How to Start a Speaking Business Talking to Teens

Teens today – more than ever – need to hear and experience passionate and positive messages from people who truly care about them and their future success. When you love to stand in front of young people and speak to them about their choices, awareness, and prevention and capturing their goals and greatness — you are making a difference in the preparation of tomorrow’s leaders.

To start a speaking business talking to teens comes with a cheap startup cost. As a professional speaker for teens, you will invest time in researching topics, needs and honing a good presentation. You will also have to inject the aspect of entertainment and constant engagement in order to succeed in this business.

Here are a few tips and strategies to consider as you move forward on your quest to start a speaking business talking to teens:

Recognize Your Field of Expertise

You should consider your education, interest, and background. What do you bring to the table that will relate to and inspire young people to believe in themselves and work hard for a brighter future? And more importantly, why should teens listen to you? What makes you different from all of the other people in a teenager’s life who’s trying to inspire them to do and be the best?

It all starts with your field of expertise. What life has taught and shown you? You can bring formal knowledge and education to the table and/or you can bring real- life and world experiences to the table. You will definitely have to have the unique ability to engage, inspire, connect with, and create a fun while learning attention-grabbing presentation for TEENS.

Speak to Them, NOT at Them

You have to develop a special message that is relevant and significant to today’s teenagers. For instance, spend more time talking about the world they currently live in and not your entire presentation talking about how things were when you were growing up 10, 20 or 30+ years ago. Use icons and personal stories they can relate to and find solutions in.

When speaking to young people — always be honest and uplifting. Do not spend your entire speech tearing down a teen audience by berating them and telling them all the negative things you see teens doing wrong today. Believe it or not, there are many more teens in the world today that are doing positive and great things than there are those that are doing negative and criminal type things.

Training and Coaching

You should consider obtaining some training and coaching from a top professional speaker who currently speaks to teens regularly, someone who’s been speaking to teens for at least 10 years or more.

You can also seek training and guidance on public speaking skills and business development by taking classes at a local community college. The National Speakers Association (NSA) provides an academy to help good teen speakers transition to the world of funded speaking engagements.

Participate in a Speaking Association

You should join and be part of an association for speakers. The advantages of membership involve a network of like-minded professionals who deliberate and share concerns and a listing within the membership directory. Some of the organizations that you should check out are the Professional Speaking Association, the National Speakers Association, and Toastmasters International.

Market your availability to offer presentations and to make keynote addresses or speeches to teen groups. You can approach and ask for help from the schools, colleges, clubs, camps, community youth centers, and other non-profit organizations that work with teens. Create and hand out business cards and a speaker brochure (Speaker One Sheet). You can also join the network groups. Have a website developer to create and launch for you a website that has your in-depth background details, video clips of you speaking to teen groups, and testimonials from your previous presentations.

BONUS: How to Be a Good Motivational Speaker at Schools

There are a lot of motivational speakers for teens who find schools as the best place to concentrate and market their services. If you are seriously thinking of being a motivational speaker for teens, be sure that you also follow these tips:

• Get into the teenager’s world.
• Imagine your personal experiences as a teen.
• Avoid talking down to young people.
• You need to be genuine and honest with young people.
• Talk to the school ahead of time regarding what is happening on the campus.
• Advertise yourself and your services to the special activities directors, school counselors, school principals,
/////PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association), and to the advisors for the student council.
• Name your price for the marketplace; do not price yourself out of the marketplace.
• Coordinate with some other speakers who regularly speak to teens.
• Attempt to schedule 2 schools on the same day.
• Help schools through getting sponsors.
• You can also offer to present a program for the parents.
• Do a few local schools non-fee (for free), so you can obtain video footage, experience, and testimonials.
• Get recommendations for other schools.

About the Author: Ty Howard,
Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ty Howard Seminars^TM

Ty Howard is an internationally recognized keynote motivational speaker, organizational development consultant, executive and leadership development coach, and a national best-selling author. He is a leading authority on organizational and managerial practices that optimize leadership and employee performance and success. Ty Howard is the creator and lead facilitator of the trademarked “Untie the Knots®” Optimal Performance Process, and the author of Untie the Knots®: Freeing Yourself from Toxic Habits, Choices, People, and Relationships, as well as dozens of published articles on how to successfully plan, start, develop and grow a profitable speaking business. For more information on his intensive coaching programs and services for motivational speakers, and speaker and trainer business development, visit: http://tyhowardseminars.com/coaching_services/. Business Office Phone: (443) 982-7582.