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Guest post by: William Gissen Become an Author

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A speaking engagement in front of target audiences or your own industry establishes you as an expert in your field and builds instant credibility. Here are some quick pointers on finding, delivering and following up on speaking engagements.

1. Research conferences over the Internet.

Most major conferences are publicized up to a year in advance over the Internet. Web sites such as allconferences.com and tsnn.com provide lists for almost any field. Most conferences are organized by sponsoring organizations, prominent magazines or professional societies.

2. Determine suitable locations for an event.

Are all your clients from the surrounding region? Are personal meetings crucial for your business? These factors should weigh heavily in determining where you will apply for a speaking engagement.

Most major conferences rotate their location on a yearly basis so if a current event is far away, you may wish to inquire where next year’s conference will be held.

3. Pitch events at least six months in advance.

Generally, this is the minimum amount of time required for a major conference. Each conference usually has its own web page, and you can use this web page to find and contact the conference coordinator.

4. Prepare a general application.

An application for a speaking engagement usually contains two parts, a bio, including any previous speaking experience, and your proposed topic.

If you lack specific speaking experience but think of an interesting topic, you may wish to pursue smaller professional organizations within your field, especially if you are a member.

5. Respond to a call for papers.

A “call for papers” refers to a specific speaking application open to the public through a conference web site. You should fill out the call for papers and be sure to meet any deadlines; however, this should be carried out in conjunction with pitching the conference coordinator.

Building a relationship with decisionmakers offers a significant advantage in any PR endeavor.

6. Organize your thoughts on note cards.

Once you are accepted for a speaking engagement, you should avoid writing a speech word for word. By including your key points on note cards, you can spur your memory if necessary, but you want to avoid a “rehearsed” sound.

7. Use the cards to practice your speech.

You must practice your speech out loud ahead of time. Use your note cards to deliver your entire speech from beginning to end. Keep doing it until you can deliver it smoothly without any pauses or verbal crutches such as “you know.”

No matter how well prepared you feel in advance, you’ll be surprised by how much you can improve your delivery by practicing it again and again.

8. Take leave-behinds about your company and/or topic to hand out after the speech.

Documents may include a tri-fold brochure describing your company and/or reprints from previous publicity in print publications. If your presentation includes PowerPoint slides, you should provide copies of the slides and announce that to your audience in advance.

Warning: don’t make any handouts available before the speech because it will distract your audience.

9. Obtain an attendance list for follow up.

Especially if things go well.

10. Write a personal letter thanking your host for the opportunity.

Hosts always take a chance when they choose individuals for a speaking engagement. You should acknowledge the opportunity they provided for you as a matter of courtesy and because other publicity opportunities may arise.

Even if you’ve never spoken at an event before, you will be surprised at how easy it becomes after you go through the process a few times. Even though some people claim the fear of public speaking is often greater than the fear of death, this is an important publicity vehicle, and it should be pursued vigorously.

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