7 Steps to Becoming a Professional Speaker

by Susan Coates, The Speaker Studio

 

I have met many people who have confessed to me that deep down inside they wanted to be a motivational speaker.  Are you one of them?  Do you listen to professional speakers like Anthony Robbins, Zig Zigler, Les Brown or John Maxwell?  Do you think you have what it takes?  You probably do.   A great quote from the author, Richard Bach says, "You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.  You may have to work for it, however."  That's the hard part.

 

As a speaker’s bureau, I get numerous calls from men and women wishing to get started in the speaking industry.  They come from assorted backgrounds with varying levels of experience.  When I ask them what they speak about, their typical response is, “Anything you want.”   Sorry, but this is not going to get you many speaking engagements.   You need to get focused.  So, grab a pencil and let’s get planning.    As you know, a little planning can go a long way.

 

  1. PLATFORM SKILLS  - Do a reality check on your platform skills.  Video tape yourself then watch and listen.  Then ask a friend to watch and give you honest feedback.  Consider these observations:  Are you rocking in place or pacing?  Are you speaking faster than the audience can keep up or take notes?  Do you have a lot of filler words such as “um/ah”, “and”, “so anyway” or “you know?”   Is your voice monotone?  Are you avoiding eye contact with your audience?  Or are you staring at the ceiling or floor?  Is your content disorganized and slow to get the point?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not ready to get paid to speak.   And if you try, I (the bureau) usually hear about it.  Meeting planners are blunt honest with us.  They will tell a me what they won’t tell the speaker direct.  Without a good speaking foundation, it will be much more difficult to find any speaking opportunities, let alone paid ones..  If you find that your presentation skills could be improved upon, do something about it.  I recommend checking into Toastmasters.  This is an inexpensive way to gain platform experience and receive honest, effective feedback designed to help you improve, not tear you down.  You can find more information on Toastmasters at www.Toastmasters.org.  Another great resource, although more expensive is Dale Carnegie.  While they don’t offer ongoing training, the training they do offer is intense and well-worth the investment.

 

  1. FOCUS ON YOUR TOPICS -  Once you feel your platform skills are acceptable, you now need to focus on your topics.  It is the first thing I ask speakers who wish to be listed in my bureau.  Think about why you?  You need at least three topics or speeches that you have developed into 20-40 minute “customizable” presentations that are content productive, well-written, and rehearsed.  Next, determine who would benefit from each speech listing three take-home points the audience will gain.  Summarize your program focusing on what an audience will learn from your presentation   Remember there are thousands of speakers out there.  You need to find your niche’ and determine what makes you different than the others.  Stay focused on what the audience will gain – not about who you are.  It’s not about how great you are, but the information you will be sharing and what they will gain by listening to you.  If you have relevant information and deliver it well, the you will come automatically.

 

  1. ONESHEETS - Once you are confident of your platform skills and created your three “audience-focused” programs, you are now ready to begin creating your onesheet.   A onesheet means just that – one sheet of paper (copied both sides if necessary) that says who you are, what you speak about, and what your audience will take home from your presentation.   Your onesheet is one of the most important parts of your media kit.  It needs to include your bio, your speech topics, testimonials, list of clients, and contact information.  You may also want to consider creating a onesheet for each of your areas of expertise, or different industries you will be marketing to.  Be sure to list an email address you check often and a phone number that gets answered or at least works.  You will be pulled from my speaker list if any of these bounce back.  Meeting planners don’t have time to hunt you down.  Make it easy to contact you.  

 

  1. START SPEAKING.  Now that you have your onesheet, you’re ready to begin to seek speaking engagements.  Notice I didn’t say “paid” speaking engagements.  You need to start collecting testimonials and references.  You need a track record from which to build your speaking career.  So start easy, with the non-paying organizations such as The Lions Club, Kiwanis, local libraries, and Chambers of Commerce.  These are just a few who are constantly seeking speakers for events.    Be sure to request testimonials on company letterhead from every venue and add to your onesheet and media kit.  Remember that every speaking engagement not only gets you more platform experience and more exposure, it is the starting point that could lead to a paying gig.  Never underestimate the power of pro-bono work. 

 

  1. DEFINE AUDIENCE AND MARKET - As you gain experience, you will be able to more clearly identify your audience or market.  Not every group will be a right fit.  Don’t push it.  A bad fit can cause your career to crash and burn very quickly.  90% of speaker venues come from leads from other meeting planners at other events.  So even if you do “die on stage,” be professional.  Evaluate what went wrong and adjust your stratagem so it doesn’t happen again.  Never blame your audience or your host for things going wrong.   

 

  1. BUILD YOUR PORTFOLIO - Take advantage of gratis work by video taping your presentations.   Hiring a videographer can be expensive, but is the best way to go.  The Speaker Studio is a great resource for video production needs.   Be sure your video and/or audio has been edited and packaged for easy mailing or posting to your website.  (For more information about developing a meeting planner-friendly website (a must) order that seminar online.  You as a speaker are a product.  And meeting planners want to see samples.  I have a difficult time selling any speaker who does not have sample material to share.  These can get pricey so I recommend starting with a good, solid audio sample.  They are easy to create with today’s technology.  If you need assistance, contact The Speaker Studio for resources.

 

  1. YOUR MEDIA KIT - Compile all this information into one simple folder we call a Media Kit or Press Kit.  Be sure it is designed so it can be easily mailed to meeting planners or speakers bureaus.  At a minimum, your media kit should contain your bio, your onesheet, testimonials (on letterhead), client list, fee schedule, and sample video or audio.   And don’t forget contact information.  If marketing to a speakers bureau, either customize the contact information to the bureau’s contact information, or simply remove all your contact information and leave blank.  A bureau will not market your materials with your contact information on them. 

 

 

That’s it!  Perform these steps in this order and you are on your way to become the next Les Brown of public speaking.  Study the greats.  Listen to their styles and define your own.  Do not try to be something you’re not.  Trying to copy someone else’s style can only lead to frustration.  Be yourself, pursue with passion and you cannot fail.

 

 

Susan Coates is a Professional Speech Coach and Director of The Speaker Studio.  You can contact her at Susan@TheSpeakerStudio.com.

 

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