If someone asked you today why they should consider you for a speaking gig, would you have an answer?
Publishers always tell aspiring authors to have an “elevator pitch” ready for their new book: a 30-60 second spiel explaining the book title, main message, and intended audience. It’s good advice. After all, if you can’t explain what your book is about in under a minute, how can you expect to write a decent back cover blurb or a eye-catching social media advertisement?
It’s good advice for speakers too, whether you’re an aspiring speaker or a veteran keynoter. Having that 60-second pitch about your experience and expertise is crucial for developing your own speaking goals, as well as seeking new opportunities to share your message with the world.
One way to get there is by developing a Speaker One-Sheet to highlight your relevant background, advertise your message, and market your skills to those who are actively looking for engaging, relevant speakers. Just like a job resume, it needs to convince the search committee that YOU are the one they NEED to hire for their next event. It should showcase your experience and expertise in a professional manner, but it also needs to let your personality shine through . . . it needs to give an honest (yet brief) picture of who you are and what you can deliver to intended audiences.
Here are a few key components you should include.
Visual Appeal
Like a traditional resume, your one-sheet should be clean and professional looking with minimal style. You don’t need to hire a designer or spend hours creating something! You can create an effective document in less than an hour. A few guidelines to follow:
- Stay consistent with your brand’s colors, font styles, and logos
- Use a single serif or sans-serif font for all headers, and another for all body text
- Make sure all images are high-resolution, professional quality shots
- Don’t crowd the information — utilize “white space” to break things up into bite-size sections
- Be concise (1-2 pages) — you’re not delivering a keynote address, just giving the relevant facts
- Check and double-check for typos in every section!
Biographical Information
- Your name and short “tagline” (e.g., Jane Doe — Strategic Planning)
- Recent, high-resolution professional quality headshot
- Brief biography (150 words) that showcases your background, expertise, and personality
Speaking Information
- 1-2 sentences capturing your area of expertise
- Target audiences and types of programs you offer — coaching, keynoting, lunch and learns, etc.
- 3-5 speaking topics with short descriptions, including the main takeaway from each
- Main benefits of your speeches to leaders, participants, and organizations
- Recent, high-profile, and/or global clients or platforms
- 3-5 testimonials from previous participants
- Video or 1-2 photos showcasing you in action
Contact Information
- “More Information” — relevant links to your website, product pages, etc.
- “Book [Your Name] Now” — with the best way to reach you
- Relevant social channels that represent you professionally
Want to see some examples? Check out some of these: John Stoker, Mark Youngblood, Jack Quarles, Bill Adams.
Include your one-sheet anytime you send a media query for a speaking engagement, post it on your website, and otherwise freely share it online. It’s your “elevator pitch” for building your speaking platform, and a big part of making yourself easy to find online!
Do you have a speaker one-sheet? If not — why not?
Elizabeth Johnson loves the color yellow, strong {black} coffee, editing, and exploring the mountains in rural Wyoming and Utah, where she and her husband serve as church planters. In her free time, she enjoys learning new things, hand-lettering and acrylic painting, and gaming with her husband.