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What Should I Be Doing Right Now to Land PAID Speaking Engagements?

Associations are ALWAYS seeking speakers. This is the essence of my speaking business model inside my book, PAID to $PEAK: How to Become a Professional Speaker.

Associations and meeting planners plan months in advance, they rotate committees, they rely on volunteers, and they constantly need fresh speaker voices.

So if I were just getting started in speaking, or restarting, I would be doing these five things right now, no matter the season.

These are the exact steps I used to build my speaking business, and the same steps I still use today.

1. Pick ONE Association to Pursue

Not ten. Not three. One.

If you chase more than one squirrel, you won’t catch any.

Choosing ONE industry + ONE premier association creates:

  • Direction
  • Focus
  • Momentum (Rinse and Repeat Speaking Opportunities)

This is the engine that powers everything else.

2. Identify ALL the Local Chapters

These are your warm entry points.

These are your repetitions.

These are your credibility builders.

Chapters meet frequently, monthly, quarterly, or several times per year.

That means they always need speakers.

Local chapters are where your ripple effect begins.

3. Email Each Chapter With a Short, Clear Outreach Message

Chapter leaders are volunteers, not full-time speaker agents or meeting planners.

They’re busy. They’re overloaded. They don’t have time to search for speakers.

They NEED speakers, and that speaker should be you.

A simple, targeted, helpful outreach email can get you booked faster than any marketing strategy you’ll ever try.

4. Deliver an Outstanding Program, Even Unpaid

This is where most aspiring speakers go wrong.

Speaking for free at the right event is not a sacrifice, it’s a strategy. It's marketing. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate value, relevance, and impact.

Remember my SHRM Florida example? (click here)

One unpaid chapter → one paid state conference → 7+ paid requests within two weeks.

This is how the speaking business works. It’s a long game, but it pays off faster than you think when you deliver.

5. Ask for Introductions

Every chapter volunteer knows other chapter volunteers. Every chapter volunteer knows state leaders. Every chapter volunteer knows who coordinates the statewide conference.

One chapter talk can lead to:

  • More chapters
  • Corporate invitations
  • State councils
  • State conferences
  • National attention

But your speech must 'speak' for you, and let people open doors for you.

Your Focus Today Will Determine Your Speaking Opportunities Tomorrow

If you’re overwhelmed, stuck, second-guessing, or unsure where to begin, that’s not a setback, it’s a sign.

A sign that you need:

  • A target, not more tactics
  • A system, not more scattered activity
  • A plan, not more pressure

So here’s your very next step:

Whatever format you prefer, get back into the content. Everything you need to choose and pursue your audience is already there

.

And if you have the book, don’t forget: There’s a complimentary coaching call link inside.

If you want clarity on which audience is your best starting point, let’s schedule that call and get your strategy aligned.

The Bottom Line

Associations are booking speakers right now, and they will continue to book speakers every month of the year.

If you focus, there is ALWAYS time to put your name at the top of the list.

You don’t need luck. You don’t need a huge platform. You don’t need complicated marketing.

You need FOCUS, a strong message, and consistent action.

Earn greatness today. Onward and upward.