Professional Speaking: Known. Booked. Paid.

A speaker can deliver a good talk and still leave the client unwilling to book them again.Claire Young knows how that happens. The former UK Apprentice runner-up founded School Speakers and now works with both the people buying talks and the speakers delivering them.In this conversation with John Ball, Claire shares the story of a speaker whose missed calls and wrong-venue arrival led her bureau to refund the client. She explains why clear replies, reliable preparation and feedback matter to a speaking business.We also explore speaking in UK schools: the audiences, the budgets and how a new speaker can start building relevant experience. Claire describes how a booking can develop into sessions for students, staff and parents, and why she asks speakers for evidence before considering them for her bureau.You'll hear about:How a school visit after The Apprentice led towards School Speakers.What Claire says speakers typically earn for an hour with students.Building a day around different audiences within a school.Why a bureau needs experience and references.The communication habits that make speakers easier to book.Learning from feedback and handling public visibility.Claire quotes a typical £300–£500 fee for an hour-long student talk. This reflects her market rate at the time of recording. The conversation does not establish whether that figure includes commission, expenses or VAT. It is not a general rate card.Connect with Claire:https://www.claireyoung.co.uk/speakerExplore School Speakers:https://www.schoolspeakers.co.uk/Join me for the Get Heard. Get Known. Podcast guesting for speakers workshop: https://present-influence.kit.com/products/get-heard-get-known-podcast-guesting CHAPTERS: 00:00 Speaker Booking Nightmare00:39 Meet Claire Young01:05 Apprentice Changed Everything03:15 First School Talk Breakthrough06:01 Building School Speakers Bureau09:11 What Schools Need Now10:23 Format Fees, And Reality16:08 Impact And Highlights20:31 Getting Started In Schools23:00 Professionalism And Feedback29:08 Public Eye And Resilience32:41 Wrap Up And Next StepsFAQs:How do you start speaking in UK schools?Claire recommends approaching local schools with a concise explanation of who you help and what the session achieves. Use relevant opportunities to develop the talk and collect feedback. In the interview, she says her bureau asks for a minimum of three references from previous speaking engagements.How much do speakers get paid to speak in schools?Claire describes £300–£500 as a typical fee for an hour-long student talk in her market. She says staff sessions command higher fees and discusses half-day or full-day bookings. These are examples from her experience. The interview does not clarify commission, VAT, or expenses.Can school speakers deliver sessions to staff and parentsYes. Claire describes programmes that address students, parents and staff on the same subject, with each session adapted to its audience. She uses anti-bullying as an example.Do speaker bureaus work with beginners?Claire says her bureau wants speakers with relevant experience and references. She describes School Speakers as saturated at the time of recording and says new additions need to contribute something beyond the existing roster. Other bureaus may use different criteria.Why might a good speaker fail to get booked again?Claire describes clients being dissatisfied with missed calls, poor communication and inadequate preparation even when the talk itself was acceptable. Her example shows how the wider booking experience can affect the relationship.How long should a school talk be?Claire recommends having a polished session suited to a lesson, describing around 45–50 minutes and emphasising interaction with teenagers. Confirm the length, age group and purpose with the school before designing the session.Connect with John:Find out more about the Known, Booked & Paid BlueprintSubscribe to the Serious About Speaking newsletter on LinkedInFind me on InstaFind me on TikTokFind me on ThreadsDiscover the bottlenecks in your speaking business with the Applause Vs Invoice QuizFor speaking/podcast enquiries or to connect with me directly, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedInYou can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channelIf you know a speaker who would enjoy this show, let them know. Thanks for listening.Mentioned in this episode:The Get Heard, Get Known Live EventPodcast guesting is still one of the best ways to build your visibility, but it requires strategy more than volume. In this live event, I'll show you how to get strategic with your guesting, find the right kinds of shows to go on, and pitch yourself to them. You'll have everything you need to make your podcast guesting effective as you build your public profile. The event is limited to 100 people, so click here to reserve your spot: https://present-influence.kit.com/products/get-heard-get-known-podcast-guesting

You’ve prepared a talk and told people you’re available. Why is the diary still quiet?In this solo episode of Professional Speaking: Known. Booked. Paid., John Ball walks through the questions that help you identify where your speaking business needs attention before investing in another fix.Follow an organiser trying to work out whether your talk fits their event. Then examine the enquiry that goes quiet and the session that earns applause without leading to more work. Along the way, John looks at buyer demand, bureau expectations and what makes a recommendation feel safe.If enquiries arrive but bookings stall, there’s a brief check on fit, budget, timing and the next step.Choose the question that reveals your biggest gap, then commit to one useful action this week.In this episode• Checking whether the market wants your talk.• Waiting for work and relying on a bureau.• Unclear profiles, missing speaker pages and too many offers.• Outdated websites, weak demos and evidence buyers can assess.• Enquiries that stall.• Overloaded talks, lecture-style delivery and referrals.• Budget fit and choosing your next action.Resources and invitationsPodcast guesting live event: https://present-influence.kit.com/products/get-heard-get-known-podcast-guestingMonday Prospecting Power Hour: work on finding opportunities and following up alongside other speakers. Cameras on, microphones muted; a prospecting tool is available on the call. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86172745844Find Your Booking Bottleneck quiz: presentinfluence.com/quizCHAPTERS00:00 Why aren’t you getting booked?01:15 Can organisers tell what to book you for?02:15 Does the market want your talk?03:15 Reaching suitable buyers03:55 Working with speaker bureaus04:30 Monday Prospecting Power Hour05:40 Why speaking enquiries go quiet06:40 Why applause doesn’t lead to referrals08:40 Making recommendations easy09:15 Building relationships with bookers and event crews10:40 Staying after your talk11:00 Choosing your next useful action12:15 Booking Bottleneck quiz and closingFAQsWhy am I not getting booked as a speaker?Start by identifying where progress stops. Suitable buyers may be missing your offer, struggling to understand its relevance or finding too little evidence to assess your delivery. If enquiries arrive, examine fit, budget, timing and the next step. If you already speak at events, review whether the talk fulfils the brief and earns recommendations.Will joining a speaker bureau get me speaking bookings?Clarify what the bureau will do, how it handles enquiries and what it needs from you. Make a clear offer and provide strong evidence of your delivery. Keep developing your own buyer relationships and opportunities alongside the bureau relationship.What should a speaker website include?Provide a dedicated speaker page that explains your intended audience, main talks and relevant outcomes. Include current speaking footage, specific testimonials and an obvious way to enquire. Check that links work and that the number of options helps a buyer choose.What should a speaker demo show?A demo should let an organiser hear you speak and assess your delivery. Use clear audio and footage relevant to the kind of engagement you want. Music, graphics and stage entrances alone give limited evidence of how you deliver a talk.Why do speaking enquiries go quiet?Review what you established about the event, available budget, decision-maker and selection date. Check whether you agreed a next step after sending information or a proposal. Silence alone does not identify the cause; use follow-up to clarify the opportunity.Why am I not getting referrals after a talk?Review whether your talk fulfilled the organiser’s brief and gave the audience an experience someone would confidently recommend. Look for overloaded material, unclear structure or a mismatch in format. Ask for specific feedback, then make a relevant introduction easy by supplying a short paragraph the organiser can forward.How can I find my speaking booking bottleneck?Review recent approaches, replies, enquiries and completed engagements to locate where progress stalls. Consider how much activity you have done and when organisers choose speakers. John Ball’s Booking Bottleneck quiz can help you decide where to focus; use the quiz link in the resources below.Connect with John:Find out more about the Known, Booked & Paid BlueprintSubscribe to the Serious About Speaking newsletter on LinkedInFind me on InstaFind me on TikTokFind me on ThreadsDiscover the bottlenecks in your speaking business with the Applause Vs Invoice QuizFor speaking/podcast enquiries or to connect with me directly, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedInYou can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channelIf you know a speaker who would enjoy this show, let them know. Thanks for listening.Mentioned in this episode:The Get Heard, Get Known Live EventPodcast guesting is still one of the best ways to build your visibility, but it requires strategy more than volume. In this live event, I'll show you how to get strategic with your guesting, find the right kinds of shows to go on, and pitch yourself to them. You'll have everything you need to make your podcast guesting effective as you build your public profile. The event is limited to 100 people, so click here to reserve your spot: https://present-influence.kit.com/products/get-heard-get-known-podcast-guesting

Do speakers need a book to get booked? No. Can a relevant book be a powerful authority asset, often called your best business card and a useful tool when negotiating speaking engagements? Hell yes.In this bonus episode from the archives, John Ball speaks with ghostwriter and book coach Ginny Carter, author of Your Business, Your Book. Recorded in early 2022, the conversation is still useful for speakers and other experts considering a business book.They discuss how to decide what your book is for, when you’re ready to write it, how to keep it engaging and persuasive, and how to make it part of the marketing you already do. They also explore publishing choices, formats, editing, and the role podcasts can play in helping authors share their expertise.At the end, John shares the fast book strategy behind his forthcoming book, Serious About Speaking: The Business of Becoming Known, Booked & Paid. He explains how he’s using his existing LinkedIn newsletter articles, podcast transcripts and programme materials to build a useful, coherent book, with AI helping to compile and organise the material. It isn’t a case of asking AI to write a book and publishing the result: the process includes reviewing, editing and shaping the work.John will release a wait list for Serious About Speaking with next week’s episode.Ginny Carter’s book, Your Business, Your Book, is available at all major retailers. Find Ginny and her work at ginnycarter.co.uk.Frequently asked questionsDo speakers need a book to get booked?No. You can build a professional speaking career without writing a book. A book is an asset, not a requirement.How can a book help a speaker get booked?A relevant book can demonstrate your expertise, strengthen your authority and give event organisers a tangible sense of your ideas. It can also be a useful negotiating tool when discussing a speaking engagement, if it connects to the talk, audience and client’s needs.Is a book really a speaker’s best business card?It can be. A book gives potential clients a deeper view of your expertise than a business card can. The more clearly the book relates to your speaking work, the more useful it is as an authority asset.When should an expert write a business book?When they have enough experience, examples and insight to offer readers, and they know what they want the book to achieve. Ginny advises getting clear on the book’s purpose before making decisions about its content or publishing route.How can speakers market a book without creating more work?Ginny recommends incorporating the book into marketing that’s already working, such as a podcast, blog or existing online presence, rather than automatically building separate channels just for the book.What makes a business book persuasive and readable?Stories, examples and the author’s personality help keep readers engaged. Ginny also discusses a “why, what, how, what if” structure: explain why the topic matters, what it is, how to act on it, and what could happen as a result.What is John Ball’s fast book strategy?John is developing Serious About Speaking from existing material, including LinkedIn newsletter articles, podcast transcripts and programme resources. AI helps compile and organise relevant content; John then reviews, edits and shapes it into a coherent book.ChaptersTimes are approximate. Check against the final published audio/video before posting.00:00 Why this archive conversation is being released now02:40 Introducing Ginny Carter and the value of an engaging business book05:20 Why people struggle to start and finish books07:40 Making book marketing part of your existing marketing10:00 How books build authority12:20 Is it the right time to write your book?14:00 Book as an asset: cache, not cash19:00 What writing a book can do for your expertise and business24:00 What makes a business book effective?27:00 Traditional publishing and self-publishing29:00 Book design, production and first impressions32:00 Print, ebook and audiobook formats34:00 Podcasts as a way to reach relevant audiences35:00 Writing persuasively: the “why, what, how, what if” structure38:00 Editing, grammar and reader trust42:00 How authors can use podcasts44:00 Ginny’s book recommendations47:30 John’s fast book strategy and Serious About SpeakingRecommended next episodeWhy Great Speakers Are Often BrokeListen next for a related conversation about the business skills and assets speakers need alongside their stage craft: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/0f56e6d2-15f1-4c21-8a5b-96d44ab8c67b/Upcoming episodeNext week: Why Aren’t You Getting Booked as a Speaker? We’ll look at what may be standing between your expertise and the bookings you want.Podcast guesting live event: https://present-influence.kit.com/products/get-heard-get-known-podcast-guestingConnect with John:Find out more about the Known, Booked & Paid BlueprintSubscribe to the Serious About Speaking newsletter on LinkedInFind me on InstaFind me on TikTokFind me on ThreadsDiscover the bottlenecks in your speaking business with the Applause Vs Invoice QuizFor speaking/podcast enquiries or to connect with me directly, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedInYou can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channelIf you know a speaker who would enjoy this show, let them know. Thanks for listening.Mentioned in this episode:The Get Heard, Get Known Live EventPodcast guesting is still one of the best ways to build your visibility, but it requires strategy more than volume. In this live event, I'll show you how to get strategic with your guesting, find the right kinds of shows to go on, and pitch yourself to them. You'll have everything you need to make your podcast guesting effective as you build your public profile. The event is limited to 100 people, so click here to reserve your spot: https://present-influence.kit.com/products/get-heard-get-known-podcast-guesting

Lorne Kelton asked AI to find research supporting an argument. It returned what seemed like a cited study. When he checked it, the study and researcher didn’t exist.That experience opens a conversation about the responsibility speakers carry when they use evidence on stage. Lorne and John discuss why confidence can be mistaken for competence, how “fake it till you make it” advice can lead speakers astray, and what critical thinking looks like when a client wants to put it into practice.They also disagree, or at least place different bets, on what AI means for professional speaking. Lorne sees pressure on familiar keynote topics as AI gets better at producing plausible content. John argues that an audience’s relationship with a live speaker still matters. Both questions are worth asking: how strong is the thinking behind your talk, and what happens in the room because you are there?The conversation also covers Lorne’s use of AI during preparation, his approach to choosing stories, and the less glamorous reality of earning a living as a speaker.In this episode:How an invented citation made it through an AI research requestWhy confidence and competence need separatingHow Lorne turns a critical thinking idea into a corporate workshopWhat AI can help a speaker do, and what the speaker must checkWhy a speaking business may need more than keynote feesConnect with Lorne to find out more: https://www.thinkshift.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lornekelton/Chapters: 00:00 AI Citation Hallucinations01:14 Confidence vs Competence03:48 AI as Speaking Partner05:04 Generic Topics at Risk07:11 Training AI to Your Voice10:55 Fact-Checking and IP Rights13:44 Will AI Replace Speakers20:19 Critical Thinking Origin Story22:59 Workshop Framework and Triggers25:29 Biases and Motivation Industry27:41 Evidence and Truth Seeking30:14 Future Opportunities for Speakers32:37 Owning Your Viewpoint32:54 Expertise vs Relevance34:32 Celebrity and Internal Competition37:07 Making Speaking Pay38:43 The Business of Speaking41:32 Why Speakers Get Booked43:35 Storytelling Over Slides50:42 Finding Stories and Testing53:49 Encouragement and Authenticity55:27 Where to Connect56:23 Host Reflection on AI57:47 Final SendoffFAQWhat is the difference between confidence and competence, according to Lorne Kelton?Competence is built through real experience and expertise. Confidence can be performed without either. Kelton argues that speakers, and especially newer ones, get told to fake confidence before they've built competence, which he says derails careers rather than accelerating them.Why does Lorne Kelton think certain keynote topics are at risk from AI?Kelton names leadership, productivity, change management and resilience as topics where AI can already generate passable content, which he expects will lead booking committees to question paying five figures for a human speaker on those subjects specifically.How does Lorne Kelton recommend speakers use AI without losing their own voice?Kelton feeds AI his own books, articles, emails and video transcripts so it can act as a sceptical research partner rather than a writer. He treats the deep, time-consuming version of this process as the only one that produces anything close to authentic output.What happened when Lorne Kelton asked AI to find supporting research for an argument?The AI returned a fully formed citation for a study that turned out not to exist, attributed to a researcher who also doesn't exist. Kelton now treats this as a standing warning to verify any AI-sourced research before using it on stage.What is Lorne Kelton's process for teaching critical thinking to corporate clients?Kelton works backwards from a specific trigger incident, then moves the person through reflection, surfacing their assumptions and biases, reframing the situation, and finally writing a concrete plan for how they'll respond differently next time.What percentage of Lorne Kelton's speaker association members make a full-time living from keynoting alone?Fewer than 13%, based on an internal survey his association conducted. The majority earn keynote fees as one component of a broader income that includes facilitation, training, MC work and consulting.How does Lorne Kelton choose which stories to use in a talk?He starts from the client's desired outcome and works backwards to find a personal experience, often a failure, that speaks to it directly. He then tests the story with a small trusted group before using it on stage.What advice does Lorne Kelton give speakers who feel threatened by the current market?Be authentically yourself rather than copying another speaker's style or delivery. He calls this the fail-safe way to get booked and rebooked, and warns against speakers who present themselves as facsimiles of someone else.Connect with John:Find out more about the Known, Booked & Paid BlueprintSubscribe to the Serious About Speaking newsletter on LinkedInFind me on InstaFind me on TikTokFind me on ThreadsDiscover the bottlenecks in your speaking business with the Applause Vs Invoice QuizFor speaking/podcast enquiries or to connect with me directly, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedInYou can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channelIf you know a speaker who would enjoy this show, let them know. Thanks for listening.Mentioned in this episode:The Get Heard, Get Known Live EventPodcast guesting is still one of the best ways to build your visibility, but it requires strategy more than volume. In this live event, I'll show you how to get strategic with your guesting, find the right kinds of shows to go on, and pitch yourself to them. You'll have everything you need to make your podcast guesting effective as you build your public profile. The event is limited to 100 people, so click here to reserve your spot: https://present-influence.kit.com/products/get-heard-get-known-podcast-guesting

A man paid $6,000 to a speaker agency that promised him multiple $10,000 bookings. Six months later, he had nothing but excuses. John, your host, has been in the coaching industry for years and has either seen or personally walked into most of what he covers in this solo episode: six distinct ways new professional speakers get sold something that looks like opportunity and isn't.Some of these are straightforwardly dishonest: fake agencies charging registration fees, pay-to-speak stages dressed up as exposure. Others are murkier: podcast invites that turn into PR funnels, speaking coaches with no paid industry experience, and PR agencies that deliver exactly what they promised but don't move the needle. John draws on his own experience getting pulled into a podcast-to-PR funnel, and on years inside the coaching industry watching credentials fail to guarantee competence.Every example comes with a specific, practical question to ask before you hand over money or trust, the kind of question a legitimate operator answers without flinching and a dodgy one stalls on.You'll walk away with a single filter that applies well beyond the six examples covered here: a real opportunity survives you asking one basic question.4. FAQWhat is a fake speaker bureau/agency? A fake speaker bureau/angency charges new speakers an upfront registration fee, typically five hundred to fifteen hundred pounds, to be listed in their directory, without any track record of actually booking speakers into paid work. A legitimate bureau earns a commission, usually twenty to thirty per cent, only once it has booked a paying gig.How can a new speaker tell if a speaker bureau or agency is legitimate? John recommends asking any agent or bureau to name three speakers they've booked into paid gigs in the last six months. A real bureau answers specifically and quickly. A fake one stalls or gives names you can't verify. Most proper bureaus will feature their speakers on their website, so you can ask directly.What is pay-to-speak, and why is it a trap for new speakers? Pay-to-speak conferences charge speakers, typically five hundred to five thousand pounds, euros, or dollars, for a short speaking slot marketed as exposure to bookers or credibility building. The trap is that the audience is often largely made up of other speakers who paid the same fee, not buyers deciding whether to hire a speaker.Is paying to speak at a conference always a scam? No. John Ball notes that paying for access to a room isn't automatically illegitimate, since some sponsorship arrangements are genuine trades. The key question is whether the room includes real buyers or mostly other paying speakers.How can a new speaker tell if a podcast guest invite is actually a sales funnel? Warning signs include a show whose business name mimics a recognisable publication it isn't actually associated with, interviews that get rescheduled repeatedly for no clear reason, and a post-recording debrief that pushes toward a call with someone else who can "help with your business goals" rather than simply asking the guest to share the episode. John Ball notes that a defensive or angry reaction to being asked about this confirms it as shady.Do certifications like ICF or EMCC guarantee a good speaking coach? Not at all. John Ball states that these bodies certify a coaching process, not a coaching outcome. He notes as an example that ICF certifies specifically in ontological coaching, a purely question-based, non-directive style, which is why he's never pursued the certification himself despite operating as a coach for over twenty years. No barrier prevents anyone from calling themselves a speaking coach, regardless of paid speaking experience.What should a new speaker check before using a podcast pitching or PR agency? Ask how they actually find and select the shows they pitch you to, and whether they check for topical relevance before sending a pitch. John Ball notes that most of these agencies blanket-pitch the same generic message to any podcast that's loosely adjacent to your field, regardless of whether the audience would ever be an interested buyer, which is why the placements they deliver often don't produce any inquiries even though they're technically legitimate.What is a Keynote Speaking Coach? A keynote speaking coach is someone with industry, coaching, and often additional experience and expertise who can help you improve your keynote talks, which in turn helps you get more bookings and referrals. Many keynote coaches only work with speakers on the talk and stage elements, but a select few, like John Ball, will first work with speakers on the business side of speaking before developing the stage and presentation side, which may still involve work on the keynote itself but will more relate to market positioning, becoming known as a speaker and developing warm relationships with bookers, as well as developing an opportunity engine that will help you to stay as fully booked as you want to. Programs like John Ball's Known, Booked & Paid Blueprint offer the full range of elements to help you grow your speaking business.What is the Known, Booked and Paid Blueprint? The Known, Booked and Paid Blueprint (KBPB) is John Ball's cohort-based coaching programme for professional speakers, built to give speakers a structured route into the industry rather than having to work out what's legitimate offer by offer. Find out more at https://presentinfluence.com/kbpb Connect with John:Find out more about the Known, Booked & Paid BlueprintSubscribe to the Serious About Speaking newsletter on LinkedInFind me on InstaFind me on TikTokFind me on ThreadsDiscover the bottlenecks in your speaking business with the Applause Vs Invoice QuizFor speaking/podcast enquiries or to connect with me directly, you can email [email protected] or find me on LinkedInYou can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channelIf you know a speaker who would enjoy this show, let them know. Thanks for listening.Mentioned in this episode:The Get Heard, Get Known Live EventPodcast guesting is still one of the best ways to build your visibility, but it requires strategy more than volume. In this live event, I'll show you how to get strategic with your guesting, find the right kinds of shows to go on, and pitch yourself to them. You'll have everything you need to make your podcast guesting effective as you build your public profile. The event is limited to 100 people, so click here to reserve your spot: https://present-influence.kit.com/products/get-heard-get-known-podcast-guesting