Your BIG IDEA for Speaking Success
Success is a journey.
On those days we think we might never achieve the speaking success we strive for, we’d sell our soul for someone to dish out the recipe that results in the most amazing speech EVAH.
The problem? That recipe will flop for you. Sad, but oh so true.
There is no best speech topic. There’s no magic formula that will catapult you to being a six-figure speaker by next week.
You’re probably thinking, come ON. Really?! You don’t think I can replicate the success achieved by another?
It’s not that I doubt your brilliance and talent, it’s that there is no replica for the personal journey you and only you have experienced. That experience and your journey make you as unique as a fingerprint or a snowflake that flutters down from the sky.
The good news? The secret to speaking success that you’ve been looking for has been with you all along.
Your very own personal journey is the critical component of your BIG IDEA!
What is the BIG IDEA?
Your BIG IDEA is what you want to be known for. Think about some of your favorite—and some of the most successful speakers out there. They’re all known for something—their BIG IDEA:
Sally Hogshead is known for Fascination
Danielle LaPorte is known for Desire
Brene Brown is known for Vulnerability
Amanda Palmer is known for Asking
Simon Sinek is known for Why
Your BIG IDEA is what someone who just heard you speak would say about what they just experienced when calling a friend on the commute home.
Raving Fan: “Hey, just saw this UH-mazing presentation!”
Friend: “What was it about?”
Raving Fan: “It was all about {BIG IDEA}”
When you’re clear about your BIG IDEA, you become the go-to expert on your topic and it’s easy-peasy for your message to spread through your raving fans.
Before you start hyperventilating trying to hone in on your BIG IDEA, I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve that will help. But first, let’s talk about what might happen if you don’t develop your BIG IDEA.
- Your speech will be rudderless without a BIG IDEA and you will bounce from idea to idea and drift from point to point without a clearly defined destination.
- Without a BIG IDEA, your presentation will fall into the presentation gap—the difference between what the audience actually needs from you and what you tell your audience.
- Your speeches will continue to misfire and your signature talk will continue to miss the mark.
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How to Discover Your BIG IDEA
Step 1: Examine Your Body of Work
Whatever you create becomes your body of work. Blogs. Poetry. Art. Workshops. Webinars. Presentations or projects. When you examine your body of work with a critical eye, ask yourself these questions:
- What are my areas of expertise? I am an expert in _______________.
Don’t limit yourself to just academic credentials (although, believe me as a Ph.D. those should be a part of this). Explore all areas of expertise and think about life experience and street cred as well.
A good way to get the creative juices flowing is to think about what you geek out about.
What are you doing when you lose all track of time? Get engrossed for hours on end?
Eureka! This points to your great area of passion—a fertile ground for your BIG IDEA.
- What matters most to my audience?
The sweet spot is at the intersection of your expertise and what your audience gives a damn about.
Ask yourself, “As a result of hearing me speak, how will my audience change?”
Will my words make their lives better in some meaningful and ACTIONABLE way?
If nobody gives a hoot about your area of expertise, your passion will fall on deaf ears. Trust me I know.
I’m an expert on Duran Duran. But, I have yet to find someone who will pay me to give a 60-minute presentation about my loves.
When your expertise creates change in an audience, you will know that you’ve found your BIG IDEA.
Now that you’re back on track to your destination of speaking success with your BIG IDEA, I can’t wait to hear about your speaking success. Tell me about your journey in the comments below.
