If you see yourself as a ‘go to’ expert speaker or have aspirations in that department, are you a ‘hedger of bets’ when drumming up demand for your speaking?

When asked what you can speak about, do you offer an array of options or are you more of a niche player?

If you said the former, you’re not alone – there are plenty of folks with the same mindset as you. And who’s to say they’re wrong? After all, isn’t it risky to place all your eggs in one basket?

To put things in horse racing terms:

If there are 10 horses running in an average race and you pick just one, guess who’ll win more often? You or the bookie?

The bookie of course! In fact, they wouldn’t stay in business if that wasn’t the case.

Meanwhile, if you put more irons in every fire, your chances of winning go up – even if you mightn’t win the same returns. So maybe that’s a good compromise?

Hmm.

Maybe not. Perhaps you should remember what old Mr. Aesop (he of the fables fame) mentioned a few thousand years ago about how…if you try to “please all, you’ll please none”?

Ah yes, there’s that! As I mentioned in previous posts, it’s rarely a good plan to promote yourself as a Jack of All Trades, who’ll try to be all things to all people. Poor Jack never made a fortune.

Plus, if you put the hard yards in to become the very best in a narrow space – won’t that make you the favourite to win the races you enter; helping you to leave others in your wake? Or, as my copywriter, speaker, and author pal Bob Bly likes to say – won’t this help you to “get rich in your niche“?

OK. So that makes sense too.

And it all leads quite nicely to as essential question: What’s the right level of niche thinking that would best suit you?

And with a view to helping you to find some answers on that score, I’m delighted to introduce you to today’s expert interview, when I spoke with speaker, co-founder or Excedia Group, and author of ‘Go to Expert‘, Heather Townsend at the recent annual conference for the Professional Speaking Association of UK and Ireland about becoming a more in-demand and valued expert speaker.

Get Event Planners to Beat a Path to Your Door for Your Speaking Expertise

Lean in as we discuss:

• How the vast majority of expert speakers struggle to attract the speaking slots they desire (and what these speakers really want)
• The problems with traditional business development thinking
• Why one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to marketing your expertise and the value of understanding your options
• The incredible power of drilling ‘narrow and deep’
• An acid test to assess whether you’ve found a real niche
• 3 Questions to ask to attract bigger and better fees for your expertise
• Where ‘the real money’ can be found for speakers
• Finding spaces where you are competition free
• And more

What’s Your Take?

Where do you stand on the degree of ‘niche-ness’ a speaker should adopt to be in greater demand?

And what lessons would you share about tactics you’ve used to attract more and better speaking engagements?

And Speaking of Upping Demand for You as a Speaker…

I’m delighted to announce that ‘How to Make Powerful Speeches 2nd Edition – A Step-by-Step Guide to Inspiring and Memorable Speeches’ is now available on Amazon: Click Here

Get your copy today.

Learn how to conquer speaking anxieties and what it takes to give confident, polished, persuasive, and valued talks.

This book will help you to discover how to transform your speech making abilities; helping you to inspire others with your ideas, every time you take to your feet.

Photo Credit: Got Credit