Are you busy or building a business? 5 takeaways from my chat with Oratore Speakers to help you get booked and grow.
Your Speaking Career: Busyness or Business?
You know it’s going to be a lively conversation when your guests are so passionate, they almost forget you’re the host. That’s exactly what happened when I had Steven and Magali from Oratore Speakers on the Speaking Business podcast.
They came on to share their thoughts on building a speaking business and ended up delivering a mini-masterclass. I just about managed to keep up.
We talked about their six-month Rising Speakers programme (which includes a rather gorgeous retreat in Malaga), their community of over 5,500 speakers, and their approach to helping speakers build not just a speech, but a business.
Here are five things they said that really stood out:
- Clarity gets you booked
A lot of speakers stay stuck in a vague middle ground, trying to appeal to everyone. But, as Magali put it, “clarity is what gets you booked.” When you avoid making decisions, you end up diluting your message and your bookings suffer. The speakers who grow are the ones who make bold choices about who they serve and how. - Your speech is a product, not a performance
This is a big one. Many speakers treat their keynote like a standalone moment. Steven and Magali encourage speakers to think of their talk as a product. One of many, ideally. A product you market, price, position, and package as part of your business. - Don’t confuse busyness with business
The two are not the same. Just because you’re tweaking your deck, posting quotes on social media, or speaking at free events doesn’t mean you're building a business. It’s easy to be active without being effective. The question to ask is: are you working on things that actually grow your business? - Be generous and build trust
Steven and Magali credit much of Oratore’s rapid growth to what they call “consistent generosity.” They give away resources, tools, frameworks, and guidance freely. They don’t hold back. And that generosity builds trust. The speakers who are growing with them are drawn to that openness and honesty. - Use AI just don’t lose your voice
Magali is a self-confessed AI obsessive, but she’s also clear: AI is a tool, not a replacement. You still need to know how to prompt it properly. You still need a strategy. And you still need your voice. If it sounds like a robot wrote it, you’re doing it wrong. That goes for social posts, speaker bios, and anything else you’re putting out there.
The work Steven and Magali are doing is impressive, I’m a little biased of course as I’m one of the coaches on their programme and will be in Malaga in September, but I can vouch for the warmth, energy, and high standards they bring.
If you're curious about their Rising Speakers programme, you’ll find all the details at https://www.oratore-speakers.com/
And if you want to hear the full conversation, including my attempts to rein them back in, here’s the link to the podcast episode: https://speakingbusiness.libsyn.com/from-busyness-to-business-the-oratore-approach-with-steven-piessens-magali-de-reu
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