’ll now hopefully appreciate, consistency is everything when it comes to growing your speaking business. Without it, any success you obtain will be short-lived. From consistent messaging across your brand to constantly moving your business forward, consistency is vital to all speakers.
One way to ensure you remain consistent in both regards is to have the input and support of others. By joining others in a similar position, you can gain greater accountability and receive feedback concerning inconsistent branding.
If you have any more questions about how you can stay consistent in your business, don’t hesitate to join our private Facebook group Breakthrough Public Speakers and ask away.
Alternatively, if you want to learn how to receive thousands of speaking leads a year, Join the Charli Jane Speakers Club!
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Resources & Links
The Charli Jane Speakers Club – Learn more.
If you’re ready to get on more stages you’re in the right place! We provide members with 5,200 – 10,400 speaking opportunities a year! Yep, you heard that right! There is something for everyone. I also created a program called The Booked Solid Success Path. It goes hand-in-hand with the speaking opportunities. Plus, an amazing community and more!
Episode 140: The best way to manage and organize your speaking leads.
The Breakthrough Public Speakers Community – Join us here.
My team and I are inside this community helping you, encouraging you, and supporting you through your speaking journey… along with 3,000+ speakers!
I hope you enjoyed the training episode.
Every week I release a new training episode to help you launch and grow your speaking business.
Keep Inspiring! – Wendi xo
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Meet Wendi McNeill
As the Founder and Owner of Charli Jane Speaker Services®, Wendi has been “Opening Doors of Opportunity” for speakers since 2002.
Charli Jane Speakers provides speakers with support, exposure, tools, tips, speaking and media leads, coaching/learning programs, and much more to assist them in growing their speaking business. Learn more about Wendi
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