3 Ways to Get Booked to Speak

Introduction:

Tired of cold pitching yourself to get speaking gigs? Learn the Open the Door to the Conversation strategy that opens doors, builds trust, and gets you booked.

How to Get Booked to Speak Without Begging for the Mic

You don’t need a fancy speaker reel. You don’t need 100 stages under your belt.
And you definitely don’t need to pitch yourself on Facebook like a contestant for The Voice.

If you’ve ever commented “I’d love to speak!” under a vague summit callout post and heard crickets, you’re not alone.

There’s a better way. A more effective, strategic, and authentic way to get booked, and rebooked, for paid and free speaking gigs.

I call it Open the Door to the Conversation.

In this post, I’m going to show you exactly how it works and give you real scripts you can use today to land your first or next booking by the end of next week.

The Mistake That’s Costing You Stages

A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a post in a business group:

“👋 Looking for speakers for my upcoming summit! Especially coaches. Drop your info below.”

That was it.

No theme. No audience details. No context. Just a fishing line and an empty hook.

And what happened next? An avalanche of comments flooded in:

“I’m in!”
“I’d love to be considered!”
“DMing you now!”

Not one person asked what the summit was about.
Not one person took the time to connect.
Just a parade of pitch-slaps and hopeful emojis.

This is not how pros get booked. And because you’re part of my world, here’s exactly what I’d tell you to do if you were one of my private clients.

Step 1: Stop Pitching. Start Connecting.

When you lead with a pitch, you sound like everyone else. But when you lead with curiosity and strategy, you stand out immediately.

Instead of “I’d love to speak for your group,” say something like…

“Hey [Name], I noticed you bring in guest speakers. What’s your process for finding and booking them?”

That’s Opening the Door to the Conversation.

It’s short. Professional. And it invites a conversation instead of pushing an agenda.

Why does it work?

•  It positions you as a peer, not a cold caller

•  It signals you’re thoughtful, not desperate

•  It gives the other person space to reply without pressure

This is how I’ve landed podcast interviews, guest workshops, association panels, and stages, without ever sending a cringey cold pitch.

Step 2: Get Booked to Speak with These 3 Scripts  

Once you understand the psychology behind the Open the Door to the Conversation, it’s time to put it into action. Here are 3 copy/paste-friendly phrases that get results:

1. The Conversation Opener

“Hey [Name], I noticed you bring in speakers for your group. What’s your process for finding and booking them?”

Perfect for starting a dialogue with someone in your network, whom you may not know very well or at all.

2. The Reconnection Email

“It’s been a while since I spoke for your group or I can[‘t believe it’s been X years since we worked together at XYZ. I would love to reconnect and hear what’s new in your world. If this sounds interesting, drop your calendar link and I’ll grab a time.”

Use this with people who already know you, from your past, or have booked you to speak before.

3. The Casual Intro After a Post

“I saw your post about needing guest speakers. I specialize in helping [insert audience] with [insert topic]. If you feel that would be of interest for your audience, let’s arrange some time to talk more!”

This is a calm, confident way to raise your hand without being another “me too” in a comment thread. Trust me, this one will stand out to the person looking for speakers.

Step 3: The Rebooking Strategy (That Almost No One Uses)

You don’t need more cold leads. You need a better follow-through strategy.

And here’s what’s booked me and my clients over and over again:

✉️ The Exact Email I Send to Get Rebooked:

Subject: Let’s reconnect?

Hey [Name],
I can’t believe it’s been two years since I spoke inside your group, it feels like I blinked and time flew by. I’d love to hear what’s new and exciting in your world, and share what I’ve been up to too.

If that sounds interesting, send over your calendar link and I’ll grab some time over the next couple of weeks.

Hope to reconnect soon,
[Your Name]

This one email has led to speaking invites, paid trainings, and referrals.

Why?

Because most people never reach back out. Life is about relationships, and getting booked to speak is no different.

And when you do it with authenticity, timing, and zero pressure, you stand out.

One Gig Should Lead to More. Here's How You Make It Happen.

You don’t need to shout louder. You need to speak smarter.

The Opening the Door to the Conversation works because it’s rooted in relationships, not performance.

Most coaches and consultants are just one or two strategic messages away from getting booked again, but they never send them.

Don’t be another statistic. So, send the message.

And if you’re ready to build a warm outreach strategy that actually works and aligns with your voice, not a spammy script…

🎤 Book a free Speaker Success Call with me here.
Let’s find your next (and next and next) stage together.

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