Why You Should Trade Marketing Time for More Fruitful Tasks

This week, I’ve traded in cloudy Washington DC for sunny San Diego as this whirlwind speaking season continues to fly by.

Am I exhausted?  Yes.

Am I having a BLAST and doing what I love? Absolutely!

(Did I run out of time last week to send you my weekly content? Yes.)

But this nonstop travel schedule makes me appreciate every bit of free time I can squeeze out of the day.  I use these precious minutes to do the things that help grow my business.

Time is a funny thing, isn’t it?  

Some speakers think longingly of having more time to get stuff done.  Yet, they don’t spend the valuable time they DO have doing the things that matter most.

So, let’s chat about that time you spend marketing yourself as a speaker and help you replace it with more fruitful tasks.  

(Buckle in, my friend.  This one might upset everything you thought was true about your speaking business.)

The Advice You Should NOT Follow

Okay, here’s the deal.

Every professional speaker has heard the most common advice about how to get gigs…  

This statement isn’t entirely untrue, but it’s time for us to ask a more crucial question…

Do all these marketing efforts automatically translate into more speaking gigs?

I say “no.”

We all know speakers who have invested a huge amount of time and resources into their personal brand and marketing only to find their results don’t match the hype.

Just think of your speaker friend… (maybe you?) … who spends hours crafting engaging LinkedIn posts and recording and editing their podcast interviews each week.  They build their YouTube channel each week and… well…  some even dance on TikTok.

Sure, this content gets shares and likes.  And these efforts might help you or your speaker friend get an occasional first gig.

But Here’s the Catch…

These efforts fall short when it comes to getting the next gig…

Having an impressive personal brand doesn’t guarantee you’ll generate a reliable stream of business as a professional speaker…

Having a massive following on LinkedIn doesn’t guarantee you’ll deliver a transformational speech that thrills event organizers and delights audiences...  

Having a top-rated show on Spotify or YouTube doesn’t guarantee your speech will result in thunderous applause and numerous invitations for more engagements.

And, to be totally frank, event planners and organizers know this!

They have all been burned before by someone with a shiny personal brand and massive following who doesn’t deliver on the stage.

So, Where Does That Leave Us?

Am I saying you should ditch all your efforts at building your brand and increasing your following?  No.