Bob Murphey spoke about a friend who wanted to be a professional speaker. When Bob asked, "What are you going to speak about?" his friend said, "I'm going to speak about the North Pole." Bob reminded him he had never been to the North Pole and his friend said, "Neither has the audience." Funny, but too often true.

 Too many speakers feel they must speak on popular topics, ones with which they are unfamiliar. Wrong. Audiences want to hear us speak about what we know, opine and believe. They want our "truth" view.

 Caution: Speakers can damage a program by offering opinions and beliefs as knowledge. They aren't and those in the audience who are most important to a speaker are those who think. Be clear in your meaning.

Note: Several years ago a speaker focused on success said, "Everyone in this audience is gifted. In fact, I suspect everyone here is more gifted in something than everyone else in the room. Focus on your gifts."