Money Mouth: Get Paid To Speak

What Is Money Mouth?
Money Mouth is the profession of public speaking. You can become a professional
speaker as a lucrative sideline to your current business or you can make professional
speaking the entire focus of your career. It’s up to you!
Professional speaking is a flexible and lucrative enterprise. The best public speakers
earn all or most of their money from public speaking, and they make very good livings
indeed. Fees for public speaking can range from the low hundreds, for those just
started out, all the way up to six figures, for those who have impressive credentials and
experience.
What are some types of public speaking you may want to practice? Many speakers
enjoy giving workshops, seminars, or keynote speeches. A speech will usually run a
half-hour to an hour, depending on the time of day. Lunch speeches, for instance, will
be shorter than a keynote speech at a banquet. You may be booked as the highlight or
draw of a conference, or be asked to speak to a lunchtime networking meeting.
Workshops and seminars are generally lengthier than speeches. In workshops,
participants often get hands-on experience in your area of expertise. Like workshops,
seminars may run a day or longer, but they won’t necessarily include a hands-on
component. Either workshops or seminars may be presented as a part of a larger
conference.
Professional speaking can also help you build your business. You may choose to add
speaking to your repertoire as a marketing boost. There is no better way to become
known. Many people who promote their businesses through public speaking also sell
additional products at the “back of the room.” These can include books, CD sets,
coaching sessions, and so forth—and all of these can lead to more public speaking
engagements, too!
Success as a public speaker adds to self confidence and self esteem. Knowing that you
can command the rapt attention of an audience of hundreds, or even thousands, gives
you unshakeable confidence in nearly every situation. The poise that you gain through
mastering public speaking will help you in every aspect of business.
The best professional speakers love what they do and it shows. There’s nothing like the
adrenaline rush of having a roomful of people applauding you….or maybe even on their
feet, giving you a standing ovation! This feeling can even become mildly addictive. But
don’t worry, if the thought of standing before even a small group makes your knees start
shaking, there are techniques you can master to help you become comfortable and
skilled.
But don’t worry, because this is one addiction that is healthy. After all, as a public
speaker you’ll be helping people through sharing the information that you, as an expert,
have accumulated. Because of this, many people feel called to the profession of public
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speaker. To these speakers, sharing their special knowledge is as important, if not
more important, than the healthy salaries they command for their speaking skills.
So, if you’ve decided that developing a lucrative money mouth profession is for you,
let’s get started in learning more about it. First we’ll look at some of the pros and cons
of a public speaking career.
Chapter 2 – Why Should I Become a Paid Speaker?
There are many reasons why you should become a professional speaker, and we’ve
already detailed some of them in the previous chapter. Lucrative fees, prestige, and an
excellent addition to your marketing repertoire are tops on most people’s list. However,
if you are serious about becoming a professional speaker, it is important to take a good
look at both the pros and cons of the profession.
Pros:
· Flexibility in schedule
· Opportunity to travel
· The sky is the limit for salary!
· Chance to meet many varied and interesting people
· Excellent way to promote your business
· Lots of opportunity for “back of the room” product promotion
· You are your own boss
· You can make a difference in people’s lives
· Great self-confidence booster
· The challenge will keep your brain fresh and alive
· Recognition as an expert in your field
· You may even achieve fame
Sound good? Great. However, slow down for a moment. Let’s also take a good, hard
look at the cons of a public speaking career. You don’t want to begin a career in
speaking only to discover you hate some of the downsides of it.
Cons:
· Necessity to spend a lot of time away from home
· Responsible for own marketing
· Your success is up to you
· Must learn—and ...