The first time I spoke in public as part of my professional career, I wanted to literally crawl out of my skin.
I presented a 30-minute workshop to about 50 people as part of a writers’ conference. And I did a good job for a novice speaker. Good enough to land two new clients.
But, it took weeks of practice. It took working with a mentor over the course of a month. It took not passing out and falling over as I entered a room full of staring eyeballs.
The next time I spoke to a group – and almost every time since – I’ve actually had fun. And I’ve found new clients.
I’m a writer accustomed to working alone in the confines of a home office. If I can stand up in public and talk to strangers without making a total fool of myself, you can too. Here’s how.
Conquer Your Fear
If you’re a bundle of nerves before you even open your mouth, get help. You can learn to overcome your fear of public speaking. Indeed, you can actually learn to enjoy and profit from the experience. Try these four resources.
Toastmasters International. At the Web site you can search for a Toastmasters club near you.
Community colleges. Many offer day and evening courses at low cost.
SeminarInformation.com. You can find one-day or multi-day seminars offered in many cities around the country. Costs vary.
A mentor. Find someone who is good at public speaking, someone who enjoys it. Ask them to help you. Practice your presentations with your mentor. Practice your body language. Practice your delivery. Pay attention to your mentor’s critiques. Practice some more.
Pick A Topic
The point of a speaking engagement is to deliver information to the audience. You’re not doing an infomercial or a hard sell. You’re sharing your expertise and showcasing your knowledge.
At the same time, you’re also increasing your visibility and developing your credibility. That’s why speaking works as a marketing strategy.
With all of that in mind, outline some possible topics you can talk about.
Develop topics with general appeal and catchy titles that will generate interest. To get the creative juices flowing, think about the questions you hear over and over again from your customers and colleagues. Chances are, your answers to those questions are good foundations for speaking topics.
Get A Gig
Cultivating speaking events is easier than you might think.
You can start locally by speaking for free. You may not pick up new clients at every speaking event, but you will get valuable practice. Check out these opportunities.
Chambers of commerce. Offer to speak at a chamber lunch. Keep it to 10 or 15 minutes, plus a quick Q&A.
Service clubs. Lions Clubs, Rotary International and other local service clubs will usually open their podiums to local speakers.
Community colleges. Get in touch with professors who teach classes related to your industry. Offer to talk to a class of students about industry changes, trends, employment opportunities and the like.
University continuing education classes. Many major universities offer non-credit, continuing ed courses in the evenings. Talk to the instructors about topics that would be of interest to their students.
Public libraries. If you offer services to the public – such as accounting or financial planning – some libraries will let you make presentations. Most of the time, you can’t hard-sell your services. But you could offer “Ten Things You Should Discuss With Your Accountant” or “Five Financial Moves You Should Make Before Retirement.”
Once you’ve mastered the local circuit, expand your reach regionally and nationally. Investigate these opportunities.
Industry associations. Watch for conferences and trade shows that offer attendees workshops. Maybe you could present one.
Professional organizations. Look for tips and techniques you can share with your professional colleagues. Craft those into a 30-minute presentation you can deliver during a conference luncheon or workshop.
National Speakers Association (NSA). After you’ve honed your speaking talents to a fine edge, pitch yourself to the big leagues. As a member of the NSA, you put yourself in the spotlight. Meeting planners and media professionals turn to the NSA to find top-notch speakers on every imaginable topic. At this level, you’ll not only find new clients, but you’ll probably get paid for speaking, too.
(Posted Janaury 2007)
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