Want to be a Paid Speaker?

Many new speakers are eager to hit the ground running getting paid to speak. Ah... if only it would be that easy! Before you start charging a fee for speaking, there are five things that need to happen.

Authors Dottie Walters and Lilly Walters write in their book Speak and Grow Rich...

You should start charging for your speeches when you have:

• Become an expert.
• Developed a passion for your subject and your career of professional speaking, so that you never stop learning and improving every day.
• Given at least 50 to 100 no-fee speeches.
• Learned to be a good, reliable, exciting, informative professional presenter who can handle any emergency.
• Had members of your no-fee audience come up to talk to you after the speech and say, “What would you charge to speak at our meeting?”

Be the Speaker You Dream of Being

For many people, they dream of being a speaker. Is that you? You know you have a dream of being a speaker. You know you have a message to share with others. Sadly, you don't pursue your dream because of a fear of not being good enough or fear of failing. No one was born a natural speaker. Speaking is a skill you can learn. It begins with following these four steps:

1. Make the decision to pursue your dream to speak. Once you make the decision, new openings for actions will arise.
2. Write your vision of what your life would look like as a speaker. With a clear picture of what you want, your vision will become a reality and no longer a pipe dream.
3. Commit to learn everything you need to learn to become a speaker. By committing, you're holding yourself accountable—that's when the results will come.
4. Take action NOW! Take action today to bring you closer to your dream.

Follow these four steps and you'll begin to see your dream of being a speaker become a reality.

Grab Their Attention in 60 Seconds

Whether you’re attending a networking event or trade show, you only have about 60 seconds to introduce yourself and grab the prospect’s attention.

If you want your prospects to sit up and listen, create a message that grabs their attention in the first 60 seconds. Creating a compelling message that addresses their needs is both an opportunity to promote your services and a way to separate yourself from the rest. It will make people want to know more about you.

Your statement must be vivid, specific, and easy to remember. Your main objective for your message is to get people to say, “Wow, you’re exactly what I need! Can I have your card?” Better still, it will make them say, “I want to work with you! When can we talk?”

Expressing in positive words the ways you help people and the results they gain from working with you will motivate them to find out more about your service.

Are You Ready to Shift Your Beliefs about Speaking?

We did not come into the world with any limiting beliefs or fears. When we were born, we were completely unafraid, fully expressed, and spontaneous. But as we grew up, our parents and people around us began teaching us their beliefs. They began saying things like, “Be careful!” “Stop!” “Get away from there!” “No! You can’t do that!” And, the more you heard these thoughts over time, you accepted them as the truth.

When it comes to speaking, you may have a limiting belief you don’t have what it takes to be a successful speaker. You’ve said this statement to yourself so often, you believe it’s the truth.

No one was born a natural speaker. You can become the speaker you want to be by creating a new set of beliefs and positive self-talk. First, identify what your beliefs are, when did you first start hearing these beliefs and ask yourself if they are really true? You’ll see that these beliefs were passed to you by someone else and you heard them so often, you assumed they were true.

We all have the power within us to change the way we think.

Terrified of Speaking?

Studies have shown that one of the top fears people have is speaking to groups. For some people, when it comes to speaking, they'd rather be the one being eulogized than the person giving the eulogy!

Even well-known celebrities have admitted fears of speaking in public. Barbra Streisand stopped singing for 20 years due to her anxiety about performing in front of an audience.

How many times have you watched a speaker and thought, "I can do that!" And then that little inner critic in your head starts making noise and tells you, "Who am I kidding! I'm not a speaker... I can't do this." The more you think these thoughts, the more you believe it's true. The truth is none of us was born a natural speaker.

When the little inner critic starts making noise, what you should be saying to that voice is, "Thanks for sharing!" Don't let your inner critic sway you from staying in action.

There's nothing wrong with being a little nervous before you speak. In fact, a little bit of adrenalin is good because it keeps you alert, focused, and energized as you speak.

5 Valuable Tips to Draw the Audience to You Like a Magnet

If you want to draw the audience to you like a magnet, there are (5) valuable tips that will keep them engaged and wanting more!

1. Create a compelling memorable story. People are interested in “YOU”! By sharing a memorable story, you’re connecting with the audience at a more personal level. They now will feel more related to you and what you have to say.
2. Engage the audience throughout your presentation and make it interactive. Check in with them by asking questions.
3. Throughout your talk, share other stories about people who you helped and the results they got. People love to hear real-life stories of triumph and success.
4. End your talk with a “call to action.” What do you want as an outcome for your talk? What action do you want the audience to take?
5. Stay in touch with your audience. If you want to stay connected with them, offer to send them notes from your talk or give away a gift if they give you their business card.

Creating a Strong Foundation as a Speaker

If you want to deliver a powerful presentation, it starts with the preparation even before you go to the front of the room to speak. Here are (5) valuable tips for creating a strong foundation as a speaker.

1. Know who’s in your audience before you speak. Call the event or program planner to find out the profile of the people attending.
2. Arrive early before your presentation and walk around introducing yourself to some of the people.
3. If you’re speaking for half an hour to an hour, your talk should cover only 3-4 points.
4. Let the audience know at the beginning what you’ll be presenting and how long.
5. Speak to only one person at a time for about 4-5 seconds. Speak directly to them, not over their heads. This helps reduce nervousness, increases confidence and connection with the audience.

Why Become a Speaker?

Speaking to groups is a much more effective use of your time than speaking to one person at a time. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits to becoming a speaker.

• When you become a speaker, you immediately elevate yourself in the eyes of the audience. They see you as the expert and this establishes instant credibility.
• You’re reaching more than one person and that increases the chances of more people interested in your service or product.
• Your confidence increases. As your speaking improves, the most powerful benefit is the improvement in your overall confidence and self-image.
• Research shows that in selling, a speech demonstrating your services is 50% more effective than the most glowing testimonial.
• When you’re speaking, the audience has come to you rather than you having to find them.

So You Want to Create Your First Live Event

If you know in your heart your purpose is to share your message with many people, then creating your own live event is the platform to get your message out to the world. Creating your first live event can be very exciting and at the same time very daunting. I’m going to share with you two key steps to help you make your event a success.

 

Click here to view video.

Authentically Share Yourself

The easiest and fastest way to draw the audience to you is when you authentically share yourself. Start your talk by sharing a personal story of how you became who you are today. When you share something personal about yourself, the audience feels more connected to you. You’re showing them you’re no different than they are. They can relate to you more quickly through your story and that’s going to draw them to you.

Show your vulnerability by speaking about your struggles, how you overcame your challenges, and the life lessons you learned. We’ve all had to deal with personal and professional challenges in the course of our lives. When we hear true stories of courage and victory, we’re inspired and believe we can go after the things we want too. This is both inspirational and motivational. People will think, “If she or he did that, so can I!”

Start Your Talk by Telling Your Personal Story

One of the most powerful assets you can use when speaking to attract more clients is sharing your personal story. It's so simple, yet most speakers have no idea how to use this valuable asset to attract more clients and give incredible value at the same time.

When you share something personal about yourself, they feel more connected to you. You’re showing them you’re no different than they are. They can relate to you more quickly through your story and that’s going to draw them to you.

Your personal story has made you who you are today.

Create Titles That Grab Attention

People often buy books because of their covers, or at least they are attracted enough to take a closer look at the book’s content because the cover has caught their attention. It’s the same with writing the title for your presentation. If your title is the typical type of title, it will probably be ignored.

One of the best ways to come up with ideas for a catchy title is to walk through bookstores and peruse the shelves, reading the titles of books. Notice the words of titles that quickly grab your attention. Titles are like headlines in newspapers and magazines. You buy the publication because the headline promises you information you need or are interested in.

As you create the title of your presentation, think about what matters most to your audience. What’s their pain? What can they gain from my talk? Write a title that points out the problem and implies your material contains the answers the audience is looking for.

Moving Through Your Fear About Speaking

Even the best speakers are nervous when they first get up to speak. Barbra Streisand stopped singing for years due to her anxiety about speaking. It is said that for some people, the fear is so strong they’d rather be the one being eulogized, than the one giving the eulogy. There’s nothing wrong being a little nervous before you speak. In fact, a little bit of adrenalin is good because it keeps you alert, focused, and energized as you speak.

A tip to help you feel less anxious before you speak is to visualize the members of the audience smiling and welcoming you as you speak. They came to hear what you have to say and are eager to learn from you!

4 Tips to Sell Your Product or Service When Giving Your Presentation

Have you ever given a presentation hoping to sell your product or service at the end, yet sadly, you leave empty handed?

Leaving without having sold any of your products at the end of your presentation can be so disappointing. I understand because I’ve been there too.

In today’s video I’ll share with you (4) tips to selling your products and services at the end of your presentation that will put more money in your pocket.

Click here to view video.

Get Contact Information For Following Up

You’ve just delivered a great presentation, yet sadly you only have a few business cards. To ensure you collect your audience’s business cards, so you can follow up with them, you can do several things:

• Pass around a signup sheet to receive your free newsletter or report.
• Invite them to drop their business cards in a bowl for a free gift.
• Offer to send your PowerPoint presentation to those who are interested and ask for their business cards.

Once you have their business cards, follow-up within 24-48 hours with a thank you e-mail, card, or a quick phone call, and set up at time to meet.

Make The Call to Action

Many speakers end their talk with just, "Thank you for coming." This is a big mistake. Besides giving lots of value in your talk, the most important part is letting the audience know what "the next steps" are. We call those next steps the "call to action." If you’ve delivered value to your audience, they’re interested in what your offerings are. At the end of your talk is a huge opportunity to present other offerings such as a program or product. Be sure you let the audience know what the “call to action” is before your talk ends.

Keep on Time

Let the audience know at the beginning of your presentation how long you’ll be speaking and when the presentation will be ending. This shows that you respect their time and in return you’ll have their full attention. Often times new nervous speakers don't watch the clock, then end up rushing as they finish, trying to wrap up and answer questions. Not only does this look unprofessional but you will lose the respect of people in the audience who have their own schedules to keep. When you don’t end on time, no matter how great your presentation was, it doesn’t matter… you’ve lost their trust. Always remember to keep on time!

Boost Your Confidence Giving a Speech

No one is a born natural speaker. Even the greatest speakers have the jitters when they speak. Sure, you may watch a great speaker and think, "I can never be like them."

However, I can assure you, at some point in their lives, those great speakers were also sitting in the audience thinking, "I could never be a great speaker."

Today I would like to share with you a short video where I share "3 Tips to Boost Your Confidence Giving a Speech."

Click here to view video.

Don’t Just Read

Once you’re up on stage, if all you do is read from your notes, you’ll quickly lose your audience. It’s common for new speakers to attach themselves to their notes because it feels safe; however, people have come to hear what you have to say and they want to see you looking at them when you speak. They want to connect with you, so give them every opportunity to do that.

Your notes are there to guide you through your presentation. Remember to stay out there with the audience and not buried in your notes.

Maintain Structure and Flow

If you don’t have an organized flow to your talk, it will be confusing to follow, and you will lose the audience. As you write your talk, ask yourself these questions: What is the objective of my talk? What points do I want to make? What do I want my audience to walk away with?

1. Tell them what you’re going to tell them,
2. Tell them, and
3. Tell them what you just told them.

This translates into an opening, a body, and a closing.

Don’t Overwhelm

No matter how long your presentation is, be sure not to overwhelm your audience with too much information, however valuable. When they feel overwhelmed, they’ll tune out. As you design your 30-60 minute talk, cover no more than (3) or (4) points. At the start of your presentation let the audience know what the agenda is and how long you’ll be speaking. By doing this, you’re respecting the audience’s time and you’ll then have their full attention for the entire presentation.

It’s Time to Share Your Story

Do you know one of the fastest ways to draw the audience to you as a speaker is by sharing your personal story? When you’re willing to open up your heart and reveal who you really are, people instantly feel connected to you.

In this week’s video, I share with you five tips on how to share your story in a way that will grab your audience’s attention.

Sell to Your Warm Leads

Every person who comes to hear you speak can be considered a warm lead. Why? They came to you because they’re interested in what you have to say. You now have a captive audience eager to listen to what you have to say. And, if you provide value, they will be interested in hearing what else you have to offer. At the end of your talk, have a special offer ready for them take advantage of. This is a huge opportunity to sell them your products or services.

© 2013. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Rochelle Togo-Figa, Professional Speaking Coach, is prohibited.

More Common Speaking Mistakes and Tips on How to Avoid Them

  
In a previous video, I shared the “5 Common Mistakes Speakers Make.” I received such positive feedback that I decided to share four more tips. These tips will be especially helpful if you’re new to speaking or having difficulty harnessing the “jitters” we’ve all experienced. Identifying these mistakes, and how to overcome them, are sure-fire ways to catapult your success as a speaker. I truly hope you find these four tips helpful and they make a difference for you as a speaker!

 Click here to view the video.

Terrified of Speaking?

Studies have shown that one of the top fears people have is speaking to groups. For some people, when it comes to speaking, they'd rather be the one being eulogized than the person giving the eulogy! I've taught speaking skills to many people over the years and most people are nervous when they first get up to speak. They're worried about how they look, what others think of them, what if they forget what to say?

Even well-known celebrities have admitted fears of speaking in public. Barbra Streisand stopped singing for 20 years due to her anxiety about performing in front of an audience. Donny Osmond wrote a book about his life and his performance anxiety, and Sir Laurence Olivier recounted in his autobiography that he suffered a social phobia for five years.

How many times have you watched a speaker and thought, “I can do that!” And then that little inner critic in your head starts making noise and tells you, “Who am I kidding! I’m not a speaker… I can’t do this.” The more you think these thoughts, the more you believe it’s true. The truth is none of us was born a natural speaker.

When the little inner critic starts making noise, what you should be saying to that voice is, “Thanks for sharing!” Don’t let your inner critic sway you from staying in action mode. It’s in default mode trying to sabotage you with limiting thoughts and beliefs.

There’s nothing wrong with being a little nervous before you speak. In fact, a little bit of adrenalin is good because it keeps you alert, focused and energized as you speak.

Let’s take a look at 5 steps to help you overcome the fear of speaking:

1. Visualize your success as a speaker. Spend a few minutes daily, several days before you deliver your talk, visualizing yourself giving a great presentation. Imagine the audience smiling as you speak and applauding at the end of your presentation. The more you can see yourself doing a great job speaking, the more real it will become for you.
2. Know the first 3 minutes of your talk. Most speakers are most nervous at the beginning of their talk. There are a lot of things happening in those first three minutes. Your adrenalin is flowing and you want to deliver a great presentation. Make sure to be well prepared by rehearsing those first three minutes several times over so you know your material well. Once you get through those first three minutes, you’ll feel more connected to the audience and begin to relax.
3. Connect with the audience. Look directly at people as you speak for no more than 4-5 seconds. You want to feel the energy of the audience and they want to feel your energy too. This will help to calm your nerves and keeps the audience paying attention to what you say.
4. Meet with the audience before your talk. Many new speakers say they feel most nervous at the beginning of their talk when they first look out at the audience. It’s understandable to feel most vulnerable when you’re speaking to a group of people you don’t know. An easy way to break the ice with the audience is to arrive and mingle before your talk. Understand the audience is on your side. They came to hear what you have to say and want you to win!
5. Focus on the audience. Your job as a speaker is to deliver value to your audience. With the initial nervousness that many new speakers experience, it’s easy to make it about yourself having thoughts like… “Will they like me? Am I doing a good job? What if I fail?” Put these thoughts aside and be out there with the audience. Focus on your message and the difference you’re there to make for them!

If you would like to use this article on your website, or for your own ezine, not a problem; however, there’s one thing you MUST include: Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Speak Like a Pro System™, a proven step-by-step process that will help you become a confident and successful speaker attracting more clients with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free speaking articles on speaking, visit www.SalesBreakthroughs.com.