How to Become a Public Speaker

How to Become a Public Speaker

Many times people think it is talent or a gift to be able to speak in front of a crowd, but it is not. It is really not very hard, it is just an iterative process of moving out of your comfort zone and trying things out.  Within this article post I will provide you several tips on how to become a public speaker yourself in just a few months.

Here is my advice based on my own experience of speaking at conferences, workshops, and seminars:

1. Start by recording yourself speaking, get good at recording short 5-10 minute videos on topics you know well before speaking in front of a crowd. This allows you to review how you look, speak, and it will help you communicate more effectively.
2. Speak anywhere you can.  Start out slow and speak at colleges, associations, networking clubs, and breakfast groups. Get experience by speaking 25 times for free in front of any group that will accept you as a speaker.
3. Call yourself a speaker.  Many people do not like to speak, or can't.  Once you start labeling yourself as a speaker you will begin to grow a reputation for having this ability and others will seek you out and hire you for events. 
4. Write like the devil: Writing improves your speaking, it improves your idea flow and gives you tons of content to pull from while speaking.  I am awful at grammar yet I have written many books and over 10,000 blog posts so I know you can too.
5. Choose 2-3 niches and dominate those in your marketplace with books, blog content, and speaking engagements. Be the #1 go-to person for your niche subject if someone wants a great speaker.
6. Monetize Your Speaking:  Eventually speaking for free will become less exciting because you will get more busy.  It is important that you have a $700 product, $30 book, or coaching program to sell while you are speaking so you can begin to learn how to sell from the stage and earn more every time you speak.  
7. Getting Paid Per Speech: While some speakers get paid $10,000+ per event, aim for getting your expenses paid at first and then move on to asking for $475 or $797 payments per hour of content provided. Over time you will learn to feel out which types of clients are going to be more willing to pay for you to speak rather than always ask for you to speak for free.  Don't be short-sighted while negotiating, some speaking locations and opportunities are worth doing for 1/3rd your normal rate for the credibility it will bring you after it is completed.
8. Become a student of speaking: Start going to workshops and seminars in your field, but also outside your field be presentation experts such as Jack Canfield, Tony Robbins, Eben Pagan, Joe Polish, and Brian Tracy. These are people who have presented 1,000's of times and you can learn dozens of tricks, speaking styles, and methods at every event.  The best way to learn speaking after doing it, is watching others doing it.  Books can help you speed up your success for less money, but nothing replaces being able to see many great speakers speak. 
9. Record every speech you ever give.  To come full circle, ask permission ahead of time whether you can have each of your own talks recorded. This way you can not only constantly improve based on this digital feedback but you can leverage this content as an info-product or show it as proof to others who may want to hire you as a speaker.  

I know FOR SURE that these tips work because they are what I have used to speak around the world over the past three years.  Thanks for visiting.

- Richard

Tags: Become a public speaker, become a paid public speaker, how can i become a public speaker, how could I get started at public speaking