Podfluence

A hot market does not guarantee hot bookings. In this coaching session, John works with tech and emerging-tech speaker Cortney Harding to diagnose the real reasons her calendar is not matching her credibility. They unpack why prestige signals and “busy content” do not automatically create demand, how to position around an expensive problem, and why simplifying outreach beats “post and pray” when you want reliable bookings. You will also hear a strong warning for speakers who chase whatever topic is trending. It looks strategic until you realise you are rebuilding your positioning every six months and still not becoming the obvious choice. What you will learnWhy high-demand topics can still leave you with a cold inboxThe difference between credibility signals and buyer demandHow to turn a framework into a clear “we need this” messageWhy your prospecting should start with a simple response-getting questionWhat to prioritise if you feel permanently stuck in launch modeWhy social media is often a nice-to-have, not the main lever for bookingsHow to reframe sales as relationships so it stops feeling grim Who this is forProfessional speakers who want more paid bookings, clearer positioning, and a simpler plan that does not rely on going viral. Chapters00:00 Hot market, cold inbox 00:52 Why chasing hot topics is a terrible long-term strategy 01:35 What this coaching session will help you fix 01:57 Cortney’s goal: speaking as real revenue, not “biz dev” 03:05 Fee goals and gig targets 04:05 The “last mile” problem: credibility without a flywheel 05:00 The crowded hot-topic trap and the pivot to differentiation 07:00 The key diagnostic: what expensive problem do you solve? 07:30 Tech last, problem first: Cortney’s framework 09:05 Why this matters: wasted spend, weak ROI, failed projects 10:05 Sharpening the one-sentence positioning 12:55 Why the “how” matters less than the “what” at first 13:20 Content output vs conversion, and the danger of mimicry 14:10 Permanently in launch mode and “throwing Italy at the wall” 16:00 What is actually driving bookings right now? 16:25 Strategic pitching and why it is not converting 17:05 Simplifying outreach to one question that gets responses 18:00 Why conferences rarely pay non-celebrity speakers 19:05 The CRM follow-up game: not one-and-done 21:55 The numbers game and finding a different hunting niche 23:35 Calling people who respond: become a voice, not an email 24:55 Targeting the right company bracket and event reality 26:20 Book orders as a fee lever 27:15 The Power Hour strategy: prospecting over busywork 28:05 Do prestige names matter? Less than you think 29:05 Big idea vs problem solving and what buyers actually purchase 30:20 The Brene Brown example and becoming known for one thing 32:40 Networking and feedback loops to improve the “buzz” 37:05 Social media as a slower, less reliable path to bookings 38:05 The relief of simplification: one hour a day 39:10 Hope is not a business strategy 40:05 Sales is relationships 41:05 Spotify rating, free coaching application, and the audit quiz 42:00 Closing line Links and resourcesspan class="ql-ui"...