Money Talks: How to Make a Million As A Speaker

If you have read "Speak and Grow Rich" or similar books, then you will very much enjoy this refreshing take on the speaking industry. The author breaks down all of the old speaking industry myths and affirms that anyone can make it in the speaking business. Old industry axioms such as "raise your fees when demand exceeds supply" and "specialize in a few areas of speaking" are blasted by the author's advice to raise fees when the value you offer to the customer increases, and to offer clients as many services as you are comfortable providing (e.g. wide range of topics as well as delivery formats (keynotes, training, etc.)). This book is VERY customer-centric; that is, the author looks at speaking/training/workshops as a catalyst for evoking change (e.g. improved communication, increased sales) and believes they should produce tangible results that last long after the speaker has left the client site. This is far different from the tone of other books which seem to indicate that speaking is an ego-centric medium and that platform skills are more important than value delivered. In short, the author speaks volumes on delivering real, measurable value, in both speaking, writing (articles, books, etc.) and any products you develop and sell. He furvently denounces egomaniacal motivations and condones making the absolute best effort to provide buyer/client satisfaction. Other topics the author touches on: business insurance, incorporating your business, speaker's bureaus (why they need you, not the other way around), and marketing strategies (this is lightly touched upon). Be forewarned that the author writes about catering to business clients rather than to individual consumers, so you will not find information regarding developing and marketing consumer centric seminars (although he does touch (very) briefly on the college and private seminar market). If this is what you are looking for, may I recommend a book by Robert W. Bly or by Paul Karasik. This is a wonderful book that will likely leave you with a "it's not as hard as the other books said" feeling. My recommendation is that you read "Speak and Grow Rich" by the Walters duo first (it's got excellent information about every aspect of the business, despite its shameless self-promotion) then go on to reading Weiss' superb work.

First of all, the production quality of this book is crap. The thing was falling apart the first time I opened it. I dont like having to be careful with a book like this, particularly one I want to mark up, highlight, go back to time and time again. Now then, we are getting to the point of the book in the first place. I wouldn't care if this thing was in cuneiform pressed into wet clay tablets. There is more practical and useful information in this book on how to strategically set up your speaking career than I have seen in any of the dozen or so other books that I have read. You could literally take the advice in this book - and virtually nothing else - and plan out your speaking career for the next ten years. The author's practical trashing on some of the 'rules of thumb' of the game (e.g., raising fees) are not mere opinions: this guy has lived this and has the income history to back up his claims. Some of the references are outdated (the book is nearly 10 years old as of my writing) so you have to get passed that. The info on how to establish yourself as an expert through writing books and creating other income streams through developing info products is sound but has been superseded by far more complete and recent writings (Stephanie Chandler's book "From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur" is a great reference for that). The exercises on 2 PAGES (35 and 46) alone made reading this worthwhile. The focus on offering value is the key. This is what I focus on in my own coaching and speaking and, for that matter, what I spend a lot of time teaching to my clients. VERY highly recommended.

As a new speaker I purchased this book to add to my collection and it's one of the top books. Weiss holds no punches and just gets real. Not alot of fluff and some wonderful recommendations to continue to help me to think like a speaker. I read the book in one night. I recommend buying this book and Speak and Grow Rich by Dottie Walkters and Lilly Walters to read together. The both give excellent insight into the world of speaking.

As part of a mentoring program, I was once asked to coach and supervise someone who was about to give his first major presentation in front of his peers and key decision makers. He dismissed all the advice that he was given and said, rather breezily, that he had a strong background in amateur dramatics, so he knew exactly how to deliver a speech. The outcome was predictable but still sad. He knew all about how to project his voice and how to achieve rapport and get a quick laugh, but that was about it. People who know nothing about professional speaking assume that it's easy. When somebody once asked me my fee for a speech, I saw the eyebrows shoot upwards: "For an hour's work????" I was asked. "No," I responded, "For thousands of hours of research, preparation and practice." Any professional speaker would say the same. It is no different from a professional musician, dancer or comedian. If Alan Weiss's book had been available back then, I would have asked my mentoree to read it. It is precise, specific and also lays out the big picture. So often books like this are full of self-congratulation, but this one really does deliver. No book in the world will do everything for you. But if you really do want to be a speaker and you have something to say which will enrich your audience: read this book; take action on its contents; contact other professionals in your area, or organizations like the National Speaker's Association and then take massive action to get started!

I am not sure that the "how to make a million as a speaker" will actually help you make a million. It puts the industry into perspective but it needs more than this as a how to. People do make millions of dollars speaking but this is not the recipe book. Good title for making sales though

This book is excellent. Alan Weiss has represented himself well with this product. The book is thorough in its treatment of how to make an upper-echelon living in the speaking business, and how to do so with integrity and excellence. A few of the topics it covers are topic selection, audience selection, marketing, establishing fees, speech development, and speech delivery. In addition, the appendix, which lists various resources that may be valuable for the professional speaker, is, in my opinion, quite well done -- particularly section I.A., which lists speaking related books Alan has read, along with his thoughts on each. Overall, this is a great book. For those that aspire to make a top-notch living as a speaker, it is well worth a read, a reread, and honest efforts at applying its directions.

I was referred to this book by a very successful speaker who I asked for advice since I'm just starting out in the speaking game. He told me it was older, which it is, there are a lot of references to things from the past and technologies have moved quickly, but the foundation of what Alan Weiss explains in this book is fantastic! I'm following many of the things he talks about and it gives a good overall look at the business. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking to become a professional speaker.

As a professional speaker, I found some things here that I was (happy to say) already doing -- and quite a few excellent suggestions on how to take my business to the next level, Clear, practical and well worth reading.

C' est un tres bon livre.

I am glad I bought this book. I have learnt how to speak with confidence.