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20 Strategic Ways To Secure Speaking Gigs As A Coach-Consultant

Expert Panel® | Forbes Councils Member


In coaching and consulting, a speaking engagement is one of the best ways to share your valuable knowledge and gain credibility among peers and potential clients. From corporate conferences to industry seminars, the demand for insightful voices is massive—but the competition is fierce.


If you can find options aligned with your career goals, the networking and thought leadership opportunities landing a coveted speaking gig offers can elevate your reputation as a coach-consultant, amplifying your reach in a loud, crowded marketplace. Here, 20 Forbes Coaches Council members share actionable steps for securing a spot as an event speaker.


1. Put Yourself Out There

You have to put yourself out there. Don’t wait for someone to come find you. Circulate your résumé, list yourself in directories and network. Make sure the people who are looking for you can find you! - Rebecca Osei, Concierge Psychology


2. Focus On A Topic You’re Passionate About

You need inspiration and charisma among many other things, including a clear focus on a topic you are passionate about, communicated from the heart. Networking and social media are great tools to use to leverage these skills. - Daniela Landherr, The Human Space


3. Craft Stories That Resonate

Elevate your profile by crafting stories that resonate, turning your expertise into an undeniable force. Engage passionately at networking events, making every interaction memorable. Showcase your transformative impact through client success stories. Volunteer for speaking opportunities, both virtual and physical, to demonstrate your insight and passion. Make your presence not just seen, but also felt. - Alejandro Bravo, Revelatio360


4. Actively Network And Share Insights Online

The most effective way to secure speaking gigs as a coach-consultant is to actively network within your industry, consistently share valuable insights on social media and professional platforms, and engage with event organizers. Highlighting your unique expertise and past speaking experiences can also attract opportunities. - Savannah Rayat, Rayat Leadership Coaching


5. Become A Published Expert

As someone who regularly speaks at events (I delivered around 100 talks in 2023), I have found that invitations come as a result of two main activities: 1. becoming recognized as an expert on a topic through writing a book or for a respected publication (not a blog or online magazine), and 2. having a track record of previous successful presentations and, thus, recommendations from attendees. - Jonathan Passmore, EZRA Coaching


6. Develop Your Niche

Getting speaking gigs is hard because we are too self-centered! Instead of showcasing how good you are, make organizers ask for your expertise. Easy to say, but a few steps are needed. Focus on your uniqueness. Develop your niche or specialty. Publish articles and blogs, broadcast podcasts, videos and webcasts or organize webinars and courses. Become desirable and visible, and be patient and persistent. - Catherine Tanneau, Activision Coaching Institute


7. Align With Relevant Student, Startup And Career Programs

Align with local business schools with MBA and other master’s programs and any startup accelerator programs helping startups get a kick-start. Both students and startups can use guides (through speakers) on the side throughout their career journeys. You can also go through programs for executive career changers, where people are moving toward their second, third and fourth acts. - Joanne Markow, GreenMason


8. Figure Out Your Objective

Start by asking, “What is my objective?” Are you seeking speaking engagements to generate a different revenue stream? (For me, this is a transactional objective.) If you have a passion for sharing expertise and perspectives you believe are valuable to others—a transformational objective—this will motivate you to seek out any and all opportunities. Your speaking career will flourish from there. - Antonia Bowring, ABstrategies LLC


9. Spread The Word To Your Clients

Coaches and “coachsultants” working with CEOs, CHROs and COOs have a brilliant (and simple) access point to speaking engagements: Let your clients know that you are a speaker and what your topics are! I am amazed at how many engagements my mentor coaching clients and I have secured merely by letting our C-suite coachees know the breadth of what we have to offer. Imagine what’s possible for you. - David Taylor-Klaus, MCC, CPCC, CTPC, DTK Coaching, LLC


10. Build A Strong Online Presence

To secure speaking engagements as a coach or consultant, focus on building a strong online presence through insightful content and strategic networking with professionals and event organizers. Start local and consider doing free webinars to showcase your expertise and speaking skills, gradually building and scaling your portfolio to include testimonials and speaker reels. - Dr. Flo Falayi, Korn Ferry


11. Create Social Proof

Ensure you have created enough social proof around your abilities, strengths and interests so that you may gain warm introductions via your network, and also consider responses from cold connections. When you are a subject matter expert, you will gain leads and opportunities from the most interesting, and often surprising, places. - Arthi Rabikrisson, Prerna Advisory


12. Join Toastmasters And Speaker Groups

To fast-track your path to securing speaking gigs, it’s time to get visible and make your goals known. Speak up online, sharing your unique voice in social media posts. Attend events your audience is at to establish relationships. Get experience (and education) through smaller speaking opportunities and Toastmasters. Join speaker groups and share your one-sheet and reel. - Laura DeCarlo, Career Directors International


13. Stand For Something

Get to be known for standing for something, not just against something else, while also providing an actual solution to a specific problem many people are struggling with. Being passionate about a topic and being able to speak eloquently are great qualities to temporarily motivate the audience; however, being a passionate expert with unique solutions will empower the audience in the long run. - Csaba Toth, ICQ Global


14. Consistently Showcase Your Expertise And Purpose

To secure speaking gigs as a coach-consultant, elevate your visibility as a thought leader. Consistently showcase your expertise and life purpose. By authentically expressing your insights, you become a magnet for opportunities. Your resonance with audiences creates a natural flow, making you a sought-after speaker in your field. - Senem Anataca, 180UTC


15. Use The ‘Value-Added’ Approach

With the “value-added” approach, it is not only essential to position yourself as an expert in your specific field, but also to highlight the unique value you can provide to the audience. By emphasizing the “let me help you” approach over the “please pick me” mentality in your outreach, you position yourself as a true expert and increase your chances of securing speaking engagements. - Danielle Melton, M.Ed., MOTHERboard®


16. Share Your Unique Voice And Your Own Content

Share your unique voice with your audience so that it resonates on an emotional level and gets others curious about your knowledge and expertise. Instead of sharing others’ articles, blogs and podcasts, begin writing your own content so that your unique ideas can be heard and felt by audiences who would want to have you come and speak to their teams. - Bryan Powell, Executive Coaching Space


17. Ask For It

If you fail to ask, the answer is already a “no.” Securing speaking opportunities requires you to be top of mind at the same time that someone needs a speaker, so stay top of mind! Let your clients, friends and network know that you enjoy speaking and want to do more, and those opportunities will start flooding in. - Erica McCurdy, McCurdy Solutions Group LLC


18. Respond To Opportunities Matching Your Skill Set’s Value

I’ve found the most effective way to secure speaking gigs is responding to opportunities that match the value of your skill set. For example, I have a clinical mental health background and am certified in nonprofit management. I offer topics on practical mental health strategies in the workplace to their network, and they recommend us to others. It’s a win-win because others are elevating your presence. - Ariel McGrew, Tactful Disruption®


19. Promote Your Speaking With A Website And A Video

I speak at over 50 paid events per year. The key to growth has been building a website promoting my speaking business and having a great video. Meeting and event planners want to know that you are professional and can deliver. They can’t risk having an “okay” speaker. Demonstrate your skills and value proposition on your website to attract your ideal audience. - Krista Neher, Boot Camp Digital


20. Do Volunteer Speaking Opportunities; Enhance Your Résumé

This can be a situation where you have to have experience to get experience! The good news is that there are plenty of volunteer opportunities where you can get that experience. Offer to speak at the library, or do some lunch-and-learns for a potential client. Add “speaker” or “keynoter” to your résumé and LinkedIn profile and include a recording of you speaking on the profile—pick a great snippet! - Kathy Bernhard, KFB Leadership Solutions

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