If you’re a public speaker, landing professional speaking gigs is likely at the top of your to-do list. But here’s the big question:
➡ How to get professional speaking gigs?
➡ How to get paid speaking gigs?
Not only that, but how do you secure the paid speaking engagements that will most help you build your business and elevate your career?
Whether you’re just starting your speaking journey or you’re looking to land higher-profile gigs, we’ve got actionable strategies to help you get booked and get paid for doing what you love.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the key steps to getting more professional speaking gigs and paid speaking engagements, while setting yourself up as the go-to expert in your field.
1. Network and Build Relationships in Your Industry 🤝🔑
One of the most effective ways to get paid speaking gigs is through networking. Building strong relationships with event coordinators, other speakers, and industry professionals will open doors for speaking opportunities.
Effective networking strategies:
- Attend industry events and conferences: Whether you’re speaking or just attending, these events are great places to meet event planners and fellow speakers.
- Join speaker bureaus or platforms: These directories connect event organizers with speakers who meet their criteria.
- Collaborate with other speakers: Co-hosting workshops or webinars with other speakers can introduce you to new audiences and potentially lead to new opportunities.
- Leverage social media: Platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram are great for connecting with industry professionals, sharing your speaking engagements, and positioning yourself as an expert.
Networking isn’t just about meeting people—it’s about building meaningful relationships that can lead to paid speaking gigs and long-term speaking opportunities.
2. Pitch Yourself with a Winning Proposal 📝✍️
If you’re looking to get paid speaking gigs, you’ll need to know how to pitch yourself effectively. Event organizers receive dozens of proposals, so yours needs to stand out.
How to pitch yourself for speaking gigs:
- Craft a compelling speaker proposal that showcases your expertise, the value of your talk, and why you’re the perfect fit for the event.
- Be sure to customize each proposal based on the event’s needs and audience. Tailoring your pitch shows that you’ve done your research and understand what the event organizers are looking for.
- Highlight your past speaking experiences: Include testimonials from previous speaking engagements, a video demo of your presentation style, and any measurable results or success stories from your talks.
- Make it easy to book you: Your proposal should include a clear call to action, a link to your booking form, and an overview of your speaking fees.
The key to a successful pitch is demonstrating how you can solve the problem the event is facing and how your talk will deliver value to the audience.
3. Become a Thought Leader in Your Niche 🧠🏆
When you position yourself as a thought leader in your field, you naturally attract more speaking gigs—including paid engagements. Event planners want to book speakers who have a strong presence, authority, and influence in their industry.
How to become a thought leader:
- Write guest blog posts and articles in your area of expertise. Share actionable insights and ideas that help your audience achieve their goals.
- Appear on podcasts and webinars: Being a guest on other people’s platforms exposes you to new audiences and helps you build your speaking reputation.
- Share your knowledge on social media: Regularly post valuable content on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube to engage your audience and build your authority.
- Publish a book or eBook: Writing a book is one of the best ways to establish yourself as a subject matter expert.
When you consistently produce valuable content and share your knowledge, you position yourself as the go-to speaker in your niche, which will help you get booked for professional and paid speaking gigs.
4. Get Testimonials and Referrals 🌟💬
One of the best ways to get booked as a professional speaker is through referrals. After each speaking engagement, ask your clients or event organizers for a testimonial or referral to help you book future gigs.
How to get referrals and testimonials:
- After your speaking engagements, send a follow-up email thanking the event organizers and asking for a testimonial.
- Offer an incentive for referrals: A discount on future speaking engagements or a thank-you gift.
- Build a referral program: Offer your clients a referral incentive for every speaking gig they help you book.
Testimonials from past clients (and collaborators) are incredibly powerful. So powerful in fact, that we gift all our clients the Social Proof Acquisition Playbook to make gathering testimonials for their website a breeze!
When potential event organizers see on your website that other people have been impressed with your speaking ability, they’re much more likely to book you.
5. Create a Speaking Package and Pricing 💰💼
If you’re serious about getting paid speaking gigs, you need to have clear pricing and an organized system in place. Event planners need to know what to expect and how much they’ll be paying for your services.
What to include in your speaking package:
- A clear breakdown of your speaking fees (be transparent about your rates).
- Add-ons such as workshops, additional speaking sessions, or personalized coaching.
- Information about your travel expenses, if applicable, and how you handle booking logistics.
- Flexible packages that offer event organizers options based on their needs.
6. Build a Professional Speaker Website That Sells You 🌐🎯
Now, let’s talk about the final piece of the puzzle: your speaker website. This is the hub that ties everything together, making it easy for event organizers to find, learn about you, and book you for gigs.
What your speaker website needs:
- An engaging homepage that clearly communicates who you are and what you speak about.
- A media kit with your speaker bio, high-quality photos, and demo videos of your talks. Make sure this is easily accessible for event planners.
- A booking form that allows event organizers to get in touch with you directly, inquire about availability, and discuss fees.
- SEO optimization: Make sure your website is optimized for search engines with keywords like “how to get professional speaking gigs” and “how to get paid speaking gigs.” This will help you be found when event organizers search for speakers in your niche.
Having a professional speaker website is so much MORE than a digital business card. It not only helps you look legitimate and serious, but it also ensures potential clients can easily find you in the big wide world of the internet. And, once they land on your site, it ensures they know exactly what you offer and why they should choose YOU to inspire their audience!
Start Getting Paid to Speak Today 🎤💸
Now that you have the tools to get booked as a professional speaker and secure paid speaking gigs, it’s time to take action. By networking, crafting winning proposals, establishing your authority, leveraging testimonials, and creating a professional website optimized for SEO, you’ll start to see your speaking career soar.
At Three Day Launch, we help speakers create websites that not only attract clients but also drive bookings for paid speaking engagements.
Book a free discovery call today, and let’s talk about how we can help you get noticed, get booked, and get paid!







