First, let's define "speaking niche" as a term.
For the early-career speakers reading this newsletter, your "speaking niche" is the topic area in which you focus your content. Consider it the "vertical" or category under which you create your keynotes, workshops, LinkedIn posts, media articles, etc.
For example: leadership, mental wellness, and productivity would be a few general niches that come to mind. Subniches exist within your niche, which further specify your area of expertise.
Before we make it to subniches though, let's zoom out to one of the biggest questions you all have asked:
"How do I find my speaking niche?"
A simple question with a complex answer, and often, an even longer journey than its simplicity implies.
To identify your niche, all the experts have the same advice — simply ask yourself these questions:
- What do people already come to you about for advice?
- What topic could you talk about confidently, on-the-spot?
- What aspect of your career do you know well?
- What are your credentials or degrees that lend credibility?
Here's the problem — finding your "niche" is rarely this linear. At least it wasn't for me — and, I'd venture to say, likely it's a struggle for you also.
Don't get me wrong. The questions above are absolutely a great place to start. And, they're necessary to ask yourself — to at least start somewhere.
But, they don't help you through the inevitable "messy middle," which many of us find ourselves in at some point after answering those questions and still finding minimal traction.
You've probably arrived at this "messy middle," if you have thoughts like:
- "I have several areas of expertise or interest, and I could speak on 10 different topics — how do I choose?"
- "What if my current area of expertise is not what I want to develop my speaking niche in?"
- "I've set my speaking niche in one area, but it doesn't feel like it's getting traction — am I in the wrong niche?"
So, friendly readers, this is where we will start — welcome to the "messy middle."
The paradox of specificity
We've all heard, "the riches are in the niches" — meaning that you have to get hyper-focused on a narrow topic in order to get traction.
While there's certainly some truth to it, I find that thought limiting — so limiting that it paralyzes many early-career speakers from starting.
And, really, the emphasis should be put on this: just get started.
"Niching down," or becoming more specific in your speaking niche, tends to happen over time — as you get more gigs, develop more content, and explore areas of your niche you may not even know exist right now.
Just get started and view discovering your niche as only one part of the speaking journey, rather than the monumental starting point that sets the stage for the rest of your career.
Develop "a-la-carte" keynotes
There's this "build it and they will come" philosophy in many speaking courses — in other words, create your keynote, market it, and success will follow.
Again, it's not that I inherently disagree, and perhaps this linear path works for some speakers — but, I like to present an alternative path for those who, like me, rarely see such linear success.
Earlier in my career, I did just that — created a transformative keynote on gratitude practice. Pitched and pitched and pitched it over a few months. No bites.
So, instead, I pivoted and used a skill I know I excel in (and one I enjoy) to get traction: relationship-building.
In doing so, a new friend introduced me to someone who was looking for a speaker for their company event.
Did I pitch my already-prepared gratitude keynote? Nope. Instead, I asked what they were looking for.
"Confidence-building," they said.
I can do that.
So, I developed a powerhouse keynote exploring the data behind confidence-building in the professional setting.
And ya wanna know what? I learned a ton.
Over the months that followed, I took a similar approach with each new speaking opportunity. I didn't fully deviate from my professional development niche, but I did view it with more flexibility, seeing each keynote as the chance to expand my fluency in so many aspects of leadership excellence, performance psychology, and more.
I view that earlier time in my speaking career, where I approached everything with curiosity, as absolutely foundational for the more specific speaking niche I enjoy today — and the speaking niche companies seek me out for — which exists under the umbrella of impactful team communication, engagement, and culture-building.
So, if you've developed a keynote that's getting minimal to no bites, consider reverse-engineering your niche — create what companies ask you for, and you'll likely discover incredible ideas and knowledge in the process.
Again, you gotta start somewhere.
(Funny enough, I'm now being asked for that gratitude keynote — haha!)
Temper your expectations of time
The only other expert out there that I recall even mentioning that success takes time was Kait LeDonne — marketing expert extraordinaire and friend in all-things entrepreneurship and dry-humor (Can I call you that, Kait? You know I'm your girl!).
Kait has been known to say that it can take at least 6 months of consistent LinkedIn posting for people to even begin to associate your name with a certain topic.
So, for those of us who wonder if we're in the wrong niche or shouting into the void, consider this timeline to reframe your expectations of whether you should pivot your niche.
In summary...
Once again, I have to physically restrain myself from sharing more. Not because I don't want to, but because you signed up for a newsletter and not a novel.
Regardless, I hope this perspective gives you some perspective on finding your speaking niche.
While the linear path you often see outlined in courses gives you that initial motivation, that's often where you're left — wondering why your career isn't taking off "like everyone else's."
There's still value in those courses, clearly, but I personally think they'd do a much greater service in also tempering people's expectations on the timeline, and often circuitous route, to success.
By giving a small glimpse into my own experience, I hope this helps you view your own more gently.
Remember, the important point is just to get started.
Embrace your niche as a living thing that transforms through experience, just as you do.
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Dr. Kathryn Preston
Keynote Speaker
info@kathrynpreston.com
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