Public speaking is a curiosity. Most people either love it or are absolutely terrified of it. Some people are physically ill just saying their name in front of a group while others will wrestle you to the ground to rip a microphone from your hand.

Over the years I have done somewhere over three thousand presentations nationally and internationally (including corporate stuff, educational stuff, sporting teams, schools, and fitness industry stuff). At least five of those talks were good. All right, three.

I get emails every day asking me how I got to do what I do and what advice I might have to offer the would-be public speaker. Rather than rewriting the same reply nineteen thousand times over the next ten years, I thought I might make my life easier and formalise my thoughts on the matter with a post.

Okay, pens poised (or printers turned on), here we go - Public Speaking 101:

1. Decide what kind of speaker you want to be. Find your public speaking niche. What are you good at? What are you suited to? What are you passionate about? Who do you want your audience to be? What is your key message and your mission? Do you want to do it professionally?

Are you an educator? ("Okay class, let's take a look at the physiological benefits of progressive resistance training for the elderly.") Are you a motivator? ("I'm not interested in your comfort or enjoyment, I'm interested in results. Now stop whining, stop bleeding, and get up off the floor!!" Mmm, maybe that's a masochist!) Are you an entertainer? (Hey guys, a funny thing happened on the way here tonight...")

2. Have a U.S.P. In business we want something that separates us from our competitors. We call this a Unique Selling Proposition. If you want a successful career as a speaker then you need to give people a reason to want to utilise your services. People always have options, so we want to be the best option (eventually) or a better option at least.

3. Spend significant time writing, preparing, and committing your presentations to memory. You need to have great content (fresh, interesting, challenging, stimulating, confronting, funny, and relevant) and know your stuff inside-out. The better you know your material, the more relaxed you will be in front of your group. Looking at notes repeatedly while you speak is not cool.

4. Practice often. In the car, in front of the mirror, to your dog, cat, rabbit or plants! Recruit an audience - your family perhaps.

5. Get feedback. When you do any presentation (even if it's a dry run in front of friends or family) ask for constructive feedback. Don't be precious, and consciously work on your weaknesses.

6. Film your presentation. Want some real perspective? Watch yourself on film. The first time I saw myself on video (it was the 80's) I was totally weirded out by all of my little public speaking idiosyncrasies and habits. I repeated myself, I spoke too fast, I spoke with my back to the audience (as I wrote on a board), I kept rolling up my sleeves in this kind of unconscious nervous little ritual thingy (embarrassing), and my finish was about as exciting and empowering as porridge. I hated watching myself.