Advertise on podcast: Grow Your Public Speaking Business

Wendi wanted one thing this winter: shorts and a T-shirt in January, no coat required. She didn't know the right search terms for it, so she just told ChatGPT what she wanted and let the conversation sort out the rest. Turns out, that's exactly how a lot of event planners search for speakers too, and it changes what your website needs to say. In this episode: Why Wendi skipped searching for "RV resorts" or "snowbird communities" and just described what she wanted instead How event planners often describe their problem, not your topic name The difference between your topic (the label) and their problem (the search) Why phrases like "transformational leadership" may need translating into real, Tuesday-afternoon language A simple exercise to hear your expertise the way your buyer actually talks about it A small, one sentence fix you can add to your website this week Mentioned in this episode: The Speaker Positioning Suite: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/speaker-positioning-suite  Take the Who Books Me? Challenge: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/who-books-me-challenge Join our free Facebook group for speakers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers Read the full post and the Q&A: https://charlijane.com/202  Free list of events looking for speakers today: https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers

Wendi was driving through Wisconsin and asked ChatGPT where to grab food and a beer, no business name, just a description of what she wanted. That little moment got her thinking about how event planners might be doing the exact same thing when they look for speakers. In this episode, she breaks down what that shift means for how speakers get found, and what it takes to actually get chosen once you are. In this episode: - Why Wendi asked AI for a restaurant instead of searching Google, and what happened next - How event planners may describe a need instead of searching a speaker's name - Why vague phrases like "I inspire people" leave AI and humans with nothing to work with - What "Built to Be Found" really means for your website, bio, and talk titles - Why being found is only half the job, and what helps move a planner toward a yes - A simple exercise to see if your online presence gives enough clues about you Take the Who Books Me? Challenge: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/who-books-me-challenge  Join our free Facebook group for speakers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers  Read the full post and the Q&A: https://charlijane.com/201 List of events looking for speakers: https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers/

You may know exactly what you speak about, but can a planner who has never met you understand it in seconds? Wendi explains why broad topics are difficult to evaluate, the four pieces planners need to see, and a five-second test that reveals whether your speaker message is as clear as you think it is. Show notes: Why broad topics name a category but not necessarily a fit The four things planners need to understand quickly How public content helps humans and AI tools interpret your expertise Why specificity does not trap you in one niche forever Where your central speaker message should appear The five-second speaker-page test A simple sentence for clarifying audience, problem, and outcome Explore both paths inside the Charli Jane Speakers Club at https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club/. Begin with STAGE if your foundation needs clarity, then move into the Get Booked path when you are ready to pursue opportunities. Our Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers

In this episode: How AI tools can compress an event planner’s early research What search tools need to understand about your speaker business Why an SEO plugin cannot fix vague positioning Why discoverability does not replace pitching and follow-up Five practical checks for your speaker presence How the challenge has changed from Yahoo and Google in 2002 to AI search today Explore both paths inside the Charli Jane Speakers Club: https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club/ If enrollment is closed, join the waitlist to hear when the doors reopen. Join our Facebook group here.https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers  Speakers needed here: https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers Companion blog post is here. https://charlijane.com/199

Episode Title: The Speaker One-Sheet That Actually Gets You Booked Your speaker one-sheet shouldn’t be a résumé squeezed onto one page. It has one job: help an event planner quickly understand who you are, what you speak about, and why you’re worth a closer look. In this episode, I’m breaking down what makes a speaker one-sheet actually work and what to keep, what to cut, and how to make the right information stand out without overwhelming the person reading it. In This Episode: Why most speaker one-sheets are built for the speaker instead of the event planner The three things a planner needs to understand quickly Why more credentials don’t always make a stronger one-sheet How curated credibility can be more powerful than listing everything you’ve ever done Why one clear call to action makes you easier to book A simple way to review your current one-sheet with fresh eyes Free Resource 🎁 Grab my free 20+ Events Looking for Speakers list and discover real speaking opportunities you can start exploring now. 👉 https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers/ Ready to Get Booked? Inside Charli Jane Speakers Club, we help you build speaker assets, find the right opportunities, and create a repeatable system to get yourself in front of event planners. 👉 https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club/

How to Write a Talk Title That Makes Event Planners Stop Scrolling Show Notes: For years, I held onto something comfortable that wasn’t serving me anymore. Speakers often do the same thing with their talk titles, clinging to broad, safe, familiar language because at least it can’t be wrong. But here’s the quiet cost of that safety: a title that can’t be wrong also can’t be chosen for being exactly right. In this episode, I’m breaking down what makes a talk title stop an event planner’s scroll and the three things every bookable title needs to do. In this episode: Why broad talk titles disappear into the noise What safe, familiar language may be quietly costing you The three-part formula for a specific, memorable, bookable title Why your title needs to survive a committee meeting Your doable momentum move: write three new versions of your title this week Free Resource 🎁 Ready to pitch your new title to real stages? Grab my free list of 20 Events Looking for Speakers, featuring real opportunities actively seeking speakers right now. 👉 Get the Free List https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers  Ready to go deeper? Inside the Charli Jane Speakers Club, you’ll find weekly speaking opportunities, tools to strengthen your pitches, and the Booking Command Center to help you turn the right leads into real booking momentum. 👉 Learn more about Charli Jane Speakers Club Facebook Group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers

One Talk, Multiple Revenue Streams — How to Make Your Message Work Harder I was seventeen years old when I went to Camp Okontoe and something shifted. You never know when those moments are coming — you just show up, a little nervous, and somewhere in the middle of an ordinary moment, a door opens. That's what your signature talk is. Not just a keynote. A door. And behind it is an entire world of ways to serve the people who need what you carry. In this episode, I'm talking about how to make your existing talk work harder and how one framework, packaged intentionally, becomes a full revenue engine. In this episode: Why your signature talk is your most valuable business asset What's already hiding inside your framework that you haven't packaged yet The natural revenue streams that flow from every signature talk Why you don't need new content, just new packaging Your doable momentum move, identify one offer you could build from what you already have Ready to go deeper? Inside Charli Jane Speakers Club, we help you build the whole revenue engine from your message and give you AI-powered tools to keep finding the stages that fuel it. 👉 charlijane.com Keep Inspiring, Wendi

Stop Waiting to Be Discovered: How to Build a Real Speaking Pipeline For years, while I was building Charli Jane Speakers, my husband was on the road climbing cellular towers, gone for weeks at a time. I was home holding the fort, building something, and waiting for the season to shift. What that season taught me is that hope is not a strategy. Purposeful, consistent action is what moves things forward. And it's exactly what builds a speaking pipeline. In this episode, I'm talking about the shift from waiting to building and the simple pipeline approach that has helped speakers go from invisible to consistently booked over 24 years. In this episode: Why getting ready and getting booked are two very different seasons What a real speaking pipeline actually looks like The Dream 25: How to build a targeted, reachable opportunity list How to reach out with warmth and specificity instead of cold generic pitches Your doable momentum move starts your Dream 25 this week Ready to go deeper? Inside Charli Jane Speakers Club, our AI-powered Booking Strategist Tool researches real opportunities and returns organizer contact details so your pipeline is always full of the right people. 👉 charlijane.com

The One Sentence That Gets You Booked There was a season in my life when everything fell apart. And what I remember most isn't the hard part, it's the moment I got quiet enough to hear what was actually true. One direction. One next step. That clarity became the foundation of everything I've built since. I think about that season every time I work with a speaker on their messaging. In this episode, I'm talking about the one sentence that makes event planners stop, pay attention, and say yes, and the three things it needs to do to actually work. In this episode: Why most speakers have a clarity problem, not a confidence problem The three-part formula for a bookable positioning sentence Why specificity is the key that unlocks consistent bookings How to sit with your message until what's true emerges Your doable momentum move, write your sentence today Free Resource 🎁 Ready to pitch your sentence to real stages? Grab my free list of 50 Events Looking for Speakers — real opportunities actively seeking speakers right now, and the best way to step into our world. 👉  https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers  Ready to go deeper? Come join us inside the Charli Jane Speakers Club. We help you find your message AND give you AI-powered tools (found nowhere else in the industry) to research real opportunities and pitch with confidence. 👉 charlijane.com Keep Inspiring,

Why Broad Topics Don't Book Stages ... And What to Say Instead I've been thinking about Africa lately. Growing up, my parents ran mission trips, and what I watched them do every single time was get specific. This village. This well. This need. That specificity is what got things done. And it's exactly what gets speakers booked. In this episode, I'm talking about why broad topics keep talented speakers from getting hired and the simple, specific shift that changes everything. In this episode: Why event planners need specificity, not generality The difference between a topic that floats and one that stops the scroll How to identify who you're really for and what problem you solve Why "marketer first, speaker second" starts with your topic The doable momentum move you can make on your message this week Free Resource: Ready to pitch your message to real stages? Grab my free list of 50 Events Looking for Speakers. Real opportunities actively seeking speakers right now, and the best way to step into our world. https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers Ready to go deeper? Come join us inside Charli Jane Speakers Club, where we help you nail your message AND give you AI-powered tools to find real opportunities and pitch with confidence.  https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club

Does Your Speaker Bio Pass the 60-Second Hireable Test? I was sitting with my coffee this morning, thinking about a member I worked with years ago, talented, gifted, and I couldn't figure out why the bookings weren't coming. We looked at her bio together, and I realized immediately: it was written for her, not for the planner. In this episode, I'm talking about the 60-second hireable test, what event planners are actually doing when they land on your page, and the three things every bookable bio needs to do fast, clearly, and confidently. After 24 years running Charli Jane Speakers and watching what gets speakers booked (and what quietly costs them stages), this is one of the most doable momentum moves you can make right now. In this episode: Why event planners scan instead of read, and what that means for your bio The 3 things every bookable bio must do in 60 seconds The shift from writing your story to solving the planner's problem Why this one fix can change your entire booking season Free Resources:  Want to start finding real stages right now? Grab my free list of 50 Events Looking for Speakers. These are real opportunities actively seeking speakers, and it's my favorite way to welcome you into our world. 👉 https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers  Join our 20k speaker group on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers  Ready to go deeper? Come join us inside Charli Jane Speakers Club, where we help you get your brand assets working AND give you AI-powered tools to find opportunities and pitch with confidence. 👉 https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club

Episode Title: Your Speaker Page Is Costing You Bookings — Here's the Fix I grabbed my coffee this morning and started scrolling through speaker websites — and I kept landing on the same feeling. So close. But not quite there. Beautiful pages, talented people, but something was quietly working against them. In this episode, I'm talking about the gap between a page that looks professional and a page that actually converts — and the small, fixable things that make all the difference to a busy event planner who's deciding in seconds whether to reach out or move on. After 24 years running Charli Jane Speakers, I've watched this pattern more times than I can count. The good news? Every single thing I'm talking about today is completely fixable — and you don't need a rebrand or a big budget to do it. In this episode: Why event planners close your tab without ever reaching out The gap between "looks professional" and "feels hireable" The most common fixable mistakes on speaker pages Why clarity converts better than impressive every single time What doable momentum looks like for your speaker page right now Free Resource 🎁 Ready to start finding real stages while you polish your page? Grab my free list of 50 Events Looking for Speakers — real opportunities actively seeking speakers right now, and the best way to step into our world. 👉 https://charlijane.shop/speaking-gigs/  Ready to go deeper? Come join us inside Charli Jane Speakers Club — where we help you build brand assets that work AND give you AI-powered tools to research opportunities and pitch with confidence. 👉 https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club  Keep Inspiring, Wendi xo

Talk Title Formulas That Meeting Planners Actually Book If your talk title sounds broad, meeting planners skip it — even if your talk is fantastic. In this episode, you’ll get 5 talk title formulas (plus examples) to make your promise crystal clear and instantly more bookable. What You’ll Learn (bullets) Why “good” talks get ignored (it’s usually the title and outcomes) The difference between a topic title vs an outcome title How to add “the room” (who it’s for + when it’s used) so it fits an agenda 5 proven talk title formulas you can reuse forever How to write outcomes planners can copy/paste into an agenda Quick Wins (for listeners who want the shortcut) Do these 3 things today: Swap vague words (“inspiring,” “powerful,” “transformational”) for a clear result Add the room (who it’s for and where it’s used) Write 2–3 outcomes that sound like takeaways, not themes Links and Resources  Read the blog post: http://charlijane.com/190 Download the Talk Title & Outcomes Builder Grab the free list of 50 events looking for speakers Speaker One-Sheet Starter Kit  Join Breakthrough Public Speakers (FB group)

Meeting planners do not read your one sheet. They scan it. In this episode, I’m walking you through the 7 things planners look for fast so your one sheet feels clearer, more credible, and easier to say yes to. What You’ll Learn What planners are deciding in the first minute The 7 elements that make a one-sheet feel bookable The most common one-sheet mistake that quietly kills replies How to make your one sheet easier to scan and easier to book Quick Action Step Open your one sheet and scan it like a planner. In 60 seconds, can you find: Your one-line promise Your talk titles with outcomes Your proof How to book you If any of those are hard to spot, that is your fix list. Links and Resources Read the blog post: https://charlijane.com/189 Free list of 50 events looking for speakers https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers  Speaker One Sheet Starter Kit: https://charlijane.samcart.com/products/onesheet-starter-kit  Join Breakthrough Public Speakers https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers  If you want your one sheet to look hireable fast, grab the Speaker One Sheet Starter Kit. Then choose one fix from today’s episode and update it before you send your next pitch.

How to Write a Speaker Pitch Email That Gets Opened If you’ve been pitching yourself for speaking gigs and hearing crickets, the problem might not be your topic; it might be how you’re showing up in the inbox.  In this episode, I break down a simple 3-part speaker pitch email formula that helps meeting planners actually open your email, read it, and respond.  You’ll learn how to write a subject line that gets opened, an opening line that builds instant connection, and a short pitch that makes it easy to say yes … without writing a novel. What You’ll Learn Why generic subject lines get ignored (even if your talk is great) A simple subject line structure that signals relevance fast How to start your email without leading with “Hi I’m a speaker…” The “about them” opening line that builds trust instantly How to pitch your talk without dumping your whole bio and links The easiest next step to invite (without sounding pushy) The 3-Part Pitch Email Formula Subject Line: Personal + Specific Opening Line: Make it about them (prove you did your homework) Value and Next Step: One clear outcome with an easy reply prompt Resources Mentioned 1. Pitch Templates (grab them here): https://charlijane.com/pitchpackbundle 2. Free list: 50 Events Looking for Speakers Right Now: https://charlijane.com/call-for-speakers  Want to Connect + Get More Speaking Leads? Join my Facebook speaker community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakthroughpublicspeakers  Quick Ask 😊 If you found this helpful, share this episode with a speaker friend who’s been hearing crickets and tell me inside the Facebook group what subject line you’re going to use next.