By Bruce Turkel, CPAE People often come up to me after a keynote and say, “I want to do what you do.” Sometimes they’ve done a little public speaking themselves, and they’ll tell me how good they are. That’s usually when I ask, “Tell me about the last time you bombed.” They almost always smile … Read more
Andre-A Guyton
By Stephen Shapiro, CSP, CPAE In mid-2024, I published what I believed to be my most important book yet. It tackled today’s biggest business buzzwords, including uncertainty, volatility, disruption, and AI, and offered practical frameworks to help people and organizations regain a sense of clarity, stability, and focus. As someone who’s spent decades thinking about … Read more
By Thom Singer, CSP As professional speakers, we are part of the meetings industry. Not separate from it. Not a side hustle to it. Not an add-on to the agenda. We are in it, fully. But too often, I wonder if we forget that? We get caught up in perfecting our keynotes, crafting our personal … Read more
By Jane Jenkins Herlong, CSP, CPAE Want to raise your speaking fees? Simple—be more valuable. The more impact you bring, the more you are worth. So, how do you make yourself invaluable on stage? Here are some practical (and slightly funny) ways to add value—both for your audience and your bank account. … Read more
By Larry Long Jr. Commitment is KEY! “When you’re committed, you move and you shake in a whole different way.” — Larry Long Jr. Commitment is the foundation of success. Think about your current level of commitment to your speaker business, and specifically, your sales efforts. On a scale from 1-10, where do you stand? … Read more
By Jon Petz, CSP, CPAE There’s much more to being a great keynote speaker than simply having on-stage skills that inspire and amaze. It’s about creating moments—those powerful, emotional points that bring an audience to the brink of tears or laughter—and then sending them out the door feeling their time was not just spent but … Read more
By Meridith Elliott Powell, CSP, CPAE I think the speaking business is one of the toughest ways I have ever chosen to make a living. Making sales calls to land consulting jobs or new coaching clients, I have always found easier than winning a speaking engagement. There are so many reasons this business is hard: … Read more
By Traci Brown, CSP When describing what you offer your clients, there’s a secret phrase you can use that’s guaranteed to get them almost 20% more engaged with your sales pitch. Before you can use it, there are a few things you need to know. You have to know the difference between features and benefits. … Read more
By Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE For this article, I’m departing from my normal NSA topics of sales and marketing, which have been the topics of every presentation I’ve ever given at a convention (now known as Influence), a winter meeting (now known as Thrive), or an NSA chapter meeting. Today, I’m writing about something that … Read more
By Amanda Gore, CSP, CPAE, GSF Wayne Dyer often used a powerful metaphor: “If you squeeze an orange, what do you get?” Of course, the answer is orange juice. His point? When life puts you under pressure, what’s inside is what comes out. After 38 years of speaking, my last five have been the most … Read more