Wednesday, March 30, 2011

How to Start Your Speaking Career

Becoming an effective speaker is one of the most fascinating experiences you will encounter. It is a process that all starts with self-examination. It’s important to identify your goals and your areas of expertise. Identify the things that you enjoy talking about the most. You’ll notice topics that create enthusiasm when you speak about it. Other people will comment on your presentation and the value of your topic. Take time to seek their feedback so that you can increase the success of your presentation.

Many public speakers will talk about their experiences from working in a particular industry. Identify some key talking points that you want to specify during your presentation. You can focus your speech around your main talking points. Get out to different conferences and organizations to give your presentation. When you first start you want to gain visibility. People want to witness the delivery of one of your successful presentations. There are several steps that you can take to get started:
1. Create a website that highlights your skills
2. Give a workshop at a conference and let the participants know that you are a public speaker
3. Create a brochure that you can distribute and share by sending it as an email
4. Join Linkedin and other social networks
5. Create a list of topics that you can present
6. Send an e-mail to friends letting them know about your availability
7. Create several videos on YouTube
8. Join the National speaker Association
9. Speak at a community events.

There are a lot of public speaking professionals on social networks. You can join groups, read their articles and view their videos. There are many people who are willing to help. You can ask questions or respond to questions to obtain even more advice. Expect to put in a lot of hours when you are ready to get started. You should use every week as an opportunity to do something new to market your public speaking career. There are many forms of media that you can use to market your services. Start with your local community newsletter. They are always looking for articles about local people who are experts on a specific topic. You may also put a small advertisement concerning your services. Also, approach some of your local radio stations because they are always looking for guests.

Your destiny is in your hands. Do your best to spread the word about your speaking career. You never know when someone is looking for a speaker. You may want to start your own newsletter and mail it to a consistent group. The people who’ve signed up for your newsletter will regularly receive information about your expertise. You can find all kinds of information to write about in your newsletter and invite others to share their expertise too. The Constant Contact Company is a good newsletter resource. You can find their company on the internet.

If paid speaking opportunities don’t start right away don’t be discouraged. It’s all a part of the process that will shape you as you become an excellent speaker. Continue to research your topic and look for stories that you can tell when you’re speaking. The story that you tell for one speech may not fit with a different organization so make a list of stories. Each individual is the captain of their own success when giving a presentation.

Surround yourself with people who will encourage you to keep going. Too many people start down the pathway to public speaking and give up. It is natural to have some second thoughts about public speaking but don’t give up. Identify several mentors who can encourage you and offer their words of wisdom. They can help you to stay focused and uncover several topics that you can speak about. Mentors may also help you to identify individuals who are looking for speakers.

Now is the time to get started on your speaking career. Your career can be bright when you invest your time in motivating others to achieve their dreams. It starts with your commitment to speaking wherever you can. Enjoy the ride to on your way to a successful speaking career.

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1 Comments:

At March 31, 2011 at 8:45 PM , Blogger Ingrid Geronimo said...

Excellent blog post. It is a great confirmation of the various steps that I am already engaged in for increasing visibility here in my local area. Thank you for sharing it here.

 

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