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A speaker's bureau is basically a team of strong communicators who are willing to give presentations and are well versed in your campaign messages.
Take your message to:
You don't have to be a performer to be a good speaker. The key is to be relaxed, speak clearly and with authority, and represent your cause in a professional manner.
To get bookings, contact the organisations concerned and ask for some time at their next meeting. Make sure when booking that you get all relevant details, including date, time and place.
Different speakers relate better to different audiences. Make sure you learn about your audience so you can feel as comfortable as possible when you're presenting.
It's handy to prepare some notes for your talk, especially if it's the first time you're giving it. But don't write an essay! People will get bored if you simply read from a sheet of paper. Prepare a list of points in the right order, including relevant statistics or quotes.
Think about the sorts of questions people might ask. Try to tell your story from a personal perspective, with anecdotes your audience can relate to.
Your notes might cover:
Don't overdo it. Any longer than 20 minutes and people start to get restless. Keep it snappy, leaving plenty of time for questions.
Clear and understandable slideshows, powerpoint presentations, posters and diagrams make good presentation aids. They help the audience "digest" your points.
If you're planning to use audio visual equipment, arrange this well in advance and arrive early at the venue to ensure the room is set up with the appropriate equipment. Don't go overboard with the visual presentation - 10 to 30 slides is plenty for a 20-minute talk.
Take plenty of campaign material along to the talk. This is an opportunity to get people to write letters or sign petitions. Members of your audience might also feel inclined to join your group or make a donation, so have all relevant paperwork with you.
Write and thank the group for having you and make sure they have enough information and materials to continue spreading the word.
Take your message to:
- Business groups
- Service clubs
- Local councils
- Schools and universities
- Other non-government organisations
Preparing your talk
You don't have to be a performer to be a good speaker. The key is to be relaxed, speak clearly and with authority, and represent your cause in a professional manner.
To get bookings, contact the organisations concerned and ask for some time at their next meeting. Make sure when booking that you get all relevant details, including date, time and place.
Different speakers relate better to different audiences. Make sure you learn about your audience so you can feel as comfortable as possible when you're presenting.
The talk
It's handy to prepare some notes for your talk, especially if it's the first time you're giving it. But don't write an essay! People will get bored if you simply read from a sheet of paper. Prepare a list of points in the right order, including relevant statistics or quotes.
Think about the sorts of questions people might ask. Try to tell your story from a personal perspective, with anecdotes your audience can relate to.
Your notes might cover:
- an outline of the issue
- how the problem/issue affects your audience
- who else the problem affects
- what your audience can do to help
Don't overdo it. Any longer than 20 minutes and people start to get restless. Keep it snappy, leaving plenty of time for questions.
Visual aids
Clear and understandable slideshows, powerpoint presentations, posters and diagrams make good presentation aids. They help the audience "digest" your points.
If you're planning to use audio visual equipment, arrange this well in advance and arrive early at the venue to ensure the room is set up with the appropriate equipment. Don't go overboard with the visual presentation - 10 to 30 slides is plenty for a 20-minute talk.
Campaign resources
Take plenty of campaign material along to the talk. This is an opportunity to get people to write letters or sign petitions. Members of your audience might also feel inclined to join your group or make a donation, so have all relevant paperwork with you.
After the talk
Write and thank the group for having you and make sure they have enough information and materials to continue spreading the word.
Further info
