What can you do to be a sought-after speaker? Work hard on it! Are there some professional and personal attributes that you can develop to set yourself apart in a crowded field of speakers? Here are the major ones that can't be faked.
Authenticity-if you are not your true self, the audience will detect it, you won't love what you are doing (speaking, training or coaching) and you might suffer from burnout.
Enthusiasm-that is the fuel that keeps your speaking mission going regardless of the tangible or intangible rewards you receive.
Do you do it for the money or is it from a deep conviction about the essence of your message to the world? Both tangible and intangible rewards are great motivators.
Money alone will not keep your enthusiasm for long.
If you are not enthusiastic about your speech, others won't be either.
Self-confidence-this is largely a by-product of preparation, knowledge of what you speak about and a sense of who you are.
Know that you are the speaker because someone believes or perceives that you have something to say, know how to say it and make life better for others.
Carry that responsibility with humble pride-and enjoy the privilege of the platform.
Knowledge-if you don't know what you are talking about, then why do it? The surest way of getting audiences upset is to not know what you are talking about.
Gather facts about your topic.
Gather information about the challenges and expectations of your audience.
Be aware of current developments in your field of expertise and/or that of the group that has invited you as their speaker.
Preparation-you have heard it said that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Nothing is more frustrating to an audience than an unprepared speaker.
There is no excuse for not preparing your speech.
You are not invited because the group wanted you there.
You are invited because they want you to help make their lives better.
Thorough preparation makes your speech meaningful, relevant and memorable.
Content delivery-your message and how you deliver it matters.
After you know your stuff, humor, body language, audience interaction, stories, statistics, provoking revelations and props add value to your audience's ability to learn, remember what you said and be inspired or challenged to turn learned material into expected results.
Never forget to add entertainment to your speeches.
Reputation/integrity-reputation is what others know about you while integrity is what you do when no one is watching you, it's evident in the way you live your life.
Both are critical for your success as a speaker.