I was excited when TEDWomen was announced--a special two-day conference of TED talks about women and girls, across disciplines and topics and countries, set for early December here in Washington, DC.  Part of the TEDx program which has covered in-depth topics as varied as the BP oil spill or topics focused  on one city or neighborhood, it struck me as another way of slicing the vast array of potential topics with a special perspective.

(Editor's note: This appeared earlier this week on my don't get caught blog, but it has obvious utility for Eloquent Woman readers.)

As a networked communicator, you're more likely to be asked to speak--but are you making the most of those visible networking opportunities?  Here's how to become a networked speaker who makes the most of each presentation gig:

Do you really know how to engage an audience? That means not just speaking to them on your topic, trying to teach them your views or even change their minds. Engaging an audience allows for back-and-forth, differences of opinion and outright disagreement that can't be neatly resolved.  Can you do it with an audience that doesn't trust you or accept your authority?  Can you hold your ground without defending it like a fort?

This month, I'm asking readers "Who are you? What are you looking for here?"  Follow the link to share your reasons, questions and  speaking challenges. New Zealand presentation and speaking trainer Olivia Mitchell writes: