How to create speaking topics that sell

by Jaimie Abbott

As a speaker, you’ve probably had to sit through some lousy speeches that gave you a ton of second-hand embarrassment. And you’re thinking, “When it’s my turn, I’ll do so much better!” But do you know one of the biggest secrets to create an engaging script? It all starts with the speaking topic. If your topic doesn’t bang, then you’ve pretty much lost your audience before you’ve had a chance to say a word. So, how do you create speaking topics that sell? It would be best if you answered these important questions first. 

1. How familiar are you with the topic? If you’re not an expert on a topic, it’s pretty easy to tell. You’re not stepping out there to dazzle people with your impressive command of English. Still, you want to carry them along as much as possible. The best way to do this is to demonstrate your knowledge of the topic and your ability to answer any question as perfectly as possible. Of course, there’s that huge plus where it’s much easier and more enjoyable to prepare for your speech when you’re already familiar enough with the topic. An excellent example of a hot topic for paid speakers is team building. With more companies moving towards remote work, the workplace dynamics have changed drastically, and more companies are looking to hire paid speakers who can teach their teams how to collaborate better. We can all agree that leading a team in a physical workspace is much different from leading a virtual team. 
2. How interested is your audience in the topic?
   As much as you want to pick a topic that appeals to you, you shouldn’t forget that your audience is the most crucial factor here. Your job is to give them at least three key takeaways from your speech. More importantly, keep them entertained enough to grab their attention throughout your presentation. So, pick a topic that you’re sure they will be interested in hearing about more. A great example is a topic that helps companies understand their past and present, with which they can predict future trends. Most brands will pay good money to get a clearer understanding of their industry, and that’s what paid speakers like Mitch Lowe spoke on more in 2020. Then again, you don’t want to choose a topic that has been over flogged. As attractive as a topic might be, they are less likely to listen to you if this is one they’ve heard so many times that they can probably recite it in their sleep. So, stay away from cliché topics, except you have new facts or unique views to share. 
3. How relatable is the topic?
   While you think a topic might seem interesting to your target audience, can they relate first-hand to the issue you’ll highlight in your presentation? People love to listen to topics that directly affect them or their immediate environment, especially on mental health. Many people are finally starting to embrace the realities of mental health and its impact on our everyday life. Therefore, as this is a thriving social issue, this is one topic that tons of people would pay to listen to. Extra points if you can be as descriptive and emotional as possible with your chosen topic, enough to have them visualize it in real-time. 
4. What is your call to action?
   Every great speech has a call to action, something that you want your speech to inspire your audience to do. So, you should pick a topic with a specific outcome you would like your audience to focus more on. If you want people to overcome poor spending habits, you could present a speech on financial discipline. Money is one issue that takes centre stage in our personal and family lives. So, it’s definitely a great topic to explore as a paid speaker. 
   Creating speaking topics that sell is not as complicated as you may think. It would help if you always remembered that you’re on that stage for your audience only, and that will guide you on the topic to choose.