6 Ways to Find Speaking Gigs

When I wanted to start speaking, I was so excited. I was looking forward to connecting with her audience. There was just one small problem. I wasn’t sure where to find those elusive first speaking gigs. Everyone seemed to be looking for experienced speakers.

So how do you find speaking gigs when you are just getting started? Here are 6 things you can do...

Ask Around

Personal and professional connections are the best way to build awareness. Let your family, friends, and colleagues know that you’re looking to become a public speaker. They may know of an event host in need right now.

Put It Out There

Now that you want to be a speaker, own it loud and proud. Add the word “speaker” to your bio on your website and your social media profiles. If space allows, be specific. For example, you might say, “I’m a speaker on creating cash flow during your retirement” or “I speak to women on topics like financial and physical health and self-care”.

Scan Local Events

Since you’re new, you’ll probably want to start locally. That means you won’t have the stress or expensive of travel. The good news is that you can find local events easily using services like Facebook Events, Meetup and Eventbrite.

Reach Out

Another thing new speakers can do is to volunteer. Offer to speak to classes, both at schools and colleges. Reach out and share how you believe you can have an impact.

You may also want to see if your local libraries or community centers are looking for someone to lead a brief four or six-week class on a topic you’re passionate about. Showing up weekly is a wonderful way to build up your speaking experience.

Create a Speaker Sheet

You never know when someone might want to learn more about your speaking services. So go ahead and create a speaker sheet. This should be a one-page document that highlights your bio and topics you speak on. Keep it short and make it attractive. If you don’t have any design skills, consider creating it in Canva and using one of their templates.

Be ready to share topics with outlines with event hosts when they ask for more information. You may even want to prepare your presentation in PowerPoint so a conference coordinator can take a look if they have questions.

Go Live

Get video of you speaking as soon as possible. Livestreaming online video is a good option if you've had no live opportunities yet.

While you should strive to make this video as nice as possible with good lighting and sound, remember that hosts aren’t expecting a professional studio look. They know the video won’t be polished to perfection.

Event hosts just need to see that you're comfortable and engaging. They want to know that you can connect with their audience and keep them entertained.

Finding speaking gigs might seem like a difficult task at first. But focus on doing the steps above. The more you take risks and put yourself out there, the more likely you are to discover an opportunity that’s just right for you.