I just got back from an event and I always read any emails you send. This was a very interesting email because the speaker said they’ve been doing this for a long time but they can’t seem to keep their schedule full.
So I checked this speaker’s website and social media profiles (if you send me an email, I’ll probably look you up).
He seems like a good speaker, and I always wonder why good speakers don’t get hired.
How is it that a speaker can understand that they need to master the business side of speaking, but still have a hard time getting hired?
When you go to another speaker’s Facebook or Twitter, you’ll read posts about ‘hustle hard’ and see all kinds of business quotes that make you feel great. And deep down, this speaker knows their calendar isn’t full, just like the speaker in the email.
Why is that?
It’s because they don’t work as hard as they portray to the outside world.
At a certain point, you have to become the real you, not the one you act like you are online.
Not the ‘you’ that you portray to the outside world by going to church, posting quotes on social media, trying NOT to offend people…you know what I mean. At a certain point, you have to give up the ‘fake you’ and make a decision.
What’s going to happen is that all the clients you’re tired of will fade away and you’ll attract people just like you.
Gary Vaynerchuk is the perfect example of this.
He curses a lot. And in the speaking world this is a ‘no-no’…but guess what? He makes more money, and speaks on more stages, than every single speaker criticizing him. People like him because he’s not fake.
And I’m sure the clients he attracts are top-notch businesses that want someone to ‘tell it like it is.’
I used to listen to the speaker advice that was given in Facebook groups, networking events, etc etc. But when I finally came to my senses and STOPPED listening to them, I started getting more speaking gigs at higher speaking fees.
Why did I get more gigs and charge more when I stopped listening to other speakers? Because people are giving you ‘politically correct’ answers and ‘theory’ that doesn’t actually work.
They’re giving you advice that everyone else is doing so guess what’s going to happen? You’re going to be like everyone else.
The moment you stop listening to what other people tell you to be, is the moment you’ll become what you need to be to make things happen.
You’re holding yourself back too much. Deep down, you’re afraid to show the real you because you don’t want to offend people.
But you owe it to everyone to be the real version of you.
Don’t act like you work hard when you know you don’t. Just work hard and don’t talk about it.
Don’t try to be like someone else.
Just focus on doing YOU.