How to Become a Successful Professional Speaker
Flickr
The world of professional speaking is not an easy one to ride in. There are the celebrities who by their instant fame and recognition have people eating out from their hands and then there are the regular people who build their clientele over the years and learn how to market themselves and provide good content.
There is room for everyone in the world of professional speaking provided you know how to weave the magic and keep the un-wavered attention of your audience. It is in fact a herculean task to know how to improve upon your skill-sets. Here are some pointers towards achieving your goal of becoming a successful professional speaker-
✓ Research your topic/content well- Nothing beats a well-researched topic or content. Even in the world of professional Speaking –content is the king. Have copious and well-researched content. The more researched your content will be, more confident you will feel and also in the long run you will deliver a session which adds value and is meaningful to the audience.
✓ Know what you are trying to deliver and your purpose of talk– Beating around the bush never helps a professional speaker. Be clear about exactly ‘WHAT’ you are trying to deliver– and make it super easy for those key target people to understand specifically what they are paying for to listen to. Base your topic on something you feel strongly about. It will be hard to motivate others if you do not care much about what you are saying. Also, keep it simple for them.
✓ Be a good story-teller and an enthusiastic speaker– All speakers are good storytellers. Stories can be the key to a compelling presentation that excites, energizes, and truly engages the people sitting in front of you. Others may not think what we think, but through a shared story, they can feel what we feel. So all keynote speakers are powerful storytellers. Also infuse enthusiasm in the session.
✓ Leverage the social media– You need to tap into the power of social media to keep yourself afloat and in demand in the world of professional speaking. The world has moved online so you require to be top of the game. Use facebook, linkedin, twitter, instagram and other web-channels to get your word across your target audience and your potential customers.
✓ Over the years develop a good–network of potential clients– Over the years cultivate a well-networked source of potential customers. People will spend money when they value what they are getting and not treat it as any amorphous products. Use your resources to tie-up with genuine customers to forge a long-lasting relationship.
Professional speaking is a competitive field, but one with immense rewards. If you stay focused on providing value, and explain how the companies and associations that hire you can benefit from it, you can develop an enviable career. So good luck!