How to find public speaking topics

Being able to find public speaking topics is essential for any speaker who want to get paid to speak. We have five things you should consider before creating a new talk or product. Read them right here.

Talking about a topic is not that different from building a product or launching a startup. The only thing is, in many cases a talk is a lot cheaper. You don't have to invest in a product, but you still have to do your research thoroughly. To create a good talk, you need time and disciplined study. Like any product, it also requires a buyer. Start with the buyer in mind - and more specifically, start with the product of the buyer in mind.

If you do want to try out an idea for a talk, you should sanity check your concept with the following steps - and of course, run it by your peers in the Speakersloft community. If your idea passes all six levels - and you did not cut any corners - you can probably do business here. After doing so, you will also have your pitch, audience, and first contacts ready. Let us try it.

Before we do, remember that you can join our free journal for public speaker.

Read how the five steps to find public speaking topics:

STEP 1: State the problem

Don't overcomplicate: state the problem as simply as you can. Doing so is easily the first step on your journey to find public speaking topics.

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STEP 2: Add the solution

State the solution to your public speaking problem as succinctly as possible. The solution is your real value add and what you are selling. To make sure it is something people can use, make sure you can phrase this, so people get it immediately.

STEP 3: Test your solution for actionability

Will your solution change daily behavior for the listeners? Are you giving them something concrete to go home and do, that will change their way of going about their life? Being specific is essential because if you do, and make an impact on people, even when you are longer on stage, there is a much more significant change that you will be booked again soon via word-of-mouth. This word-of-mouth-phenomenon is why the quest to find public speaking topics always starts with a good problem.

STEP 4: Test for customers.

You need the people experiencing your problem to be organized somehow. Individual people will not buy your product, but organizations will. List all of these you can find in a spreadsheet. You should have at least 50 and find email addresses and names of key-people as well.

ALSO SEE: How to make money as a public speaker

STEP 5: Pre-flight sanity check

You pretty much have your pitch, cause you made that in steps one and two. You need to phrase it just how you want it (add some 'oomph!'). Now you need to find someone who works in the niche and tell them what you are proposing. Tell them why should they buy your talk, but not with the intention of selling. Do it to get their response and see if you can make the other guy think, "That's right!"

If you can - it is all door-to-door, organization-to-organization selling from there. The first one will be the hardest. Keep going.

Remember that our reports can help you along the way. We can do more than help you find public speaking topics.