Making Money for Public Speaking
If you are an expert in something, have a great speaking voice and are capable of entertaining while you speak, you may be headed for a career as a paid speaker. Because public speaking is a business it involves marketing. Your product will be the delivery of the knowledge and skills that you possess. Choose your audience based on your expertise and began your preparation into the world of public speaking.
Create a specialist persona for yourself. Write a blog or newspaper article on your subject. Create an e-Book. Get the local newspaper to interview you in your field of expertise. Let people know why they want to listen to you.
The next step is to overcome any fear you may have of speaking. The greatest way to do that is to learn early on that you must prepare for each engagement, even if you have already given the speech. Study speech writing and put your thought on paper. Start out with anexcellent introductionand keep the momentum throughout the speech. Once your first speech is ready, find a place to deliver it.
If you lack notable experience in the field you wish to speak in take classes and earn certificates for accredited courses. Volunteer in the field and build a portfolio.
Create an attractive business card. Armed with your wonderful speech and your business cards, find a place to volunteer to speak. Give a talk to any group that has an interest in your subject. Pass out your cards each time you speak. Work for free until you have a good portfolio to show to others who might want to engage you for their group.
Stand before your audience with a commanding appearance speaking in a voice of authority. Use the power of your voice and of your appearance to hold them spell-bound. Make sure you are so prepared that nothing will deter you from giving your speech. Before long, if you are giving a quality talk, people will start asking you to speak to their group too. Accept all offers in the beginning. The wider your name is spread, the more opportunities you will have to speak. Create a web page. List the experiences you have had and then leave contact information. Do not list your fees, but let them know that fees vary according to the event.
Send letters of introduction to groups and companies that fall within your area of expertise. When you are contacted, interview them about their specific needs and tailor your talk to meet those needs. The more closely you meet the needs of each group - and they will never be exactly the same - the more likely they will be to ask you back and to recommend you to other colleagues.
As you gain experience you will find your niche in the speaker's marketplace. The more narrow your niche, the greater the financial reward because you will be able to ask for higher compensation. You will also be in a place that allows you to agree to less speaking engagements while maintaining your income.
