One of the most rewarding times for a speaker is that magic moment when they realize they have connected with their audience. Whether its seeing the intense focus on their faces at a live event, or hearing the excitement and interest in their voices on a webinar, this moment is what every speaker works towards. It’s the moment they know that their message is being understood and lives are being changed because of it.

Speaking at events that are organized by others is a great way to begin building your reputation, expanding your audience and growing your marketing list. And once you have built a substantial list of followers, you will want to begin hosting your own events. The attendee rate at most live events is only a small fraction of the total number on your list, so in order to have a good turnout for your event, you need to be able to market it to a large number of your target market.

Which events do you think would bring you the best results—those that are hosted by others or the ones you host yourself? Actually, the answer is that both offer certain advantages that can bring good results.  A few of the more prominent ones are listed below.

Advantages of speaking at others’ events:

• The event planning is done for you. All of the details, such as planning, communications and marketing are done by the organizers. This allows you to focus on your presentation and the audience you will be sharing your message with.
• The appropriate target audience will be in attendance. The event will be designed for your target market so your captive audience will be there ready to hear your message. This is a great way to continue building your list and expanding your reach.
• The cost to you is minimal. Especially if the event is online, the cost will be minimal for you to have the opportunity to speak to your audience. And if the event is live, your expenses, if not paid by the organizers, would be limited primarily to your own travel costs. And sometimes you will be paid to speak.
• The opportunity for upselling is good. Most events will allow you to do some amount of self-promoting as part of your speaking agreement. This could include selling products at the event, offering discounts or prizes to attendees, etc.

Advantages of hosting your own event:

• You can customize the event. Hosting your own event allows you to create topics and design the event to best suit the needs of your audience. You can really get to the heart of your audience by speaking on the topics that are most relevant to them, reaching out to them and engaging them.
• The audience will be all yours!  When you host your own event, you can be assured that the attendees are there specifically to hear your message. They registered for YOUR event; they are interested in what you have to say to them that will speak to their hearts, resolve their problems or change their lives.
• You build relationships with your listeners. The relationships that you create as you speak to the heart of your listeners will turn your target audience into devoted followers. And you know what happens next…they sign up for your newsletter, tell others about you, your list grows, your market expands and your business grows.
• The trust factor grows.  People connect with those they know, like and trust. By getting up close and personal at your own event, you can build the trust that, in addition to growing your followers, will lead to upselling your next program or product.

My challenge to you this week is to continue securing speaking engagements that are organized by others, and in the meantime, draft a plan to host your own event within the next few months. When you’re ready to move forward with your own event, you’ll have your plan already outlined and you can begin planning the details to host an awesome event designed specifically for you and your audience!

If you are ready now to host your own event, but would rather have a skilled team to handle the details for you, Infinite Business Solutions is the right team for you. Our team offers years of experience in planning both online and live events for speakers at all levels of experience. We work with you to make sure that your event provides the best opportunity for you to share your brilliance and enjoy a successful event. We would love to plan your next event so that you can focus on what you do best—deliver your inspiring, transformational message. Contact us today and let’s get started!