The Speaker Lab Podcast

Ever wonder how to speak to the education market? Are you interested in making a career out of touching the lives of students, teachers and the parents of students? If so you are in the right place!

Joining us for this show is my friend, Scott Backovich, one of the leading speakers in the youth market. Scott may look young but he has plenty of experience and wisdom on this topic, and he shares it all with us today.

On episode 176, we talk about about how he finds and books school assemblies and school leadership conferences, and who to contact at schools depending on the region of the school. He also explains how to transition from free speaking gigs to getting paid, and more on today's edition of The Speaker Lab! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How did he network and find other speakers to learn from early on in his career?
• Is being great on stage the best marketing strategy?
• Why isn't constant communication from a speaker a good thing?
• Where do you start if you want to speak to school audiences?
• Why did he intentionally not have a presence online at one point in his career?
• What are the most common topics speakers are hired for in the education market?
• What four groups are eager to book speakers - even those with no experience?
• What is HOBY and why does he speak at two of their events each year (for free)?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Scott Backovich's web site
• Scott Backovich on Twitter
• Scott Backovich on YouTube
• Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the most important things you can for your speaking career is to find out how to position yourself as an expert. And I could think of no one better to describe and demonstrate this topic than my good friend Chris Ducker.

Chris is an internationally-recognized expert on all things personal branding. He's also a best-selling author, globe-trotting speaker, and successful business mentor. He knows more than a thing or two about standing out as an expert!

On today's show, we're talking about his latest book, Rise of the Youpreneur as well as the origins of Chris's speaking career and his personal brand. He also explains why you should want to become someone's favorite and how to grow your personal brand beyond the stage. Listen to those great topics and more with me and Chris Ducker today on episode 175 of The Speaker Lab!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How do you figure out who you serve and what problem you are solving?
• What is the Youpreneur self-awareness test?
• Why being different is better than being better!
• How do you build a business that is 100% original?
• Why is a book one of the best expert positioning strategies?
• What percentage of your audience is likely to become a client of yours?
• What NOT to do when you finish speaking!
• Where are some of the best relationships forged and the best business deals made?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Chris Ducker's website
• Rise of the Youpreneur, by Chris Ducker
• Virtual Freedom, by Chris Ducker
• Chris Ducker on Twitter
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Should you ever speak for free or accept a lower fee? Today my co-host Melanie Deziel and I are answering both of those questions for you.

We specifically talk about why money isn't the only reason to speak, and what the other benefits and non-monetary perks are which you can negotiate as a speaker.

We'll also cover how to build your business beyond the stage, speak to build your credibility and your visibility, and give examples of when we've both been willing to speak for a reduced fee or even for free.

Join us for those topics and more. And when you're done let us know if you like this co-host format on episode 174 of The Speaker Lab! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How to know if the audience you're speaking to has the potential for spin-off business.
• What is pay to play and why should you watch out for it?
• How can you sell from the stage without being pushy?
• What travel perks can you negotiate?
• What should you do if an organization doesn't have a budget or cannot pay your fees?
• A free tool to find out how much you should be charging.
• How can you volunteer with your speaking talents?
• When is speaking for exposure a good idea, and when is it not?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Melanie Deziel's website
• Episode 35 of TSL with Matthew Kimberley
• Episode 39 of TSL
• Episode 80 with Cole Hatter
• TSL podcast archives
• Melanie Deziel on Twitter
• Melanie Deziel on Instagram
• Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Inevitably you'll run into some issue before, during or right after you give a talk. Do you know how to prepare for when things go wrong as a speaker? Both my co-host and I do and that's what we're talking about on today's show.

Our co-host Melanie Deziel is back for her 3rd segment: the blooper reel. On episode 173 we talk about how to respond to any number of potential scenarios and pitfalls as a speaker.

You'll find out what to do if you are running late or having travel issues or if you are feeling sick. we'll discuss how to handle tech issues, if your time is cut short or if you have a difficult audience member.

Today we'll pull open up the curtain to share our best and worst stories, buckle up and join us because there's plenty to learn on episode 173 of The Speaker Lab! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• Why to avoid traveling the day of your speaking engagement.
• How to think two steps ahead and always have a Plan B in place.
• How do you know if you should go on stage when you're sick?
• Why keeping the same routine is just as important on the road as it is at home.
• What are the two technologies that never work for speakers, and how can you avoid using them?
• Why shouldn't you apologize from stage?
• What do you do if someone heckles you or shows off from the audience?
• Should you call out the elephant in the room when you're speaking?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Melanie Deziel's website
• Episode 166 with Shawn Stevenson
• Melanie Deziel on Twitter
• Melanie Deziel on Instagram
• Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Once you've given your speech the next step often becomes how to get the most referrals and testimonials after you've given a speech. Today we're going to walk you through the best ways to do this.

On episode 172 of The Speaker Lab, I'm joined by my co-host Melanie Deziel again. In case you missed our introduction of Melanie last week she's a successful speaker who came over from the corporate world after discovering her love of public speaking.

Today she speaks and consults full-time and is also a coach for students in The Speaker Lab programs. As a former TSL alum she is the perfect person to help other budding speakers gain their chops.

On this edition of the show we're covering what to do after your speech, how to request feedback, how to ask for testimonials, referrals, videos, pictures and other marketing materials you can use to promote yourself. Join us for insights on all of these topics and more today on The Speaker Lab. 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What's the first thing you have to do after giving your speech?
• What are the different ways to show appreciation after speaking?
• In addition to your client contact, who else should you thank?
• How do you ask for positive and negative feedback, and why should you get both?
• When is the best time to ask for a testimonial?
• What type of testimonial is most effective?
• How do you get marketing assets like photos and videos of you speaking?
• What are the two ways to ask for referrals from clients and from other speakers?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Melanie Deziel's website
• Melanie Deziel on Twitter
• Melanie Deziel on Instagram
• Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the common questions I get asked is what you need to know before signing a contract. To answer this question we are joined by Melanie Deziel today. But unlike our usual format Melanie isn't a guest today, she's our first co-host!

Melanie was a student who has gone through our training programs and has become one of our coaches. Before branching out on her own in the speaking world, Melanie worked in a corporate environment. She helped brands think more like journalists and tell better stories.

She shifted into speaking when she realized how much she enjoyed the speaking gigs she was doing to represent her team. She took a course with The Speaker Lab and for the last two years she's been speaking and consulting full-time.

To keep things interesting and extra fun, I invited Melanie to join me as a co-host for the next four weeks. Today we're talking about a common question we get at the speaker lab: what do I need to know before signing a contract? We'll dig into that answer today on this edition of The Speaker Lab. 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• The two reasons to ask potential clients about the length of your speech.
• How to be the hero for your event organizer.
• What can you ask to find out details about your audience?
• Why does it matter to you and your contract who the other speakers are at the event?
• What is the one question to ask so you know what success looks like to your client?
• What is a rider and how can you use one for logistics like travel and technology?
• Why should you find out specifics about the venue beforehand?
• Why does dress code matter?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Melanie Deziel's website
• Melanie Deziel on Twitter
• Melanie Deziel on Instagram
• Episode 92: How to Dress as a Public Speaker
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Because there is a right way and a wrong way to sell yourself, our guest is here to explain how to sell yourself with digital persuasion. Erin Gargan is a multi-entrepreneur who currently owns and operates an agency that specializes in social media for trade shows, conferences and events.

One day a client of hers was in a panic: they were a week away from the opening of their event and one of their social media speakers had canceled. Erin offered to help her client by filling in. Her speech went so well several audience members approached her about speaking for them, and asked for her fee. And so began her journey into public speaking.

Today on The Speaker Lab, Erin tells us who she primarily speaks to today, how to be different by focusing on others (rather than ourselves), and how to use the art of digital persuasion to create higher quality connections that serve others while also growing our own careers. Erin holds nothing back on this episode so be sure to join us and catch it all! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How does she avoid falling into the comparison trap?
• Why doesn't she watch other speakers before she takes the stage?
• How much more persuasive in person are we according to the Harvard Business Review?
• How can you be different than 99% of all cold outreach messages?
• What does PUB stand for and how do you use it?
• How to get a 60% higher response rate in half the time.
• What is the ideal length of any email?
• What is your next step after initiating contact with someone?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Erin Gargan's web site
• Socialite Agency's web site
• The Art of Digital Persuasion, by Erin Gargan
• Erin Gargan on Twitter
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To be comfortable with your imperfections may not be a speaking goal you've set for yourself but our guest on today's episode of The Speaker Lab shares how doing so has made an impact on his career and an even bigger impact on his audience.

John Michael Morgan is a world-class coach, best-selling author and keynote speaker who has found just how powerful it is to be raw, vulnerable and real with his audiences. On this episode of The Speaker Lab he shares how he came to this discovery and how doing so helped him branch out from speaking on branding and marketing to also speaking about the power of mindset.

You'll also hear John's story of what he learned from interrupting Seth Godin at breakfast and how to create a distinct speaking brand even if you have a common name. This is a fun and illuminating learning session on the 169th edition of The Speaker Lab with John Michael Morgan! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• If you have a common name how can you create a distinctive personal brand?
• How did he make the shift from talking about branding to speaking on mindset?
• Why being raw made his speaking more relevant to his audience.
• What is the purpose of influence?
• How to put your oxygen mask on first.
• What is the core strategy in all of speaking, in his opinion?
• What are two common limiting beliefs speakers have?
• Do you have to be an expert first in order to be successful?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• John Michael Morgan's web site
• Achievers Alliance group coaching
• John Michael Morgan on Twitter
• John Michael Morgan on Facebook
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If the true hallmark of a great speech is how many referrals it generates, how can you create the most referrals from your speeches? Our guest, Andrew Davis, knows exactly how to do it and he tells us on this episode of The Speaker Lab.

In the process of becoming an international keynote speaker, Andrew has discovered how to consistently generate a high number of referrals every time he speaks to an audience.

On episode 168 he explains how he does it, which industries and which events he focuses on and why and whether or not bigger events are the better events. Join us to hear that and more on this edition of The Speaker Lab! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• How does he know he has given a great keynote speech?
• Does he ever recommend doing industry gigs for free?
• What is a kingpin conference?
• How can content production help you speak at national conferences?
• What is the audience influence pyramid?
• Is everyone facing similar problems, regardless of their niche?
• The three ways he evaluates new verticals, and why he focuses on one each year.
• Why you must focus on the speech first.
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Andrew Davis' speaking website
• Andrew Davis on Twitter
• Andrew Davis' marketing website
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Social media is part of our everyday lives, and it can be an effective business tool. But do you know how to use social media to land more gigs, while still being the real you? Our guest, Jon Acuff, does and he'll explain how in episode 167 of The Speaker Lab.

When Jon isn't speaking or writing best-selling books, including his latest book Finish, he is actively sharing his work and his life on social media.

Today we talk about how his social media platform and his online content have helped his business grow, plus the various strategies for each of his platforms. We also talk about how and why he learns about speaking from comedians, as well as the hows and whys of goal-setting for speakers. Join Jon and I as we explore these topics and more on the latest edition of The Speaker Lab! 

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:  

• What's the fastest way to get feedback?
• How does he avoid becoming complacent with his success?
• How did he use soft pitches to land more gigs and work with a speakers bureau?
• What are ways you can establish authority (without overselling) while you're speaking?
• How can social media help you and how can it hurt you?
• Every gig is a chance to do what?
• Why it's important to make your goals fun.
• How many forms of income should you aim for as a speaker?
• And so much more!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Jon Acuff's website
• Finish, by Jon Acuff
• The Finish Course
• Jon's other books
• Jon's email list solely for speakers
• Jon Acuff on Instagram
• Jon Acuff on Twitter
• Jon Acuff on LinkedIn
• Find and contact potential gigs
• Get Free Speaker Resources
• Book a Call with The Speaker Lab
• Calculate Your Speaking Fee
• Join The Speaker Lab Community on Facebook
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.