A speaking platform is one of the most effective ways to sell books and get a message out. If you feel the Lord leading you to develop this kind of ministry, you may be wondering how you can become an experienced speaker without first being an inexperienced one!

After you have completed some training (through a Christian speakers bureau or through your local Toastmasters), check out the civic groups in your area. The Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions Clubs are always looking for speakers for their weekly and monthly meetings. They don’t pay, but they are a great way to get some experience under your belt.

If your topic is specific to a “felt need” in the church, there is probably a small group meeting in churches in your area devoted to the topic.

Some possibilities:

• single parenting
• mothers of preschoolers
• job support
• domestic violence
• crisis support
• seniors
• women’s abuse issues
• men’s issues
• depression
• special prayer ministry
• terminal illness or bereavement support,
• eating disorders
• post-abortion stress syndrome
• veteran’s issues
• wives of veterans
• chronic illness/pain support
• alcohol/drug recovery
• gambling addictions
• sexual addictions
• divorce recovery

Contact the Leader

Once you determine the group that would be best for you to share with, contact the church to find out who the leader is. Then contact the leader and ask if they are ever looking for a speaker resource for their meeting time.

Carry Business Cards

As you begin developing your speaking platform, keep in mind that while everyone you meet is probably not a prospect to book you for a speaking engagement, just about everyone knows someone who is involved in a group or organization that has need of speakers on a regular basis. Make sure you have a business card with your picture on it and some of the topics you speak on and hand them out to everyone you know and/or meet.

Try to get the contact information of the person they know who might be able to lead you to the decision maker for a group or organization, and then follow up.

Make Warm Calls

You might feel more comfortable making a “warm call” instead of a “cold call” so consider this: Send out a letter and brochure introducing yourself and your book as a resource to the group leader, and offering your speaking ministry to them as a way to encourage and build up their participants.

Follow-Up

Close the letter with a promise to follow up with a phone call in a week or two. That way, when you call, you are not catching them off-guard; they will be expecting you. (This method will not be as effective if you are sending your letter and brochure to Director of Women’s Ministries in care of the church name, because you don’t know who it’s going to or who to ask for when you follow up. It works best when you have a name of a group leader and send it to that person directly and then follow up with them personally.)

This fundamental building block in developing your speaking platform will go a long way in building credibility.