Free Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Articles

The Art of Public Speaking by David Osborne

Many of you have been called upon to speak in public at one time or another in your lives. At one end of the spectrum will be: “Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding and raise your glasses to the adorable couple.” At the other end are those who see public speaking as a lucrative business, and the speakers most in demand command considerable fees for their services.

Some of the best known public speakers command very high fees, but these are the exception. They are usually well known celebrities from all walks of life, who feature regularly in the media, and whose name alone is a considerable drawing card.

But there’s still room for good speakers, who can make a decent living on the ‘rubber chicken’ circuit, and once established, will be regularly in demand.

It’s hard to imagine in any other walk of life where thirty minutes can make or break a speaker. A good speech lifts the audience, leaves them wanting more, and sends them off singing your praises. You’ve earned your fee several times over, and the offers come flooding in! A bad speech is the kiss of death!

If you have the confidence to stand up in front of an audience and amuse, entertain and inform them in equal measure, then you have the potential to be a good public speaker.

Of course it goes without saying that you must have something worth saying, especially in the lucrative world of keynote speaking, and more importantly, something worth listening to if you’re going to command a good fee for your services. After all, your fee will be paid by your audience, directly or indirectly, and they’ll want value for their money.

It also goes without saying that the more specialist your subject, the less demand for it. Meat and potatoes sell better than caviar, if you follow my drift. You may be able to command the same fees, but not as often.

So choose a subject of broad appeal. Motivational keynote speakers are regularly in demand, but because they’re so many of them, it’s difficult to stand out from the crowd. If you’re going down that route, try and be original, have a different slant from the rest, whether it’s in content, presentation, style, or all three.

Research your market, and check out the competition. Listen to their speeches, and, armed with this book, learn how to do it better, much better, and learn to be the best. And don’t just listen to their speeches, take time to study the audience, see how they react, what makes them laugh, or cry, or what bores them rigid.

Above all, you must be an expert in your subject. A paying audience doesn’t want to hear what they already know, no matter how well you score on delivery and style. If content is lacking, it’s a no win situation.

Your first fee earning speech may be the most important speech of your career, as success in this competitive field depends so much on word of mouth. Testimonials and letters of commendation are worth their weight in gold in the public speaking business, and chances are your host will check you out.

Finally, as you’re establishing yourself and climbing the stairway to success, don’t be greedy when it comes to negotiating your fee, as you might price yourself out of the market. Be prepared to start modestly and build.

This is where a good agent comes into his own, although good agents are as rare as hen’s teeth. Check them out online, they’re all there, the good, the bad and the ugly. You may have to pay a modest registration fee, and there’s no such thing as loyalty in this business, so join as many agencies as you feel comfortable with, so long as you can offer them a return on their time and effort. If you’re double booked with two agencies, chances are you‘ll lose one of them, and possibly both, so go carefully.

The other great advantage of having an agent is that he knows the going rate, together with expenses. He knows what the market will afford, and will sell you accordingly. He’s also an excellent conduit for feedback and references and testimonials, and in the unlikely event that something went wrong, he’s there to paper over the cracks.

And remember the biblical saying: “A prophet is not without honor save in his own country.” It’s all very well speaking locally, but if you’re known, if it’s Good Old Ed, one of the boys, they won’t expect to pay for your services, no matter how good you may be, and worse still, they won’t take you seriously. So cast a wide net, and leave your home patch to others.

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