Become a Six Figure Professional Speaker

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Become a Six Figure Professional Speaker By Kathleen Gage

Have you ever dreamed of getting paid to speak? Not sure where to start? Wondering if you can make a living as a speaker? Have people told you what a wonderful presence you have in front of an audience?

If you are like many people you have a secret desire to become a professional speaker, but you're just not sure where to begin or what to do. As someone who has been speaking professionally for many years I often recommend to people who have the dream to start right where you are at. Begin by speaking for free, work into a small fee, then a bit more, then more and then more.

The type of response I get to this recommendation will determine if someone has what it takes to become a professional speaker. Note that I did not say public speaker. Many people confuse professional speaker with public speaker.

The main difference between a public speaker and a professional speaker is the professional gets paid. Granted, there will be times that professionals choose to not get paid for an engagement, yet they do derive some, or all of their income from speaking.

The profession of speaking can be one of the most rewarding and lucrative you will ever have. On the other hand, it can be one of the most frustrating. As with anything there are pros and cons with this career choice.

Being a professional goes beyond having a good, or even great, speech. You must also have business savvy. Simply put, you must know how to identify those people who want to hear what you have to say; differentiate yourself in the marketplace; market yourself; be able to sell your services; give great customer service; deliver an stellar product (you); and have great follow up.

An excellent way to find out more about the industry is to visit your local chapter of the National Speakers Association. There are chapters in cities throughout the United States, Canada and other parts of the world. A quick search on the Internet will give you a number and contact person of your nearest NSA Chapter. You can even call the corporate office which is located in Tempe, Arizona.

Before quitting your day job, take the time to develop your presentation skills. Read a book, take a class or attend a speaking seminar. Join an organization that assists you in developing presentation skills such as Toastmasters International. Consider hiring a presentation coach. Your time and money will be well spent.

To determine what topics to speak on look to your own experience, knowledge and passion. What do you have a great deal of expertise in that people would want to hear about and be willing to pay for?

The amount you get paid is based on skill and market demand. A more seasoned speaker will likely make more than a new speaker. A speaker with specific expertise that is not your run of the mill type tends to command more than a generalist. A speaker who is an author of a best selling book also can command more than a non-published speaker.

There are many factors that are a part of the equation of a successful professional speaker. Again, a great way to find out what the determining criteria are is to find others who are succeeding in the industry and learn what they have done, are doing and plan to do in their career.

Kathleen Gage is an award winning professional speaker based out of Draper, Utah. Join Kathleen Gage for a FREE teleconference – How to Become a Six Figure Speaker on January 18th. Visit www.streetsmartsmarketing.com to register.