Business of You:  Speaker Training led by Susan Mernit & Mary Jo Manzanares at BlogHer

To be in demand, both in real life and in your blog

-Create a niche in order to become a pro:
“Be the life hacker of sex toys.”

-Look for hole in the market

-Have a v. simple answer to “what do you speak/blog about”

-Try to plug in to conferences, small & large. reach out and go talk for free

In terms of being an effective speaker.  Insider Secrets:

-Overprepare

-Look really relaxed when you speak

-”It’s not about what *I* want to say, it’s about what *they* want to hear.

Q:  “I get lost explaining to people the tech side of things.  How deep can I go?”

A:  Make it Stick, the book.  Metaphors.  Portable speech support.  Gauge level of the audience.  Get permission to speak down to people.   Sometimes drawing a picture is worth 10,000 words.

The Ultimate Roadmap

Tell us where we’re going.  Tell us what we’re doing.  Tell us what we did.

How To Get On the Speaker Circuit
-Start a group of people talking about a topic you want to talk about

-Network.  Especially in the conference environment.  Refer other people!

-Trust your intuition and your own voice.

Nuggets of Wisdom

Q: How to get national exposure?

A: Be aggressive and ask for what you want.  Don’t take rejection as “you’re not good, your idea’s not good.”  Suggest a panel w/someone that has spoken there before.

Q: How to talk about your fees?

A: Know when to speak for free and when to speak for a fee.  First, find out the fees.  And then, find out the budget for event you’ll be at.  Don’t be afraid to say “no.”

Find out the currency you’re being paid in!  Is it for attention or for paying your bills? Put up something on your blog that says where you’re speaking, your fees, rules of engagement and how to contact you.

Recommended sites:

-ConFab (she said they’re a start-up & rough around the edges…just the way I like ‘em!)

-SheSource (closing the gender gap in news media.  yes, bring it!)
-SpeakerNetNews