Written by:
Jacques De Villiers
Viv Vermaak and I presented at the PSASA Johannesburg Chapter meeting on 19 March at Wanderers Golf Club. We each offered a different perspective on the speaking journey. I focused on what it takes to build a sustainable speaking business, from referrals and message clarity to creating consistent enquiries. Viv took the audience behind the scenes of her Speaker Factor journey and unpacked the craft, discipline and preparation required to compete and win on stage.
The One Thing That Drives Referrals
After putting out a questionnaire, I got some telling answers that may make you look at your speaking business and marketing efforts differently.
Most speakers believe the keynote is the business. It isn’t. The data made that clear. 50% said they deliver between 1 and 15 keynotes a year. Of those, 20% speak just 0 to 3 times a year. That’s not a business model. If it were up to keynotes alone, most would struggle to make a decent living.
The move is what The Millionaire Messenger teaches. Build around the talk. Workshops. Coaching. Consulting. A book. A product.
Something interesting showed up in the questionnaire. 60% said they were not getting enough enquiries, but 80% said most of their business came from referrals. So the issue was not reach. It was clarity.
In my 20 minute presentation, I unpacked why speaking alone is not a strategy, and how referrals, message clarity and simple lead magnets can drive consistent enquiries.
The shift is straightforward. Develop a newsletter strategy and a lead magnet strategy. The goal is to build an email list you can consistently send useful thinking to.
Because if people cannot explain what you do, they cannot refer you. A referral is simply a story travelling without you. And the real question is, what story are people telling about you when you are not in the room?
“I Won Speaker Factor!” Ask Me How
When I saw Vivienne present at Speaker Factor as a judge last year, my vote went to her. She was world class. As you probably know, she went on to win.
She presented at our chapter on her journey to Speaker Factor and how she prepared. Anyone considering stepping onto that stage will be better prepared because of it.
She presented online from Cape Town and still had the room riveted. That is not easy. In fact, it is rare. I can only imagine what she would have been like in person.
Viv had the audience screeching with laughter while teaching them how to show up, how to use stagecraft in a virtual presentation, and why “just being yourself” is not always enough.
What made it powerful was what sat underneath it.
She took us behind the scenes of her very deliberate pursuit of winning. The decision to seek out mentors and coaches. And the willingness to do whatever it took, even presenting in the Gautrain parking garage in Rosebank, to get the talk right.
That is the part most people do not see.
Leadership Transition
George Mutendadzamera stepped down as Johannesburg Chapter President, making way for Kim Vermaak, who was elected unopposed.
The moment was marked with a thoughtful video montage from the committee. It reflected their appreciation for the leadership, value and friendship George brought to both the team and the chapter.
