My mother always told me that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. I am here to tell you that the same is true for me. At least as far as my business is concerned. Once I got over my shyness at the ripe age of 8, I discovered that being on stage was the place for me. Not in the acting sense of being on stage, (although I was in several plays in high school and a very interesting Star Trek play that we wrote and acted out in college Spanish class!) but just standing in front of a group of people and working the room.
These days one of my favorite marketing activities is speaking to groups. And, yes, many other marketing people will tell you that speaking IS one of the best activities you can participate in for your business. Here are some of the reasons why.
- This is one-to-many marketing. You get in front of several, dozens, or hundreds of your potential clients at one time. This gets your message out faster; a lot faster than one person at a time.
- What a great way to showcase your expertise! Once you are on the speaker circuit you will start to be known as the expert in a particular topic or area.
- And talk about try before you buy! Those attending your presentation will see you live and in person and get the best look at what it would be like doing business with you. Of course, you had better be good at presenting! Practice, practice, practice.
- Last, but not least, you will be served a nice lunch! (assuming you present at lunch) Most local groups who are the lunch and learn types don’t pay for presenters. There are some that do, and I have been paid on a number of occasions, but my end game is not the money for speaking. That is my marketing and I am happy to increase my visibility in the community and get additional contacts on my list. Plus lunch.
Secret: Most groups that meet weekly or monthly are always on the hunt for speakers, so prepare a 20 to 30 minute presentation on something interesting that you are passionate about. Ask yourself, what do I know about at work that I could talk for twenty minutes about? Then put a short outline together, create 3 PowerPoint slides (title page, one content slide, and a thank you slide with your contact information). You never know when you will get a last minute call to fill in.
Just hope they are meeting at a great spot to eat!
GREAT article Amy! I agree with everything you shared. Speaking to your ideal prospects can create an instant powerful connection that might take YEARS to develop online. Plus it’s a great way to quickly expand your network and sell your products and services. I did a talk a few weeks ago in front of one segment of my target market and was thrilled to see them (literally) running to the back of the room to purchase our product at the end of the presentation. We sold $1200 worth of product that day! So clearly this can be a lucrative way to generate revenue for your business. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Nice results, Sydni! If you are speaking to your target audience, you should be able to get business. (which makes up for not getting paid, if you aren’t getting paid to speak!)
Amy – Speaking is definitely a great way to showcase your expertise while helping others. It also does a lot for your brand visibility before the event, after the event, and during the event! I’ve gained some of my most favorite clients from speaking engagements!
Jennifer Bourn, Bourn Creative
Jennifer – great remark about visibility before and after the event. People tell me they see me everywhere!
Thanks for stopping by!
Great advice, Amy! I shared this on my twitter account!!
Kelly