Speaking
I am often invited to be a speaker at conferences and business events. I also get asked to act as facilitator, making sure everything fits together, runs on time and that key messages are reinforced. I do not have a range of ‘off the shelf’ slick presentations.... At the Norwich Stuff Stigma Empathy conference, March 2008, which launched a three-year campaign to combat prejudice against people with mental health problems I speak from experience and present things I have witnessed or done myself in ways that encourage an audience to see things differently. I tell stories and use metaphor to make my point. I never play Powerpoint karaoke as many others seem to do. My approach is to be open, straightforward, practical and amusing. It’s more important to understand the needs of the audience and prepare something that meets them. Subjects I cover include social enterprise, business start-up, business development, mental health and wellbeing. My favourite audiences are those seeking an insight into the way you can create lasting, positive change by being entrepreneurial. People tell me that I say out loud what others only think. They also say I ask very direct questions. Perhaps that's why I'm being asked more and more to chair or facilitate conferences and events. It's a challenging role but very rewarding.
I also read with great interest that management guru Charles Handy speaks at some events for nothing if in return, the organisers arrange for him to meet people from whom he can learn. (His autobiography, ‘My life and Other Important Matters’ describes how he has done this). He met Nelson Mandela by this route. If the opportunity is big enough and your budget small, we can talk about it, but I make no promises! A number of the better speaker bureaux list me on their websites although understandably, their focus is on the major events where I can form part of a programme they are hired to put together.
My fees for professional speaking vary according to the time, place, audience and budget of whoever is commissioning me. So an afternoon talk to 20 social entrepreneurs close to my home will cost a lot less than a keynote presentation at a major conference in a city.
Hear what a recent audience had to say about my session on networking. Recent articles |
