1. Handout packet
Become a Paid Speaker
Bill O’Hanlon, M.S.
Bill O’Hanlon, Possibilities, 223 N. Guadalupe #278, Santa Fe, NM 87501
505.983.2843; Bill@billohanlon.com; www.billohanlon.com;
www.paidpublicspeaker.com
Special Offer for Practice Building Conference participants:
Register for Bill’s online course on Becoming a Paid Public Speaker, usually $250, and
get a $100 discount.
Find out about the course and register here:
http://www.paidpublicspeaker.com/Online/page27.html
When you click the Add to Cart button and it takes you to the shopping cart, put in the
coupon code: PBVC
Another special offer for Practice Building Conference participants:
Register for Bill’s small group intensive live coaching course on Becoming a Paid Public
Speaker in Santa Fe in January 2010 and get a $100 discount
Find out about the course and register here:
http://www.paidpublicspeaker.com/paidpublicspeaker/livecourse.html
When you click the Add to Cart button and it takes you to the shopping cart, put in the
coupon code: PBVC

2. How to Become a Successful Workshop Presenter Page 2
Options for Getting Started or Expanding Your Workshop Career
Self-Sponsoring
Fastest way to get started
This is a hard path, with many skills and lots of sweat equity involved
But you have control over marketing, topic, location and timing
You can learn things that will help you later in your speaking career
How to write brochure copy
What sells
How to speak well
Get great mailing lists
Free presentations in your local and regional area
Record everything for feedback and for possible products
Get evidence of your speaking and of how well you did
Network and upsell
Use the revenue enhancing strategies
Multi-faculty presentations
Record everything for feedback and for possible products
Get evidence of your speaking and of how well you did
Network and upsell
Use the revenue enhancing strategies
Go see others present (for dos and don’ts)
Work for better slots (keynotes, longer presentations and so on)
Contact National Sponsors
Speakers Bureaus
Big bucks once you get established
Like getting a trade book published; it is hard to break in
Need a slick video (3-camera) and packet
Write books
I get calls, emails, letter and faxes from people who have read my books and want
to know if I do speaking engagements
Books give you instant credibility and prestige, even if people haven’t read them
Even if they are self-published
Build your platform
One plank at a time

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Checklist for Action Steps to Getting Hired by National Sponsors
❐ Obtain names and addresses of national sponsors
 From ads in national magazines
 From brochures you or others receive in the mail
❐ Get your material ready to send
 Brochures
 Topic lists
 Photo
 Blurbs/connections
 Audio/video examples
 Books/articles
 Platform statement
 Outline/objectives in the form the sponsor uses
 One sheet promo
❐ Find the name of the decision maker, if possible
 Write a query letter or accompanying letter
 Send your materials (in the form requested or preferred by the sponsor)
 Follow up gently but persistently
 Re-inquire or re-submit in the future, when conditions may change
 Find a connection with a speaker that the sponsor knows and get a
recommendation or referral if possible
❐ Keep expanding your platform
 Do more speaking-related activities
 Compile evidence
 Get feedback forms and collect the best comments

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Identifying Your Passion and Mission for Speaking
What Energizes You?
Pissed
What upsets you or what do you think is wrong in the world that you want to set
right?
Where do people have myths or misunderstandings that you would like to set
straight?
Where are people suffering or floundering needlessly that you can help them?
What are people oblivious about that you can wake them up to?
Blissed
What excites you?
What are you fascinated by or compelled by?
What can’t you stop reading about, doing, learning about, or telling others about
because you are so interested in it or so excited about it?
Fear
What do you know is true or important but are afraid you’ll get attacked about or
be too exposed or visible if you say it?
Your mission (should you decided to accept it)
If you weren’t restrained by modesty or fear, what contribution would you like to
make in the world?
How would the world be different if you succeeded in making that contribution?
What would people know or do differently after they got your information or
help?

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Focusing Your Topic
Titles
Brainstorm with sponsors after you get connected
Check out other people’s titles and what grabs you
Market test different titles
With attendees
With sponsors
A/B mailings and ads
Keep it short and sweet if possible
Subtitles can have more detail and be longer
Problem, promise and program included if possible
Have a clear focus and don’t try to teach too many things at once
Do One Thing Different example
Mindfulness is too broad; Mindfulness for Depression is better

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How to Do Compelling Presentations
“Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theatre.” –Gail Goodwin
Practice, practice, practice
It takes me about 20 times or more to really get a presentation down
It took me years to be a competent and skilled presenter
Listen to and attend to feedback/critiques/requests
What is your most frequent critical comment?
What do people like about your presentations?
What objection(s) do people make in their questions or comments during the
workshop?
Model on others
What did you like about another’s presentation?
What didn’t you like?
Pump sponsors for their knowledge about good presentations/presenters
Ask colleagues or friends what they liked about recent presentations they attended
Ask them what they didn’t like
Be yourself
Be prepared
Roll with the punches/unexpected situations
Be nice
Be flexible
Practice new material out loud
It’s not the same doing it in your head
Record it and listen back to yourself
Constantly improve the presentation
Kaizen
Typos
Invite critiques and suggestions-From sponsors and from attendees
Master the technology
The Secret Structure (see separate handout)
Use multi-modal presenting
Using the space and gestures skillfully

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Dealing with and Overcoming Fear of Speaking
What are you afraid of?
Failure
Criticism
Mistakes
Looking foolish
Forgetting what you are going to say
Nervousness
Standards/specifications
TV and movies model perfect, clever and witty speech
Pre-written speech is more coherent than most everyday speech and public
speaking
Physical nervousness
Breathing
Posture
Psychological nervousness
Focus on externals rather than self-consciousness
Focus on nodding/smiling//responsive audience members
Be prepared
Start with strong material
Be Yourself
Easier said than done; it takes lots of effort for most of us to be natural
Experience speaking helps. The each presentation you give doesn’t have your
entire reputation or self-esteem riding on it.
Remember: If you blank out, get nervous or lose your place, get real, confess, be
vulnerable and/or ask for help
Resources:
Lee Glickstein’s Be Heard Now!: Tapping Into Your Inner Speaker and Communicate
with Ease; Sounds True audiotapes; www.leeglickstein.com; NY; Broadway Books,
1999.
Ron Hoff’s I Can See You Naked, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1992

8. How to Become a Successful Workshop Presenter Page 8
Building Your Platform/Portfolio
PLATFORM: What lifts you above other speakers in terms of reputation, accomplishment,
credentials, expertise, marketing channels and possibilities and how well known you are
Begin to create evidence of your accomplishments
As an expert, as a speaker, as a success in any arena
Collect any articles written about or by you
Collect any flyers or brochures of any speaking engagements
List any and all speaking engagements
List any books you’ve written
List any endorsement blurbs from well-known people or attendees.
Take small and large steps to expand your platform
Start small and perhaps unpaid and go on from there.
Take any and all speaking engagements, TV appearances, radio, magazine or newspaper
interviews.
Actively solicit bigger venues, sponsors and more money as you gain confidence,
evidence and reputation.
Self-sponsor your own presentations.
Create products that can enhance your revenue when you speak.
Build a website for you and your products.
Create an audio and a video demo of your speaking.
Create outlines, descriptions and objectives of your presentations.
Get a resume put together.
Have a black and white and color photo available as a computer (.jpg) file.
Get blurbs from well-known people on you or your speaking.

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10. How to Become a Successful Workshop Presenter Page 10

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Speaking Internationally
Fee differences
Most other countries, including Canada, cannot afford US fees
I charge a set fee per day in US dollars plus expenses, so I do not have to worry
about currency fluctuations
Passport/visas/business visas
You need a passport these days except for Canada and Mexico
You may need a business visa; check with airlines or on websites
You may not get a business visa; handle with caution
Translations
Simultaneous
Sequential
None
Currency
ATMs or credit cards have been best for me, not traveler’s checks
Electricity/TV differences
Most countries, with the exception of Canada, have different plugs for electricity
(and telephones); two kinds of converters (plugs and voltage)
Television standards are mainly three in the world (North American; PAL;
SECAM) – Use computer video and LCD if possible, bypassing the whole issue
Otherwise, get them converted or arrange for US standard machine to be available
Hotel differences
Most places have smaller and less comfortable hotels than the US, unless you or
your sponsor pay out the yin-yang; it may be worth it to you
Cultural differences
Get a book or tape
Pay attention
Ask
Apologize
Great for your platform back home. This impresses most people.

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Keeping Your Career Alive in the Long Run
Avoid rudeness and prima donna or dilettante behavior
You can get away with it for a while, but it will catch up to you
Stale topics
Keep yourself and your audiences interested
Some people get by with essentially one topic their whole career
Others will fall by the wayside because they have nothing new
Some people’s topics are themselves (Steve Gilligan)
Greed
Find a balance between being too easy and too demanding financially
Be generous – Give things away to balance how much you are making and envy
Burn out
Keep yourself alive in the work – passion, change, learning new things, balance
stretching yourself with security and comfort
Learn to travel well
Keep your health up
Manage your time
Dealing with groupies or Intrusive fans
Sting’s wisdom (and Sting’s wife’s wisdom)
The temptations and the limitations/worries
Avoiding or minimizing family/marital problems
Balance is important, but hard to find
The shadow syndrome
Don’t be “on” all the time
Phone calls/postcards/gifts
Always leave a number where you can be reached

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Self-Sponsoring Information
Meeting Space Negotiation 101
Finding the space and identifying the cities
Negotiating costs
Hotel room nights
Comp rooms for presenter and sponsor
Meeting space
Food and beverage
Airline and Rental Car Information
Negotiating rates and rebates
Printing and Mailing Information
Size of brochure
Colors
Costs for printing
Costs for mailing
Response rate
1% is good
Numbers to mail
Figure your costs and then use return rates to determine how many to mail
Number of times to mail
Registration Information
Determining the workshop registration fee
Creative Ideas for Increasing Response and Return Customer Rates
Discounts at one workshop for future workshops
Frequent attendee rate
Special recognition through ribbons
Attendee advisory board
Brochure Design 101
Colors
Special features
Size
Blurbs

14. How to Become a Successful Workshop Presenter Page 14
Hiring a Company to Organize your Workshops
Cassidy Strategic
Seminar and Conference Management
409 Mendecino Ave. Suite D, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
866.836.9895
www.cassidystrategic.com
The offer:
Site selection
Registrations services: online, phone, fax and mail
Marketing and Brochure Design
Mailing lists
Accreditation and record keeping
Certificates of completion: online and hard copies

15. How to Become a Successful Workshop Presenter Page 15
The Ten Ps of Successful Presenting
Passion – What energizes and moves you? What motivates you to want to give this
information to people?
Preparation – Getting all your materials together and developing the knowledge and
skills needed to present well
Population/Position – Who is the audience for this material and what sponsors or venues
can provide you access to this audience? What is your unique slant or take on the topic?
Problem – What problem or need does your presentation speak to?
Promise – What will participants/attendees get or know or be able to do after they hear
your presentation?
Program/Prescription – What are the components of your unique approach to fulfilling
the promise?
Performance – How well and effectively can you communicate your message?
Portfolio/Platform – How credible are you? How big is your name recognition? Who
has endorsed you? What degrees or expertise do you have? What have you
accomplished? How often have you spoken? How many people know who you are or
how many people can you reach with your publicity channels?
Plan – Make a specific, step-by-step action plan and timeline for realizing your
presenting goals and dreams; get a committed friend to help keep you on track and coach
you when you flake out or falter
Persist – Don’t give up. Keep trying different things until you find what works. Outlast
the competition.

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YOUR PLAN OF ACTION
I plan to:
By this date:
The person (or people) who will help me keep on track and be accountable is (are):
If I have a setback or don’t keep my commitment, I plan to get back on track by:
I plan to email the group about my progress on these dates: