Creating a Testimonial Video/Testimonial Page

Starting to speak can be a vicious circle. To get an engagement you need a promo tape or video and some testimonials, but how do you get those without having engagements? The first year that you’re speaking is like walking uphill. But don’t waste even the little engagements! When you’re giving your first talks, even [...]

What Are Your Ummmm, You knows?

Ummmm… You know… Right… Okay? Uh…. We all do it. We all have our “filler” words that we throw in frequently when we’re on mental pause. It’s normal. But when you throw them in while you’re public speaking it sounds horrible, unprofessional, and distracting. I know that’s brutal, but it’s the truth. I’ve just spent [...]

So….How Do I Get Bookings?

If you want to be a speaker, this is the proverbial question. You’ve honed up your speaking skills. You’ve carefully crafted a talk that inspires change. But now where do you give that talk? Several organizations are often eager to have speakers, foremost among them Stonecroft Christian Women’s Clubs and MOPS groups. If you’re male, [...]

Creating Rapport with the Audience

Because speaking is different from teaching, and because our aim is to inspire transformation in some aspect of people’s lives, we have to connect with the audience. If we don’t connect, they won’t feel the need to change in the same way. That’s why I always begin every talk I give with an anecdote, usually [...]

Do You Need to Be Gifted to Speak?

Who should speak? That’s a toughie with different schools of thought. Personally, I believe speaking is a spiritual gift, similar to teaching or evangelism. Have you ever listened to a pastor and just known that God is speaking through him? I have. And I once flew to Europe on a missions trip with a man [...]

What Does “Giving a Talk” Entail?

If you dream of being a speaker, or even if you’ve already been asked to speak, you know that at some point you have to prepare a talk. So let’s begin by discussing what it means to “give a talk” in the first place. Over the next few days we’ll talk about how to get [...]

Why This Blog?

Sheila Wray Gregoire I’m Sheila Wray Gregoire. I speak. Do you? I didn’t always. I started off writing articles, and eventually books. But I’ve always loved making people laugh, and I love communicating God’s truth. But when I started speaking it was tough. I didn’t have a mentor, and I didn’t have any clue where [...]