By Roberta Budvietas, Presenter & Mentor
As a member of National Speakers Association in New Zealand, I am committed to my own professional development and that of my fellow members. As an educator and marketer, I know from experience that there is a need for constant change and re-evaluation. And as a Differencemaker, one thing I have become aware of, at least for many local speakers, is that the business of speaking is limiting many people to mediocrity.
The questions that need to be asked of every speaker are:
1. Is your speaking a tool for change?
2. If it is a tool, then you can clearly state your business purpose and give your clients the reason why they should choose your business?
3. Does your business have other tools to achieve its purpose besides speaking?
Unless you can answer yes to all three questions, you may not be serious enough about your business and may just be keeping yourself busy.
Many speakers, like many solepreneurs, run their business around other commitments. They are not committed to building an entity that will be sustainable and saleable. They are the business and their message is all there is.
If we look at many of the successful speakers of the past, they understood the need to train apprentices, to write books, create courses and workshops, record videos and audio. They understand publicity and use media to get their message out and the speaking engagements come as a result of that. They created businesses that are still changing the world.
So ask yourself – are you in business or are you speaking and hoping, rather then planning, for a business?
Roberta Budvietas is a simplifier, presenter and mentor. She has helped hundreds of small business owners simplify the process that creates buyer experiences that create fans. Speaking is one tool in her kit to effect change and help organisations to optimise overnight by creating passionate, purposeful performers.