Become a Paid Speaker and Toastmasters Accredited Speakers

Part 2 of our conversation with Sheryl Roush, DTM, and AC (what's AC?) On the Sunday Brunch programming for the District 10 2016 Spring Conference on becoming a paid public speaker.

Sparkle and Market Like a Pro  Sunday Brunch

District 10 and Sheryl are adding a new feature to this year's Spring Conference:  a Sunday Brunch with Sheryl's presentation Sparkle and Market Like a Pro .

This bonus program will

* Explore your ideal topics and audiences

* Understand what it takes to get started in this business,

and be taken seriously as a speaker

* Recognize what meeting planners expect

* Start setting your fees

* Leave with a template to use!

This sounds like a great presentation - I intend to be there with paper and pen for lots of note-taking.

This program is open to Toastmasters and non-Toastmasters.  Go to District10.org/conference/ for tickets.

Become a Paid Public Speaker with the Accredited Speaker Program

When I got Sheryl's information as keynote to our Spring Conference, I wasn't sure what two of the letters after her DTM were:  AS.

So I asked - and I learned a lot about accredited speakers and the Toastmasters designation.

It even has its own website:  AccreditedSpeakers.com

This is a rigorous program to get recognition as a paid, professional public speaker.  The applicant has to give several speeches before a panel of judges who will determine if the applicant has passed the requirements.  Unlike the rest of the Toastmasters programs that aren't pass/fail, this program expects a high standard of presentation.

I pulled this from the Toastmasters.org website:

WHO IS ELIGIBLE A potential applicant must meet the following requirements before applying:

*

Be a current Toastmasters member in good standing

*

Have earned one of the following education awards, or higher:  (Able Toastmaster, Advanced Toastmaster Bronze or Advanced Communicator Bronze )

*

Have given a minimum of 25 speaking engagements to non-Toastmasters audiences within the past three years.

I've hit two of the three, so I'm on my way.  It's that 25 speaking engagements part that I'll need to work on to start on my way to becoming an Accredited Speaker.