Know Your Numbers – Why Every Speaker Must Track Their Metrics

In this episode of the SpeakersU Podcast, James Taylor and Maria Franzoni dive deep into one of the most important – yet often overlooked – aspects of running a successful speaking business: knowing your numbers. Whether it’s tracking inquiries, bookings, conversion rates, bureau performance, or your cash flow, the numbers tell the real story of your business.

James shares how he hit his annual keynote target months early, why raising fees can be as important as raising bookings, and how he uses a simple paperclip system to track outreach. Maria draws on her decades of experience as a speaker bureau owner and management consultant to explain why speakers must think like business owners, track KPIs, and understand patterns in their market.

If you want to grow a profitable speaking business without burning out, this conversation is packed with practical strategies, tough truths, and a few laughs along the way.

 

 

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Define success with numbers – Not just dreams and destinations, but the bookings, fees, and revenue that will sustain your lifestyle and business.

• Work backwards from your goals – Break down your annual keynote target into leads, inquiries, discovery calls, and outreach.

• Track inquiries and conversions – Your most important KPIs as a speaker are how many inquiries you generate and how many you convert.

• Bureau vs. direct leads – Learn why direct inquiries often convert better and how to measure bureau performance individually.

• Cash is king – Never outsource awareness of your cash flow. Monitor money in and out weekly.

• Rolling averages & seasonality – Smooth out monthly fluctuations and use data to plan vacations, book writing, and marketing pushes.

• Detach from outcomes – Reward yourself for following the process (outreach, calls, tracking) rather than obsessing over every “yes” or “no.”

 

 

💬 Memorable Quotes

• “If you’re converting 75% of your discovery calls, your fee is probably too low.” – James Taylor

• “Success isn’t just about the stages you dream of – it’s about the numbers that make that dream sustainable.” – Maria Franzoni

• “Cash flow is king. Don’t wait for your accountant – stay on top of money in and money out every week.” – Maria Franzoni

• “It can be lonely as a speaker. But if you know your numbers, you know your business is on track even when the phone is quiet.” – James Taylor

 

 

⏱️ Episode Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome back: James & Maria reunite on the mic

• 04:45 – Why “knowing your numbers” is the key to success

• 06:50 – Defining success in terms of bookings, fees, and revenue

• 09:15 – James on hitting his annual keynote goal months early

• 11:50 – The most important KPIs for speakers to track

• 14:45 – The case for tracking bureau vs. direct inquiries

• 19:30 – Learning from lost inquiries and re-approaching clients

• 21:15 – Maria’s management consulting background & KPIs

• 24:00 – Campaigns and levers: adjusting when the funnel breaks

• 27:50 – The 80/20 rule for clients and industry analysis

• 30:20 – James’ paperclip system for tracking outbound calls

• 32:00 – Why inquiries matter most (and why you must detach from outcomes)

• 36:30 – Tip of the week: never mention another speaker in a discovery call

• 38:40 – Tip of the week: use rolling averages for projections

• 41:30 – Wrap-up, listener Q&A, and how to send in your questions

 

 

👉 Have a question for James and Maria? Email: [email protected]