As a professional speaker, setting clear and meaningful goals can make the difference between a thriving public speaking business and one that struggles to gain momentum. Whether you want to get paid to speak, secure more bookings, or figure out exactly how to grow your business, effective goal setting is the foundation. In of our recent SpeakerHub Coworking Session (watch the full session here), the community explored a step-by-step process for creating goals that actually work—not just wishes, but actionable strategies that lead to real success.

Outcome Goals vs. Action Goals: The Speaker Mindset Shift

One of the first lessons from the session was understanding the difference between outcome goals and action goals. Many speakers make the mistake of setting broad, outcome-based goals like “I want to earn £20,000 this year from speaking.” While that’s a good vision, it’s not a plan.

The better approach? Break it down into action-based goals that directly influence the outcome. For example, to earn £20,000, you need to calculate how many paid speaking engagements, podcast guest spots, or training sessions will get you there—and what you need to do daily to land those gigs. Action goals turn aspirations into concrete steps.

Find the Right Revenue Activities

Another key insight: not all speaking-related activities contribute equally to your financial goals. During the session, participant Alison shared her desire to earn £20,000 by launching a coaching business. But how many clients would she need? And what should she charge?

After choosing a rate of £80 per session, the group quickly calculated that Alison would need 250 sessions to hit her revenue target. To simplify, they recommended packaging those sessions into blocks of 12, meaning Alison would only need 21 clients in total—a much more manageable and motivating number.

This is a critical lesson for speakers: Whether you’re aiming to get paid to speak or sell coaching, workshops, or digital products, clarity on your numbers makes the goal feel achievable.

Plan for Real-World Timing

Revenue doesn’t arrive all at once—it builds gradually. If your goal is to book 21 clients, you won’t land them all in January. Instead, plan for steady, realistic growth over time. This allows you to pace your marketing and adjust your strategy based on actual results.

For speakers, that might mean setting a goal to land three speaking engagements per month rather than trying to fill the whole calendar immediately. This steady approach reduces overwhelm and builds consistent momentum for your public speaking business.

Respect Your Personal Pace

Another valuable takeaway was the importance of finding your personal rhythm. Some professional speakers can send 500 pitches a week; others feel comfortable with 100. Both approaches are valid, as long as they are sustainable.

Goal setting isn’t about matching someone else’s speed—it’s about knowing your capacity and working with it. Consistency beats intensity every time.

Use the SPACE Formula: A Speaker’s Roadmap to Success

To give speakers a simple framework, the SpeakerHub coach introduced the SPACE Formula:

• Strategy – What’s your target, and what’s the roadmap to get there?

• Process – What repeatable steps will help you move forward?

• Accountability – How will you track your progress and stay on course?

Without all three—Strategy, Process, and Accountability—goals easily drift into forgotten wishes. For professional speakers aiming to get paid to speak or grow their business, having a structured framework like SPACE ensures progress even when life gets busy.

Goals + Strategy = Real Results

Here is an important reminder:

“A goal without a strategy is just a wish.”

If you want to get paid to speak, grow your public speaking business, or expand into coaching, consulting, or digital products, the path starts with clear goals, broken into achievable steps. Add in accountability and a bit of flexibility, and you’re on your way to turning 2025 into your most successful year yet.

If you’re serious about growing your public speaking business, setting intentional, action-based goals is a great first step. To stay inspired and on track, we invite you to join the regular SpeakerHub Coworking Sessions, where speakers collaborate, share strategies, and support each other in achieving their goals. You can check out upcoming sessions at SpeakerCoworking.com.

Ready to take control of your speaking career? Subscribe to SpeakerHub—an AI-powered platform designed to help speakers like you find gigs, showcase your expertise, and connect directly with event organizers. With tools that support your business growth, SpeakerHub is the perfect partner for speakers ready to take action and get paid to speak.