Lessons from 20 Years in the Speaking Business

By Stacey Hanke, CSP, CPAE

Our business is a tricky one. The past 20 years have taught me a few things. For starters, I’ve learned that change is constant. Speaking topic trends and event planner expectations always seem to shift. The contacts you make and the relationships you build continually evolve. In fact, change is so frequent that it is the one thing I’ve come to count on most.

I have also learned that success is never accidental. To survive in this ever-changing industry, you must remain constant, disciplined, consistent, and committed to growth.

Here are the biggest takeaways I’ve learned after two decades of speaking.

Know your business – start with your numbers. Understand where your money is spent and invested, how it is performing for you, and how it connects to your bottom line. When you have that clarity, you gain control over your decisions and your growth. Your talent opens doors, yet your understanding of profitability determines how far you can go.

Knowing your numbers allows you to confidently set your fees, make smart hiring decisions, and stay aligned with your financial goals. It also gives you the insight to adjust your strategy in real time, so your business continues to move forward.

Define your goals – measure them frequently against real outcomes. When your goals are clear, you create focus and momentum. Without it, even the most gifted speakers stall. Goals need to be both short and long term. Know what you must accomplish this week, this month, and this year. Every action you take must contribute to the outcomes you want to achieve.

Three daily non-negotiables – to move your business forward. Every day, I write down three actions to move my business forward. These actions get done before anything else. This level of focus compounds over time and separates those who simply stay busy from those who grow their business.

Record yourself. On stage, your job is not just to deliver content; it is to deliver consistency. Record yourself and watch it back. Determine if your message and delivery align with your brand and who you say you are. Then take it even further – is who you are on stage matching who you are off stage. This industry is smaller than you think. Your reputation travels faster than your marketing. Word travels when you show up as one person on stage and another person off stage.

Practice is your insurance policy. Events change. Energy shifts. Audiences vary. When you know your material inside and out, you stay grounded and adaptable no matter what happens in the room.

Define your message in one sentence. This is more than your elevator pitch; this is the quick and easy way for people to remember who you are and what you share. If they can’t remember you, they won’t remember to refer you either.

Choose your lane – and stay in it. Speakers who build lasting careers are not the ones who chase what is trending. Consistency builds recognition which leads to referrals. I’ve lost count of the number of referrals and requests I’ve received from someone I worked with years ago. When your message is consistent, people remember who you are, then they know how to find you. If you are constantly changing topics, people don’t know who you are, let alone what value of expertise you bring to the topic.

Daily business development is a must. Stay visible. Stay relevant. Stay connected. Get in front of prospects every day. Even if you never speak to them live, and only ever leave voicemails, the day will come when they return your call. Even when your business is thriving, double down on development. Momentum created in the good times sustains you during the slow ones.

Invest in your development. Never stop learning. The moment you stop growing, your business does the same. Surround yourself with people who challenge how you think and how you show up. Some speakers, especially early in their career, struggle with this priority. Investing in yourself is like investing in the stock market. What you invest in today will pay dividends tomorrow.

Our industry will continue to change. Topics will shift. Audiences will expect more. Opportunities will expand and contract. Through all of it, your own consistency will be your greatest advantage. Successful speakers commit to doing the fundamentals exceptionally well, every single day. No matter how much the industry continues to evolve, your consistent efforts will lead to lasting results.