Here's how you can establish your expertise in the public speaking industry as a self-employed professional.

I’ve only moved into the speaking industry in the last year, and the phrase I keep hearing the most is “we’re looking for something a bit different”. People are tired of PowerPoint and lecterns. Thankfully me playing piano in my keynotes and talking about how music can help your mental health seems to classify as “something a bit different”. Find a way to stand out.

I love watching TED talks on YouTube. I've got books explaining how to do a great TED talk. I then ensure my talks and shows look nothing like a TED talk. I never speak behind a lectern or use slides. I always move around the stage and often go into the audience. As a dyspraxic, climbing down from a stage, or even walking around it will bring unexpected consequences. Be brave, be you-nique and above all, be truthful. Speak on a subject that no-one else speaks as well on. Treat your audience with total respect and interact with them. People will get to know that you're different - word of mouth will get you bookings. If you're starting out - why not speak for free - you need your unique reputation.

I think it's important to be known for what you speak about and establish your brand/image. So that when people think of you they know exactly what your subject topic is. A lot of this can be done by sharing content across social media of your talks and topic

During my college days, I joined a club called Toastmasters International. This club's goal is to invite people and call them on stage to speak and improve their communication and public speaking skills. They will tell you to speak for a few minutes of your choice of topic and some experts which a club members only will be assigned to you to monitor you such as how long you spoke, what grammar mistakes you made, how was your body language and more. After your speech is given, they will tell you how well you spoke, what mistakes you made, and how to improve on them By joining this club, helped me improve the way I speak, and also got the opportunity to be a vice president of a College Toastmasters Club Hope it helps!

Creating regular content across channels is a great way to workshop impactful speaking points for keynotes and presentations. Oftentimes, public speaking opportunities will have time limitations. This means you'll want to ensure that the subject matter is succinct and communicated effectively for maximum impact. Use regular content creation tools and methods to practice delivering key information. Gather feedback from viewers to help improve the subject matter presented and how it is communicated to the audience. Additionally, creating content is also a good way to promote yourself as a speaker. Some folks might be more willing to consume content at their convenience before investing time and money to hear you speak in person.

I recently started a YouTube channel where I teach about computer networking-related topics. I record myself explaining the topic through hands-on practical experience and edit the videos. This way I work to improve my: 1. Presentation Skills 2. Strengthen my knowledge on the topics 3. Share what I have learned 4. Improve my video editing skills too! You will also get to know how well you speak in front of the camera and get to know if you use filler words. Hope it helps!

When I was in the Toastmasters International Club, I got many opportunities to interact with many professionals who worked IT industry. They used to share their experience of how they started in public speaking, how they improved their communication skills, how this club benefitted them in their career, and more! This way I got opportunities to have interactions with experts and received good guidance on how to improve my communication skills Networking is a real benefit! Hope it helps!

I recommend joining local associations that are focused on your area of expertise. Offer to speak for these associations on the local and then regional level. Some may be free, others could offer a stipend. From there build your network and look to apply to speak at the national conference. Keep in mind that there will be professionals who work in the corporate space that are members of these associations and they can hire/refer you.