The document provides 20 tips for professional speakers to improve their speaking skills and get paid for speaking engagements. The tips include doing research on the audience and event, arriving early to network, remembering names of event staff, starting the speech by addressing an audience problem, telling one's own story and experiences, involving the audience, reliving stories engagingly without just reciting them, acknowledging the audience's successes, keeping promises made to the audience, limiting props and stunts, making the speech about the audience's needs, starting the speech fast to engage the audience and ending slowly, scripting and memorizing the first three minutes, practicing what one preaches in one's areas of expertise, using outlines and examples instead of fully memorizing

2. • #1 Do your research.
Cookie cutters are for cookies - you need to
customize every speech. Research the
organization, learn what worked/didn’t last
time, interview delegates.
Audiences want to know you understand
them - now prove it.
proven ways to get paid as
a speaker. by Hugh Culver20
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3. #2 Show up early.
Prima donnas wear slippers.
Working speakers should be a
part of the event. Network, ask
questions, listen, and be
genuinely curious.
Show you care and they will
care what you have to say.
proven ways to get paid as
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4. #3 Remember names.
That catering manager, A/V
guy, or VP of Finance will
stretch to help if you make
them feel important. Ask for
their name, write it down, and
use it often (you never know
when you will need help).
proven ways to get paid as
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5. #4 Start with a problem.
Skip the airport, taxi, or hotel story
and get to their problem.
The faster you prove you know
their pain, the sooner they will
listen to your solutions.
proven ways to get paid as
a speaker. by Hugh Culver20
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6. #5 Tell YOUR story.
Audiences want to know you - your:
successes,
failures,
quirks,
and insights.
Share from your journey (not what some
dead-white-guy did 80 years ago.)
proven ways to get paid as
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7. People like to talk about
themselves – let them. Create
mini-dyad conversations. They
love it - you look like a rock star.
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#6 Involve them.
photo credit: Juan Munoz

8. #7 Relive your stories
(don’t recite them).
proven ways to get paid as
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Script them, perfect the
delivery, and then let it
go. Relive your stories
like the first time and
keep your audience
leaning in, learning,
and loving it.

9. Acknowledge their successes, recognize their
efforts, and treat your audience with respect.
Everybody needs a pat on the back from
someone...like you.
#8 Reward them.
proven ways to get paid as
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10. #9 Keep your promises.
A speech is a series of contracts:
arrive on time, deliver what you
promised, end on time, don’t
hard sell back-of-room. Nail your
promises and watch your
business grow.
proven ways to get paid as
a speaker. by Hugh Culver20
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11. proven ways to get paid as
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#10 Limit props and stunts.
PowerPoint and video in moderation is
great, but you are the show.
Rely too heavily on props and that’s
what people remember, not you (plus,
one day your slide show will crash and
you’ll thank me).

12. Instead, drop 20% and
be in the moment and
spontaneous – your
lessons will be more
#11 Drop 20% and be there.
proven ways to get paid as
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Avoid cramming your time with more content.
powerful and your audience will love it.

13. Everybody wants to know:
where they are stuck, what they
should do, and how to
overcome resistance. Your job
is for everyone in the audience
to get the answer they need.
#12 Make it about them.
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proven ways to get paid as
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14. proven ways to get paid as
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#13 Start fast, end
slow.
You have max. 3 minutes
to earn their trust.
Skip the Thank You’s and
how happy you are to be
there. Prove you have
what they are hungry for
and they will eat from
your hand.

15. #14 Script your first 3 minutes.
You’re nervous, the audience is
unsure, and you are making
your first impression.
Follow this prescription: script,
practice, and then memorize
the first 3 minutes to prevent
foot-in-my-mouth disease.
proven ways to get paid as
a speaker. by Hugh Culver20
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16. Do you teach skills in work/
life balance, relationships,
leadership, forgiveness, or
personal growth?
Great – now you have to
practice what you preach.
Wax on, wax off.
#15 Walk your talk.
proven ways to get paid as
a speaker. by Hugh Culver20
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17. Memorization is for your first 3 minutes, TED
talks, and Toastmasters. The pros follow an
outline then draw from research, examples,
and stories.
Make your speech come to life and you can
resuscitate any conference.
proven ways to get paid as
a speaker. by Hugh Culver20
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#16 Don’t
memorize.

18. #17 Play it safe.
Bar and bathroom humor
belongs there. When in
doubt about a story, joke,
or celebrity gossip, drop it.
A few nervous chuckles
from the A/V guys isn’t
worth offending your
audience.
proven ways to get paid as
a speaker. by Hugh Culver20
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19. #18 Get to the point.
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All audiences need help learning.
Make it easy with this formula:
tell a good story,
pull out the lesson,
help them apply it.
Wash, rinse, repeat.

20. Check-in 48 hours
before your event,
help another
speaker, eat with
delegates (not at
the VIP table),
bring your client a
signed book.
Be generous first
and the income will
follow.
#19 Over deliver.
proven ways to get paid as
a speaker. by Hugh Culver20
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21. #20 END ON TIME
Going even two minutes overtime insults your
event planner, frustrates your audience,
and screws up months of planning.
A professional quietly skips over
content (don’t ever apologize)
and nails their end time
every time.
proven ways to get paid as
a speaker. by Hugh Culver20
more
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22. Hugh Culver
are you great to make more impact and more
money as a speaker?
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