Episode #506

The State of the Speaking Industry in 2024

With Erick Rheam

“If you can align your expertise with a specific industry and then really bring tremendous value with a clear ROI, you’re always going to win the game.”

This week, Grant’s on the show with TSL legend Erick Rheam. We’re a little late to this year’s state of the speaking industry, but better late than never, right?

“It’s not necessarily that budgets are cut, but what I would tell you is that event planners, they tend to be intentional with the money that they’re spending. Instead of saying “I’ve got a $100,000 budget for this event,” it’s “Yeah, I’ve got $100,000, but I need to see a return on that $100,000.”

In this episode, Grant and Erick get into:

  • 00:00 Current trends in the speaking industry
  • 06:06 Why do relationships matter more now than ever before?
  • 07:32 How do you focus on building relationships?
  • 11:20 The importance of offering a virtual service as part of your speaking business
  • 15:51 The key to growth right now, even in a tough economy
  • 19:44 Why you should focus on relationships and providing long-term solutions for your clients
  • 21:50 How to leverage industry expertise to prove ROI
  • 26:35 What it looks like to tweak your message to withstand the test of time.
  • 28:00 The importance of iterating and meeting your client’s needs.
  • 31:11 How to balance other streams of income + being on stage
  • 35:28 How to get comfortable creating value for clients
  • 36:44 Reflections and wrap up

“Something that is not attractive is desperation. And you could tell it, you could smell it from speakers — when they’re just trying to get the gig, they’re trying to get the money, as opposed to speakers who are like “Hey, I want to add value and I’m willing to go on a long term type of commitment with you.”

Want to know exactly how to find and book more paid speaking gigs?

Download our 18-page guide to the 6 proven steps you can use to book more paid speaking gigs in 2024!

About Erick Rheam

Erick is a speaker and bestselling author.  He’s earned over $2 Million in speaking fees where he helps busy professional men and women cut through the whirlwind of their lives, so that they may rise above their chaos and discover significance and live in peace.  Erick’s superpower is landing speaking gigs, so when he’s not on the speaking trail he’s helping high achievers translate their story into a high impactful and highly profitable speaking business.

Episode Resources

Share This Episode 

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Email
Reddit

Explore Recent Episodes

#565: How to Avoid Burnout and Build Sustainable Success with Chris Ducker
“…hustle and hard work might get you past a certain project or deadline, but then habits will help you last over the long haul, right? So build a business that doesn’t ultimately break you over time.”...
#564: Boosting Your Speaking Business with Visual Storytelling with John DeMato
“A photo in general is not going to win you business, but bad photos are going to lose you your business all the time because it absolutely crushes.” Ever dread getting new headshots or wonder if your...
#563: How to Share Your Story with Purpose with Bill Blankschaen
“If your heart is genuinely how do I care about people by doing what I love to do, if that’s the driver of it, I don’t see how you can not end up in a place that is rewarding, fulfilling, and doing something...