Having a career as a public speaker

[geek84]

Good Morning Folks

I hope you're all well. In a few years’ time I'm thinking of semi retiring and creating a career in public speaking. Do you think this is a viable thing to do or is public speaking only for the rich and famous?

Thanks

[Some Gump]

Bizarre question.
If you're super interesting / inspiring yes.
If you're boring / going to stand on a soapbox and yell at passers by that doomsday cometh, probably not.

[StevieBee]

It depends on the following:

1) Do you have unique themes rooted in unique experience?
2) Are you a competent and entertaining speaker?
3) Is there a market for what you would speak about?

If you've trekked pole to pole in pants and sandals and know how to hold an audience then you may quite possibly get a few gigs

If your most significant contribution to life was the South East number one salesman for photocopier toner two years running, then probably not.

[GT03ROB]

What are you going to talk about?

Whats your experience of public speaking?

Do you know if you are any good?

[clockworks]

Something that I never new existed until I had to arrange a funeral last week - funeral celebrant. Apparently a big thing in Australia, and catching on over here as an alternative to a priest or humanist.

[ben_h100]

Do you have any useful experience that could be used in a training role? Simply a variation on public speaking.

[Monkeylegend]

OP is not saying a lot.

[Some Gump]

Monkeylegend said:

OP is not saying a lot.

Maybe public listener is more up his street?

[Yipper]

Public speaking fees are directly related to your public media profile.

High press = high fees.
Low press = low fees.

If you are not in the print, TV, online or social media, you will struggle to make money and get bookings and the career will flop.

For example, saw a Tony Blair presentation where he'd been paid a rumoured 100k. It was just banal platitudes read off an autocue. Saw a storytelling presenter (aimed at training for journalists) who had been featured once in a Guardian article. He was very good, but only got 1k because nobody in the room had a clue who he was.