Speaker Coaching: From £1K School Talks to £10K Corporate Keynotes (Plus The System for Booking Corporate Speaking Gigs)

Episode SummaryIn this coaching session, John Ball works with speaker Jackson Ogunyemi, who has spent 25 years speaking in the education sector and now wants to transition into higher-paying corporate speaking opportunities.Jackson has the experience, the message, and the stage presence. What he’s missing is the business engine that consistently generates bookings.Together they unpack some uncomfortable realities about the speaking industry: why conferences rarely pay new speakers well, why speaker bureaus don’t create demand, and why many talented speakers stay stuck at low fees.From there, they build a practical strategy: identify a hunting niche, use LinkedIn to find prospects, send simple outreach messages, and create a consistent follow-up system.If you want to turn speaking into a real business rather than hoping to be discovered, this episode will show you where to start.Want to join John's 'Serious About Speaking' newsletter? Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6882642444815519744In This EpisodeWhy many speakers rely on the wrong growth strategiesThe reality of speaker bureaus and conferencesWhy visibility alone doesn’t generate bookingsHow to identify a profitable speaking nicheWhy sales teams could be a powerful market for speakersHow LinkedIn can become a speaker prospecting toolThe outreach message that gets responsesWhy persistence matters more than perfectionHow to build a simple speaking sales engineKey InsightMost speakers try to build an audience before they build a business.The real order is:Build a sales engineGet booked and paidThen grow your visibility on top of that momentumPractical Steps From This EpisodeIf you want to start building your speaking pipeline:Choose a clear hunting nicheBuild a list of companies in that nicheContact them on LinkedIn with a simple questionTrack your outreach in a CRMFollow up consistentlyEven 30–60 minutes a day of prospecting can start generating conversations and opportunities.CHAPTERS00:00 Offended But Hooked01:29 Meet Jackson's Pivot02:34 Education Fees Reality06:16 Corporate Audience Fit08:34 Why Bureaus Wont Help10:05 Pick A Hunting Niche12:59 Outreach That Gets Replies15:14 CRM And Follow Up Rhythm16:23 Daily Prospecting Engine19:29 Persistence Mindset Shift22:24 Add Workshops And Examples24:49 Wrap Up And Next Steps25:40 Final Takeaways And CTAVisit https://strategic-speaker.scoreapp.com to take the 2-minute Strategic Speaking Business Audit and find out what's blocking you from getting more bookings, re-bookings, referrals and bigger fees. There's a special surprise gift for everyone who completes the quiz.Want to get coached for free on the show? Fill in the form https://forms.gle/mo4xYkEiCjqtz9yP6, and if we think your challenge could help others, we'll invite you on.For speaking enquiries or to connect with me, you can email [e-mail] or find me on LinkedInYou can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PresentInfluenceThanks for listening. Rating the show 5* on Spotify helps their algo recommend the show, so please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating.Mentioned in this episode:SPGFS - Hiro.fmBecoming known will always make it easier to get booked and podcast guesting is one of the easiest ways to make that happen, when you have the right strategy. This program will teach you everything you need to know about podcast guesting, from the tech stack to making an impact. You'll get all the tools to stand out as an amazing podcast guest and get booked on great shows.The Strategic Speaking Business AuditTake this quick quiz to find out where and why your speaking business is leaking opportunities.