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One of the other things in my past is public speaking and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I was born to it, but for those of you that are not naturally inclined to present from a podium or take center stage before an audience, I recommend Miriam Otte.
I came upon the work of Miriam Otte long after I had already made the leap from professional sales to professional speaking, but she is right on in her extremely well written and extensive work titled, Marketing with Speeches and Seminars; Your Key to More Clients and Referrals.” What is unique about public speaking as a marketing approach is that very few people choose this avenue to advertise their businesses. So, if you are good, and your subject is one that is timely, you could well become the member of a very select group. Some of the biggest names in the online world today teach seminars that cost thousands of dollars. The only drawback to public speaking, especially if you are going to venture beyond your own home geography, is the travel. I know. It can be extensive, and it becomes very easy to log lots of car and air miles. Being away from home and family for long periods of time can become exhaustive and burnout is a real possibility. However, if you start small and slow speaking to area chambers, fraternal organizations, clubs and associations, you can very quickly build a reputation in your area of expertise. This is the power of speaking before large numbers of people. Your client base and referral network will quickly expand.
Miram Otte’s book may be very difficult to find and it can be costly. The copy I landed was several hundred dollars, but well worth the money if you want to become a local speaker and grow to become a professional paid public speaker.
