This interview is taken from Karen Catlin’s and my latest book: Present! A Techie’s Guide to Public Speaking.
“Don’t start small because you think that’s the way it’s supposed to go. Don’t give a lunch-and-learn for five people at your company if you want to speak at a conference.” – Denise Jacobs
So what next? Once we find the courage to “go big” and seek out speaking opportunities, what is the next hurdle? Professionals often contemplate whether or not they know enough about their chosen topics. They struggle with whether or not they can be considered an expert, and if not, will their talk really be helpful and informative to others?
“You decide when you’re an expert. You become an expert when you decide you are one. If you have one more piece of information than the person you’re talking to, it’s going to be valuable.” – Denise Jacobs
Recently, I sat down to interview with Denise, and she shared with me her unique journey into public speaking, which, believe it or not, began with a soap-making class! Denise believes that the only thing holding you back is you, and she has demonstrated that through her career path, where early on she fell in love with teaching and as a result, felt compelled to be a speaker at conferences and share her knowledge with others.
In this interview you will learn:
- How to go about marketing yourself to conference planners
- How to speak about your work authentically and fearlessly
- How speaking complements the work you do, and is especially important if you run your own business or consultancy
- Helpful tips on how to negotiate your speaker fee (hint: it’s more of an art than a science!)
Listen to the audio interview below.
