“Get better before you get bigger” – I recently heard this axiom from Lysa TerKeurst, President of Proverbs 31 Ministries. Lysa is an accomplished A-level speaker and oversees their annual SheSpeaks Conference, which I highly recommend for women in ministry. She told me how they encourage women to focus on improving their message and delivery, before they worry about how big their audiences are.
This is good advice to consider. What are you doing to improve your skills as a speaker and writer? Are you sitting around pouting about small engagements or low book sales? Or, are you honing your craft by reading instructional books, meeting with critique groups, or attending a speakers or writers workshop?
There are two aspects to getting a bigger platform: effective marketing (that’s where I come in) and creating a better message. Believe me, it’s hard to get good word-of-mouth if you’re a lousy communicator. In contrast, the better your message gets, the easier it is for others to tell their friends about you. Check out the list below for resources to help you get better.
Writer’s Conferences and Critique Groups:
www.ChristianWritersInfo.net/Conferences.htm
www.ChristianWritersInfo.net/Critique.htm
Speaking Conferences and Workshops:
www.Classervices.com
www.SheSpeaksConference.com
www.DynamicCommunicators.com
www.ToastMasters.org
Now, get out there and get better!