Speaking is one of the most powerful ways to build authority, reach new audiences and attract clients — a single talk can put you in front of a room of ideal prospects and position you as the expert. But how do you actually get speaking engagements, especially when you’re starting out? Here’s how to get on stages that grow your brand and your business.
Why speaking is worth pursuing
A speaking engagement does several things at once: it positions you as an authority, puts you in front of a whole room of potential clients, builds trust at scale, and often leads to more opportunities. Few marketing activities offer that combination of authority, reach and warm positioning. For coaches, consultants and experts, speaking can be a genuine accelerator — which makes learning to get engagements a high-leverage investment.
Get clear on your talk and message
Before pursuing engagements, be clear on what you speak about — your core message, the value you deliver to an audience, and who it’s for. Event organisers book speakers who offer something specific and valuable to their audience. A clear, compelling talk topic that serves a defined audience makes you an easy, attractive booking. Vague “I can speak about my industry” doesn’t; a sharp, valuable talk with a clear promise does.
Start where you are
You don’t begin on big stages — you begin where you can. Local events, smaller gatherings, podcasts, webinars, industry meetups, your own workshops: all are legitimate speaking opportunities that build experience and a track record. Every talk, however small, sharpens your skills and gives you material and credibility for the next. Start with whatever opportunities you can access now, and let them build toward bigger stages over time.
Create your own opportunities
You don’t have to wait to be invited. Host your own workshops, webinars or events; speak on podcasts; organise a talk. Creating your own speaking opportunities builds experience, content and proof, and often leads to invitations from others who see you speak. Especially early on, generating your own platforms is one of the most reliable ways to get speaking experience and visibility, rather than waiting for organisers to find you.
Make it easy to book you
Help organisers say yes. Have a clear, simple way for people to understand what you speak about and book you — a speaking page, a short bio, talk topics, ideally some proof (video, testimonials). When an organiser can quickly grasp your value and how you’d serve their audience, booking you is easy. Making yourself an obvious, low-risk choice removes friction and gets you more engagements.
Build relationships with organisers
Many speaking opportunities come through relationships — with event organisers, hosts, and others in your space. Build genuine relationships in your industry, be visible, and let people know you speak. Organisers often book speakers they know, trust or have been recommended. Nurturing these relationships, and being generous and visible in your community, quietly opens speaking doors that cold pitching rarely does. See networking.
Deliver value so you get invited again
The best source of future speaking engagements is a great talk now. When you genuinely serve an audience — delivering real value with clarity and presence — organisers and attendees remember, recommend you, and invite you back or to their own events. One excellent talk can generate several more through word of mouth. So focus on truly serving each audience; delivering value is itself the most effective way to get more speaking opportunities. See speaking with presence.
Turn talks into business
Speaking builds authority, but to grow your business you also need a path from stage to client. Without being pushy, make sure audiences know how to learn more or work with you — an offer, a resource, a clear next step. A great talk that leaves the audience with no way to continue the relationship misses much of its value. Connect the authority you build on stage to a genuine next step, and speaking becomes a real client-generation channel.
Build a simple speaker presence
Make it easy for organisers to say yes by having a simple speaker presence: a page or section describing what you speak about, your talk topics, a short bio, and ideally some proof — a video clip, testimonials, past events. This lets an organiser quickly grasp your value and picture you on their stage. You don’t need an elaborate speaker reel to start, but giving organisers the basics they need to book you with confidence removes friction and gets you more engagements.
Pitch organisers well
When you do reach out to organisers, make it about their audience, not you. Show that you understand their event and audience, and propose a specific, valuable talk that serves them. A tailored pitch that clearly benefits their attendees stands out from generic “can I speak at your event” requests. Organisers book speakers who make their event better; frame your pitch around exactly how you’ll do that, and you dramatically improve your chances of a yes.
Toward paid speaking
Many speakers start speaking free to build experience, authority and reach — which is a legitimate investment early on. Over time, as your reputation and demand grow, you can move toward paid speaking. But even unpaid talks pay off through the authority, relationships and clients they generate. Judge speaking opportunities on their total value — reach, positioning, connections and business — not just the fee, especially while you’re building. The authority you build on stage is often worth far more than any single speaking cheque.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get speaking engagements when I’m starting out?
Start where you are — local events, podcasts, webinars, your own workshops — and build experience and a track record. Create your own opportunities rather than waiting to be invited.
How do I get organisers to book me?
Have a clear, valuable talk topic for a defined audience, make it easy to understand and book you, and build relationships with organisers. Deliver value so you get invited again.
How does speaking grow my business?
It builds authority, reaches new audiences and positions you as the expert — and, with a clear next step from stage to working with you, becomes a genuine client-generation channel.
Speaking builds authority best on a foundation of clear positioning and a real point of view. Book a discovery call to sharpen the message that makes you worth putting on stage.