Speaking Tips: Toastmasters and the Inspirational Speaker
Tell 'em a story. They'll love it.
The author in 2010 addressing a Probus Club audience.
You're a Toastmaster ?
Want to be an Inspirational Speaker ?
You ARE a Toastmaster? Good. You want to become a sought-after speaker? Someone people really want to hear? You can. It’s easy. The catch? You’ve got to go outside of Toastmasters. You have to get out among the ‘general public.’
If you're good enough you'll get big audiences too. 100, 200 300 people - yes. But you'll probably have to start off small until word gets around.
So how do you start? What do you have to do to start getting those invitations?
Get known! Get out there among the 'general public.
A typical audience of retirees in Australia. A modern, church hall venue.
How? Phone and ask. Write and ask.
How? Phone and ask. Write and ask. There are literally thousands of organisations out there who meet monthly, fortnightly, weekly- nearly all of whom are crying out for competent speakers. And once you have landed a few engagements you get ‘word of mouth’ referral from then on. The word simply gets around. Before you know it, you’re in demand.
Tom in action at Chatswood Returned Servicemen's Club
Another typical audience. They're a friendly bunch
My speciality at the moment is the 'Retiree' group
My speciality, at the moment, is the ‘Retiree’ group. Make no mistake about it, there are hundreds of them. They range from people in Nursing Home ‘Day-care Centres and Retirement Villages, to Probus Clubs, National Seniors, Golden A, etc..
When I checked recently my list of audiences, I found with pleasant surprise that I’d spoken to over 38,000 people in a little over seventeen years.
It's easy to line up engagements
Because I’m retired, I pick groups that meet in the daytime. But it’s just as easy to line up evening engagements. Rotary, Lions, Apex, Soroptimist, Zonta Clubs generally meet weekly, so imagine how many speakers they need.
Tom at Revesby Workers - just one more audience
Do it right, and you'll have their undivided attention
An all male Probus Club. Venue: Gordon Golf Club
Don't put it off any longer.
Of course, you’ll have to give ‘em more than a 5-7 minuter. Anything from 20 minutes to 50 minutes is the norm. But that’s what you need do if you want to grow as a speaker.
So don’t put it off any longer. Get out there and do some speaking!
I hope you enjoyed Speaking Tips: Toastmasters and the Inspirational Speaker.
Comments
Tom Ware (author) from Sydney, Australia on October 17, 2010:
Thank you both. It's always good to get an acknowledgement. And if the information in the Hubs we post help people...well, that's a bonus.
Dee aka Nonna on October 17, 2010:
Great hub! Because of the type of work I did before retiring I get some offers still, but would love to expand the horizon. You offer some wonderful tips and I will definitely use them. Thank you!
lmmartin from Alberta and Florida on October 17, 2010:
Interesting hub, Tom.
