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Helpful Articles
10 Steps to Becoming a Professional Speaker
George Torok originally provided this article as additional reference, while presenting on “How to become a professional speaker”, at the Toastmasters 68th Annual International Convention, Chicago Illinois, August 1999
1. Speak, speak, speak! Use every opportunity you get, to speak to anybody, anywhere on anything - in the beginning. Volunteer for as many public speaking engagements as you can handle.2. Over time specialize on one or a few topics. Start to get known as a specialist and work on earning that “expert” label.
3. Develop your speaking craft through Toastmasters. You will get regular speaking practice and constructive feedback. Tell your club members what you are trying to develop and they will know what to look for - and encourage you on your growth. Toastmasters is a non-profit organization that teaches presentation skills in a club environment. Visit www.Toastmasters.org to find a club in your area. For more “Tips for Toastmasters” visit http://www.geocities.com/george_torok/.
4. Ask for and collect testimonial letters from all the groups for whom you speak. When prospects read the letter they don’t know or ask what you were paid. So get letters even from those freebies. Some will write you a great letter without asking. Some need to be asked -and others will need you to write the letter. Do what you must. It is the result that counts.
5. If you want to be in the professional speaking business - then approach it like a business. You would never let the engineers, the IT department, or the accountants run the whole show. If you are the business - you must plan your time to do all these activities. Finding the right balance is tough. I try to follow this plan for my use of time: 50% Sales & marketing; 25% speaking; 15% training and development; 10% administrative.
6. Sales and marketing are your most important activities. It doesn’t matter how good you are - you must sell yourself. It may not seem fair but inferior products with better marketing and sales always outsell a superior product that is poorly marketed. Beta VCR is only one example. If you are not good at sales - take courses and read books. See the recommended list below for good books to read. You cannot hire someone to sell you - if you cannot sell yourself. If you don’t want to sell yourself - get out this business and look for a job.
7. To become and grow as a professional speaker go where the professional speakers are. Find your national affiliate of IFPS, International Federation for Professional Speakers. In the US it is NSA, National Speakers Association - www.nsaspeaker.org. In Canada it is CAPS, The Canadian Association of Professional Speakers - www.CanadianSpeakers.org. The IFPS is growing with affiliates around the world. For more information about the IFPS visit any one of the national affiliate websites. By joining and participating in these professional speaking organizations you will meet other pros to learn about the business and be inspired by those who have made it. These associations hold monthly chapter meetings, an annual convention, winter workshops and seminars to help you with the knowledge and the skills you need to make it in the speaking business.
8. Develop, maintain, and review your business plan. Get expert help where you need it - accounting, legal, technology, graphics design, etc. Review your plan, goals and achievements regularly. Meet with a few business colleagues periodically to review progress, get advice and set new goals.
9. Read extensively. Read books, magazines and newsletters. If you want people to pay you for your expertise – you’d better know more than most of them. And more importantly you must offer a unique perspective. Subscribe to business publications in your field to stay leading edge in your area of expertise. Read other publications so you can stay in touch with the rest of the world and watch for trends and relate to your prospects and clients. I highly recommend, Fast Company magazine, www.fastcompany.com; for business trends; The Futurist, www.wfs.org; for general trends; and Presentations magazine, www.presentations.com; for all the low-down on speaking techniques and technology.
10. Write and publish. It seems ironic that the best way to get known in the speaking business is to write. Being in print seems to give you more credibility than merely speaking. This is especially true to become known as an expert. Write articles and get them published in magazines, newsletters and newspapers. And the easiest place to publish is on the web – your own website and others looking for content. It is nice to get into the big daily newspapers. But it is more important that you appear where your prospects and clients see you. That might be a small distribution trade magazine that your mother never heard of. If you want to be famous - get in the general media. If you want to get business appear in trade publications.
11. Bonus Tip: Do these ten things to get started in the professional speaking business. And be prepared to grow continuously as an individual. This growth is both a key contributing factor to the success of your business and a result of growing your professional speaking business. Continuous learning is the only way to make it in this business. (Always give your clients a bonus.)
Bonus tip: Read these books
Secrets of Power Presentations
Peter Urs Bender
published by Firefly in USA, TAG in Canada
the best book on presentations skills around
Secrets of Power Marketing
Peter Urs Bender & George Torok
Stoddart
written by 2 successful speakers for entrepreneurs, packed with marketing tips and ideas
Speak & Grow Rich
Dottie & Lilliy Walters
Prentice Hall
the best nuts and bolts, A-Z book on the speaking business
Sales on the Line
Sharon Drew Morgan
Metamorphous Press
a simple effective approach to cold calls
Selling your Skills
Robert Bly
Henry Holt
great tips on selling services
Marketing Your Services
Rick Crandall
Contemporary Books
great marketing resource for service providers
6 Steps to Free Publicity
Marci Yudkin
A Plume Book
simple and easy to follow ideas to get publicity
The Non-Designers Design Handbook
Robin Williams
Peachpit Press
just what it says - learn four principles of graphic design that can be applied to stationary, business cards, hand-outs, brochures, web sites, newsletters...
© George Torok, CTM, is a best-selling author, professional speaker and a member of Skyway Toastmasters, in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. To register for your free monthly tips and for more information about his programs visit www.Torok.com