"An expert is somebody who is more than 50 miles from home, has no responsibility for implementing the advice he gives, and shows slides." Edwin Meese
What do you speak about?
Most new speakers would answer, "Whatever you will pay to hear." While the attitude is great, the answer is not. You have to make a few decisions. It is too easy to locate a good speaker these days. People no longer want to hire a speaker. They want to hire THE EXPERT. Are you THE EXPERT?
You cannot afford to be a Jack of all trades and a master of none. While there are some truly talented speaking professionals, most of the successful ones focus on a single concept. Some will take it a step further and focus on a single concept for a single industry. Finding your niche is a sure way to find your target audience and establish yourself as THE EXPERT.
You also have to know what you speak on and be able to verbalize it. Sound silly? You would be amazed at how many professional speakers can't answer that question. You must be clear and concise. If it takes you more than 6 minutes to explain it or you use trendy jargon, you've already lost me. I'm off some where in my head singing show tunes. Your description should get AND keep my attention. If you do it right, I will be able to repeat the information later.
Most of the time it comes down to strategic planning. Decide which topic works best for you and how you want to present the concept to an audience. If you're a speaker, the information is in you. Now all you have to do is get it out.
