|

Author:
Steve Kaye

The lights. The applause. The fans.

And the fame.

It seems so easy. Just walk out on a stage and say a few clever things. Make them laugh. Tell your story about the unhappy hamster.

And mind boggling success follows.

Before you quit you current job to become a professional speaker, here are some things to consider.

Begin by answering three questions.

1) What change do you want to cause through your speaking? This determines your topic.

2) Who would want to hear this? This determines your market.

3) How would this help them? This determines your value.

Once you decide these, then do the following:

1) Prepare a 20 to 30 minute speech based on three main points. Keep it simple. Be humble. Be interesting. Be gracious. Avoid writing a long list of bullet points instructions, because this bores people. Instead use stories and examples to illustrate each of your main points.

2) Contact groups that use speakers for their meetings, such as service clubs, chambers of commerce, and professional organizations. Note that: a) generally none of these groups pay a speaker, b) the smaller, less impressive groups will be more receptive to having anyone speak on anything - which is okay when starting, c) almost all of them will give you a meal because that's part of the meeting.

3) Use these groups to practice delivering your speech. Also use these speaking opportunities to test if your topic is really the one that you want to keep. That is, do you still care about this topic after giving a few dozen presentations on it? Are people interested in what you have to say? How do you feel about yourself when you’re speaking on this topic?

4) Improve and refine your speech. Ask for comments from the people who attend, and use these comments to improve. Record (or video tape) your presentation. Compare what you hear with what you want to be doing. Bring a friend to watch you speak, and then ask your friend for candid comments. Note: while we all enjoy praise, you learn from criticism.

5) Expect to give your speech at least 100 to 300 times as practice. Eventually, when it is good enough, people will ask you to speak before larger groups for a fee. Also, by now you will have learned a) how to deliver an effective presentation, b) how to handle surprises and rowdy people, and c) how to create interest in your presentation.

Special Tip: Here is an article for meeting planners on what to consider when hiring a speaker. http://www.stevekaye.com/clients-guide.htm

- - -

Steve Kaye helps leaders hold effective meetings. He is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator, author, and speaker. His meeting facilitation and leadership workshops create success for everyone. Call 714-528-1300 for details. Visit http://www.stevekaye.com for a free report.

| Article Keywords: Professional Speaker

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Professional Speaker... Why Do Professional Speakers Need Public Relations? Four Reasons Why Every Speaker Should Hire a PR Firm How many speakers do you know who have engaged the services of a public relations firm? Chances are you may not know many. What professional speakers don’t realize is that hiring a public relations company can become extremely beneficial and can produce a surprisingly high return on investment. The amount of revenue which can be generated as a result of the activities of a public relations firm can easily outweigh that of advertising. Why? Because public relations is more reputable than traditional advertising. A consumer is more likely to purchase a product or service because they read a third party revue, not because they saw an advertisement. When a consumer reads a review, it is normally unbiased and comes from a trustworthy source. Furthermore, public relations is less expensive than advertising. The cost of sending a press release to a magazine editor is a lot less than creating a direct mail campaign or purchasing a display advertisement in a trade publication. Some people are notorious for developing elaborate direct mail campaigns, only to experience minimal results. Public relations is a far better way to spend your hard earned money, especially when some of your competitors could afford to spend a lot more than you can, but the difference is, you will see results! Create Your Brand There are many benefits of public relations campaigns, the first being branding. Speakers need to think of themselves as brands. Donald Trump is a brand. George Foreman is a brand. Paris Hilton is a brand. They became brands because they were in the public eye for an extended period of time and they became household names. Sure, it helps to have a successful boxing career or be the heir to a multi-million...