Sound Bites

  • No-fee public speaking yields wonderful advantages

    April 15, 2016

    Ginny RichardsonPublic speaking. One end of the spectrum is you’d rather be tortured for eternity. The other end is having a professional speaker’s bureau represent you charging thousands of dollars per speech. There is life in the middle, however, and that’s the subject of this column.

    Many people find that no-fee public speaking yields wonderful advantages both personally and professionally. First of all, it’s terrific public relations. Second, it’s networking at its finest, and third, it’s goodwill and community service.

    If you have tinkered with the idea, consider researching a topic, outlining, rehearsing and giving it a whirl!

    Let me relate a story. For almost seven years, I’ve been presenting my crash course in how to get free publicity from newspapers, radio and television. Each time I agree to speak, I drive off to the engagement mumbling and grumbling. After all, I’ve had to a.) get up at an ungodly hour of the morning, or b.) leave my office and the many projects on the desk, and c.) take time to brush up and rehearse. (more…)