Unlocking your growth in professional speaking: A strategic approach
Professional speaking is more than delivering a great talk — it’s running a sustainable business. Yet most speakers find themselves chasing individual gigs, stuck in a feast-or-famine cycle, and leaving significant revenue on the table. There’s a better way. My approach applies the competitive intelligence frameworks used by Fortune 500 companies to the unique challenges of the speaking industry. The result: a proactive, compounding pipeline instead of reactive scrambling.
For over 17 years, I’ve applied competitive intelligence and business strategy to help organizations thrive. In 2023, I was honored to be inducted as a Fellow of the Global Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows, a testament to the rigorous, data-driven approach I bring to every client. This expertise translates directly to your speaking business, providing you with the insights and strategies needed to stand out and generate consistent, high-value opportunities.
Why strategy matters for professional speakers
The speaking market is highly competitive. As a result, a great message alone won’t build a thriving career — you also need strategy.
Consider this: word of mouth accounts for more than 55% of speaker opportunities. Therefore, your reputation and relationships aren’t just nice to have; they’re your primary growth engine. However, most speakers leave those relationships to chance. I help you be intentional about it, aligning your market position with the specific needs of your target audience so every action you take moves the needle.
My unique path to growing your speaking business
I don’t offer generic public speaking tips: you already know how to speak, or, you can tap into great resources like Toastmasters as you hone your craft.
My programs are designed for paid speakers who are serious about their growth. I provide the frameworks, coaching, and implementation support to achieve this.
Strategic Speaker Growth Program: Your 12-week accelerator for your speaking business
My flagship Strategic Speaker Growth Program is an intensive, 12-week journey designed to fundamentally transform your paid speaking business. This program focuses on developing a robust, sustainable pipeline by applying competitive intelligence and business strategy frameworks. We dive deep into:
Market Identification & Targeting
Pinpointing the most lucrative opportunities for your expertise.
Relationship Building
Crafting a strategy to cultivate genuine connections that lead to bookings, not just pitches.
Compounding Opportunities
Learning how to leverage each speaking engagement into future opportunities.
This program is for speakers committed to elevating their speaking business to the highest level.
Event Strategy Coaching: Focused guidance for professional speakers
Sometimes, what you need is targeted, expert advice for a specific challenge or opportunity. My Event Strategy Coaching sessions are 90-minute deep dives plus additional support designed to help you navigate critical decisions related to your most important events (whether you’re speaking or not). Whether it’s pricing strategy, audience engagement, or leveraging an existing booking, these sessions provide immediate, actionable insights.
My extensive experience, including organizing over 75 events since the first TEDx Moncton in 2013, gives me a unique perspective on what event organizers seek. This insider knowledge is invaluable, allowing us to collaboratively refine your approach to event-based opportunities.
Custom Strategy & Implementation: Tailored solutions for your speaking needs
For speakers with unique challenges or those looking for a highly personalized roadmap, my Custom Strategy & Implementation services offer a bespoke solution. We work closely with you to develop and execute strategies perfectly aligned with your professional goals. This could involve developing new keynote topics, refining your messaging, or building comprehensive market entry plans.
The foundation of effective speaking growth: my core principles
My methodology is built on several key principles:
Strategic Focus:
Every action in your speaking business should have a purpose and contribute to your long-term goals. I help you cut through the noise and focus on what truly drives growth.
Competitive Intelligence
Understanding your market, your competitors, and emerging trends is paramount. I apply frameworks used by experts to give you an undeniable edge.
Relationship-Centric Growth
The most successful speaking careers are built on trust and genuine connection, not aggressive sales tactics.
Data-Driven Decisions
I move beyond guesswork, utilizing insights to inform your strategy and optimize your efforts to grow your speaking business.
Ready to elevate your speaking business?
If you’re ready to stop chasing gigs and start building a speaking business that compounds, let’s talk.
For more insights into my background and approach, you can visit my About Jonathan Dunnett page or explore the blog.
Frequently asked questions about professional speaking
Have questions about building a thriving career in professional speaking? Here are some common inquiries:
What makes a speaker successful?
A successful professional speaker combines a compelling message with a strategic business approach. It’s not just about talent; it’s about understanding your audience, building strong relationships, consistently delivering value, and having a clear strategy for growth. My programs focus on bridging the gap between your speaking ability and your business success.
How can I get more speaking engagements?
To secure more engagements, focus on building a sustainable pipeline rather than simply searching for one-off opportunities. This involves refining your target market, identifying key decision-makers, demonstrating your unique value, and nurturing relationships. Many event organizers rely on personal recommendations, so your professional network and reputation are crucial.
What is the biggest challenge for professional speakers?
One of the biggest challenges for professional speakers is inconsistent income and the “feast or famine” cycle that can occur when opportunities are not strategically planned. Another significant hurdle is differentiating oneself in a crowded market. My approach addresses these by helping speakers build a long-term, strategic plan for their business.
Does professional speaking require specific training?
While natural talent helps, professional speaking benefits immensely from strategic training and coaching. My training and coaching isn’t about stage presence: it’s about understanding business frameworks, competitive intelligence, and effective relationship management. My programs provide this higher-level strategic training, transforming your approach to the industry.
How does Jonathan Dunnett help individuals with their speaking business?
Jonathan Dunnett helps speakers who are serious about growth build abundant, sustainable pipelines and systematically grow their businesses to six figures and beyond. I achieve this through strategic focus, applying competitive intelligence and business strategy frameworks, and offering programs like the 12-week Strategic Speaker Growth Program and Event Strategy Coaching.
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
