A Blog By Speakers, For Speakers.
The Art of Amazement: Things I Did Right—and What I Got Totally Wrong—to Build a Million-Dollar Speaking Business
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…
How To Make Money in The Speaking Industry
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:…
The Phrase That Pays
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….
Three “Must-Knows” to Deliver an Amazing Speech
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…
Speak Less, Influence 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…
Your First Thirty Seconds: Arouse Interest in Your Subject
By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE, Cavett Award Recipient Imagine you have just 30 seconds to transform a room of strangers into a captivated audience that will hold on to your every word. This is your moment to make a powerful first impression in any presentation—whether it’s a high-stakes sales presentation to win a training contract,…
The Payoffs of Speech Customization
By Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE Two hundred doctors had assembled for the event. It was a leadership conference at the LA Biltmore Hotel for hospital chiefs of staff. As I sat in the audience, I saw one physician after another “present his papers.” These were the dullest speeches I’d ever heard! The audience was half asleep and…
Keynote Speakers: Rethinking the Throne – Is Content Really King?
By Kelly Swanson, CSP, CPAE For decades, the mantra ‘content is king’ has echoed through conference halls, asserting that experts are chiefly valued for their knowledge. This perspective suggests that we, as speakers, are paid for our expertise. Indeed, in roles such as coaching and training, this holds true; clients pay for tangible results and…
Dancing With Your Audience: How Neuroscience Can Transform Your Speaking Impact
By John Edwards, CSP Have you ever wondered what separates mundane monologues from magnificent messaging? The answer lies not just in your content but in the neuroscience of how your audience receives it. By understanding how the brain processes information, you can transform yourself from a forgettable fact-giver to a memorable mind-mover. The Speaker-Audience…