Zach Nadler, CEO of VaynerSpeakers and the agent behind nearly 4,000 booked keynotes, went live with VaynerX to break down exactly what it takes. Here are the biggest takeaways.
If No One Can Find You, You Don’t Exist
You can have all the expertise in the world, but that won’t help you if no one knows you exist it’s like trying to sell your house by only telling your friends. Maybe one of them buys it — but the person moving to town with cash ready has no idea you’re even selling.
You need the sign in the yard! Put “speaker” in your bio. Fill your social feeds with clips of you actually speaking. Build a website, even a basic one, with a real contact and email. Make it embarrassingly easy for someone to book you. You’d be surprised how many aspiring speakers have a speaking tab on their site with zero way to get in touch.
Your Materials Are ALWAYS Selling You
Once someone finds you, make sure you have these squared away and highly visible:
- A bio that tells people who you are and why you’re relevant
- Photos
- Testimonials — and here’s the counterintuitive part: a glowing review from a mid-size company nobody’s heard of is more valuable than a household name logo. Big brands know people will speak for the credential, so those logos don’t say as much as you think.
- A reel — film everything, even when you’re just starting out.
Questions To Be Able To Answer:
These questions will help you understand if you’re ready to pitch yourself as a speaker:
- Who are you? What makes you a relevant speaker?
- What do you speak about? Be specific. “Leadership” is too broad.
- Why does it matter to this audience? What lands for college students hits different in a room of insurance brokers.
- Why are you the one to say it? What makes you the right person for this topic?
This exercise alone will show you exactly where you stand and how to position yourself.
Practice Practice Practice
The speaking industry rewards volume. You learn by doing, and you get better by doing it over and over again.
Starting from zero? Try reaching out to local businesses and schools, and offer your content for free. Make sure you set up a camera, learn from the footage, and iterate on it.
You’re not going to be perfect right out of the gate — but every rep is building the foundation that eventually gets you paid.
This Industry Is Bigger Than You Think
This is a multibillion-dollar industry that most people don’t even realize exists. Every industry has an association, and every conference needs someone on stage. The opportunities are everywhere for speakers who show up, build their visibility, and keep getting better.
Follow Zach on LinkedIn to keep up with all things speaking.
