Patrick Schwerdtfeger on How to Become a Keynote Speaker

Did you know that the Nonfiction Authors Association offers two free monthly teleseminars to help members learn more about writing, publishing and marketing their books?

Well guess what? They do!

Today’s teleseminar featured Patrick Schwerdtfeger on How to Become a Keynote Speaker.

Patrick said that he’d wanted to become a speaker since he was 10 years old, and he’s been speaking professionally (full-time) since 2007.

Obviously, he’s got a lot of experience!

One of the most interesting things he said in today’s event was that there are actually two different types of speakers: Keynote vs. Platform.

Platform speakers are the kind that speak to a group in an effort to promote their products and services. The end goal of their speech is, ultimately, to push a sale. This is the type of speaker you will find in many webinars and face-to-face seminars. There’s nothing wrong with promoting your products and services, of course, but that’s the goal of all of their speeches.

Keynote speakers, however, command large fees because their goals are totally different. Instead of trying to sell you a product, a keynote speaker is trying to get you fired up about a message. Think of motivational speakers, who want you to invest in yourself, or believe that anything is possible.

And the most important thing to remember? If you try to sell anything as a keynote speaker you will never be invited back.

That’s a pretty important distinction to make!

In addition to sharing tips on how to get involved in the keynote speaking game, Patrick also shared some of the pros and cons of signing up with speakers bureaus, targeting the right people with your marketing, and speaking for free.

Want to learn more?

Sign up for an Authority Membership at the Nonfiction Authors Association for access to the recording of this teleseminar! It’s just $19 a month, and if you live in San Diego – or anywhere else with a local chapter – you’ll also gain free access to our monthly meetings.