Four Mindset Struggles Every Speaker and Consultant Needs to Overcome

When I self-published my first book in late-2011, my only goal was to make enough money from this new online business thing so I could get rid of my service business. This idea of speaking and consulting never crossed my mind. In 2012, I was focused on building my audience. This meant that I guest posted on over 60 blogs and was a guest on over 80 podcasts. It worked because it brought 500,000 plus visitors to my website in 2012.

The exposure through the blogs, publications, and podcasts also had an unintended effect. In mid-2012, I had gotten an offer to speak at a small social media conference. They offered to pay for my flight and hotel, and give me a speaker’s fee of $250. The idea of public speaking terrified me as an introvert, but I went because I was more excited about traveling.

I got on stage and bombed—I sucked. But, the whole experience got me on a path that would lead to traveling to 20 countries a year for speaking and consulting gigs. As I write this, I’m getting ready to leave for a five-country consulting tour in Asia. To get here, there were four mindset struggles that I, and many other speakers and consultants, had/have to overcome.

I’m not good enough.

I’ve had the honor of hearing some amazing speaker’s speak. I looked at the way they moved and talked and knew I wasn’t that good. I let this belief that I’m not good enough keep me from pursuing speaking and I know I’m not alone. Realize that everyone is different and has different styles. The important thing to understand is that you have to be clear. If you can present your message in a clear way, you’ve done your job. You are and can be better than good enough as a speaker and consultant. Practice will help get you there.

I don’t have enough experience.

Everyone has to start somewhere. You may not be as experienced but that doesn’t mean you can’t be good. You can study and practice and become the best at what you do. A lack of experience keeps too many speakers and consultants from pitching paid gigs—it shouldn’t. You deserve to get paid every time you get on stage. Your life experience is worth more. 

No one has paid me that much.

To be honest, it’s an adjustment to start demanding and charging higher prices. If you have never done so, it’s a mindset issue that you can overcome. There are so many reasons to charge more, but the main one being because speaking and consulting use your most valuable resource: your time. Also, when you charge too little, conferences and companies will think that you don’t value what you do and that’s likely to keep you from getting booked.

There aren’t enough opportunities.

This is perhaps the biggest mindset myth that hurts speakers and consultants. You look at everyone else who’s doing what you do and you think there’s no more opportunity—it’s false. The stats tell us that 57% of businesses in the world don’t even have a website. If they don’t have a website, how much more do they need? The answer is a lot. There is so much opportunity to book paid speaking and consulting gigs all over the world. Look at what’s happening in my lifestyle business as an example.

Last year was one of my worst years in life and business. We still have some time, but this year has been the best. I don’t know what’s happening with you right now but it can be great. To get booked as a paid speaker and consultant, you need to be pitching. When you pitch, you will get some NO’s but that’s how you will get to the YES. Don’t let mindset struggles or anything keep you from accomplishing your major goals this year.

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Photo Credit: Flickr/ Alin Mechenici