Here is the mother of speaking tips for those folks who want to do more speaking, either on stage at events or on radio shows/podcasts.
Speaking Tip #1. Have your bio, photo, talk titles, talk summaries, and CTA ready.
Don’t wait until you get the opportunity to create all of that stuff. The universe has a fun way of showing up for you when you have this stuff ready to rock ‘n roll!
When you get invited to be a guest, respond and book your spot sooner than later. If you take weeks to book for whatever reason, show hosts may take that as you’re not interested. With so many people looking for speaking gigs, personally, I will move on to other invites and you may miss your shot of being on my show (or at my live events).
Put your topic(s) (talk titles) and bullet points (talk summary) of, along with your most recent bio, a link to your headshot, and links for all of your social media platforms in one Google Doc so you and your team can easily find it from anywhere.
*If the topic requires customization, then I’ll provide the updated topic and key takeaways and my team can do the rest with ease.
Speaking Tip #2. Be real!
On my podcast, I tell people that this is NOT your signature talk with a pitch. This is a real conversation. I’ve turned people away who give me the scripted questions they want me to ask, which ultimately means the same talk after talk everywhere they are. And personally, I don’t want to hear your highlight reel. I want to hear the real experience to where you got to and what you learned along the way.
Speaking Tip #3. Be Timeless vs Be Outdated Quickly
Your talk needs to be evergreen – meaning it has to last beyond your recent book launch or event promo. What’s the topic that goes deeper than what you’re promoting? You can promote your book, for example, but if you have no real content other than the recurring “if you want to know more then buy my book” message, then go beyond the promo message.
When you are engaging and give value, people will find you vs being turned off by your surface-level message. This also means that the link you give for your free gift needs to stay active. I’ve had people who listen to a show a year later and the link my guest provided doesn’t work so they don’t get the traction they could from being a guest.
Speaking Tip #4. Don’t interrupt
Listen to your show host. Don’t interrupt them mid-sentence. This rarely happens for me, but when it does, it’s never a great thing. There are some show hosts who talk too much so it may feel like it’s hard to get a word in. That stinks. If that’s not the case, remember that this is a 2-way conversation with people listening. So listen and if it’s a show host who talks too much, do your best and be sure to give great content and wrap up with a great CTA (call to action).
Speaking Tip #5. Be prepared and be present
If the show host asks you to share the episode, and you agree to that, then do it! Check out the show and the show host. Find them online and get familiar with it. When you take that extra care, you’re more likely to get referred to other opportunities and it builds a stronger connection and synergy for the show. Your listeners/viewers hear and see the difference.
Speaking Tip #6. Check your ego at the door
Your guest experience is not about “proving” how much you know. It’s sharing your expertise. So just notice your energy. Are you going into proving and pushing energy? Are are you confident and real? Let your ego go. Be real and show up.
Speaking Tip #7. Say thank you
Seriously. Thank your host. They could put anyone on their show or on their stage. Thank them. You’ll set yourself apart from the masses and it will also help get you more word-of-mouth referrals for other speaking opportunities.
Speaking Tip #8. Remember to have fun, be you, rock it whenever, wherever!
