Clint Pulver is a high-energy keynote speaker, expertly blending motivational keynote speaker, musician, comedian, Emmy Award-winner, and leading authority on employee retention into one.
Every year, Clint travels the globe as the UNDERCOVER MILLENNIAL, speaking to hundreds of organizations. Most recently, he met with our Certified Guides to share his story.
It might be surprising to learn that Clint came to the speaking world almost by accident when his dream career in aviation became impossible due to an eye condition. Going to college instead, he trained as an orthopaedic specialist, which he absolutely hated.
Oscar Wilde said: ‘To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.’ And this quote started a fire within Clint that spurred him on to quit his job and do something else professionally that would give him more satisfaction.
The Three Ps
So how can you actually go about living? If you want to do more than just exist, then you need to strive for the three Ps when it comes to your professional life.
- Passion – Find a job that will enable you to do what you are passionate about.
- Purpose – Have a sense of purpose in what you do.
- Provide – Does your career choice provide enough for you?
In almost all career choices, it’s hard to get all three balanced. Sometimes you might have the passion and purpose, but the salary doesn’t provide enough to live comfortably. If you can earn enough money, sometimes the passion goes, along with the sense of purpose.
For Clint, the Oscar Wilde quote has always resonated with him, and by determining what he needed from his work, he set about becoming a professional speaker.
Speaking For A Living
Speaking is a dream job that can encompass all that you’re passionate about. It can also provide purpose while delivering a fantastic salary when you get it right.
The thing to remember though, is that it doesn’t happen overnight. If you want to successfully create a speaking business that thrives, then there are 5 key elements that you need to understand.
1
Audience
Who do you want to speak to?
You have to understand unequivocally who your target market is and who the decision maker of that market is.
Generally speaking, the audience isn’t the one paying you to speak. For example, if you’re targeting the youth market, then the student isn’t the one booking you; the principal is.
But even though the principal is booking you, you’ve got to resonate with the audience. If they don’t respond to you, then you’re not delivering what you were booked to do.
With that in mind, really listen to your market and find out what it deems valuable. If you don’t know that, then how can you expect to provide valuable content?
2
Product
What problem are you solving? And what’s the solution?
You need to get specific here because it’s only once you know these things that you can provide something valuable for your target market.
Clint solves the problem of turnover. The solution he provides is retention. By using him, organizations are shown how to create a place that people never want to leave. It took years for Clint to perfect his product, but it was possible because he listened to his target market.
3
Craftsmanship
You need to be astonishing on stage. You need to be able to tell a story, pause in the right place, and grab the attention of your audience. They need to believe what you’re saying and engage with you on a deeper level.
You will only become astonishing with a lot of practice. This means getting up again and again to perfect your technique. Research different ways to do it, read books, listen to podcasts, and watch how speakers you admire do it.
4
Content
Speakers are often hired to take on huge gigs based solely on their website or 30-second demo video, so you’ve got to be phenomenal.
Make a video that inspires and creates emotion. Every speaker has a unique origin story. Think of the ways that you can tell yours.
How can you be the only person in the world doing what you do in the way that you’re doing it? Produce clean, concise marketing that sends out the exact message you want.
5
Mentors
Any success a speaker has is just a ripple effect of speakers that have gone before them. Create your own board of mentors and do whatever it takes to associate with others doing what you want to do well.
Most speakers are driven by helping others succeed; if you reach out to those you admire and want to learn from, you’re usually met with kindness and understanding, so don’t be afraid to make contact. If you can muster up 20 seconds of courage to do something scary, the results could transform your life.
Putting It Into Practice
- You’re a celebrity – getting well-known enough to fill those seats.
- You’re an expert – what makes you credible?
- You’re entertaining – what can you do to hold attention?
- You’re inspiring – use your origin story to inspire.
Your mission is to get all four of these components to become the legs of your chair. Once you do this, you’ll be well on your way to greatness.
