Today’s guest is Steve Markman, who has headed the conference divisions for Comdex and The Conference Board before launching his own firm Markman Speaker Management in 1994 where he provides executive visibility and speaker bureau services. Steve gives us some insight into the free-speaking circuit and how executives and organizations can get raise visibility, gain credibility, and get their thought leadership message out to large audiences. We discuss what conference organizers look for when speakers submit proposals, who you want your audience to be, and why COVID-19 isn’t the end of the speaking industry. If you are a speaker waiting for COVID-19 to pass, you need to hear this episode and learn how you can get speaking from the comfort of your home. Three Key Takeaways: Why thought leaders should consider speaking for free. What thought leaders should absolutely avoid doing when pitching to conferences for speaking gigs. What thought leader speaks should be doing to be prosperous in a COVID-19 workplace.