Here's how you can position yourself as an invaluable asset in the public speaking community.

Credibility for speakers is usually proof of previous speaking engagements. How are you to build credibility as a new speaker if you haven't been on stage? Reframe your thoughts on what you consider "speaking". You might not have been on a big stage but perhaps you spoke at a large meeting at your company. Or you spoke at a local social group meeting. Go to networking meetings and see if you can be a guest speaker. This is a great way to practice in a professional setting. Ask to speak at your local chamber, rotary club, or non-profit group. Keep accurate records of when you spoke, what you spoke about and how many people were there. Don't forget to get a photo for social media!

Mentor and be mentored. These two things will help you escalate your speaking career greatly. Being mentored will help you walk the path faster. You learn skills and techniques from people with experience which helps you reduce the learning time. Mentoring others allows you to share that knowledge (and other knowledge you have) to help a fellow speaker walk their own path faster. Elevating the whole community is good for the community! And you can mentor and nearly every stage of your journey because there is always someone a few steps behind you. Share your knowledge and help make the world better!

Define your audience for various platforms and develop content that is brand-centric and audience-specific. Content should be centered around your topic, core values, content pillars, or main focus of your business. It can vary 1 or 2 degrees but it shouldn't be so off that it is confusing to your audience. The more you can stay on topic the more you can bring your audience along on the journey. The images you use should express your brand. They should be colorized and styled to evoke your brand. You don't necessarily need to brand with your logo on every image, but they do need to look and feel like you and what the brand stands for.

To consistently showcase your unique value, expertise, and authentic voice, start by defining your niche and understanding what sets you apart from other speakers: - Share your knowledge through various channels, such as social media, blogs, podcasts, and public speaking engagements. - Consistently engage with your audience by providing valuable content and insights, and actively participate in industry events and discussions. - Seek opportunities to collaborate with other professionals and contribute to relevant communities. By building a strong, authentic personal brand, you can enhance your visibility, credibility, and influence, making you a go-to expert and invaluable asset in the public speaking community.

Be open to new ideas and new methods. The world is constantly changing, so to think that professional speaking techniques, your keynote, your presentation, or workshop will stay the same forever, is stagnate thinking. Be a leader in your sphere by learning new techniques, new technology, new industry trends, and other information you can share with your audience. Remember, not everything you learn needs to go into your speech either! Pick and choose what is important to share. Sometimes you learn something so you know NOT to do something. :) Learning is a lifelong skill.

Give Yourself Away Value is relative: beauty is not the only thing in the eye of the beholder…so is our impact as an asset! Never pressure yourself to force your value on an audience or community! If your message is genuine and in depth, likeminded individuals will find you! People tend to gravitate to people they can trust, can relate to, & are filled with the solutions to their problems. There are millions thirsty for us to quench their thirst. As we freely give ourselves away, our audience will freely give to us their perceived value of our impact! Go ahead, “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening withhold not your hands, for you know not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” Keith B.