Episode Summary

In this coaching session, John Ball works with speaker Jackson Ogunyemi, who has spent 25 years speaking in the education sector and now wants to transition into higher-paying corporate speaking opportunities.

Jackson has the experience, the message, and the stage presence. What he’s missing is the business engine that consistently generates bookings.

Together they unpack some uncomfortable realities about the speaking industry: why conferences rarely pay new speakers well, why speaker bureaus don’t create demand, and why many talented speakers stay stuck at low fees.

From there, they build a practical strategy: identify a hunting niche, use LinkedIn to find prospects, send simple outreach messages, and create a consistent follow-up system.

If you want to turn speaking into a real business rather than hoping to be discovered, this episode will show you where to start.

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In This Episode

1. Why many speakers rely on the wrong growth strategies
2. The reality of speaker bureaus and conferences
3. Why visibility alone doesn’t generate bookings
4. How to identify a profitable speaking niche
5. Why sales teams could be a powerful market for speakers
6. How LinkedIn can become a speaker prospecting tool
7. The outreach message that gets responses
8. Why persistence matters more than perfection
9. How to build a simple speaking sales engine

Key Insight

Most speakers try to build an audience before they build a business.

The real order is:

1. Build a sales engine
2. Get booked and paid
3. Then grow your visibility on top of that momentum

Practical Steps From This Episode

If you want to start building your speaking pipeline:

1. Choose a clear hunting niche
2. Build a list of companies in that niche
3. Contact them on LinkedIn with a simple question
4. Track your outreach in a CRM
5. Follow up consistently

Even 30–60 minutes a day of prospecting can start generating conversations and opportunities.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Offended But Hooked

01:29 Meet Jackson's Pivot

02:34 Education Fees Reality

06:16 Corporate Audience Fit

08:34 Why Bureaus Wont Help

10:05 Pick A Hunting Niche

12:59 Outreach That Gets Replies

15:14 CRM And Follow Up Rhythm

16:23 Daily Prospecting Engine

19:29 Persistence Mindset Shift

22:24 Add Workshops And Examples

24:49 Wrap Up And Next Steps

25:40 Final Takeaways And CTA

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

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Mentioned in this episode:

SPGFS - Hiro.fm

Becoming known will always make it easier to get booked and podcast guesting is one of the easiest ways to make that happen, when you have the right strategy.

This program will teach you everything you need to know about podcast guesting, from the tech stack to making an impact. You'll get all the tools to stand out as an amazing podcast guest and get booked on great shows.

The Strategic Speaking Business Audit

Take this quick quiz to find out where and why your speaking business is leaking opportunities.