Lessons for Speakers from Bureau President Monique Sar
Most speakers only see the bureau world from the outside — they imagine it’s just a case of sending over a bio and waiting for the phone to ring. The reality is quite different.
In my podcast conversation with Monique Sar, President of BNC Speakers, she gave us a candid look behind the curtain. You’ve heard me talk about what makes a speaker bookable, but Monique brought fresh angles that many speakers overlook.
Here are some of the insights that stood out.
1. Bookers Want “Real and Raw”
Of course a polished keynote matters. But Monique says more and more bookers ask: “If we did a fireside chat, what would it sound like?”
They want to know how you think and how you come across when you’re not reciting your keynote. Can you hold a conversation, respond on the spot, and still be engaging? If you’re preparing materials for bureaus or bookers, don’t just showcase your keynote. Give them a taste of you being “real and raw” - maybe a panel clip, an interview, or even a live Q&A.
2. The Gap Between Branding and Content
Monique sees a common gap: many speakers are excellent on stage but invisible online. They have strong content when they’re in front of an audience, but their personal brand doesn’t show up consistently on LinkedIn, YouTube, or Instagram.
I’m smiling as I type this as I get a lot of resistance from speakers I work with who really don’t want to be on socials, so it’s good to hear how important it is from a current booker’s perspective. Monique says that gap matters. A bureau can only pitch you so far, clients are going to look you up. If they can’t see your thinking and presence online, you risk looking less relevant. The strongest speakers close that gap, they deliver live, and they back it up with a visible, consistent online presence.
3. The Bureau’s Role Is Bigger Than You Think
Speakers often assume bureaus are just booking agents. But Monique described her work as matchmaking, solving problems for clients as much as for speakers. She negotiates deals, helps find creative budget solutions (sometimes even through sponsorship), and ensures the right fit between speaker and event.
That means your relationship with a bureau isn’t just about them “selling you.” It’s about making their job easier by being clear, reliable, and positioned for the problems their clients face.
4. Staying Top of Mind Isn’t Just Emails
While most people are blasting out automated LinkedIn or email campaigns, Monique and her team are thinking differently. Once a month, they look for small gifts to send to agency partners and event planners. A thoughtful surprise in the post gets remembered far more than another email in the inbox. Have I mentioned I love chocolate? Might be worth noting for future reference :)
Staying top of mind doesn’t always have to be digital. Sometimes an old-fashioned personal gesture is what cuts through.
5. Boutique Means Selective
BNC Speakers is deliberately boutique. Most speakers on the roster are handpicked by founder Ben Newman or the team. Applications are kept in what Monique calls a “speaker bench,” but that doesn’t mean they’ll be taken on right away.
Timing and fit often matter more than you might think. If you’re applying to a boutique bureau, make sure you’re genuinely relevant to their clients and topics. Otherwise, even the best application will just sit on the bench.
6. Community Over Competition
Perhaps most refreshing of all was Monique’s perspective on bureaus themselves. She believes in community over competition. Rather than seeing other bureaus as rivals, she looks for ways to collaborate and cross-refer.
That’s a useful reminder for us all. This industry is built on relationships. Collaboration will take you further than competition.
7. Relationships Come First
Monique made it clear - this business is built on relationships. She spends her days on connection calls, coffee chats, and check-ins. Those conversations may not produce a booking tomorrow, but they build trust that leads to future opportunities.
For speakers, the takeaway is simple. Whether it’s with a bureau, a client, or an event planner, invest in relationships. Don’t treat outreach as a transaction. Think long-term, not just about the next gig. Which brings me to a question for you – are you doing enough outreach to create and nurture those relationships? Have you got a daily process to make this happen so it’s easy to do rather than a panic when the diary is empty?
Everything Monique does as an agent to build those relationships and get bookings is exactly what you as a speaker need to do for yourself if you want to get booked and paid consistently.
If you aren’t sure where to start you might be interested in a group event I’m running on Zoom on 1st October Get Booked to Speak - it’s built on what bureau agents do every day to secure bookings, it’s what I used to do when I was an agent. Practical and easy to apply in your own speaking business.
If you’d like to stop waiting for opportunities to come to you and start generating them yourself, you can find the details here: (and the best news, it’s much cheaper than booking a one-to-one with me)
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