Talk to Real People? Me? 5 Tips for Making Your Speaking Engagement a Success

Erica here with you today. Last night, I was the guest speaker at the ACFW MN NICE chapter. I've spoken to this group (It's MY local ACFW Group after all) several times. I've spoken at writer retreats, writing conferences, book promotion events, and book clubs.

And every time I say, "Sure, I'd love to!" when someone asks, I almost immediately think...WHY? WHY DID YOU SAY YES?

But most of the time, after I'm done with my workshop or talk, I am glad I said yes. It's the windup that gets me wound up, if you know what I mean.

Authors aren't always natural presenters or speakers, though, if we have time to edit what we want to say, we can come across as pretty smart. :)

If you find yourself in a similar situation, having agreed to talk to a group of readers or fellow writers, here are a few tips I've found that help me prepare.

1. Get all the details.

Find out who you are speaking to, so you can know how to gear your talk. Is it newbie writers? Experienced writers? Readers? Is this a teaching opportunity, or more of a conversational talk? Find out how long you're expected to hold everyone's attention. Find out if they have audio-visual equipment available. Also, make sure you have the contact information of your point person. Make certain you know the time and the location. Ask for a rough head-count, esp. if you're bringing swag or handouts. Also, get clear information about whether you'll be compensated, paid for gasoline, or if you're doing this out of the goodness of your generous heart.

2. Prepare visuals.

If they have a projector you can hook up to and a blank wall or screen, great! Prepare some photographs, slides, or other visual aids. This will help keep the audience interested and you on track. If there is no provision for projecting images, bring object lessons. I do a workshop on how to make a plot board, and I bring along a kit for making a plot board, using the bits as examples as I go along, and in the end, someone in the audience wins the kit. Folks seem to enjoy when you bring something other than yourself to look at. :)

3. Dress comfortably.

Not in sweats and a t-shirt! (Don't I wish!) but something in which you feel confident, and that you've tried and tested. Have your husband, wife, kid, significant other, take your photograph in your outfit, so you can judge how it looks. If all else fails, a pair of black slacks, a colorful shirt, and a black jacket always work. If you're like me, and necklaces drive you bonkers, don't wear one. Find comfortable shoes, because the last thing you want to have to think about is your aching piggies while you're trying to sound intelligent.

4. Leave room for a Q&A

I love this portion of any talk I give. Audiences are inquisitive and creative, and if you're talk is a bit short for the time allotted, you can stretch a question/answer time out. If no one has a question, then you ask a few of your own. That can get the ball rolling. 

5. Practice your talk.

Practice your talk, out loud, with your notes and slides or visuals. Write notes on your notes to remind you to slow down, to take a breath instead of saying 'um.' Practice using your PowerPoint in presentation mode. Write yourself some notes about how you're going to open the talk, and how you plan to close it. Just practice. The more times you go through it, the smoother it will be when it's time to unveil it before people.

BONUS TIP: Remember to say thank you to the audience, the organizers, whoever invited you to speak. It's nice manners.

Question for you: What do you like in a speaker? What do you like and dislike about public speaking?

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies--and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors--not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

The Debutante's Code is now out in the world! You can get your copy HERE: https://amzn.to/3GQnoZt Or wherever you buy your fiction! 

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she is married to her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!