19 things I do to make every speaking engagement a success (that have nothing to do with the speech)
Description: Professional speaking engagements are not just about the time you spend on stage. Here are 19 things to consider doing before, during, and after the event to ensure success.
Client: "Oh my god, this video is amazing. Can we send this to the attendees?"
Me: "Of course, that's why I made it."
Client: "Thank you so much, this makes my job so much easier!"
That was the moment I realized that the actual time I spend on stage is just a fraction of the total commitment I make to each client for a speech.
I've given hundreds of paid speeches, from $500 in the early days to $24,000 for a 45-min keynote and everything in-between.
The more I got paid, the more pressure I felt to really deliver on the promise.
But it took me years to realize that the pressure I felt should not be related to the size of the check, because clients don't just pay with money. They also pay with their audience's attention, a coveted slot of limited time at their event, and their own reputation booking/hiring you.
I should feel that pressure all the time, for every gig. There are no "small speeches."
Now, I've said it before: the speech itself is the most important piece of your success as a speaker. However, it's not the only piece of the puzzle.
So in this article, I'm giving you 19 OTHER things that I do to make every speaking engagement a success, that have nothing to do with the speech.
Before the Event
Pre-Event Call: I spend an hour with the critical decision-makers and VIPs for the event about 4-6 weeks prior. I ask questions about what they're hoping for, what would make the event successful in their eyes, and any critical points to hit or avoid during the presentation itself. This call is about making everyone feel heard, understood, and valued.
Schedule a Post Event Catch-Up Call: I learned the hard way that if I want lasting relationships beyond the standing ovation, the kind that lead to repeat bookings and referrals, I need to have a catch-up call on the calendar well before the event actually takes place.
PR and News Search: I spend 30 minutes Googling for recent press, media, or news related to the organization that hired me. There's almost always something recent that I can mention during the presentation. Even a brief reference goes a long way to making the speech a personal experience for the attendees and the client.
Pre-Event Video: I film a 60-second talking head video directly to the camera where I address the attendees, telling them who I am, what the vibe of my presentation is going to be, and what they can expect to get out of it. I send it to the client with permission to share it as part of their pre-event promotion. This is gold. Event planners love me for it, and a percentage of the audience already knows, likes, and trusts me before you hit the stage.
Communicate with A/V: If tech can go wrong, it will. If at all possible, I establish a friendly relationship with anyone in charge of tech well before the event, so that they know me by name when I arrive. This makes for a smoother load-in and sound check, especially when I'm running a workshop or interactive presentation with specific tech or room requirements.
Arrive the Day Before: I always arrive the day before the event if my schedule allows it, even if it's on my own dime. It's always worth it to give my client a sigh of relief that I'm already on site with no risk of last-min travel delays or cancellations, and gives me a chance to scope the venue and/or stage well in advance.
During the Event
Load In Early: I ask to access the venue 3 hours before the speech, or the night before - not 1 hour or 30 minutes prior like most speakers. This gives the event planner confidence that any possible problems will have time to be worked out, and gives me lots of time to prep and even alter the room for maximum success.
Test the Stage: During load-in I spend time on stage to physically get comfortable with its give under my feet, notice any weird squeaky spots to avoid, test the rigidity of the stairs, get used to the angle and power of the lights. I want no surprises during the presentation.
Stalk the Seats: I sit in the front row, dead center, to observe the perspective of an attendee. Then the back row. Then the sides, the back corners, the middle, the aisles. I sit in every possible spot in the room for at least 30 seconds to make sure I understand the audience's visual perspective and how it might affect their enjoyment and/or ability to engage.
Set Up My Camera: Just like I filmed every show when I was a professional magician, I film every speech as a speaker. I use it for creating reels, teasers, and social media content of course. But I always watch it back to observe weak spots in the presentation, or to capture a great off-the-cuff moment that I want to replicate in the future.
Greet Attendees: I'm around during breakfast, coffee breaks, lunch - whatever comes before my presentation. I can do that because I'm always in the day before. I want a substantial portion of the audience to already like me before I hit the stage, so I have a built-in "fan club" and the long leash that comes with it.
Listen to Speakers: It's definitely tough to listen to other presenters while you're waiting to give your talk, because my instinct is to prep and practice, recite lines in my head. But whenever I listen to the presenters before me I hear something that I can call-back to in my speech. Call backs, even brief ones, always delight the audience and clients. It's like a magic trick.
Check the Timing: Events always run late. Always. Within 15 minutes of going on stage I ask the client or whoever my point-person is to confirm the time that I absolutely must be done, regardless of start-time. Some conferences will tell you to do your full time, regardless of when you start. Others will tell you to be off at a specific time regardless of when you go on. This matters to event planners, so I'm careful to get it right.
Direct CTA: Right before my final story I put a QR code on the screen that leads to a feedback form where, in exchange for 1 min of their time, they'll get the slides, bonus resources, and my newsletter. I find my business is successful in direct proportion to how often I do this, so I always do it.
Be Extra Helpful: Right after my presentation I find the client and offer to send them the collected feedback forms plus a copy of the footage from my camera for internal use. They are always overjoyed.
Informal Q&A: I stick around to chat with every single attendee who wants to tell me a story or ask me a question, no matter how long it takes. Too many speakers head straight for the airport. To me, this is the whole reason I speak. I should be so lucky that anybody wants to chat after I just talked for 90 minutes on stage.
Stay All Day: If the client has invited me and my schedule allows it, I attend the rest of the day. Coffee breaks, meals, informal gatherings in the lobby - I'm there. Continuing conversations, getting to know the group, exchanging details. This is where relationships are built and the real business of speaking happens.
After the Event
Catch-Up Call: One week later we have the post event call we scheduled in advance, when I can give them access to anything I promised like feedback forms, footage, photos I took of other presenters, etc. I ask for a testimonial and referrals when appropriate, and we plant the seed for the next engagement.
Thank You Gift: I send a (generous) gift to the primary event planners (note: not always the buyer, but always the folks who actually did the work - often an executive assistant, HR director, etc). If it's the fall I wait until the holidays, but any other time of year I do it within 4 weeks.
And there you have it, 19 things that have nothing to do with the speech itself that I do to ensure success at every single event.
There are actually dozens more, but this seems like a sufficient list for now.
One of the biggest lessons I learned as a magician, that I brought into my career as a speaker, is that people like to work with people they like. And 9 times out of 10 a good speaker who is easy to work with will get rebooked and referred over a fantastic speaker who is a pain in the ass.
Of course, the goal is to be a fantastic speaker who is easy to work with.
If that's your goal too, we can help you get there. At Clarity Up we help experts and leaders develop into world class speakers who get booked, rebooked, and referred.
Schedule a consultation below and ask about The SpeakerPath™ VIP.
