Jamie Abbott: Well, hi and welcome to today's podcast episode. Had a bit of a break last week because I was in launch of paid to speak. Congratulations and welcome to all of those people who have joined paid to speak. If you want to cheque it out, go to paidtospeak.com dot au. Now, whether you are just starting out or looking to take your speaking career to the next level, today's episode is packed with actionable tips and strategies to help you earn even more from your speaking engagements. I want to take you through how to maximise your income as a speaker. So, first of all, understanding your value the first step in maximising your income as a speaker, is understanding your value. So you need to know what you bring to the table and just be confident in your worth. Many speakers undercharge because they don't fully grasp the impact and value that they provide to their audience. Are you in that category? If so, take some time to assess your skills, experience and also the unique perspective that you offer. Consider the transformation or results you can help your audience achieve. And once you have a clear understanding of your value, you can set your fees accordingly. Now creating a speakers toolkit a well crafted speakers toolkit is essential for marketing yourself effectively. This toolkit should include a professional speaker's bio, a high quality headshot, a compelling speaker reel and also testimonials from past clients. Now, your bio should highlight your expertise, achievements and what makes you unique as a speaker. Your speaker reel should showcase your best moments on stage and give potential clients a taste of your speaking style and the value that you deliver. So testimonials from satisfied clients can provide social proof and help build your credibility. Pitching yourself one of the most important skills that you need as a speaker, is the ability to pitch yourself effectively. When you're reaching out to podcasts, conferences and other speaking opportunities, tailor your pitch to the specific audience and event, so highlight how your talk will benefit their audience and why you are the perfect speaker for their event. I want you to keep your pitch pitch concise and focused on the value that you provide. Remember, event organisers are looking for speakers who can engage their audience and deliver a memorable experience. Negotiation skills well, negotiation is a critical skill for maximising your income. Now, when discussing fees with event organisers, be prepared to negotiate what you should know is your minimum acceptable fee and be willing to walk away if the offer doesn't meet your standards. Be confident in your value and don't be afraid to ask for what you are worth. Now, in addition to your speaking fee, consider negotiating for additional perks such as travel expenses, accommodation and promotional opportunities. Speaking of opportunities, let's talk about finding them. So, to maximise your income as a speaker, you need to consistently find and secure speaking opportunities. This means being proactive in your search. So join speaker directories, speaker bureaus, attend networking events and leverage your existing connections. Reach out to organisations, industry associations and event planners who might be interested in your topics. Use online platforms like LinkedIn to connect with potential clients and decision makers because the more opportunities that you pursue, the more chances you have to secure high paying gigs. Let's talk about building a brand. So building a strong personal brand is key to attracting high paying speaking engagements. Your brand should reflect your expertise, your personality and the unique value that you offer. Create a professional website that showcases your speaking topics, your bio, your testimonials and your speaker reel. Now my speaker page is nothing flash. It's not perfect, but it does the job and people can go to my speaker page jamieabbott.com dot au speaker they can cheque out my bio, they can download my speaker kit. It's all there. Now consistently produce high quality content that is related to your area of expertise such as blog posts, videos and social media updates. This will help establish you as a thought leader in your field and attract more speaking opportunities. Leveraging online platforms now online platforms can be powerful tools for promoting your speaking services and reaching a wider audience. Use social media to share your insights, engage with your audience and promote your upcoming speaking engagements. Platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn can be particularly effective for showcasing your speaking skills and connecting with potential clients. Consider creating a podcast or a YouTube channel to share your expertise and build your audience. The more visible you are online. This is what I firmly believe, the more opportunities you'll have to attract high paying gigs. Now let's talk about maximising income streams. So, in addition to your speaking fees, there are several other ways to maximise your income as a speaker. One option is to sell products or services related to your speaking topics. This could include books, online courses, coaching services or consulting. By offering additional value to your audience, you can create multiple streams of income and also increase your overall earnings. Another option is to create a membership site or a private community where you offer exclusive content and support to your audience. And many of my paid to speak members have actually been quite successful in doing this, continuously improving your skills. Now to command higher fees and attract more opportunities, you need to continuously improve your speaking skills. Invest in your professional development by attending workshops, taking courses and also working with a coach or mentor. Seek feedback from your audience and event organisers to identify areas for improvement. The better you become as a speaker, the more value you can provide to your audience and the higher fees you can command. Building long term relationships this is something I urge you to do with event organisers, clients and other speakers because it can lead to more opportunities and ultimately higher fees. Be professional, reliable and easy to work with. Follow up with clients after your engagements to thank them and ask for feedback. Stay in touch with past clients and keep them informed about your new topics and availability. By building a strong network and maintaining positive relationships, you can create a steady stream of high paying gigs. So overall, a short episode today again, maximising your income as a speaker requires a combination of understanding your value, effectively marketing yourself, negotiating confidently and continuously improving your skills. By implementing the strategies that we've talked about in the podcast today, you can attract more high paying speaking opportunities and ultimately increase your overall earnings. Remember, the key is to be proactive, confident and always focused on delivering value to your audience. Thank you for tuning in to today's episode and I wish you all the best in your speaking career. If you've loved today's tips, please give this a five star, review. Subscribe tell your friends I'd be most appreciative. And until next week, keep maximising your income as a speaker.
