Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Foreword by Alan Weiss, PhD Introduction: "How Did You Do It?" 1. Getting Your Ducks in a Row 2. Focusing on Opportunities, Not Keynotes 3. Authoring a Book 4. Reminding Your Contacts Who You Are 5. Driving Event Planners Your Way 6. Making Formal Proposals 7. Making Informal Proposals 8. Creating Your Own Gigs 9. Volunteering, Pro Bonos, and Freebies 10. Taking Advantage of People Resources 11. Negotiating Great Deals 12. Delivering Presentations that Knock It Out of the Park 13. Maximizing Your Engagements 14. Finding Your Path to Speaking Success Index About the Author

About the Author

Ken Lizotte, CMC, is the Chief Imaginative Officer of Emerson Consulting Group Inc., a firm that transforms businesses and individual experts into "thoughtleaders." A Certified Management Consultant, Ken speaks regularly to the CEO Club of Boston, Harvard University Extension School, the Concord Authors Festival, the Institute of Management Consultants, and the National Speakers Association, as well as many others. Topics include book publishing, article writing, public speaking strategies, building creative skills, the art of thought leadership, discovering your "dream career," and work-life balance. Author of six other books such as The Expert's Edge (McGraw-Hill), he's been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Fortune Magazine, CBS-TV News, National Public Radio, and Investor's Business Daily, to name just a few. He is also pro bono president of Thoreau Farm, the birthplace of Henry David Thoreau, located in Concord, Massachusetts, where Ken resides with his family.

Reviews

"For those of you looking for great advice on how to secure speaking engagements, The Speaker's Edge is the book for you. Whether you're just starting out in the speaking circuit or a veteran speaker, you'll get some great tips on the how and where to take advantage of the many speaking opportunities out there, both paid and unpaid. Ken Lizotte has written this book in a conversational style with tips that speakers can easily implement right away." -- Steve Markman, President, Markman Speaker Management "A landmark book for speakers! Powerful, practical, and spot-on advice from one of today's most experienced thoughtleaders. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, The Speaker's Edge is an essential read for any speaker who wants to reach the highest level of performance and excellence!" -- Marshall Goldsmith, the international best-selling author or editor of 35 books including What Got You Here Won't Get You There and the #1 New York Times bestseller Triggers "As an experienced author of 30+ books, I didn't think I could learn anything new about the publishing game. Boy, was I wrong! Because reading Ken's wonderful book (especially Chapter 3) wasn't only 'a feast of recognition' for me, it actually contained all kinds of new and interesting material which turned out to be very helpful in publishing and marketing my work in a high performance way." -- Dr. Andre de Waal, MBA, Academic Director, HPO Center, the Netherlands, and Associate Professor, Maastricht School of Management, the Netherlands, and author of What Makes A High Performance Organization "The vast majority of professionals simply do not understand what a profound, positive change they can make in their business by speaking effectively in front of their most important audiences. As an expert on the platform, you differentiate yourself from all others in your field, and build a formidable, unforgettable brand. Embrace the secrets of this book and leave your competitors in the dust." -- Suzanne Bates, author of All the Leader You Can Be, Speak Like a CEO, Discover Your CEO Brand, and Motivate Like a CEO (all from McGraw-Hill) and CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), a designation of the National Speakers Association "The Speaker's Edge is the go-to resource to turn a speaking hobby into a speaking business. The strategies and techniques presented by Ken Lizotte are field-tested and proven. They work!" -- Lee B. Salz, sales management strategist and bestselling author of Hire Right, Higher Profits "Ken Lizotte's Speaker's Edge is the perfect sidekick for new speakers looking to get started, get noticed, and get booked! This helpful guide teaches the dos (and don'ts!) of building a successful speaking business while giving lots of useful tips and stories from successful speakers. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to be taken seriously and make a real career out of the art of speaking!" -- Angela Lussier, award-winning speaker, author and creator of The Speaking School for Women "Ken Lizotte understands that professional service practitioners -- consultants, speakers, and executive coaches -- want pragmatic, no-nonsense strategies and tactics to boost their effectiveness. In his newest book, The Speaker's Edge, Ken presents a guidebook to getting speaking gigs and growing your professional speaking business. The advice is immediately usable and relevant for today's market. We should all call Ken 'The Mailman' because he just keeps delivering the kind of practical advice we all need to grow our businesses, serve our clients and balance our personal lives." -- Jim Pouliopolous, Director, Professional Sales Program and Marketing Lecturer, Bentley University "Don't be a 'best-kept secret.' Speaking brings visibility and presence. The Speaker's Edge provides you with everything you need to land high profile speaking engagements. A must for all thought leaders." -- Rick Dacri, CEO, Dacri & Associates, LLC, nationally recognized speaker and author of Uncomplicating Management: Focus on Your Stars and Your Company Will Soar "Ken Lizotte delivers another masterpiece! The Speaker's Edge is a comprehensive, practical guide to making a business out of speaking. Where other books speak in generalities, Ken gives you specifics including templates, checklists, and all the how-to's you need as a new, intermediate, or even veteran speaker. His recommendations are not absolutes, but a plethora of options to pick and choose to best suit your market and your buyer's interests. Regardless of which you choose, you're assured they've all been tried and tested by the expert speakers whom he's been advising for years. If you follow Ken's advice and your customers' direction, you can't help but book rewarding and profitable speaking engagements, over and over." -- Curtis N. Bingham, CEO, Chief Customer Officer Council "I do a lot of speaking and have heard many professional speakers talk about their craft. I have to say Ken Lizotte's book, The Speaker's Edge, brings new value-added to the conversation. Ken shows readers why a speaking gig is not about the money it pays, or the publicity. Speaking is a platform for sharing your message, your story, and your brand. The value of speaking comes from the people who hear you, and the future relationships that develop. As for the art of speaking, Ken shows his readers that in today's world, it's not about the speaker, it's all about the audience. The Speaker's Edge is a great gift for the successful professional who learns how to leverage speaking gigs into productive professional relationships." -- Keith Long, Collaborative Writer who has been published by Harvard's Nieman Foundation for Journalism, Random House, and Financial Times, among many others