Everything You Need to Know to Become a Paid Speaker

I’ve always said speaking is the best part-time job you’ll ever have - and it's so true. Good news: The speaking industry is booming, and there's never been a better time to break in. 

Bad news: Most aspiring speakers are making critical mistakes that keep them stuck in the amateur zone.

Having booked over $100 million in speaking engagements… I’ve learned a lot over the years. Let’s break down everything you need to know to become a paid speaker:

Here's the thing most speakers get wrong from the jump: they think giving a speech means delivering information. Wrong. A great speech is a conversation, not a lecture.

The best speakers address their audience, understand who they're speaking to, and create genuine back-and-forth engagement. They're not standing behind a podium reading from a script like a robot. They're in the moment, adapting on the fly, reading the room.

Why This Matters

Think about the last time someone talked at you versus with you. One feels like a TED Talk you're watching at 2x speed. The other feels like coffee with a mentor who actually gets you.

When you talk with your audience:

• Engagement skyrockets. People lean in instead of checking their phones.
• Your message sticks. Conversational delivery is processed differently in the brain—it's memorable.
• You build trust. Audiences can smell inauthenticity from a mile away. Conversation = connection.

How to Actually Do This

Ditch the script. I repeat: ditch the script. You need to know your material so well that you can customize on the fly. That doesn't mean winging it, it means being so prepared that you can adapt to what the room needs in real-time.

Here's what this looks like in practice:

• Know your audience before you arrive. What industry are they in? What challenges are they facing? What do they care about right now?
• Use "you" language. Instead of "People often struggle with...", say "You've probably experienced..."
• Ask rhetorical questions. Pause. Let them think. Create space for mental engagement.
• Read the room. If you're losing them, pivot. If they're loving a story, lean into it.
• Be human. Mess up a word? Acknowledge it with humor. See confused faces? Clarify. This isn't about perfection—it's about connection.

If you’re interested in more info on this: Check out this TikTok.

Great speakers don't just tell good stories. They tell a bunch of stories that all work to get to the same clear goal.

This is the difference between "That was nice" and "That changed how I think."

The Power of Multiple Stories, One Goal

Think of your keynote like an album. Every song (story) has its own vibe, but they all support the same overarching theme. You're not just throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks—every anecdote, case study, and personal experience is strategically chosen to drive home your central message.

Why does this work?

• Different stories resonate with different people. Your story about failure might hit home for some, while your story about innovation resonates with others. But they both lead to the same takeaway.
• Repetition without redundancy. You're reinforcing your core message without being boring or preachy.
• It creates a through-line. Great speakers have a thread that ties everything together. The audience should be able to summarize your talk in one sentence.

The Message Clarity Test

Can you answer these questions in 10 seconds or less?

1. What is the ONE thing I want my audience to believe, do, or feel differently after my talk?
2. How does each story I tell support that goal?
3. If someone only remembered one thing from my talk, what would I want it to be?

If you're fumbling for answers, your message isn't clear yet.

How to Build This Skill

Start with the end in mind. Before you write a single story, nail down your core message. Get specific. "Be more productive" is weak. "Use the 2-minute rule to overcome procrastination" is sharp.

Map your stories. Create a simple doc:

• Story 1: [Brief description] → Reinforces: [Core message angle]
• Story 2: [Brief description] → Reinforces: [Core message angle]
• Story 3: [Brief description] → Reinforces: [Core message angle]

Cut ruthlessly. Got a hilarious story that doesn't serve your goal? Save it for another talk. Every minute on stage should earn its place.

Here's what separates good speakers from great ones: great speakers don't just engage the audience—they know exactly when and how the audience will be engaged.

This is about transformation, not just information.

What Does Transformation Actually Mean?

When someone walks into your session, they have a current state: beliefs, behaviors, knowledge gaps, and frustrations. When they walk out, they should be in a different state. That's transformation.

Truly great speakers anticipate the moments of engagement. They've engineered their talk so they know exactly when the audience will lean in, when they'll laugh, and when they'll have their "aha" moment.

This isn't manipulation, it's mastery. You're designing an experience, not just delivering content.

The Transformation Framework

Design engagement moments strategically:

• Hook them in the first 30 seconds. Start with a provocative question, surprising stat, or vulnerable story that signals "this is worth your attention."
• Create pattern interrupts. Every 7-10 minutes, do something different: ask a question, tell a story, show a video, have them talk to a neighbor. Don't let them zone out.
• Build to emotional peaks. Great talks have architecture. You're taking them on a journey with highs and lows, building to a climactic moment of insight.

Know Your Moments

Professional speakers can tell you: "At the 8-minute mark, I tell the story about my failure, and that's when I usually see people nodding." They've given the talk enough times to know what lands and when.

That's not luck—it's refinement.

The standing ovation feels great. But here's what matters more: Are they still talking about what you said three weeks later?

The best speakers know that their speech doesn't end when they walk off stage. The real measure of success is long-term impact, the conversations that continue, the behaviors that change, and the ideas that spread.

Why Long-Term Impact Matters for Your Career

Beyond the obvious (you know, actually making a difference in people's lives), creating long-term impact is how you build a sustainable speaking business:

• Referrals multiply. When someone is still thinking about your talk weeks later, they're telling their network about you.
• You get rebooked. Event organizers want speakers who create lasting value, not just a sugar high.
• You can charge more. Speakers with proven impact command higher fees. Period.

How to Engineer Long-Term Impact

1. Give them something actionable. Information is forgettable. A framework, tool, or specific action step? That sticks. When someone uses what you taught them and it works, you've created impact.
2. Create emotional resonance. Facts fade. Feelings last. The stories that hit emotionally are the ones that stick. When you make someone feel something—inspired, challenged, seen, hopeful—that emotional tag makes your message memorable.
3. Design a "moment" they'll remember. Every great talk has that one moment—a story, a demonstration, a metaphor, a visual—that becomes the thing people remember and share. What's yours?

Here’s a video explaining more about what I mean.

What Should You Actually Charge?

Real talk: Pricing is where most speakers either leave money on the table or price themselves out of gigs. Figure out your value and what your time is worth. Think about:

• Flying cross-country, time away from family, prep time
• Your expertise level and track record
• What you're worth to the event: Are you putting butts in seats? Driving registrations?

Your fee is only equal to the value of your time. If you're just starting out and not getting booked, don't charge a lot of money. Build your reps. Get testimonials. Create demand.

If you want to get booked more, don't raise your fee. Counterintuitive, right? But when you're building momentum, volume matters. Once you're in demand and turning down gigs, that's when you raise your rates.

Pro tip: Start with a range. Know your "hell yes" number and your "I'm building my portfolio" number. Be strategic about when you use each.

More on pricing: watch here. 

The Biggest Mistake Speakers Make

You ready for this? Overly relying on slides.

My advice? No slides at all.

Here's why: Slides become a crutch. They pull attention away from you (the human, the storyteller, the connector) and toward a screen. Your audience came to hear you, not read bullet points.

Can slides be useful? Sure, for data visualization or complex concepts. But if you can tell your story without them, you should.

Challenge yourself: Deliver your next talk with zero slides. Just you, your stories, and your message. See what happens.

Watch why this is important.

The speaking industry rewards those who master the fundamentals and then add their unique voice. You've now got the framework that's generated over $100 million in speaking fees.

Want more insider tips on becoming a paid speaker? Follow Zach Nadler on TikTok @zachnadler for regular insights from the speaking industry.

Ready to take the stage? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly speaking tips, or browse our roster of world-class speakers to see what great looks like.

Now get out there and give a talk that people will be talking about for weeks.

You've got this.