| In March, I spent four hours giving two seminars at the | | | | want to hire you afterward. |
| Learning Annex in Los Angeles - and I walked away | | | | For example, if you are an expert at preparing very |
| with about $2,000 in my pocket. Since I needed to be | | | | economical and delicious family dinners, there’s an |
| in Los Angeles anyway for other business, that money | | | | excellent chance that you could attract an audience of |
| is what I would call "gravy." | | | | people who want to learn how to prepare those |
| It’s "gravy," because it was extra money that I | | | | meals. And there is the potential for back-end sales to |
| picked up by speaking about subjects I’m very | | | | them with such products as recipe books or |
| knowledgeable about and actually like discussing - so it | | | | instructional videos. But it’s unlikely that people who |
| only took me about an hour to prepare for both | | | | are interested in creating economical meals would |
| seminars. And, frankly, if I hadn’t been presenting | | | | want to hire you to cook for them. |
| those seminars, I would’ve just been trying to find | | | | On the other hand, if you were giving a lecture on how |
| some way to kill time before my meetings the next | | | | to catch more bass in the Everglades, you could likely |
| day. So, it was like found money. | | | | attract a good paying audience and also sell them |
| Though I "only" made about $500 an hour for that gig | | | | various back-end products … fishing lures, videos, and |
| at the Learning Annex, I’ve personally seen top | | | | maps, for example. Plus, it’s likely that some of the |
| speakers earn as much as $10,000 an hour when you | | | | attendees would want to hire you to guide them on a |
| combine their speaking fees with their profits from | | | | fishing expedition. And it’s just as likely that they |
| "back-end" sales - products or services they sell to | | | | would be willing to pay you a lucrative fee for providing |
| people attending their presentations. | | | | such a service. |
| And speaking offers an additional income opportunity. | | | | 2. Create a curriculum that will sound attractive to |
| In fact, as a direct result of my two Learning Annex | | | | potential attendees and provide them with a valuable |
| seminars, I expect to earn an additional $15,000 this | | | | learning experience. |
| year (half of which I’ve already pocketed). This | | | | To market your seminar, you need to spell out exactly |
| amount of money certainly isn’t a fortune, but | | | | what the attendees will learn. And to get your |
| it’s a nice piece of change that I’m picking up | | | | attendees to want to hire you after the event, you |
| with little effort. | | | | must prove to them that you are a knowledgeable |
| Here’s how… | | | | expert and have solid skills that would benefit them. So |
| One of the seminars I gave was on the art of | | | | you want to make sure you provide high-quality |
| direct-mail copywriting. This is a craft that I’ve been | | | | information with real value during every speech you |
| fortunate enough to become well schooled in as a | | | | give. |
| result of completing AWAI’s basic copywriting | | | | 3. Market your speaking business to people who will |
| program and masters program. Since completing | | | | be interested in hiring you. |
| these programs, I’ve had the chance to earn a nice | | | | Your speaking business can go one of two ways: A |
| six-figure income in the direct-mail business over the | | | | third party can hire you to do the presentation or you |
| last few years. | | | | can produce the event yourself. |
| At the end of my seminar on copywriting, two | | | | Which third parties should you approach? That |
| attendees approached me and asked if they could | | | | depends on your subject matter. A place like the |
| possibly hire me for some copywriting projects for | | | | Learning Annex, for example, offers hundreds of |
| their businesses. While they both felt they had learned | | | | courses on business and all sorts of lifestyle subjects. |
| a lot from my presentation, they realized they | | | | So if you are an expert in something like Internet |
| weren’t going to be able to get the results they | | | | marketing or Zen meditation, the Learning Annex could |
| needed for their respective businesses just from what | | | | be one third party you’d want to market your |
| they learned by listening to me for a couple of hours. I | | | | presentation to. But if you are an expert in urban |
| gave them my contact information and invited them to | | | | planning and engineering, the Learning Annex won’t |
| get in touch whenever they were ready to do | | | | be for you. You might be better off contacting industry |
| business. | | | | organizations or large engineering firms. |
| Since then, both have contacted me to procure my | | | | If you want to produce your own speaking events, |
| services as a copywriter. And one of them has | | | | you’ll need to get your message to prospective |
| become a steady repeat client. | | | | attendees directly. Again, the nature of your subject |
| This is not the first time I’ve spoken on a subject | | | | will determine how you’ll go about promoting it. If |
| and had people want to hire me after the presentation. | | | | you want to give a seminar on how small-business |
| After a seminar I did on screenwriting, for example, an | | | | owners can save on taxes, a direct mailing to a list of |
| attendee asked me to help him with his scripts. I picked | | | | small-business owners in your area could be very |
| up a quick $5,000 from this gentleman - something I did | | | | effective. If you want to give a seminar on improving |
| not expect to happen when I agreed to do the | | | | back pain through yoga, you might advertise in local |
| presentation. | | | | general-interest publications or consider partnering with |
| Aside from all the money you can make, there some | | | | another business that has a client/customer list of likely |
| other really attractive reasons to get into speaking as | | | | attendees - like a chiropractor - instead. |
| a business: | | | | A speaking business can be a full-time business that |
| - You can speak about a subject you love - turning | | | | can generate an income as high as six or seven |
| just about any type of expertise into a business. | | | | figures… or it can be a side business you run on |
| - You can start the business with virtually no capital. | | | | weekends that brings in extra cash and additional |
| - You can easily do it part-time. | | | | clients for your primary business. Either way, if you |
| To start a business that can help you find new clients | | | | have a skill or knowledge that others would be willing |
| in addition to earning speaking fees and profits from | | | | to pay to learn, a great new business awaits you. |
| back-end sales, take the following steps: | | | | [Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a produced screenwriter, |
| 1. Determine a skill you have that is in high demand in | | | | direct-mail copywriter, and business author. He is also |
| the marketplace - one that people in your audience | | | | the creator of the Quick and Easy Microbusiness |
| might be interested in hiring you for in the future. | | | | System, ETR’s program for starting a business for |
| Some subjects make perfect topics for seminars or | | | | under $100. Learn how to make as much as $500 to |
| other speaking engagements - and can earn you | | | | $5,000 an hour just by talking about a subject you love |
| income via speaking fees and back-end sales - but | | | | by clicking here. |
| might not generate much income from people who | | | | |