Small Business Today Magazine SEP 2014 ELP ENTERPRISES | Page 32
EDITORIALFEATURE
How to Become a
Keynote Speaker
By Pam Terry
I
f 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
30 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ SEPTEMBER 2014 ]
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].