The Business of Speaking for Profit, Pleasure and Personal Growth
by Mike Moore

I believe that public speaking can be rewarding in many ways. First of all it can provide you with an opportunity to earn a fantastic full time or part time income working from home. Groups, organizations and businesses are always looking for informative, entertaining speakers to address their members at banquets, annual meetings, conferences etc. As you become well known as a speaker the invitations increase. Word of mouth is still the best form of advertising. As your reputation spreads you will find people from outside your local area approaching you to present to their group. Since I began my speaking career I have spoken to numerous groups throughout Canada and the United States. Not only are the financial rewards terrific, but I get to travel, all expenses paid, meet new people and see new country. What a great life and what great rewards for doing what I love to do.

Another appealing feature of a speaking career is that you control your own schedule. You accept only those engagements that fit nicely into your other family duties and obligations. If you want a month off, you just don’t accept bookings during that time. When you add this to no traffic jams to face twice a day and no boss to contend with it starts to hit you just how appealing this career is.

Not only do you determine how many speeches you would like to give per month but you also can negotiate how much you will charge per speech. When just starting out in the speaking business you will receive in the neighborhood of $200.00 per presentation. Within a year you could be receiving between $500 and $1000 per talk. Not bad part time money for doing something you love.

I like to have a fee range to accommodate the various budgets of different groups and to provide room for negotiation. I am in the business of opening doors of opportunity not closing them because my fee is rigid. This is entirely up to you. I know speakers who will not negotiate their fees. That is their choice.

If you just want to speak locally you can. If you want to spread your vocal wings across the region and the continent the possibilities are endless. Marketing yourself and your service will bring opportunities galore. If you have a computer and are online you can advertise on your own web site. This brings inquiries from all over the planet and spreads the word about your speaking topics and availability to millions of potential clients.

Added Benefits of a Public Speaking Career

1. Public speaking builds confidence. When you experience the thrill of holding an audience in the palm of your hand and receive their appreciative applause your confidence soars.

2. Public speaking boosts your self esteem. When you see the audience relate to you as someone who really knows what you are talking about your self esteem increases. And we all can use an increase in self esteem.

3. People start looking at you in a more positive way. Even if you never use your public speaking skills in giving formal presentations, people will notice that you are more articulate and confident in expressing an opinion or sharing an insight. You will discover that they begin looking to you for advice and opinions on many issues.

4. It helps you become a more organized thinker.. Planning, writing and delivering a well researched , well organized presentation has an overflow effect in other areas of your life. You begin to plan and organize your thoughts more effectively.. This is especially helpful in your career or business. When your manager or supervisor asks your opinion on some work related issue you are better able to express your ideas in a clear, concise and well organized manner.

5. Public speaking begins to alter your self perception. As you begin to use the skills involved in public speaking you will notice that you begin to start talking to yourself in a more positive way. You begin to see yourself as capable and confident.

6. By accepting the challenge to speak in public you begin to explore and actualize your own potential. Many of us go through life not realizing how much we are capable of achieving. Public speaking is an effective tool in the process of self discovery.

7. Public speaking gives you the courage to break out of your comfort zone. I believe that the comfort zone is the enemy of human growth. When we are too comfortable where we are we tend to become stagnant. Speaking in public pushes us out of the comfort zone and reveals to us our enormous capabilities.

If you feel compelled to share your expertise or message with others do so. Start slowly and start small but start. The benefits and rewards are tremendous.

Mike Moore is an international speaker on humor and human potential. This is an excerpt from Mike Moore's Manual PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR PROFIT PLEASURE For more information visit http://motivationalplus.com/

Go on Reading Top Right

Get A Grip On It?
by Clair Bird

It's a daily challenge for us all to maintain some degree ofcontrol. Not over other beings, or our surroundings but overourselves. A recent study of the verses below shed a newperspective on how this applies to our business endeavors andpersonal lives today.

Gal 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness andself-control. Against such thingsthere is no law. (NIV)

Today I focus only on the "self-control" referenced above (NIV)the (KJV) uses Temperance. I feel today's usage of temperanceleads us to focus on alcohol so I prefer the NIV translation.

First impression of self-control makes me think of sensualtemptations. I wanted to delve deeper into the meaning of thisterm. Doing so I examined other usages in the Bible.

Prov 25:27-28 27 It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is ithonorable to seek one's own honor. 28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. (NIV)

We don't have many cities with walls today. Imagine standing inthe middle of one... does surrounded by ruin describe yourvisual image? I personally, when situations arise in my daily activities, have a feeling its all falling apart. Time to "Get a grip on it!" We have a choice at every turn, do we succumb to the world? Conversely we must control ourselves and do what's true and right.

Acts 24:25 25 As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-controland the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That'senough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, Iwill send for you." (NIV)

Felix has been characterized as having an insatiable thirst forpower. In today's society money often equals power. Is the Enronsituation indicative of the same thirst? Seek sound advice,listen and don't be swayed by the powers of the world.

Where does one find sound advice? I believe all questions havean answer. I realize the following scripture is aimed atdescribing an elder or bishop. However, The Thayer'stranslation of the Greek word (episkopos) is: A man chargedwith the duty of seeing that things to be done by others aredone rightly, any curator, guardian or superintendent.

Titus 1:7-8 7 Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, hemust be blameless--not overbearing, not quick-tempered, notgiven to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. (NIV)

We all have free will to choose our path in this life. I striveto choose a lifestyle resembling that laid out by the ApostlePaul in Romans 7:7 thru 8:17. (When I fail, its through thegrace and mercy of God, and Jesus' sacrifice that I can go onin faith)

I believe that when we strive to live this lifestyle rewards of peace and mercy will be ours. This is the path to peace with God, ourselves, and others.

And further this path will lead you to find favor and success sothat through your sound advice you will be able influence others to choose the path of truth and love.

No matter your religion I think all will agree that to focus on ourselves at the expense of others will lead us into a city withcrumbling walls. Lets Get A Grip On It!

Clair Bird, Publisher, Net-Works-News is committed to helping subscribers find success in their chosen business endeavor! http://net-works-news.com
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God gave me my money. I believe the power to make money is a gift from God to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind. Having been endowed with the gift I possess, I believe it is my duty to make money and still more money and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience.
John D. Rockefeller

Money is the most important thing in the world. It represents health, strength, honour, generosity, and beauty as conspicuously as the want of it represents illness, weakness, disgrace, meanness, and ugliness. George Bernard Shaw

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