5/9/2025
Editors: Rebecca Morgan & Ken Braly
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SNN Webcast Info
Wednesday, May 14
Sell Smarter with AI:
Turn Speaking Leads into Booked Gigs (webcast)
with Julie Holmes
Everywhere you turn these days, somebody is touting how AI (Artificial Intelligence) is going to change the world. It’s going to be such a boon to our business, they say.
Yes, maybe it can help you write an email, but where have you seen AI put to actual use doing something vital to your day-to-day speaking business?
As you know, actually speaking is a small part of the job. It’s finding speaking engagements that is the real work. Can AI help with that chore? In our next session, you’ll see how our expert uses AI daily to do exactly that.
Read more about this session at the bottom of this newsletter, then register for the live program or pre-order the recording.
Note: Special time: 9:00-10:00 am PDT
Note: Everyone who registers for the live webcast session or orders the recording will get a link to the recorded video of the online webcast, as well as the audio MP3 for convenient re-listening.
Save the date:
- Wed., May 21 — “Engage & Elevate: Low-Tech, High-Impact Strategies for In-Person and Virtual Connection” with Jason LeVasseur, CSP, VMP
Miscellaneous Tips
Don’t be a commodity (unless you want to be replaced by a robot) — Azadeh Yaraghi
In a saturated speaking market, sounding “professional” isn’t enough. You must be unforgettable! If your brand looks and feels like a polished commodity, you’re setting yourself up to be price-shopped or ignored. Audiences and event planners don’t just want information. They want a perspective and a personality they can connect to. Get clear on what makes you YOU — your point of view, your emotional energy, your style. Then let that shine through your website, marketing, and onstage presence. Be the speaker they can’t help but remember — and rebook.
Think panel discussions are beneath you? You’re wrong — Vickie Sullivan
You’ve likely noticed the increase of panel discussions instead of workshops at conferences. You may be tempted to dismiss those panels. Don’t. They are powerful opportunities.
It’s easy to see why panels are so popular. They engage more members and facilitate more discussions afterwards. It’s a lecture vs. a conversation.
Thought leaders who use speaking as a branding tool must embrace this trend and use the format strategically. Panels allow you to showcase how you think. They give you an opportunity to move past explaining your methodology and use discernment. For example, you can make short predictions folks may not have thought of or highlight observations rarely discussed.
Instead of disseminating information or presenting a system, you showcase your approach, how you think. And in doing so, you infer that you have insider access and insights.
To do this successfully, you must give up your need to educate people in real time. (You can do that online now.) Instead, use speaking formats like panel discussions to showcase your ability to discern and call the game. Education and lectures aren’t the only way to create intrigue.
Travel Tips
Previewing menus for special diet needs — Jessica Setnick
My dietician colleague, Melissa Altman-Traub, shared this tip: If a hotel website doesn’t include their restaurant menus, check Facebook for a “fans of” group where you can ask regulars what to expect. You can also email the hotel to ask about special diets and requests.
Changes for US speakers working in Canada — Chuck Reaves
Speaking in Canada has gone back to how it was in the 90s. Border crossings for work are being discouraged and even denied. The idea is that we are taking away work a Canadian can do. TEC Canada books many US speakers and uses the same government paperwork they’ve used for years. They are trying to revise it. I’ve been taken to the interrogation room with their forms a couple of times and finally allowed to enter (once after several hours).
Do not fall prey to some of the tricks you may have heard about. Telling the immigration officer you are there to vacation will land you in trouble if they find business materials like handouts in your bags. Even if you speak for one day and take a vacation for several more, they won’t like it. Having a copy of your book with your name on the front and explaining that it is covered by an international copyright (which it usually is) can be convincing, depending on the agent.
Having a NEXUS credential has allowed some speakers to enter without question while others have been stopped.
The recent election of a new Prime Minister may make matters worse. His acceptance speech pointed to the US as the “problem” and the EU as the solution. Some people are reporting agents are taking a harder look at us.
And, of course, ensure you are compensated in US$. You may be asked what percentage of your work was in Canada. If you spent nine hours in your office researching and preparing for a 60-minute keynote...
Meanwhile, airlines are cutting back on flights to Canada and Mexico as summer demand has decreased. Delta CEO Ed Bastian alerted their employees in April to expect a slowdown; Southwest is canceling flights to numerous destinations.
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“Best Practice Travel Tips from Road Warriors.” Ten years of the best travel tips from SNN readers. 8 eBooklets. Special limited-time pricing now for SNN readers. Download your set today. |
SpeakerNet News Webcast Info
Wednesday, May 14
Sell Smarter with AI:
Turn Speaking Leads into Booked Gigs (webcast)
with Julie Holmes
Here’s the hard truth: Finding great speaking opportunities takes more hustle than delivering the actual keynote. But what if you could flip that equation using AI as a strategic advantage? As a global speaker on AI & innovation, Julie doesn’t just talk about AI — she built it and uses it every single day for her own speaking business.
In this no-fluff session, Julie will show you exactly how she rebuilt her speaking business from zero to six figures in six months using a systematic approach now supercharged by AI. This isn’t theory; these are the exact strategies she uses daily to find, pursue, and close high-value speaking gigs.
You’ll walk away knowing how to:
- find the right people at the right time — Identify decision-makers when they’re actually ready to book.
- cut through the noise — Craft personalized outreach that gets responses, not eye-rolls.
- build a repeatable system — Turn one-off bookings into a consistent revenue fountain.
This session is all about working smarter, not harder (but make no mistake ... there is still work to be done!). Julie will show you how to use AI as your “intern” to handle the heavy lifting while you focus on what machines can’t do — bringing your unique expertise and personality to close the deal. The stage is yours!
Register for the live program or order the recording.Note: Everyone who registers for the live webcast session or orders the recording will get a link to the recorded video of the online webcast, as well as the audio MP3 for convenient re-listening.
Date: Wednesday, May 14
Special Time: 12:00 pm Eastern (11 am Central, 10 am Mountain, 9 am Pacific)
(Enter your location here to get your local time)
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $49 (webcast)
Special Limited-Time Offer:
If you would like more ideas for using AI to grow your business, we’re suggesting the recordings of several earlier programs to complement this program:
- “Searching for Speaking Engagements: Secrets to Leveraging Search and AI to Find Speaking Opportunities and Grow Your Business” with Sam Richter, CSP, CPAE
- “Ridiculously Easy Ways to Amplify Your Reach and Your Revenue with AI” with Shawna Suckow, CSP
With your order of this live or recorded session, at checkout you will be offered these recordings.
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