Maria Franzoni is a former speaker bureau owner and author of The Bookability Formula. She shares a blunt, practical view of what makes a speaker bookable in the UK and European markets, and why “being good” is not the same as “getting hired”. This show is unmissable if you're serious about speaking.

1. Why “follow your passion” is often terrible business advice
2. The UK/Europe market reality vs the US speaking market
3. Why relevance to a paying market comes before polishing a keynote
4. What really builds credibility (and what screams “fake”)
5. The networking mistake almost everyone makes
6. Why speakers overrun and how it hurts the event (and other speakers)
7. The real reason top-paid speakers get booked
8. What makes organisers and bureaus reject someone instantly
9. Demo videos: why bad video is worse than no video
10. Whether your full keynote should be public or private
11. Plagiarism in the speaking industry and why it happens
12. Podcast guesting as visibility and as training for concise communication

1. Relevance is the filter. If the market doesn’t care, your passion won’t save you.
2. Proof beats claims. Testimonials, outcomes and case studies do the heavy lifting.
3. Bookability is business. Relationships, follow-up and sales habits matter more than most speakers want to admit.
4. Assets signal quality. A weak demo video can quietly kill deals before you’re even considered.
5. Great speakers are often not the highest paid. The most bookable speakers usually run the best business.

Maria Franzoni

1. LinkedIn: Maria Franzoni
2. Website: mariafranzoni.me
3. Book: The Bookability Formula (Great read)

1. Speaker bureau newsletters and topic forecasts (example: Chartwell)
2. The Dip (Seth Godin), referenced by John in the wider show context
3. Judy Carter (comedy writing advice mentioned), The New Comedy Bible, and see previous guest appearance.

00:00 The bookability...