Two days ago, I delivered a keynote presentation for a group of women entrepreneurs. Standing ovation! I left them ecstatic and fired up to dash to the summit of success in their respective business!
Later, I was in my room reflecting on my speaking journey. I was wondering about the magic bullet that catapulted me to the top as a motivational speaker.
I got an instant revelation! I got so excited; I wanted to crack open the champagne. I’m sure you know the feeling when you suddenly experience a flash of brilliant insight. Right?
So kick back and chill out. I want to share my big reveal with you so you, too, can shift gear and get on the fast-track in your speaking career.
Here it is:
You probably are thinking to get paid as a motivational speaker. You need knowledge, skills, experience, this that or the other. Or you need a degree or be a top-notch speaker.
WRONG!
I want to debunk that myth for you.
Yes. You do need to be a good speaker. That’s a given. But that doesn’t take much. That comes with platform hours. No biggie.
Here’s what I mean…
When I first launched my speaking biz, my fee was $500 for a speech. (I didn’t know better.) That was a DUMB mistake.
Today, my check for a one-hour keynote is $10,000 plus all expenses.
The Ugly Truth About This
I’m still giving the same speech. And I’m still sharing the same stories and points.
Simply put, I went from $500 to $10,000 without any significant shift in content and delivery.
Well, okay. I do have more experience now. But I paid some gurus a hefty price for it – money I didn’t have. Hint: Plastic cards.
That means you can buy all the experience you want. You can slash your learning curve by leaps and bounds.
However, I told you it was not about that. Starting out, I had none.
When I hung my shingle and proclaimed I was a motivational speaker; I was making $4.25 an hour and some tips. I was still learning English.
Audacity? …Hell yeah!
The thing is, nobody knew about me. I didn’t have any testimonials or references.
I was an unknown and obscure Haitian immigrant carrying bags at a hotel – in debt and hanging by a thread.
My English was rough. I cringe when I listen to my first recording from years ago.
Some words I can’t even understand myself. I wonder how the audience managed to get my points.
Now, do you want to know how come I command that much money for the same speech today?
Cool! Make sure you write it down.
It’s Not About The WHAT. It’s About The WHO.
The higher your fee is, the more they pay you for WHO YOU ARE instead of WHAT you are.
Look at it this way.
You may be a motivational speaker or a lawyer, or an account. That’s what you are. We all know there’s a price expectation for what you are.
For example, if you are a writer, the national association of writers might publish a suggested price guide.
They might recommend you charge from $20 to $100 depending whether you are a beginner or and advanced level writer. That’s just to illustrate. I don’t know for sure.
But…
The WHO has no ceiling. There are so many polished speakers with deeper knowledge who are struggling to get paid 2k while I get 10K.
Think of Oprah Winfrey. She makes a boatload of money. She is the richest black woman in the world.
Does that mean she is more talented, gifted, and experienced than the other people who are on TV?
No!
So, what does it takes? Answer:
Be A Fascinating Person Who ATTRACTS And Arrests Attention!
Radiate the following: Mystery. Influence. Intrigue. Charm. Charisma. Celebrity.
The good news is, you are not born with any of those. But, you can engineer them.
How?
Well, here are a few things among many you can work on:
- Get brilliant on STORIES… that’s where you can make the most impact and money
- Create videos for YouTube – Be a talk show host there
- Have your O type magazine
- Write articles or special reports
- Have a person with the presence of a news anchor to interview you
- Share your opinions about things or philosophies
- Write a book, etc.
Perception IS reality!
Every single thing I just mentioned is EASY TO DO. Do not over complicate it. Most people get stuck because of complexity.
Look, if a little guy from poverty and diseases from tiny village in Haiti can do it, you can too!
Make sure you target one particular problem that bug millions of people. Something like time management, self-esteem, bullying, etc.
Of course, those people need to have money; or make sure companies are willing to sponsor you to reach them.
As a result, you will now be busy enough to activate the law of scarcity. And bam! You are ready to fly high!
That’s what happened to me.
Today, it’s not easy to get access to me. That was never my intention. But, it is what it is.
Lots of people email and write to ask me questions. Others want me to mentor them.
Unfortunately, I cannot spend time one-on-one to coach, mentor, and answer questions for free.
I can only take the time to answer general questions here on this blog when I can rearrange my schedule to do so.
The reality is, if I were devoting my time to dispense free advice, I would have to work 365 days, full time. There are way too many requests. That means I would never be able to eat and pay my rent.
I’m not complaining. That’s a nice problem to have. You’ll have the same problem soon if you stay with it and do the things I suggest to you.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a giver. I love giving! I give my time and money to the needy children in Haiti. I also mentor a few selected people.
Okay, Here’s The Big Takeaway:
I just peeled back the curtain and revealed the magic formula to you.
Work on the WHO. Become a fascination person who commands and arrests attention.
That strategy works anywhere on the planet – regardless of your current status. How you go about it may be different. But the process is the same.
By the way, when you become that kind of person, your future fans will hang on to your words. Regardless if they heard them before. They will feel more compelled to take action.
Before I hit the publish button, let me ask you…
What are you struggling with now? What’s your frustration? What’s stopping you? Type it in the comment box below.
