September 20, 2024
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News and Trends You Need to Know in the Industry of Professional Speaking
The public speaking and professional speaking industry is alive and well! Venues are opening around the U.S. and in other countries around the globe.
Speakers are getting paid for their presentations in whatever format is desired by the event organizer. Virtual live, in-person live and a combination of both, known as hybrid events, have turned hiring speakers into a frenzy.
Speaking business expert and host of the Make Money Speaking Club on Clubhouse, Lois Creamer, sums it up perfectly when she says, “The speaking industry is a lot like the Wild West right now.”
In this post we will provide weekly updates for how the speaking industry is evolving in the post-pandemic period of 2021.
Trends and alerts will be listed by date as they were discussed on Monday’s Make Money Speaking club on Clubhouse. But, when we hear something happening in the speaking business that has not been addressed in MMS, we will post it here too and cite our source.
If you know or hear about a new industry-specific trend or status, please let us know so that we can post it here for you if you wish the comment to be anonymous. Otherwise, feel free to add your comment at the end of the post.
As Discussed on Make Money Speaking Clubhouse August 9, 2021
- Proven that virtual live is a great platform, there is no reason clients shouldn’t want to move forward. If you are at a stand-still with client, you aren’t competitive enough in the market.
- Preparation is everything whether in-person or virtual.
- Audiences will be less forgiving if you don’t have a perfect presentation now-a-days.
As Discussed on Make Money Speaking Clubhouse August 2, 2021
- Event planners are definitely nervous and are cancelling in-person events again.
- Speakers are expecting things to change nowadays. Must acknowledge and have empathy for the client with all of the stress they are under. Any way you bring ease to your clients will make your life, and theirs, easier.
- Speakers need to have a “cancellation clause” in their speaker agreements that protects them from having to give refunds for deposits.
- Instead of a cancellation clause, use the phrase “rescheduling clause.”
- Marty interviewed popular speaker, Mike Domitrz, a few months ago when he said, “This is the best time to be in speaking because people still have problems, and we as speakers are here to help with those problems!” See the full interview in the Speakers Speak Group on Facebook.
- Cancelation clause as supplied by Lois Creamer: “In the unlikely event we need to reschedule our work, all of your deposit will be applied towards a new mutually agreed upon date to take place within one year of the date on this agreement. Fees will be “fee-in-effect” at time of reschedule.”
- The relationship in business is more important than money. Speaking business is relationship driven. Always do your best to work with your client during hard times.
- Can rephrase Lois’ clause like this: “In the unlikely event we need to revise our meeting plans, we can work together towards a solution.” This shows that you value your client.
- Have something that will relate to “if there is a problem” in your cancellation clause.
- The value of your intellectual property should not change whether you are in-person or virtual.
- Have piece of mind in your contract, something that says the equivalent of, “I can handle this whether we are in-person, hybrid or virtual, don’t worry.”
- Do not even raise the prospect that you would cancel on your client.
- Life happens and we deal with things as they come up, that’s how you could approach it.
If we start to hear about more and more cancellations, how can you build hope in your own family that could start doubting you and your choice of work?
- Monetize your speech in a number of ways: present a speech, hold a course, meet online, write a book, create a membership group; different people have different needs.
- Ask yourself, do I have more income streams?
Your expertise will be seen with more depth if there are other ways to share it. - Even if this is a slippery slope with COVID, it is going to be different this year than last year, it’s just a blip in the radar.
- “Affiliate programs” that you promote to your clients can be another stream.
- Think about other people you could have a “joint venture” with to increase your reach!
As Discussed on Make Money Speaking Clubhouse July 19, 2021
- The overall mood of conducting and presenting at in-person events was defined as “Cautious Optimism”
- Many national association meetings are delaying their in-person meetings until first quarter 2022
- State level associations are a great place to get speaking gigs right now.
- Slow for national level, and picking up for corporate
- Buyers are looking for a specific area of expertise that fits theirs, don’t be confusing
- The speaking industry is a lot like the wild west right now. We have to figure it out, and that will happen from experience when things go wrong.
