IN THIS ISSUE
THIS WEEK’S QUOTES
Don't find customers for your products. Find products for your customers.
The most difficult part of positioning is selecting one specific concept to hang your hat on.
A NOTE FROM SHARÍ
What's Your Speech Actually Built to Do?
We’re all familiar with the business model options of content creation.
You understand how a YouTuber brings in revenue from ads and brand deals. You know how podcast sponsorships work. You get how Substack and Patreon subscriptions generate income.
But when it comes to monetizing speaking opportunities, the options get a bit more mysterious.
That's what this issue is about.
I’d love to lift that veil of mystery for my subscribers. And to do that, we’re going to borrow some frameworks from the world of book publishing.
A book, just like a speech, can directly generate revenue. For a book, that looks like a New York Times bestseller. For a speech, that could be a keynote with a $30,000 fee.
There’s also another way of generating revenue from speeches and books. I call it the ripple effect revenue model.
When the right people see you speak or read your book, it opens doors to new clients and accounts worth far more than any speaking fee.
And to figure out which one your speech is built for — or whether it can do both — I’ll show you how to have a strategy for your speech in the same way a traditional publisher would for a book proposal.
— Sharí
P.S. The newsletter has a new look and a new home. I've given the newsletter an upgrade and moved it to a new platform. Hit reply with 'HERE' so I know you're getting it. It helps me out a lot. Thanks!
FEATURED ARTICLE
IS YOUR SPEECH BUILT TO GET BOOKED?
Business owners run market analysis before launching a product. Your speech deserves the same opportunity assessment.
When an author submits a book proposal, the acquisitions editor doesn't start with the writing. They start with the marketplace.
Within every book proposal is a section called Market Analysis where the author needs to prove 3 things:
1) there’s a market for this book
2) similar books have been successful in that space
3) this book fills a gap in the marketplace.
This is the most important section of any book proposal. As AJ Harper put it, "A book proposal is simply a business plan for your book."
Business owners who speak should run the same analysis on their speeches. Here's how…
1: Map existing events and audiences
There are more speaking opportunities than most people realize.
Large industry conferences and trade shows are just the beginning.
Associations and professional organizations host regional and chapter events, often with more focused programming and more target-rich audiences than flagship conferences.
Companies will regularly host webinars for their target market and are often looking for guest experts.
Mastermind groups, peer networks, and curated communities like Vistage, Pavilion, or CTO Craft can put you in front of decision makers.
And podcasts — while not a traditional stage — function as speaking opportunities with many of the same benefits.
YOUR ACTION STEP
Build a target list of 20-30 gatherings. Don't filter too aggressively at this stage. You're mapping the landscape, not committing to a strategy yet. Then, for each one, make a note: are the attendees decision makers or champions?
Can they approve a deal or do they influence decisions?
2: Find comparable speeches
In publishing, comp titles are books that have already succeeded in a niche, proving a market exists. For speakers, your comps are the talks already getting booked at the events you want.
Read session titles and descriptions from past programming.
Are the sessions motivational? Case study focused? Process-oriented? Highlighting personal journeys? Demoing products? Resolving organizational needs or professional development?
Make sure your speech matches what the event is already booking.
3: Study past speaker lineups
Who is already speaking on topics similar to yours? What angles are they taking? What problems are they being brought in to solve?
This is your competitive landscape. And just like in publishing, finding comps shouldn’t be discouraging. It's confirming. It means the market exists.
Don’t worry if an event booked a speaker similar to you last year. Events rotate in new speakers with fresh perspectives.
YOUR ACTION STEP
When you find speakers covering similar topics to yours, search where else they’ve spoken and add those events to your target list.
4: Define the gap
Now that you know the events, the audiences, and the types of talks getting booked…
The final question is: What’s missing?
What’s the specific angle or approach is current programming isn’t covering?
That gap is your differentiator.
FRAMEWORK
The Stage Revenue Model
DIRECT MODEL
The speech is the product. You get paid a fee. Success is measured in bookings and fees.
RIPPLE EFFECT MODEL
The speech is the pipeline. Revenue lives downstream in new clients and accounts. Success is measured in new business it generates.
Some speeches can create wins both directly and with the ripple effect.
But knowing which model you're primarily operating, changes everything about how you evaluate the opportunity.
Here’s a Stage Revenue decision-making tool when considering a speaking opportunity.
A great speech that can't match the marketplace with the right Stage Revenue Model won’t bring in new clients.
Run your market analysis, choose your Stage Revenue Model.
You've done the work of building something worth saying. Now do the work of making sure the right rooms are hearing it.
Want to level up your speaking strategy?
THIS WEEK’S GOOD FINDS
Here are some links I thought you’d enjoy.
I love this clip from Scott Galloway talking about the skill of storytelling. If you’d like to improve the #1 story you should have in your speech, check out this article.
Jeff Bezos dropping knowledge bombs about the importance of simple language when it comes to invention, disruption, and customer adoption.
Jeff Salzenstein shares some insights about the power of small rooms.
Want your speaking opportunities to work harder for your business?
I offer a limited number of Executive Clarity Sessions each month for founders and senior leaders.
If you're reading this thinking, 'I know I'm leaving something on the table after my talks,' that's exactly what an Executive Clarity Session can help with.
In about 30 minutes, we look at where you're speaking (or where you’d like to be speaking), what's happening (or not happening) after your speeches, and what one shift would make the biggest difference.
If you'd like to do that together, you can request a complimentary session.
You'll share a bit about your role and situation, then request a time. I personally review every request and only approve sessions where I'm confident I can help.