The 10 Basic Laws of Speaking for Newer Speakers

Some laws are unbreakable.  

For instance...

“What goes up must come down.” 

There’s just no way around that one.

(Thanks Newton.) 

In speaking, I decided to coin a few “speaking laws” to help you frame and truly understand how the speaking business works.

And just like the law of gravity, these bad boys are pretty much set in stone.

To make things more relevant to your specific business, you’re going to see two sets of laws over the next two days… laws for newer speakers working to get established and laws for elite speakers looking to maximize their revenue (those are coming tomorrow).

Today, let’s look at some fundamental principles that are drawn mostly from my work with Michael Port on our book, The Referable Speaker.

Hopefully, these laws will help you focus your efforts and energy to truly get things rolling in the next calendar year.  If you’re trying to level up your business, these principles will transform your approach to the entire business of speaking.

(Phew, how’s that for a promise?) 

Let’s dive in!

Basic Law #1:
The Speech is Hired First 

Some speakers are A-list famous.  Shaquille O’Neal, Mayim Bialik, or Hillary Rodham Clinton just need to show some interest, and their name alone will get them on the agenda.

But, for most speakers, event organizers don’t care who you are until later in the hiring process.  In fact, if you were to assign an order of importance for organizers, it would look like this:

• First, they buy your speech.
• Second, they buy the idea behind your speech.
• Third, they buy you (the speaker.)

This law goes directly against a lot of conventional advice out there that suggests you invest heavily on your personal branding, your website, and your public appearances.  Some speakers spend a ton of time and energy trying to promote their own names when they should be spending time improving what matters most… the speech!

How do I know this?

Well, I’ve spoken to a lot of event organizers.  When trying to hire for a keynote slot, these clients all start by evaluating a speech.  Then, they look at the idea behind the speech to see if it’s valuable. Finally, they look at the speaker and decide if that person is credible enough to deliver that message.

Embrace this law, and it will flip the conventional “market yourself” wisdom on its head and demand a complete reorientation of your marketing approach.

Basic Law #2:
The Keynote Earning Principle

You don’t get keynotes.  You earn them.

Really, there are no shortcuts to the main stage (unless you do something wild and become famous overnight.)  

Keynotes aren’t given out based on clever marketing, impressive websites, or an amazing personal brand.  Instead, they are earned over the long term through a consistent track record of giving speeches that generate referrals for the next speech.

So, each successful speech you give builds momentum towards those coveted keynote spots.

Basic Law #3:
The Product Repositioning Mindset

This one ties in closely with law #1.  If event organizers are looking first at your speech and last at you (the speaker), this means something important:

If you can embrace this mental shift, it will totally liberate you from conflating your own worth with your speaking success.

When you recognize your speech as the product, you’ll be able to objectively improve its content without your ego interfering.  This principle transforms everything… from your personal failure to your product feedback.

You’ll see everything through a new lens.

As a result, your business will be much more resilient and scalable over time.  Instead of getting depressed because business is slow and thinking ...

“Oh man, I must suck,”

You can look for ways to improve your product and think...

“I need to make this speech stronger!”

All of a sudden, everything looks rosier…  

You’re still an awesome speaker!  Your speech just needs some work.

Basic Law #4:
The Stageside Lead Metric

This one is pretty simple.

Traditional metrics you might look for – things like audience ratings or standing ovations – these are great, but honestly, they don’t pay the bills.

The only true measure of a referable speech is the number of people who approach you after you’ve spoken and want to book you for another speech. The same goes for referrals.

This little law should provide you with a concrete objective metric for defining if your speech is successful or not.  Don’t believe me? Read this article.

Basic Law #5:
The Visionary Quest Paradigm

Experts sell solutions.  Visionaries ask a question Google can’t answer.

Expertville is overcrowded with speakers.  They all offer variations of the same tricks or tips to fix that… earn that… increase that… win that… etc.

This helps guide your transformation from just a commodity expert (where you’re probably not getting paid a lot, if anything) to a sought-after visionary.

The transition isn’t easy, but when you embrace the journey, you’ll see a change almost immediately in how you’re received in the marketplace.