Public Speaking: Defining Your Niche

I do a lot of public speaking, probably one event per week. I’ve been doing it for decades. I speak to a wide variety of groups, including presentations for Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, Bouchercon, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Chongqing Acrobats of China, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the American Library Association, national writers’ workshops, screenwriters’ conferences, university and college events, book festivals, professional writers’ organizations, and corporate events and workshops. I don’t have an exact number, but I’ve spoken to thousands of groups over my lifetime. I owe much of my success and brand-building to speaking. Speaking to groups is a valid and logical choice for any writer who wants to build that all-important base.

The first question you need to ask yourself if you’re considering going down the road of public speaking, or the first question you need to ask to refine your already progressing career as a public speaker, is what your niche or specialty is. This is crucial for building a strong foundation for your speaking career.

Let’s start with some introspection. I encourage you to get a writing pad and utensil and start brainstorming as we go through this process. The first question to ask is, what do you know well? Consider your professional background, life experiences, skills, and achievements. Audiences love to hear from individuals who have walked the walk and practice what they preach. What do you already have in your bag of tricks that show your accomplishments and authority to speak on a subject? For example, my expertise includes storytelling, writing, filmmaking, creative careers, the publishing and entertainment industry, creativity, productivity, and self-help. These are all things I have a history of. What is your history of success that you can share?

If you’re going to spend as much of your time speaking to groups as I do, you must love it. What topics excite you? Your passion keeps your message authentic and engaging. I discuss personal growth, overcoming challenges, moral dilemmas, and resilience. These are topics, along with the subjects mentioned in the previous paragraph, that I could talk about all day and without notes. I love these topics. My love for them comes across in my presentations to my audiences, which is why I get asked back 99% for repeat presentations for the groups that I speak to,

When defining your niche, it's crucial to consider the challenges you've overcome. Personal stories of success and transformation inspire your audience. For instance, I started from very little, knew no one, and didn’t have the best family base or support, and yet I’ve gone on to do some things that have been successful but, more importantly, have given me a lifetime of pleasure and unforgettable experiences. I had many challenges on the road to that. These personal stories of triumph should be included in the topics that you will discuss, as they will inspire and connect with your audience.

Once you know what you can talk about – and I hope you’ve read through this essay slowly and reflectively and written your thoughts down – you must define your audience. Who wants to hear what you offer to share? What do they need? How can you help them? It’s never about you; it is about the individuals in your audience. What problems can you solve for them? Knowing this about your audience helps you refine your focus. Look at factors like demographics, pain points, and desired outcomes. Demographics include your audience's age, profession, interests, and education. Pain points are challenges and aspirations your audience isn’t satisfied with but desperately wants. Desired outcomes are based upon transformations your audience will experience after hearing you. My demographics are writers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and corporate professionals. The pain points I address are writers struggling with storytelling structure, professionals seeking motivation, and individuals from all professions who wish to increase their creativity.

You have all this together now, so the next big question for you is whether there is a market demand. Does your niche have an audience interested in paying you for what you have to say and share? Let me stop here. Initially, you will do a hundred or more free presentations to develop your skills and build a resume. This is what I mean by 'serving your time and dues. ' It's a common practice in the speaking industry, where you start at the bottom, just like everyone, and work your way up as you learn and develop your speaking skills. Do not let people trick you into thinking you need to be paid from the start. If you are, that’s great, but for most of us, we’ve served our time and our dues to get to the point of commanding the speaking fees we have. Regardless of where you are in your progress, though, you still need to research your market demand. Look for hot topics and trends in your areas of expertise. Use resources like Google Trends, issues at industry conferences like Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, or even audience surveys. Using this data, study what successful speakers in your area are doing and then determine what topics they are discussing and, more importantly, what gaps you can fill in that discussion. For example, if “storytelling for success” is trending, you could tailor your specialty toward teaching business if you have a skill in that or how corporate leaders can use storytelling for impact.

Now that you have all of this, align your niche with an explicit promise or benefit that you can offer to the audiences to which you speak. Are you still writing this down and brainstorming? I hope you are. Clarify the value that you are going to bring to your audience. This will become your speaker brand, what you are known for. Ask yourself questions like, “Why should someone listen to me?” My answer is that “I help writers and creatives transform their storytelling skills to inspire, engage, and succeed in any medium.” That’s my brand. It’s straightforward, focused, and hits right in the middle of the niche I speak to. You must be the person bringing solutions, and that comes with its promise. Through my workshops and talks, I teach practical storytelling techniques that empower writers to overcome self-doubt and finish their projects. It seems simple, but it's enormous. I promise to help people do that, and when we finish, I hear back, sometimes a year later, about how my promise paid. As a speaker and person, I find it incredibly gratifying to hear. It’s why I do what I do. The money is nice, the attention is nice, but the act of helping others is what motivates me. I can help others the most because I have taken the time, as you are doing now, to give people what I am qualified to share to help them live the life of their dreams.

Part of what has made me different is my unique perspective and style. Many speakers do what I do, but I’ve been able to differentiate myself to bring a unique perspective to my presentations. Much of my presentation is based on writing, psychology, and science. That makes me different. Look at yourself and write down your personal experiences, philosophies, and values that make you different. This will help you target how you deliver your message. Also, consider your delivery style. Are you humorous, inspirational, motivational, or thought-provoking? It helps to know your style to create a consistent brand. Also, consider what kinds of presentations you might want to do. Some of us are better at some things than others. A few are great at all. You need to find your spot. Think about keynote speeches, workshops, or interactive seminars. Where do your skill set and your personality fit in? For example, looking at all the above, I specialize in helping writers master suspenseful storytelling. I deliver my presentations through personal anecdotes of working for years in both the publishing and entertainment industries. I will give real-life case studies. Some find me humorous. As I’m doing in this article, I always provide actionable steps that help my audience apply what I’m saying to their lives, work, and career plans.

I don’t think you ever come to a concrete version of yourself or your presentations. You must evolve just as audience members evolve; you must keep up with the times, incorporate those into your presentations, and perfect your skills and delivery. Starting is the ideal time for perfecting your niche. Sometimes, when starting a new subject, I will also deliberately pick a small group to present the topic, test it, and tweak it. See what resonates with your audience. From the feedback you get after you do your presentation, are the members of the audience acting based on your presentation? Are they asking you to speak again? All of these are important in refining your message and keeping it current.

So, let’s look at how I position myself and your action plan based on that. I am a storytelling expert who helps attendees discover the power of narrative to elevate their careers. I blend practical writing techniques with life philosophies for maximum personal and professional growth. I lead creatives looking to navigate the challenges of the publishing and entertainment industries, combining entertainment and insight in my presentations to inspire my audiences. This is the brand I’ve developed. I laid it out. I consult this mission regularly when creating new content to ensure I stay within my lane. Write out your mission statement and try it out for an audience. See if it resonates and, if it does, continue and expand; if it does not, then adapt it and try it out again until you find your sweet spot.

I hope this proves helpful to you. Speaking gets me out of my writing chair and gives me an opportunity to interact with like-minded people. I love it. It has given me so much in return. And, from what I hear, it helps others. I encourage you to explore speaking for groups in addition to working as a writer, business owner, creative, entrepreneur, or whatever your job entails. The benefits are enormous.