“I had never done a seminar on writing catalog copy before,” Suzanne remembers, “but I obviously know a lot about the topic.” She spent a week developing the seminar, which involved breaking the topic down into short lessons—or “modules,” as they’re called in the corporate training field—creating the slides, and rehearsing. When the day came to do the seminar, it went off without a hitch and the company was impressed.

Unexpectedly, Suzanne developed a new income stream: teaching what she knows to others.

First of all, you can usually book seminars and other teaching gigs weeks, and often months, in advance. That gives you a greater sense of security in knowing there’s guaranteed work coming up. The problem with most traditional freelance projects is that they’re usually jobs that need to be completed within a few weeks. So with few exceptions, you’re never booked much beyond the next month or two. You hope there’ll be more work coming in after that, but you really don’t know for sure. With seminars and other speaking gigs in your future, you do.

Secondly, you can often get paid more to teach what you know how to do than actually doing it! For my corporate training program, Writing That Sells, one-day seminar I present to corporate marketing staff, I get $3,500 plus expenses. Some of my friends in the training industry insist I should be charging a lot more.

And finally, leading seminars attracts more clients for your regular freelance services. Clients think, correctly I believe, that if you teach what you do, you’re probably also very good at what you do. I know a fund-raising consultant who gives seminars throughout North America. Most of his clients come from his audiences. “It’s like getting paid to market my services,” he says.

From a work-life standpoint, I like the change of pace that comes from the occasional seminars and other speaking I do. No matter what category you happen to be in—writing, design, consulting—freelance project work can be a grind when you’re doing it day in and day out. Getting out of the office to do a 1-hour “lunch and learn” session with a group of people at a local company can be refreshing.

Or create a “one-sheet” of your seminar. In the speaking industry, this is simply an overview of your presentation and includes such pertinent details as the title, topic, description, length, and your bio. Be prepared to send this to potential clients when asked.

You could also send an e-mail or letter to your clients, prospects, and other contacts letting them know about your seminar.

Check out the professional publications and associations in your field or those of your clients. Do they offer teleclasses, webinars, seminars, and other professional development events for their readers or members? If so, contact them and ask if you can be a speaker.

Finally, try sending a letter to clients and prospects in your area and ask if you can come in to do a “lunch and learn” on your topic. This is exactly what that term implies: a short presentation you do during a lunch. These types of presentations usually don’t pay a lot, often just $500 or even less, but they’re a great way to get your feet wet.

For a good example of how to let prospects and clients know you’re available to teach, visit the website of my friend and fellow copywriter Jonathan Kranz at kranzcom.com.

Keep in mind that unless your goal is to become a professional seminar leader, you don’t want to spend a whole lot of time and money promoting your speaking services. After all, your freelance services are your bread and butter. However, if you do a few simple things to let others know that you do teach, those opportunities will certainly come your way.