How to crack the speaker circuit

  • Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Author:  Lucy Bloom

Short Description

Lucy Bloom is often asked how to crack the speaker circuit by aspiring professional speakers at least twice a week, so to save you buying me a coffee, here are my top ten tips for how to get your story on the stage, paid. 1. We all have a story to TELL but are you […]

Lucy Bloom is often asked how to crack the speaker circuit by aspiring professional speakers at least twice a week, so to save you buying me a coffee, here are my top ten tips for how to get your story on the stage, paid.

1. We all have a story to TELL but are you sure you have a story to SELL?

Take a long hard look at what you would like to speak on and do a feasibility study on whether your story and your area of expertise has a market with a budget and how many others are speaking on this.

2. Don’t be a one-trick pony.

Develop three or four really fantastic, UNIQUE topics that you can adapt and deliver to just about any audience. Be the only speaker who does what you do.

3. Practice like there is no tomorrow.

The easiest way to do this is to contact all the clubs nearby and offer to speak at their next meeting. There’s Rotary, Soroptimists, Probus and others. Tee up a speech every week for a whole year to perfect your delivery. Do not offer to speak for free at major conferences and cannibalise your future income.

4. Be funny.

The funnier you are in this business the more you will be paid. Professional speakers are entertainers first and educators second. Practice your humour in conversation before you try it on an audience and pepper your speeches with humour so that you don’t have any long, hard-going stretches in your content. Remember that every single person in your audience has a high-powered entertainment device in their hand, competing with your speech for attention.

5. Speak without slides

And only very brief notes. Without these to lean on, you will know your content so well that your voice will glide like a conversation. It also means you can’t have technical problems.

How to crack the speaker circuit

6. Get solid, regular feedback.

Your mum doesn’t count. I have a professional voice coach and I send her a voice recording of every single speech I give and she gives me her feedback so that I can keep perfecting my delivery. Don’t believe the lady who tells you after your speech that you are the best speaker she has ever heard. Get professional, critical advice and keep improving.

7. Do the work.

As Will Smith says, he meets people every day who say they wish they could be an actor but those people have never DONE THE HARD YARDS. Do the work if you want to be a professional speaker: practice, get some coaching, go to toastmasters, read every book and blog on speaking style and presentation techniques, watch the best of the best on YouTube but avoid TEDx for style guidance. TED speeches are recited word for word, for a camera crew. A live audience wants engagement rather than a recital.

8. Go it alone until you are already killing it.

Hold off from contacting a speaker’s bureau until you have all your ducks in a row. You need good video footage, a slick website and a long list of killer testimonials before you go looking for representation.

9. Don’t be a dick.

Events are quite high pressure so no matter what happens backstage or in the four minutes before you speak, be the most charming version of yourself. Roll with the hiccups, be a delight to work with and your reputation will follow you. Say thank you to the people you work with.

10. Have fun.

This is always my tenth tip in listicals. Don’t do it if it isn’t fun. The 30 minutes right before you go on stage don’t count. That is always nerve-racking and I hate it. The rest is a lot of fun. The speaker circuit has taken me to some fantastic destinations and I have met wonderful people all over the world. Good luck!

ARTICLE originally posted on Lucy’s blog

Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter

Author Profile

The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.

Similar to How to crack the speaker circuit

WS Logo 512

Regular Mindfulness Practice, Meditation and Benefits Forget about the incense making you feel all balmy… I want to share with you some of the scientific evidence of the benefits of Regular Mindfulness Practice (*) Results from fMRI scans after 8 weeks of Regular Mindfulness Practices training… Intervention studies have been carried out that specifically look […]

  • Author: Christoph Spiessen
WS Logo 512

‘Quick! The business is dying! Find me the humblest possible consultant to solve the problem!’ as Experts don’t disqualify themselves. Author Allen Weiss makes this tongue-in-cheek point in his book, ‘Million Dollar Maverick.’ And it’s a good one. As we strive to position ourselves as top-level experts in our industry, a demure and deferring persona […]

  • Author: Douglas Kruger
WS Logo 512

This morning I woke up with a feeling of total despair as An eagle eye in trouble times…, the feeling of not doing enough. Not having enough, not knowing where to start and not knowing where I wanted to go. This uneasy feeling of negativity was so out of character and my first reaction was […]

  • Author: Lizette Volkwyn
Ryan Estis

To Lead Yourself First when Elizabeth Hurley was in college in Chicago, she worked as a waitress at my favorite pizza place in the world, Giordano’s, slinging deep-dish pizzas — and also taking great care of customers and making lots of conversation. Her ease in connecting with customers prompted many people to suggest that Elizabeth […]

  • Author: Ryan Estis
wespeak global latest news

Unveiling the Secrets of Successful Keynote Speaker Booking: Insights from a Meeting Planner To learn more about booking a keynote speaker tailored to your event’s specific needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our experienced team is ready to provide expert guidance and help make your next event an unforgettable success. A Meeting Planner’s Perspective […]

  • Author: WeSpeak Global
Aga Bajer | The Culture Lab

How to Craft Powerful Stories that Can Drive Culture Change There is an old adage that says:   If you want to learn about a culture, listen to the stories. If you want to change a culture, change the stories.    I had a first-hand experience with this very early on in my career. The MD […]

  • Author: Aga Bajer
Chris Bertish

Chris Bertish- Captains Log 7th July is Shifting gears mentally! Finally getting to this point where you are comfortable with yourself, your position, and the craft– that’s a huge milestone. No leaks, all my main key systems are still functioning properly- Chart-plotter/ AIS/ water maker/ GPS/ Autopilot & Satellite coms….even though I have implemented a […]

  • Author: Chris Bertish
WS Logo 512

Why is a 216-year-old voluntary member-based organisation like the Cape Chamber of Commerce thriving under lockdown? It shouldn’t – when times get tough, members will look at their expenses and cut those that are ‘voluntary’. People tend to pay their utilities, because if you don’t pay, you don’t get to play. And heaven forbid we […]

  • Author: Sid Peimer

Our Mission

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME