Every one of these chapters could be a topic for a speech. In many instances, the problems we face are exactly what others want to hear about, particularly if we were good at overcoming these roadblocks. There are some topics that we've become experts in, without even realizing it.

Another type of speaking topic is what I call a seasonal topic. For example, if, during the holidays, you were to lead a management seminar on stress, you could include a message that would fit the appropriate holiday.

For example, I'm hired a couple of times a year by groups to deliver a variation of my overall theme of breathing space and shape it to fit the seasonal topic of having breathing space for the holidays. My primary message is that you don't have to have stress during the holidays; you can have breathing space.

To capitalize on the seasonal topics, look at your calendar, identify events, and perhaps develop some kind of expertise. You may not be hired for a seasonal topic throughout the year, but you may be able to get two or three engagements annually, and you may be hired months in advance.

There are also examples of speakers who capitalize on “hot topics.” For example, Dr. Ken Dychtwald, author of Age Ware, a book that looks at trends within life expectancy and aging, has become a sought-after speaker as Baby Boomers hit their fifties. He commands enormous sums because he is an expert on this hot topic. In addition to hot topics and seasonal topics, there are cyclical topics. These are subjects that come around again and again. It might be once a year; it might be every couple of years.

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