How Do I Become a Professional Safety Speaker?

Over the many years of my career, I’ve had dozens of fellow safety and health professionals ask me for advice on becoming a professional speaker. Typically the person will ask, “I’m an excellent speaker, and everybody tells me how good my safety meetings are. I know I could be a speaker.”

Even if the person is overestimating their presentation skills, they still might successfully pursue a speaking career. Here’s the advice I pass on:

You’ve got to have something unique to say. Or at least a topic that is your own. In my case, “Making Safety Fun,” which included products and a newsletter, allowed me to fill a niche. When I first started, it was a unique niche. Not many safety speakers and trainers were helping companies (and convention attendees) learn how to make their safety programs livelier and more engaging.

You need a history. Is there something you have done, often, that has been successful in helping others improve their performance or a specific aspect of living? I had already been in the safety and health field for over ten years, which included thousands of hours hosting fun and incredibly unique activities “in the field” and in the classroom. When you stand in front of an audience as a paid speaker, the audience and your client expect you to have an extensive history about your topic, whatever that may be.

Read everything out there about becoming a paid speaker. But, be careful; there are many scams and “pie-in-the-sky” promises about becoming rich quickly in the speaking field. So, please don’t buy into the pitch unless you’re getting a value that helps you grow as a speaker and entrepreneur.

Give as many free and low-paying (honorarium) talks as you can. Your fee will grow.

Practice all the time. The skills you need on the stage aren’t much different than the skills you need to succeed with people in every situation. So you can always practice them, even when you’re alone.

I’ll pass on practicing tips in blogs to come along with free and easy ways to promote your speaking business.

‘till then, remember, “Great Leaders Make Safety Fun!”