I’m going to help you with starting your own motivational speaking business and train you on making more and more money in your public speaking career. “James, how do I get paid public speaking jobs?” is one question I am constantly getting. Paid speaking jobs are out there but you just need to know where to look in order to find them. Here are just a couple of ideas for you.

1) Look for organizations that work with your specific area of expertise. Taking a look at DECA marketing organizations like FCCLA would be an example for the niche I’m in. Another example: if I was in the real estate industry I’d take a look at the national board of realtors, investor associations or even the local community associations.

2) Research public speaking jobs in related associations within your niche. Don’t be afraid to network yourself and get the contact information of the conference coordinator even if you weren’t hired as their keynote speaker.

3) Increase your motivational speaking success by creating a database full of possible clients who may be hiring conference speakers in the near future. Not only should you contact universities, colleges and professors but also you should try contacting local speaker bureaus, non-profit organizations, corporations and even libraries.

4) You may want to check out the speaker forums for jobs when starting a professional speaking business. Many jobs aren’t paid ones, you’ll find, but they may be useful in helping you create credibility in your niche. It is key that you remember eventually go after higher and higher paying jobs instead of working for free.

5) As you figure out how to get bookings for motivational speaking, you’ll develop a system to keep track of all the places you’ll market yourself to. The internet is also going to be very helpful in providing contact information for organizations and conferences that are hiring motivational speakers. Just do a search for “calls for speakers” or “speakers wanted” and you’ll have a hefty listing to work through.

6) In order to find all the paying markets in your particular area of expertise you can use directories. Do try to remember however that no directory is complete, but it will help provide enough contact to keep your business up and running. The three main directories that are helpful when trying to do research: The National Trade and Professional Associations Directory, The Directory of Association Meeting Planners and the Directory of Corporate Meeting Planners. They’ll make researching your niche easier than ever however these directories do cost a bit to acquire.

7) The last source of potential paid public speaking jobs are referrals. As you build up a network of peers and clients in your niche market, referrals will help bring your name to the forefront when conference planners are looking to hire. One thing I know is that the person who markets first to the conference planner when they are ready to hire will get the job. Your job is to be there first!

And one last thing. Remember that you will always be able to find people who are willing to pay you to speak. With this number of resources you’ll be able to start researching your niche market much easier. Don’t be afraid to go after the big money, once you’ve got a few gigs under your belt that is!

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