Establish Yourself as an Expert Speaker in 10 Easy Steps (Part 1)

Posted on by David C. Brake
Are you an expert in something?  Do you have helpful information you would like to share, but lack an audience?  

Perhaps you would like to inform people about a topic you care about, or widen your experience and reputation as an instructor by speaking on a topic of expertise?  Here are a few steps you can take to get started, and a path you can follow to build up momentum and increase your demand and opportunities as a speaker.

1. If you have anxiety about speaking in public or don’t have much experience, join www.Toastmasters.org or other groups where they allow you to practice. Then join a professional group or go to Meetup.com and find a local group (or groups) that are relevant to your topic (or topics) of expertise.  There are a lot of hobby, professional and knowledge-based interest groups in most cities.  Start going to their group events, and get to know their members. (If there are no groups relevant to your expertise in your city, start one.)

Become an Expert Speaker

2. Ask one of the Meetup.com groups if you can give a presentation at one of their events. You should have an idea of what you are going to talk about before you ask, and why the theme is relevant. You can start practicing with shorter presentations and hold a discussion, then get feedback from the members before you move up to longer times.

3. Learn to use Powerpoint, and put together a slide deck around your topic. Look at examples and get help if you’re not good at creating slides. Be sure to save some time for questions and answers (Q&A) at the end of the presentation. (A good rule of thumb is to allocate 2/3 of the total time for the actual presentation of the slides and 1/3 for the Q&A.)  It’s important to practice Q&A as well, so you can give helpful answers to questions from the audience and gain experience leading a discussion.

4. When you’re ready to give a 45 minute to one hour presentation (including Q&A), post your presentation as a free class on www.Lrngo.com. Once you have a date posted on the calendar of one of the Meetup groups to present, create a profile on www.Lrngo.com and then post a class with the same title and theme as your presentation.  Put a link from your Lrngo class to the Meetup group event listing, and let people know they have to sign up through the Meetup group to go. (If you are not using Meetup.com, you can have them sign up directly through Lrngo.)  Listing your presentation as a free class lets people know they should go because there is something they can learn from you.

5. Then post on Craigslist, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and everywhere else you can find with a link back to your class on Lrngo.  Then create a Facebok page for the event with a link back to your Lrngo class or Lrngo profile. This kind of link building around an event is favored by Google, and will increase traffic to your event and help you build up an online history as a presenter.

After a few of these public speaking events, guess what?  You are a presenter with a track record both online and off, and with the links and traffic to prove it.  Our next blog will talk about the final five steps to solidify your position as an expert and increase your presence as a public speaker.

Read part 2 Establish Yourself as an Expert Speaker in 10 Easy Steps (Part 2).

Why Thinking Globally Is Required Thinking

Posted on by David C. Brake

Global Knowledge Economy

In 1964, a group of top Hollywood film executives piled into a room to screen their latest investment.  It was a departure from the normal films of that day, because even though it was filmed in English, the story didn’t take place in the U.S. and the accents sounded unintelligible.  The executives were very concerned about making it a commercial Hollywood release, because it seemed so, well…“foreign.”

At the end of the screening, there was total silence. No applause, nothing.  No one knew what to make of it. Finally one executive broke the silence and said he didn’t understand a word of it. “I don’t know what any of that movie was about,” he said.  Then he added, “but…I think we’re going to make a lot of money.”

The movie was called “A Hard Day’s Night,” and it was about a new musical group called The Beatles.  As we all know today, the executive was right, they were about to make a lot of money.  What he didn’t realize at the time, was the extent to which that movie would be a catalyst for everything that was about to change.

The technology of radio, television and film was about to come together at a particular point in history, and enable a phenomenon that arguably would change the world by connecting everyone simultaneously in a shared cultural experience that made the world seem a little bit smaller.

I doubt that Hollywood and the entertainment industry were the only entities in the U.S. at that time to see a new emerging world of possibilities out there for advertising and revenue, and realize that the benefits don’t always require this country to appear at the center.

Fast-forward to the Facebook/social media phenomenon, and the mobile chat phenomenon taking place today.  One could argue that people in communities were basically already connected, but now local communities are also connected with the outside world in a way that was previously impossible.  Does that change anything?  I would argue that it changes everything.

Professors with MOOCs & highly paid tutors are finding fame and fortune that was previously impossible locally, now that technology can be leveraged to connect them with millions of people.  Millionaire tutors in Asia with over 50,000 fans (ie: students) online are living like rock stars and advertising on the sides of billboards and buses.

There are eSports heroes (yes professional video gaming is now a sport) more famous in some countries than athletes in traditional sports could ever dream of, and influencers of millions whose opinions are sought after and even paid for, simply because they “own” an audience.

These “personal brands” are the results of a new knowledge economy, an economy where the entire world is connected and people promote themselves and participate together in a project-based workforce; based on skill sets and performance, reputation, and proven history rather than credentials.

Are you connected yet?  Is your company?  How about your competitors?

Did you know that according to data collected by the US Department of Labor in 2005, one third of our economy here in the U.S is made up of freelancers?  (Freelancers are defined as self-employed people, or people who work for themselves on the side in addition to their regular job.)

That figure was published BEFORE the recession.  Anyone want to take a guess as to what that number is now?  I don’t claim to have the answer, but I would be willing to bet it’s significantly higher.

Is there a downside to the acceleration of technology and connecting the entire world?  Sure, in fact I’ll be talking about that topic specifically and how it relates to learning and education this week at SXSWedu in a presentation called Survival in the New Knowledge Economy.

As my co-presenter of that event Federico Pistono eloquently explains in his book “Robots Will Steal Your Job”, there are many challenges alongside the possibilities, and we are already seeing casualties.

At the end of the day though, let’s face it: we still don’t know what connecting everyone is going to look like, and the truth is we’re still getting used to the idea.  I think many of us as individuals are internally conflicted, much like the entities that are threatened and want to hold on to power, yet are torn because they see the benefits.

Perhaps we are all a bit like China, throwing down the gauntlet that no Facebook is allowed and sticking to the old rules, while at the same time being curious enough to break down borders sending our students in droves to study in the U.S.  (It’s bound to have an effect you know; as they say, information wants to be free.)  In any case, it’s a challenging yet exciting time for education, learning, and entrepreneurship.

As I’m writing this, I’m in the middle of managing 45 people from around the world on a company project.  I’m able to see their faces, track and vet their work, communicate with them as needed, and offer them incentives based on performance.  Sounds like an expensive platform I’m using, doesn’t it?  It isn’t, it’s free. Sounds like I’m working for a good size company, right?  It’s a pre-revenue startup with a two person management team, and I funded it myself.

Tell me that’s not a game changer.  It changes everything.

Importance of College Minors and Secondary Skills

Posted on by George Campbell

In this current economic climate, they say it is fundamental that students are aware of the skills sought by employers. Yet, the question we hear “on the streets” and in books like “Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs” by Peter Cappelli is, “In three years,  does anyone really know what skills those will be?”  Perhaps it’s time to diversify.  Employers prefer students with a broad set of skills, and because of this, your college minor and secondary skills may be more important than you realize.

Companies seek employees who demonstrate a capacity to think critically, communicate clearly both orally and in their writing, can apply their knowledge in real-world settings, and are capable of solving complex problems. When surveyed, 93% of employers stated that these skills are now regarded as more important than the employee’s undergraduate major. Employers stress the importance of intercultural skills, a demonstration of ethical judgement and integrity, and the capacity for continued new learning.

Your Career

There are several practices students can undertake to improve their chances, and it’s becoming more important to consider your college minor and secondary skills as characteristics of educational practices that would be attractive to potential employers; such as the ability to conduct research and use evidence-based analysis; gain in-depth analytical knowledge; problem-solving and communication skills; and how to apply the skills you have learned into real-world settings. Think skills such as learning a foreign language, playing a musical instrument, or participating in volunteering or community work sound frivolous?  Think again, as all of these skills demonstrate to employers that you possess a wide range of abilities.

While many employers still prioritize key skills over a job candidate’s field of study, a majority of employers also state that in order for college graduates to achieve long-term career success, it is pertinent that they have both field specific knowledge and a broad range of skills and other knowledge. In other words, in order to advance throughout your career, it is important to be able to adapt to changing job requirements. As such, any additional skills you possess can only benefit you in the future.

Job Market

Because employers are now seeking innovation and creativity in their employees, they prefer them to be able to rely on their multiple educational resources to complete any task. Employees today are often expected to be able to work in a team, plan, organize and prioritize work, communicate verbally with people inside and outside the organization, obtain and process information, analyze data, and use these skills to solve any problems which may occur.

Moreover, as modern society grows more heavily dependent on technology, employers seek candidates who display an aptitude and proficiency with computer programs. As a result of this, there has been an exponential increase in recent years in the availability of online resources to help students with their studies.

There are many online educational tools which enable you to expand your technological skills, in addition to online tutors and peer learning platforms to aid you in academic studies. It is worth investing time exploring all of these options in order to improve your knowledge across a broad scope of topics and increase your chances of post-college employability.

Due to the vast numbers of candidates applying for jobs in today’s society, possessing skill sets that set you apart from others and demonstrate that you are a well-rounded employee who will be helpful and profitable to a company is a key advantage. Therefore, it’s becoming fundamental to expand your college minor and secondary skills throughout your education, and not solely rely on your undergraduate major to gain you employment.

In other words, when a hundred qualified applicants apply for a job, what makes them the same are their qualifications, but what sets them apart are their “other skills.”  So seek to acquire as many different “other skills” as possible, using online resources and peer learning, extracurricular programs, or volunteering in your local community. Those who diversify now will be more likely to reap the benefits later of lucrative long-term careers.

Author bio

This article was written by George Campbell, a freelance writer with four years teaching experience from Birmingham, England. George loves writing about education, but he takes his own advice to diversify and also writes across a variety of other topics. You can connect with George on Google+ and follow him on Twitter.

George Campbell