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Your Action Plan for Speaking Success 13:58 Nia: Okay, so we've covered a lot of ground here. Let's bring this all together into something practical that our listeners can actually implement. If someone is listening to this and thinking "I want to try this," what's their first step?
14:11 Lena: The very first step is identifying your unique perspective. Spend some time thinking about who you were before you became who you are now. What challenges did you overcome? What insights did you gain? Who would benefit from hearing about that journey?
14:25 Nia: So it's really about self-reflection before anything else.
10:29 Lena: Right. And once you have that clarity, your next step is to develop one signature talk—not five different topics, just one. This talk should solve a specific problem for a specific audience.
14:41 Nia: And then what? Start writing it out?
14:43 Lena: Actually, here's a key insight—spend less time writing and more time talking it through. Record yourself telling your story and key points. Listen back and refine. The goal is to sound conversational, not like you're reading a script.
14:56 Nia: That makes sense, especially since the end goal is to deliver it verbally. What about getting those first speaking opportunities?
15:03 Lena: Start with your existing network. Send individual messages—not mass emails—to everyone you know, telling them about your speaking topic and asking if they know of any groups that might benefit from your message.
15:14 Nia: So personal outreach rather than general announcements.
3:01 Lena: Exactly. And be prepared to do a lot of cold outreach too. Research local organizations, schools, businesses, and community groups. Call them, email them, visit them if possible. This is the hustle phase, and it's not glamorous, but it's necessary.
15:31 Nia: What should people expect in terms of timeline? How long before they might see some traction?
15:36 Lena: That really depends on how much effort they put in and how well they execute. If someone is doing consistent outreach and constantly improving their content, they might start getting regular bookings within six months to a year. But becoming truly skilled and building a reputation takes years.
15:51 Nia: And what about measuring success along the way? How do you know if you're on the right track?
15:55 Lena: Great question! Early on, success looks like getting booked regularly and getting positive feedback from audiences. You'll know you're improving when people start approaching you after your talks, when you get invited back to organizations, and when referrals start coming in.
16:08 Nia: So it's more about engagement and word-of-mouth than anything else initially.
10:29 Lena: Right. And here's something important—track everything. Keep a record of every organization you contact, every speech you give, every piece of feedback you receive. This data will help you understand what's working and what needs adjustment.
16:24 Nia: Any final advice for someone who's feeling intimidated by all of this?
16:27 Lena: Remember that everyone starts somewhere. Even the most successful speakers gave terrible speeches when they were beginning. The key is to embrace that learning process and keep showing up. Your message matters, and there are people who need to hear it—but only if you're brave enough to share it.