How can you build a successful career as a self-employed speaker?

Choose a coaching or speaking niche that you have lived in wholeheartedly and know inside out So let’s say you want to be A leadership coach, then you should have spent time as a leader in a large dynamic organisation. A mental health coach, then you should have practised extensively for years. Degrees and certifications can teach valuable theories to help you organise relevant information mentally. But experience is the greatest teacher that puts these theories into perspective Therefore to be credible, authentic and connect with your audience choose a niche that you have lived in, struggled and thrived in. Also fine tune your speaking, presentation skills. Create save-able tips, tools, takeaways. Adopt industry best practices

To get chosen as a coach/ trainer, go beyond your resume. Put yourself out there and share what you know 1. Share your knowledge on social media through crisp posts/reels on Instagram or video talks on YouTube. LinkedIn gives this multi-opportunity window to share detailed posts/articles/live training/newsletters/ short reels. Also in premium the chance to source prospective clients. 2. Participate in cohort meets Look up the industry groups on social media, skilling platforms, exhibitions etc. Join, Participate and learn. 3. Create full blown training series and host them on Udemy 4. Register your services on Upwork, Fiverr etc 5. Share reviews, testimonials on website, app, social media handles 6. Stay updated and relevant

Learning is the best form of growing And what better way to learn than from people who are successful at what you intend to achieve. Spending time networking in like minded cohorts , forums , conferences, webinars is the best way to guard yourself against redundancy. You will know what’s working and what’s not … additionally you will get a hang of industry trends and what the biggies in the industry are really looking for With this information you can go back, up-skill and mould yourself to be more appealing against competition. You may get lucky and some established players may even take you under their wing to work out arrangements to pass on projects that they maybe hard pressed to execute.

One of the most important quotes that I love and feel worth sharing is that "Your Network is your Networth". So, when we expand our network it gives us a feeling of belonging. A feeling of belonging is one of the crucial aspects of the brain as it wants us to stay safe.

One of the important aspects is to be willing to market yourself. Marketing self is something that many miss out on because of the notion that it feels like we are blowing our own trumpet. But then we need to remember that we need not be hesitant about marketing.

For marketing your services 1. Create a website/ landing page that spells out your credentials: your qualifications, certifications and experience. Provide testimonials and customer reviews Display a media kit that gives a a preview of your branding and the tools that you will be giving away in the session. 2. Share extensively on social media .. short form/ long form - video / text- all the knowledge that you have regarding the field. Present it succinctly and concisely showing value for people’s time 3. Piggy back on related fields: let’s say you want a Speaking engagement with a corporate that has more requirements then rope in other field experts . Present joint proposals e.g. training on personal development and mindfulness.

After landing a speaking engagement prepare intensely Remember if you overdeliver, you have a chance of getting great testimonials and good references. Know your audience demographics, their needs, goals,pain points. Tailor make content for them packed with usefulness. Benchmark it to the best in the industry. Pay attention to the structure/style of your content. Include impactful graphics. Fine tune your delivery, your lines, your body language, your ice breakers, your tone, voice modulation etc Make the training engaging. Let it be a mix of informative, persuasive, demonstrative, motivational, entertaining session Rehearse/ seek feedback from people you trust. Then go out and deliver- be flexible, keep room for errors, changes