“How do I become a speaker?” is a question I get multiple times a week, so I went live with VaynerX to break down exactly what it takes, and here are the biggest takeaways. Here’s everything you should know (and more) - my tips and tricks of the trade!
You can have all the expertise in the world and all the desire to share it, but if nobody knows you exist, none of it matters.
Here's the analogy I always come back to: what would happen if you were planning to sell a house, but you only told your friends? MAYBE one of them buys it, but what about the person moving to town who has no idea you're even selling? You NEED the sign in the yard, and even that is just a start.
In practice, that means more than just putting "speaker" in your bio. Fill your social media with clips of you actually speaking, and build a website (even a simple one) with a contact email and all of your speaking materials. Make it easy for someone to book you… Because you'd be surprised how many aspiring speakers have a speaking tab on their site with absolutely no easy way to get in touch. Remove every barrier for entry!
Once people find you, what are they looking at? Every speaker needs a bio, quality photos, a speaking reel, and testimonials — and on that last one, bigger isn't always better. A glowing review from a mid-size company nobody's heard of is actually more valuable to me than a list of Fortune 500 companies that didn't pay you. Some of the biggest brands rarely pay speakers because they know people will do it for the credential, so when I see those logos, I tend to assume you spoke for free. A real testimonial from a real paying client tells me a lot more about the impact you actually made.
And on the reel: film EVERYTHING, even when you're just starting out. Bad reps still teach you, and good ones give you content to work with.
If you can't answer these four questions clearly and quickly, rethink your entire pitch:
Sit with those questions and answer them honestly. That exercise will tell you a lot about where you stand and how to position yourself as a speaker.
The speaking industry rewards volume, and you get better by doing it over and over again. If you're starting from zero, start small. Ask a friend who runs a business if you can speak to their team, reach out to local chambers of commerce, or offer your content to schools or a retirement home for free. Set up a camera, get the rep, get the footage, and iterate. The goal isn't perfection straight out of the gate; it's building the foundation that eventually gets you paid. Taylor Swift didn’t start playing football stadiums, and neither will you!
This is a multibillion-dollar industry that most people don't even realize exists, and the opportunities are everywhere for speakers who show up, expand their visibility, and continuously work on getting better. Every industry has an association, and every conference needs someone on stage. The opportunities are almost endless.
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