As an entrepreneur, there will always be an excuse not to do something.

Not enough time.

Not enough money.

Not enough help.

When I talk to entrepreneurs, there are plenty of excuses as to why they are not booking speaking engagements to help grow their business.

They are hungry to get their message out there and become a known expert in their fields.

They have desire.

Passion.

Knowledge.

What I see as lacking is a plan and a strategy to turn their speaking goals into reality.

So, here is an easy step-by-step plan to get you more speaking opportunities.

Set Your Goals

It’s not enough to say “I want to speak” or “I want to speak more often.” Setting specific, tangible goals provides the clarity you need to succeed.

To help you get clear, consider how often you want to speak: weekly, monthly, quarterly?

There’s no right or wrong answer here. It’s up to you to determine what success looks like.

So, take a look at your calendar and get clear on that goal.

Identify your ideal audience

One of the biggest benefits of public speaking is gathering a group of prospects in one place.

If you could fill a room with prospective clients, who would those people be? Think about both demographics like gender, age and location as well as psychographics such as values, beliefs, interests and lifestyle.

This will give you a better perspective as to which organizations you should be speaking. This goes hand-in-hand with the next tip:

Determine where to speak

Once you determine who your ideal client is the next step is to find out where they hang out – both online and off. Think about associations, meet up groups, libraries or networking events happening in your local area. Attend those events to learn more about the organization, the membership and their events. This is a great way to build a relationship with the meeting organizers.

Decide what you want to speak about

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is often overlooked. What topic(s) are you an expert: Sales? Marketing? Health & Wellness? Numerology? Once you have a general category, break it down into specific titles you can use when submitting a proposal to be a guest speaker:

30 days to a healthier you

How to add six-figures to your business

10 Strategies to get clients on LinkedIn

Now it’s your turn. How have you been successful in booking speaking engagements? Post your thoughts in the comments below.