What would March Madness be without 3 Pointers? Not an opportunity to play full court press!

To play our best, we need to present our best and there’s no better way to do that than by speaking in front of an audience.

Here are my 3 Pointers for Landing a Speaking Gig: 

• Find speaking opportunities that fit your expertise, but be open to who the audience may be.   If you’ve designated Google as your electronic best friend, you can run a search with key words on industry conferences, websites, magazines or trade associations that co-align with your specialty.  You’ll find more information that you can imagine if you poke around and follow a trail. Remember you don’t have to fish in the same pond as everyone else! Consider speaking at association meetings where you’re an expert among others who want to learn from you. You don’t have to give a keynote. In fact, you’ll stand out from the crowd in a breakout session!
• Look for Conferences in your area (and industry) that are 2 – 3 weeks away. Know of a conference or expo that is around the corner – and you either missed an opportunity to submit a proposal, or it snuck up on you? (I hate when that happens). Call the organizers and let them know that you would be available as a speaker if there was a cancellation. You might actually save the day filling up a speaking spot, and get a chance to capitalize on the PR wagon – yours and theirs!
• Ask and you will receive.  Think of 5 people who you trust in your industry or community and pick up the phone. What are the 3 most valuable events they know of?  Where would they go that’s priceless?  You can also go to LinkedIn groups and ask the same. If you’ve got overlap, you’ll know those are the winners.  Also, whenever you speak, ask other speakers where they’ve been.  Typically, meeting planners and organizers don’t use the same speakers year after year, so it’s in everyone’s best to share; (it also great for bonding).  Lastly, you can check in with your local convention bureau. They usually have a listing of events and can recommend suggestions of where you might speak, or at least – who you may want to connect with!

Set yourself up for a number of 3 pointers and string them together for success.  Just remember to focus, shoot and then run like heck to the next opportunity!

Your Turn

What are your best suggestions for landing a speaking gig?

Are you more successful finding conferences and/or speaking gigs with on line event listings (like www.AllConferences.com) or by recommendation of those who are like-minded in your industry?

What’s your best strategy for turning audience members into raving fans and customers?