I’m working with a client who is a gifted communicator with years of real-world experience. He kept hearing that paid speaking is off limits unless you are already well known, can sell tickets by name alone, or have a massive audience.
I knew that wasn’t the full story. So I brought in someone I trust and have known for nearly 15 years, Grant Baldwin, to walk through what actually works today for getting paid to speak without celebrity status.
Grant has trained thousands of speakers and built The Speaker Lab into a respected, enduring brand, one that has ranked on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest, growing privately held companies in the United States for five consecutive years.
What This Episode Is… And Who It’s For
This conversation is designed for strong communicators who are comfortable on a stage and want to translate that skill into paid opportunities. If that’s you, you’ll find a clear framework, realistic fee guidance, what event planners actually want, and the specific outreach and follow-up cadence that moves you from “aspiring” to “booked.”
Core Mindset Shift: From “Be Famous” To “Solve A Specific Problem”
Event planners aren’t always evaluating your follower count. They are reducing risk. They want a reliable speaker who can solve one specific problem for one specific audience and make the organizer look like a hero for choosing wisely.
If Oprah or a former president is headlining, tickets sell on name alone. For the rest of us, the job is to solve a defined problem so well that attendees are grateful and organizers are relieved they chose us.
The trap to avoid: “I can speak to anyone about anything.” Don’t be a buffet. Be a steakhouse. A steakhouse does one thing exceptionally well. Most buffets do many things mediocre. Your positioning must signal sharp focus, not “I do it all.”
Practical implication: Choose a niche problem and audience, and let everything else in your marketing reinforce that narrow, valuable focus.
The SPEAK Framework Grant Teaches (And How To Apply It)
Grant uses a five-part framework. I’ll restate it with my commentary and application steps you can take immediately.
S - Select a problem to solve
Pick one clear problem for one identifiable audience. Validate it by confirming that organizations actually hire speakers on that topic. Avoid niche passions that no one budgets for on stage. Look for the Venn overlap between what you love, what you’re skilled at, and what event buyers pay for.
Quick validators you can run this week:
Design a talk that offers a concrete solution to the chosen audience’s felt need. Make sure the talk aligns with what planners already hire speakers to address. Your talk is a product. It must reduce the organizer’s risk and fulfill the promise in the program description.
Tip: If there’s a personal subtopic you care about that isn’t a main-stage draw, embed it as a 5 to 10 percent segment within a widely purchased theme, rather than making it the headline. This blends your passion with market reality without performing a bait-and-switch.
E - Establish yourself as the expert
You need a sharp, professional website and a demo video. Event planners who hire speakers will compare you to several other speakers. Your materials must look as good or better than your fee peers, because people judge books by their covers, especially under risk. You do not need to spend tens of thousands, but you do need clarity and quality.
A - Acquire paid speaking gigs
This is where most speakers falter. Do not wait passively for inquiries. Identify target events, start conversations, and follow up with discipline. Smaller events are not “lesser.” They are accessible and often pay in the $1,000 to $5,000 range for quality speakers who fit well. Those reps build momentum and referrals.
A starter outreach line that works: “When will you start reviewing speakers for your [season/year] event?”
You’re aligning to their process, not forcing a pitch at the wrong time. If they say, “in three months,” get explicit permission to follow up, then actually follow up in three months with a helpful, short note. They won’t expect you to do it. Showing up reliably previews how good you’ll be to work with.
My added tactic: Use Facebook groups where your audience gathers to crowdsource a list of live events they already attend. Ask, “If someone wanted to fully immerse in solving [problem], what live events should they attend?” Now you have a prospect list drawn from the market itself. Then apply the outreach process above. I share the exact post volume thresholds and how I used this approach during my Free The Dream years.
Speaking can be the whole business or the front end of a larger business. Some speakers aim for many gigs and fee growth. Others use speaking primarily to acquire coaching, consulting, or long-term clients worth tens of thousands, which can dwarf the fee itself. Decide your model early, then shape your targeting and topic accordingly.
What To Charge When You’re Getting Started
Set expectations realistically. Most speakers who are early in their professional journey charge between $1,000 and $5,000 for the first several paid gigs, with growth as reps, results, and marketing assets improve.
Fees vary by industry: corporations generally pay more than nonprofits, for example. Your website, demo video, testimonials, and relevance to that organizer’s audience all factor into perceived value.
If you are already collecting checks in the $10,000 to $25,000 range, you’re likely in a pond that routinely books at that level, with the credentials and references to match. Your materials and proof must stand shoulder to shoulder with other speakers priced similarly. The decision-maker is weighing risk. Your job is to make the yes feel safe.
How Event Planners Think: Risk, Fit, Proof
Event planners and committees are in the risk mitigation business. They need to justify why choosing you is safe. The fastest way to help them feel safe is to present tightly aligned positioning, a clear solution for their audience, relevant testimonials, and a professional demo that shows what they will see on their stage. If you’re a known quantity in their industry, you reduce risk further.
Translation: Your niche experience matters. Even if you want to speak beyond your current industry later, start where you already have credibility and connections. Build momentum there, then expand.
Be The Steakhouse, Not The Buffet
We swapped a memorable story about a dinner in Vegas that nails this point. A top steakhouse has a short menu. It’s exceptional at one thing. Too many speakers showcase a menu of twenty topics across every domain. That spreads you thin and confuses buyers. You don’t become referable as “the person who solves X.” Choose X. Then keep saying X.
Building Momentum: Breakouts, Workshops, Local and Regional Stages
Keynotes are the glory slot, but many buyers hire outstanding breakout or workshop speakers they’ve never heard of. Target smaller, local, or state-level events where budgets are sensible and competition is less fierce. Use these to gather testimonials and in-industry proof. The more you speak, the more you speak. People in the seats are often the next bookers. Referrals compound.
Proactive Prospecting And Follow-Up: Exactly How To Do It
Most speakers fail because they wait. Here’s a workable cadence:
This shows the organizer what it’s like to work with you. Reliability beats bravado.
My supplement to this: Source events by asking active Facebook groups where your audience congregates which conferences they actually attend. Then research and contact those events using the cadence above.
Two Viable Business Models: Fee-First vs. Lead-Gen-First
Fee-first speakers optimize for the check, the travel schedule, and fee growth over time.
Lead-gen-first speakers optimize for speaking to rooms filled with ideal buyers, then convert into higher lifetime value offers such as retainers, advisory, or premium programs. In some niches, a single client is worth more than the speaking fee. Choose the model that matches your goals and build your targeting and talk to support it.
Host Your Own Stage To Create Reps And Proof
You don’t have to wait for an invitation. Design a focused one-day workshop around your problem-audience fit, sell tickets, and put yourself on stage. This both validates your topic and produces assets, testimonials, and compelling footage for your reel.
Tactical Tips, Stories, And Subtleties You Might Miss On First Listen
Expectations prevent discouragement. Speaker fees range from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands. Unless your name sells tickets, start where the market is and grow. Manage expectations early so you stay persistent long enough to break through.Industry matters. Corporate, association, education, nonprofit, faith, and government markets all have different norms and ranges. Choose the pond that fits your topic, background, and goals.Marketing assets are not optional. At minimum, have a professional, focused site and a tight demo. Decision-makers compare several speakers side by side. Present like a pro.Momentum is real. The more stages you’re on, the more invitations you’ll receive. Some referrals hit years later. Plant seeds now. Harvest later.Start where you have leverage. If your career was in real estate, restaurants, law, healthcare, or tech, begin there. You speak the language, know the players, and reduce buyer risk. You can always evolve your niche after you build proof.Breakouts build keynotes. Deliver great breakout sessions that solve concrete problems. That creates case studies and word of mouth that lead to higher-fee keynote opportunities.Small and local is a feature, not a bug. Many high-quality regional events have budgets in the $1,000 to $5,000 range and want excellent speakers who fit. Those are perfect on-ramps.Be personable and reliable. The subtle signals you send in email cadence, brevity, and clarity matter as much as your sizzle reel. Planners notice.Use audience hubs to find events. Facebook groups with significant daily activity are a goldmine for discovering exactly which conferences your market actually attends. Ask the right question, harvest the list, then do surgical outreach.Speaking as impact. Opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. Grant shared doing a virtual session for inmates in a county jail, and he has also spoken to arenas of 10,000. There isn’t one “correct” venue. There are aligned venues for your mission and model.If You’re A Strong Communicator And Ready To Start, Do This In The Next 7 Days
Define your niche: Write a one-sentence positioning statement: “I help [audience] solve [problem] so they can [outcome].” Keep it painfully specific.List 25 target events: Use Google, LinkedIn, and active Facebook groups your audience frequents. Ask what events they already attend and compile answers.Tidy your materials: Ensure your site and speaker page reflect your niche clearly, with outcomes and a clean bio. If you don’t have a reel, assemble a short, honest highlight cut from any footage you have.Send five concise outreach emails: “When will you start reviewing speakers for [event]?” Track replies. Ask for permission to follow up at their timeline.Build a simple follow-up system: Calendar reminders or a basic CRM. Follow up exactly when promised with a short, service-oriented note. Reliability is your advantage.Book or create one rep: Pitch a breakout locally or host a focused micro-workshop yourself. Capture testimonials and footage. Momentum starts here.Resources Mentioned
The Speaker Lab websiteThe Speaker Lab podcastThe Speaking Fee CalculatorThe Successful Speaker book by Grant BaldwinMy Closing Thought
If you’re gifted on stage and willing to do the unglamorous prospecting and follow-up, there is a clear, repeatable path to getting booked and paid. You do not need to be famous. You do need to be focused, professional, and persistent. Choose your “steak,” serve it beautifully to the right diners, and keep showing up. The rooms you want will start asking for you by name.
Ready to Turn Your Experience Into Income?
If you’re still here reading this, I have a feeling I know something about you.
You’re a communicator, a creator, someone with real experience, skill, and a genuine desire to serve others. You’ve been working hard to build your business, grow your audience, and create content that helps people. Yet even with all that effort, the profit still doesn’t reflect the impact you’re making.
If that sounds familiar, it might be time for a different approach.
Over the years, I’ve worked with countless creators, coaches, and entrepreneurs who started by doing what everyone said they should: creating content, building websites, and growing an audience. The problem? That’s actually Step 8 in the process of building a profitable business. They skipped the first seven steps, the ones that make everything else work.
That’s why I created my Building an Online Business Program.
It’s the same proven 11-step framework I’ve used and taught to help others finally see consistent, sustainable income from the work they love. The program includes my complete course, recorded live in the Next Level Studio, and two private 90-minute one-on-one coaching sessions with me.
Those sessions are where we take what you’re learning and apply it directly to your goals, your challenges, and your business model. It’s personalized guidance designed to bring focus, clarity, and predictable income to your business.
If you’ve been creating content for years but still feel like you’re spinning your wheels, this is your chance to change that. You’ll get the clarity, structure, and strategy that can finally convert your experience into income, and build the freedom you set out to create in the first place.
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