The Referable Speaker: Your Guide to Building a Sustainable Speaking Career—No Fame Required

by Michael Port, Andrew Davis

Use the gigs you get to get the gigs you want.You spend a ton of time building your personal brand to generate more speaking opportunities. You write a blog, record podcasts, post on Instagram, and upload to YouTube. You refine your speaking website, work on that book, participate in Clubhouse, and comment on LinkedIn. You share your expertise and insight freely. All of that hard work might get you one gig.And, unfortunately, none of those things will guarantee you the next gig. But what if you became a referable speaker?In this ground-breaking guide to building a speaking career, New York Times bestselling author Michael Port, co-founder of Heroic Public Speaking, teams up with bestselling author and world-renowned keynote speaker Andrew Davis to show you the fastest, most practical way to increase your fee and generate more leads. Discover precisely how event organizers select their keynote speakers, what you can do to win them over, and even how to set your fee.Port and Davis show you why you need to stop investing in marketing yourself as a great speaker and start investing in your speech. Because, unless you're famous, event organizers won't buy you (or your personal brand). They’ll buy your speech, then your idea, then you―in that order.You’ll learn exactly how 81 speakers built sustainable speaking revenues by evaluating the three F+E+E Factors and 10 sub-factors—factors that turn novice presenters into transformational keynote speakers. And you’ll evaluate how to make the most meaningful impact through 58 professional speaker case studies based on six years of industry data.See how elegantly simple it is to make the leap from breakout rooms to the keynote stage.You'll leave with an entirely new, eye-opening, and refreshing understanding of how the speaking business really works and how you can make an impact fast.Do you have what it takes to become a referable speaker?You do. Go ahead, take a look inside!

Genres: Business, Self Help

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2021

Reviews

[Ana Melikian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The The Referable Speaker: Your Guide to Building a Sustainable Speaking Career—No Fame Required is a groundbreaking book!

I have been in the speaking world for a while, and I met a good number of unforgettable speakers. I have read many books about speaking, and I have participated in more training programs than I'm willing to admit. When I started reading this book, it was hard to put down.

Michael Port and Andrew Davis wrote a must-read book for any speaker who wants to impact the world.

It's truly a guide for the keynote stage with no fame required. So many takeaways!

Here are just a few to get you inspired:

- The speech is the cake. You can customize a bit of the decoration (or the donut hole), but the core is a finely crafted transformational experience that you keep refining and reliably delivering.

- Articulation of stageside leads, the power of compounding gigs, and the referral tree.

- Uncover the event organizers' perspective and the power of being a surprise and delightful speaker.

- The F+E+E factor contextual model.

- The power of a signature bit.

- Considering the parallel audiences and their hierarchy of needs.

And, of course, the magic (and courage) of getting out of Expertville and stepping into Visionary Town.

Are you still reading this review?

Please, start reading the book :)

[Lefford Fate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Game Changer

I love this book. I have had the pleasure of reading several of Michael’s books and going through a couple of his online courses. I met Andrew at a conference on Hilton Head Island where he was our keynote speaker. I have been speaking professionally for 6 years but Andrew blew me away. The highlight of the conference for me was his “Best in the World” idea. I knew I had to meet Andrew and he treated me like a brother the moment I shook his hand. We swapped cards and he recommended this book. I have been blown away. I am all in and have started my journey of becoming a referable speaker. Thank you Michael and Andrew. You guys are amazing and this book is a Star.

[Ginger Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of business books claim to give you the goods.
Few deliver, fully. This is one of them.
Michael and Andrew tag team to provide specific, experiential insight and specific guidance on how to be a referable speaker. Referrals are a business persons' life's blood. As a professional speaker, this book is now highlighted and dog eared, and is an already permanently useful resource.
If you want to seriously up your speaking efforts - if you're done lingering and want to sky rocket, get and use this book.

[Marie Newell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Not only does it have practical and tactical advice for speakers just getting started like myself, but it shares how established speakers can evaluate their own bookings to strategically position themselves for their next level.

The concept behind being referable is something I’m using to reevaluate all of our businesses, products and services included!

I highly recommend for anyone who wants to improve their bookings as a speaker or improve their understanding of what audiences want as an event planner.

[Laura Templeton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expertville to Visionary Town... transformative

Wow, this book offers advice based on experience and knowledge. So greatful to Michael & Andrew for the thoughtfully laid out examples and illustrations included in this book that will take you from being an expert to a visionary with some "simple but not easy" shifts in your speaker development. Get ready to change the world with your referable speech.

[W. Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many Actionable Items, You are of Your Creation

I loved the multiple links to actionable content; these links alone are worth the price of the book.

In Chapter 8, everything is pulled together to get you to start creating the speech and speaking business of your dreams.

The authors challenge you and don't sugarcoat a thing.

If it's meant to be it's up to you with a little help from your friends.

[Mark Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book if you are a beginner, even better if you already speak

I was unsure about this book but it was a referral from a trusted friend and I’ve really enjoyed the content of this book. Would recommend let for speakers who are already looking to make the leap to the next level. Still a good read for those who are just starting out, too.

[Dawn Mahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after attending an event with Michael & Amy Port (and team) in person. It was a quick, easy read - packed with terrific takeaways, examples, and food for thought. Anyone who wants to take their speaking career to the next level should read this book immediately. Highly recommend!

[Steve Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read only if you are serious about being a professional speaker

This book crafts a path anyone can follow to become a better speaker and a professional speaker. You will come away with new ways of thinking and practical steps on how to craft an engaging (and profitable) keynote.

[Paul Ince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great advice and plenty of actionable takeaways. My only advice is not to read this book before taking to the stage at your highest fee-earning gig. 🤣
Read it after and then do the work.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're in the speaking business or want to be a professional speaker, this might be the only book you need to read. Visionary advice, practical tips, and hands-on learning from two of the top, A-list, high-value speakers in the industry.

[Stephanie Thoma · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read for monetized speakers

The referrable speaker just became my go to book to refer my speaking coaching clients to. Packed with inspiration and how to guides, it helps fill in the gaps with reverse engineering a speech that matters.

[Anthony Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!!

Simply the best, most complete book on being a professional speaker. The gives you everything you need, the question is are you willing to do the work?

[Richard Mulholland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great. Gave me a few new lenses.

[Nick Lincoln · Rating 3 out of 5]

In essence: hone, hone and hone again to eventually deliver a superb, memorable speech and you will become more referable. Not sure it needed a book to transmit that message.

[Dr Tim Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

inspirational and no nonesense

This is an easy read and gets to the heart of what it takes to create a memorable and referable speech. I recommend it.

[Zach Baumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to 2024 with this one as I look to really dig into the speaker world.

[Morag Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

pragmatic and thought provoking

Great resource that i will continue to refer to, adapt, and adopt. Would recommend to aspiring, emerging, and seasoned speakers alike.

[Mark Chisnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

Genuinely insightful book, first I have read on the topic and I'm very grateful that I was lucky enough to have this one recommended.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book that up ends conventional wisdom, challenges and humbles the reader, and is spot-on, brutally, and compassionately true.

[Rikki Arundel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a professional speaker or in a position where speaking is an important part of you business skill set, you need to read this book. Incredibly wu
Ell researched it provides the means to shift to performing world class speeches that will change the world.

[George Stenitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've heard Andrew Davis’ brilliant keynote speeches on marketing, you'll never forget him. He delivers insight wrapped in delight. In The Referable Speaker, he and co-author Michael Port take you behind the scenes and show a clear path to help a speaker advance from expert to visionary.

The book is a quick, enjoyable read that’s chock full of ideas that you can put to use right away. The companion videos on the book’s website go beyond useful; they’re downright enlightening. I can’t wait to see coming videos on Andrew's Five-Minute Method.

Generously, the co-authors help you find a speech buddy by offering them a free copy of the book. Wow!