Maria Franzoni

Stop building funnels. Start having conversations. I’ve seen technically impressive funnels and empty diaries. Speakers still get booked because they talk to the right people, follow up, and stay human. The basics aren’t glamorous, but they work.

Longevity in speaking isn’t just about talent. In bureau meetings, we rarely talked about who was brilliant on stage. We talked about who was easy to work with. Those speakers got rebooked for years. Being easy to work with keeps you in the game.

When someone can’t sell you, it’s tempting to assume they’re the problem. But when an experienced salesperson draws a blank, that’s market feedback. Usually it means your positioning only works when you’re in the room explaining it.

If clients aren’t pushing back on your price, that’s usually a signal, not a win. This short is about what your current fee is really telling you, and when it’s probably time to move it.

Your fee isn’t about the minutes on stage. If you’re still pricing by time, this short might shift how you think about your value.

No speaker contract? You're not protected. A weak contract? Same problem. The 3 non-negotiables every speaker contract needs. 👇

A speaker asked me for £50K for their first keynote. Their credentials? No book. No followers. No content. Nothing. Charge what you're worth — absolutely. Just make sure you've built the worth first.

A Speaker's Life (Told Through Film Titles) 🎬 Honey, I Shrunk the Brief — "Can you cut your fee?" 🎬 Home Alone — Practising to the cat and a houseplant 🎬 The Sixth Sense — You sense the booking has died… no one's told you yet 🎬 Mission: Impossible — Keeping up with AI

Why would a client choose you over another speaker? One word: Relevance. A few tips on showing you're not just a good speaker — but the right one for them. 👇

How to stop attracting low or no fee enquiries. It often starts with your website copy. In this video, I share the mistakes speakers make that scare off the right clients. 👇 Sound familiar?

If you're earning only when you're speaking, you've got a problem. You don't have to just wait for the next keynote. You can monetise what you already know in other ways – some you might not have considered yet. A few ideas in this video.

Getting booked to speak isn't complicated. Two things move the needle: • Positioned for a paying market • Taking the right action to get booked Everything else is noise. How many "game-changing" programmes are sitting half-finished on your hard drive?

The booking said Venice. The contract said Valencia. This kept happening when I ran a speaker bureau. So we ditched booking forms and switched to a Firm Offer — client commits first. Saved years of renegotiations. Template here: mariafranzoni.me/templates

They called me The Velvet Hammer. In my management consultancy days, that was my nickname. Velvet on the outside. Hammer on the inside. It stuck because I never sugar-coated. I believe directness is kinder than vagueness. And there's a cocktail called Velvet Hammer.

You've been booked to speak. Lovely. But before you finish that call, there's one question worth asking. It's simple. Most speakers don't think to ask it. And it can turn one booking into two or three. See video 👇

What we did at the speaker bureau to sell books for speakers. A genius idea from Phil M Jones, and one, I think was from Andy Coley, about sending an odd number of books once you've been booked. If you have any more tips, let me know.

Don’t wait until you become a speaker to build your network. By then, you’re already late. Relationships are built long before you ask for a booking. Warm conversations beat cold outreach every time.

Why brilliant speakers don’t get booked. Expertise isn’t the problem. Complexity is. If a booker can’t explain in one sentence why you matter, they’ll move on. Simpler speakers get booked. Not because they’re better. Because they’re clearer.

Messages I delete without reading further .... When a message starts or subject line is: Quick question (this one's OK if I know you) I was doing some research and found your profile/website/podcast ... I love what you're doing in your ... insert busine…lnkd.in/emiikS5f

When you agree to be interviewed by a clown prepare for some interesting questions. Questions I will probably never be asked again. A lot of fun. As it should be when you’re clowning around. Thank you Em and Barbara. lnkd.in/dtWQM4qK