Public speaking is one of the oldest and most effective ways
to market your small business. You can connect with hundreds of
prospects in a very personal way. It's extremely cheap to do. And
YOU will be good at it when you follow these easy tips!
"Me? Speak to a crowd?" I hear you say. Consider this...
There are a great many groups in your area who have
meetings and need speakers. If you have something of value to tell
their members, they'll appreciate your offer to speak to them.
Check your local library for lists of organizations in your city. I was
amazed to find over 100 such groups in my mid-sized town.
Everything from an association of insurance adjusters to a monthly
meeting of hamster growers.
All you need is some kind of helpful information you can
share with others. Think of the special skills and information that
you use to help customers in your business. Is there a way to share
that knowledge with a group? All kinds of specialties make for a
good speaking engagement: money-saving tips, auto repair, political
lobbying, arts, personal advice, how-to lessons, sports, gardening.
My specialty is media and marketing. Groups love it when I give
them a few pointers on how to publicize their businesses and
organizations with the media.
Limit your talk to 20 minutes. Keep your message simple.
Public speaking is not a good way to explain lots of detailed
information (remember some of those boring classes in high school
that almost put you to sleep?). Decide on two or three key points
you want the audience to remember. Bring your points to life with
stories about yourself and others.
Starting your talk with a bit of humor can break the ice. A
short, harmless quip at the beginning can give the audience a good
feeling about you. Go for a smile rather than a "guffaw." It's much
safer.
To schedule a public speaking engagement, contact the
organization by phone. Explain what you want to talk about.
Follow up with a letter and a flier or brochure about yourself. Call
back in a few days to schedule your talk.
Don't get discouraged by the fear of stage fright. The key is
not to focus on individuals in the audience. Think of the audience
as an abstract whole. I've learned this technique from professional
performers who have had to overcome bad cases of the jitters.
Speaking to an audience is really no different than speaking to
several customers in your business.
Leave your sales pitch until the end of the talk. People will
be much more open to you and your ideas if they feel you are there
to help and not to sell them something. After the talk is over,
provide everyone with a one-sheet explaining who you are, what
you do, how to contact you, and a summary of what you've just told
them.
Finally, don't give up if your first public speaking
engagement doesn't go exactly as you planned. There's an old
saying among comedians that you always bomb on your first try. I
doubt you'll bomb on your first speaking engagement, but speaking
will get easier and better each time you present your knowledge to
an audience.
Kevin Nunley helps small and mid-sized businesses build effective marketing. Reach him at DrNunley@aol.com or at (801)253-4536. Ask for his free marketing report and list of Special Reports and Tapes that make you a marketing whiz in dozens of areas. Also ask how he can help you build your on-line presence.
