7 Questions to Ask Yourself – How to Get Started in Public Speaking

We are frequently asked to guide novice speakers – both younger people and more mature people who haven’t previously gotten on the speaking circuit – we decided it was time to revisit “How to get started in public speaking”. We’re going to kick off this series with seven questions to ask yourself on your way to public speaking success.

1. What are your goals?

Why do you want to get onstage? Answers vary from “I have something to promote” (myself, my business or maybe a book) to “I have a special story or skill or experience I want to share,” to “My boss or mentor or friend is urging me to do it.” Knowing why you want to speak is important and can help you make many decisions during this process. It can also help you measure your success in the end. Are you achieving your goals?

2. Who do you want to speak to?

Visualize your perfect audience. If you are speaking to promote your business, who is your perfect customer? Are they younger? Older? Working in a certain field? Do they have a certain title? Or do they have a specific question you can answer? Where do you find this audience?

3. Know thyself.

What’s your natural comfort level with public speaking? Some people are naturally more out-spoken than others but it is our firm belief that almost anyone can do this with the right situation and enough practice. Maybe you are shy and so solo speaking engagements feel like too much (especially right out of the gate). You’ll want to stick with panels or round-tables, or maybe be a moderator to start off. How much experience have you had speaking? (Side note: While giving the webinar this week, I was asked how I handle the physical “tells” of nervousness, red-face, blushing, sweating, etc. I talked about how audiences don’t want you to fail and how they tend to overlook small issues like these. However, now, I will say that the perfect “venue” for you if you have these challenges is a webinar!)

Want to read the other four questions to ask yourself? Read the full article at our sister company Innovation Women.

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