Podcast Episode: How Authors Can Become In-Demand Speakers
Public Speaking for Authors with Renowned Speaker and Trainer Michael Port
Developing polished public speaking skills is a tremendous asset, given the central role authors play in book marketing and promotion. They can also help raise your personal visibility and potentially let you earn lucrative expert speaking fees. In this episode of Smith Publicity’s “All Things Book Marketing” podcast, Dan Smith has an informative conversation with renowned public speaker and trainer Michael Port, CEO and Co-Founder of Heroic Public Speaking. Michael explains how almost any motivated author can become a popular public speaker to earn good money and sell books.
Authors are wise to consider the expanded opportunities their books provide them, including being seen as expert speakers. It’s also why the exposure gained in a book publicity and PR campaign has residual benefits for years to come. In designing marketing and author promotion programs, Smith book publicists consider many angles, including public speaking platforms, to get the word out about a book. If you do well and find you enjoy it, you’ll likely be asked to speak or give presentations to other groups. It can all be part of personality cultivation for authors, making them in-demand speakers and trusted sources for the media.
Book and Author Publicity Support Your Business
Executives and professional practice leaders can drive substantial new client acquisition activity with public speaking engagements and by becoming authors. Adding a book to your resume often increases the chances you’ll be called on to speak or be interviewed by the media. Book publicity opens many doors for business people that can be challenging to achieve until you’re a published author. Today many executives and professionals choose to become authors to achieve business and sales goals and sell copies of their books.
More About Michael Port
Michael Port has written nine books, including The Referable Speaker, Book Yourself Solid and Steal the Show, the latter of which—according to the former President of Starbucks—might be the most unique and practical book ever written on the topic of public speaking.
He’s been called an uncommonly honest author by the Boston Globe, a marketing guru by The Wall Street Journal, a sales guru by the Financial Times, a public speaking phenom by Jonathan Fields, and the best public speaking coach in the world by Lewis Howes. The founder of MastermindTalks, Jayson Gaignard, declared, Michael Port is the best speaker I’ve ever seen.
His books have been on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly and have been selected by Amazon and 800-CEO-READ as Best Books of the Year.
He was once a professional actor, having received his MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program, guest starring on shows like “Sex & The City” and “Law & Order,” and in films like “The Pelican Brief” and “Down to Earth.” These days, Michael can be seen on MSNBC, CNBC, and PBS as an on-air expert in communication and business development and as the host of the most popular podcast on public speaking and performance, “Steal the Show” with Michael Port.