You've spent loads of time and energy landing a gig.

You deliver a fab talk.

You meet a few people and get some compliments.

Then you leave... relying on your talk to land you more opportunities.

Jonathan Dunnett believes that's a huge waste of your time.

In this episode, Jonathan shares why relying only on your performance is one of the biggest mistakes speakers make.

We explore how to approach speaking engagements more strategically, from identifying the right people before the event begins, to creating meaningful conversations, gathering valuable intelligence and following up in a way that generates genuine opportunities.

If you're using speaking to grow your business, build relationships or generate leads, this episode will help you get far more value from every event you attend.

What you'll discover:
• Why Jonathan believes you can't scale serendipity — and what speakers should be doing instead
• The hidden part of speaking that most people completely overlook
• How one speaker had 500 ideal prospects in the room… and walked away with just eight leads
• Why being charismatic and "working the room" isn't enough
• Where speakers lose the biggest opportunities after an event
• The surprising things businesses do at events that speakers should be copying
• The simple mindset shift that can dramatically increase the ROI of every speaking engagement
• How to use your position on the programme to create opportunities before you even step on stage
• Why the smartest speakers treat events as research projects, not just lead-generation exercises
• The valuable intelligence hiding in plain sight at conferences and networking events
• A different way to think about networking if the idea of "working the room" makes you cringe
• What AI search means for speakers — and why now is the time to pay attention
• The first thing every speaker should do when they have an event coming up in the next 30 days
• Why some speakers leave events with a handful of contacts while others leave with genuine business opportunities

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that on YouTube shortly.

Guest Information:
Website: https://jonathandunnett.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathandunnett/

Books & Resources*:
How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Speaking Resources:
Stagecraft to Showreel, 2-day in-person event: https://livetraining.saraharcher.co.uk/stagecraft

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· leave a comment below.
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To help the show out:
· Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

*(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Why do so many change initiatives fail to create real buy-in… even when the strategy makes complete sense?

In this episode, I'm unpacking something I call 'The Altitude Gap' — the psychological disconnect that often happens between leaders communicating change and the employees expected to live through it.

Drawing on my experience in HR, leadership communication, direct marketing and storytelling, I explore why logic alone rarely moves people, how organisations accidentally create resistance, and why many change programmes struggle long before implementation even begins.

I'll share:

• the communication mistake I see leaders make again and again
• why urgency without safety creates shutdown instead of movement
• how strategic storytelling helps people move from resistance to buy-in
• and the emotional sequence that makes change communication land

If you lead people, communicate change, speak professionally or simply want to influence more effectively, this episode will help you understand why people don't always move when the logic seems obvious… and what to do about it.

What you'll discover:
• Why some change programmes start dying the moment the PowerPoint deck appears
• The hidden communication gap that makes people quietly drag their feet
• Why leaders are often talking about "the future"… while employees are worrying about Friday
• The mistake most organisations make when trying to get people bought in
• Why explaining things more clearly often doesn't solve the problem
• What employees are usually thinking during change… but rarely say out loud
• Why "we've tried this before" is often a symptom, not the real issue
• The reason some change messages land like a wet firework
• Why logic alone rarely gets human beings moving
• The storytelling sequence that helps people stop resisting and start leaning in
• How to create buy-in without sounding manipulative or corporate
• Why people need to feel safe before they're willing to move
• The difference between communicating the summit… and helping people survive the climb
• How strategic storytelling can reduce fear, friction and pushback during change
• Why the best leaders don't just communicate strategy — they communicate possibility

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here>>

Books & Resources:
The Altitude Gap Guide: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/altitude

To share your thoughts:
· leave a comment below.
· Share this show on Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:
· Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

*(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

A lot of speakers think their job starts when they walk on stage.

But what if a huge chunk of your impact, and your future bookings, are being created long before that moment… and long after it ends?

In this episode of The Speaking Club, I'm joined by former Disney leader and customer experience expert Vance Morris to explore what happens when speakers start thinking differently about customer experience.

Because as a speaker, you have more "customers" than you think.

They're:

* The event organiser
* The person booking you
* The AV team
* The audience members talking about you afterwards
* And every person interacting with your brand before, during, and after the stage

And every one of those touchpoints shapes whether you get remembered, referred, or rebooked.

In this conversation, Vance shares what speakers can learn from Disney about creating memorable experiences, building loyalty, and turning one speaking gig into multiple opportunities.

We explore how the experience starts before you arrive, continues through your delivery, and extends long after the applause.

Because a great talk matters.

But the experience around it?

That's often what fills the pipeline.

What you'll discover:
• The unexpected lesson from Vance's journey — from Disney to bankruptcy — that still shapes how he runs his business today
• What most speakers get wrong about customer experience (and what Disney does differently)
• Where speakers are quietly "bleeding profit" — and why they don't even see it
• How to turn one speaking gig into multiple opportunities (without chasing the next booking)
• The things speakers do that they think build loyalty… but actually push clients away
• How to create a "Disney-level" experience that people remember — without it feeling forced or gimmicky
• Why combining direct-response marketing with customer experience changes everything
• What actually moved the needle in building Vance's speaking business — and what turned out to be a waste of time

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here>>

Guest Information:
Website: https://vancemorris.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vancemorris/

Books & Resources*:
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
The Ultimate Marketing System by Dan Kennedy
52 Ways to Wow Your Customer

Speaking Resources:

Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk: https://saraharcher.co.uk/newguide-tsc

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/challenge

To share your thoughts:
· leave a comment below.
· Share this show on Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:
· Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

*(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)