The specialties are mainly about niches. Each speaker has his own niche and it is very important to choose a target audience because the longevity and profitability of the speaking career heavily relies on having a dedicated audience.
Public speaking has a variety of audiences to choose from. The first thing that usually that pops into mind is the corporate arena. Many think of it as the most profitable and the pinnacle venue for public speaking in terms of profitability and prestige. However, it is not. It is just one of the audiences you have to choose from.
Another audience that is available to public speakers is in colleges as a keynote or motivational speaker. A speaker can earn tons of money if she knows how to break into that market and deliver accordingly. The youth arena today is a booming public speaking outlet. These days, many aspiring speakers, especially younger ones, try to break into this audience and do so with great success.
There are a lot of other audiences in the market, speakers just needs to open their eyes and be mindful. There are a lot of groups out there that will welcome a competent speaker to help them achieve their goals and provide solution to their problems.
Here's an example, if you have amazing stuff for housewives and you have vast knowledge in this field, you can settle in this niche and become an in demand expert. Organize small groups of housewives to speak to and eventually your audience base will grow. Being a time management specialist for multi-tasking businesspersons is also another type of department you can venture as a speaker. The point here is that speaking audiences are abundant and they come in limitless categories.
Public speaking is also a great tool for promoting a product. Speeches can be great pitches. Speakers can become platform sellers that will generate income from immediate sales of products. Persuasive speaking is the key here. A lot of inventors or entrepreneurs have evolved into excellent public speakers because they have recognized that they can sell better if they do some platform speaking to represent their products or services.
Public speaking can be done from anywhere. There are a lot of conferences, seminars, meeting and assemblies to choose from. The most important thing is to get out there and promote yourself as a speaker. Jobs won't come looking for you, but if you market yourself effectively you'll be able to find more than enough work.
Additionally, speakers can be good in different things; some are great keynote speakers, others are amazing motivators, and some are wonderful in persuasive speeches. Other speakers have also made quite a living in their how-to expertise.
Overall, public speaking is a general profession. Finding your niche, developing a product, and getting to know your own personality will ultimately guide a speaker towards a specialty.
