The speaking industry looks glamorous from the outside.

Stages. Standing Ovations. Photos. Travel.

Behind the scenes, there are very different types of speaking opportunities and not all of them build a real speaking business.

In this episode, Sean breaks down the four types of speaking engagements:

• Free gigs
• Speak to sell
• Pay to play
• Paid keynote engagements

Most importantly, how to decide which lane you want to build your career in.

If you've ever wondered:

• Should I speak for exposure?
• Is pay to play worth it?
• Can you really make more money speaking to sell?
• How do I position myself as a paid keynote speaker?

This episode answers it directly.

00:00 – Intro & Why the Speaker World Looks Glamorous
01:00 – The Four Types of Speaking Gigs
02:00 – The Truth About Free Speaking Engagements
03:00 – "Exposure" vs. Paying Your Bills
04:00 – Speak To Sell Explained
05:00 – Why Some Speakers Swear By It
06:00 – The Hidden Downsides of Pitch Fest Events
06:30 – Pay To Play: What It Really Means
07:30 – The Risk And Reward Of Paying For Stage Time
08:30 – Why I Only Choose Paid Speaking
09:00 – If You Look Like A Free Speaker, You Attract Free Gigs
09:30 – Matthew McConaughey And Breaking Positioning
11:00 – Repositioning Yourself As A Paid Speaker
12:00 – Keynotes vs. Breakout Sessions
13:00 – Speaking As A Marketing Tool
14:00 – Why I Avoid The "Run To The Back Of The Room" Model
15:00 – Relationship Building vs. One And Done Gigs
15:30 – Leveraging Introductions Instead Of Pitching
16:30 – Choosing Your Speaker Lane
17:00 – What's Coming In Episode 6

• The real difference between free, low fee, pay to play, and premium gigs
• Why exposure rarely pays the bills
• The business model behind speak to sell events
• The financial math of pay to play stages
• How to stop attracting free speaking requests
• Why positioning determines what you attract
• The importance of choosing your lane intentionally
• How to build long term relationships instead of chasing transactions

If you position yourself as a free speaker, you will attract free gigs.

If you pay to speak, you will attract pay to play opportunities.

If you position yourself as a paid keynote authority, you will begin attracting paid keynote engagements.

The market responds to how you position yourself.

Choose your lane. Then build toward it.

No BS No Fluff Guide To Get Booked To Speak - https://bit.ly/getbookedtospeakguide
No BS No Fluff Guide To Podcast Marketing - https://bit.ly/podcastmarketingbook
Booked & Paid Speaker Blueprint - https://bit.ly/BookedPaidSpeakerBlueprint

Email: Sean@TheSuccessCorps.com

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Next Episode: Marketing and Visibility and How to Position Yourself as the Expert Event Planners Want to Hire.

See you in Episode 6!