Turn your passion into profit : Talking

You probably have met some people that just can’t stop talking. They can talk for hours on end. They don’t even realise when you’ve stopped listening. They must make a comment about any and everything. They’ll keep talking without even thinking about it. These sorts of people have been branded as talkative, chatter boxes and other sorts of terms. But, if you’re one of sort people, don’t despair. You can turn your love and penchant for talking into a business.

We begin a series on turning your passion into profit and in this edition we look at the passion of talking. As individuals, some things just come naturally to us; some things naturally catch our fancy. It could be a love for talking as we’ve stated earlier, a love for clothes, a love for watching TV shows, or maybe a love for reading.

What you need to ask yourself first, is “How do I turn this passion into a business that people are willing to pay for? The second question is how do I make this business sustainable?”

Regarding talking, you need to begin to see it as a skill. So, you need to refine your talking skills, prior to marketing it. Make sure that when you talk, you’re making sense. Watch your tenses, , measure your words and begin to brush up on your vocabulary. You can join the toast masters club, which is becoming quite popular in Nigeria. The toastmasters club is a movement that seeks to improve oratory skills of individuals. This club or something similar will help to refine your skills in talking.

You’ve also got to make sure that you read widely so that you’ve got a broad array of topics to talk about. Once you’ve refined your speech, improved your vocabulary and are knowledgeable about a wide array of topics then the next step is to create streams of business around your passion and begin to market them.

1. Speech delivery services. Many public figures and executives have to give speeches, address crowds and convey messages. Not many of them know how to. The simple reason is that they have not been trained. This service is not common in Nigeria, but it’s used to great effect In the west. Now that you have refined our speaking skills you can begin to market your services as a speech delivery coach. In addition to speech, you would also coach on things like eye contact, how to hold a crowd, how to pitch your voce, how to give impactful quotes and the likes. It goes without saying that you would have mastered these things yourself.

2. Compere and anchor services. Most events require an anchor. Whether it’s a company event, a wedding, a party or a small gathering of friends or business associates. Not everyone wants a comedian, but some people require an individual that can take people through a journey, handle introductions well and talk confidently about a particular subject matter. When you read wide and are current, you would be able to be spontaneous. In addition, the toastmasters training helps you to build confidence and the spontaneity involved in this sort of job.

3. Media events. With the increase in TV stations and radio stations, there would be need for presenters and on air personalities. If you’ve honed your skill in this area, this should be a good ground for your passion. There is also an increase In the number of online radio and TV stations.

A simple way to market your services would be to create a site, put records of what you have done before, either live or recorded and begin to use social media to market these services.

So the next time someone says you’re a talkative, perhaps they are just pointing you in the direction of your business. If it’s your passion, don’t let it go. Strive to develop yourself, keep up with trends in this growing industry and seek to create and differentiate your brand. Treat every event like you’ll never get another opportunity and give it your best shot. Be prepared to do some work for free at the outset, while building your brand and getting potential clients hooked on your service.

What are you waiting for?… JUST START !

Oguche Agudah