To Speak or Not to Speak by Renee Matthews

Thousands of professionals enter the speaking industry each year including retired athletes, politicians, celebrities, and laid off executives. Many are ill prepared for the challenges speakers face.

" I guess my biggest challenge as a speaker is finding a way to travel to the places I want to go to speak, managing my home life and second career as a psychotherapist and single mother. Even though my children are grown we spend hours a day either talking or helping each other. I love to travel to exotic places to speak but find that balance between home life, self-care, parenting and being an in-demand speaker is the most difficult part." Alice H. Cash, Ph.D., LCSW www.healingmusicenterprises.com

Kendall Wright aka The Actualizer adds," The greater challenge today is helping the client to understand the importance of on-going reinforcement of the message. It is highly unlikely that a 45 minute keynote will completely usurp decades of conditioning.

The message must be reinforced in a strategic manner to achieve the long term results and outcomes most leaders expect from the keynote. The keynote is the catalysis, but the change comes from an on going, long term reinforcement of the message and desired

behaviors."

Kendall works with organizations and individuals to enhance competence and confidence in the critical success areas of Leadership, Management and Motivation and his website is

www.entelechycan.com."

Andy Core (www.andycore.com) focuses on the 3 C's of speaking.

1. Clarity - being clear on our best single focus topic and title and the right client are paramount to high level success. The problem is there with so much opportunity that it is easy fall into the mile wide and an inch deep trap.

2. Capacity - we run out of mental and physical energy before we run out of opportunities to serve others as well as our businesses.

3. Control - because most of us are small business entrepreneurs, it is easy to let our businesses control our lifestyle - resulting in poor life balance- resulting eventually in falling business results - resulting in greater pressure to work and even less

control of our lifestyles.

Andy Core, M.S. is an expert in human performance and work-life balance. He teaches busy people how to FastTrack their life balance efforts so they can

accomplish more and still have a life.

"My biggest challenge as a speaker is keeping up on the latest research to keep my information interesting, fascinating and inspiring. Everyone has access to the latest information quickly and timely. They have heard hundreds of speakers before me. And

many think they know everything already. I have to constantly stay on top of my game and on top of my profession." Marcia Reynolds www.outsmartyourbrain.com

Ed Poll of www.lawbiz.com says the biggest challenge facing every small business person in today's environment is getting business. This statement encompasses how you get meeting planners to know about you, how you design your presentations to fit a

specific business niche and a host of other issues. But, it all comes back to the challenge of getting new and repeat business.

"One of the problems for a vintage speaker is convincing a youthful meeting planner that a vintage speaker can reach an audience of all ages. As a retired physician in my 70's I now prescribe and dispense from the stage and enable audiences to open their own cellular pharmacy---accessed when we put on the Happy Healthy Act."

Dr. Dale Anderson www.acthappy.com

Drew Stevens PhD, who assists organizations in selling more in less time through high level sales, customer service consulting and information sessions said," There are many challenges for speakers such as not recognizing that the world of professional speaking is a tried and true business. Speakers who believe that since they have a message they will get paid and that is not true. Sales, marketing and good financial management are musts and competition exists just like any other industry. Many speakers think that there are not other sales, leadership and management speakers. Do your homework and know your place in the market." Www.gettingtothefinishline.com is Drew's website.

Conway Stone of Louisville says," Keeping up with pod cast and video pod cast and computers and phones all merging into one it is really hard to stay current on what my audiences are doing. To stay connected with the fast audience and to stay credible in their eyes takes a lot of time and money. This then deters me from the constant marketing that needs to be done. Unlike trainers as a professional speaker I am constantly looking for the next booking. Rarely do I return to the same convention and if I do it is not for 3 to 5 years after my first presentation. Marketing for the next booking is tiring and takes a lot of time. This wears on me. However, this is the best job in the world. I will do nothing else. I have a message to share and when people get it, I know I am doing what God sent me here to do.

For more information about Conway Stone, please visit www.dreamhigh.com.