Confident Speaker: Build Your Public Speaking Confidence and Platform

AI Carol: 00:00

Welcome to the Confident Speaker Podcast by Speaking Your Brand. This is your host, AI Carol. Let me ask you, when was the last time you looked at your LinkedIn profile, really looked at it that and thought about it not from a job seeking perspective, but as a speaker? Here's the truth. Event organizers are on LinkedIn searching for speakers.

AI Carol: 00:20

And what they're looking for isn't just a polished bio and a list of qualifications. They're looking for evidence that you know your stuff, and that you can stand in front of a room with clarity, personality, and presence. I can't tell you how many speaking opportunities I've received simply because people found me on LinkedIn. Last year, a conference organizer messaged me out of the blue. She said, I saw a keynote speaker and AI strategist in your profile.

AI Carol: 00:45

We're looking for someone just like you. That keynote paid $7,500 And it all started because I optimized my profile intentionally as a speaker. So if you want to start getting more speaking invitations, especially those that come to you, LinkedIn is your friend. Let's talk about how to improve your profile so it positions you as the confident, credible speaker you are. Here are three things you can do today to optimize your LinkedIn presence.

AI Carol: 01:16

One, put speaker in your headline and your experience section. This sounds obvious, but most people completely miss it. Your headline is that tagline right under your name. It's searchable, which means when someone types in leadership speaker or diversity keynote speaker, having those terms in your headline makes you more likely to pop up. So instead of just executive coach or founder, include something like keynote speaker, leadership consultant, author, then make sure speaker is also listed as a role under the experience section.

AI Carol: 01:50

Even if you run your own business, you can create a role called speaker or workshop facilitator, and use that to describe your speaking topics and testimonials. Two, post content that shows you're a speaker. After every speaking engagement, whether it's on a big stage or a Zoom lunch and learn, post about it on LinkedIn. Add a photo, tag the organization if appropriate, and write a short caption. It doesn't need to be long, something like love sharing the session on personal branding with the Women in Tech Network today.

AI Carol: 02:22

Always grateful for the opportunity to inspire and connect. Even if you spoke last year, go find that photo, share it and say, throwback to one of my favorite speaking moments. This gives people proof that you're a speaker and it creates what I like to call positive pattern matching. They see you speak, so they start to think of you as a speaker. Three, grow and engage with your network strategically.

AI Carol: 02:48

LinkedIn isn't just a profile, it's a networking tool. Take a look through your connections and start building relationships with people who organize events, people at associations, companies or podcasts. Comment on their posts, share their events, add value in the comments. It doesn't take long and over time you begin to show up in their world, not as a cold pitch, but as someone helpful and familiar. When they need a speaker, you'll be top of mind.

AI Carol: 03:14

One bonus tip, consider updating your LinkedIn background image with a photo of you speaking. Whether it's on stage, in front of a flip chart or on a webinar, that visual further anchors your speaker identity. Now, if you're hesitating because you're thinking, but I'm not really a speaker, here's what I want you to know. If you've led a workshop, facilitated a training presented on Zoom to your team, you've spoken, you are a speaker. The only difference between someone who claims that title and someone who doesn't is that one of them decided to own it.

AI Carol: 03:47

So decide to own it. Put speaker on your profile, share your speaking moments, talk about the topics you're passionate about. When you start showing up as a speaker, the right people begin to show up for you. Whether that's podcast hosts, event organizers, or companies looking for experts like you. You can find more ways to work with us at speakingyourbrand.com.

AI Carol: 04:09

And if you're serious about landing more speaking engagements, you'll definitely wanna check out our LinkedIn for speakers masterclass. Be sure to follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don't miss any of our insightful and actionable strategies. This on demand episode was generated by my AI voice clone trained on speaking your brand content.