I'll say this in the nicest way that I can...

Ignore bureaus.

I promise you, they don't want you...

...until you don't need them.

Any gig that comes from an agent or a bureau is gravy. It's bonus money. It's not something that should ever be counted upon.

Now, I don't know about you, but I like gravy. I like a nice surprise in my inbox when an agent does all the heavy lifting and drops a job in my lap. And I like money.

So, I have nothing against working with speakers agents or speakers bureaus. When they email me, I answer. In fact, if there's a strategy that can make that email inbox ding even more, then I'm all for it.

And there is.

But does it involve doing cold outreach?

Nope.

That's not a strategy. That's desperation. And bureaus do NOT respond well to desperation. It's hard to trust desperation.

Instead, the strategy involves taking your focus OFF of the bureaus (aka ignoring them) and putting all your focus into booking your own dang self.

When you're booked and busy -...