I get many phone calls and emails from people all over the country. From young people to middle age adults. Everyone has a story to tell, but how to find an audience and to whom to contact is the biggest question people have. How to start? Where to start? This is what I help my clients figure out. I take the guess work out and the years of trial and error and teach you what I’ve learned with 23 years of speaking experience. Visit www.SpeakFullTime.com and let’s work together.
If you have a desire and a passion, you too can make a career as a motivational speaker like I have for 23 years. It’s hard! Walking was hard when you were 7 months old too, but you never quit. I will coach you from the very thought of wanting to be a speaker to where your website is set up and you are now booking speaking engagements at $2,000 – $10,000 per day. It’s hard work. It takes self promotion. Discipline. Patience. Desire. Commitment to work your craft everyday.
If I have done it and have been extremely successful than you too can do it!
“You mean, you can actually get paid to tell stories?”, some people ask. Well, it’s not that easy. It not THAT you tell a story, but HOW you tell your story and what you give to your audience. I teach all that. Visit www.SpeakFullTime.com and learn more.
I’ve been getting paid for 23 years doing what I love to an audience I am passionate about. I speak to teens in middle school assemblies, high school assemblies, student leadership conferences, parents and community programs. Visit my website at www.JeffYalden.com. In 1992, I had my first speaking engagement in Apopka, FL. People laughed at me and told me I’d never be a speaker. I heard everything from the naysayers. “Who would want to pay you to speak?” “Who would hire you?” “Schools don’t pay!” I never listened, but deep in my heart I knew what I wanted to do and I was determined.
1. Speak for FREE to the audience of your choosing. Get your name out there and earn the respect of other speakers. Pay the price and do what other speakers have done to achieve the successes they’ve achieved. Nothing good happens without hard work and great effort put forth. Get out there and “Just Do It!”
So, the reason I say speak for free is because often times speaking for free could lead to more speaking engagements because you never know who is in the audience. Furthermore, speaking for free gives you exposure where you can get testimonials, references, and the possibilities of pictures of you in action. Maybe you can even record the talk on video – Youtube and Vimeo! You are welcome!
I don’t recommend traveling the country speaking for free, but I do recommend speaking free with a purpose:
* Decision Makers – One of the best marketing tips I can give you is to get in front of those that hire you. For example, many years ago, I offered to speak at the Southern Association of Student Councils Conference FREE. I did this because I knew that at this event there were state advisors and student council sponsors from all over the south that could potentially hire me as a speaker. It worked and I have done it three times.
So, if you speak for free and get referrals and spin-off speaking engagements as a result of speaking free . . . The end result is getting paid and making money. Marketing!
2. Offer a Product or Service to Potential Clients. Have you written a book or “How To Guide?” Some organizations don’t have money for a speaker, but they do for materials and supplies. Say you’ve written a book called, “How to Earn a College Scholarship.” You probably wouldn’t be wise to speak to a Multi-Level Marketing Group about Selling, but you’d probably do great speaking at a youth conference for Student Athletes or a Athletic Directors Conference where your book is a much better fit. Sales and Publicity. Getting your name out there.
In some cases, they might not be able to bring you in to speak on your fee, but they’d have enough money to buy a book or workbook for each attendee. You might even make more money on your books than if you were paid to speak. You are welcome!
Make sure your audience is the right fit for the product or service you are promoting. I have a book for teens, teachers, and parents. That’s my audience. I don’t promote it to sales people or business professionals. They wouldn’t care about my book.
Make sure you can sell at the event too. I’ve had some speaking events where I wasn’t allowed to sell. If you are not allowed to sell and they won’t buy your product there is no point on you speaking there. Walk away. Again, speak for free with a purpose and put your energy towards being productive and getting paid.
3. Repetitive Speaking Makes for Great Timing too. You have a message you want to share but not sure about the value you provide, right? There is value in the content, but if the delivery is poor the content won’t be heard. That means you have no value. Therefore, when you speak for free you are getting practice. Practice will give your message value.
I think you should speak 25-50 times before asking for money. Ge the message down. Use the opportunity to develop your style, storytelling, timing, and gestures. Know when the audience will laugh. Speaking for free gives you this opportunity. Speaking for free gives you the opportunity to speak and speaking makes you better.
4. Get Pictures, Video Footage, Testimonials and Experience in front of your audiences. One of the things I teach in Speak Full Time is the importance of good pictures, video content, and testimonials. Your website should have good pictures, a good demo video, and testimonials. This will set you apart from many speakers and make the client interested in hiring you. Don’t overlook the importance of good pictures, videos, and testimonials.
Pictures show you have experience and you can usually see how the audience is responding. Video footage is important because people want to see you on stage. Testimonials work because it shows people are willing to talk about you and put their name as a reference having hired or seen you speak.
It’s easier to get free speaking engagements without a video than it is to get paid speaking engagements without a video. Your fee should represent the marketing material you send out too. You have a good video? More money. You have good pictures? More money. You have good testimonials? More money! More Money . . . More Money . . . More Money! This means you’re on your way to becoming a successful motivational speaker.
So, if you are going to be a motivational speaker for youth or a motivational speaker for another niche market, you’ll have to get your name out there and speaking for free is the best way to get your name out there. Just remember, when speaking for FREE only do it with a purpose. You might not get paid upfront, but you are going to get paid as a result.
You can’t speak for free forever. You will know when you are ready to charge and what do you charge? Well, I would look at the value you bring to your audience and compare that to the market you’re speaking in and set your fees. Be careful because everyone thinks they are the best speaker and have the best story. The story and the message is one thing. Your delivery is another thing. If you can’t reach your audience with HOW you deliver and tell your story, the message or content doesn’t matter because they’ll be sleeping or on their phones.
Free advice to you Motivational Speaker wanting to make a career speaking professionally. If I can help you further, I’d love to hear your story and see how we can work together. Visit www.SpeakFullTime.com. I promise that if you are serious working with me will be one of the best investments you’ll make in your new career.
To learn how to be a speaker, contact me at www.SpeakFullTime.com.
Who is Jeff Yalden?
Jeff Yalden is a three-time Amazon best-selling Author, a Mental Health Advocate, and leading authority on Teen Mental Health and Teen Motivation. Jeff has traveled 50 states, every Canadian Province, and 48 countries speaking to Mental Health Organizations and Agencies. He’s traveled as a Youth Motivational Speaker, Mental Health Speaker, and Education School Climate Consultant working with teens, youth on college campuses, teachers and staff, educators, parents and community members. He’s widely sought after for Teen Suicide Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention. He’s been a Celebrity Teen and Family Life Coach for MTV’s longest reality television show MADE and has appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines across the country, as well as news stations and radio interviews. His Podcast, “The Daily BOOM – One Word” is widely popular for his straight talk and how BOOM is a factor and an affect in your life.
Jeff is a Gulf War Veteran, two-time Marine-of-the-Year recipient, and Mr. New Hampshire Male America.
For speaking inquiries, media events, television appearances and/or interviews, please visit: http://www.JeffYalden.com.
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