The Six-Figure Speaker: Formula for a Six-Figure Income as a Professional Speaker

Cathleen Fillmore
Robert D. Reed Publishers (2008)
ISBN 9781931741927
Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (12/07)


First, let me say this book is not for beginners. It’s not filled with tips on how to be an effective speaker. It has nothing to do with how to project your voice, how to organize a speech, or how to overcome shyness. This book is for the public speaker ready to take it to the next level, the speaker who is ready to go out and speak professionally to organizations and make large sums of money, starting at $2,500. If you’re that person, read this book. If you’re shy, read another book first. If you’re still learning to be a public speaker, but you’re passionate about it, read this book so you can take your career to the next level. This is the book every public speaker should use as a roadmap toward career success.

That said--one fault of the book is it is not a how-to manual. It doesn’t provide a step-by-step listing of how to create your public-speaking career. But it overcomes that small fault by the wide variety of information and viewpoints it provides. The book contains 31 short articles about speaking professionally. These articles are predominantly by Cathleen Fillmore, but she has several guest speakers who write articles or are the focus of the articles as well.

The book is less about public speaking than about how to market yourself as a public speaker and how to get paid what you deserve. The individual chapters or essays cover everything from how to market yourself as a public speaker using a website, to figuring out how much to charge for your speeches, and turning down speaking engagements if they are not right for you. What I found most informative was the information about speaker bureaus that will help you find speaking engagements if you sign up with them. The book contains many examples of how to use speaker bureaus to your advantage, and also how to maintain a positive relationship with a bureau. As the president of the Speakers Gold bureau, Cathleen Fillmore is the type of authority you want to provide you this advice.

Overall, “The Six-Figure Speaker” opened my eyes to the possibilities as a professional speaker. As an author myself who is often asked to give presentations, I found it extraordinarily helpful in providing motivation and direction for a speaking career. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in becoming a public speaker. The book is worth it just for all the resources to other websites and books. I also appreciated the section for notes in the back—I took plenty while reading. Go out and buy “The Six Figure Speaker.” Don’t be a public speaker without it!

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