No matter the industry you’re in, chances are you’ve been to a few conferences in your life.

You’ve probably gone all over the country for trade shows and likely have a few international business trips under your belt, too. Or, maybe you’re just getting started and dreaming about all of these experiences. Here’s an interesting thought to consider: why attend the top conferences in your industry if you can one day headline them?

Imagine yourself up on stage as the main conference speaker to kickoff or wrap-up an event. Think about what it would feel like to become an authority in the market and use your knowledge to empower hundreds or thousands of people listening to your speech.

Don’t psych yourself out if you’re not sure you have this in you.

All you need are the following 5 traits to be a great conference speaker.

1. Confidence

Conference speakers are the kind of people who know how to get attention when they walk into a room. They have a commanding voice and use engaging body language on stage, but they also know how to carry themselves in small groups and one on one conversations.

They’re fully aware of who they are, what their purpose is, and the value they can offer their audience. They’re also not full of themselves, though. Every great conference speaker knows how to listen just as well as they can speak their mind and be articulate.

2. Expertise

It’s one thing to speak your mind when sharing an opinion and another to be able to give in-depth explanations and theories. This is a big difference between amateur conference speakers and those who have honed their craft.

You need to be able to share something new, interesting, and exciting whenever you step on stage. You need to be thinking ahead of the curve while supporting your findings/ideals with data.

Put simply, you really need to know your stuff.

3. Emotional Awareness

Having expertise on a certain subject is what gives all your speeches/appearances credibility. But, emotional awareness is a fundamental part of the delivery.

Emotional awareness completes what you’re trying to say by sharing it in a way that people are highly receptive to. You need this to be able to read a room when introducing yourself to a crowd. It’s what gets their initial attention and keeps them engaged whether you’re speaking for 5 minutes or a whole hour.

4. Authenticity

Being emotionally aware is not the same as being authentic.

You can be aware of the room and the receptiveness of others and still come off closed-off and unapproachable. You should try to present yourself in a way that’s friendly and understanding every time you’re on stage. You want the audience to know that you relate to them and that you have information that they can relate with, too.

5. Practice

The best conference speakers only became the best after years of practice and experience. This is not something you can master overnight. It’s a profession that will always challenge you to learn more and try new things.

You’ll have to use different approaches to speak to a crowd of 100 than one of 1,000. You have to learn how to craft a presentation that can be given to a wide variety of professionals, but also how to create unique, brilliant speeches.

It’s a never-ending process. You’ll always be practicing your skills as a conference speaker, and you should never get one stage without running through a presentation a few times beforehand.

From the Boardroom to the Big Leagues: Become the Conference Speaker You’re Meant to Be

If you get a thrill when giving presentations to the people at your company, you need to start thinking beyond the boardroom. You don’t always have to be the person who punches the clock and works to build someone else’s success.

You can create your own success as a conference speaker. You can transform your work life and enhance your overall quality of life, but you have to be willing to put in the effort to become the best speaker possible.

For entrepreneurship tips and tricks to help you do so, click here.