181: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes & guest Maria Franzoni181: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes & guest Maria Franzoni
UK Health Radio Podcast
Chris Grimes talks with speakers’ advocate and coach Maria Franzoni about her Bookability Formula and how the top one percent of speakers secure repeat bookings. The conversation blends Maria’s personal story with practical advice on relevance, clarity, memorability and ease of working in the speaking industry.
46:56•8 Jul 2026
Maria Franzoni on The Bookability Formula and Getting Booked Again and Again
Episode Overview
- Being booked more often starts with being clearly relevant to a current paying market and a pressing problem.
- Speakers benefit from being known for one main topic rather than many, making it easier for bookers to understand and choose them.
- Memorability matters both on stage and off: audiences should retain key ideas, and bookers should remember the experience of working with you.
- Making yourself easy to find, book and collaborate with significantly increases your chances of repeat bookings.
- Consistently doing what you say you’re going to do is a simple behaviour that strongly differentiates you in business.
“"Do what you say you're going to do because so many people don't. And it differentiates you."”
Curious about how others manage their journey to build a meaningful, well-paid speaking career? This chat on the Good Listening To Show brings together host Chris Grimes and guest Maria Franzoni, a speakers’ advocate, coach and author of *The Bookability Formula*, for a relaxed yet highly practical look at how speakers get booked again and again.
You’ll hear Maria trace her story from being first-generation British-Italian with hardworking parents in service roles, through co-founding businesses, running major speaker bureaus and booking names such as Neil Armstrong, Bob Geldof and Richard Branson. Her mix of humour, honesty and straight-talking advice makes this perfect listening if you’re a coach, expert, or recovering professional looking to turn experience into paid talks.
Maria breaks down her "bookability formula" into four pillars: being relevant to a paying market, being known for one clear topic, being memorable to both audiences and bookers, and being easy to find and work with. She explains how just 1% of speakers brought in over 50% of revenue at a global bureau, and why those people weren’t necessarily celebrities or the highest fee earners, but were sharply positioned and reliably delivered value.
Along the way, she shares personal choices, like deciding not to have children and the impact on her relationships, her love of gadgets and business books, and the joy she finds in daily dog walks with her husband. Chris keeps things playful with metaphors about clearings, trees, cakes and golden batons, while Maria drops practical gems such as her favourite quote: "Do what you say you're going to do".
If you’ve ever wondered how to stand out in a crowded speaking market – or simply how to make your experience count – this conversation might spark some useful questions for your own path. What one thing do you really want to be known for?
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