If you enjoy speaking to groups, or have a burning passion to make a lasting impression, then professional speaking could be the perfect solution.

Generally, professional speaking provides a boost to an already successful career. Speaking services can be provided on a part-time basis, or with sound business strategies, can become a fulfilling career in their own right.

So what’s the secret to getting started? According to Sandi Givens, from the National Speakers' Association of Australia (NSAA), there are three main aspects you need to consider: audience, skills, and promotion.

In the beginning, building confidence, experience and a repertoire of presentations is all-important. When establishing your profile, you want to ensure that you’re targeting a specific audience, yet are flexible enough to take advantage of unexpected opportunities for self-promotion.

“Effective speaking starts with knowing who your audience is,” says Givens. “Ask yourself who needs your message, and how they’ll benefit from hearing you. Then determine whether they can, and will, pay for the value you can offer.”

Whether you choose to learn the craft by observation, hitting the books or receiving specialised training, make sure you acquire the necessary platform skills to address both large and small groups. Expertise in each will not only increase your levels of comfort, effectiveness and professionalism, but will open doors to a new career.

When developing new material, your notebook should be bursting with dozens of stories, examples and anecdotes that your audience will relate to. Use them liberally to emphasise or illustrate key points, and to reveal pleasing universal truths.

“Keeping a journal, collecting inspiring information, and drawing from your own experience can help you to prepare and polish your presentations,” says Givens.

If this isn't enough to get your career started, joining a not for profit organisation like Rostrum or Toastmasters can enhance your delivery skills and create the perfect atmosphere for receiving feedback. “Fee-based workshops and joining a professional association for speakers, like the NSAA, can also be useful for learning more about topic development, or later, managing the business aspects of professional speaking,” Givens suggests.

And if you dread the glazed eyes and stifled yawns of a bored crowd, consider assessing your audience’s needs in advance. This way you won't have to ad lib or improvise throughout the presentation every time you get up to speak.

Givens suggests speaking pro-bono at large charities and not for profit organisations to build experience and a portfolio of testimonials. This can help make your name known and give your bio extra get-up-and-go.

“As your experience and profile grows, negotiate an exchange on the services you’re providing for free,” she adds. “For example, you could grow your marketing database by requesting business cards from the audience, or you could direct-sell related books and CDs.”

Finally, just because professional speaking is a serious business doesn't mean you shouldn't inject your presentations with a bit of fun and funk as well.