Professional Speaking: Known. Booked. Paid.

Unlock the secrets to establishing a thriving speaking career with David Newman, a renowned speaker, consultant, and author known for his work in building market eminence. Join us as David reveals why over-reliance on 'How-To' content could be hindering your professional growth. Learn how to cultivate a balance of visibility, credibility, and brand preference that truly sets you apart.

Discover actionable strategies and insights from David's decades of experience helping experts, consultants, and professional speakers elevate their careers. Find out how standing out in the crowded market can be achieved without defaulting to prescriptive content.

Episode Highlights:

- Understanding market eminence and its critical role in professional speaking.

- The pitfalls of being overly dependent on 'How-To' content.

- Developing a unique personal brand that resonates with audiences.

- Real-world examples and case studies illustrating successful career transformations.

If you're an aspiring or established speaker, don’t miss this episode filled with practical tips and expert advice that can steer your career in the right direction.

Keywords: speaking career, David Newman, market eminence, personal branding, professional speakers, visibility, credibility, how-to content, speaker consultant, brand preference.

#SpeakingCareer #DavidNewman #PersonalBranding #MarketEminence #PublicSpeaking

What you'll take away:

1. Why branding agencies are often the wrong first move for speakers -- and what to do instead
2. The fire hose problem: why giving audiences too much content kills your follow-up business
3. The mule vs magician distinction: what high-value clients actually want to buy
4. Why how-to content is finished as of November 2022 -- and the three content types that still work
5. How to think, what to believe, and where to focus next: the framework for content that AI can't produce
6. The market eminence model: visibility, respect, and brand preference as the three pillars of getting booked
7. Category of one: what it actually means and why being divisive is the strategy, not the risk
8. Why your website navigation might be quietly sabotaging your speaking enquiries
9. The "disturbing your enemy" exercise: how to find your position by identifying who you'd rather repel

Connect with David Newman: Website: doitmarketing.com | Market Eminence resources: marketeminence.com

Join me for the Speaker positioning event on May 27th, A Position of Authority: Why Most Speakers Are Invisible (And What To Do About It)

https://present-influence.kit.com/products/a-position-of-authority-event

CHAPTERS

00:00 AI Changed Speaker Content

01:49 Branding Is BS

04:57 Stop The Firehose

10:23 Mule Versus Magician

15:26 Front Load Airport Value

17:52 Market Eminence Framework

20:05 Category Of One

26:06 Finding Contrarian Differentiation

28:03 Spotting Anti-Clients

30:51 Disturb Your Audience

32:29 Why Speakers Dont Book

33:40 Three Content Upgrades

35:04 Future Casting Advantage

38:22 Is Speaking Doomed

40:27 No Footnotes Needed

43:15 Marketing Show Your Work

45:38 Make Speaking Obvious

49:07 Where To Find David

50:31 Host Wrap And Workshop

52:28 Follow Review And Farewell

Why is how-to content no longer effective for professional speakers?

According to author and speaker strategist David Newman, how-to content became obsolete in November 2022 when ChatGPT became publicly available. AI systems can now produce more comprehensive, accurate, and faster how-to content than any human speaker. John Ball and David Newman argue that speakers who continue to rely on how-to content are competing directly with AI on AI's strongest ground. The only content that remains uniquely human is content based on personal experience, hard-won expertise, and a genuine point of view.

What are the three types of content that AI cannot replace for professional speakers?

David Newman identifies three categories of Professional Speaking: Known. Booked. Paid. The first is how-to-think content -- strategic, insight-driven content grounded in the speaker's experience and expertise that helps audiences approach problems differently. The second is belief-shifting content that separates myths from truths and challenges conventional wisdom based on the speaker's direct observations. The third is future-casting or trend-spotting content that helps audiences understand what is coming next and how to prepare. Newman argues that focusing exclusively on these three areas can transform a speaking business within 90 days.

What does it mean for a speaker to become a "category of one"?

David Newman defines a category of one as a speaker whose specific combination of topic, perspective, philosophy, and personal experience cannot be replicated by any other speaker. It does not mean being the only speaker on a topic -- it means being the only speaker who approaches that topic from your particular angle, with your particular beliefs and your particular biases. Newman argues on the show with John Ball that divisive, opinionated positioning is not a risk but a strategy: the people who resonate deeply will book you; those who do not were never going to book you anyway.

How can professional speakers find and develop a contrarian positioning?

David Newman and John Ball discuss on the podcast that the first step is identifying who you would actively not want to hire you -- your "enemy" -- and then creating content that would deliberately alienate them. Newman shares a story of a client whose contrarian positioning around corporate intrapreneurship was validated when a hostile executive told her exactly what he did not want -- which confirmed she had found her position. The homework Newman recommends is to write, post, or share something that would genuinely upset the audience you do not want, because doing so more strongly attracts the audience you do.

What is the "mule vs magician" distinction, and why does it matter for speakers and coaches?

The mule vs magician framework, developed by David Newman, describes two different orientations to value in speaking and coaching programmes. A mule mentality is focused on volume -- more content, more bonuses, more videos, more binders. A magician mentality is focused on outcome -- the shortest possible path to the result the client already knows they want. Newman argues that high-value buyers and executives are no longer impressed by quantity and that the correct question when designing a programme is not what to add but what to remove.

Connect with John:

• Find out more about the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint
• Subscribe to the Serious About Speaking newsletter on LinkedIn
• Find me on Insta
• Find me on TikTok
• Find me on Threads

Discover the bottlenecks in your speaking business with the Applause Vs Invoice Quiz

For speaking/podcast enquiries or to connect with me directly, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn

You can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel

If you know a speaker who would enjoy this show, let them know. Thanks for listening.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.

If you're a good speaker who isn't getting booked at the rate or fee you think you deserve, this episode is going to be uncomfortable in the right way.

The problem, in most cases, isn't your speaking. It's your positioning. And more specifically, it's the fact that most speakers build their positioning around what they want to say rather than what the market actually needs to hear.

In this episode, John works through six positioning mistakes that keep credible, capable speakers invisible -- with real client stories and examples that make each one land where it needs to.

The topic trap—why building your talk around your own expertise and interests, rather than your buyer's specific problem, is the fastest route to an empty pipeline. Including a story about a speaker whose health and productivity topic created a liability rather than a solution.

Information vs transformation -- why packing your keynote with everything you know is the reason you're not getting rebookings or workshop enquiries. The talk that impresses is not always the talk that converts.

The speak-on-anything problem -- both the unfocused speaker who hasn't chosen a lane, and the ego-driven speaker who believes intelligence alone equals credibility. With a real example from John's time at The Speaker Lab, and a look at what happened when Courtney Harding (episode 254) chased a hot topic without a clear problem to solve.

The corporate bottom-line test—particularly for speakers building a career in the UK and Europe, where the association circuit doesn't exist in the same way it does in the US. If you want to be well-paid, corporate is where you need to be—and your topic must connect directly to making or saving money. Cross-references the episode with Jackson Ogunyemi on education speaking, and a forthcoming episode with Claire Young on the UK education speaker market.

Nice-to-have vs must-book -- why some topics will always sit in the soft column no matter how well you frame them, and what creates genuine urgency in a booking decision.

The person is positioning—ethos, logos, and pathos applied to the speaker's positioning. Why two speakers can deliver identical content and create entirely different results, why your ethos cannot be copied even when your content is, and what Maria Franzoni revealed about content theft on episode 256 of this show.

Referenced episodes:

Episode 254 -- Hot Market, Cold Inbox: Why Your Speaking Calendar Isn't Matching Your Credibility (Courtny Harding)

Episode 256 -- How Professional Speakers Get Hired: The Bookability Formula (Maria Franzoni)

Jackson Ogunyemi episode -- education speaking and why it rarely pays enough to build a career on

Coming soon -- Claire Young on the UK education speaker booking market

==============

FAQs

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What is speaker positioning, and why does it matter for getting booked?

Speaker positioning is how you define and communicate the specific value you deliver to a specific buyer with a specific problem. It goes beyond having a topic—it determines whether a buyer sees you as a must-book speaker or a nice-to-have. Most speakers who struggle to get booked consistently, or who aren't commanding the fees they want, have a positioning problem, not a speaking problem. In this episode, speaking coach John Ball explains why positioning built around what a speaker wants to say, rather than what the market needs to hear, is the most common reason credible speakers stay invisible.

What is the difference between a topic and a positioning for a speaker?

A topic is a subject area —such as leadership, communication, resilience, or AI. A positioning is a specific claim about who you serve, what problem you solve, and why you are the credible choice to solve it. John Ball describes the topic as raw material and positioning as what you build from it that makes a buyer say yes. Speakers who position themselves around a topic category rather than a specific buyer problem are easy to overlook and difficult to justify to stakeholders.

What mistakes do speakers make when trying to break into the corporate market?

The most common mistakes speakers make when breaking into corporate include: building their talk around their own interests rather than a problem the business already knows it has, delivering information-heavy keynotes rather than creating genuine transformation, speaking on too many topics without a clear specialisation, and failing to connect their subject to the company's bottom line. Corporate buyers need to justify every fee to stakeholders, which means a speaker's topic must connect directly to making money, saving money, or reducing risk. John Ball covers all of these mistakes with real client examples in this episode.

Why do some speakers get lots of enquiries while others with equal talent don't?

Speakers who attract consistent enquiries are typically positioned at the intersection of a specific, urgent problem, a credible, differentiated solution, and demonstrable evidence that their work delivers results. John Ball describes this as the difference between a nice-to-have speaker and a must-book speaker. Topics that address immediate, high-stakes business pain points—such as AI adoption, organisational communication failures, or leadership under pressure—create urgency in the buyer that drives action. Softer topics, however well framed, tend to be deferred or cut when budgets tighten.

What are ethos, logos and pathos, and how do they apply to speaker positioning?

Ethos, logos, and pathos are the three modes of persuasion Aristotle identified. In the context of speaker positioning, logos refers to the intellectual substance of a speaker's content—their frameworks, research, and arguments. Pathos refers to the emotional resonance they create—their delivery, humour, and ability to move an audience. Ethos refers to their credibility and earned authority to speak on a subject—their track record, lived experience, and body of work. John Ball argues that ethos is the most powerful and least copyable element of a speaker's positioning, and that speakers who rely solely on logos—listing credentials and frameworks—leave the most important part of their positioning invisible.

Can other speakers copy your talk and damage your positioning?

Content theft is more common in the speaking industry than most people acknowledge. Other speakers transcribe talks, lift frameworks, and repurpose stories. However, John Ball argues that what makes a talk genuinely powerful—the speaker's ethos, lived experience, and earned authority—cannot be copied. Two speakers can deliver identical content and create entirely different results because audiences respond to the person carrying the ideas, not just the ideas themselves. Speaker agent Maria Franzoni addressed this directly on episode 256 of Professional Speaking: Known. Booked. Paid.

Is corporate speaking the only viable route for well-paid speakers in the UK and Europe?

For speakers building a career in the UK and Europe, corporate speaking is the most reliable route to sustainable, well-paid work. The association speaking circuit that sustains many American speakers does not exist in the same form in the UK and Europe, and associations that do exist largely do not pay competitive fees. Education speaking can be rewarding but rarely pays enough to build a primary income on -- explored in depth in the episode with Jackson Ogunyemi. Faith speaking does not pay at meaningful levels except for established public figures. After-dinner speaking, conference speaking, and stand-up comedy can be lucrative but require distinct skill sets. A forthcoming episode with Claire Young, who runs a UK education speaker booking agency, will explore the education market in more detail.

Ready to do the actual work on your positioning? John runs a quarterly live event -- A Position of Authority: Why Most Speakers Are Invisible (And What To Do About It) -- where we go beyond the theory and build a position that is specific, credible, and unmistakably yours. Get in touch to register for the next one.

Connect with John:

• Find out more about the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint
• Subscribe to the Serious About Speaking newsletter on LinkedIn
• Find me on Insta
• Find me on TikTok
• Find me on Threads

Discover the bottlenecks in your speaking business with the Applause Vs Invoice Quiz

For speaking/podcast enquiries or to connect with me directly, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn

You can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel

If you know a speaker who would enjoy this show, let them know. Thanks for listening

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.

Beth Sherman is a multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy writer who spent 30 years writing for Letterman, Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres, and multiple major awards shows, including the Oscars. She now works as a keynote speaker and executive presentation coach, helping leaders and professional speakers build rapid rapport using the same principles comedians use to convert a room full of strangers.

In this episode, John and Beth explore what professional speakers can actually learn from standup comedy — not the jokes, but the craft underneath them. Beth shares her BETH framework and challenges the assumption that being funny has anything to do with telling jokes.

What you'll take away:

• Why trying to be funny is one of the worst things a speaker can do — and what to do instead
• The BETH framework: Brevity, Elephant in the room, Truth, Humanity
• Why specificity and truth are the real engines of humour and connection
• The difference between self-deprecation and self-awareness on stage
• What comedians know about building trust with a sceptical audience that most business communicators don't
• Why silence on stage felt like failure to Beth — and how she's working through it
• What a "callback" is and why it's the most underused tool in a speaker's closing

Visit bethsherman.com or connect with Beth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-sherman/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Beth Sherman

02:20 Comedy Roots and Writer Room

05:38 Standup Lessons and Testing

07:30 Humour Influences and Favourites

12:24 Stagecraft Rapid Rapport

13:46 Bombing and Hecklers

19:09 From TV Writing to Speaking

23:36 Building a Speaking Business

26:27 Positioning Humour as Rapport

27:39 Trust Through Humour

29:15 Standup And Speaking

31:51 Keynote Challenges

35:57 Stop Trying To Be Funny

38:36 BETH Framework

39:24 Brevity Wins

40:42 Elephant In The Room

42:56 Truth And Self Awareness

45:55 Specific Details

47:59 Humanity Over Jokes

49:03 Working With Beth

53:06 Quick Rapport Tip

54:46 Wrap Up And Takeaways

Do professional speakers need to be funny to be successful?

According to Emmy Award-winning comedy writer and keynote speaker Beth Sherman, no. The goal is not to be funny — it is to be human. Trying to be funny often comes across as inauthentic and can undermine credibility, particularly for women and speakers from minority backgrounds. What engages audiences is vulnerability, relatability, and genuine connection. Laughter is a by-product of that, not the target.

What is the BETH framework for speakers?

The BETH framework was developed by Beth Sherman and stands for Brevity, Elephant in the room, Truth, and Humanity. It is a four-principle approach derived from professional comedy writing and stand-up that helps speakers and leaders build rapid rapport with any audience. Brevity means using fewer words for more impact. Elephant in the room means acknowledging what your audience is already noticing. Truth means that specificity and honesty are inherently engaging. Humanity means being relatable and vulnerable rather than polished and performative.

How can speakers use humour without telling jokes?

Beth Sherman teaches that truth is funny — comedians do not invent absurdity, they observe and report it. The most effective way for speakers to add humour to a talk is through specificity and self-awareness rather than constructed jokes. Sharing the particular details of a real experience — what was in the room, what was said, what you did when you got in the car — creates universal relatability because audiences recognise the truth in it. This approach works regardless of whether the speaker considers themselves funny.

What is rapid rapport, and why does it matter for speakers and leaders?

Rapid rapport is the ability to build trust and connection with a new or sceptical audience quickly. Beth Sherman argues that until an audience trusts you, nothing else you say matters — not your data, your story, or your framework. Comedians develop this skill by necessity: they must win over strangers, often in hostile conditions, within minutes. The same principles apply in leadership communication, sales, and keynote speaking. Beth's keynote and masterclass work translates these principles for business audiences.

What is the difference between self-deprecation and self-awareness for speakers?

Self-deprecation means putting yourself down for the purpose of getting a laugh. Self-awareness means acknowledging what your audience is already noticing about you or the situation. Beth Sherman advises speakers to favour self-awareness over self-deprecation, particularly if they belong to a group that may already face unconscious bias from their audience. Self-deprecation can undermine credibility; self-awareness builds connection and trust.

How do you open a talk and win an audience over quickly?

Beth Sherman's primary recommendation is to smile and look like you want to be there. Beyond that, acknowledge the elephant in the room early — whatever your audience might be thinking or distracted by. If you open with tension or a dramatic hook, relieve it quickly. The goal is connection, not perfection, and audiences respond to speakers who appear present and genuinely engaged with the room.

Connect with John:

• Find out more about the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint
• Subscribe to the Serious About Speaking newsletter on LinkedIn
• Find me on Insta
• Find me on TikTok
• Find me on Threads

Discover the bottlenecks in your speaking business with the Applause Vs Invoice Quiz

For speaking/podcast enquiries or to connect with me directly, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn

You can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel

If you know a speaker who would enjoy this show, let them know. Thanks for listening.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.

Elliot Kay is the founder of The Speaker Awards, a seven-time author, and one of the most connected people in the UK speaking industry. In this conversation, John and Elliot dig into what's actually changing in how professional speakers get hired, and why most speakers are still playing by rules that no longer apply.

You'll have to wait till next year for the return of the Speaker Awards.

Details here: thespeakerawards.com.

What you'll take away:

• Why the era of the "information speaker" is over, and what's replacing it
• The three things bookers now demand: problem clarity, implementable change, and proof of ROI
• Why positioning (and repositioning) is the single biggest lever most speakers never pull
• The "Watch Me Go" mentality: a non-aggressive, slightly defiant attitude that changes how speakers show up
• Why imperfection is currency post-pandemic, and slick performers are losing ground
• Chase budgets, not crowds: why twelve people in a boardroom often pays more than a hundred at a conference
• What The Speaker Awards process actually does for entrants (hint: the clarity matters more than the trophy)
• The pipeline reality: presence, partnerships, referrals, and why the bookers who hire you rarely comment on your posts

#SpeakerAwards #ElliotKay #PublicSpeaking #SpeakerSuccess #SpeakingTrends

What do corporate bookers actually want from professional speakers in 2026?

According to Speaker Awards founder Elliot Kay and host John Ball, bookers now prioritise three things: absolute clarity on the problem the speaker solves, implementable takeaways the audience will actually use, and demonstrable return on investment. The era of the "information speaker" is over because information is now freely available through AI. Speakers who can prove behavioural change after their talks are the ones getting rebooked and referred.

Is the professional speaking industry declining because of AI?

No. Both Elliot Kay and John Ball argue the opposite. As AI-generated content floods digital channels, audiences are craving real human connection more than ever. Live events are increasing in demand, not decreasing. The skills that matter are shifting from information delivery to authentic presence, emotional connection, and provable impact. Speakers who position themselves around outcomes rather than information are well-placed to benefit.

What is the single biggest mistake professional speakers make?

Positioning. Elliot Kay argues that if the positioning is wrong, nothing else will work. The second biggest mistake is failing to reposition over time. Speakers who used to get booked and no longer do have usually not updated their positioning, showreel, or brand in three or more years. The market moves. Speakers who don't move with it become irrelevant.

Should professional speakers chase bigger audiences or bigger budgets?

Elliot Kay's direct advice: chase budgets, not crowds. Twelve people in a high-level boardroom often pay significantly more than a hundred people at a conference. Fee per head is rarely correlated with audience size. Speakers optimising for audience count are optimising for the wrong metric.

What does the Speaker Awards process give entrants beyond recognition?

The process itself forces speakers to clarify who they are, what they stand for, and the problem they solve. Elliot Kay describes this as "shedding the fluff." Entrants consistently report that the preparation and judging process sharpens their positioning in ways that change subsequent fee conversations, regardless of whether they win.

When are the Speaker Awards 2026, and how do speakers enter?

Entries close 30 April 2026. The gala takes place on 3 July 2026 at the Leonardo Hotel, St Paul's, London. Entry is £80, with an administration fee, and speakers are permitted up to three categories. Full entry details are at thespeakerawards.com.

About The Speaker Awards:

• 19 independent judges across categories, including bureau heads, agents, PSA past presidents
• £80 admin fee to enter, up to three categories
• Gala on 3 July 2026 at the Leonardo Hotel, St Paul's, London
• Entry deadline: 30 April 2026

Find Elliot: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-kay/

The Speaker Awards: thespeakerawards.com

CHAPTERS

00:00 Chase Budgets Not Crowds

00:38 Meet Elliot Kay

02:02 Speaker Awards Explained

03:37 Why Enter Awards

06:08 Judges Bureaus Credibility

08:27 Community Over Egos

10:08 How To Enter Deadline

12:17 What Gets You Booked Now

14:20 Elliots Speaking Origin Story

16:40 Humour Connection On Stage

20:07 Information Speakers Are Done

21:23 New Keynote Watch Me Go

23:33 Authenticity Beats Slickness

27:34 Speaker Mistakes Positioning

31:14 Building a Booking Pipeline

35:21 Advice for More Bookings

38:38 AI and Live Events Future

40:20 Where to Find Elliot

41:24 Wrap Up and Next Episode

Visit https://strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form https://forms.gle/mo4xYkEiCjqtz9yP6, and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect with me, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn

You can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PresentInfluence

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algo recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.

Taki Moore recently wrote that conviction is a shortcut to charisma. It's a clever line. It's also only half right, and the other half is quietly costing speakers bookings.

In this episode, John unpacks why confident, polished speakers still fail to convert rooms into clients, referrals, or rebookings. The issue isn't delivery. It's the gap between creating a feeling of value and creating actual change, and those two things are not the same.

What you'll take away:

• Why audiences stop looking for substance when the signals are right (and why that's a trap for strong speakers)
• The Toastmasters case study: total conviction, zero argument, room completely sold
• The Monday morning test: the one question that separates speakers who get applause from speakers who get booked
• How to tell whether you're performing or actually shifting the room
• Why "I loved it" is three words that feel like a win and mean almost nothing

If you're getting great reactions but not great outcomes, this episode is for you.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Conviction and Charisma

00:32 Mmmbop and Emotion

01:28 Toastmasters Wake Up

02:24 Applause Without Action

03:33 Design Monday Changes

04:30 Reframing Takis Quote

05:02 Next Steps and Outro

Next episode: A conversation with multi-Emmy-winning comedy writer Beth Sherman, who is also a professional speaker. Don't miss it. Follow the show so you don't.

Visit https://strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form https://forms.gle/mo4xYkEiCjqtz9yP6, and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect with me, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn

You can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PresentInfluence

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algo recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.

Discover the painful but valuable lessons learned from a recent on-stage failure during a standup comedy gig. This episode dives into the critical importance of preparation and how it can make or break your performance, whether you're speaking on a comedy stage or delivering a keynote at a conference. Learn why unexpected mishaps can reveal much more about your readiness than your talent and the essential skills you need to recover when things go awry.

Explore strategies for better preparation and understand why having strong improvisation skills can save you when meticulous planning isn't enough. This episode will resonate with keynote speakers, trainers, and coaches, providing insights that apply across various speaking platforms. Join us as we extract valuable takeaways to transform failures into future successes.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 - Bombing the Gig

00:29 - Last Minute Prep Spiral

01:35 - Set List and Silence

03:22 - The Real Lesson

04:44 - Why It Matters to Speakers

05:56 - Two Takeaways

06:19 - Improv and Recovery

08:56 - Winging It Is Earned

09:37 - Do the Work and Go Again

Keywords: public speaking, stage performance, speech preparation, improvisation skills, keynote speaking, comedy gig, speaking tips, presentation skills, professional speaking, on-stage failure

Last week I bombed on stage at a standup comedy gig. Not catastrophically -- more in the way where you know before you walk onstage that you're not ready, and then it shows.

I want to talk about it, not for the catharsis, but because the cascade that led to that bad night is exactly the same cascade that leads to underprepared keynotes, flat training sessions, and presentations that don't land the way you knew they could.

What actually went wrong

I had months of notice. No excuse on preparation. But life did what life does, other work took priority, and I found myself on the day of the gig trying to write new material from scratch. When that didn't work, I retreated to older material I hadn't rehearsed. I took a set list onstage -- something I've never done -- and in that moment I knew it wasn't a practical tool. It was me confirming to myself what I already knew: I wasn't prepared.

My opening line died in complete silence. My body started sweating. My face went red. If you've ever watched a performer visibly unravel in real time, you know it's uncomfortable for everyone in the room.

The real lesson for professional speakers

The host blamed the crowd. I didn't take that excuse. The crowd was what it was, and I've handled tougher rooms. This was on me.

What stings most is that I already knew this about myself. When I'm learning music, nobody hears it until it sounds good. Not a rough version, nothing. I don't share works in progress. I should have applied that same standard here.

Performing under pressure doesn't reveal your talent. It reveals your preparation.

Two things I'm taking away

The first is obvious but worth saying: never go onstage unprepared. Sometimes you need a bad night to remember why the obvious rules exist.

The second is more interesting. I need to build my improv skills -- not to replace preparation, but to have a recovery mechanism when preparation wasn't enough. A flat opener shouldn't be able to take down an entire set. The ability to read a room, pivot, and bring an audience back with you is a separate skill from preparation, and one worth developing deliberately.

Preparation protects you. Improv saves you when preparation wasn't enough.

#PublicSpeaking #StagePerformance #Preparation #ImprovSkills #KeynoteSpeaking

If you speak professionally, this episode is worth your time whether you're a keynote speaker, trainer, or coach. The principles of preparation, self-knowledge, and recovery apply equally whether you're on a comedy stage or a conference platform.

Related episodes: Better Speaking Won't Get You Booked, But This Will -- Clinton Young

Visit https://strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form https://forms.gle/mo4xYkEiCjqtz9yP6, and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect with me, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn

You can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PresentInfluence

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algo recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.

Most speakers are working on the wrong problem.

They're polishing their delivery, tweaking their slides, and hunting for better techniques. Meanwhile the gap between where they are and a well-paid, regularly booked speaking career has almost nothing to do with any of that.

Clinton Young is a keynote speaker and coach who has learned -- sometimes expensively -- what actually moves the needle. In this episode he hands over the exact referral script he paid $4,000 to learn. The script he used at a free gig in England that led directly to his first £10k speaking engagement.

It's in the episode. You can also grab the free PDF here: present-influence.kit.com/ec8e9e8259

What you'll learn in this episode

Why authenticity and vulnerability outperform polish almost every time, what world class actually means for a working speaker -- and why it's not Tony Robbins, the three things every athlete does that most speakers skip, why confidence is a skill you build rather than a trait you're born with, the four stages of learning and why stage three is where most speakers get stuck, how reps create the stage presence that tips and tricks never will, why improv is a spiritual practice and what it does for your adaptability on stage, how to handle mistakes, forgotten lines, and ringing phones without losing the room, why humour matters more than most speakers admit, the jab-jab-right-hook technique for opening any talk, why falling in love with the problem rather than your solution is the commercial shift most speakers need, and the elegant referral ask Clinton uses from every stage.

About Clinton Young

Clinton Young is a keynote speaker and coach. Find out more and access the resources he mentions at worldclassspeakersecrets.com.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: How to Get Paid for Public Speaking with Grant Baldwin

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.

Most speakers say they want feedback. What they actually want is validation.

There's a significant difference -- and confusing the two is one of the most common reasons capable speakers plateau and stop growing. In this solo episode John Ball breaks down why most feedback fails, why the human brain is wired to turn critique into personal attack, and how to build a feedback loop that genuinely accelerates your development as a speaker.

With real-world examples drawn from stand-up comedy and professional speaking, this is a practical and honest look at one of the most misunderstood tools in a speaker's arsenal.

Get the free Fast Feedback Framework mentioned in the episode here: present-influence.kit.com/71c6c5dc43

What you'll learn in this episode

Why most feedback is too soft to be useful, how your brain converts feedback into a personal attack and what to do about it, the difference between performance feedback and personal judgment, how to filter feedback without dismissing it entirely, why applause is not a reliable indicator of growth, and how to build a feedback system that actually improves your speaking over time.

The Feedback Filter

When you receive feedback, ask three questions. Is there any truth in this? Is this about my goal or their preference? Can I test this without overreacting?

Key principles from the episode

Feedback isn't the problem -- poor feedback is. If you only accept feedback that feels good, you'll never hear what makes you better. Friends soften feedback, peers filter it, audiences don't explain it. Growth comes from truth, not reassurance. You can protect your ego or improve your performance -- you don't get both.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: What a Bombed Gig Taught Me About Preparation for Professional Speaking

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.

Unlock the secrets to becoming a trusted and memorable speaker in this insightful episode featuring Sapna Pieroux, a renowned personal and business brand consultant. Discover why clarity is more powerful than volume in making your voice heard, and learn practical strategies to enhance your presence as a professional speaker. Sapna, the author of 'Let's Get Visible,' delves into the essence of brand clarity and how it can elevate your speaking engagements.

Join us as we explore vital topics such as the differences between brand and branding, the significance of authenticity, and the impact of consistency over novelty. Sapna also discusses how to build trust through alignment between what you do, say, and show, along with why cultivating 100 genuine connections beats a million superficial followers. Gain insights on how to enhance your visibility and learn why your core message needs to be heard repeatedly to resonate with your audience.

About Sapna Pieroux: Sapna Pieroux is a distinguished brand consultant and speaker. She guides entrepreneurs and business leaders in defining their unique value and standing out for all the right reasons.

Keywords: brand clarity, professional speakers, personal branding, visibility, authenticity, trust building, Sapna Pieroux, brand consultant, strategic speaking, audience engagement

#BrandClarity #PublicSpeaking #Visibility #SpeakerTips #PersonalBranding

What you'll learn in this episode

The difference between brand and branding and why confusing them undermines your positioning, why being authentic is necessary but not sufficient on its own, how to curate your professional persona without becoming fake or performative, why trust depends entirely on alignment between what you do, say, and show, how to study aspirational brands without simply copying them, why consistency matters more than novelty for long-term visibility, what to do when you feel invisible online, why 100 ideal connections beat a million empty followers every time, why bookers care about more than follower count, and why your audience needs to hear your core message far more times than you think before it lands.

About Sapna Pieroux

Sapna Pieroux is a personal and business brand consultant, speaker, and author of Let's Get Visible. Connect with Sapna on LinkedIn or visit brandvisions.ai.

Key principle from the episode

You are almost always more at risk of getting bored with your message before your audience does. Repetition is not laziness. It is part of clarity.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: How to Dress for Maximum Influence with Joseph Rosenfeld

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.

The smarter you are, the easier it is to get stuck. Not because you lack ability, but because intelligence can quietly build a wall between you and the reality that would actually move you forward.

In this solo episode John Ball explores one of the most common and least talked about reasons experienced speakers plateau. It's not a skill gap. It's a distance-from-reality problem.

Drawing on 15 years of coaching speakers, John introduces the concept of psychological limiter loops -- self-reinforcing cycles that keep you feeling productive while quietly keeping you stuck. He unpacks how intelligence, identity, and the need to protect your status can prevent you from getting the feedback, visibility, and real-world exposure that would actually accelerate your growth.

What you'll learn in this episode

Why smart people overthink instead of executing, how psychological limiter loops work and why they feel like progress from the inside, why the hardest part of any speaker's journey challenges your identity rather than your skill, why potential doesn't pay the bills but bookings do, and five practical ways to break the loop and reconnect with reality.

The five ways to break the loop

Reconnect with reality, shorten the loop, lower the exposure threshold, knock the wall down, and act before certainty.

Resources mentioned

The New Comedy Bible by Judy Carter, and The Dip by Seth Godin.

Visit strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.

Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form at this link and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.

For speaking enquiries or to connect, email [email protected] or find John on LinkedIn.

All clips and episodes are on the Present Influence YouTube channel.

Thanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algorithm recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow and leave a rating.

Related episodes: Why Nice Feedback Is Killing Your Speaking Growth

Mentioned in this episode:

The Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint is back

A new cohort of the Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint will start in January for speakers ready to treat speaking like a business and who just need to know the right things to do, plus the support and accountability to do them and push through the tough bits. Spots are limited to 15 speakers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want 2027 to be the year you become known, booked & paid what you're worth, go to presentinfluence.com/kbpb to see if it's the right fit for you.