Happy New Year, friends! I hope you had a fabulous Christmas with renewing rest and strengthening family time. I enjoyed a little hiatus, but I’m raring to go into a fresh, new year of growth and opportunities. How about you?
I want to challenge each of you to take some time today or tomorrow to write down some next steps for your speaking ministry. Maybe you’re just starting out and need to find a fellow speaker to interview about the details of being a speaker. Perhaps you’re a very seasoned speaker who needs to mine your recent spiritual lessons for some exciting new messages. For all of us, this is the year to take steps to get the messages God has put in our hearts out to audiences who are dying to hear His truth!
No matter where you are, you can take tangible steps to grow your speaking ministry. Here are my top 15 tips for 2015:
1. Spend a day (or as much time as you can carve out) in a quiet place with just your Bible and a journal. Worship, pray and read God’s Word. Ask Him to speak to you about His agenda for you for the year. Read this blog post for more details about a retreat with Jesus.
2. Pray before you speak, “Lord, help me to love You first and to love these women as you love them.” Watch your focus change and your nerves subside.
3. Lay aside a percentage of each of your speaking fees for reinvestment back into your ministry.
4. Purchase a book that will challenge you in your speaking and implement at least one new idea in your next message. We’ve got some great suggestions in our reading list on the sidebar! I’ve gotten half way through by Michael Hyatt and by Nancy Duarte. Finishing them and implementing what I learn is at the top of my list.
5. Schedule time each week to work on your speaking ministry–studying, writing new messages or working on marketing tasks.
6. Seek out someone who lives very differently than you as a friend. One of the ways God is expanding my horizons and teaching me new things is through some friends who do ministry in different arenas as well as two friends who live with significant handicaps. These friendships and the lessons we learn through them impact our messages significantly.
7. Start saving your pennies and attend She Speaks. It’s a feast for your mind and soul! Registration will open early March.
8. Prayerfully set a goal for how many times you’ll speak this year. Be open to all kinds of venues for speaking (including making announcements, emceeing events, teaching Sunday school, etc), and speak as often as possible. Pray for chances to share God’s message and exercise your “speaking muscle”.
9. Record yourself (digital recorders are worth the investment) or ask to be recorded each time you speak. Then listen to yourself! I know it’s excruciating, but you’ll identify more needs for improvement by doing this than by any other single thing. Video is even better (worse?). Watching yourself will alert you to areas that need work.
10. Subscribe to blogs that will give you information about being a better speaker and getting the word out about your ministry. We’d love for you to subscribe here for our free weekly speaker tips, of course! We also have additional information posted on our Facebook page. Also, I recommend Micheal Hyatt’s blog as well as signing up for Rob Eager’s Monday Morning Marketing Tips.
11. Listen to great speakers and analyze the structure of their messages. There are tons of free podcasts. A few of my favorites are any of my Proverbs 31 sisters, Jennifer Rothschild, Andy Stanley and Ravi Zacharias.
12. Watch TED Talks to fill your mind with challenging ideas and the opportunity to listen to some fabulous speakers. Here are a few of my favorites: , Diana Nyad, Bill Gates, Jane Fonda and my all-time favorite, genius TED Talk by Jane McGonigal.
13. Choose 12 of Tracie’s marketing ideas, and implement one each month this year.
14. Get out and live a bigger life. Take a day-trip. Ride your bike. Play with children. Cook international food. Break out of your rut, and do something different! Not only will it energize you, it will give you material for your messages.
15. And last but not least…use Next Step Speaker Services to help you individually with message development, message evaluation or developing marketing pieces. Learn more about our service by viewing . If you’d like to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION CALL click here.
I’m here to be your cheerleader for all of 2015! I’m in this growth process right along with you, so let’s take some next steps together.
Will you use any of these tips? I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’re planning your speaking year!
Good morning Amy,
Great post. I just have a quick question. I was not able to access Tracie ‘ s marketing tips, it says that there is an error. Can you tell me where else I may find it?
Thank you and have a wonderful day.
Danielle Ward
Danielle, sorry about that and thanks for alerting me! I’ve corrected the link in the post, and it’s https://nextstepspeakerservices.org/marketing-your-message-series/ Tracie Miles gave us great stuff in that series.
Great suggestions !! Thank you !!
Hi Amy, Happy New Year, it’s great to have you back. I’ve been absent as well. Thanks for this amazing list of suggestions. This will help greatly, I’m on it. I actually started the new year reading a short eBook “I Dare You To P.U.S.H. Five Steps To Pursuing Your Purpose by Rhondal Nails. Not sure when I got it but was very helpful to begin again. I’ve been in a fut for the past two plus years, but I’m now Pursuing Until Success Happens, I’m on my way. Again, thanks!
Marjorie B.
I love your “Pursuing Until Success Happens”, Marjorie. I’ve had so many clients who worked on a beautiful message before they even had the first event scheduled only to have God swing doors open wide months later. Pursuing Him in obedience is all we’re all responsible for. Well put!
Great list Amy! I’ve ready got 6 speaking gigs this year, a lot for me. They’re somewhat minor. But they are a great training ground and I’m dedicated to making them the best they can be. I’m starting today by going off for a DAWG (day alone with God). Bless you with abundance this year, friend!
That’s fantastic, Elise! I wish I could be sitting in one of those audiences.
Great advice. My wife and I are starting a speaking marriage ministry and one of my main talked will be called “A Changed Heart – My addiction Story”. It is about my 19 years of addiction to have God heal me almost 9 years ago from them.