If you’re a speaker who’s tired of delivering amazing talks and walking away with nothing but a thank-you card and “great exposure,” this is for you.
I’ve worked behind the scenes with speakers long enough to notice a pattern: it’s not usually talent that holds them back. It’s visibility. Or more accurately the lack of strategic positioning that gets event planners to take them seriously.
Let’s talk about why this happens, and more importantly, how to fix it.
The Free Gig Trap Is Real
Here’s how it usually goes:
A speaker is booked for a free event. They say yes because they’re hoping it’ll “lead to something.”
They prepare, show up early, bring their A-game on stage, leave it all out there… and walk away with glowing feedback and zero dollars.
Then they do it again. And again.
Months (sometimes years) later, they’re still waiting for “exposure” to magically turn into income. Meanwhile, other speakers – sometimes less experienced – are landing paid gigs left and right.
The difference usually comes down to visibility and positioning. Planners can’t book what they can’t clearly see, and they won’t pay for what they don’t fully trust.
Why Event Planners Pass You By
Event planners are busy. Really busy.
They’re not digging through Google results or trying to piece together your credentials. If your presence doesn’t clearly communicate:
– Who you are
– What you speak about
– Why you’re the right fit
…they move on.
It’s not personal. It’s practical.
The speakers who consistently land paid gigs make it easy for planners to say yes. Their materials are clear. Their online presence is tight. Their message is positioned strategically.
And that’s not something you leave to chance.
Visibility Isn’t Vanity – It’s Strategy
A lot of speakers hesitate to focus on visibility because it feels like self-promotion.
But here’s the truth: visibility is what turns talent into opportunity.
If an event planner can find your profile, understand your topics at a glance, see proof of your expertise, and picture you on their stage you’ve already done half the work of securing the booking.
Strategic visibility includes things like:
– A clean, professional speaker one-sheet
– A fully optimized eSpeakers or similar directory profile
– A website or landing page that positions your value
– Consistent content that reinforces your expertise
– Testimonials and social proof that speak louder than your bio
You don’t need a massive marketing machine. You just need clarity and consistency in the right places.
Positioning: The Missing Link
Visibility gets you seen. Positioning gets you paid.
Think of positioning as the way you frame your expertise in the mind of the planner.
Two speakers could offer similar topics but the one who positions their talk as a solution to a specific problem wins the gig.
Why?
Because planners aren’t buying a talk; they’re buying an outcome.
Examples:
– Instead of “I talk about leadership,” → “I help mid-level managers lead with clarity so their teams don’t burn out.”
– Instead of “I speak on diversity,” → “I teach organizations how to build inclusive cultures that attract and retain top talent.”
When you position yourself this way, your visibility suddenly means something.
You’re not just a name on a list you’re the obvious choice.
A Real Example: One Visibility Tweak = $5,000 Booking
I worked with a speaker who had years of experience and glowing testimonials but was frustrated by the lack of paid gigs.
We did one thing first: tightened her visibility.
We cleaned up her speaker one-sheet, refreshed her eSpeakers profile to reflect her actual expertise, and made sure her positioning was clear.
Within three weeks, a planner she’d never met found her online and booked her for a $5,000 keynote.
No cold pitch.
No chasing.
Just strategic visibility doing the heavy lifting.
That’s the power of being easy to find and easy to understand.
Quick Visibility Audit: Where Do You Stand?
Here’s a simple checklist to assess your current visibility:
✅ Do you have a speaker one-sheet that clearly outlines your topics, audience, and credibility?
✅ Is your eSpeakers (or similar directory) profile optimized and up to date?
✅ Does your website make it obvious what you speak about, why you’re the right fit, and how planners can book you?
✅ Do you have testimonials or clips that build trust instantly?
✅ Are you showing up consistently online in a way that reinforces your expertise?
If you said “no” to any of those, that’s your starting point.
You don’t need to fix everything overnight, but every small improvement increases your discoverability and credibility.
Stop Waiting to Be “Discovered”
Here’s the hard truth: great speakers who rely on luck or word of mouth alone often stay stuck.
Event planners aren’t psychic.
If your presence doesn’t make their decision simple, they’ll choose someone else.
And that someone else might not even be more talented, they’re just easier to find and trust.
That doesn’t have to be your story.
Strategic visibility changes everything.
Your Next Step: Let’s Make Planners Find *You*
If you’re serious about stepping out of the free gig cycle and into paid speaking opportunities, visibility and positioning aren’t optional they’re essential.
That’s exactly what I’ll be walking through in my upcoming live webinar.
We’ll cover:
– How to tighten your online presence so planners stop scrolling past you
– The key pieces every speaker profile needs to land paid gigs
– Simple positioning shifts that make you the obvious choice
– Real examples of speakers who made small tweaks and landed big bookings
Your next paid gig starts with strategic visibility.
Final Thought
Your talent deserves to be seen and paid for.
But that won’t happen if planners can’t find you or understand what you bring to the table.
Visibility isn’t about shouting louder.
It’s about making it clearer and easier for the right people to say yes.
Let’s make that happen together. ✨
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