Mistakes Speakers Make with Bret Ridgway.

Welcome to Public Speaking with Peter George. Do you want to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then stay tuned as Peter and his guests discuss public speaking tips, techniques, and tactics that help you increase your impact, influence, and income. Here's your host, the author of The Captivating Public Speaker, Peter George.

Would you like to hear some of the things speakers do well? What about some of the things that might not have gone so well — including a mistake that cost a speaker $375,000? My guest, Bret Ridgway, shares a few war stories and other tips that can help you avoid some of the mistakes that could derail your success. Bret is a 25-year veteran of the speaking industry who got his start managing back sales tables at conferences in 1999, has done so for around 150 events, and in 2003 founded Speaker Fulfillment Services. Here's my conversation with Bret Ridgway.

The $375,000 Mistake

Peter: Did you really see a speaker make a mistake that cost them $375,000?

Bret: Yes. It was a multi-speaker event in the internet marketing space. The speaker had done what every speaker dreams of — created a true table rush. People were throwing their credit cards at our team. They were selling a SaaS product, a website building tool. $375,000 ran through the back of the room. Unfortunately, 30 days later, every single penny had to be refunded because the tool had a bug they could never fix. Massive embarrassment for the speaker, a big hit on the event promoter, and it didn't help my pocketbook either.

The mistake, in my opinion, was selling a product that had not yet been fully developed and tested. If you're going to sell something with a hard timeline and you can't meet that deadline, you're looking at a hole in your pocket and egg on your face.

Keynote Speaker vs. Platform Seller

Peter: What are your thoughts on a speaker focusing on keynote speaking versus platform selling?

Bret: It depends on your mission as a speaker. Keynotes are great, but you can make far more money as a platform seller if you can manage the process of selling effectively from the stage. I had a colleague who spoke at an event in the UK and in one 90-minute presentation generated $995,000 in sales. Obviously that's an outlier, but if you can sell effectively from the stage, you will generate far greater revenues than as a keynote speaker any day of the week.

At these multi-speaker events, the typical speaker has a 60-to-90-minute slot. About 80 to 85 percent of the time, they deliver valuable content. The last 15 percent is the pitch. Event promoters today are looking for back-end products priced at $1,000 or $2,000 — they don't want you selling a $20 book from the stage. And your first obligation is always to the audience. If what you give for free is so good that they have to get what you're offering on the back end, that's the goal.

Bundling Books with Speaking Fees

Peter: What about events where selling from the platform isn't allowed?

Bret: Many corporations have a separate budget line item for educational materials. If you have a book, they may agree to buy 100, 200, or 300 copies to give to all attendees. You bundle the book with your speaking fee. Your information gets into the hands of the audience without a direct pitch. I just signed a contract exactly like that — here's the fee, here's how many books they're buying. The wording matters. Instead of asking "you wouldn't want any books there, would you?" try "how many books would you like at the event?" The first phrasing invites a no. The second assumes the yes.

The Prima Donna Problem

Peter: You've used the term "prima donna." What do you mean by that?

Bret: Over 15 years managing 150 events, I saw speakers who were so full of themselves it was hard to believe. One insisted on having only green M&Ms and a bull on stage. Prima donnas can expect limos from the airport, comped luxury suites, or even have two pallets of physical product shipped to the event and expect your team to collate, bag, and stage everything. To be successful as a speaker, you need to remain humble. If event promoters know you as a prima donna, the word spreads — and you stop getting invited to the stages you want.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is the hit-and-run speaker. They show up five or ten minutes before they're on and leave the moment they finish. They've built no rapport with the audience, haven't heard what other speakers covered, and miss every opportunity to connect. Get there early. Stay late when you can. Relationships are your most important business capital.

Building a Following

Peter: What are the do's and don'ts of speakers building a following?

Bret: Start way earlier than you think you should. If you're launching a speaking career or a new book, start building your list six months to a year in advance. Figure out what you can offer that would genuinely interest people — a lead magnet, a useful resource — and start attracting followers before you need them.

I knew a colleague who had built a list of 55,000 people in the financial services sector. He brought in an internet guru who crafted a hard-hitting email campaign and sent it out without a lot of forethought. When it was over, a list of 55,000 had become a list of 5,000. The lesson: if you bring anyone in to help with your communications, train them thoroughly on how you've spoken to your audience in the past — the tone, the frequency, all of it. A sudden shift in how you communicate reads as a disconnect, and most of them will be gone.

Consistency and Keeping the Saw Sharp

Peter: How important is consistency in building and communicating with your list?

Bret: Critically important. Pick two or three platforms and be consistent. Consistency is more important than anything else — it takes time to build rapport and get people into your world. You can't just keep speaking and expect to become great, the same way you can't just keep skiing and expect to make the Olympics. You have to do it right. But getting out there and doing it is where it starts. And if you stop for a year or two, you'll notice it. I went to speak pre-COVID after a long gap and was noticeably rusty. Keep the saw sharp.

Final Advice for Aspiring Speakers

Bret: One of my biggest regrets is not stepping out fully as a speaker ten years earlier. Develop your self-confidence and find a mentor. You will spend far more time and money making mistakes trying to do it alone than you will investing in someone who's been down that path before. Find a Peter — find someone who can lead you. It will get you where you want to go more quickly, and you won't regret it.

Peter: Where can listeners learn more about you?

Bret: The primary website is brettridgway.com — Brett with one T, Ridgway without an E. And check out my podcast, Spotlight on Speaking, at spotlightonspeaking.com, where I interview public speakers about their journey, their successes, and the mistakes they made along the way.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.