As I mentioned in my ezine last week, the next few blogs will be focused on getting and mastering speaking opportunities. In my last blog post, I talked about how to put on a self-sponsored speaking event. It’s a great way to get started with speaking, leverage your network and hone your presentation. This week, I’ll be talking about strategies to get speaking engagements at local organizations that are looking for speakers like you!

Believe it or not, most organizations that have guest speakers are actively looking for guest speakers all the time. Most of these organizations are volunteer run and they are grateful to have you contact them and offer to speak. Often times, I’ve lined up speaking opportunities that month or the next month because the organization needed speakers and weren’t organizing speakers far enough in advance. At some of the better run organizations, they may have a long waiting list and may be more discerning when picking their speakers.

It’s important to let people in your network know you are looking for speaking opportunities. As an example, I have several colleagues that introduce me to telesummit hosts looking for speakers when they get inquiries, and I do the same for them. If you don’t know what group your prospective clients are members of, interview some of your current clients and possible prospects to find out. Here are some places to start your search:

• Local Organizations that cater to your clients, such as
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • Business Associations
  • Established Meetups
  • BNI groups
  • Networking Groups
  • Women’s Organizations
    (Specific examples for someone who coaches the executive niche may include “Women in Consulting,” The Executive Network of Seattle (TENS), Executive Roundtable groups, etc).

• Community Centers
• The Learning Annex
• Libraries
• Local Community Colleges
• Conferences and Expos that serve your Divine Ideal Client
• Telesummits/Speaker Series
• At a local business that caters to similar clients or where your Divine Ideal Clients hang out (spas, chiropractors, doctors, gyms, yoga studios, non-profits)

I have provided a script below to help you reach out to organizations by phone or email. If possible, try to get a specific contact person you can connect with, rather than writing a general email to their “info@” email address on their website. It is helpful to put together a speaker’s packet or speaker’s page to highlight your attributes as a speaker; what topics you speak on; and testimonials from organizations you’ve spoken for or audience members of past presentations. To see a sample of a speaker page for a website, visit mine here. Some organizations will make you fill out an application or even an RFP (Request for Proposal) if they are a large organization or event.

Here is a Sample Script (this could also be converted to an email) that you can use for inquiries about speaking opportunities:

“Hi, my name is Tara Butler Floch. I am a marketing coach that helps entrepreneurs create marketing strategies that really magnetize their ideal clients to them. I have a free talk called “The Five Biggest Marketing Mishaps that Entrepreneurs Make” and I was wondering if you would be interested in having me speak at one of your upcoming Connections Group Meetings. I would be happy to sit down and share my presentation with you to make sure that it resonates with your audience before you decide. Would that be something you’d be interested in?”

Keep in mind that you can point them to your speaker page on your website, or offer to send them a copy of your speaker packet. If you are emailing, you can attach your speaker packet as a PDF.

Hopefully this will help you get started with booking speaker opportunities. As always, please share your feedback, comments and questions with me!

With appreciation,