Here are five things you can stop doing immediately to free up some time… so you can refocus your efforts for better results and a stronger business.

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#1 Trade Podcasts for New C-Suite Connections

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Thirteen hours might be on the high end, but according to some research, that’s how long the average podcaster spends on each episode of their show. This includes time for pre-production all the way through editing, distribution, and promotion. (Yikes!)

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Do just five episodes, and you can see how that adds up to a huge chunk of time that could be spent on something else.

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Reinvest the time you would be spending on podcasts to do this instead. Research the right kind of event where there are a lot of C-level executives in your target fractals.

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Then, pack up your stuff and actually go attend the event. Yes, as a regular attendee! While there, you can network with these execs and start to build meaningful relationships. Since they represent the top tier of the Audience Hierarchy of Needs, these are the relationships that are most likely to result in new gigs.

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While hanging out at the event, you’ll learn a lot about that industry. Use this time to gain an understanding of how your speech covers the problems people are thinking and talking about.

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Ask a lot of questions during the sessions and interact with as many people as you can. Before too long, others will take notice. They’ll wonder about your insights, and it will spark conversations that naturally lead to new connections and gigs.

Full Transcript

Don't

spend 13 hours per episode on your podcast.

research and attend an event filled with high-potential clients.

#2 Trade LinkedIn Posts for Rehearsal (with Posts)

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Sure, LinkedIn is a great way to connect with potential clients. But don’t get swept away by the allure of earning new gigs directly through your posts.

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Remember, your speech is the thing that actually matters the most for your speaking business. A transformational speech has the power to energize your audience and inspire others to refer you for future gigs.

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So, trade in that time spent on LinkedIn and head to an open space for some solid rehearsal. (I use my garage because I have room to practice my stagecraft.)

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Rehearsal is going to make your speech better and more transformative, and that’s going to lead to more stageside leads when you do get onto a stage.

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If you really want to, you can even take a video or photo of your rehearsal to share as a post on LinkedIn.

Don't

spend five hours a week marketing your products or services on LinkedIn.

reinvest this time in solid blocks of speech rehearsal.

#3 Trade Blog Posts for Lunch-and-Learns

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Ideation, writing, posting, feedback… phew.

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Keeping up with your weekly blog post habit takes up a lot of your time. In fact, the average blogger spends eight hours per week. It’s time to trade in those posts for something that will earn you more gigs, faster!

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The only reason you’re writing that blog post in the first place is to get in front of the audiences who will want to hire or refer you for gigs. So, why not just go right to the source?

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Network with those C-level executives you know through in-person events, LinkedIn, or even a basic phone call. Tell them about the new speech you’re working on and offer them the chance to bring you in for a free lunch-and-learn.

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A “lunch-and-learn” is a mini-event you can offer organizations where you go into their place of business and deliver your speech while employees happily munch away on their meals. It’s not a super prestigious event, and you’re not getting paid, after all.

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But it does give you the chance to iterate your speech and look for ways to improve your delivery. You can earn valuable audience feedback that will help your speech move forward so it reaches the point when it’s truly “referable”—when it is so good that it consistently earns stageside leads.

Don't

spend eight hours a week on your blog post.

contact your c-level executive contacts and offer to do lunch-and-learns.

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#4 Trade in Social Media for Breakout Sessions

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Holy smokes! This one really amazed me, but I can see how it’s true. Most people spend about 10 hours each week on social media—posting content, creating content, researching topics, and viewing videos for work.

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That’s practically a part time job all on its own!

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Remember, the faster you can iterate your speech—repeat and improve—the faster your speech will become referable. That’s why it makes sense to take a new speech to events where you rock the breakout stage for little to no speaking fee.

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I always try to get at least my travel expenses covered. This means you’re giving your speech for free, but you’re not operating at a loss. The client will pay for your airfare and hotel fee.

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So, take all that time you were going to invest in browsing social media, posting content, and building your personal brand, and reinvest that time into sending your session description to associations and organizations you’re currently or previously connected to.

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Do some research on the details for their next event so you know who will be there and what types of topics they care about most. Then, reach out to those you know who are organizing it and offer to deliver your newest speech on their breakout stage.

Don't

spend 10 hours a week on social media.

spend this time doing free breakout sessions with your travel expenses covered.

#5 Trade YouTube for an Improved Session Description

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Honestly, seven hours per week is on the low end of what people spend creating their YouTube videos from start to finish. This includes the ideation, writing, production, editing, publishing and promotion. These tasks really add up!

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Up above, we talked about sending a session description to event organizers as a way to earn a spot on their breakout stages. Notice that the session description is the main thing these event organizers will use to make their decision on whether or not your speech is a good fit for their audience.

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So, make it excellent!

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The key to a great session description is that you constantly send it out, receive feedback, and refine the wording until it works to reliably sell your speech. Take some time to start revising your session description today. You won’t be sorry.

Don't

spend seven hours per week on your YouTube videos.

trade in this time for solid time working on your speech’s most valuable marketing tool: your session description.

How’s the Trade-Off Going?

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Let go of the idea that “marketing and personal branding building” are the keys to your speaking success. Instead, reinvest all those hours you spend creating content and put it towards more fruitful tasks.

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Eventually, you’ll see the long-term benefits. You’ll start getting those gigs, and more stageside leads will start popping out of the woodwork.

Don't

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#2 Trade LinkedIn Posts for Rehearsal (with Posts)

‍

Sure, LinkedIn is a great way to connect with potential clients. But don’t get swept away by the allure of earning new gigs directly through your posts.

‍

So, trade in that time spent on LinkedIn and head to an open space for some solid rehearsal. (I use my garage because I have room to practice my stagecraft.)

‍

Rehearsal is going to make your speech better and more transformative, and that’s going to lead to more stageside leads when you do get onto a stage.

‍

If you really want to, you can even take a video or photo of your rehearsal to share as a post on LinkedIn.

Dont

spend five hours a week marketing your products or services on LinkedIn.

reinvest this time in solid blocks of speech rehearsal.

#3 Trade Blog Posts for Lunch-and-Learns

‍

Ideation, writing, posting, feedback… phew.

‍

The only reason you’re writing that blog post in the first place is to get in front of the audiences who will want to hire or refer you for gigs. So, why not just go right to the source?

‍

Don't

spend eight hours a week on your blog post.

contact your c-level executive contacts and offer to do lunch-and-learns.

#4 Trade in Social Media for Breakout Sessions

‍

That’s practically a part time job all on its own!

‍

I always try to get at least my travel expenses covered. This means you’re giving your speech for free, but you’re not operating at a loss. The client will pay for your airfare and hotel fee.

‍

Don't

spend 10 hours a week on social media.

spend this time doing free breakout sessions with your travel expenses covered.