How to Get Started in Public Speaking

Public speaking can be a very lucrative business. Some of the best public speakers in the world make over a thousand dollars an hour, and others make much more than that. Even though this profession is not for everyone, it is fairly easy to get into if you are interested. Follow the steps below to find out how.

Instructions

1. Decide on a topic that you are passionate about and wouldn't mind talking about over and over. Try to find something that will set you apart from other speakers.

2. Call churches, social, civic and non-profit organizations in your area that occasionally use speakers. Some organizations to consider are the local Lions Club, Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce. Some of the most successful speakers cold call 40 to 50 groups a day, and receive 3 to 5 speaking agreements.

3. Volunteer to speak for free at some local events where you know there will be people that could potentially hire you for speaking engagements in the future. Check with

4. Search meeting and event directories. These can be found at your local library or through the Douglas Publications website (see Resources below). There are more than 25 thousand listings in this directory. Many speakers look to this as a guide to get speaking jobs.

5. Accept one speaking engagement and your name will be out there. Before long they will be searching for you.

Resources

• Douglas Publications