Speaker - September 2008

Quips, tips and parting shots
How to Avoid the Success Myths
of the Speaking Business

8 Shortcuts to a 12-Step Program

Take it from me, a recovered speaking addict. After 12 coaches and 17 boot camps in a dozen years, I finally faced and conquered my addiction. I now offer my pearls of wisdom so that other addicts can recover without the hardships I experienced. Here’s how you can break out of the eight success myths that will keep you trapped by your addiction.

It’s all about the audience. While some speakers would have you believe that it’s all about the audience, I’ve found that the more you focus on the audience, the more likely you’ll lose your place. Focus on yourself because if you’re not the center of attention, there is nothing for the audience to focus on.

You must have an incredible one-sheet. I printed 50,000 full-color one-sheets for a mere 20 cents per piece. Now I have enough to last me until 2030. While I can’t change anything about my business until I run out of one-sheets, I saved a bundle.

You’ll grow your business by working with bureaus. Bureaus charge 30 to 35 percent commission so the more you work with them, the less you will make. The less you make, the more likely you’ll be out of business in a year. That means more business for me.

Charge what you’re worth. During my first year in business, I charged $150 for a half-day seminar. My speaker colleagues advised, “You’re worth way more than that. Your clients will never perceive value unless you charge more.” The next year, I charged $10,000 per presentation. I went from doing 100 programs a year to none, but was thrilled that I was “charging more per presentation and working less.”

I printed 50,000 full-color
one-sheets for a mere
20 cents per piece. Now
I have enough to last me
until 2030.

You must continually develop new material. There are 300 million people in the United States. That means that roughly 299.99 million have not heard your material. There are only seven highly effective ideas. Do the math—it’s much easier to find a new audience than new material.

You must create additional revenue streams. To survive in the speaking business, you must be more than just a speaker. You must train, consult and coach. I hired myself as a consultant to evaluate my skills and then contracted with myself as a presentation skills coach. By doing so, I was able to triple my revenue.

You must be an expert. We are told to be “experts who speak for a living,” but many of the most successful speakers simply failed in life and then figured out how to make money from their failures. Instead of spending time developing expertise, focus your energy on failed Everest summits, Olympic catastrophes or unresolved childhood bullying. Expertise, schmexpertise.

Let it go. A well-known speaker, who will remain anonymous (but who’s name rhymes with “Bo Malloway”), once did a speech encouraging us to “let go” of those things getting in the way of our success. I decided to heed his advice and let go of all my clients. Now, I have much more time to pursue my passion of speaking.

With a decade of experience in healthcare and 20 years as a humorist and motivational speaker, Ronald P. Culberson, MSW, CSP, offers humorous and funny presentations that show how humor can redefine excellence for healthcare leaders and staff to improve the quality of patient care. For more information, visit www.FUNsulting.com.