In professional public speaking, the potential for financial success is very bright. You are also inspiring and motivating a lot of people to success.

Fortunately for some, starting a speaking career does not require any degree or specific higher education. Anybody can speak in public. But this does not mean that people are always willing to listen. Just like any craft, public speaking needs practice and skill. Some may already have the natural knack but most will need to gradually acquire it.

Skills can only be honed through practice and experience. Experience, being the best teacher, can give you tough lessons that may sometimes discourage you to go on. Great lessons usually come from bad experiences. Being a speaker also means having fortitude; having the courage to face failure. You're not going to become a successful speaker overnight. Creating a successful speaking career is a journey and you should learn along the way.

The first thing to do is to find a niche. You must choose a topic that interests you and become an expert at it. Choose a niche where you find yourself most natural. Once you have chosen, you must customize all your services and materials in accordance to the needs of your chosen market.

Having a niche is important. It is where the money is. Having a general market won't get you booked. In public speaking, only the specialists are getting rich.

You will soon discover that having a chosen market will not only give you more engagements but it will also make preparations easier for you. Focusing on a specific crowd will give more substance to your work. More substance means more satisfied clients. Public speaking is a business that is highly dependent on referrals and word-of-mouth. These satisfied audience and organizers can market your services.

When you first start speaking you will often have to speak for free at least at first. Always keep an eye open for opportunities to speak in different venues. You can advertise and write a letter to organizers that you are available to speak for free. Newbie speakers need the experience and practice. The best way to learn is from a real audience.

As you go on with your new career, you will realize that you are getting better and better with the craft. You will begin speaking and marketing better. You may even try setting a reasonable fee for your work.

Once you have reached this point of your career, you may consider yourself fairly successful. However, there are still few things to do so you can reach the pinnacle of speaking success.

It is time to brand your self. Branding your self will elevate your career to new heights. You can price your services higher and you will get booked more frequently.

Along with branding, you must also make products that can give you additional streams of income. These products such as books, videos, and audio CDs can also be used as marketing and branding tools. You can sell these products online or during your engagements.

In the long run, you will establish yourself as a pseudo celebrity in your niche. Your goal is to build your reputation and credibility so that you can afford to choose when you want to speak.