If you'd told me in high school that I would one day speak in public and get paid for it, I would have fainted on the spot. Speech class was nearly my undoing, and I could not wait for the semester to end so I could be done with public speaking forever. Never say never when God's involved. :)
I started receiving speaking invitations seven years ago when I wrote my Advent devotional. Some churches and other small groups invited me to speak to them during the Christmas season, and I am a bit embarrassed at the not-so-great job I did back then.
When I worked at the station, I began to receive more speaking invitations. I learned that when groups need a speaker, they often turn to radio stations for speakers. Lynne would share with me the engagements she couldn't fill and I was usually able to do them! When I left the station, I was pretty sure God intended for me to continue speaking, and I've relied on Him to open the right doors!
So here are some things you may not know about my public speaking life.
1. I customize every single talk (to some extent).
If you visit my website, you will see that I have a list of topics I can speak on, and usually groups that invite me choose something from that list. Whenever that happens, the great news is, the bulk of the work is already done. The talks are written and I am very familiar with the material. But I still go through every word of that talk and tweak it to fit the exact audience I'm addressing. Whenever I take on a speaking engagement, I ask questions about the audience (number of people likely to attend, average age, anything I might need to know that could potentially impact my delivery) and then I make adjustments to fit that crowd.
Sometimes, when a group invites me to speak, they have a topic in mind, and I get to start from scratch writing a talk. That's always fun for me too, because I like creating new material. When I write brand new stuff, I still go through the same process of trying to customize it for that particular group.
2. I go through actual rehearsals for my talks.
When I was in college, I took a speech class that didn't give me my best grade of my college career, but it sure prepared me well for the work I do now. One of the best pieces of advice that professor gave was that you need to be as prepared as you can be, but you need to hold your words loosely so you can go with the flow as needed. I try hard to follow that advice.
I write out every single word of my talks and print them in large print. I put them in binders and in the weeks leading up to the event, I practice the talk over and over and over, out loud, usually with an audience named Braeya. I also rehearse all talks at least once in front of Ryan. I work on learning the talks well enough that I don't have to read them, but not so rigidly that I can't ad-lib as needed when I actually present them. My goal is to have between five and ten rehearsals per talk. That means I do a lot of talking when rehearsing weekend retreats, since those usually have 3-4 talks per event.
3. Preparation is key...and I'm not talking about the talk itself.
When I started speaking publicly, I usually figured out what I wanted to talk about, wrote it out, glanced over it a few times, and then talked. I'm much more intentional about everything now. I try to do as thorough a job as I can, and it starts with the very first contact from the place that invites me.
I have forms I fill out with copious notes about the event, and I refer to them often as I prepare. I work hard to come up with visual aids for every talk, and that usually results in creating props of some sort. I also have a whole packing list I make before I go, detailing everything I need to carry with me, so I don't forget anything. (Notes, books, decorations for a book table, door prizes, visual aids...I want to make sure I have it all!) And last, but not least, I also spend time praying over every event. I pray for the organizers, the attendees, the facilities, and the message - and the closer we get to the day I speak, the harder I pray!
4. Follow up is important, too!
After I speak, I stay as long as needed to meet people, talk with them, sign books, whatever they need! And when I go home, I always send a handwritten thank you note to my contact at the event, expressing my appreciation for being invited. I try to follow up quickly with anyone who attended and reaches out to me.
I also try to get my website updated immediately to reflect where I've been. (I hate it when I visit sites that have already-passed dates in the upcoming events section.) I also make sure I cash the check quickly so it doesn't get buried and potentially mess up anyone's bookkeeping.
I love the opportunity to speak, and I work hard to give it my very best from beginning to end!
To see the rest of the Walk a Mile in My Shoes posts, look here!
3 comments:
You shouldn't have any shame! I learned even more about you!
Do you get nervous right before you go up to speak?
This was really interesting. I learned a lot.
One of the best pieces of advice I received, the night before I preached my first sermon, was "say it out loud." I'd never actually thought of it and now I can't imagine how a talk would go without "saying it out loud" a few times. But NO ONE ever gets to listen to my first out-loud run through :)
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