How to Get Paid Speaking Gigs

Have you ever dreamed of standing on stage, watching a line of people—some with tears in their eyes—waiting to connect with you after your talk? There's truly no feeling quite like it. As authors, we often focus solely on book sales, but there's an entire world of opportunity waiting when you package your expertise into speaking engagements that actually pay you.

Jim Kukral of The Speaker Lab, a company that helps people get booked and paid as speakers, joined us for a fantastic free webinar in mid-March. He introduced us to an incredible framework that has transformed thousands of authors into paid speakers who earn $3,000 as a newcomer to $15,000 with experience just to take the stage  

This is, according to Jim, not fantasy—it's a business model that works. Not only that, but getting on stage puts you in "the right room" where you can sell books faster, and also upsell consulting and other services. 

Over and over, Jim emphasized that people don't just want information—they want transformation. When you step on stage with authority and vulnerability, sharing your unique message, you create emotional reactions that inspire people to act, by buying your book, your product, your services. They buy into you. 

What problem could you solve for an audience through speaking that aligns with your book's message? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Aloha,

MeiMei

Tip of the Week: Try The Speaker Lab’s SPEAK Model to Get Booked and Paid

• Select ONE Specific Problem for ONE specific audience—the more narrow and focused, the easier it is to find gigs
• Package Your Expertise into a clear product—create a compelling one-page abstract, demo reel, and speaker website page
• Establish Your Expert Status through your book, professional marketing materials, and delivering transformational talks
• Actively Pursue Opportunities through consistent outreach—DM potential clients on Instagram or LinkedIn, use AI tools to find leads
• Scale Strategically once you're booking regularly—consider how speaking feeds into your books, courses, or consulting

Here one last hot tip from Jim: Be sure to include a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your book mentioning that you speak! This simple addition can lead to invitations that transform your author journey.

Questions? Interested? Email: [email protected]

Quote of the Week

People pay to see others believe in themselves.

⁃ Kim Gordon, Singer/Songwriter with Sonic Youth