By Pam Terry
If the thought of becoming a keynote speaker excites you, your next thought might be, “How do I get there? To clarify, a keynote speaker would be someone who is hired to wow the audience with their brilliance and delivery for about 45 minutes. Getting hired takes three things: 1) honing your craft as a speaker, 2) picking a niche, and 3) getting your name out there.
Honing Your Speaking Skills
First and foremost you need to have valuable content that makes a difference in people’s lives. Why? Because speaking is not about the presenter – it’s about the audience and what they will get out of it. Find out everything you can about them, what they want to know, and why. Then you can work on how to deliver the speech.
Storytelling is a powerful way to get a point across. With a story, you can transport your audience to another place and time.
Effective delivery includes: a) knowing your topic so you can give it without notes, b) preparing an outline so that you can stay focused, c) practicing it so that you can build your confidence and invigorate your passion, and d) using techniques that engage your audience so that they get the most out of it.
Picking a Niche
To be noticed, narrow your focus so that you can set yourself apart from the crowd of speakers. Can you apply your topic to a specific industry? If so, research that industry and learn everything you can about it. Offer to write guest articles/blogs. Join any groups where your target market is and develop relationships within the industry. All of your marketing materials should align with your niche.
Becoming Known
With all that the Internet has to offer, it’s incredibly easy to become known. Yet it can be incredibly overwhelming; right? The key is that you need to let your target market know that you are the expert in your field so that when you apply to speak at their conference they know you are a proven expert in their industry.
Initial steps for becoming known include the following:
- Have a professional looking website with a blog.
- Create a speaker one-sheet that builds your brand for the industry you are targeting and make it available as a download from your website.
- Start speaking by doing your own workshops, webinars, and teleseminars on your topic. This will build your community (followers), your brand, and your confidence. People will begin to ask you to speak at their events.
- Blog about tips and solutions that offer real value. Post your blog title and link to select groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google Plus. You can add others such as Pinterest and YouTube. Social media is your “broadcast channel.” Use it. This will further cement your brand and expand your reach.
- Find out the names of the meeting planners in your industry and join the groups they are in on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google Plus and post in those groups. Comment and engage with any of their posts. This can lead to developing a connection to them on those sites. Follow them on Twitter and subscribe to their channel on YouTube.
There are far more advanced steps for setting yourself apart which include being a published author, getting quoted by the media, having a video of you on your website, and much more.
The best advice I can give you is to plan ahead, take consistent action, and be patient.
Pam Terry is a keynote speaker, coach, and trainer. For more articles, please visit www.pamterry.com/blog.html. You can reach Pam at 832-276-4153 or [email protected].
