10 steps to 10 Stages 1. Know what value you can add to the audience and to the event producer Before you get going too much further, it’s good to ask yourself the following questions to be clear about your intentions for getting on stage. Questions about your message and the audience What do you want to speak on and why? What is your area of expertise? How is this information going to be of value to the audience? How is it going to change the life of each audience member? What is your ideal outcome from speaking at an event? Questions about your abilities and the event producer How can you add value to the event? What skills/assets do you have that can assist the event producer? Can you invite your following to the event? Do you have a large email list or social media following? How can your presence be a plus to any event you speak at? Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 2. knowing what you want When we talk about speaking opportunities, a lot of people automatically go straight to the traditional “in person, on stage” situatiations. But in today’s digital age, there are so many more opportunities out there if you’ll start seeing more opportunities as another “stage” to get your message out on. Types of speaking opportunities: Traditional in person conference or workshop Retreats Podcasts Facebook Live interview Virtual events Webinars (personally produced, or guest hosted) Hosting a room on Clubhouse or Stereo (you can download these audio based apps on your phone) Masterminds (in person or on virtual) Networking What additional speaking opportunities can you write down? Try to think of 3 more “stages” for you to get your message out. Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 3. Identify your ideal audience and stage Next, it’s time to do a little research on each of the opportunities listed in step 2 and decide which ones are the most conducive for your style of teaching, and which ones are going to be easiest for you to enroll your ideal clients into your high ticket offer (if you don’t know how to do this yet, make sure to get on a call with our team who will help you with everything you need to know/do to start doing this!). Narrow down the list to the 3 opportunities you are going to focus most of your effort on; one ideal stage, and two additional support speaking opportunities. Now, it’s time to really narrow down who you’d like to see in that audience. If you could pick an entire audience of the absolutely most ideal person for you to: work with, transform their life, engage in your stage presentation, and to have the money to invest with you, what would that look like? Continued... Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 3. Identify your ideal audience and stage Get into details here. What age are they (if it’s an age bracket, narrow it down to 10 yrs or less) What gender? What income bracket? What culture or religious background? What are their goals? What are their struggles? What keeps them up at night? What keeps them going when things get tough? What inspires them? Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 4. Have your Speaker Kit ready to go What needs to go in your speaker kit? Start with professionally shot photos At minimum, you need a Speaker One Sheet with: 100 word bio 3 Presentation titles 3 Main topics of presentation A great head shot or full body shot of you Testimonials Awards or previous stages worth noting (logos) And a 3-5 minute raw cut footage of your stage presentation Additionally, you could expand that information out into a 4 page speaker packet Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 5. Find those stages Now it’s time to start searching out for those ideal and supporting speaking opportunities. Where to look: Think through all of the connections you already have with people that have those kinds of stages. Don’t know them well yet? Still write it down. You’ll get to know them! What events have you attended that you’d like to speak at? Literally Google search it. Sign up for programs that send you stage leads to your inbox. We’ve got a fantastic connection with a company that does this and offers our referrals 100 NEW stage leads/month for less than $100. Contact us for more info. Join speaking and event groups on Facebook and other social media. Event producers will frequently say when they are accepting new applications Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 5. Find those stages Continued... Ask on social media- who has events coming up in the next 90 days? Take all of these and make a big master list of all the possible speaking engagements. If you don’t know who produces those events or who is responsible for booking speakers on those, FIND OUT! Ask around, look on their website, send an email or Facebook message to ask. Narrow this list down to the NEXT 10 stages you’d like to get on. Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 6. Get on Social Media Now that you’ve identi�ied your next best stages, it’s time to start building those relationships on social media. Send friend requests to those decision makers. Join their groups. In essence: follow them. Add value to their groups. What does that look like? Give helpful tips that would make a difference to them, and then don’t ask for money right away. Just add value. Speci�ically start commenting on the decision maker’s posts with additional questions or insight. This is your opportunity to introduce yourself to them in an informal, non threatening way. Start being known in those circles as someone who ADDS VALUE. Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 7. Apply Now that the decision makers have gotten to know you a bit, it’s time to go to the website, or whatever channel the application goes through, and submit a formal application to speak. Even many podcasts now have a formal application to submit and be reviewed by the decision making team. You should have everything you need to submit for the application process by this point in the process. Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 8. Send a Video message the producer/ speaker coordinator After you’ve sent in your formal application, take a quick sel�ie style video lasting no more than 2 minutes with the following information that you will then send via text or Facebook Messenger to the decision maker (event producer or speaker coordinator) Quick reminder of how you know each other. Have you met in person? Is it just on social media? Are you close friends with someone on their team? Congratulate them on a recent accomplishment Let them know that you’ve applied to speak and how you are going to add value to the event and the event producer (remember back at #1?) End with the action step of how you’d like to connect next. It’s usually best to get on a phonecall or quick zoom to discuss the event. After you’ve sent the video with the action step that you’d like to hop on a quick call, send a link to your calendar with an invite to do so to make it as easy as possible. Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 9. Go Old School Do you have a really big event that you’d like to speak at? One of those that is really hard to get booked on and is your dream stage? That’s what this step is for. It’s time to go the extra mile and send something through the PHYSICAL MAIL! People love getting stuff in the mail. And I’m not talking about email here. I’m talking about the post of�ice delivering something to the mailbox at your home or of�ice. How do you get the address? Frequently, the business address will be listed at the bottom of a website or on the “contact us” page. If you don’t �ind it there, get on their email list as the business address is also frequently listed at the bottom of emails. Continued... Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 9. Go Old School What are you going to send? You’ll be sending your 4 page speaker packet, printed off professionally on high quality paper, along with a personal handwritten note to the event producer, and a small gift. This goes a long way! As an event producer that has had to sift through 300 applications to choose the 22 speaking spots for our next event, let me unequivocally say I’ve only had people do this twice and both times they were booked to speak. It makes a huge difference! Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020 10. Produce your own event Look, your end goal is having places to speak to the right audience. One of the best ways to do that is to create them for yourself. It doesn’t have to be fancy or big in the beginning, but it can be. My �irst event had over 300 people in attendance. What can you produce on your own pretty easily and inexpensively? Half or full day workshops where you deliver the content. Get your own Podcast Host a free or paid webinar Get a group of your friends together and host a retreat Or just start going Live on Facebook or Instagram and sharing your message. Need help with your next steps? Hop on a call with our team. Text Chip Eisley at 928-245-8098 to set up a time Copyright - Speaking Seriously 2020