Speaking for Money, 2

Vocabulary

Five Ways

There are 5 ways ordinary people can make money as a speaker, according to business writer Bob Bly in his book “Getting Started as a Speaker, Trainer, or Seminar Consultant”.

1. Get paid directly for giving a seminar, workshop, or conferences.

Bob Bly often earns $5,500 a day for a corporate presentation. In other words, he earn more in a day than the average American worker does in an entire month.

The most he ever got paid on a flat-fee basis for a day of corporate training was $9,800 to teach copywriting at a software company in Milan, Italy.

2. Speak for free in exchange for the opportunity to market your consulting or professional services.

Speak at exhibitions or conferences whose audience members are potential clients for what you sell. One or more participants may have a need and hire you.

3. Speak at events put on by entrepreneurial seminar and conference promoters.

These promoters do not pay speakers a fee. Instead, they let you sell your products from the platform. You earn a profit from these sales, and the promoters get a commission.

4. Organize your own public seminar or boot camp, either by yourself or with joint-venture partners.

The risk is that if few or no people attend, you make no money — in fact you lose the money you invested.

On the flipside, the potential reward is high. In such events, Bly has earned $5,000 to over $25,000 a day.

5. Do webinars (web conferencing).

There are two variations to this. The first is to charge a fee to attend the webinar.

The second is to allow your prospects to attend for free (thus drawing in a bigger crowd), and then upsell them on buying an information product or coaching service.

And if you videotape your talk, you can use the video in your marketing — on your website, on YouTube, or as a DVD lead magnet.

 
Bly does not consider myself primarily a professional speaker; he is a copywriter who also does some speaking.

As a result, he does not even close to the top of the speaking pay scale. Many speakers earn much more, though on occasion he has been paid $55,000 to give a seminar.

Questions

1. According to the article, it’s possible to be a professional speaker. You can have a job as a speaker. Is this correct or wrong?

2. What is the most obvious and direct way to make money through speaking?

3. You must always be paid to give a speech to earn money. True or false?

4. You must always speak at other groups’ conference or events. Yes or no? Is this a double-edged sword?

5. Do you have to leave your home to speak in “public”?

6. The earning potential for giving speeches is almost unlimited. Do you agree? Is it possible to become rich by giving speeches?
 
 
A. Do you or your colleague have to make speeches or give talks? How does it feel?

B. Who are some interesting, informative or inspiring speakers that you have heard? Have you heard really great speakers?

C. Who are some great speakers in your country?

D. What could you give a speech on?

E. What do you think is the future of speeches, seminars, workshops, conferences, webinars, etc.?