Preparation is one of the most powerful drivers of success in public speaking. It is vital to be very clear on this purpose, so spend time preparing a statement of purpose that will drive everything that you do and say when you present. Once you are familiar with your material and the structure of your speech, you will be far more fluent in your delivery and you will lose the need to rely on notes. So make yourself familiar with the room and its setup. MORE

I've learned a lot about back of the room sales in the past couple years. This article isn't about the technique of Back of the Room Sales. The overall philosophy is that too much information will not help the audience members's retention of the material or help your back of the room sales. Ask anyone who has ever attended one of them and I guarantee they will tell you that they got buried in good material. MORE

I’m darn good at selling at the back of the room. Today I want to give you a low pressure technique that can give you way more sales than when you nervously wait till the end of your talk to suggest people buy your book. What I want you to do is put a copy of your book on the chair of every attendee at your event. You will pick the two best parts of the book and read them from stage as you are teaching a related point. MORE

You are used to people laughing, nodding, and being engaged, but this room is set with rounds of 8 and people’s backs are to you. And the last row is so far back you can’t see their eyes. How can the seating setup affect back-of-the-room sales? MORE

SELL YOUR KNOWLEDGE This is my overriding principle that came from years of hard knocks trying to get people to hire me to speak. Stop and think of what kinds of groups would want to be associated with your message. MORE

SELL YOUR KNOWLEDGE This is my overriding principle that came from years of hard knocks trying to get people to hire me to speak. Your name recognition because of your knowledge distribution makes speaking engagements much easier to come by because the people that could hire you have already heard you and your message on your knowledge based products. Stop and think of what kinds of groups would want to be associated with your message. MORE

You think of all the expenses you’ll incur gas, parking, photocopying materials, babysitter and speaking for free means you won’t be reimbursed for these incidental costs.Although a free gig can eat into your bottom line, you don’t need to refuse it altogether. Otherwise, known as back of the room (BOR) sales, here are some tips for ensuring that you rake in the cash even if you’re speaking for free. You’ve been asked to speak for an audience. MORE