To say that building a speaking career is difficult is an understatement—you have to put yourself out there, swallow some hard feedback, and be crazy enough to do it all over again. So how do you know you’re getting better at speaking?
At NSANZ, you get the chance to present to your peers at an event called Showcase. Held just three or four times a year, Showcase is a great opportunity for you to speak in just 8 minutes to an audience of fellow speakers while getting quality feedback from hand-picked evaluators who are highly experienced speakers themselves. If this excites you, then find out how Showcase has helped the careers of other speakers.
Former NSANZ National President, Bill James, who credits Showcase as significant in achieving his CSP status, says, “As a CSP, I am still looking for ways to try new ideas and material in front of a sympathetic audience. It does not matter if you are fresh to the stage or ‘been there a thousand times’, this is where the learning is—do Showcase.”
Andrew Fleming, who sees Showcase as instrumental in developing his presentations, says, “I was getting good feedback speaking to community groups like Rotary and Lions but felt I needed to up my game and develop my presentations in order to reach my goal of being a paid professional speaker. When I was told about Showcase, it seemed the perfect tool to do this. In order to up our game we need to challenge ourselves, and presenting to other speakers certainly does that. I have done three Showcase talks in 18 months. The 8-minute format forced me to really examine the words I use in order to say what I wanted in a short space of time. I learnt so much being assessed by the speakers I look up to, and other speakers have praised me for the growth they saw in me over the three Showcase talks I have done. I have started getting paid and I used the third one to test content I intend to use in the insurance industry. The reaction from the audience and assessors confirmed I am on the right track. If you want to up your game, take the plunge and do Showcase. You will learn things you haven’t thought of, and you will grow as a speaker.”
You can’t argue with that. There are only 4 spots for speakers at Showcase, so reserve yours now. Places are strictly limited to a first-come-first-serve basis. (And if you want to step up and be an MC, Showcase is also a great opportunity.) Speak at Showcase, and you’re guaranteed a boost in your speaking career!
