184. How to make money with your story
Do you have a story you believe can help people? And you want to share that story online and onstage? And you'd like to get paid for it?
If you answered yes, yes, yes - this is the episode for you.
For the first time, I'm sharing my original Three C Framework I use to help clients get paid gigs on global stages. Are you ready to make money from your story?
Transcript
Hello party people welcome back to That Voice Podcast.
Special welcome if you are joining us for the first time..
This is a juicy title – How to make money with your story.
Maybe you’re tuning in because you know your story can help people.
I bet it was a complete shit show at the time, but now that you’re out the other side you’re so much stronger, so much wiser and thinking yeh I can voice this and share my lessons.
You know, there are other people who can relate to your story, who are in the same position you were, and when they hear your story and see where you are now, they won’t feel so alone, they can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
And maybe you can see dollar signs at end of the stage.
Because YES, you can make money with your story as an inspirational, motivational, educational speaker.
And I help many of my clients do this, and in this episode I’m going to take you through the exact framework we use.
Because here’s the thing.
And this might sting a little.
Tough love vibes.
Ready for it.
Everybody has a story. Not everybody takes the action to make money from their story.
Sure, your story might be easier to market. Maybe you have a public profile, maybe you have a massive audience, maybe your story is SO wild Hollywood wouldn’t believe it.
EVEN if this is the case. Making money from your story isn’t a given.
And if you don’t have a public profile and you don’t have a massive audience, you’re going need to listen to this episode carefully.
Maybe you don’t even think your story is that unique. It might be your run of the mill rags to riches business story, or your addiction to sobriety redemption story, or your abuse to freedom relationship story.
That does not mean there is no value in your story! Quite the opposite, the more people who can see themselves IN your story, the more effective it will be.
Believe me. I get more rapport sharing about spilling coffee on my shirt on the first day of a new job than climbing a snow covered mountain in my underwear.
So don’t think your story is not good enough or dramatic enough.
Like I said … everybody has a story, but not everybody takes the action to make money from their story.
Just like everybody has an idea… it’s about the execution.
People tell me all the time ‘I have a really good story and I want to help people. And I think I could share it on stage and be a speaker.’
But then won’t sign up to speaker training, or private coaching or Soul Speakers Advanced or anything that will actually take that phrase from a wish to an actuality.
Your story is your experience. No one can take that from you.
If you want to make money from your story. You need to think of it like a product. Like the story is the idea …. How are you going to execute that idea. And even if you want to write a book…and not speak. Well how are you going to get people to buy that book… there’s no getting around it. If you want to make money from your story, you need to learn how to speak.
Alright so the process I use with my clients, is the three C’s.
The first C is CONTENT.
It’s not the story itself, it’s the way it’s told.
And there is so much under this. I love content crafting. It’s one of those freaky talents I have. And everyone who I’ve worked with on speech writing says the same sort of thing, they’re like how does your brain do that.
Well. It’s because I’ve been writing speeches since I was about 8.
And there’s an art and a science to it.
There’s the word choice and the pacing and the structure to take the audience on the journey. And there’s a great coaching call on How to structure a speech in Soul Speakers. So if you don’t want your speech done with you or done for you, you can still learn the valuable techniques and frameworks inside Soul Speakers.
And there are considerations like audience and venue and timing and microphone and stagecraft, and that’s not even including the vocal delivery in terms of the pitch changes, the pausing, the volume, the articulation, the emphasis.
It’s so exciting. You run your story through those lenses and watch what happens. Two of my clients last year were asked to speak on international stages, from someone who was in the audience watching a speech they did in Australia that I helped them prepare for.
So that’s the first C – content.
And if you want to make money from your story and you’re not confident with how to craft and deliver a compelling speech on stage …. There’s your first hurdle. The solution is very easy. Find a coach, with a proven track record, who can help you do this.
Ok so the second C – is COLLATERAL.
So if you want people to pay you to share your story. How do they know what they’re paying for? In some cases, and often this is what happens early on. Is people know you and they know your story and they say invite you. Maybe it’s a referral. My best speaking gigs still come from referrals. But even then they want to see something.
It’s the razzle dazzle.
The title, the description, is it on a website, on a canva document you can email.
Are your rates there? Some testimonials?
Photos of you speaking? Video of you speaking?
This is why it’s so important to get this marketing material every time you speak. And I talk more about this is episode 173 – five ways to get more bookings from your speaking gig.
Because when organisers are choosing speakers, it’s not necessarily the better speaker with the better story. It’s the speaker with the better marketing material. Easier to forward on for approval, get across the line with the event committee.
And this is something I help my Soul Speakers Advanced and Private Clients with, right down to writing catchy titles with compelling descriptions and if you’re canva challenged, I even help create the PDF for you.
Ok so you’ve got your content, you’ve got your colleteral, you’re ready to roll.
Ready to get paid to speak..
And … crickets.
From here you need the final C – CONNECTIONS.
Where do you want to speak? What industry events? WHO are the organisers, have you researched? Have you BEEN to the event?
My gosh, the amount of people who want to do a Ted Talk who have never been to a Tedx Event…that’s your first port of call. If you’re a private client in Brisbane I invite you along, because I’m a speaker coach at a couple of Tedx Events here. By the way, the perks for being a private client are pretty sweet… and just recently I now do unlimited sessions for private clients, because it’s not about the time spent it’s about the results, so if we need to have a three hour extravaganza to get something written, no probs.
Ok so this is where we smash your social media, your network, the connections you already have and expanding that network – strategically. So for example, a few of my clients actually speak in the Safety Industry, with some bleed over to Leadership. Is it women in business? Is it mum’s? This is where we lock down the strategy around WHO our talk is FOR and WHERE those people ARE…. And here’s the part people miss ….
Your audience does not pay your bill.
So the way you speak and connect with event organisers is different to how you pitch the talk itself on stage. Know what I mean? For example, my talks are aimed to get people to feel more confident in their voice. The organisers don’t want to feel confident in their voice, maybe they do, the organisers want to know their audience is getting value, things they can takeaway, an experience, a vibe, they want know do you come within budget, is it going to fit with the theme of the event. There are a whole lot of other considerations they have and questions they want answered.
So you see there’s a BIG bridge between having a story (everyone has a story) and making money from that story.
The bridge might be big, it is however clear. Content, Collateral and Connections and you might already have a lot of these gaps filled, that’s awesome. You might feel confident to take that framework and run with it. Or maybe you’re a excited, a little overwhelmed maybe, by all this and you’re a lot clearer on how I can help you achieve your speaking goals. You don’t want to go it alone, and put it on the forever back burner, you’re ready to move, make it happen, get in touch – join Soul Speakers, if you want a done with you and done for you, join Soul Speakers Advanced or work with me privately.
Your story matters.
Your story does deserve to be heard.
And if you choose, you can make money with your story.