Balancing The "3 D's" of Building a Professional Speaking Business

Last week an email came in from a client who has had me speak at their organization events the last two years, selling out both times, inquiring about two things, my availability for fall dates and new topics I could bring to a fall event.

I said to my client, "since the previous topics had sold out, maybe it make sense to offer one of those again?"

Skip Weisman delivering a keynote address to over 800 project managers
at the 2014 PMI Southern Alberta (Canada) Professional Development Day.

She replied, "maybe, but our members like to hear new stuff and we'd like to attract those that already like you and those people wouldn't come to the same program again."

So, I went back to the drawing board to configure a talk they hadn't heard from me yet.

This interaction is typical in the business life of a professional speaker as it touches on all 3 "D's" of Building a Professional Speaking Business, which are Dig, Develop & Deliver.

D#1 = DIG 
This means "digging" for speaking opportunities that generate revenue for your speaking business. Without investing in digging for speaking opportunities you don't have much of a speaking business. This about marketing your business and brand to attract opportunities and learning how to sell yourself and your value to close as many of those opportunities as possible. The situation explained above originally came from my "digging" efforts when I received a referral from a client who gave me a great testimonial after my presentation to her organization.

D#2 = DEVELOP 
In building your speaking business there is a lot that needs to be developed, including,

• a pipeline of prospects and prospective speaking opportunities
• a brand around your value you can offer organizations
• content that fits and reinforces your brand value
• signature talks around that content
• delivery skills that allow you to shine on stage to connect deeply with your audiences

For purpose of this article I'd like you to focus on developing your key signature talk topics around your brand value.

The reason to start here is that is where you will then be able to identify and connect with the ideal targeted prospects that fit your value.

D#3 = DELIVER
This is why professional speakers do what they do, to deliver in front of audiences and to deliver for their clients the value of their brand promise. While delivering it is a challenge to do much else as the focus needs to be on serving the client.

If we as speakers are developing our stage, presentation and audience connection delivery tools, this is the fun and easy part of the job and what we love to do, and it can also allow us to use this D to aid in the other two D's.  A speaker can do that by 1) get referrals and testimonials that will help in the Dig phase, as well as reinforce the Develop of the brand value, and 2) use the experience to Develop more content for future stories and lessons from your interaction with audience members before, during and after. Most of my best content for future programs comes this way.
 
Invest in the these three D's and you will be building a great foundation for a professional speaking business.

For more tips on building a professional speaking business and doubling your ability to impact and influence audiences of all sizes and industries, visit PresentationPowerForLeaders.com. There you can sign up for 52 Presentation Power Tips for a full year of weekly tips to help you reach the Major Leagues of professional speaking more quickly.

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Skip Weisman is The Leadership & Workplace Communication Expert, and is a member of an elite group of international World Class Speaking Coaches.  

Skip works with the owners of companies with between 6-60 employees to transform workplace communication in 90-days and create a more positive, more productive and even more profitable company. 

Additionally, he coaches and trains business professionals and professional speakers to become a World Class Speaker and presenter that can inspire and motivate any type of audience.  You can learn more about Skip at www.WorkplaceCommunicationExpert.com and www.SkipWeismanSpeaks.com .