Every one of these chapters could be a topic for a speech. In many in-
stances, 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 exam-
ple, 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 sea-
sonal 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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