Episode #516

How to Build Relationships to Grow Your Speaking Business

With Mo Bunnell

“Two things have to be true: one, you have to offer enough value so that they’re paying attention. And two, you’ve got to communicate that value in a believable way, either through a third party or somebody they trust or you directly.”

It might be cliché, but it’s still true: speaking is a relationships business. If you want to be a successful speaker, you have to invest in building relationships every single day — with event planners, with industry leaders, and with other speakers.

This week, Grant is sitting down with Mo Bunnell to talk about how to overcome some of the most common obstacles that speakers face in making connections — being “too busy,” fearing rejection, and more.

Mo recently wrote a book called Give to Grow about how to invest in relationships to build your business and your career, and he has a lot of practical advice that will help you get out of your comfort zone and start building relationships like a pro.

If you’re struggling to get traction in your speaking business and you’re looking for a spark to get things going, this might be the episode you need to hear!

“I’ll be really bold on this. If somebody is thinking ‘I’m too busy to do the next piece of work,’ that is a massive excuse and you just need to flush it.”

Looking for the highlights?

  • 03:53 How to fall in love with the process of building relationships
  • 07:08 How limiting beliefs can block speakers from achieving success
  • 10:20 Why many speakers struggle with promoting themselves
  • 15:23 How to maximize face time with key decision-makers
  • 20:40 Ways to balance service with getting gigs in conversations
  • 25:06 How to understand client needs and stated vs. unstated problems
  • 33:01 Why you should reach out quarterly to maintain important relationships

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 Mo Bunnell

Mo Bunnell helps complex organizations grow by scaling business development skills across their organizations and creating a growth-oriented culture. He’s the author of Give to Grow, The Snowball System, the host of the podcast Real Relationships Real Revenue, and the founder of Bunnell Idea Group (BIG), who has trained tens of thousands of professionals. BIG’s clients have used Mo and his team’s GrowBIG® training to give their experts a system for growth that creates deep relationships, gives a comprehensive business development framework and dare we say, is fun to use.

Mo started out his career as an expert himself, passing all the actuarial exams to earn their highest designation: Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. Today, Mo enjoys working with hundreds of clients, including some of the largest, most prestigious service-based organizations.

Mo and his wife of over 30 years, Becky, enjoy spending time with their friends and two adult daughters. Outside of work, he enjoys working out, backpacking, and playing ultimate frisbee at the national and world levels. Becky and Mo live in Atlanta, Georgia, with their four horses, two cats, a dog, a bird, and a miniature donkey, Louie Hamilton.

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