4 Speaker Training Programs To Help You Speak Better and Make Money Doing It.

Ramon Ray

Getting paid to speak as a professional speaker is a desire of so many people. Others want to speak better in their corporate jobs. There’s a lot of ways to get better at speaking and/or learn the BUSINESS of speaking.

Professional speaking is about getting a few basics right in the area of overall communication

Great listening
Speech/presentation verbal delivery
Engagement (Humor always helps)
Stage presence
Body movement, voice tonality, breath

If you’re looking to be a professional speaker and be paid to speak on stage, as I do, you have to be not only a GREAT speaker but also know the BUSINESS of speaking.

The National Speakers Association is one organization that can help.

If you’re a corporate professional and want to get better at speaking, Toast Masters is one option as well.

There’s also another way.

There are dozens of professionals who you can turn to, to TEACH you how to speak better and generate money doing it. These include my friends Dr. Delatorro McNeal of Crush the Stage and Dr. Will Moreland of Master the Mic. Another new entrant to the speaker training world is Lisa Nichols. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also shout out Michael and Amy Port of Heroic Public speaking.

In this article I want to highlight four other professional speaker trainers:

Ashley Kirkwood, Speak Your Way to Cash
Grant Baldwin, The Speaker Lab
Kim Walsh Phillips, Powerful Professionals
and Pete Vargas, 10x Stages

But first a bit more on investing in speaker programs.

Why Invest in a Speaker Training Mastermind or Program?

There are often a few ways you can invest in these programs.

Free – All of them often have some FREE opportunity to learn from them on a limited basis. For free (or low cost). These opportunities you SHOULD take advantage of to see if the program is really for you and see the style and flavor of each program.

Attend and event – In addition to these free opportunities, many of them have in-person events you can sign up for to learn a bit more. Ashley, for example has 2 – 3 days events a few times per year and many of them have online workshops o webinars you can attend.

Mastermind – The next level with many of these programs are longer, intensive masterminds where you receive training, group learning and online training throughout the year.

Finally, if you want to GET on stage, many of these programs offer you varying levels of “stardom” to get on stage.

Peter Vargas has full on “show”, part of 10x Stages, where you can win the chance to speak at Grant Cardone’s 5,000-person 10x event, for example.

Here’s a profile (AI assisted) of 4 speaker trainers who I follow and who produce quite a bit of education for emerging professional speakers.

Ashley Kirkwood – Founder of Speak Your Way to Cash

Ashley Kirkwood is a dynamic entrepreneur and speaker who has made a name for herself in the public speaking industry. A former lawyer, Kirkwood leveraged her courtroom experience to launch Speak Your Way to Cash, a program designed to help professionals monetize their expertise through speaking engagements. Her innovative approach combines practical speaking techniques with business strategies, enabling her clients to secure high-paying speaking opportunities and build sustainable careers as public speakers.

Grant Baldwin – The Speaker Lab

Grant Baldwin is a renowned speaker coach and author who has helped thousands of aspiring speakers launch and grow their careers. His program, The Speaker Lab, offers comprehensive training on every aspect of the speaking business, from crafting compelling presentations to marketing oneself effectively. Baldwin’s expertise stems from his own successful speaking career, during which he delivered over 1,000 presentations to audiences worldwide. He is also the author of “The Successful Speaker: Five Steps for Booking Gigs, Getting Paid, and Building Your Platform.”

Kim Walsh Phillips is a marketing strategist who specializes in helping speakers and entrepreneurs grow their businesses through social media. As the founder of Powerful Professionals, she has developed programs that teach speakers how to leverage platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to attract speaking opportunities and build their personal brands. Walsh Phillips is known for her data-driven approach to marketing and her ability to help clients create content that resonates with their target audiences.

Pete Vargas – Advance Your Reach and 10x Stages

Pete Vargas is the founder of Advance Your Reach, a company dedicated to helping speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs share their messages on stages across the world. Vargas has pioneered the concept of “stage agencies,” which connect speakers with event organizers and help manage the logistics of speaking engagements. His program teaches clients how to craft their signature stories, secure speaking opportunities, and maximize the impact of their time on stage. Vargas’s methods have helped place thousands of speakers on stages, generating millions in revenue for his clients.

Here’s an overview of some aspects of their programs

Speak Your Way to Cash (Ashley Kirkwood)

Speak Your Way to Cash is designed to help professionals turn their expertise into a profitable speaking career. The program typically includes:

Strategies for identifying and developing your unique speaking niche
Techniques for crafting compelling presentations
Guidance on pricing your speaking services
Methods for marketing yourself as a speaker
Tips on negotiating contracts and booking high-paying gigs
Advice on building a sustainable speaking business

Ashley Kirkwood often emphasizes the importance of positioning oneself as an expert and using speaking as a tool to generate multiple income streams.

10x Stages (Pete Vargas)

10x Stages, Pete Vargas is also commonly associated with “Advance Your Reach.” His program(s) focus on:

Identifying your “signature talk” that resonates with audiences
Strategies for landing speaking engagements
Techniques for maximizing the impact of your time on stage
Methods for generating leads and sales from speaking engagements
Building relationships with event organizers and decision-makers
Scaling your speaking business through partnerships and referrals

The Speaker Lab (Grant Baldwin)

The Speaker Lab is a comprehensive program that covers various aspects of building a speaking career. Key components often include:

Defining your speaking topic and target audience
Crafting a compelling speaker bio and marketing materials
Techniques for finding and booking speaking gigs
Strategies for setting and negotiating speaking fees
Tips on delivering engaging presentations
Advice on building a personal brand as a speaker
Guidance on the business aspects of a speaking career, including contracts and logistics

Grant Baldwin’s approach often emphasizes practical, actionable steps and is based on his extensive experience in the speaking industry.

These programs generally aim to provide comprehensive guidance for individuals looking to start or grow their speaking careers, covering both the art of public speaking and the business aspects of the industry.

Would you like more information on any specific aspect of these programs or the speaking industry in general?

Kim Walsh Phillips

Kim has a variety of programs for speakers to help them gain confidence on stage and know where to speak and how to better pith themselves. She’s partnered with Justin Gurani, an actor on Broadway and TV to help speakers be better on stage.

Here workshops have included a variety of benefits including:

Your Personal Speaker Brand: How to create a magnetic message that attracts your right fit audience
Your Grand Entrance: Building anticipation, interest and a unique competitive advantage from the moment you hit the stage
Your Dream Stages: Creating the roadmap to landing your dream speaking gigs
Creation of a brand message script with the Million Dollar Marketing Expert, Kim Walsh Phillips, to attract your perfect-fit client in droves
Performance coaching from Award-Winning Confidence Coach Justin Guarini with insider tips on how to squash nerves and deliver a memorable talk
Develop the “Land the Stage” Plan
Custom Design of your Speaker One Sheet
Professional hair and makeup
Professional photography for branding lifestyle photos
Professional video recording and photography to amplify your brand

If you want to speak better or be a professional speaker there’s MANY options for you. Part of it is your desire to OVERCOME the feature and get out there and practice, put in the work and get better and better.

Ramon Ray

Ramon Ray is unapologetically positive. He's an in-demand keynote motivational speaker and publisher of ZoneofGenius.com. Ramon's an expert on personal branding and author of the book, "Celebrity CEO", about how entrepreneurs can build their personal brands. Ramon's a serial entrepreneur who has started 5 companies and sold three of them. Get to know Ramon better at RamonRay.com.

All Posts